Bagpuss

Peterborough in Hull's Craven Park stadium, great viewing!

I think Rye's team was Robson Kennett Neath Werner King Boxall Allen Although of course they weren't a patch on Lynn's treble winning sides of 2006 & 2009 Really hard to compare teams from different eras but Arena went up to the BL and more than held their own in 1992 by changing only one rider IIRC, think it was Alan Johansen who joined?

Brilliant

Errrrr nope, the leagues need to work together. They are both using each others assets so they need to work towards minimal clashes and make sure that any absences are shared equally ie Swindon shouldn't suffer every time Worrall rides for Edinburgh and nor should Plymouth each time Newman rides for Poole (when there are clashes)

No, but he is an asset of an EL side (Brum)

Smolinski very disappointing and how on earth did Dudek become U21 champion? Have seen him half a dozen times and he always look very ordinary. Excellent meeting though.

Not called the Moanarchs for nothing!

Great little track, something different and some good lines developing.

But the EL doesn't have overall priority, it does over any assets but most riders must represent their PL club first. That said the number of guests across both leagues does nothing to encourage people to go to speedway regularly.

The lady on the right for the rider photos, yummy

0/10 for originality. #pooreffort

A moral victory for the Tigers I'd suggest. The Monarchs two top scorers can count themselves a little unlucky not to be selected for heat 15, nearly backfired it seems.

Record the Swedish speedway and watch it another time?

Not elite in terms of world speedway, but elite riders in the sense that they are assets of EL teams and consequently on loan to PL clubs and therefore propping up the PL!

The definition of elite is 'a select group that is superior in terms of ability or qualities to the rest of a group or society' ie the highest standard of speedway in the UK. So yes, the Elite league is appropriately named because there is no league of a higher standard in the UK. Those riders are assets of EL teams and most would choose the EL if they had to pick a league to ride in. And the bottom line is that those riders prop up the PL as much as PL assets do so to the EL. Klindt may have had a bad day last Sunday but he has recently qualified for the GP challenge so can't be all that bad.

I have no doubt there are mismanagement issues and significant losses in the PL too. PL relies on EL riders 'doubling down' too, but it seems a little harsh for the PL to get priority over a doubling up rider when neither of his clubs can claim him as an asset. Would be fairer to divide the clashes down the middle and share the absences.

Is the PL not also propped up by EL riders though? Kennett, Barker, King, Gracjonek, Morris x2, Lawson, Worrall x2, Wells, Kerr, Rose, your mate Ludvig, Allen, Proctor, Newman, Ellis, Klindt, Aspgren off the top of my head are EL club's assets who ride in the PL. Make riders choose between one league or the other and I fancy you'd lose several of those riders from the PL as well as I'd imagine one or two others like Stead, Cook etc. Doubling up is far from ideal but its a necessary evil with too few riders to go round. If both leagues don't work together there would be a big problem.

Berntzon looks well worth signing for an EL side next year, has shown up well a couple of times on telly in Sweden.

Another NL mismatch.

Exactly the kind of attitude which will see the sport continue to struggle. The two leagues need to work together better rather than think 'I'm alright Jack'.

Just wanted to mention the work which goes on at Arlington which I saw first hand last night after the Eagles v Stars EL clash, was fantastic to see eight young boys giving it there all and providing some exciting action with one or two lads looking very promising indeed. I assume it's the stuff that Martin Dugard is involved in as he was there in the thick of it in the pits. Hats off to all involved and it's something that every track should be getting involved in if they are able.

Doesn't help having an EL meeting two nights earlier. Absolutely no disrespect to any rider but if an attractive team is tracked people will be more inclined to come and watch.....Cockle, Mallett , Campos and an inadequate guest for Lewis (again no disrespect to Widman who no doubt rode his socks off) won't pull the punters in however much they want to see Bailey & Owen develop. Last night looked a total mismatch on paper and so it eventually proved, could have been 60 if Crang had performed to his usual level.

Yep, it tells me that Sky tend to cherry pick the best tracks when they show PL meetings, although I can remember some poor ones at IOW, Rye House and Edinburgh over the years. But while Sky keep going back to Peterborough, Scunny & Somerset those meetings will be good as they are among the best tracks we have. Meetings from Eastbourne and Leicester are never going to be a good EL advert.

Quite a agree, the social side has turned into the best bit over the years and the speedway meeting has almost become an interruption.

Ouch, gonna be a mauling I fear.