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I see on the Lakeside website that rain-off tickets issued when the original league match v Newcastle was abandoned without a wheel being turned are NOT valid for the return fixture on Saturday because it's a double header!!!! So Newcastle fans who forked out £17:00 + £3:00 for a naff program are expected to pay another £25:00 this Saturday to watch their team on top of another lot of travel expenses. Oh but we can use our re-admission tickets for any other match. Yea right. Like I'm going to travel another 500 miles to watch them race somebody else. Jon Cook you should hang your head in shame. DAMN DISGRACE.

Apparently in a new twist, it appears that as Simon has (previously unbeknown to his bride to be) invited his team mates to the wedding to provide a guard of honour in their Kevlars she has insisted they all tucked up safely in their beds this evening by 8pm. Luckily for Peterborough they have discovered a little known clause in the rulebook which covers this eventuality which allows them to bring in a whole team of GP riders. Therefore it will be the Comets v Woffinden, Zmarzlik, Janowski, Lindgren, Barker (guest for Dudek), Hancock and Laguta. It is obviously going to be make it a little tougher for the boys tonight but we have had bigger hurdles to cross this year, so I say we will just sneak it 47-43. C'mon you Comets.

Could lakeside be the first team to have 3 home meetings in the same day. At this rate tonight's match will finish tomorrow and then they have two in the evening

Well done worky qualifying and overcoming the weather,injuries,the self interest brigade,stupid bloody rules,red tape,one law for one,nl guests,we may not win it but what a super effort against all the odds

Think Ged Rathbone should pay the Newcastle fans the £8 for having to watch Peterborough at the moment

He is still receiving therapy from Tuesday,this will have set him back

It would be a shame if no home fans turned up to watch Berwick win on Saturday night

A lot of comments lately suggesting that people who attend meetings should do just that .... turn up and accept what goes on. Whether that be riders scores, entertainment(lack of) or track conditions. "If you could do better then why don't you try?" Is another phrase thrown about. Well i think that others "moaners" and myself have enough experience of speedway to known what's right and wrong. We have accepted it for long enough and is at breaking point. Another is "Oh well I'll go on Saturday as there isn't anymore for 6 months" but it's not going to be any diff... Surprised no one has mentioned " you should go because if you don't then the club will fold" Think the real problem are these "lemmings" that hand over their monies regardless of the conditions. Make the people running the sport do something for the sport and give the fans something to attend for....

Just get this on don't want any teams from further North over on the East coast and there name beginning with an E slipping in the back door.

You should know by now that when the weather is dodgy at the Dale you won't get an update.

Full credit to the Bandits who were prepared to attack the track from the start. It was much slicker than the past few weeks and this seemed to catch out the home side completely. Despite it being very wet initially, we had two very good races, heat 6 when Jacobsen performed a sublime outside pass on Wells to streak away to win, and heat 13 was quite superb, with the same 2 riders passing and repassing. That was two more good races than we had a week ago. It's funny to think that last week on a super grippy track, Arena were accused of not trying, yet tonight on a slick trick, it was the track to blame rather than the Monarchs riders. Put simply, one team wanted the win much more than the other.

Surely you went the whole Hog £3 for programme,that will be a collectors item in years to come

Well done to the Comets. Annnd another win. I like the Panthers, but Glad to see my other home team win again and Play offs here they come. Many wrote the Comets off last season, but this season they certainly turned heads.

George better phone someone at Lakeside and tell them all is well and to start trying now as they made an arse of it themselves .

The PRO will come on and tell you it was as an indirect consequence of the track, as last week.

Was going to say this silly post is swaying me towards Edinburgh , then i realized what i was doing and came to my senses.

Not sure why you keep saying 10 years, the poster who brought this discussion up, said in the last twenty years. BV are the equilvant to Liverpool if you want to compare it to football, whereas Poole are like Chelsea... Not sure how a club is considered big when they haven't won the league since 1993 though, it's a long time ago!

Your missing the point I dont think its about the quality of the riders its about doing there job. Brady is obviously a much better rider than Covatti or Summers and will score more points then them. However Brady isnt up against Covatti he is up against Doyle. Brady needs to be getting double figures otherwise he is a weak link. Worrall from reserve should be scoring 9 or 10 from a likely 5 rides or he will be a weak link. Covatti at number two needs to be getting 6 or 7 and Summers at reserve should be getting 7 or 8 at home. What the poster was trying to say was that if they didnt get those scores they will be letting the team down a bit. Its not about Worrall and Brady being better than Covatti and Summers its about which each individual will bring to the team

Speaking to Mrs Paulco on the phone this morning , she was still buzzing . But despite her undoubted joy at last night's wonderful result for us , the one thing that came across from her was that she was blown away with how nice and welcoming the Ipswich supporters and staff were towards her and her pal , Dorothy 58 . They were probably the only two Tigers fans there last night , so a big thanks to you all for showing how great Suffolk hospitality is . I've had enough brilliant nights following the Tigers down to Foxhall to know what she said was true . As a club you might have missed out on the play offs , but as a welcoming support you have no peers.

Typical speedway, last-minute promotion of such a spectacle. I would have paid £25 to get in to see that. Too late to trek all that way far north now. I hope I can get it on DVD later. Are the Comet's matches usually filmed?

With the final 3 spots for the play offs anything but certain it looks like an exciting run in and fingers crossed the weather plays ball. Based upon rough current form (and we all know that means little in speedway) Kent - Current Points 34 - Buxton away +4 Total 38 Coventry - Current points 28 - Buxton away +4, Buxton Home +3, Mildenhall Home 0 Total 35 Eastbourne - Curent Points 28 - Stoke Home +3, IOW Home +3, Mildenhall H ? Total 34+? Birmingham - Current Points 30 Buxton Away + 4 Total 34 A slip up anywhere for any side and the chance has gone, Buxton & its notorious weather will play a huge part in the run in as any matches not completed will have a serious impact. Its entirely possible that 2nd place Kent could miss out if the match isn't run...... Whilst its rubbish that all matches haven't been completed and that is having an impact it certainly makes for an exciting end to the season.

Some good racing tonight most of the riders really going for it Craig Cook the fastest rider I have seen there this year ,,Alfie Bowtell looking the smoothest I have seen him,has found a line that suits him, Two excellent rides from Ben Morley who looks really quick when he rides the wide line .the top 3 were their usual consistent selves..Hope Zack is ok after his nasty looking crash,,but looks unlikely for Rye House Saturday ..Victory was a must tonight and. The lads achieved that ,,,Tommorrow may be a different story with no home track advantage probably no Zack and two matches to get through....Massive crowd in tonight for the last ever meeting at Lakeside,so sad to see yet another track lost to developers.,..

if theres a team at Workington next year rasser suerly must be the first to be offered a contract wasn't there a rule in the past where you cant replace a replacement ? ht 13 Jordan stewart replaced ulrich then in rerun stewart wasn't fit so Garcia took his place ?

Common decency would let them in full stop for just their ticket Anyone prepared to make 2nd trip of that distance deserves to see Peterborough for free Wouldnt be too hard to sort out who was genuine

Amazing how BWD & MPT are scoring well in the PL and yet are below average in the CL at the moment, worst team in the play offs by far

Common sense would surely be to let Newcastle fans use their tickets and pay the difference.

Tbh, I think you’re kidding yourself about the “professionalism of this promotion”. They were handed a ready made stadium, a ready made track and a ready made team manager and done what exactly? Where are the new sponsors and the new supporters? Look at what Glasgow have done if you want to see professionalism. Turned an absolute dump into a smart welcoming little stadium with good food and bars, clean toilets and promotional activities that are almost unmatched. Plus entertainment all through the meeting and new sponsors. The result is that crowds have more than doubled and supporters are properly engaged. That surely is professionalism.

I guess the Edinburgh riders where struggling to find a set up

But said nothing about the track.. Only saying it as i see it, if people dont like what i write then they shouldnt reply. End of the day they know im right but would never admit to it.

Speedway?? Ripped off fans?? Never. They do as much as they can to naff what's left of speedway fans off.

Maybe Lakeside should honour any £17 ticket for the double header, given that they have changed the venue and fans might still be prepared to turn up, as a 'good will' gesture.

It would be great to see a Championship/National select team Birmingham V Cradley ie Ellis, Barker, Wajnecht, Shanes, and any rider who has recently ridden for Brum V Cradley select Worrall, Morris, Starke, Bowtell, Clegg, this would bring in a pretty big crowd, and be more of a guide as to how well the crowd might receive a higher level of racing in the second city, failing that a 4 team tournament along the same lines, but including Wolves & possibly Coventry im sure either would be an attractive meeting, and could be on home and away basis, or at the 3 venues.

But that's not the point though is it. By paying my £17:00 on the original date I entered into a contract with Lakeside part of which is I accept that no money will be refunded should the meeting be abandoned before heat 10. On their part they agree that I can receive an appropriate reduction on ANY Lakeside fixture this season or next (Like i'm gonna risk that). So technically they are in breach of contract. All because deducting £17 from £25 is too difficult for them to manage!!!!! Why should I have to go to the added time and expense to photocopy, post, etc. my ticket off in the hope that they'll refund it, having arranged time and travel to go to the rematch expecting them to honour the agreement.

It's going to be a struggle to get both of Saturday's matches run by the 10pm curfew, which appeared for the Coventry match, but disappeared the following week against Kent.

Good luck to the Comets tonight i wish you well.

I know. I would have no objection to paying the difference between £17:00 and the £ 25:00 for the double-header, even though I'm unlikely to stop for the second match with a five hour+ drive home. Having said that just re-reading the Hammers program and nowhere does it have the (I thought) obligatory Health and Safety notice or rain-off details. However, the official BSPA which all clubs should have signed up to is " If it is necessary to abandon the meeting before the completion of heat 10, you will entitled to reduced admission at ANY one future meeting this season in the Premier League/Cup."

So the day has finally come for the last ever meeting at home, the club can move where they like but Arena Essex will always be home. Going to be a strange feeling knowing after 30 odd years I won’t be going back but hopefully it’s a great night and it looks as though some old club legends will be going aswell which will bring back some great memories. It’s a must win meeting but even if we win it will still feel like a loss when Iam leaving the stadium for the last time. It will be sad saying goodbye to some friends I’ve met over the years who I might not see again but let’s hope it’s a great meeting to give the old place the send off it deserves.

Weather forecast now MUCH IMPROVED ! Nothing like as much rain fell this morning, as had been forecast ! Latest Met Office forecast at 1pm shows no more rain all afternoon (Sun is out now). BUT....an hour of VERY heavy rain between 6pm and 7pm only..then dry all night after that. Fingers Crossed !

I agree with you there, all meetings should be raced before they cut-off for play-offs so it's fair for all teams...For me , the same as last year , the league champions are the team who finish at the top of the league after all meetings, Sheffield were that team last year ,and thankfully won the play-offs , but a team who finish 4th can go on to win the play-offs

Could have sworn Rory is currently number 1 and has been for the majority of the season. And when you say big hitter only one rider has an average higher, that being Cook. So in reality Rory is a pretty big hitter

Everyone has harped on for years about Edinburgh's home advantage, this is the first year it has actually been true and borne out by statistics. In previous years we have been good home and away with a lower-than-average difference between home and away scores. However surely everyone would agree that getting in to the Playoffs because other teams had rain-offs would be very disappointing and one of several reasons why I can't abide the Playoffs.

Totally agree Y & B, would much prefer Peterborough, Glasgow, Worky and Lakeside in the top four . No-one will beat Edinburgh up at the dangerous fortress , they will win the league on home advantage alone

Well along the same lines of the trackman..... It's our Horns and we will blow them when we want.

Should stick with his day job whatever that is. Bring in a decent track man.

Apparently in a new twist, it appears that as Simon has (previously unbeknown to his bride to be) invited his team mates to the wedding to provide a guard of honour in their Kevlars she has insisted they all tucked up safely in their beds this evening by 8pm. Luckily for Peterborough they have discovered a little known clause in the rulebook which covers this eventuality which allows them to bring in a whole team of GP riders. Therefore it will be the Comets v Woffinden, Zmarzlik, Janowski, Lindgren, Barker (guest for Dudek), Hancock and Laguta. It is obviously going to be make it a little tougher for the boys tonight but we have had bigger hurdles to cross this year, so I say we will just sneak it 47-43. C'mon you Comets.

Showing that fan the slick line into the corner was a bit of a cop out. Of course it will be too slippery watering on that, but what about the outside of the corners where most witches and riders do their work? And as already said, it was far to dry to start with. I think the comment of I'm the trackman and i will water when I want just about sums it up. I think for a fair few fans on Saturday it will be a case of its my money and i will spend it on what I want, and it won't be to watch speedway at Foxhall.

Jordan Stewart was likely an improvement for Simon Lambert and that should not be allowed under the rules. A NL two pointer should be there to make up the numbers. getting married is a choice by the rider and any team should not benefit by such as off track decision. Next it would be, it's my sister's 18th or 21st and that takes priority over going to work.

Just proves money talks and a verbal contract aint worth the paper its written on, but a guest for someone getting married one more reason the sport is going down the pan.

NOTHING NEEDS TO BE DONE just a few riders need to understand one of the fundamental.principles of the sport from down the years. Be at the tapes and be 100% ready to race when the 2 minutes expires. And you will NOT be excluded. Bugger about as it expires and you cannot have that certainty. It's your risk.