theblueboy

Doyle, Ellis and Perks have all left the FPA recently after being discarded by Poole. Doyle becoming World Champion. Adam has continued to improve in each of the 3 years he has been at The Abbey and young Perks has stepped up massively on his previous showings in Robins colours with his ‘never say die’ attitude and effort not in doubt. I wouldn’t be surprised to see all 3 in the 2020 line up. Are these examples because Rosco is a better motivator than Neil, creating a team ethic and bringing out the best out of riders or is it Swindon are just a bigger and better run club?

The good news is that there is more speedway next week where you can watch the Robins efforts to secure a league and cup double.

Or as we say in Swindon, an Ipswicher.

Is that similar to choking when your 12 up? In truth, a poor meeting but well done to both sides for giving it a go in difficult conditions. As a Swindon fan delighted with the performance. A shame that the pinnacle of the domestic season was run in such desperate conditions, although, when the track was attacked e.g by Becker you could pass on it. I wonder what the Poole fans are thinking now having seen how Swindon attacked a difficult track they must be even more disappointed with their teams p*** poor offering in the second leg.

Why would it ‘smart’ a bit’? I just don’t like double standards, or is that a value you boys on the South Coast are not familiar with? In the old days, an asset meant you had first dibs for team building. However, the rules don’t appear to be applicable to Poole. Nothing has changed re assets have they, otherwise, why have the asset system? Personally, it’s time to get in the 21st century and ditch all this asset nonsense. However, whilst it is still in operation, rules and decorum should remain, and were it any other club I would agree with my own sentiment, however it’s not, so just a loan fee for any rider you can’t accommodate.

Of course, any promoter interested in CH, or any Poole asset, should just invoke Miedzinski’s Law, which I’m sure you recall was a Swindon asset, wanted by his own club, however, Poole rode roughshod over that promotions wishes because he was on an extremely attractive average. By the time you’d used and abused the asset, with Poole paying only a loan fee, he was more or less worthless and rode part of a season on an over inflated average never to be seen in the UK again. I respectfully would argue if CH, or any Poole asset, can agree a contract elsewhere, then all you’ll be entitled to will be a loan fee. If Poole wanted to challenge a self employed riders status, as an asset, I look forward to Matt taking it to the relevant authority.

I think you’ll find that’s what time Neil started it last Saturday...

Hold on, that's still a bigger attendance than the semi final v Ipswich. Now that the final is being contested at either Swindon, Wolverhampton or Ipswich there's a lot of doom and gloom around Dorset at the moment, and rightly so, given their tame and embarrassing defeat (and I'm not talking young Holder here either). Looks like Skidder and Shovlar could be 'raising the roof' (according to Steve) assuming Poole win of course, on their own. There's been a bit of chat on the BSF forum recently about 'piggies going to market' in the last week or so and I wouldn't be at all surprised to see Pinky and Perky, Three Little Pigs, Peppa and Porky Pig as the 1-7 in the home pits. Nothing streaky about that line up... You talk about initiatives 'poole keith' and I think the sponsors could offer a little something to the locals such as 'Clean your household carpets this week, and receive free entry to Poole v Kings Lynn in the Nondescript Cup'. See Afraidy Kurtz and the boys one last time. You could also offer a free dessert with entry e.g. a Poole Crumble, which promises much but actually has no substance to it. Finally, I heard that the Milk Marketing Board were interested in taking over sponsorship for next season but realised their 1980's slogan 'Gotta Lotta Bottle', which they were keen to relaunch, didn't fit in with the Pirates brand.

Well, if it is included, I hope there are no Poole riders invited, they struggle to complete 4 laps at Foxhall

Well, you will know how exactly this feels after last night...

Darcy wasn’t unreliable but there was a lot of supporters who said ‘he will drop his average’ in order to return to Poole. I’m not saying Kurtz would be in my first 7, however, speedway is a numbers game and plenty to be shed from the final averages. At least 2 of the 5 will go, possibly 3, so we shouldn’t be ignoring riders that ride Blunsdon particularly well.

Didn’t everyone say that about Darcy when he joined the Robins?

5 minutes? I didn’t think you lot liked showers down at the Four Point Arena? I was wondering if I could ask a favour of you Steve, it’s a special birthday for me next year and I am planning to go to Rome, as I know you will be going shortly, can you give me a few restaurants that are good quality but reasonably priced. I’ll be very grateful. Evviva.

Neil Middleditch, Chris Holder, Brady Kurtz, Alun Rossiter, Steve Schofield, Darcy Ward, Malcolm Simmons, Lady Diana, Amanda Holden, Steve Shovlar, Harry Redknapp, Starman, Winston Churchill, Jason Crump, Skidder. Your boys took a helluva beating. Well done Ipswich, great comeback. Good luck in the final.

An absolute shambles from Ipswich, Harris apart, in the final 7 heats. The very least they should have got from the position they were in was a victory on the night. Clearly, no one bright enough to realise the conditions had changed and they needed to get out of the traps in the later races. 7 from 5 rides by PUK is absolutely scandalous. Not looking such a good decision to bring him in to the team, especially with how bad James Sarjeant rode tonight. Riders like him have no place in the Elite League. Doesn’t even demolish the tapes anymore. Ipswich can do this but they have made this so much harder than it needed to be. All riders have to be on it and get at the Pirates early to get the aggregate close and put the pressure back on the ‘underdogs’.

Cheers RR

Is Niedzwiedz really at 2? This is for betting purposes.

I went for the first time in several years with my girlfriend who enjoyed her first visit to Cardiff, however, for me it was a poor meeting and there was nothing to get excited about. The atmosphere was ok, apart from the Poles fighting amongst themselves and generally p***ing people off by standing in the aisleways. Gate 1 was the best by a mile, bit like Somerset last night. Gates need to be evened up to ensure all riders have a chance. Doyle was the best gater all night but didn’t have a prayer off 3. I have one date booked in the calendar already for 2020, yep July 18th. Luckily, my mate is getting married that day. A blessing in disguise after this year’s poor offering.

For the betting uninitiated - what it actually means is, put a £1 on Ipswich and it goes in the bookies satchel never to see the light of day.

More than that. Closer to 2.5. Back straight had plenty and the most I’ve this season, and when I nipped round for the trophy presentation the home straight had plenty of bodies too. TR also commented in his programme notes that this season average attendances were higher than last year, and he was pleased with that. With one, hopefully two, decent attendances to come against Wolves and then Ipswich in the final the management will be happy with the way things have gone. I think overall we’ve seen excellent racing, although last night was below par it has to be said, a winners trophy and semi-final of the PO is a decent season regardless of how it ends.

The good news for the Pirates is that same gift is available to you tonight...

Only if your watching last season’s DVD...

Well, I can only speak as a Swindon fan. This season has been the best racing for several years at Blunsdon. I’ve seen more passing in one meeting than in several years, which suggests that it is the type of track, which needs to be considered. I would say the best tracks for speedway, I’ve seen anyway, are all similar Peterborough, NSS, Somerset and this year Swindon. I’ve not been to Norfolk or PL tracks so can’t include them but those tracks mentioned certainly show good close racing with multiple lines to ride. I wasn’t aware there was a 5 year tv deal in the offing until I read flagrag’s comments. That is welcome news given the general pessimism surrounding the sport and shows to me that the sport itself is still well regarded, certainly within tv, otherwise, why commit on a long term basis. Go back to the 2 youngsters at reserve. 23 and under with GB only or certain qualifying criteria for non UK, team that wins league teams use their average, have a week of speedway some time in Summer holiday where its £5 entry across the board with supporters to be registered to local club to be eligible at the start of the season (or agreed cut off) but pay normal price to own club’s fixtures. Reciprocal agreements for matches between clubs e.g £30 entry, programme and travel. The deal I just had with the match at BV for the cup final was superb value. There is no way I would have gone without the deal and BV received an additional coach load of fans they wouldn’t have ordinarily seen. There really needs to be more collaboration between clubs and leagues for speedway to grow. The sport is struggling because there is too much self interest, at all levels, with promoters only concerned for their own club and not the sport as a whole. Promoters have to go out and sell the sport and your target audience are the children, pure and simple. It’s them that have to be engaged, not me. There is a whole generation that either don’t know about speedway, or have never been introduced. That needs to change. If it’s BT that is looking at the 5 year deal then there should be a caveat about going to schools or marketing the sport locally. Lee Kilby has undertaken lots of initiatives at Swindon and responds to fans quickly via social media, gets things sorted and clarified but he is a lone wolf (there may be others but they are the exception rather than the rule) and that enthusiasm needs to be seen across the sport. I’ve enjoyed the racing again at Swindon, it’s the reason we all go and should be the primary consideration of all clubs. The rest, including marketing, sponsorship and new supporters will be easier with decent racing and we can hopefully look forward to a future for the sport.

I heard at Belle Vue that Glasgow had been ‘invited’, or is that begged? The same source said it was a big ‘no’ from Sheffield.

First visit to the NSS. Excellent facility and superb viewing down the back straight. Special mention to the Yorkshireman, I think it was John, who introduced himself and we had a good chat and a bit of banter. Well done to the Aces. Bjerre not riding should have meant a win for the Robins in all honesty but credit to the Aces for battling and securing a deserved win on the night with Lidsey and Bewley starring. Alpen showed much better form and was in the mix all the way and Doyle was great in 3 and poor in 2. The rest was a mixed bag. Should be silverware for the Robins next week but shouldn’t take The Aces lightly.