Steve Irving

The devil is always in the detail. They finished level on points with Ipswich but I’m pretty sure that wouldn’t have been the case had Ipswich not had a midseason wobble when they went without their two most important riders at the time at 1 and 6 (Doyle and Thompson). They lost a fair few meetings in their absence that I’m sure they wouldn’t have done otherwise. They were racking up cricket scores early doors until the injury curse struck again.

Dan Thompson and Joe Thompson see Danny King and Jason King, or Kelvin Tatum and Neville Tatum.

😉 All very predictable. The only chance I could see anyone having a sniff was if Ipswich again ran in to injury problems. At full strength, they’re comfortably the best side in the league simple as that. Great top two, excellent third heatleader in Brennan, and a potent reserve in Thompson. Far too strong.

Unfortunately this website doesn’t allow you to upload any photo with any kind of clarity. You have to compress the hell out of the original photo before it allows you to upload. I’ve tried myself in the past but eventually gave up.

😂😂😂

Ipswich 1/2 Leicester 6/4 Bet365.

Used to love Ipswich coming to visit. The battles between Kenny and Sigalos and Billy Sanders live long in the memory. Great times.

Having read the preview for the Sheffield Ipswich meeting, it was blatantly obvious that little effort was going to be made from an Ipswich perspective. “Should put on a show for the paying public” etc etc, but Ipswich have far bigger fish to fry and the reality is it’s natural to hold back and not risk injury with a grand final less than a fortnight away. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if the Ipswich riders were on some sort of staggered guarantee for that meeting, helped by the sponsor. From the managers comments, they certainly had little interest in exerting themselves.

Speak for yourself. Come on Tiger’s lad and you Witches.

Don't be so bloody thin skinned. Some of the criticism has been justified. The track for instance has been publicly criticised by your own damn riders for christ sake.

Of course it’s meaningless, how can anyone say Thursdays Meeting isn’t meaningless with a straight face! It would have had something riding on it (semi final opponents) had the fixture been fulfilled pre-cut off, but unfortunately it was postponed and the fixture has to be fulfilled. Reading the previews for this meeting, it comes across as a meeting that nobody particularly wants. Whatever your definition of “meaningless” is, is irrelevant anyway to the point being made which was comparing an absence to a fixture with absolutely nothing riding on it, to an important club fixture where a place in a grand final is at stake.

Not sure why you keep banging on about this because you’re comparing apples with oranges! If Kurtz couldn’t be @rsed in a completely meaningless fixture like the Sheffield Ipswich one on Thursday, then nobody would have batted an eyelid. But it wasn’t a meaningless fixture he couldn’t be @rsed in was it? It was his team’s play off semi final!

But we’re constantly told by some on here that winning the title is “worthless”, “meaningless”, “nobody cares” 🙄

Not sure what you’re talking about here marko, and you’ve seemingly missed my point. I was responding to mikebv who made a jibe at Gavan about going missing from the forum for a few days if Ipswich fail to win. I was simply saying his fellow Belle Vue supporters who have been vociferous all year about how great Belle Vue are, have done exactly that, disappeared once they got knocked out.

Like AceBelle and Ouch from your lot you mean? Giving it the biggun all year long and then nowhere to be seen when Belle Vue have their @rses handed to them.

The good thing is, you don’t HAVE to watch it.

I’m really not sure which of the two it is, and I wish now I’d asked. But was told by the Hat that there isn’t going to be one league, was never going to be one league, and that at least one Championship club would get more of a help via TV money to be competitive in a move up. Some interesting changes i.e rules/regulations, team building rules etc incoming also.

Let’s not forget Leicester have been beaten here by Birmingham of all teams! Also lost against Ipswich here more unsurprisingly, so they can throw in a ropey home performance now and again. Janowski a good guest for Morris too. Some strange things can happen in play offs.

This was your last contribution on a Belle Vue thread, way back on September 6th. Is everything ok Geoff? Hope you’re well.. Did you think it was a “cracker” by the way, Geoff?

Totally disagree and as it turned out, the track wasn’t “rough” in the slightest. The weather was the only thing that made things tricky to begin with before it dried and sickened off. It would have made absolutely no sense to purposely rough up a track that they’ve comprehensively whooped Belle Vue on all year! The only thing could have done, was upset the home riders more and and make the result a bit of a lottery. Ipswich are far superior to Belle Vue this year, no “tricks” were needed or necessary.

Or both of them? Or any two. Two leagues of seven teams. There is zero chance they will self destruct completely by having one league, with a lot of weekend clubs meaning none of the top boys realistically riding over here. Rumour is more TV money will be given to top flight clubs, so that will help two Championship clubs in moving up.

Not sure why anyone would worry to be honest. They’re winning it at a canter. Absolutely zero chance they throw in a performance like they did at home to Sheffield a few weeks ago when it really matters in a play off final. Everyone knew before a wheel was turned that it would take an injury or two to important riders for anyone else to have a chance. That may still happen of course! SON coming up. But if it doesn’t, there’s only one winner. More than happy to be vaulted in a few weeks time.

“These fixtures are only qualifiers we’ll be there when it really matters” ”Let’s wait until September” Well Belle Vue stank in the “qualifiers”, and then they stank in the play offs too. Who’d have thunk it! Where is Acebelle and Ouch by the way? They seemed to have disappeared..

You’re making absolutely no sense here whatsoever. “Still couldn’t beat them”? Well neither Sheffield or Leicester have beaten Belle Vue there either have they? And yet according to you, because of tonight’s result they’ll now fancy their chances? You seem very confused and to be honest, a bit bitter. Neither Sheffield OR Leicester will be fancying their chances. They’ll be second favourites in the final and they’ll know that full well.

No?