Arch Stanton

https://ipswichwitches.co/raceday-preview-leicester-rowe-motor-oil-premiership-r2-a/ Nicholls in for Doyle no surprises there, but what IS a surprise and a good one from an Ipswich point of view, Dan Thompson isn’t yet ruled out which means the injury isn’t as bad as first feared. That is absolutely massive for our chances at the business end of the season.

Guy Nicholls pays less per season than Sackers recycling did before him. Despite popular belief, once he’s paid his sponsorship money at the start of the season, that’s his involvement over. He doesn’t get involved in team matters and doesn’t put “extra” money in to sign GP riders. Chris Louis does that. Ipswich also have some very loyal and very good partner sponsors at the club.

An incredible amount of planning needs to be done around fixtures, based on availability of stadiums at other clubs, restricted race nights, and the congested racing calendar of the riders you have signed or want to sign. It’s far far more complicated these days than it was “back in the good old days”. We all know why we now run fixtures on Monday’s and Thursday’s in the top flight. Those that never used to run on those nights such as Lynn as you mentioned, have no choice unless they run in the lower league. The break in July due to the SON is part of the reason there was only to be one home fixture. If it wasn’t July with just one fixture then it would have been June or August, don’t really see what difference it makes. We had four home meetings in June, and one scheduled in July, swings and roundabouts.

Because we don’t have any available Thursdays left up until the play offs.

No and none forecast now until after midnight.

You’re right, we’ve run meetings this year with dodgy forecasts that haven’t quite managed to get to heat 15 because of deteriorating conditions. The decision today wouldn’t have been taken lightly and as you say, the first forecast early this morning was awful for this afternoon and evening. Those forecasts quickly changed (as they often do) but of course by then the decision was already made and it’s too late. If Discovery weren’t involved then possibly they’d have left it as another wait and see but that’s just speculation.

They at least waited until the morning of the meeting to get a more accurate forecast, which is the sensible thing to do.

They’re changing the forecast frequently. It seems they’re not entirely sure, to the surprise of nobody.

https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/forecast/u12b4ht3f#?date=2024-07-15 This is exactly my point about unreliable weather forecasts. The Met Office this morning for Ipswich had heavy rain from around 3. That’s now changed within a couple of hours on the actual day! Now saying a shower at 3, and the heavy stuff not due until between 9 and 10. It’ll no doubt change again by this afternoon. Edit: It’s literally changed AGAIN since I was typing out the post. LOL.

I’m sorry but I will never agree with you and Bagpuss on this. Despite all the technology, forecasts are still pretty unreliable, especially more than 24 hours before an event. We’ve had rain forecast that never came this year, and also forecasts for a completely dry day, which turned out to be completely untrue as it drizzled from early afternoon and in to the evening which caused the postponement of our fixture against Sheffield. I mentioned last night on the Ipswich Belle Vue thread that we need to keep an eye on the forecast as it wasn’t promising. The forecasts for Ipswich and King’s Lynn were identical. Not a washout by any means, but light rain from mid afternoon onwards. Ipswich made the more sensible approach here and this isn’t club bias. I’ve said this many times already this year, you get a far more accurate forecast (not perfect) on the day of a meeting. This morning the forecast hasn’t changed and if anything is slightly worse, so Ipswich have now postponed the meeting. I’m not a fan of postponing meetings more than 24 hours before a meeting. If every club starts doing that then it will cause havoc with the fixture lists up and down the country. You have to give it every chance. On the costs, if you’re a promoter and you’re concerned about the costs of flying in foreign based riders with a dodgy looking weather forecast, then don’t sign them. Sign a team of British based riders and leave the international riders to those willing to take the chance. Wait until you’ve a clearer idea of the weather on the morning of a meeting, and you can then still make the call before anyone starts travelling. How many times does a forecast change from the evening before a meeting, to the following morning? It happens frequently we all know it does because we all pay attention to them when a fixture is on the horizon.

Postponed.

Need to keep a close eye on the weather over the next 24 hours. Rain moving in around mid afternoon according to most forecasts.

Yes, which is a huge problem for us. He’s literally irreplaceable, even more so than Doyle. You’re looking at replacing a rider that can chip in 5/6/7 points a meeting, potentially more back down at reserve, to a rider with all due respect who will struggle to score a point. That’s a double figure+ swing in the team scores, it’s absolutely massive. The advantage we had over the likes of Sheffield, was a stronger reserve pairing having either Rew or Dan Thompson down there along with Jenkins. That advantage would disappear immediately. We have to wait until we find out the extent of the injury and the timescale of a potential return. If it’s a worse case scenario, then the club might have to shelve any plans they had for a Doyle replacement and come up with a different strategy that involves making two changes. A couple of 5/6 pointers instead of a single direct replacement for Doyle might be the order of the day. Clock is ticking though..

Would be mad to get any replacement for Dan whilst he’s in the main body of the side and we have a facility. Ellis, Jenkins and Rew can cover his rides. It’s the next change of Green sheets when Dan and Rew swap places that we’ll have a big problem. Will then have to be an unattached rising star from the list, just as we’re heading in the most important fixtures of the season. We have to wait and see how long he’s out for, but if it’s as long as the same shoulder he done at the tail end of last year then it’s yet another massive blow. Just like Doyle, Dan is irreplaceable in the rising star position.

Well if the plan was to run R/R for Doyle on Monday, that will now have to be scrapped. Guest for Doyle and R/R for Thompson will be the order of the day.

Rather not hand pick guests for the duration to be honest. We need to get a rider in, get him a team suit and crack on with a proper Witches 1-7 again.

Looked fast and right at home there didn’t he? Impressive.

Was always going to happen unfortunately. Taken on far too much this season in my opinion and spread himself too thin. The only reason I personally wouldn’t have signed him.

Speak for yourself.

Not sure Sheffield are jumping in to a replacement for Woffinden just yet.

We should sign whoever flies around the NSS next week so we only get comfortably beat there next time instead of slaughtered

Let’s not start the political b0llocks on here as well ffs I’ve had a gutful of that on just about everything else

We haven’t been able to secure one despite looking far and wide since the end of May so best of luck on that score. Having said that, the advantage you may have though is Robert Lambert before the cut off.

https://x.com/jazman86/status/1808975947904733522?s=46

Justice done. Well in boys. Absolute Masterclass from Emil.