TheScotsman

Nice to see some dirt on the track again! Plenty of grip!

I remember Bert Harkins used to turn up at Old Meadowbank with his speedway bike on the sidecar of his road bike!! Top man too!!

Barker was absolute mince. Rasmus was really good - a great entertainer - enjoyed his wheelies on the way to the tapes each race. Kalle was good but to be honest I expected him to pick up a couple more than the 14 he collected. The other Devils were disappointing, with Benkon & Reade not really at the races. Wells was an excellent, committed guest. Manzares looks a very good signing. Probably should have come in on a 7!! Don't know the Monarchs Yank will get to his standard. Risager & Heeps must be a big disappointment. Tungate looked good and made a good job of wiping out the tapes. Ellis would be fantastic if he stayed on the bike. Hawkins scored well - I wonder if he will make it to armadale this year?!! Just a thought - I am surprised at how much of turns 1 & 3 is not protected by the air fence. It looks a bit short. Are there regulations about how much needs to be protected? I was 2nd bend half way up the stand.

Barker did indeed turn left on Manzares coming out of bend 2 but I believe Manzares had tried to stick Barker into the fence at the same place the previous lap.

We'll need our reserves to hit 15+ to have any chance of a win.

Must be why the British team is so successful with those 2 in it.

Worky for me every time.

Does anyone get on with Barker?

Was that an outside toilet or an inside one Ben?

Panic setting in after what 3 matches?

Tartan Army rules OK!!

Overtaking at Rye House? Surely not!!

I said this on another thread a couple of weeks ago but many people didn't believe it.

You said this. And that was based on one meeting. And then they hammered you home AND away. So by that logic - you must be wooden spoon contenders. Simples.

Looks like Rye are now officially "down the toilet"!! Genuine wooden spoon contenders!!

So if Rye don't win very comfortably tonight Rye must be wooden spoon contenders.

Doubt it makes any difference myself.

As a semi-neutral (I am a fan of the Fish but Charles Wright is an ex-Monarch), I really enjoyed the match. It was nothing like as cold as on the Rye night, but the chips were nothing like as good either so you can't win them all. The track was a bit short on dirt around bends 1 & 2 after a couple of heats so it was usually a case of charge out to the deeper stuff near the fence. Despite that the racing was competitive and far more interesting and entertaining than at the tracks nearest to me - Rye and Ippo. The crowd was down on the Rye match but still looked a decent number (maybe c1200?), though I don't know how that compares with last year. For Peterborough.......... - The Fish was excellent, apart from heat 13 where he looked slow until he made up a lot in a frantic last half lap. He was ahead by a country mile in heat 15 starting from the outside and riding round everyone on bends 1/2, before it was stopped when Nick Morris decided to do cartwheels on bend 2 lap 3(?). In the rerun he didn't get a good start until bend 4 lap 3(?) when he came forcefully under Olly Allen to get ahead and make space for Lasse Bjerre to also get through. - Lewis Blackbird was excellent too. Only dropped a point to Allen and another to Charles Wright in an all action heat 8 where they were both neck and neck crossing the line but Charles got the nod. Might have been in with a shout for a heat 15 ride. - Lasse Bjerre looked another candidate for the "Waste of Space" award after 3 nothing rides yielded 3 thirds. He then came from behind to pass Brady Kurtz for a win. Strangely enough this qualified him for heat 15 where he did the hard work the first time and got past both Rebels before Morris' gymnastics stopped it. He then took advantage of the Fish's efforts to get the second place. - Ulrich Ostergaard was steady but unspectacular for his 9 points. He managed a win over Morris but was comfortably behind Pontus Aspgren and Allen in his others. Might have been in with a shout for a heat 15 ride though. - Ales Dryml was poor and a very strong candidate for the WoS award. He did however manage a win in heat 11 against Morris and was well pumped up when he crossed the line which seemed to show he cares. Certainly having him in this form riding with the reserves, who are not very strong, gives 3 very weak heats. - Joe Jacobs was got great either. I usually get stick for saying this, but after 5 seasons racing he should be doing better. He made a decent start in heat 14 to lead Aspgren, but was easily moved out of the way and the Ostergaard overtook him, somewhat unnecessarily on the final bend. Almost in the running for the WoS, but not quite, thanks to a good point over Wright in heat 14!! - Oliver Greenwood disappointed me - I thought he looked much better against Rye. However he was unlucky enough to be targeted by Rebels for a couple of reserve switches and ended up having to face Wright 4 times. He did at least take a point off Todd Kurtz though. For Somerset......... - Nick Morris was a great disappointment. Didn't make the start in heat 1 when the track was a bit heavy and made no inroads on anyone. Then lost to Ostergaard! Then lost to Dryml!! Made a good start in heat 13 and picked up a 5-1 against the Fish (though it got tight at the end). This must have earned him the heat 15 gig or else it's in his contract that he must get it each week, because most people would have put Aspgren out with Allen. He held Bjerre back for a lap in heat 15 but was at the back when he did his spectacular exit to bend 2. Fortunately he was soon back on his feet. - Todd Kurtz was Rebels' main contender for the WoS award. Totalled the tapes in the first attempt at heat 1. Did nothing in his next two (losing to Greenwood in the process) and then managed to beat Jacobs in his last ride, with Morris protecting his back. Very poor. - Brady Kurtz was better than his brother! But not yet the great white hope, but it is very early days. He has a neat composed style and should be able to hit his new average comfortably. He beat Dryml but only Panthers reserves apart from that. - Pontus Aspgren was a big surprise. In heat 3 he absolutely flew round the boards on bends 1&2 lap 1 to pass Ostergaard and Bjerre and was a mile ahead at the end. He then had comfortable wins against Dryml and Ostergaard but sandwiched in between he lost a 1-5 to the Fish and Blackbird, courtesy of a great start by Blackbird from gate 2 which kept Aspgren stuck on the kerb. Can only imagine it was that loss that kept him out of heat 15 (or Morris' contract!!). Did Garry May actually make a mistake?!! - Charles Wright was another big surprise. He was fast and controlled and full value for his 10+2. I wish Edinburgh hadn't let him go and replaced him with some German non-scorer!! - Paul Starke was slightly disappointing too. However he was swapped out of 2 of his easier rides and never got to face Dryml!! I think he would have scored another 2 or 3 if he had been kept in his programmed rides. So all in all a good match to watch with the lead changing hands several times on the night. Somerset look to be a strong team, especially once Morris and young Kurtz get going. They might be keeping an eye on the elder Kurtz though given the way they like to make changes!! Peterborough are a 4 man team at the moment and Dryml and the reserves are going to have to pick up the pace otherwise they are going to drop points at home. They did play the queen's song which was a bit of a bind when you are expected to stand up on your dodgy knees having just started on a tray of chips and a hot coffee. Does any other track actually go through this rigmarole?

What does b*ggered mean?

You noticed! So much raw talent - just needs to get back on the rails. Still only early twenties. Has won heat 15s away at Newcastle, kings Lynn, etc. And now on a steal of an average.

Double figures for Kalle !!

You may well be right, I wasn't there. However it was Kalle's first meeting after the horrendous facial injuries he got in his comeback meeting at the end of last season (a comeback that only lasted a few yards and followed a longish period out of the sport). So it would take a few meetings to get his form back. He may not even get back to his previous level but if he does, there are few more exciting riders in the league and he is certainly heat leader standard. Remember he is still young, but needs to be kept in check to keep him away from the liquid distractions!! I hope he has a great season and wish he was in the Monarchs lineup.

Sounds like there is only one moron around here and it's not you or me!

Diamonds - of course you can have an opinion. I just disagreed with it. And then got called a moron as a result by Robin thingy. So I responded to him. Keep having your opinions.

Language please. What happened to attack the post not the poster? So what is wrong with my post and the others? Kalle is proven heat leader standard but went off the rails a couple of years ago. Young lads sometimes do. Charles & Ashley have been riding for heaven knows how long and are / have always been reserve standard. If I made as many idiotic posts as you do I would keep my head down.