TheScotsman

Should be a comfortable win for Rockets.

Decided to pay a visit as a neutral to welcome P'boro back to the fold and enjoy watch the Fish again. £10 OAP admission is a mega bonus. Cheeseburger was not the best, especially at £3.70. However the chips were by light years the best I have had at any speedway venue. Large, crispy, thick - better than I could ever make at home. Needed all that and a hot coffee because it was a wee bit chilly, but not so bad in the stand compared to out around the track. Looked a huge crowd - seldom seen the stand so full and a good number out around bend 1 too. If the stand holds 2000, as reported somewhere, there must have been getting on for 2000 spectators in total because the stand looked 3/4 full. Track was a bit light on dirt compared to previous visits, so there were more FTG's than I expected and no rewards for the big blast round the outside. Fantastic to see that a 7.30pm start actually meant just that, with the introductions/parade starting just before 7.20pm - other circuits please note. It was a good close meeting which could have gone one way or another. The main negative was the big delay in getting the air fence sorted after the nasty coming together between Lewis Blackbird and Steve Boxall in heat 6. It must have taken a good 45 minutes to get it sorted after they had to replace 3(?) panels. There did seem to be a lot of people not doing anything but I was watching from the stand. The big relief however was that both riders avoided serious injury and indeed took part in the rerun. For Panthers.......... - Fish looked imperious in his first 3 rides but was outgated by Kennett in his last 2 and had no way of getting close. - Blackbird looked on the pace and better than his 2 points suggests - Bjerre was disappointing - needs to kick on this season for Panthers to do well - Ostergaard did better than I expected - held on really well when the bike reared on the last bend in heat 9. Boxall nipped past but amazed to see Ost. stay on - Dryml was poor - I thought he was meant to be a great gater? Made one decent start, against Kennett, but was not at the races in his others. As no.2 in the averages, really needs to up his game. - Jacobs - never been his biggest fan but apart from sliding off in his first ride, he was steady and had a good 4th ride in the 5-1 against Bowen & Lambert - Greenwood did better than I expected. Didn't think he would score at this level but he was on the pace and steady for his 4 points. So Panthers' season is going to depend on whether Bjerre and Dryml can get it together and consistently. Not convinced but it's their first meeting. For Rye`......... They must have felt at home when they found there was no dirt on the track!! - Kennett was actually better than I expected and rode well when he made the starts. Maybe he will hold his average after all? - Tresarrieu was quite impressive.Apart from his blob against Bjerre/Ostergaard, he was always a threat and prepared to mix it. Should be very good value on a sub-6 average. - Garrity was a huge disappointment. Maybe he hasn't been practising yet but he was never in it and seemed to want to ride it like he would Rye, slinging out the back end, but you don't need that that at the Showground. - Boxall was very impressive, particularly after writing off his best bike in heat 6 - 11+3 from 6 - could be just what Rye need this year - a bargain average - Bowen - again never been his biggest fan either, though I've only ever seen him at Rye, but he seemed more composed than I remember and rode well for his 7+1. Didn't expect this on a big circuit. - Lambert - a win, a paid win and 3 lasts probably sums it up. I just think he seems so awkward on a bike, even on this big track. Not all tall riders are awkward!! So maybe I have misjudged the strength of the Rye team. I did think they looked like cannon fodder with nos 2-6 all averaging in the 5's, but maybe, just maybe Uncle Lenny might have got it right this time!!

Thanks Baldyman. A sensible voice.

Like I say - watch the video. And then watch it again and again. Put it on slow-mo / freeze frame / whatever. You will never see 1 frame which ties up with what you want it to show. As for hurt someone - if he has any slight weakness it is that he is not aggressive enough.

Plonker - try watching the video.

Better explanation here - http://www.speedwaygb.co/news.php?extend.23734

Need Brady to get a 7 plus average.

Ty Proctor in for Jason Doyle.

Race 11 on here....... http://www.edinburghmonarchs.co/race-of-the-season/ The lad did great!! (But he gated last and came through after Newman was a bit forceful on Vissing and Doyle!!)

Did I not read farther back that there are 3 year visas available? Seems like a good idea to cut down on the impact of having to take 12 month breaks. But do they require holders to stay here for the 3 years and go back to Oz and earn there?

Jack Young results - http://www.gillmanspeedway.com/results/results-gillman-speedway-meeting-number-8-on-sunday-26-january-2014/ No Heeps but (another!) good win for Rob Branford.

Claus Vissing & Marcus Helfer

Good looking team. Should be good to watch. I think I might make them my second team!!

Put the rod away.

I try to avoid paying tax. I thought it's what ISA's are all about?

I would prefer 60's music at Ippo to the inane drivel they usually pump out when I go there. Even 50's, 70's, 80's or 90's would be a big improvement!!

You collecting stamps?

Excellent spot - the DVD is available on Amazon for £4.75 and a copy will be delivered here tomorrow!! Nostalgia rules!!

I thought they had already awarded us the pairs to save everyone the effort of entering?

Glad I'm not alone in seeing this!

Knew you would cotton on eventually! Actually if you had read my post you would have seen that I have a major concern about how Fox will perform. I think it could be a very close thing between him and your Frenchman for who drops their average the most/least. Sedgmen however will add a stack to his!

Prickly!

He'll thrive at Edinburgh!

Funnily enough I can only find 3 PL zeros through 2011 and 2012!! One at Berwick in 2011 when there were 7 retirements in the meeting which stopped after heat 12 and he had 2 of them. Two in 2012 - for Redcar at home to Scunny and guesting for Sheffield at home to Edinburgh. And 4 EL zeros in 2011 and none in 2012. He is still young and after a year out is much better equipped for this season. So I reckon he will be back to his high scoring form this season. Might even get ahead of the other Aussies in the team!! I think you just might be short sighted about Kus as well!! Both will be way ahead of Berge in the averages!! Yep - totally agree on that one too!! My concern is whether Aaron Fox will drop his average as much as Berge!!

Based on Justin's form in 2011 and 2012. Which included ......... (2011 - Newport) 10 paid 12 at Edinburgh including a win over Cookie. 13 paid 14 at home to Sheffield 13 at Ippo Plus various 8's, 7's, 6's. (2012 - Redcar) 10 at Sheffield 16 paid 17 at home to Sheffield 12 at Glasgow including a win over Grieves Plus various 9's, 8's 7's 6's. All from the main body of the team - not from reserve where he will start 2014. And from the EL in 2012............ (Lakeside) 11 paid 12 at Coventry. 8 paid 9 v Wolves including a win over Freddie Lindgren 8 paid 9 v Belle Vue 8 paid 9 at Wolves Plus a 7 and a couple of 6's. And his recent form in Oz. Buy heyho if you don't think the sensible money is on Justin to massively outscore the Frenchman then so be it. I'm happy to put 50p on it! And no I have never seen Berge ride. But he has no UK experience to note. And I have seen reports that he was outshone at Berwick by Liam Carr. And he starts 2014 in the main body of the team.