Tapeworm

While this new format appeals to me (and I intend to attend on both days), what would happen in the regrettable, and hopefully unlikely, event of a rain-off on one or both days? Would the organisers ever be able to find a re-staging date to suit all teams? And would pre-paid ticket holders be offered a refund or just a raincheck? If the latter, this would be a real scunner to those who had bought expensive tickets, travelled great distances and paid for accommodation in order to support their northern or West Country teams, and couldn't make the re-staging date.

Yes. The good ones do.

How much longer will we have to wait for the 2016 fixtures to be published ? It can't be that difficult with the same teams and same competitions. Just adjust for Easter weekend, check the GP date, plug in the team/individual events and Bob's your uncle. It could surely have been done within a week of the AGM to allow the paying public to plan their holidays, book hotels/caravan pitches, and resolve their transport arrangements ? Would any other sport not have published their fixtures by this time ?

In which case, my suggestion has not been tried and just because the flawed format tried 14 years ago didn't work doesn't mean that some other format might nowadays. Times and circumstances change and we know that it's all about getting lots of bums on seats at a profit for both teams, resident and visiting. I think that the prospect of, for example, the Monarchs or the Tigers taking on the Pirates or Robins at Armadale or Ashfield could do just that (if indeed there were any seats at Armadale but you know what I mean !).

Same old, same old……. meeting the same local teams several times each season reduces the excitement of local derbies especially in the relatively unimportant League Cup round robin stages. And I was talking to a supporter of an Elite League team this summer and he said the repetitive nature of their league and cup fixtures, where the same 7 teams are encountered over and over again, led to a significant degree of boredom. Would it not, therefore, be possible to devise a format for the League Cup to involve teams from both Elite and Premier leagues ? Perhaps, for example, the 13 PL clubs could play a brief preliminary format to reduce qualifiers to 8 teams, then have a straight knock out tournament starting with each of these 8 paired against one of the 8 EL teams in a one-off (random home or away) fixture ? Imagine the excitement of possible ‘giant killing’ results and the attraction of travelling to a match at a “new” stadium. If the gulf of ability between EL and PL teams is too great, some system of handicap could be devised……… maybe giving the PL teams 5 of a start at home or 10 if away, or cup-tying double-up riders to their PL team, or something similar. More knowledgeable fans than I could devise a suitable leveller. Or are the EL teams reluctant to venture north of Wolverhampton ? I feel something fresh is required in both leagues.

Dear me, no. Nothing so common. I said "something smarter". Try next to the Facennas' Maybachs, Alan Dick's F40, or Stewart Dickson's Veyron.

Top tip - Always park beside a smarter car than yours.

Couldn't make it last night. Which riders won which awards ? Were any there to receive them ?

This "older fan" would far prefer sitting on a warm, sunny, clear Sunday afternoon than a freezing cold, gloomy, ill-lit Friday night, even if a few riders with other commitments cannot be signed. Before you presume to speak on our behalves, wait until you're old to find out how much you feel the cold and how your joints stiffen up as a result, and how your eyesight deteriorates. That's partly why we get free eyetests, winter heating allowances, and bus passes. And why cannot we just make riding for the Tigers on a Sunday a more attractive prospect than Poland, etc ??

If we're racing on freezing Friday nights in the dark when no-one can properly see what's going on, might as well be :- 1. K Wolbert 2. H Horwood 3. R Ksiezak 4. C Henry (R/R) 5. D Berge 6. M Davey 7. J O'Malley 'cos I'll not be there.

It's even easier for Rupert Ref Are all riders stationary ? Release the tapes. Problem solved................ toffee !!

I'm concerned about the current public witch-hunt being conducted against James Sarjeant's gating and hope that it doesn't spoil the two legs of the Final. If James is moving at the start, the referee shouldn't release the tapes. If the referee DOES release the tapes, he must be satisfied that the riders are not moving. Several of us were closely watching for this in yesterday's semi against the Rebels but could detect no movement on the occasions when the riders were recalled. We concluded that James is either superb at anticipating the tapes rising or he has far better reactions than others. In neither case, yesterday, when the start was declared unsatisfactory, did James touch or break the tapes. If he is a fantastic gater, what is he supposed to do ? Wait for half a second before dropping his clutch ? Or, perhaps, wait until the other 3 riders have gone before starting ? It was a wonderful response to his public warning, and displayed his competitive character, for him to shoot out of the gate in the re-run and win the heat at a canter despite the unwarranted threat of exclusion hanging over him. So, I, and many others, think this affair is the referees' problem, not James', and that they should look to their own starting procedures instead of publicly villifying one of the league's best young gaters.

Yes, I sincerely hope he's not badly injured............... but we'll certainly miss the warm welcome he'd have got from all his loyal Glasgow fans, still grateful for his supreme efforts for us last year.

Does anyone know whether or not Kauko will be back for this match or, indeed, the LC Final ?

The thing that intrigues me about Dimitri's alleged statement is its eloquence.......... from a young Frenchman whose command of the English language, when being interviewed, was even more basic than my schoolboy French. It even includes colloquialisms like "washing dirty laundry". I wonder who wrote it for him, whether it was a straight translation of his own words, and even whether he fully understood what it says.

The Michael Max methodology of examining the relative league positions of the clubs, as expounded from the centre green this afternoon, is very interesting. It involves totalling the points each club has gained away from home then deducting the points they've "lost" at home. Using this technique, based on the league table tonight, reveals the Monarchs (played 14) in the lead at +15. In joint second are the Rebels (played 13) and the Glasgow Tigers (played 16) on +13, followed by the Panthers (played 14) on +12.. Rounding off the top six clubs are the other Tigers on +7 and the Witches on +5, both having played 16 matches. So, I reckon that by far the most influential matches we have left are our home fixtures against the Panthers and the Rebels since not only do we hope to not "lose" home points but we would deprive these two clubs of potential away points. Our other remaining fixtures are against the Witches (A), the Bears (H) & (A), the Comets (A), plus the 2 re-arranged home fixtures against the Rockets and the Devils. As we've already played them home and away, there's nothing WE can do about the Monarchs lead (we need to rely on other clubs for that !!) but coming 2nd in the league would be quite satisfactory as that would take us straight into the play-off semis. The sooner we can welcome back Nick (to join Dick 'n Vic, Aaron and James), and sign at least one more competent rider, the likelier it might be that this becomes reality.

Perhaps topic should be renamed "SHEF v GLA" ? It's hard to maintain team enthusiasm/loyalty when only half the riders are actual team members. Let's hope Dick/Aaron/James don't get injured or next three days will be totally farcical for Weegie Tiggs.

I am, and I suspect most others are. I have to pinch myself, every time I walk through the gates, to ensure I'm not just dreaming about the improvements. Hope you enjoy your visit too.

Well done to all at Glasgow speedway for a good showing in front of a great live crowd and TV audience despite very iffy weather for several days and the competing glamorous football match on TV........... and to Josh and Andre for making a fight of it. Highlights for me were:- 3rd - Josh's excellent tactical ride in heat 11 2nd - Dimitri snatching Nick's new track record in heat 5 thanks the close attentions of Josh 1st - Aaron's masterful shepherding of Rafael in heat 12 despite Birks' best efforts Even the Lord Provost seemed very impressed by the Facennas' investment and vision. Onwards and upwards for the Caledonian Tiggs !

In the first 7 heats, gate 1 produced 1 red winner (Bjerrre), gate 2 produced 3 red winners (Edberg, Doolan and Vissing), and gate 3 produced 3 red winners (Bjerre, Doolan and Vissing). Gate 4 had produced NO RED WINNERS at that stage. In heats 8, 9 and 10, Berwick's red helmets were all off gate 4 and didn't win a single heat while Glasgow's white helmets produced 12 points from gates 1 and 3 (twice). Maybe the track staff should look at the preparation of gate 4 before Dick Barrie expounds theories about the red helmet being omnipotent ? And congratulations to Aaron Summers for being the only rider to score a win from gate 4 all night (in heat 12) !

After 2 nights of impersonating brass monkeys, I'm looking forward to an enjoyable, warm, dry meeting at the magnificent Peugeot Ashfield Stadium this afternoon. Especially looking forward to seeing overtaking again............. so long as it's Tiggs doing it..........unlike last night's FTGfest. It was good of the Tigers to give the Bandits a wee start, though, so that the finish was exciting. Nick 'n Dick................. tick TR Smith (any relation to CR?)............turned the meeting around with a great Heat 8 ride Aaron.......... fair dinkum Dimitri............. Tres bien Victor.............. don't know the Swedish for 'steady contribution' !! Best wishes for a big crowd and a safe meeting for all riders. Sam Masters could be a bit of a problem but we've got James back.

Strange, and a bit worrying, that today's official bulletin makes no reference to Kozza's visa predicament. It was previously announced, around two weeks ago, that he was going to pay extra for a "fast track" processing of his application. Any news ?

Very impressive performance last night by our new No 1......... smart and articulate. Came over as a true professional sportsman. Surely he could have an invaluable role in helping promote the new era to press and public ?

Looked in at Ashfield this afternoon........ salivating already.......... loads of workmen on a Sunday pm...... I hope the recent cold snap has not unduly delayed progress towards stadium certification. Respect to the Facenni ! With a 'potential spectator' catchment of well in excess of one million, it defies belief that the Tigers could only attract mid three figure crowds latterly. Surely with clean facilities, an exciting team, professional presentation, and intense marketing, they can fill the stadium week on week and sell loads of team merchandise. Last night, the Braehead Clan had yet another sell out crowd (I paid £15 +£1 booking fee for my concession ticket) enjoying the great facilities, exciting action, slick presentation and convenient (free !) parking. The merchandise tables appeared packed with people waving fistfuls of cash. And the Warriors seem to attract large crowds, even on freezing cold winter nights. I know there is an element of what competing attractions are available, but if places like Berwick, Workington, and Scunthorpe can support a PL team, why have the Tiggs struggled in recent years?