Steve Shovlar

But nothing like bringing in a 5 point ringer just before the playoffs. Or like when Coventry brought in Shamek then avoided him getting an official average by saying he was sick/injured so he was at reserve for the playoff final and rattled off an 18 max.. Poole just build rock solid teams year after year without the shinanigans. Last year the Premier league became a joke with ringer Lambert coming in for BV. Within the rules but stunk the place out. Danny and Matt knew the rule was there, though it never should have been. Would they have sacked either Anders or Kyle to bring in Tarasenko? No. There’s winning and there’s winning. Like I have always said, Glasgow did no wrong as it was ridiculously within the rules, but it ended the league comp stone dead back in August.

You asked the question. I gave the answer. Though I gave it the day Tarasenko was signed. I wrote, on the Glasgow 2023 thread, Posted August 24 Ridiculous that Tarasenko has the same 5 average in both Premier and Championship. There’s really no doubt whatsoever that Glasgow with this signing will win the Championship this season. They won’t need decent reserves as the top 5 will be overpowering. It’s a signing similar to Lambert coming into BV last season to win the playoffs for them. But if it is within the rules, then so be it.

It would have made no difference. As soon as Glasgow signed the ringer, the title was theirs. It made no difference which teams Poole had picked. Glasgow upgraded from a rider lucky to get a couple of points away, to a rider who topped the averages, on what, 9.4? . A second string no hoper to an Extraleague heat leader on a “legit” 5 points. From that moment the title was decided and no team, Oxford or Poole, could compete with a team who had got a huge points injection. It was “within the rules”, no matter how ridiculous the rules are for allowing an assessed 5 point premier league rider into the Championship in the same average, so Glasgow did nothing wrong, but as a competition, the Championship as a competition was at that moment killed stone dead.

Weather showing rain slowly dying out by round 3pm to leave a dry evening. Can tractor guy get the track in order within a few hours or is it best to postpone until Sunday?

So I give Glasgow deserved praise and you try to diss my post? Totally bizarre. I support Poole, not Glasgow. I was trying to take positives from a very rare defeat.

Yes but we can’t say too much about it for a couple of reasons. 1. It was allowed, god knows why, but it was, so is legit. 2. If we moan about it, it looks like very sour grapes. So best not really use it at the moment and let Glasgow fans have their moment of glory. Totally agree about your final line.

Wonder where I was? Just got back and first of all congratulations to Glasgow on their title. By far seemed to want it more, and although Pirates rallied in the first leg, the damage was done when the Glasgow track suited the home riders. We were the better team through heats 9-15 of the first leg, and all of the second, but meetings are run over 30 heats and not 22 and Glasgow fully deserved it this year. Bomber was a second faster than any other rider on show tonight. He would have gone through the card like he did in the first leg if he had really had to. But the job was already done and it was raining quite hard. Why take an unnecessary risk? Brennan and Tarasenko backed him up and it was job done. Pirates by comparison seemed languid in both meetings. Poole again threw points away but even if it had been all four back when Worrall was excluded, it wouldn’t have made any difference, just narrowed the size of the victory. Since the signing of Tarasenko, Glasgow have been by far the strongest team in the league and as I predicted when he was signed they would go on and lift the title. Proved right unfortunately for us. Next up the KO Cup and a trip to Scunthorpe. Better raise our game or that will be heading up north as well. Well done Tigers.

Parade 7.15 tapes up 7.30. Tracks looking good.

Unless Anders is feeling 100%, it’s too risky to use him, even though he’s a big loss. We must do it as a team and whether victory or defeat it’s as a team. The crowd must make up with noise for being a rider down. Looking forward to tonight.

Latest weather radar shows rain close by. A large cell of light rain has developed over Devon and is pushing east. Fingers crossed it passes to the north of Poole. https://www.netweather.tv/live-weather/radar

I think all of Glasgows riders will be up for it and give their best. But Pirates riders just have to be even better.

Looking forward to this evening. Pirates need to get off to a decent start and pile the pressure on Glasgow from the early heats. Not going to be easy and previous results this season are not relevant. We all know Harris will be a man on a mission and when he is on this type of form is virtually impossible to beat. Expecting him to score very heavily. If Basso backs him up and Tarasenko takes a liking to the Poole track it’s going to be a tough ask to pull back the 14 points. However, Poole have been solid this season and as long as our heat leaders do their job, and Zack, Kyle and Joe back them to the best of their ability, victory is achievable. The latest forecast is for the weather to remain dry and let’s hope it does until after the meeting. Let the best team win and if it’s Glasgow, then well done to them. And I will be happy to congratulate them.

Thompson beat Tarasenko from the back.

So Glasgow come down to Wimborne Road with a huge 14 point lead. Pirates fans can almost give out a sigh of relief that it’s not 22-24 points, as it was looking to be heading that way after heat 8. But like the champions they are, Poole rallied well and actually won the second half of the meeting by a couple of points. But make no mistake, 14 points is a huge lead and defendable. If Pirates don’t start on the front foot it could all be over by heat 11. But there is a chance. Glasgow are clear favourites and who can stop Bomber in the form he showed tonight? He rides Poole well and if he is backed up by Tarasenko and Basso it will be enough. We need all the boys to be on their best form straight from heat 1, like Glasgow were tonight. Can Pirates pull off Mission Impossible: Back From The Dead?

Pijper does not have to take an r/r ride. Complin x 2, Brennan, and Tarasenko can take the 4 rides. And Complin can then take one of Pijpers programmed rides to have 7 rides to Pijpers 3.

If it needs to be put back to Thursday then so be it. By no means certain currently we will get rain Wednesday evening.

Smith is injured. A number 8 can replace any rider but the rider he is replacing must have 3 programmed rides. Pijper won heat 2 at Poole earlier this season.

Glasgow fans frustrated tonight thinking, “We shuid hae hud a muckle bigger leid.” Poole fans tonight thinking, “how the hell are we only 14 down?” Wimborne Road is going to be packed. Can the boys fight back, or will Bomber almost single handedly win it for Tigers? He has big, big history at Poole winning it for Bees in 2010 and for Poole against Somerset in heat 15 beating Doyle.

Your team manager effed up big time. Couln’t believe it. Don’t think he knows the rules regarding reserve swaps.

No rain forecast for Wednesday. 14. We can do this! Harris is good at Poole. Basso hot and cold. Tarasenko never been there. Brennan hot and cold. Reserves not good. We have a chance. Glasgow clear favourites but I would have given an arm and leg for 14 defeat after 8 heats.

Yes boys what a come back! Thought were in Davey Jones locker hallways but came back well to give us a chance! Not over yet.

Why did pijper get 4 rides? Complin only had 6.

Twice we could have blocked his charge on outside.

18 at worst, which is too much. Need to get something against Bomber and Basso. Not likely.

Track has changed, no?