Brooksy

As already stated numerous times elsewhere, a great meeting with some great racing and a great advert for the PL - unless you're a Rebels fan! Edinburgh look a very strong side ( how did they manage to lose at home to Redcar?? ) and with either Fricke, Tabaka or even Sneddon at reserve all season, they are going to be a serious contender for honours. As for the Rebels, some cracks are beginning to appear. The huge win at Scunny showed just what this team can do, but there's too much inconsistency. Jason - Couldn't really ask for more from him, though does seem to have lost that invincibility he had earlier in the season, maybe through slight injury or fatigue. Kyle - Doing what's expected from the tricky no.2 position, except disaster at Redcar. Nick - Bit off the pace last night, but just returning from broken collarbone so understandable. Alex - Seems to be really kicking on from last year, both home and away. Josh - Poor meeting at Redcar (feeling unwell apparently), but otherwise exceeding expectations. Stefan - Impressed. Mixing it well with the big boys. Bit impetuous, but will learn quickly. Tom - A real worry. Not moved forward since last year. I don't believe there is anyone available that could improve the potential of this Rebels team - Tom could be the only one under threat, but from whom? - it's just a matter of finding more consistency and maybe more inspiration from the management. Gary seems a lovely guy, but he ain't no SAF!

Well, it's bright and sunny at the moment and the forecast looks ok, so get on down here oldswindonsupporter. It will only cost you a tenner tonight, not £20, so wrap up warm, bring your own food and stand on the 3rd/4th bend to enjoy a great view of some live speedway - you really can't beat it!

Who in their right mind would choose to watch some Swedish league meeting when they could be watching the mighty Rebels racing on one of the best racetracks in the country? No-brainer!

Maybe not in Poole, but it has been raining here this afternoon - warm rain at that! Looks like it may have passed over now, so all systems go!

If only... Hopefully what is passing over just now will soon be gone and we can look forward to a generally dry evening. Rebels by 20?

Well, I'm disappointed! Not sure what gremlins were affecting Kyle tonight but hopefully that's all his retirements for the season done in one go. At least it makes a change from a 7 point away defeat. Behave yourself! Kyle gets no more flak than any other Rebel - and that's very little - except from Starman (but he doesn't really count).

Should be a close meeting - will be disappointed if the Rebels don't get at least a point. With Dyer moving into the main body of the Bears team, I can see the points scored - or not - by Tom and Stefan being the difference between a narrow victory and a narrow defeat. Let's hope it's the former.

Judging by this comment, I would assume that you simply 'never see him'!

Some look for solutions, some just see problems! None of these so-called problems are insurmountable - just needs the will and some forward thinking?? Give them time, as this dodgy British weather is a new thing.

Great effort by a depleted Rebels side. Can't believe we've lost by 7 again!! That's the 4th time in 5 away matches this season! If only our reserves could score some points. . . . . . any points!

But by how many? Enough for max points? I'm not so sure.

Well! No Doyle, Morris nor Stead - very disappointing. Klindt for Doyle, Allen for Stead and r/r for Morris. Without Doyle and Morris it is conceivable that the predicted League Champions could lose at home to one of the weakest PL teams this year. Klindt is an unknown quantity at the OTA, but unlikely to match Doyle's scoring potential, so huge pressure on the other 5 Rebels. Luckily Sheffield have been poor away from Owlerton so the Rebels should still prevail, but it may be much closer than it ought to be.

Don't wish to sound like the Aljack/Jackal of Somerset, but I'm not convinced on the make-up of our team this year - far too top heavy and thus too weak at reserve - contrary to all the 'experts' in the Star and many on here. Having to use r/r for Morris makes us particularly vulnerable. I fear a bit of a pasting tonight, though I hope I'm wrong!

Certainly sounds like a better system than mickthemuppet's

Not really sure of the point of this thread - other than to show what lousy tipsters most of you are. If I was this bad, I'd keep quiet.

I'm with you on this one Najjer. i said when the side was announced that we were too top heavy and a better balance was needed, or one of the reserves had to be capable of scoring heavily when needed. As it is now, as you say, if one of the top 5 is struggling there is no-one to step up. Time for Tom especially to bang in some points tonight.

Sorry, forgot about Stead's r/r - even more reason to back Klindt then! But as for Klindt or Stachyra in ht.15?? If that happened, I would assume the bet was settled some time before then. In fact, the day Stachyra appears in ht.15 is the day I give up gambling!

Thanks for the advice Mick, but you're wrong! The only bets to avoid 'like the plague' are the ones where the odds are stacked against you. Nothing wrong with head-to-heads, etc so long as the odds/handicap on offer is attractive. In fact, a 2 horse race generally offers the punter the best value, as the bookies mark-up will be less than say in a 16 runner GP field. But as a serious punter, I'm sure you're well aware of this!? Take the Klindt v Stachyra match up last night for example. Neither likely to score many points but Klindt likely to get more. Neither could take more than 4 rides. So Klindt (- 0.5) @ 10/11 or even 4/5 seemed great value to me, but Klindt (- 3) at same odds, not so good, so leave alone. Simple.

I'd put my house on that! Not sure they'd take it though.

Surely some sort of mistake has been made here - Ipswich vs Somerset is scheduled for May 16. Isn't that the one they intend to cover??

Lighten up man! You won't be the last team to take a pasting at the OTA this season. You've got the big hitting no.1 you wanted all last year plus the potential of Tungate, Heeps and Ellis. Don't give up just yet.

Well done you! You must be so proud of your contributions to this thread.

Agreed, but as we know, it's a slippery slope for an immature young man with money to burn and no-one to keep him on the straight and narrow.

Those of you wishing to brush off Darcy Ward's latest misdemeanour as a harmless, silly prank may wish to read the findings of the inquest into the tragic death of cricketer Tom Maynard. High on drugs and alcohol, fleeing from police......you know the rest. Ward in his current state is an accident waiting to happen. For once, Matt Ford is spot on - the lad needs help! Those trivialising this latest incident (including his team manager!?) are doing him no favours whatsoever.

I think he was physically fit when he came to us, but mentally I don't think he had quite recovered from probably one big crash too many. Certainly not as hard a first bend rider as before.