Steve Shovlar

Next Monday 30th sees Pirates return to Leicester after winning there just a couple of weeks ago on BT in a last heat decider. This time Pirates return with Harris in place of Sundstrom. Leicester have changed 4 members of their lineup. There are question marks over the availability of Josh G for Poole and Hans for the lions as both have been named in the Lodz lineup at their stadium opening which takes place the same night in Poland. Hopefully both will be at Leicester. Pirates need to continue their run of winning at home and picking up points on our travels. Another very close meeting on this gate and go track. Hoping for 3 points to Poole. Thoughts?

Keeping Smith seems a very strange one as last after last does him no favours. The lad is trying hard but is it doing him any good? Swindon have Zach but he is returning from injury. And he needs backup. Nothing has been done to strengthen. In comparison Poole started with Spanner and Shanes. Shanes was and still is popular but was replaced by Neilsen who banged in bigger scores until injury. Then replaced by Klindt who is stronger still. Fredie Jakobsen is a step up from Spanner. Improvements. Swindon have stood still while other clubs have improved. Could bite them on the jacksy. But their fans can be happy with the loyalty shown.

Swindon really are falling apart as we approach the business part of the season. Love the loyalty Rosco gives his team. Long may it continue.

For Poole. Brady was excellent. Led from the front. Nicholls gave him a brilliant race to get by. 9/10 Josh started poorly but got better as the meeting wore on. 7/10 Kacsper. Identical to Josh. 7/10 Richie had one bad ride and was attempting to come from 3rd to first when he lost it on bend three. 6/10 Harris started with a poor last, then a defensive paid win, before stuffing Andersen and Scotty. 8/10 Freddie is a very good reserve and improving. Lots of bike skills and one for the future. 7/10 Nicolai was rock solid, dropping just one point. 8/10 For Leicester Nicholls started very well as did Hans but they just couldn’t live with Pirates tonight. Stu Robson also tried. Wells got a win in heat 14 but Worrall was about to have him when he slid off.

At the press conference Brady said the track was spot on after the first few heats. Just as they wanted it. The Pirates buzz is back. Time for the other teams to get a little worried.

Well I havejust got back from a buzzing Wimborne Road. Arrived an hour before tapes up and everything was as usual. But up to 7.30 the crowd kept coming in and it was easily the biggest crowd of the season. Full grandstand, people all the way around the place. Excellent. Spoke to Robbo in the pits and he said the track looked good. No comparison to Swindon where if you were not in front you couldn’t see anything. The first 4 heats were a but tentitive fir the riders. It was clear the track staff had worked late last night putting down thousands of gallons of water and had continued to water during the day. After the first 4 races the track settled down and we were treated to some excellent racing. After an enforce sun break, the Poole boys came out and attacked hard. Leicester just crumbled. They tried, and produced some thrilling heats, Andersen and Nicholls giving everything, but Pirates were just too good. Harris, who ran a poor last in his first, showed what he was about by having two sensational races, shoving Andersen to the fence to allow Jakobsen through in one, then bombing Nicholls in another to allow Brady through. This is what we have been missing all season. Someone who can take the fight to the opposition, and boy did Harris deliver. A great night, some great racing and three points to Pirates in our quest for the playoffs. As Middlo said in the press conference, no team will want to pick us in the playoffs. Next stop is Leicester next Monday. Hopefully 3 more points.

Best crowd of season here tonight. Very good.

No chance of dust here at WR, for the first few heats anyway. Track was soaked last night and has been continuously watered. Currently some standing water on track. Spoke to Robson who said Swindon track was so bad if you were not leading you were lucky to stay on because of the dust.

Stead should have got onto the ref, and reminded of such a rule existing. As a new rule the ref might have forgotten all about it!

Disagree Grachan. If the roles had been reversed you might be far from happy. Clearly the rule should have been used as Swindon gained a full advantage. Whether or not Morris fell deliberately or not, Bellego was out of the race being so far back so why should he gain advantage by coming off the gate again? The opportunity shouldn’t have been granted to him. Not sure Stead got on the phone to the ref to remind him but if not it was a missed opportunity.

I brought it up last night and it was a clear case for the ref to use the rule. Bellego was way back when Morris fell and I said at the time he should have gone from 15 metres. Swindon certain got the rub of the green in that heat.

Just a couple days ago you said Poole wouldn’t make the playoffs!

Fake news.

Its not current form!

Why? Who is beating us on their track by any margin? A team will need an 8-10 point lead and who has done that to us recently? Things are looking very good imo. We will reach the playoffs. We are picking up points on the road in virtually every meeting, unlike other clubs. Harris rides Poole well and we should now be solid at home. Another three points on Wednesday then back to Leicester on Monday where we won just a couple of weeks ago, so the team will be prepared with setups. I am confident we will be right in the mix by the playoffs.

He was but Holder would have likely been number one at the first gs. Brady as secnd heat leader but no Holder chucked Brady as 1 with no top end support. Thats one of the reasons why we lost tonight.

Brady was never meant to be our number one. CH was for that spot.

Who cares about Kings Lynn? We will be in the playoffs and if we met KL we would beat them over 2 legs no problem.

Rather than a number one who doesn’t know how to stay on a bike!

Poole have three home meetings in hand. 9 points.

No one is beating us by a big enough margin to succeed over 2 legs. If we are in the playoffs the team finishing top will not pick us.(assuming we don’t finish top which is still a possibility)

I would be suprised if Leicester leave Poole with any points. But you never know. Although we lost it at the death tonight we are looking pretty good, with three home meetings in hand. Going to be a hot week so lets see how the track staff deal with conditions.

Thank the lord that is over. Actually much worse than the crap last week.

Josh was never going to trouble Iversen and Lambert in heat 15.

Was happy with a point before and said we needed an 8 point lead before heat 13. No big guns just a solid team. Trouble is when we come up against big hitters. A win on Wednesday will possibly stick us in the playoff places so not all bad. We are picking up lots of bonus points away from home and are far stronger now at home. It’s looking good.