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I saw TBA... thought it may have been a typo... CBA

Excellent summary comments Turnip. Brilliant meeting in the end despite losing Stevie Worrall in his 2nd ride. Ben Cook, Danny King, Steve Lawson, Matt and Danny Ford and every backroom helper all worked their proverbials off to get last night's important meeting on with great racing, the biggest crowd for some considerable time (and thats saying nothing about Poole's usual big crowds) and a terrific PR exercise for the Council and the longer term future of Poole Stadium and the Pirates. As the posters said "POOLE NEEDS SPEEDWAY"

I keep telling people that the younger kids in Birmingham have no interest in the speedway, there are a lot of Asians, West Indians, Jamaicans in Birmingham and especially around the area the speedway track is, Aston, Witton, Newtown, Handsworth are just 4 locations that are highly populated with the Asians, West Indians etc, all 4 locations are on the doorstep of Perry Barr there is just no interest whatsoever of the younger generations, they are into T20 cricket, Football, Boxing amongst other sports, I go to Edgbaston regularly for the cricket and its full of young people, especially the T20, it offers great value for money, speedway I am sorry is not value for money and that's my opinion, so before I get shot down remember I said its my opinion, others may disagree, I used to love the speedway but since trying out other sports especially at the CWG even I can see its not value for money at the speedway anymore.

Oh come on. I mean nearly 80,000 women managed to find Wembley for the recent football game, and if they can get there with their famous bad sense of navigation then anyone can !!!! I’ll get me coat, again

Last night at WINborne Road was a demonstration of what speedway is all about. The racing & the scoreline may bring up differing opinions but I think something that none of us will differ on was that speedway was the winner. The fantastic size of the crowd, the family atmosphere, the kids constantly blowing on them whistles (& maybe the adults in weeks to come ), kids with painted faces, the mascot, free posters & riders meet & greet......... even the usual mobile phone torch light rendition of Sweet Caroline after heat 14 was further enhanced by the size of the crowd........it truly was a magical night for speedway and there was no bigger & louder a message, that could've been sent out to the representatives in attendance from the BCP Council, to back up that POOLE NEEDS SPEEDWAY To everyone present last night, to those that put in all the hard work behind the scenes & to the riders & management all of you take a bow, u did yourselves, speedway & Poole speedway proud! Oh what a night

I thought we heard in the past that the shale was being stored in scientific pyramid shapes. I thought lessons would have already been learned by now, considering it's pretty the same promoter.

Imagine recovery from a knock in 6 days who would’ve thought.

Every rider is given a list of banned drugs when they are issued with their licences and few cannot be aware of what is and is not permitted. Very few prescription drugs are banned, only those that are believed to affect performance, often through making riders fearless or indeed reckless. I very much doubt that there are many riders “who in extreme pain and under pressure to ride have taken a prescription drug” that would be in breach of the rules. Indeed, I recall Shane Parker back in 2005 riding with a recently broken collar bone saying he was unwilling to take any pain killers for fear of breaching the anti-doping rules. Drug testing at UK speedway meetings is carried out regularly and independently and it is testimony to the “clean” nature of the sport, possibly fuelled by a fear of being banned, that few are caught. I would expect that the same systems operate in other countries which have caught very few over the years either. Your comment that “Whatever the outcome the Sport needs MORE tests and more education and not just gloat that they have caught one and then sit back and do naff all for another 3-4 years.” is, in my view, very wide of what happens. Riders ARE educated and tests are already frequent. I have no inside knowledge about the current case but am aware that there are clear procedures for the hearing that will take place and these are laid down in section 018.5 of the 2022 SCB Regulations. Until that takes place and a decision made, it would be pointless to speculate further.

So that's all that Sheffield can offer you as "fun" arnie? When it gets darker you will get joined by a few locals having a disco, dancing under the traffic lights as they change colour...

No point arguing with these arrogant root vegetables. Poole who know everything had free kids and 10 quid to attract 2000 last night. They usually have 1500 for 18 quid. So they lost a few grand but according to their owner things are desperate in terms of speedway having the stadium after end of this season according to some or next according to others. Be better if they focused on their own problems like finding some land pdq than telling everyone else what to do. Joe Mc like you said worked his nuts off, as has Brian Buck and others.. Need no lessons from Poole. Maybe when they close Brian can help them get a new track.

Did I say every young kid, I spoke of the local community that you asked about, I answered about the local community, do you know Birmingham as an area, do you know anything about Birmingham, I will tell you now that Joe mclaughlin when at Brummies tried everything to recruit new fans none of it worked, yes maybe for a meeting or two but it soon fizzled out, I will tell you now I have taken all my eleven grandchildren to other sports and they want to go back, took 4 of them to speedway and they said it was rubbish when I asked if they wanted to go again, when I took them to the T20 earlier in the season they loved it. So it's not twiddle twaddle as you say, I know the local community in Perry barr as well as anyone because of my job, and I can tell you now in 67% of youngsters in and around Perry Barr, sport is the last thing on their mind, unless they can be rehabilitated, I will say no more on that matter though

Shame it's being held at Leicester. It could have been a decent meeting at a different track, but this is just a foregone conclusion.

August too expensive for me to spend money on public transport for it called off late! Saw images of track at 7pm and thought no way will this be on. Good job by track staff.

Some fan you

i have some funny dreams lol

Haha, no not me! I didn't go last night. Weather put me off tbh. Watched the stream though.

Looks like Knudsen back for Berwick

Yes... Go to the station and get a train to Manchester..

Since when has Cardiff supported a league team? I suspect a London GP would get the crowds, possibly more than Cardiff (although wouldn't be difficult if only 19,000 turned up this year), but the staging costs and lack of subsidy from the Welsh authorities (although Visit Wales no longer seems to be listed as a sponsor) probably wouldn't justify it. The Olympic Stadium is probably the only realistic option and that doesn't have a roof, so you're running the gauntlet of high staging costs with the possibility of cancellation. If you're having to spend a fortune to adapt a venue and build a track, then you need the certainty that the event is actually going to happen.

I don't think Craig will be back riding for quite some time from what you hear on the jungle drums.

Seeing who it is the reading bit might be his defence.

I believe whippet tickling & putting a ferret down your pants are both popular things to do on the dark side of the Pennines.

Good job for Panthers as the lineup was embarrassing Lambert and Mulford

Sheffield will be struggling to fit everything in Still have 4 league fixtures , this pairs , a cup final and play offs That's as many fixtures in the last 2 months as they have managed to complete in the first 5!!

Well done boys. think we should tell Paco every race he is in is heat 14. Sam rumoured to be back Friday. Hope not a gamble.

What a daft idea to give whistles out.

People are unbelievable really. We get one chance a year to have a Speedway meeting in the UK that feels like a proper sporting event and people don't want to know about it. Yes, the track was bad this year. But the event itself was still great even though speedway fans decided they don't want a proper sports stadium inconveniencing their schedule and stayed away. Watch Chris Harris winning in 2007. The riders were bouncing all over the place, but they still went for it. Jason Crump and Greg Hancock both seemed of the opinion that this track was no worse than the older Cardiff tracks. It had improved in recent years, though, which, I guess, is why this one seemed particularly bad. I also wonder if having the practice the day before added to the track cutting up. If Cardiff ends up being dropped because fans decide to stay away then it just proves that Speedway fans really are completely nuts.

Halifax Dukes Captain Eric Boothroyd has passed away in hospital after a heart attack. Ninety five years old a great rider and team captain for the Dukes. R.I.P Eric

I was picking my mate up on the south side but Motherwell is just a tad out the way. Worth a try if it could have saved the drive.

Sorry but I agree with OP, it is wholly relevant. It is the experience. Tension and exciting speedway is not all about the fastest guy missing the start.

Quite a few riders are missing in this! Again! I was considering going but such a disjointed line-up doesn’t make it look like the best of meetings. So it’s the Thompson twins’ to lose.

Expert diagnosis!! lol Called an opinion.

Got to ask why folk find speedway boring? Is it too many FTG races? Is it brands of bikes no one has heard of and will never see anywhere else other speedway, grassyrack or longtrack? Let's face it unlike 99% of other motorsports you get to see the whole race from any viewing point in the stadium so that must be a positive. Despite £10 and kids go free offers speedway does not offer value for money. I took my sons to stockcar racing and they saw 20 races of at least 16 laps with upwards of 20 mainly recognisable cars in each race not far off what a speedway meeting admission costs. Of course they wanted to go back. Speedway needs a big rethink if it is going to survive. If kids don't like it we will never attract TV companies to the level we want.

Would appear to have been a good call by the Sheffield promotion, it's been raining very hard for the last half hour here, five miles from the track! There may well be a fixture back log for Sheffield, that's all down to the work that's been done at the stadium this summer ....... for the greyhound track.

In which case its very poor form from the promotion. Its been clear from the start of the season that its 2 from top 3 in averages. As i said i "thought" it was mandatory after the debarcle of the NLRC a couple of seasons ago. "2 of the top 3 riders in each team by MA, from the green sheets of the month prior to the event must be selected to participate." Must be selected, any club failing to do so is cheating the public.

Thank you for your expert diagnosis.

That would make a lot of sense!

That's only because we changed back to the traditional Wednesday night where people want it & support it no matter the league. If the club was allowed Wednesday Premiership racing then they would move up with even bigger crowds. Thursday isn't supported so well for speedway in Poole hence the drop in crowd level even for the Premiership. It's the race night not which league for Poole.

Certain teams do have "NDL" written all over them... A level that they can be "successful" at rather than always being an annual "also ran", and unable to really compete in the level above.. Many Championship teams are the same, big fish in a small pond, but unable to compete with the level above.. No idea why promoters take the risks they do moving up, especially considering none of the leagues bring any real media coverage or great financial rewards.. Ego maybe? Rubbing shoulders with "better riders"? Seems daft to risk your club to try and win something that will probably cost you more to win yet not get any guarantee that the increased costs will be covered through an increased attendance.. As many have said, two leagues, one professional and one very much semi professional/new starters has to be a consideration.. A "Premiership Lite" and an "NDL Plus"... With each club going into whichever league based on their organic growth position in the sport..

Who needs Cardiff? Nah, the heart of British speedway lies right under our noses...... British clubs

A Poole thread must be one of the most Boak inducing things at this time of the morning.

Yeah, that was the last time that I went. I'd read on here that cheap tickets were always available on the day so didn't book in advance as usual but the cheapest ones they had were £50 or more, I can't remember exactly and it cost me £250 or so to get my family in. As you say, obviously rubbish!

Fantastic comeback from Monarchs to win and confirm our place in the play-offs. Brilliant team effort led by Josh.

To be fair the track looks as though it's riding OK, credit to the track staff... never in doubt Will be interesting to see how the track progresses as they're normally riding the fence after a few races, will take a brave boy to go out there!

That's part of the problem! How many fans would prefer to sit on a bend in a foldable chair with a flask of tea and sandwiches wrapped in cellophane to watch a meeting? Quite a few I'll bet!

Tbf. Belle Vue probably picked there best 2 riders for this track

They had only booked the stadium till Tuesday....

The original intended date for staging this meeting in April, generated considerable interest from Coventry supporters, so I don't see why there shouldn't be a decent turnout for the restaging on Wednesday, but of course, anything Birmingham do or try to do, just produces scornful criticism from the select few! Just as a response to Lisa-Collette's comment, all of the named riders have a past connection with Coventry including the number 8 Freddie Hodder whose father also named Fred, rode for the Bees in 1964.

Blah, blah, blah... He wasn't THAT bloody old!

Split......or rather Squire Waterman got his nickname when he bent over and split his leathers all the way down......he was originally nicknamed Split Arse but Split remained until the end!