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😂🥸 What a meeting. Absolutely heartbreaking, but f**king hell, what a speedway meeting. As I said in the Poole topic, a massive congratulations to the Pirates who did as they so often do and deliver when the chips are down. That was a captain’s performance from Zach Cook. The racing was remarkable; some of the best I’ve seen. Inside, outside, Glasgow, Poole, ding, dong, back and forth. If you could bottle Friday night, British speedway would be prime time on Sky Sports. 100%. It had everything and more. That Harris pass in heat 15, the one where Harris passed two at the same time, Kerr on Flint, Harris versus Lawson, Lawson throwing everything at Howarth, Howarth bullying Cook and Cook responding by taking the trophy back to Dorset. Honestly, wow. What a sport. Speedway won on Friday night, not just Poole. It was a pleasure as always, Pirates.

They probably wouldn't have done, which isn't ideal for him, but that's how it goes. Either accept the lottery of the RS scheme or accept the lottery of opting out. It would've been a shame for a young Brit to miss out obviously, but why bother with any sort of rules if you just don't apply them? I think we agree on the general point, the intention of the concept was a good idea, but it was bungled again by the people who created it. As you say, why bother announcing a rule that they don't bother following? I just wish they'd properly review the rules and regs and then stick to me, no budging. Too many times it's the tail wagging the dog or they've painted themselves into a corner like this.

Loftus is a good prospect, as is Jody Scott. I'd love to see both of them, but honestly, I hope they re-sign with their respective clubs. They gave them a chance and it would be nice to see the clubs reap the benefit next year.

Follow the leader 'roundabout racing' is one of the reasons the sport is dying in the UK...

That and everyone's been going well on the continent when in fact they're really struggling winds me up no end. It takes 2 minutes to have a read through the Polish results on a Monday morning before a TV meet to throw some colour and insight into things. Unless its Erik Riss and his long track achievements he hasn't a clue what's going on. I've never watched a football match where the commentators don't know anything about a player on the pitch.

😂🥸 Sorry mate; went along on Friday night, then had a busy weekend. Gutted, but what a meeting. All credit to both sets of riders who left nothing in the pits. That’s all I wanted on Wednesday night too, but felt the track didn’t allow for it. That’s done though. I’m gutted we lost in such heartbreaking circumstances, but give me a tie over two legs and a loss in the race-off every single season if we’re served that sort of racing. An absolute pleasure. I hope everyone enjoyed it. This fantastic sport might be struggling, but Glasgow and Poole, take a bow. Both sets of riders were like gladiators.

It isn't!🤣

The challenges of being in a major city rather than a small provincial town. The Bournemouth "echo" and the Poole "argus" or whatever the local papers are down there have little to report on in the sporting world apart from one football club in Bournemouth , and frankly most weeks will be slow news in the poole area. Anything Ford or Middlo says however trivial will be found a column inch just to fill the paper. Compare with Glasgow where the sporting world is dominated by Celtic and Rangers and no doubt all manner of stories affecting the major city of Glasgow. The only story likely to feature in the Glasgow "Herald" is some disaster at the track or similar bad publicity story.

Quite happy to lose the TNT coverage as I wasn't planning to pay £30.99 pcm to watch the speedway and the saturday lunchtime PL football by half price deal ends on 26th october whereuon I will cancel it. Premier Sport would be an interesting option - i used to subscribe to them a few years back wehn they covered Polish (reruns) and Swedish speedway matches.

I don’t have a problem with any of them although I’d admit kelvin does seem to be making more and more mistakes, I dislike a couple of BSNs presenters more but they don’t detract from the overall product, for me TNT just comes across like an amatuer film crew that have no idea how speedway ticks and they don’t actually want to be there, maybe it’s because BSN actually come from within the sport, most have been through a fence or two and understand how the sport ticks where Tatum and Louis have to put their speedway perspective through someone who has gone through media training and wouldn’t know a speedway bike from a biscuit tin, it happens in all walks of life sadly and in the case of TNT it shows

Massive congratulations to Poole. I’ve been vocal about Wimborne Road and will continue to be, but Friday night was a champions performance. It was heartbreaking as a Glasgow fan, but what a battle. It meant so much to both teams. The gradually developing Tigers versus Pirates rivalry is fantastic for British speedway. I thought although there was a lot of racing left, Cook and Kerr’s wins in heats 12 and 14 swung the momentum in your direction. The chips were down and those race wins over Thompson and Flint, sadly for us, were huge. Honestly, congratulations. Another stellar season for the Pirates which will likely end in a treble. Enjoy.

In case anyone hasn't got X or Instagram. Could watch this all day 😁 Love the way Lewi just runs in half way through the race lol.

If Ace is at 6, won't have such a strong top 4 obviously. Btw I wouldn't call a rider who can score 4 at home & 2 away a "sacrificial no 7" that sounds like a valuable member of the team.

I was gutted for Slot yesterday... He should have popped his head around the United dressing room door before the game and asked Ruben to play a high line and to keep playing out from the keeper with plenty of short one touch passes so his team could intecept the ball and score loads of goals.. Instead, he had to try and find a way of winning a game where the opponents decided to do something tactically he didn't want them to... Completely unfair...!! I have only watched Maguire's winner about twenty five times today to see if I am entertained... .. I can see United only getting just under 75000 for their next match now....

She loves the poles.

Weather looking okay for Tuesday and Weds on met office atm. Just maybe some light rain from 9pm Weds, so they need an efficient referee to just get on with it!!

The facts are that if we did not make it slick, Glasgow would have won. A lot of fans would want us to put more dirt down to encourage better racing but winning is everything in sport. I heard the Liverpool manager Slot moaning about Man Utd having a low block but they won so it was the right thing to do, fans like to see a great game if there team wins.

Ok but if we make the track like Redcar for example and means we lose more the crowd will go down. That's why they will prepare it to win. Also if Glasgow could ride it slick then it would have been as it normally is as they wouldn't have been an advantage. So it's Glasgow's fault really as they are too vocal about it.😉😄

Why is Ashfield only 1/2 full most of the season then.Where are all these missing fans rest of the season.Im sure it wasn’t Poole fans that filled up the Stadium on Friday. You and me could name a few reasons. The Faccenna’s could not do any more than they have done over the last few years.

Tigers get NO publicity on the Scottish TV Channels or local papers,even though they submit stories,Sports editors have no interest in promoting Speedway.

BCP really ought to be right behind proactively securing Wimborne Road for the future of the Pirates, one of the areas premier assets that puts Poole on the map. Looking forward to our last meeting of the season, hope it can go ahead on Wednesday.

Would think Poole would like him to stay.He was the go -to man when a big race was required last season (Lawson accepted).Still improving and stylish. His performance was the difference in Pirates winning the League IMO.

You got a pair of binoculars looking from the window opposite 🤣

Well she been to bed with a few of them 😉

Does Kelvin have a clue who some riders are? "I'll be honest, I don't know much about him" is a refrain heard far too often.... One of the key requirements of a commentator is to do research and inform the viewers of some background details about the competitors... His enthusiasm is first rate, but his lack of general speedway knowledge outside of the Premiership doesn't help...

Just seen heat 15, that was a fantastic ride from Harris, really amazing what he can do on a well prepared track. So the Poole promotion, realising they'll have their biggest crowd of the season, with one of the most exciting riders in British Speedway visiting, decide the best option is to make a super slick track with no option for passing! Which is what their fans want apparently? I really can't understand that. I'm not saying design it so Harris can have a blinder, but a track where you go backwards if you drift off the line, surely not? Don't really like either team, but I'd rather watch racing at Glasgow each week & finish 2nd, than watch Poole each week & win the league. Also makes me question why Howarth was used in heat 16, don't get that decision by Cami.

Seem to remember they did similar a few years back, it will help balance things a bit more, but trade off will be those third tier heat leaders on an attractive sub 8 point average will most likely want more money next year as they know their bargaining position is better. The bigger issue is though its a tiny effort against the wholesale restructuring that needs to happen obviously not helped by the fact there is currently by the sound of it no tv contract on offer, hopefully Flagrag's words of wisdom to the promoters will bear some form of fruit.

If it was up to me 100% British Premiership Speedway would be back on Sky Sports unfortunately it’s not my decision I am however having words in the correct ears . There may be some interest if the right deal was available and if a decent league sponsor could be found to support with the production costs as Speedway was not planned into 2026 plans . I am a great advocate of BSN however it’s very much a niche closed product so can foresee some potential issues with sponsorship for clubs

It isn’t harsh. Professional sports enforce their rules regardless of whether someone is inconvenienced or not.

The trouble we have now is the result of the relaxing of the average conversion rate between the two leagues and doubling up becoming a free for all about 15 years ago. Before then there was a noticeable difference in standard between the leagues (all three leagues that is). Sounds like that one was driven by rider power, but the promoters also allowed it to happen. There’s now not enough riders of the standard of team spots available. I think this is half the problem, nobody wants the sport to be watered down. It feels like a necessary evil though, because those “good enough” riders just don’t exist in large enough quantities so we’re lumbered with the current incredibly flawed system.

Is this goodbye to Abi? There’s always a silver lining.

Thanks for the update. I've been keeping tabs on their Facebook page. In my opinion speedway could be boosted by having big names like Cradley and Coventry back at the top table.

Never paid his fine and sold all his bikes and kit.

I haven't been critical of anyone! 😁 I have a saying of what a family member used to say if I got frustrated during a meeting 'I'm sure they are trying their best...' Sticks in my head tbf.. Interesting it says Ipswich and Leicester are definites. But BV are doubts with other two! But seems to hint at one over 8 for Prem not Champ as talking about BK and Bewley being split up. Love the bit at the end about us having to sort things out quicker lol. Though I'll take it with a pinch of salt as the Polish media couldn't predict the right GP wildcards 😉

As already stated one meeting with the track specially prepared does not make the whole season. Local/regional media report on winners. They couldn't give a rat's backside if it was entertaining or not. If greater media coverage generates greater attendance, then those additional fans keep coming back, as Poole's attendances over the season have shown. Nobody has answered my earlier question of how much media coverage Glasgow Tigers got after Friday? I'm interested to know having spent almost all of my working life in regional media and large venue management.

If rumours are true that only 1 rider with over an 8 average per team then Jeppesen wouldn't fit unless you dropped Richard, which is highly unlikely

Both Ipswich and Leicester have 2 over 8.00.So would Sheffield if Tai returns.

As a neutral the speedway at Ashfield is very entertaining most weeks but can see Poole’s point of view if they are filling the Stadium every week with a Team that is winning every week.A few away and neutral fans watching on TV doesn’t pay the wage bill.

Each to their own, but good gating is and has been an established part of speedway at all levels for many years. Perhaps Poole's opposition should learn that. PS. Serious question - did Glasgow Tigers get much coverage in their local media either before or after the final?

What next is a good question and one that I'm sure that Forever Panthers will be watching very closely. This, from Peterborough Today - "In particular, there was huge opposition to the fact the development would mean the end of more than 50 years of speedway racing at the Peterborough Panthers track. However, the refusal does not automatically mean a return to the venue for speedway." - is a step up from Butterfield saying that speedway will not return irrespective of planning. That was just bullying, and with the EEAS allegedly fallen out with AEPG, I suspect that decision is now out of his hands? Unfortunately no quick fix though it would appear.

That just reinforces what a daft system it was allowed to become. It is really classic speedway that something as straightforward as a draft can end up in a mess. X clubs, X riders, everyone picks one each in the reverse order of last year's league - how can anyone possibly mess that up? It's amazing. If Jordan Jenkins didn't want to lose all of his local sponsorship - which is absolutely fair btw - then he had the choice to opt-out of the RS scheme and wait for Ipswich to sign him. If they didn't, that's life. How many other riders have to go elsewhere up and down the country to get a job?

I thought it was interesting at the SON that Marcelina came across as a lot more natural than Abi often does. Maybe she's just a better presenter, but it is clear she's genuinely a speedway fan. There was one point in an interview with Kurtz that she recalled his league debut at Torun. It was completely minor at the time, but it stuck in my head. Does Abi have a clue who most riders are riding for outside of the meeting she's at? I feel like that depth just adds something. It might be team mates in Poland facing off, a rider's Polish/Swedish track compared to that meeting's track, etc., it would get that whole close-knit family aspect of speedway.

Kerr has certainly been impressive lately and I would not be against having him back especially as his average has dropped. I would say he wasnt messed about by Premiership clubs but more that he let himself down by poor performances which led to him getting dropped. If Zach is not at Poole then it has to be Lawson,Kerr,Rowe, Cairns, Rushen as a start.

Have to agree, should continue to improve and gives good value for his GSA.

I still get a buzz no matter which side of the fence I’m on, I gave up being a spannerman because I got a bit fed up with it, I did it a lot of years often alongside racing myself but I am a bit fussy who I work for and have turned down a few, not because I don’t like them but because I just didn’t think we would click as a working team but I have filled in for a couple of riders as one offs

Something with response advice will be out this coming week apparently. The general public's reponse to the whole situation has been bizarre The Swindon Needs Speedway group had only a small turn-out when presenting their petition to Council last year (2,300 names but only about a dozen turned up at the Counci), a recent call for funding help saw only a few donate and now some are moaning about the line-up in the Oxford 4TT this week! Social media has over 2,000 followers, but it seems many want speedway back as long as they don't have to do anything themselves to make it happen!

A typical well meaning rule to try and even up the league more... And then also, typically in UK Speedway fashion, they eff it up by allowing the No1 pick to say "I'm not riding there"... (Which I get if offered more money and have local sponsors elsewhere).. In the US draft system, the bottom team gets several concessions from the teams who want their pick, should they not want to use that player .. Eg The team with the highest average last season would have needed to offer Birmingham either money or a rider/riders.. Instead we had Birmingham being out of their depth again which did them, nor Speedway, any favours . Basically. Either do it properly, or don't use it at all... Personally, out of their depth No7's do nothing for the sport, nor them, in any league ..

I don’t know what Flint you’ve been watching. Here are his home scores for the season……4+2 8+1 14+1 5+1 8 9+1 11+1 7+1 9+1 6+2 8+2 9+1 13+1 8+3 and 8…….and in my view he’s committed to improving further. I’d definitely have him back.

The Pirates certainly can gate , but they can also go fast and the opposition can’t pass them.(especially when it matters🤔😜)