Ipswich Witches vs Belle Vue Aces (new playoff semi 1st leg) 21/09/23

[Bagpuss 10,780]

Weather forecast looks decent.

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15 hours ago, Hamish McRaker said:

Just seen the match and was surprised that Ipswich put Harris into gate one in heat 15. It also looked like Emil was sat about a foot back from the tapes. It might seem harsh, but a 5-1 there would surely have buried the Aces hopes. But the 3-3 has given them a chance

I think it was because gate 3 had gone slick & was wasn’t working, so if any one could have made it work it was Emil. 

[Hamish McRaker 601]

1 hour ago, cowboy cookie returns? said:

I think it was because gate 3 had gone slick & was wasn’t working, so if any one could have made it work it was Emil. 

Probably but i think gate 1also looked well past it's best  by then and by putting him in that one, Bomber's route to the outside was cut off unless he made an absolute flier whereas Emil had a good chance from anywhere.

[Arch Stanton 2,255]

The riders would have been asked what gates they wanted. 

[Ben91 1,743]

On 9/22/2023 at 3:29 PM, paulboy said:

For the supposed pinnacle of British speedway, i.e. play off in the top league, I have to say this was no showpiece whatsoever. The racing was pretty much non-existent. I understand Witches fans not really worrying about that but it certainly aint going to attract any new supporters. I gave up before the end.

Entertainment is a by product of sport. It’s never guaranteed regardless of the event. There have been countless World Cup, Champions League and FA Cup finals devoid of entertainment. They’re not there to advertise the sport, they’re there to decide who is best at the sport. 

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On 9/21/2023 at 10:45 PM, SPEEDY69 said:

I don't buy that at all, he'll be wanting to win all the races he's in. No reason for his machinery to be sub-standard with all the money he's making and why would you want to lose races. He's just being beaten. The UK is not as easy as some think. 

Totally agree the uk isn’t easy. Full of riders who while not big names but are very capable on these shores. Then throw in the mixture of track types it can certainly sort the men from the boys!