Halifaxtiger

Not that you're biased. And that truly is one of the most ignorant and stupid statements I have ever read on here.

Leicester doesn't get any better, does it ? I think riders battled with the track more than each other.

Steve might have misplaced his comparisons here, but he's still right. His point is that other minority sports get places on the Sports Personality of the Year, so there's no reason why speedway shouldn't (especially given Woffinden's likely unprecedented third world title). Its not a question of minority sport, its a question of whether that sport fits (for whatever reason) with the BBC. That's simply got to be wrong.

Like others, I nearly gave this one a miss given the result the preceding night and came because it would not have been fair on my driver. I am bloody glad that I did A cracking meeting with everything that is good about speedway thrown in - some brilliant racing, a fantastic come back, a little controversy, a last heat decider and all sorted in less than 90 minutes. Great stuff I am not sure what happened to the Monarchs but the Comets were clearly fired up, possibly stung by the - not unfair - criticism from the night before. A superb team performance, and while no-one really deserves to be singled out a mention (again) for Kyle Bickley. Huge improvement from the youngster. A mention, too, for Hoggy. I know I am biased here, but his efforts to whip up the home crowd and get them behind the team might just have made the difference between winning and losing. Sadly, this was probably my last trip to the Wild West this season due to holiday commitments. I have seen about half of the Comets home fixtures, and its been a ball. With two finals and a semi final guaranteed, it will be a huge disappointment and a major anti climax if they don't win something and there's no doubt that Laura, Steve, Jacko and some furiously loyal fans deserve it (especially after all the crap they have had thrown their way). Whatever the case - and I'll be cheering them on from afar and most definitely will not be betting against them - its pretty fair to say that this is the Comets best season since Ian Thomas introduced the sport to the town in 1970.

Very slightly unfair here. I thought the track was prepared for the home side (I still have dust everywhere now) but its far from unheard of that racing will get better as a meeting progresses. Definitely happens at our best track, Belle Vue, and I seem to recall Jensen hitting Riss as early as heat 6. To highlight the difficulties Pickering and Worrall had in passing Bickley as a sign of the track conditions does not do justice to just how improved the Workington reserve is. The very fact that he outgated them in the first place - something that would have been unthinkable a couple of months ago - is evidence of how much he has come on, as was his win in heat 2 and a crucial third place in heat 14. According to my spy at the tapes, Stuart Wilson had had enough of riders messing about at the starts and one of the clerk of the course calls was a warning to pack it in or else. Wells can have no-one to blame but himself given that he was facing the wrong way at the time, although my understanding is that if he had not turned round it could have been Klindt that would have got the exclusion light.

) That is to a point true. I say to a point because results affect only home supporters (and I seem to remember there being an old saying 'happiness is 40-38' ) not those who just go for the speedway (and at Scunthorpe that's a fair few). But you seem - and I reiterate seem - to be saying is that the quality of the speedway is irrelevant simply because Belle Vue isn't packed every week, or because Scunthorpe's gates are poor. What I am saying - and I am certain of this - is that the gates at both tracks would be worse if the racing isn't as good as it is. As such, the quality of the speedway does affect attendances. Not perhaps to the extent that some people might believe, but it does.

Is it me, Phil, or do these two statements contradict each other ?

It does make a difference. Its not the be all and end all, but it does Belle Vue might not be packed out but I have no doubt that it draws more people than it would if the racing was rubbish. Scunthorpe is a better example. Poor gates, but doesn't bear thinking about what they would be if the speedway wasn't as good as it is.

Me too, although that's what I have heard. Go up or go down, basically. Most of the existing NL clubs cannot afford to do either.

I am not quite sure how you can say that with Kemp, Bebee, Marson, Jenkins, Rowe, Bickley, Dicken, Woodhull, Pavitt, Flint, Atkins, Edwards, Brennan etc riding in it. All of these are in their first or second season at that level. Even the likes of Bowtell, Shanes, Morley, Hume, Bacon, Wood, Verge, Stoneman, Bailey, Smith, Mountain and Perks could be given the tag of developing. There are older riders in the league, but Jon Armstrong's reputation as a mentor is well known and of significant benefit - ask anyone. The league has to come to a balance between developing riders and ensuring that the product is attractive to the public, because a team full of novices most certainly is not - that's nothing more than a glorified training session. I think for the most part the NL hits it bang on.

Its a view that might well be right...…………..until the clubs decide that they can't afford to run at either a higher or lower level and start pulling out. That might change the position. The worst part is that the NL should be allowed to decide its own destiny as a collective, not have some arbitrary decision forced upon them. The only consolation is that I heard rumours at the back end of 2017 that the points limit would be very low, and it simply didn't materialise.

Historically, challenge matches against select sides almost always attract lower attendances (unless there is something special or unusual on offer). Looking at the teams last week, its little wonder the crowd was poor. Mark Philips 'rock and hard place' description is just about spot on. My suspicion is that Isle of Wight and Plymouth will not be the only ones to consider their entire future if the points limit is devalued significantly. I suspect Mildenhall, Kent, Birmingham, Eastbourne, Coventry (if they continue) and possibly Stoke would not want that. Even Belle Vue, who attract decent attendances for Colts meetings, would be wary of downgrading the standard to a substantial degree. That was shown last season when a majority of clubs wanted an increase in the points limit but due to some technicality it never came to pass. Its entirely possible that all of the above teams could not go into the Championship without huge financial risk yet they recognise that their fans do not wish to see a glorified training session. I can only trust that sanity prevails and the NL is allowed to go the way it wishes rather than being forced into a position which might well endanger the existence of its members.

It might not look like it but Mildenhall have just one rider who has done that - Drew Kemp. Matt Marson and Sam Bebee are up, but only by about a point and a half - good, but hardly a mockery. Aside from Kemp, the real improver has been Ryan Kinsley - up by over 3 points - and he's been around for a number of seasons. How many of us saw that one coming ?

Sadly, I think you are absolutely right and it exposes the programme for the fit up it is. The fact that speedway is a minority sport is utterly irrelevant - or at least it should be. The fact of the matter is that if Woffinden does win again - and that looks very likely - he can reasonably be called the greatest British speedway rider of all time. Personally, it doesn't matter what sport -within reason - you are in, that's worthy of a nomination. I'd also point out that a couple of years ago a yachtsman was nominated. To my knowledge, he wasn't even competing at the time. In addition - and to use Steve's example - I wouldn't back against a woman cricketer being selected. I somehow doubt that she would be seen as one of the country's best. Steve is absolutely right. Its not a question of how good you are, what records you have broken or titles won. Its a matter of whether your face (or more accurately your sport) fits, which makes the programme a sham.

The accident - from where I was standing and I had a very good view - most certainly was not Dan Bewley's fault. Then again, neither was it Kyle Newman's. I don't think anyone is suggesting that Newman's injury should be 'forgotten about'. But, in scale and severity, there is simply no comparison with what Bewley suffered. Bewley is still in a wheelchair and will be for some time to come. His estimated recovery time (at least to ride again) is 6 months. Someone said to me the other day that he didn't know it was possible to break a femur in 5 places. It cannot be the case that every injury suffered by a rider will be of the kind that will generate substantial fund rising activities. However, it is difficult to imagine that the appalling injuries suffered by one of British Speedway's most outstanding young riders would not be one of them.

I am waiting to see what happens if Woffinden wins a third world title. If he does, he can rightly claim to be the greatest British speedway rider of all time. I wonder if he will get a place in the Sports Personality of the Year ?

With racing like that and getting home before 10pm its looking more likely

Not crazy at all. In my view, absolutely bang on. It simply wasn't anywhere near as good watching the recording as it was being at the track (although the fact that I was aware of what happened probably made a difference) .

I take your point here and I suspect that part of my view results from being a speedway fan and not understanding why, when the racing is that good, there aren't more in attendance. That's just my prejudice I suppose. Having said that, Belle Vue's gates doubled when they moved from the Doghole so to suggest that crowds are continually down isn't necessarily true. Even now, gates will still be higher at the NSS than they were across the fence. The other thing is I have seen much bigger attendances at the NSS over the three seasons the Aces have been there - including this year - so when there is an attractive fixture like that its not unreasonable to believe that the gate will be a decent one, up there with the better figures. It wasn't. There are other factors involved of course but that doesn't lessen the feeling of disappointment much. In looking at this I don't consider speedway's minority sport status and merely make a comparison between the numbers that have attended meetings over the season.

Another cracking meeting at the NSS highlighted by a stunning heat 13 that surpassed even the much hyped one from a couple of weeks ago. Best sight for me was Craig Cook at his very best. After a poor start in his first ride, he was just brilliant whether he was out of the gate or not. Those who suggest it is time for him to move on have got it very wrong for me. While I accept that Belle Vue's attendances are better than most, it is still disappointing to see the grandstand half full when it has been two thirds or three quarters full in the past. There were mitigating factors last night, but it still doesn't make it much less disappointing.

It was.

Never seen his plan yet. As he is so much against weakening the league, no doubt it is throwing money about to get the top riders in Wonder if he - and many others who advocate that - would be prepared to gamble their money rather than someone else's ?

Ideal for me, too. I can make those but nothing later

I can't see Peterborough picking anyone but Lakeside given their win last night. That means that it definitely won't be 5/6 October, because Cook will be at Torun. What's wrong with 29/30 September ? I am actually surprised it hasn't already been sorted. In the premiership, we knew King's Lynn had picked Belle Vue about 30 minutes after Heat 15 of the Somerset match.

There's a problem. Ipswich ride Thursday nights and there's only one place down south to go then...………………..