old bob at herne bay

Well SoN semi finals are over , first time I have watched live speedway on TV this season. What a load of dross. Seen better entertainment at Hackney on a Saturday afternoon trainin session watching juniors practice. Possibly 2 races in the 42 heats of speedway. FTG rubbish on a very slick track, specially prepared by Morris. Unless the lad Morris gets some shale down on the track by Saturday looks like being a borefest with everyone riding 1 metre from the fence following each other around once they have got past bend 2 on the first lap. We havent seen the gating of the Poles , but on the performances so far , Kurtzty looks quickest from the starts so dont see anyone beating him on that track. All the others are pretty inconsistent gaters ... Maybe they will get a biger crowd for the "final" - at £90 a pop for the best seats the racing will need to be good or there will be a riot.

Lots of interesting and some irrelevant comments on here again at the end of another season of British Speedway. Hung up my programme board a few seasons ago I admit, and the demise of the few remaining clubs in the southeast of England didn't help ..... but isnt the problem that there is a lack of supporters who have an interest in the sport in the UK ? Too many other competing calls on people's leisure time . Blame who you like for the slow demise of the sport in the UK, but the bottom line is not enought people will pay to watch it.

Can't we have an engine failure or a fall to liven this up. ?? Think I have counted less than 1,000 there tonight. 🙂

big crowd in again tonight Lady Luck will prevail it’s all on the gate

And on we go to the second semi final……and just like last night ……. Lady Luck will prevail it’s all on the gate

So Australia and Denmark tomorrow to joind the final , wonder if the crowd will be as small as tonight ?

Isnt Francis Gusts a Latvian - not seected ??

Yes I thought that too - rode for Eastbourne a while back if its the same Timo ?

Waterlogging the track !

theres such a gulf between the ability of the teams makes for very predictable riding results

Looks pretty chilly out there jusging by the spectators clothing . Speedway in late September a bit chilly .

Grim attendance. How much is admission ?

1 Team GB 2 Poland 3 Australia

Australia have shout , but bad tempered Jack can be wound up with some gamesmanship, and Doyley is good but not as good as the Poles and "Team GB" . Lady luck will prevail - its all on the gate

got to say Lambo and Bewdy , 2 home Torun riders must have a good shout at winning this again. Poland look the biggest threat to taking the crown from "Team GB" . Aside from Kurstzy Australia look maybe a shade weaker than the rest. Lady luck will prevail - its all on t he gate 🙂

Owlerton is quite narrow but with long straights. Always compared it to Kingsmead. Guess on the high revving laydowns - you get it wrong and you will rapidly run out of room.

We started 2025 with 16 team of 7 riders, total 112 riders. Quick check showed that there were only 90 unique riders , cos of double uppers. So enough riders to complete almost 13 teams with no double uppers allowed. Maybe they will follow one of county cricket's rejected ideas of 2 zones of 6 sides (north could have 7) . Each would race each other twice home and away. Top two clubs in each zone race the p.offs. you could have a separate KO cup competition all clubs drawn outh of the hat In speedways case the "south" zone would be Plymouth Poole Ipswich Oxford Kings Lynn and Leicester The rest woudl be "north" Race nights - well good luck with that.

Withthe uncertainty surrouinding how mnay leagues will be runnning next season ... what are you buying ? a team of assets who might or minght not be able to ride for you next season ? If I were a Sheffield supporter, I would be worried. 😞

Oh no ..... not another cheat. 😞 Thought all methanol had to be purchased at the track to avoid this sort of thing happening ? Then we had Edward Kennett and the infamous silencer tampering scandal - a Poole Rider at the time I think ? All tyres have to be issued at the track after the tyre tampering scandal some years ago - oh I think that involved the Poole team too ?

Looks like a good and interesting formula of racing at Tiger's Academy . Nice to see something a little different from the usual 15 heat formula . Hope the youngsters dont get over enthusiastic and try out the air fence too often. Ipswich were always leaders in doing something different with their 16 lapper being innovative.

Oh dear ... you thought that they could have invited a couple of NDL riders along as track reserves ? Running races with riders missing. Very amateur and would have expected better from promoter Ford. Whats all this guff about Lawson and fuel testing - whats he running on nitro ?

Be interested in the crowd tonight (if they even know about hte increased admission ?) Season ticket holders presumably get this meeting included in their package? Very much a Poole past prsenet and future line up .... still even the novices and veterans will be offered he same points money as everyone else ....

Looks like Poole past present and future line up ? MAybe teh danes are there in case Poole move race night ? Oh I have just seen a pink pig fly past my window. Also heard Kennett pulled out of GrassTrack with an injured ankle. Think he will struggle hasnt ridden for a season or two ?

Same old same old for 2026 is my guess. How many teams will line up in the PL 2026 - No Birmingham, Oxford Spires ?? Cannot see any new venues being ready for 2026, and with the usual struggle to finish fixtures now looming, maybe fewer clubs in the PL would help. Would make gaining a p.off place much more likely with only Kings Lynn likely to miss out. The CL continues to rumble on - only Workington seemed to be struggling at one stage , but all likely to estart in 2026? The slowly decaying fanbase seeems to be hanging on in areas where there still is speedway racing. 100th anniversary in 2028 - might just make it 🙂

Dead rubber - although pool will have to pull their socks up after last nights lack lustre performance