Bank Holiday Monday 27/05 • Poole v Swindon (12.00) • Premiership

[waytogo28 2,054]

8 hours ago, drew2 said:

I read later in the programme notes that Matt Ford doesn't understand why numbers are dropping through his turnstiles but if that is what is served up each week in Dorset I have a good idea why as like I said I didn't feel it represented value for money yesterday.

It's not just Matt Ford that "doesn't understand" why numbers are dropping. Every promoter ( except possibly the IOW ) fall into the category of " none so blind as them that don't want to see". Rose tinted spectacles about the state of UK speedway - until they add up the hard-earned pennies of the punters who have been understanding the dropping VFM of paying at the turnstiles for the last 5 - 10 years at least. Not speedway, perhaps motorcycle rodeo at Poole?

[dontforgetthefueltapsbruv 10,695]

30 minutes ago, ray c said:

excellent post spot on and unbiased 2hrs 30m was right not 3hrs as some people are quoting on here

Still an hour longer than ideal.....

[ray c 2,299]

15 minutes ago, dontforgetthefueltapsbruv said:

Still an hour longer than ideal.....

agree but it was being said 3 hrs wrong

[Steve Shovlar 10,439]

The ref was in no hurry. Add to that Swindon riders in heats on the trot plus a deflated airfence and extended track watering and it did drag out to 2 hours 20 mins.

[hyderd 1,216]

23 minutes ago, Steve Shovlar said:

The ref was in no hurry. Add to that Swindon riders in heats on the trot plus a deflated airfence and extended track watering and it did drag out to 2 hours 20 mins.

we have 2 hours 20 mins now, anyone give me 2 hrs 15. 2 hours 15 anyone, come on it's got to be worth 2 hours 15.

[Bald Bloke 3,281]

23 minutes ago, hyderd said:

we have 2 hours 20 mins now, anyone give me 2 hrs 15. 2 hours 15 anyone, come on it's got to be worth 2 hours 15.

2.15 any one, going going...….

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.15 to the bald bloke at the back 

Edited May 29, 2019 by Bald Bloke

[Skidder1 7,632]

12 hours ago, drew2 said:

I attended this meeting yesterday as I was in Poole with the family and Doyley was in town and here is my view on it for what it is worth.

Track looked well watered when we arrived at around 11am and wandered around the pits with the kids. Both teams seemed quite relaxed on the the track walk , laughing and joking with each other as they approached the start line and none of the usual collective dirt kicking and rider debates when issues are apparent. Plenty of track work was going on with the starts being ripped up and more water going down. The guy in the tractor certainly didn't hang around as he was belting up and down in the tractor. Never seen a trackman move so quickly!

Then they announced the news re Lampart's 'injury' which when looking at the averages already meant the meeting would be a longer affair as the Swindon reserves had to cover a bulk of the rides. The next announcement was that due to the threat of rain at 1pm they wouldn't do the parade as usual but get straight into heat one at 12noon which they did with Zach as R/R so immediately a delay loomed there. Good job the rain didn't arrive!

Doyley was flying heat one to the quickest time of the season so far and he seemed to be easing off in last couple of bends. So far so good. The Poole reserves had a fairly easy 5-1 in heat two as Ellis Perks had the first 'moment' on the bottom bend losing second to NBJ.

Then came heat three with Ellis suffering the same fate of Perks with a massive tankslapper on the 4th bend. The following lap was Musielak's spectacular 'lay down' in the same spot which even if he wasn't injured before it looked enough to rule him out anyway. No idea of the alleged 'plan' by Swindon beforehand but when he walked over to get changed soon after his right arm was not being moved much at all.

I am no rider but it looked in heat 4 that Batch had the wrong setup as the bike was very lively and difficult to control. I can see why he pulled up as it was taking him in directions he didn't want to go. After that race he got it sussed out and rode ok, maybe he changed bikes or setup?

Richie Worrall looked good in heat 6 riding mid track without problem to gain his first win of an impressive afternoons work. The next race not to be re-run after this was heat 13!!!

Perks was done for two minutes in the next and much to my surprise was replaced by Zach in my eyes wasting a valuable available ride for Rosco and his over worked reserves. The ref dragged back heat 8 for a jump by Ellis although he was in third down the back straight and it had the early makings of a decent race when the reds came on.

Next up was Doyley's crash and when you see him bin it on his own something isn't right with the track. Not being a regular at Wimborne Road I thought it odd that the blade was used and not a grader on the tractor all afternoon as the bottom bends seemed quite deep.

Perks then had another 2 minute exclusion much to his disgust as I think some confusion might have been had over the IRR regs. He was back out again in the next one, for 1 corner anyway, after being on the wrong end of a first bend clash between JD, Rich Lawson and himself. Glad neither rider was hurt as it was a nasty one that deflated an airbag on bend one and ended with only Lawson's right boot and his steel shoe being visible as he disappeared under the fence face first and had to wait to get the air bag lifted before he could get up! Perks didn't re-appear in the re-run which by my reckoning made it seven rides for him. I had actually written Wajtknecht in as the original RR before they announced Perks thinking he would have run out of rides. I had him down as starting in heats 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10 and 11 (although didn't appear for the re-run but I thought they announced it still counted as a ride?) but then he re-appeared in heat 14 too!! Which one didn't count please???

Nico and Doyley had a good race in the re- run of the re-run of the re-run of heat 11 after  Klindt's tape exclusion and Zach's fall which if the track was as dangerous as JD states then fair play to him for making that move on Nico! 

Strange start to heat 13 with JD getting it spot on from the replay I have seen although it looked a flier and Batch making a decent start from 4 but the tapes detached themselves from the post and dangled the whole race over gate 4 position. If ever a race was likely to be called back then that was it but no we had four laps and no reds!

By then the dust was getting bad but that was due to the length of time the meeting had taken at that point. It wasn't too bad in the earlier races to be fair. The track had also developed a blue groove but also a couple of whiter areas on bends one and two which my 11yr old daughter asked me was it the base? It could have been I guess but couldn't tell from the grandstand, whatever it was it didn't look right being on a speedway track.

Overall the entertainment served up didn't give value for money I feel. The racing was poor but I guess daytime meetings are not always the best anyway. I am pleased to see the hole on bend one has been sorted out as that was awful when I was there last August for the Rebels fixture. One thing I thought was poor was the presentation of the meeting. Results and race information couldn't be faulted on the whole but other than the toss of the coin and the rider of the meeting no other interviews were done with any riders etc. The announcer didn't really get any connection with the crowd at all and with the meeting taking around 2 1/2 hours to complete (it wasn't the 3 hours stated elsewhere on here) some more entertainment/interaction might have been nice. I know some people on here feel the presentation at Somerset could be improved but it is already far better IMO than that I experienced yesterday morning. The whole visit to Poole was built around the speedway fixture to be fair but I might think again unless the track improves. I read later in the programme notes that Matt Ford doesn't understand why numbers are dropping through his turnstiles but if that is what is served up each week in Dorset I have a good idea why as like I said I didn't feel it represented value for money yesterday.

 

Great post and I agree about the number of Perks rides - I had him down as 8 rides too?!

As for Matt's programme notes, he stated that at the recent Ipswich home meeting he made a minimum £10k loss.. That can't continue otherwise we'll see another track disappear.  At least today's announcements that the track will be sorted should be well received by most.