*JJ

I don't like saying this, but Cupitt has had his chances, in several teams. Butcher, though, deserves more time.

So what was stopping Stoke etc. signing Shanes? In any case, Shanes was replacing another top rider, JPB.

Last night, the promotion said that it had been agreed with the BSPA; and it is in the BSPA web site now, so it would seem to be kosher.

It's just that he can't spell 'tier'.

Hasn't Adam Ellis being riding for France? He is a Frog ...

Oh well, goodbye Coventry Bees, it was nice knowing you.

Talk about cutting off your noses to spite your faces ... I can't see Bees getting back into Brandon any more than Cradley getting back into Dudley Wood Road.

It happened with Zach Wajtknecht a couple of years ago.

Duh ... what's a spoke straw?

Actually, it was an NL reserve - Jamie Sealey - who crashed! The ones who can't slide were well behind. The fact is, that Sealy and Spencer crashed through trying too hard. The Development Leagues are an essential stepping stone to the NL and onwards.

Because promoters insist that NL riders have two bikes and a van and a fully-professional setup. Are you expecting a rider to cough up ten grand for engines on top of that? They often buy second-hand anyway. The days of a rider turning up with one bike on the back of a car have long gone: even at amateur level.

Maximum last time out, mind you only against Stoke, but he is doing extremely well at PB.

Layne Cupitt.

A couple of years ago, I was with an MDL rider who fell off because he got his foot in a hole. And last year, I walked out onto the track, and was horrified at the state of it: it was like broken-up concrete. It seemed a bit better whe I visited last month, but not by much. When the home heat leaders keep falling, there is something wrong.

This is quite common, especially at Stoke.

At least with the present Birmingham race suit, you can easily see them!

It didn't seem much worse than usual from the outside, but when Tom Woolley tried to ride it, he was hitting a hole on the third bend and continually lifting and losing it.

Just riders being brave and trying too hard.

Quite right, I was thinking of Hume. In the last heat, Bowen fell, Thomas was excluded.

2 + 1 actually. Does this sort of nit-picking make you feel good?

Demonstration match vs. Carmarthen, but only three heats. Score Bulls 10 CD 8. Chattin 8, Rachel Hollowell 1, James Spencer 1; Fletcher 1, Tom Spencer 5, B. Fellows 3.

Butcher fell in his first heat, and was injured. He was withdrawn from the meeting. As for falls, they happened for both sides: Kent took heat 1 because Bacon fell off trying to overtake Bowen, for example. Then Hume fell going for the lead in his first ride. Finally, Brummies lost a 5-1 in heat 15 when both Kent riders fell!

No, the referee was doing it all night. He was Graham Reeve, who should know better.

Fourth bend, first lap. Bacon and Hume gated, and were on a secure 5-1 when Thomas helped Bowen into the fence. Re-run, after a long wait for the air-fence to be repaired, the referee again held the tapes for ages, and Bacon was said to have touched the tapes (he was not amused) and he was on 15m. Finally, Bowen made a blinder of a start and won the heat.

Once Walker and Cupitt joined in the fun, the Brummies were the more solid team, as happened at Stoke. Kent were lucky in the last heat; a Brummies 5-1 turned into a 3-3 by the Kent riders falling!