Steve Shovlar

It was always a difficult call as we didn’t want to go into the playoffs with r/r. We lost Recently and couldn’t cover. Trouble was no one about to fit the bill. Now Wells has gone completely awol and THJ is struggling to come up to speed. We won’t win it this year so need to make the final as next best thing.

Funny how you pick up on that. The main point, and my praise for Wolves, was in the reserve department. 21 v 1. Poole are a better team than Wolves in the 1-5 but not at reserve. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. With hindsight I would have millions stashed away. Wells had started OK but his recent form is pathetic. THJ is a gamble but no good going into the playoffs with r/r. We should make the final if we finish top. Hope Swindon beat Wolves for a Swindon v Poole final. No doubt Swindon would come out as champions but we can’t say it’s been a bad season by being runners up.

Not if wants to be released. Can’t force him to ride. He is absolutely not the type of rider we have in Pirates colours. If a rider scores nothing but is giving it a go, then fair enough. But to be tailed off going down the back straight of lap one is not acceptable. I am sure he is a nice guy but it is doing him no good at all.

Certainly gone full circle. You can’t win meetings without scoring reserves and tonight proved it! I said as soon as Howarth was missing that Wolves were far stronger and so it proved. They surely want him to stay injured because as a team they will score far more points. Paid 9 from his rides. Of course the reason Wolves won is because they outscored Pooles reserves by 1 point (gifted in heat 2) to paid 21. A massive gap the Poole top five couldn’t cover. In fact no team could cover that. Becker was excellent as he was last visit. Both he and Douglas had Wells and THJ for breakfast. Whilst the latter can be slightly excused as it was his first meeting, Wells has gone from bad to worse. In fact he never looked close to a point. THJ did have one go in heat 14 which he led for a lap before coming under pressure and then falling. Best bet is to now get rid of Wells for what is left of the season. While we can’t replace him, we can use horse for course guests which is surely likely to do better. Really though there was only one team in it and from the start Wolves were faster out of the starts. On a slick track we couldn’t make an impression. A bit of pirate pride kicked in to close the gap but were were always found wanting whenever we had a reserve in a heat. In heat 15 we needed a 5-1 to draw but Brady completely missed it and Klindt made two errors to allow the Wolves riders through. The correct result to be honest. Well done to Wolves. A A Formidable force.

Well done Wolves fully deserved tonight reserve scores and r/r sums it up.

Schlein withdrawn.

Still a strong side. Swindon v Wolves final should be fun should Wolves make top 4.

Becker has been untouchable. Really likes the Poole track. Have to get him here for next season.

THJ looks like a novice. Miles off the pace. We officially have crap reserves!

Holder and Schlein hooked up on bend one. Both down. Footrest tangle. both up.

My words did the trick!

I can say now we are not going to get anything. R/R for howarth 5 from 2 so far. Wolves need to keep Howarth out. Swindon will struggle against them in the final.

Wolves going to pick up 4 points tonight. Mullering us. Becker on fire.

Can’t see anything other than a very convincing Swindon win. Ipswich are the whipping boys and almost as bad as Peterborough.

If Gavan actually believes what he has written, he has shown everyone on the forum that he truly knows nothing about the sport. Howarth would at best score 4-5. Now wolves have Thorsell, Morris, Becker, (who scored paid double figures last visit) and Douglas, who impressed everyone on his first trip to Poole. Yet in Gavans word Wolves are not stronger. It proves exactly what Gavan is.

It’s the other way around. He can’t resist responding to me.

Is this thread still going? I’ll give a “fact”. Poole won easily again at Ipswich. Can we race you every week?

Shame BT dumped the meeting. 56-34.

Lets hope it’s better than the drivel served up from here in the last televised meeting. Forecast is set fair so no excuses.

Wolves to lose. Looks like “the stars” all aligned for them in this one.

Can we ride Ipswich every week?

Wells isn’t a Poole type of rider. We are not used to seeing a rider tailed off like that. Run lasts, yes but always battling. To be 50 metres behind is frankly unacceptable but nothing we can do about it now. Wells seems to have lost what he had. Howarths injury certainly helps Wolves and his absence has come at the perfect time for them. He occasionally has a good ride but the guys who replace him will score much more. Schlein, Morris, Becker and Douglas can all take a ride. Douglas showed his liking for the Poole track on his one and only visit. Schlein and Morris know the track well and Becker scored paid double figures last time Wolves were here. We could witness Wolves getting the points they require to jump above Belle Vue into the playoffs. We need to be right on it from the start to get a win. Also Josh needs to be back from injury or we are stuffed.

Howarth was at reserve last week.

A big meeting for both clubs on Thursday. Poole need the win to keep up the pressure on Swindon for battle of the top spot while Wolves are in a desperate situation of needing a win or a bare minimum point to keep their hopes alive of making the playoffs. For the first time in months Poole ride at home a full 1-7 with the arrival of THJ. Covatti to 2. For Wolves Howarth dislocated his shoulder last night so they might need to bring in a replacement. Thoughts?

Where’s the parking? Car park would be full an hour before the start. Overflow car park?