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https://ipswichwitches.co/raceday-guide-birmingham-h/ Both teams “full strength”, for the moment at least. BSN streaming this one. Not the most attractive fixture with the result as near a home banker as you’ll see with all due respect. Let’s hope Birmingham bring their gating gloves and the Ipswich boys leave theirs at home. At least those attending will get a little extra for their money. A second half of sorts, with the Billy Sanders “Champion of the evening”. Two heats and a final featuring the highest scorers from both sides. 40 years ago tomorrow we sadly lost Billy so always nice to see a memorial. His 1979 world final Weslake on display on the terraces amongst other memorabilia.

Only Glasgow pulled out of that summer trophy thingy, a few years back that never got completed. That is what it is based on. How does anyone miss that?

Would agree but it really makes mockery of the Sport.It just cannot be taken seriously.Nothing changes to improve the credibility of speedway to newer audiences.Saturdays fixture should be advertised as Bandits v Edinburgh Select.

Is it on Sky?😀

Cue 1K+ posts in the next week, between here and social media asking what channel and how to watch.

Surley craig cook would of been a far better option than kerr or sedgmen

......And then explain that Bomber is likely to have ridden for everyone at some point before the season is out!

Especially once the season starts. You may get the odd nibble later in the season but you’ve got no chance at this stage, even for daft money. Riders have their season mapped out and won’t deviate from that.

I just had a quick look at the season’s averages so far published on the Witches web site. Dan is top of the away averages and third in the combined. i thought he would kick on this season but what a start he has had - take a bow young man and keep it up!

Try explaing to a new supporter so masters rode for us last week but against us this week ,the sport is dying fast!

Bet they make a better fist of it than Belle Vue.

Easy seeing it’s not home match they are missing.🤔

Huge credit to all involved for honouring one of the finest ever riders in Ipswich colours. I had the privilege of watching him ride for the Brummies in 1979.A class act!!

If the Craig Cook who scored 16 points for Oxford last year could show up every week I’d have him. Unfortunately that was a flash in the pan

I would hope he looks for a proper replacement come May 1st when we should have over 7pts to play with to replace Cook.I think it is around 7.3 left in May.But for the last April fixture I would use Brennan if available.

Absolutely makes us weaker but I'd rather us make a change rather than running rr for most the season. Must Absolutely be slim pickings and a bit disappointing that we've gone way under limit which will get taken up by Rowe once he's on his real average. But it is what it is, should be fine round Owlerton but I reckon we'll suffer on the road.

I’m not sure it makes a big difference. I like Hume the boy is a trier, but he’s probably the weakest number 6 in the league and would score next to nothing on the road. You’re obviously getting the trade off at the other end with Kerr or Sedgmen replacing Woffinden, but you’re also getting Rowe back down at reserve which strengthens that area considerably. The original line up looked unbalanced to me and not many Sheffield supporters were full of optimism judging by the predictions thread. This looks a much better balanced team to me

Yeah more bike time should do him well! I expect him to start the season well for Poole regardless. He’s a very good and experienced rider in this league and will score plenty of points for the pirates after an unlucky trip to Oxford

This shows that for now there are no big names ready to come over and ride in the UK. Maybe later someone may decide to come over and take up a place. But the Holder boys and Picko so far this season have started the season strong, and the team changes now sees Anders Rowe drop to reserve. Both Sedgy and Kerr have rode for the club before. Does it make us weaker as team quite possibly, but I think whatever the changes it was probably going to make us weaker.

Anyway, Kerr signed for Sheffield. More track time can only be good for us as well.

Since then i hear Matt has invested in 2 barrow loads of shale, and had his water meter removed

Interesting too see how many fixtures the International Superstars will miss over the season,especially Paco.

Think I will just watch and see what happens rather than trying to understand the rules.

Where I was in Leicester it rained continually from about 9.30am to 3pm, so I'm not surprised it was called off.

Belle Vue will make a better fist of winning the title tho 🤣

This topic got a mention on Ken bruces pop master earlier today.

did anyone laugh at it?

You should stay off the spirits, Moaning Minne.

Poorly judged? Stupid if you ask me. Stick to moaning about everything.

what an odd post

New averages don't come into force until the 1st of each month.So Brennan would be able to guest on Monday,but not a few days later.

I'd say that the 'changes' greatly improve Edinburgh's squad for Saturday. All three guests have the ability and Shielfield experience to score higher than the riders they replace.

Oh dear. Not been to a match being screened live (except BSN) for long time but past experience was that the fan on the terrace paying 30 plus quid for a night out was given no consideration by TV company.

Good news it’s on TNT Sports 1 there main channel .

I only went last night,on a financial fact finding mission. Can't see me going again

Luke Harrison, Jason Edwards and Jye ethridge will be the guests for Saturday.

Me.

A proper meeting with no silly semis or final. Every heat counted. Well done Zmarzlik...

Reading on FB it seems like it's acceptable for Belle Vue to call a match off for wet weather, but not acceptable for Birmingham to do the same thing, just because they are weakened? I know us Speedway fans can be as suspicious bunch, but why automatically assume it's been called off for team strengths rather than the weather? If Birmingham called off every match when they looked weak, they would never run lol!

As much as I agree with your statement about pre season predictions and lack of interest on social media etc, these leagues are designed for young lads and maybe girls to enter a competitive league and build on their experience, virtually all the teams are doing a great job having rookies in their teams and first and foremost that should be welcomed, whoever wins or finishes bottom should not be the aim.

Are you related to Max? You're taking this very personal. Fricke was a disaster in last year's final. He's not in the same league as Doyle and Emil.

The team that finishes top should be champions. The top four at the end of the season should then contest a semi and then final for the knockout cup so there’s still the target of a top four place to aim for. That would also eliminate the farce of one club getting a bye and riding less cup fixtures than everyone else.

Now I don't want to be a negative Nancy and nothing would please me more than the return of Speedway to Brandon but unless the campaign are privy to some information that's not being released I'm not quite sure what this latest outburst of unbridled optimism is all about? If they're pinning their hopes on the addition of that paragraph in the Local Plan then I wouldn't get too excited about it as the shenanigans at Peterborough prove that the Local Plan isn't worth the paper it's written on! As somebody else has commented unless there's a compulsory purchase order made on the stadium BE still hold all the cards as they can just sit on their plans (whatever they are) and wait for the council to change at some point in the future. I'm not sure we're any further on than we were this time last year, correct me if I'm wrong. Still... get your emails in folks it certainly can't hurt.

What pre season predictions? The NDL / NDT doesn't get anywhere near the chat the top leagues do on the forum / FB etc. I couldn't say who everyone was favouring like I can for the Prem & Champ. Since Steelers have changed their side, I'd rate them odds on favourites for the title. Since Belle Vue's changes, I'd rate them favourites for the wooden spoon. I may not have said that a week ago. Mind you with Foord missing & Rushen guesting, Middlesbrough should've been capable of the win.

A thoroughly enjoyable evening at Shielfield Park. As always, to be honest. I really enjoy Berwick. Drew Kemp was the star of the show, but our consistency saw us home. After all the arguably justified concern around Hodder and Perry, it was great to see them score 11 paid 14 between them. Outstanding. It was also great to see Craig Cook back in amongst the points. Although I’m not sure I’d be saying that, had Berwick won. I hope the reception he got from both Berwick and Glasgow fans really registered with him because the version of British Speedway where Craig Cook is riding well is the best version of the sport.

There are 3 teams clearly better than the other four... With one of them clearly better than the other two.. The other four then get split into pairs... Oxford and Birmingham being the bottom pair.. From the moment all the teams were announced that was going to be the case as the vast amount of comments on here clearly showed, (and Bet365's odds!) Never quite understand how, each year, after a few weeks into the season, some fans call out how poor their team are when it was "blindingly obvious" before a wheel was turned how much adrift they were from the better teams... "We have gone for strength in depth, with each of our team capable of putting a point on their average".. Translated: "We wanted to sign a world level rider as we know it is the only way to be successful, but we couldn't get one"..

It might just be a licensing problem where they only have the rights for Denmark viewing- will be interested in the outcome.

Can I suggest, if you don't have time to compose an email, that you use an AI to compose one for you, the results are quite remarkable! I've used Google Gemini (you'll need a Google account to use this) and entered: "create an email to Rugby Council in support of the restoration of Coventry Stadium, Brandon for speedway and stock car racing and other motor sports together with other community uses in the new Rugby Local Plan. Planning permission should not be granted for development proposals which would conflict with these objectives. Also include the need for leisure activities for local and national people". The text in bold is taken from the Save Coventry Speedway website and I've just added a bit to the end, you may want to replace with your own thoughts for a different text, the more you put in, the more you'll get out. The result: Dear Rugby Council, Subject: Restoration of Coventry Stadium, Brandon, and the Rugby Local Plan I am writing to express my strong support for the restoration of Coventry Stadium, Brandon, for the purpose of speedway, stock car racing, and other motorsports, alongside diverse community uses. I urge the council to ensure that the new Rugby Local Plan supports this objective and to reject any planning applications that conflict with it. The restoration of Coventry Stadium holds immense value for several reasons: Preservation of Heritage: The stadium is a historic venue for motorsports, holding a special place in the hearts of many local and national enthusiasts. Boost to Local Economy: Restoring the stadium would attract visitors from across the country, stimulating the local economy and supporting businesses. Community Benefits: The stadium can serve as a hub for a variety of community activities, providing valuable leisure and recreational opportunities for residents of all ages. There is a need for leisure activities for local and national people. Tourism: The stadium has the potential to attract national and international tourists. Granting planning permission for development proposals that would hinder the restoration of the stadium would be a great loss for the community and for the future of motorsports in the region. It is crucial that the Rugby Local Plan reflects the importance of this facility. I urge you to consider the significant benefits of restoring Coventry Stadium, to ensure its inclusion and support within the Rugby Local Plan, and to guarantee that all planning decisions align with the best interests of the community. Thank you for your time and consideration of this important matter. Sincerely, [Your Name] [Your Address] [Your Email] [Your Phone Number (Optional)] Obviously, give it a proof read and tweak if necessary and send to localplan@rugby.gov.uk

Sam's Grandad, Alf, rode for Leicester Hunters from 1957 until 1961. According to Alan Jones' book on the Leicester Hunters Era he was the anchorman between reserves and heat leaders. He rode for England five times during their winter tour of Australia in 1958/59.

you will be able to watch Aces v Witches Belle vue now have a streaming service !!