4thbender

No Pickering?

Sheffield's defeat of Ipswich on Thursday wasn't just a victory, it was a complete drubbing. This Ipswich side weren't just "playing it safe," they've lost their bottle. Leicester will make mincemeat of this shower in the finals (and rightly so!) For finishing top of the table, contrary to popular belief, you DO win something: you win the honour and respect of everyone in the sport and a sense of pride in a job well done. For that, the riders, staff and fans of Sheffield Speedway can rightfully feel joy and satisfaction in their 2025 exertions. The annals of history will forever show that Sheffield were top of the heap in 2025, despite the crooked blunt-force play-off system that clearly fails to reflect the year-long performance and achievement. So who knows, given the present circumstances, 2025 may turn out to be Sheffield's swan-song. But if we don't come to the tapes in 2026 we'll at least be assured that we went out on top.

When I arrived at the stadium at 6.45pm last night I couldn't help but notice the "Redcar Bears Speedway" staff car parked right in front of the turnstiles. You have to get there very early to secure that particular parking space. Might their early attendance have some significance in the present circumstances?

Let's just hope it doesn't rain: Hillsborough (South Yorkshire) weather - Met Office

Your original statement that "Sheffield is the most dangerous track in the league" is not borne out by historical statistics and is therefore misinformation. Like most teams, Sheffield has seen several of its home riders suffer injuries during recent seasons, but not once have those injuries been incurred at Owlerton. Rather odd considering they are riding at Owlerton week-in, week-out, don't you think? In the absence of evidence to the contrary, a retraction of your disgraceful and dishonest misrepresentation would be the appropriate measure.

Once again this myth rears its ugly head. What evidence do you have to make such an outrageous statement? As I've written before, you have to go back eleven years to find an incident in which a rider suffered career-changing injuries at Owlerton. How many other PL or CL tracks can make such a claim?

The sad irony is that the heavens opened AGAIN at precisely 9.20pm. Given an 8.30 start, this would have most certainly caused an abandonment at around heat 9 or 10, whereupon some obscure rule would have been invoked as to whether the result does/doesn't stand, after which half the crowd would have gone home in raptures and the other half would have become a riotous mob. In the final analysis, it strikes me that the riders' indecision allowed the promotion to dodge a bullet!

It's getting to that point in the season when we supporters start to weigh up our chances in the playoffs. My money is on the following: Finishing positions: 1) Ippo 2) Tigers 3) Leicester 4) Aces This probably means that my Sheffield team will draw the Lions in the semis; they've been our bogey team all season and will probably give us a thrashing. Ipswich will make mincemeat of the Aces in the other semi, meaning it's an Ipswich v Leicester final. My money is on Leicester becoming playoff champs, and I reluctantly have to concede they thoroughly deserve it. Any contrary views?

You'd have to have a heart of stone to ban a guy for attending to the needs of a sick child.

Nice to see young Cairns winning his first ever race at PL level. That'll be something he always remembers.

Has Luke Harison been snapped up by any PL team as a "Rising Star"? Assuming Leon is still not fit for Thursday's match, Luke could be the man. He scored 8+1 for KL yesterday, outscoring Lawson, Harris, Iversen, Kvech and Cook in the process.

I'd go one further and say that the premiership title is bound for Leicester this year. It's the "Kyle Howarth effect": (wherever he goes he ends up on the winners' rostrum).

A couple of weeks? Do you have that in writing?

On Sunday Will Cairns will celebrate his 16th birthday. Does that mean he'll be eligible to become a "Rising Star"?... 'cos Sheffield need one!

Can anyone explain why Leicester have suddenly become Sheffield's "bogey team"? We've beaten all the lower order teams home and away this season and come very close at BV and Ippo, but the only team to give us a real good hiding is Leicester. With a weakened team I'm feeling very apprehensive about tonight's outcome and no other team has made me feel that way this season.