Arch Stanton

You’re clearly a fan Badge and have defended the boy a few times, and that’s absolutely ok. We’ll agree to disagree. I personally don’t think he’s been “excellent” other than those two televised meetings at all, that’s quite a stretch. He’s scored well enough in a handful of meetings sure, but without looking particularly impressive whilst doing so. Just doesn’t look anywhere near the rider of 2019 for me, SO FAR. Time for that to change obviously.

I was actually expecting that move to happen.

So it’s Allen and the two reserves. Shouldn’t be an issue with Starke going so well particularly. Allen needs to start pulling his finger out though, looks a shadow of the rider we’ve seen in previous seasons.

Kind of disagree here. Plymouth may be happy for Crump to ride whilst not 100% fit and be patient until he does get back to full fitness and take the hit. Ipswich on the other hand would rather wait until he’s fully fit. They took a chance on his fitness last week and got burned. Don’t see the issue on either stance it’s one of those that isn’t black and white IMO.

You mean you wished Ipswich had a half fit struggling Crump riding so your team had a better chance of winning? At least be honest rather than chucking a sly barb in.

I’d personally like to see the club bite the bullet and tinker with the side again. Crump was making a decent fist of it before his crash, but 8 broken ribs isn’t easy or quick to come back from especially at his age. With restrictions easing maybe a few that didn’t want to come over at the start of the season, could now be persuaded? The season is dead already from an Ipswich perspective, so try out another couple of riders with next year in mind. The likes of Rowe and Starke have been real plus points, try and find a couple more.

Allen has looked so shaky not just tonight, but all season. Strangely just never looks in control of the bike

That wasn’t a dead heat though

I’m disappointed in my team here. Where is Louis? Hawkins? Or even the Captain?

Hang on, they’ve even got the cameras here! Did the referee not actually look at the footage like everyone else? There is a tapes rule in place, if you touch them you’re out. Nicholls touched them first so has to go! Unbelievable sh!te this is. Nobody from the Ipswich camp protesting that??

Im sure tonight’s meeting would have been discussed whilst they were on the golf course this morning..

It was. Some though will always have their “couldn’t watch that cr@p every week” readied before the tapes even rose in heat 1.

I just posted a link about Jason Crump on the Ipswich thread, and stuff like this makes me admire him even more. Cook has openly admitted that not racing for a year has made him very nervous and affected him, and he’s not alone. Quite a few riders has struggled early because of the break in racing. Crump hasn’t just been out for a year like these riders, but he’s been retired how many years now? And yet he comes back after all that time, at the age of 45, and still starts banging in double figure scores! Incredible really.

Whether you’re a fan or not, you can’t not admire the bloke

Same here Baldy, wasn’t bothering, definitely am now. Just a shame Crump took that tumble as he was starting to get going nicely, much better than I was expecting. Looking at the line up above, MUCH more competitive. Kemp is starting to get going so the reserve pair looks strong. Cook for Heeps gives us a more potent attack too.

Same, but the opposite to what you’re thinking Taps. I’ll be attending now on Thursday! Edit: Very surprised actually that they’ve replaced Cam. Yeah injured, but so is Crump and Cam’s wasn’t expected to keep him out too long. Never thought I’d see the day that “one of the lads” got the boot, so pretty ruthless from CL. That Lynn defeat on home turf must have really stung..

Same at Ipswich

Excellent showing from Drew Kemp.

Craig Cook guesting for the Witches at Belle Vue Monday, along with Aaron Summers.

After all those years retired, to make a comeback at 45 and then break several ribs a few meetings in, you could forgive him for thinking “Nah I don’t need this anymore”. Hopefully that’s not the case, but it wouldn’t surprise me.

Don’t think it’s anything to do with fight, the team is just not very good. Yes we won at Lynn, but we got fortunate with track conditions being a leveller early on. When it dried, we were getting 5 oned all over the shop in the second half of the meeting, that despite Lynn being cr@p themselves. That in itself should have been a warning sign. Add on to the fact we’re now built a couple of points below the limit, and a couple of riders arrived late and are looking ill prepared all adds up to the pretty obvious thumping we saw last night. Take nothing away from Wolves though, they look a fantastic side and it already looks a nailed on Wolves Belle Vue final barring injuries.

If some of the Witches had started the season better I’d fancy it to be a bit closer. The fact is, Heeps has looked way below his best so far, Allen has started slowly and Stewart has looked abysmal. Harsh yes, as Allen and Stewart have only had a couple of meetings so far, but Stewart in particular looked dreadful at Foxhall on Thursday and only managed 3 points in the championship last night. Wolves could hit 60 tonight IMO.

Being quoted on the official Ipswich website as confirming “I don’t like Ipswich and never have” on the announcement that he’d purchased the club, wasn’t the smartest idea either! I know Chris Louis was subsequently bombarded on social media with less than friendly tweets from unhappy Ipswich supporters that he’d “sold out” to someone who had just publicly stated his dislike of the club, and that surely couldn’t have helped matters in the proposed sale. Maybe CL then had second thoughts and decided to gamble on the top flight himself?