TheScotsman

Don't think so. Ippo would have hammered Worky tonight!!

Yep well done Somerzet. Our boys took a helluva beating!

A bit like Cookie then!

But he has spent over 25 years on track trying to perfect it!

Did Bech team ride at all?

Good plug!!

With the organisation in speedway at the moment I think it's more a case of lucky if they are all completed in time. Given that we have had the best summer for weather in years, what would the fixture state be if it had rained like the past couple of years?

I've lost the plot here. Edinburgh will not race Worky until after the cutoff date.

It'll have to be a helluva good new rule given that Edinburgh aren't even riding tonight.

You'll have to ask him that. Probably because he was half a lap ahead and wanted to save his engine!

Too many saddles in the Edinburgh team at the moment then.

Is there not a rule about saddle position? (Only joking!!)

You may not have said that but plenty others on the thread have said it. Yes I was surprised that Joe got the TR instead of Theo but in their previous outing in heat 7, Joe passed Theo early on and made a better fist of it than Theo. Obviously the Team Manager is the best one to answer why else Joe was chosen ahead of Theo. As it turned out it was a good decision because Joe took 2nd instead of Theo's 4th but there again Theo after a decent first ride only mustered 2 thirds from his next 3 rides so was hardly on top of his game. Since it seems some Ippo fans are crying out for praise, I am happy to accommodate - Ipswich were comfortably the better team on the night so well done - no quibble. Just as Cookie was comfortably the best rider on the night so well done - and there should be no quibble about gates, team riding or any of that crap. Monarchs were well beaten even with 5 joker points and Cookie was never going to change that. I'm old enough to remember Ivan Mauger dominating the PL in the early sixties. He got the same kind of stick that Cookie is getting now. I bet Cookie is well chuffed about it all. (And before anyone starts jumping up and down - you know who you are! - I am not saying Cookie is or ever will be in Mauger's class!! )

Nutz - I was referring to Mitchell's form before his wrist break at Glasgow. I seem to remember he was going well. He was way out of form when he then broke his leg but came back too soon to have got his confidence back.

I don't think monarchs fans have been bothered more about Cookie's max at all. I think it was Ippo fans who raised it. Yes it was good that he finished ahead of Barker 3 times but only really because of the heatergate affair leading to his match exclusion. And in fairness, Barker looked nothing like 100% fit. Every Monarchs fan that I know of is just disappointed that when Cookie has come on some blistering form, some of his teammates have gone backwards in scoring. Max unfortunately picked up injury and illness and is a way below the standard he was riding to a few weeks ago. (This is in no way a criticism of Max who has had an outstanding season.) Sneddon has had a decent season but obviously the run up to his testimonial took away a bit of an edge. Visssing has been so up and down. And losing Mitchell Davey when he was hitting some good form was a blow. He probably came back too soon after the first break and is of course now out long term. The NL guests have done very well - take a bow Josh Bates and Liam Carr - but Mitchell might have scored better home and away. And then there's Joe Tabaka!!! Fantastic trier, lousy gater, but such an enigma!! Maximum man at home - big scores at Somerset and Ippo - and novice type scores in between!!! You never know which Joe will turn up. But to expect him to finish ahead of Tungate or Barker in a heat 15 decider at Ippo? I don't think so, not even if he had first pick of gates. So I think most Monarchs fans accept that the team is mainly 1 man at the moment and that the all round strength of Somerset, Ippo and Newcastle will see us off and there will not be much that Cookie can do about it.

OK - from the official site then............ Craig Cook was exceptional again in scoring his fourth successive maximum at Premier level. He team rode Derek Sneddon home in heat 11 for a 5-1 Interesting bit of forecasting there. However it's doomed to failure because I somehow think Ippo will be in the same group as Edinburgh and there is no way Edinburgh will get to the final unless a few of the team start to score some points consistently. Oh forgot to ask - were you at Ippo last Thursday to see what actually happened?

Whatever!!! So how about this from the offiical site............... Craig Cook was exceptional again in scoring his fourth successive maximum at Premier level. He team rode Derek Sneddon home in heat 11 for a 5-1 I rest my case m'lud.

Interesting to hear that Joe said on Friday that there was no way Cookie could have slowed the race down for Joe to get past Tungate and Barker who were too good for that. He had to go for the win. And you'll see on the Chatzone Updates for the Newcie v Monarchs match, the comment re heat 11........ Heat 11 Rosen, Schramm, Cook, Sneddon Result: Sneddon, Cook, Rosen, Schramm (65.8) 1-5 (34-32) Deek around the outside which allowed Cookie through the inside,Cook rode good race to protect Deek. Not a team rider?

Did you come on the wrong thread? Anyway no - he took gate 4. Oh and by the way, while you're here, updater's comments for heat 11............. Heat 11 Rosen, Schramm, Cook, Sneddon Result: Sneddon, Cook, Rosen, Schramm (65.8) 1-5 (34-32) Deek around the outside which allowed Cookie through the inside,Cook rode good race to protect Deek But of course he can't team ride

I was over by turn 3 so couldn't see what was going on at the gate before the race so I'll have to bow down to you on this one. Given the weak lighting I doubt I could ever have seen their faces that well anyway!! I agree that the outside of the gates gets more traffic during the meeting than the inside, but bear in mind that gate 2 produced a win in heat 6 (still early in the meeting) and then only by Cookie in 13 and 15. S even without the traffic it still wasn't producing winners.

It's all opinions - life's rich tapestry (or whatever the gumph is)!! You try it in one match and it backfires. You change it in the next one - it doesn't work. Only JC and CC know what was the thinking and the discussion. Ah whatever happened to young jackal?

Glad to be of service LW! I hope to get back for the play-off return (bound to be Ippo /Edinburgh!). I'll definitely bear in mind your fine dining recommendations! Can't beat Mildenhall chips yet but I live in hope!

either

Leicester must be the best track in the country - he beat the track record 3 times with the 3rd one being in heat 15!!

I suppose it was not grippy patches and icy patches either then? Must have misheard Risager on the mike.