Aces51

NKI is a rider I enjoy watching. A move back to KL might be just what he needs to rediscover his form. He has not been at his best for the last couple of years so let's hope he thinks a return to the UK is what he needs.

So far as I know, TV companies also take account of those who record and download programmes and I can't imagine that many travelling fans who have BT sport wouldn't have recorded the meeting. I travel a significant distance to the NSS because I prefer to watch the racing live with friends. I watch the recording later which sometimes gives a different insight into what went on.

A not fully fit BWD, the one who scored 8 paid 10 from 4 rides at Peterborough last Sunday, should easily outscore Smith and Etheridge and Liam Carr was very good when he recently rode at the NSS, beating Smith 2-1. We shall see what happens but I will be surprised but pleased if our reserves score anything like as many points as their Swindon counterparts.

According to Skidder1 about 1600-1800. That didn't strike me as good for a play off semi final at Poole. Probably a mix of the weather, home fans expecting to lose and the play off semis no longer attracting big crowds. They've been on TV for years so I don't see that being a factor anymore than it was when there were bigger crowds. As for the reduced price at Swindon, it will be a clinical commercial decision, nothing to do with rewarding fans. They obviously believe that the hoped for increased attendance will give them a bigger profit. I hope they're right, that way everybody wins.

It's going to be an uphill battle with our reserves now likely to be significantly outscored and no cover if any of the 1-5 struggle. Just got to hope he will be back for the play offs but he won't have had any chance to get race fit unless he rides for Glasgow over the weekend.

No Bewley tomorrow. Jye Etheridge guests so going to make it difficult to keep it close.

I agree, understandably that has to be his priority but I think he will do better at home because he knows the track so well that he won't feel he is taking any risks. I assume we have Newman pre-booked just in case Dan isn't 100%.

If Bewley rides and is immediately back to his best I can see this being close. Doyle on his home track will be a different proposition to his recent league performances here and abroad. They are a formidable team to beat at the Abbey but we have a number of riders who do well there. Swindon can do well at the NSS so ideally we need to keep any loss to less than 10, anything less would be good, especially a surprise win.

Crowds weren't too bad at the NSS until, as I said, it was fairly certain we were in the play offs but to be fair the weather hasn't been brilliant since then either and that has probably played a part as well. It's unfortunate because the track seems able to cope with a lot of rain, as was shown at the Colts meeting against Cradley. I guess it will take a while before some fans are convinced that matches are not now called off at the first sign of wet weather.

It wasn't many years ago that the play off semi finals drew large crowds but now it just seems to be the final. Let's hope that fans turn out in larger numbers for the remaining matches. Hopefully, many Wolves supporters will be at the NSS on Monday and vice versa for the second leg. We certainly need it after the drop in crowds once it was clear we were in the play offs.

Cook is 111 but his score will be closer to 333. Interestingly, his away average is better than his home average. One of the reasons we do well away.

To use one previous meeting as a guide is ridiculous. How many times do we see rider's scores vary considerably from visit to visit. Even at home the scores of riders like BWD can show considerable variation partly because riders who are developing their skills tend to be inconsistent. The only reliable guide is to look at scores at a particular track over a period of time, take into account the numerous factors that can influence performance, position in the team, engine problems, the opposition etc and then make an educated guess. Like all statistical analysis you need an acceptable amount of data on which to base an assessment, even then the analysis is no more than a guide.

Having watched Bewley on his last visit to Monmore, when he was passing Wolves reserves for fun, I would prefer him to Newman but only if he is fit. As we saw he thought he would be ok for the U21 final but couldn't complete one lap. Hopefully, he will have recovered completely and won't further aggravate it whenever he comes back.

It all depends on Fricke and Bewley. If Bewley is fit and Fricke is back to his best at the NSS we can win at home by 10 or more and Bewley does well at Monmore, so we can keep it fairly close there. If Bewley isn't fit then he is irreplaceable at the NSS but Newman might almost fit the bill at Monmore.

Hopefully, the one he used at the weekend.

I doubt that many people believe that BWD is unfit to ride after the comments on his website and his performance yesterday but it is hardly fitting for Poole supporters to try to take the moral high ground with their history. However, two wrongs do not make a right and all this sort of behaviour does is to further damage the credibility of the play offs and the sport.

Nobody is blaming the serious problems on anybody but those who have governed the sport. The point is that we all want those problems to be addressed and resolved but that all is not lost, there is still much about the sport to be enjoyed.

Most knowledgeable fans don't accept anything. We are aware of the problems within the sport and want them to be sorted out so that the sport has more credibility. However, most knowledgeable fans can also identify the difference between a genuine race and the relatively rare occasion when a rider deliberately drifts out to gain a tactical advantage. What do you want us to do moxey63, stop going so that the sport dies? If you still live in the Manchester area get along to the NSS and if you ever enjoyed speedway you will understand exactly what Halifaxtiger means. Whatever your reservations about the integrity of the sport you cannot help but forget them in the excitement of some of the truly excellent racing. If you can't enjoy that experience then it's not just the credibility of the sport that you can't accept but speedway itself. Nothing wrong with that. I've taken lots of people over many years who just didn't enjoy the racing but don't decry those who can put the problems of the sport aside whilst watching a brilliant race. Of course the whole experience would be better if the BSPA could get their act together but I was recently talking to a Promoter and he was aware of many of the problems. He wants to do something about them and thinks there is a growing recognition by his fellow promoters that things have to change. If I and others followed your example and stopped attending he and others, will never have the chance to bring about the changes that many of us want to see.

Perhaps, instead of saying undeserving I should have said name a winner who wasn't a worthy World Champion. Ermelenko was and Havelock arguably was but Jerzy Szczakiel never really performed at that level after winning the title.

I'm not arguing for or against the GP's but name an undeserving World Champion from the one off finals. Maybe Jerzy Szczakiel but I can't think of any others.

I agree with all of the comments crediting the riders and track staff for what turned out to be a far more entertaining match than I expected. Riders attacked the track from the first race and although gating was vital there were some good races later on. Even Hyde Road wouldn't have produced the quality of racing we had tonight considering the amount of rain that fell. Those who designed the track and the drainage system did an excellent job.

There are times when the last three miles can feel like it's taken 5 hours.

It was never intended to be for free. As I explained, the money claimed by the council from the contractors, which they reasonably expected to receive and should have received, would have covered not only the rent but also other debts. Where is that money now I wonder? Might I suggest that you resurrect the old thread if you want to continue discussing this topic. As for the semi final I hope there are two good meetings and may the best team win.

If you read it all of the time you might recall that the stadium was never completed, they did not formally accept it and so wouldn't pay rent until the outstanding work was done. Also,there was the expectation that the huge losses caused by the problems with the track and other issues, that were assessed by the loss adjustor and claimed from the contractors by the council, would be paid to them and that would have more than paid the rent. However, this subject has been done to death elsewhere and I doubt many will want it to be rehashed on this thread.

The relevant question is; why wasn't the rent paid? That was discussed at great length on this forum and there were lengthy articles in the Speedway Star. I am sure you can find the forum discussion if you are really interested. As for, who cares, lots of people who have the best interests of speedway at heart and especially Gordon and Morton after the considerable work they had put in to see the stadium completed.