mikebv

I would estimate about 2000 Max... The mainstand was about half full (900 or so), with possibly over 1000 on the back straight (there was still loads of room there)... There was the usual lack of local promoting of the play offs, however, I believe Granada Reports mentioned it at around half six, (just over an hour before start!)... Amazed people didn't put their teas down and get themselves down there!!! I have only been once this season so I got there around 6.45 to try and get a space on Kirky Lane, (as I remember these spaces usually get filled quickly), and half the road was available, which tended to suggest there and then that the crowd wasn't going to be "bumper".. I have said many times, Speedway needs to find a way to get Away Fans in attendance in decent numbers... There may have been Witches fans there last night but they were few and far between... Ironically, given the home crowd levels, the Aces do take a decent following away and I remember around 150 or more at Ipswich a couple of seasons ago for the first leg of the POSF.. And obviously 400 or so at Sheffield and around 300 at Leicester when they won their recent titles.. 150 Witches fans, either sat together or stood together, would have given the meeting the feeling of being an "event", (that a POSF should be seen as), rather than the mundane, run of the mill, evening it ended up being.. No idea why clubs don't subsidise Away Fans admission (huge reductions), given so very few go now.. It would raise the atmosphere levels massively...

I would estimate about 2000 Max... The mainstand was about half full (900 or so), with possibly over 1000 on the back straight (there was still loads of room there)... There was the usual lack of local promoting of the play offs, however, I believe Granada Reports mentioned it at around half six, (just over an hour before start!)... Amazed people didn't put their teas down and get themselves down there!!! I have only been once this season so I got there around 6.45 to try and get a space on Kirky Lane, (as I remember these spaces usually get filled quickly), and half the road was available, which tended to suggest there and then that the crowd wasn't going to be "bumper".. I have said many times, Speedway needs to find a way to get Away Fans in attendance in decent numbers... There may have been Witches fans there last night but they were few and far between... Ironically, given the home crowd levels, the Aces do take a decent following away and I remember around 150 or more at Ipswich a couple of seasons ago for the first leg of the POSF.. And obviously 400 or so at Sheffield and around 300 at Leicester when they won their recent titles.. 150 Witches fans, either sat together or stood together, would have given the meeting the feeling of being an "event", (that a POSF should be seen as), rather than the mundane, run of the mill, evening it ended up being.. No idea why clubs don't subsidise Away Fans admission (huge reductions), given so very few go now.. It would raise the atmosphere levels massively...

Yes, £27 to stand up.... I presume it was felt a "bumper crowd" would be there, so the extra couple of quid across the board would be "bunce"... Kerching!!!! Season Ticket Holders also needed to purchase tickets too, don't know if they paid the normal rate or the POSF rate... A great plan....

Emil with even 75% of what was expected of him would have seen an Ipswich victory... Allied to that... Ellis at reserve should be a virtual cheat code, even more so when riding against the bottom three Aces.. And Danny King v Blodorn and Mulford should be a "gimme" for Danny, home or away... So. Given all that. Yes, surprised the Aces won...

Blodorn has had cover at second string since being an Ace with Tom B and B Cook.. This year, with Z Cook taking a good while to get going he has had more pressure... Other years he has been able to drop down to reserve one or two times a season to help him regain some confidence if needed.. This year with the two Aces reserves running so low averages he hasn't had that opportunity...

That's the thing about "3 and 4" that many don't get... It's their total points when together that can change a meeting.. Both positive and negative... Doyle was moved for exactly that reason when Dan T was put at four... Ipswich were far more confident he would cover Dan than Tom B would... Lidsey wasn't the issue, the issue was clearly the bottom three who are quite possibly the bottom three riders left in the competition... When you go into any two leg race off against a "good side" you simply cannot carry that level of rider and hope to prevail... As I have said, I am amazed the Aces won given how out of their depth (and that is at home, not even away), almost 43% of their team are... So, fair play to the other four for the win on the night...

He seems to be criticised for not passing when not making the gate.... File his name with 90% of all riders then..... Not many riders were passing last night and the racing was pretty rubbish... Stadium two thirds empty, meant zero atmosphere, (I must have missed the local marketing focus over the weekend).. And did Ipswich have a taxi load of fans in attendance? (Get a good few away fans at these events and you may get some atmosphere)... An increase in prices was "genius" too.... The Aces are a four man team at home and a three man team away so no chance in the away leg, with the Aces, even with TS's averaging just 36 at Ipswich.. Let's hope Brady and his "wing man" Dan don't take any undue risks and ensure they are both ready for Saturday...

Really? Four of the six points lead came from a Blodorn and Mulford 5-1.. Let that sink in.... Beating Danny King!!! As I say, the Aces are a four man team, with three of the worst riders left in the competition making up the septet... And still, you couldn't beat them, even with a recent British Champion at reserve!!! Dan T is sadly exposed at second string away from home, (apart from Leicester maybe?) and Adam Ellis needs to do the job Dan T did when at reserve (covering the middle order).. Danny King, as we know, can have horrible nights, especially when the pressure is on, and if Dan T and Ellis are not on it, then that pressure will 100% be on him.. From being a "shoe in" for the title, I now think both the Lions and the Tigers will be fancying their chances massively against the Witches..

He always is.... A shame the racing was poor tonight, as the four World Class riders never really had the chance to show their capability... Heats 13 and 15 being the two stand out races whereby fourth wasn't almost a straight behind first..

Oh Well.... Theres always next year..... Whatever next year will look like!!! To be honest, given how poor the Aces are (their bottom three must be close to being riders 26th, 27th and 28th of the 28 riders left in the play offs), I am amazed Ipswich didn't beat them comfortably, let alone actually lose to them, and I sure many Ipswich fans must have some concern about coming up against either of the other teams who have much greater strength in depth... Sheffield and Leicester must have watched and gained confidence.

Cook has covered Lidsey tonight, unfortunately the bottom three haven't been anywhere near play off level all season... Hawkins' Genius coming to the fore in his tactical changes...

Decent Race then..... Emil very fair in not doing a block pass on Kurtz...

It is a bit rubbish so far isn't it?... The outside wasn't working and then it has now become the only line to follow... As for the match, going pretty much to alll predictions... The Aces bottom three struggling (apart from in heat eight, Danny King, what were you doing, a gimme surely?).. Heats 13 and 15 will need a 10-2 for the Aces to take anything like a decent lead I would think...

Just drilled down on the website and the £35 seats were the max.... When you go on there the pricing states from £27 to £35... Not great marketing when you have just seven seconds for someone to formulate an option of anything, making them do the leg work isn't a great plan... I just thought SEVENTY QUID for me and my lad.!! To sit and watch Speedway!? Efff That!!!! The £35 seats, with the cushions, ironically though are the ones sold out... He has just had it delivered in an Uber...

Just drilled down on the website and the £35 seats were the max.... When you go on there the pricing states from £27 to £35... Not great marketing when you have just seven seconds for someone to formulate an option of anything, making them do the leg work isn't a great plan... I just thought SEVENTY QUID for me and my lad.!! To sit and watch Speedway!? Efff That!!!! The £35 seats, with the cushions, ironically though are the ones sold out... He

Just drilled down on the website and the £35 seats were the max.... When you go on there the pricing states from £27 to £35... Not great marketing when you have just seven seconds for someone to formulate an option of anything, making them do the leg work isn't a great plan... I just thought SEVENTY QUID for me and my lad.!! To sit and watch Speedway!? Efff That!!!! The £35 seats, with the cushions, ironically though are the ones sold out...

Shush.... This is only the first one.... Personally, I am missing Bomber...

£35 to sit down?.... Paid £54 for me and my lad to stand.... Barmy pricing for such a tiny sport...

And a sat nav....

Sounds awful.... Best Wishes ..

Not many teams ever get put together where you have quite probably one of the best two riders for that position in the league... The top two are both genuinely World Class... Brennan is a perfect third HL level rider, not quite good enough to be a one or five yet consistently, but ideal at Number Three... Both King and Ellis can be very inconsistent as a 3rd HL, but, again, perfect top level second strings when matched against all the other twos and fours... And, in Dan T, they almost had a cheat code at reserve given his development this season... Add in the RS was the best available, (shouldn't he have gone to Brum under the rules?), and you had a team well above the team limit by brilliantly using UK talent in the main... A huge advantage in team building versus the other three in the play offs, (especially when Woffy got injured), so it means all the pressure is on them to deliver now over the next few matches... If they all click then, statistically, they win comfortably., however, they won't possibly ever get a chance to put such a team together again, so, that in itself, will bring some added pressure to deliver the trophy.

Akin to team riding with Charles Manson...

Lublins reserve strength has been severely impacted and just may give their opponents in the final a chance... It would only take one top 5 rider to have an off night and it could be close...

Ipswich must have a bit of a concern that the engine room no longer has Dan T to cover them, like he has done several times this season... Adam Ellis at reserve will be key, and "should" be a difference maker over two legs...

To be fair, they only had 123 slots in 41 collective Monday and Thursdays, (giving GP week a miss), to complete 82 meetings... And that was with no September meetings planned as well... They must have reserved the 41 slots not used for the KO Cup and the odd Thursday that Poland took.. Better safe than sorry..... They were actually very lucky that Oxford were not in with a chance of qualifying as otherwise it would look even more ridiculous...