Travertine

That's true to a degree, but this season seems particularly encouraging for Witches fans. However, you only need to go back a year to see that this wasn't always the case - the 2016 edition looked very poor, and so it proved until changes were made. Best of luck of to all the team, and stay safe! Hope all Witches fans enjoy the season! Not long to go ................

Borrowing MrMungos numbers from the 2015 thread, and presuming 42.5 remains (and we don't go EL!). King: 9.54 Manzares: 5.43 Heeps: 5.87 Tungate: 7.74 Nielsen: 4.74 Covatti: 7.55 Morris: 4.53 Rohan's season-ending form was reflected in his late increase, but was still well down on last year - that makes him a bargain on that average, so I can't see CL letting him go. Covatti doesn't need to be mentioned, everyone else is doing that. The two reserves upped their numbers and will probably stay, whilst we finally got the big-hitting number one we always wanted - hallelujah! Lets hope that's the end of the Witches number one curse! That just leaves the enigma that is Cameron Heeps, who actually gained a half a point on his average - you want riders to do this, but perhaps by more than he did. Too much though (and if too many in the team do it), and you have to make significant changes. However, Cam is still young though, so I think CL (who is known for being loyal) will persevere with him for another year at least, unless the team-building averages conspire against the team. I suspect that Gino will have to give way, seeing as he is likely to be not qualified, and he lost over half a point off his average. However, removing his average only leaves us with 2.53 to play with not even enough for a decent NL rider. On this basis, Heeps may well have to go, because if your reinstate Gino and remove Cam, you've got 2.97 left, still not quite enough. That would be relying on Gino doing well in a state championship though - perhaps he and his mate Greg can persuade the US authorities to fit one in! Realistcially, losing Cam and Gino only gives you 6.4 for two riders, which is enough for 2 decent NL riders - if you could find them though! Losing Gino plus a reserve only leaves you (for two riders) either 5.06 if Morris goes as well, or 4.85 if Neilsen goes with Gino - not a lot! So the question is, will CL be conservative and loyal and go for two decent NL riders for Gino and Cam, or will he be more ruthless and chop Gino and Rohan, leaving him with 8.27 to play with? Could Ritchie be recalled on his current 3.35, which he would surely increase? That would leave something to play with on any of those scenarios, but it's unlikely if PH is still the team manager. As many have said, it's a lot of fun speculating in this way, but what I'm no good at is suggesting who might fill those vacant numbers - any thoughts out there?

That's over 2 and a half points across the team (mainly due to Nico), the sort of increase that sees teams winning things - clearly didn't work for us though!

Great video - 8 riders charging into that first corner is an awsome sight! Is that a hint of a message at the end of the video, along the lines of discussion in the 2016 thread?

Hang on - Almost all of the play-off contenders have had free nights over the past couple of weeks, and we could've been a week or two ahead to avoid all this fixture pile-up and clashes deep into october. I blame the authorities and whoever runs them - Oh, I've just realised who that is and therefore the futility of this statement!

The point I was trying to make MrM was that everybody had their dismal home performances more than once, even the once invincible Monarchs - Peterborughs home record was almsot the same as the Witches, but they comfortably qualified. However, on the road, all the play-off qualfiers went above and beyond their usual performance, again on more than one occasion. This is what the Witches signally failed to do, turn their away victories into four-pointers - just one of them would have been enough for the Witches to qualify. I'd agree though the dismal spell in May certainly didn't help - half the riders were there in body but not in mind, and it was the same for the track! This spell is exagerrated by one of the poor performances being in the KO Cup, which wouldn't show up in the league table. To sum up - Yes, we were poor at home, but so was everyone else at times (Bar the Comets!), it was on the road that I believe we ultimately let it slip away.

There's alot of talk on here that Ipswich failed to make the play-offs because of their dismal home form, but I think that's a bit of a misnomer if you look closely at the full table. Every team failed to win at least two of their home matches in the Premier League except Workington, whose woeful away form ensured that they weren't close to a play-off sport either. If you look at Peterborough's home record, they only dropped one less home point than the Witches, but ended up comfortably in a play-off position. The reason for that was their far superior away record, and this is the real reason why Ipswich didn't qualify. The Witches failed to turn any of their away victories into four-pointers, and that was subsequently their downfall - all the other play-off qualifiers notched up some big wins on the road, and made up enough points to push them out of the play-offs.

The second one, don't you mean? Bradley Dean-Wilson had to pull out .................

Any chance of bringing the fours to Ipswich if the long-mooted saturday night proposal falls through? Certainly plenty of time to fit it in, and not much in the way of fixture clashes! As we have seen from some of this years results, everyone seems to enjoy coming to the Heath, especially those teams still in the fours!

Not sure - Cam had his poor year in 2014, so would've expected a bit more of an upturn, so undecided. Gino seemed to have his turn for a poor year this time round, so perhaps he should be given another chance, if he's allowed back in. Rohan however, is a bit more of an enigma - has some blinding moments to show he can be up there with the best in the league, but all too often goes AWOL. Perhaps an extended spell with Peterborough through the play-offs might show where his future lies?

You should try posting before having a drink or two, but I think we get what you're trying to say! Anyway - to echo Bruv and Baldy, well done to the Devils, thoroughly deserved after some recent dire seasons. Nice to see some fresh blood in the play-offs, so good luck to all at Plymouth.

Too right - the Witches don't have a match tonight and they're still doing better than the Town!

One more match before we find out if our season's over - not sure my ageing ticker can take all this!

The first leg of the Edinburgh League Cup Semi-Final is less than a week away, and not only are Gino and Nico missing, but Danny's away with Coventry that evening, so what are the chances are getting something to bring back to the Heath? Depends on the guests we bring in - the Somerset duo of Brady and Richie (again) could fill the top end, with local boy Sarjeant covering Gino. Not sure if Rohan is back for this, but I do hope we don't go with R/R for the match.

It's a good job the forum was down during this match - God only knows what sort of comments would've been on here ..............