Steve Shovlar

I believe it was over 7000. I was there that evening as they were riding against Poole. The roads were completely jammed around the area backing up to the M25 tunnel. If we hadn’t beeped our horn and passed dozens and dozens of cars to push in we wouldn’t have got there until heat 8. Got there just before tapes up. Middlo got stuck in it and arrived mid meeting. Many locals were well peed off as they also got stuck. Think it was a televised meeting. Absolutely huge crowd. But the following week they had a regular sized attendance so lost on the promotion.

How many heats have we all witnessed where a rider falls and then, in the rerun, the rider that was tailed off suddenly pops out of the start and what was a nailed on 5-1 suddenly ends up as a 3-3? An example of this was last night when Ipswich were on a 4-2, then Fricke knocked off Harris. Berge was tailed off. In the rerun Berge got the drop and managed to get second place, turning what really should have been an Ipswich 5-1 into a 4-2. So why not stagger the start for the rerun? Riders go for the rerun in the position they were in when the heat was stopped. The leading rider starts from the tapes. The rider in second starts at 5 metres and the rider in third at ten metres. A rider might still come through from 3rd to first but would have done it fairly. It’s frustrating to see a rider who was nowhere in the first running pop out and win. Please feel free to agree or disagree. Easy to implement. Thoughts?

Fricke hadn’t passed Harris though. Passing is when Fricke back wheel is in front of Harris front wheel. But Fricke’s footrest (middle of his bike) went through the spokes of Harris front wheel. Fricke basically hoped Harris would back off but he didn’t. Fricke to blame and rightly excluded.

If it’s as good as last weeks meeting at Wimborne Road, fans will be in for a treat.some great racing last week in the Peterborough meeting. No doubt about that! Couldn’t believe just how dull the racing at Foxhall was. The Gdańsk or Pila of the Premiership. Wimborne Road has had its problems this year, especially in the lunchtime meetings, but the track still produces excellent racing at times. Shame I will miss the next two home meetings as I am taking a holiday to the French Alps. At least I should be able to catch up on the tv meeting.

A good meeting last night. Imagine if the place was full with fans what an atmosphere there could have been. A shame BT pay virtually nothing for it to offset and discounts at the turnstil to entice people to come along.

They were decent. Never going to win but kept it close.

That’s not true. I gave praise to BV tonight. A good enjoyable meeting, with a close result which really was never in doubt.

For just such a good racetrack it’s a real shame BV can’t attract big crowds, especially with so many people in the area in a huge conurbation.

BV could never afford him. On good money in Poland. A late developer but highly unlikely signing.

He looked very despondent after the meeting. Thought he was going to burst into tears.

We were missing Kurtz. Ipswich rode well tonight, and deserved a point. But from heat 12 the writing was on the wall.

But it won’t be the playoff final as I don’t believe either team are going to be finalists.

No. Not like Pooles team. Poole got a 3-3 in heat 13 and a 5-1 in heat 15. Ipswich don’t have that firepower. Ipswich are decent. Better than many predicted at the start of the season and might sneak the last playoff place.

Problem for Ipswich is they didn’t have any proper firepower at the top end when it matters. That’s why they will fall short this season. Good meeting though. Enjoyed it.

Belle Vue’s to lose now. Fricke and Bjerre v Lawson and King?

As I said, Ipswich not got anything to beat Fricke and Bjerre. And the reason they will fail this year. Good race though.

Ipswich are doing ok but with hit trouble in the final stages with Fricke, Bjerre and tonight, Worrall.

Fricke didn’t give racing room. Good race before that.

Not this bad elsewhere. Must be only a few hundred there.

Belle Vue’s gating is similar to Pooles. Let the oppo leave you dead at the start!

What time do they open the gates?

The line was a foot from the fence and when Emil went through on lap three I thought there was no coming back. But the gap was left. Just!

Fabulous final race!

And last in a 3man race in his next. Not off the pace just outgated by better riders and chasing shadows.

Great racing in this meeting.