Steve Shovlar

Rain should clear in the next hour to leave a dry afternoon.

Pretty sure I was at that meeting. Went on the coach to an Oxford meeting in the morning and then onto White City. Two meetings in one day. Had a running race around the white City track if I recall.

That haunted me for years. There is footage of this match race but I have never seen it. It’s not on YouTube. I still remember it clearly though. Wilson gated and rode wide, Ashby rode the inside and got up the inside of Wilson down the back straight of lap 4. Today a rider would have not allowed Wilson around the outside but Martin was a gent and gave racing room which Wilson exploited. At Wembley Wilson was crap and Ashby didn’t get a ride. Wilson went through the tapes and the full Wembley bend were chanting Ashby’s name, only for Gordeevvto come out. Another early Ashby memory for me was a the Abbey, against Sheffield. He was left at the start, think his fuel wasn’t turned on. He got going passed the two number two’s and started his chase of Bob Valentine down. He was a straight behind but he got Valentine off the final bend to bring the house down. Ashby in his prime was rarely beaten with a 10.24 average. The occasional defeat at the Abbey by Collins, Olsen and Mauger.

No meeting at Poole tonight because we want the second leg of the KO Cup. Have to try and win something this year in front of the fans. Following week is Leicester on the Friday, away in the Saturday, then the Jubilee Final to end the season. COULD IT JUST BE Leicester home and away again? Glasgow failing to ride at Plymouth and failing to ride the final of the JC at home is pretty poor to be honest.

Yes will be taking the live stream. Should be a great meeting. Wright, Kerr and Riss v Lawson, King and Worrall. Bring it on! The Cooks and Kemp v Jenkins, Andersen and Newman. Weather looks ok with risk of afternoon showers.

Habit. People in the area know Wednesday is speedway day. It breaks up the week. However, meetings held on Fridays always seem to attract a very good crowd as kids are off the next day. Expect the place to be packed for the first leg.

Agree about the screaming. Goes right through you.

Seriously. We could actually count the number of fans on the back straight. Be lucky to have had 12-1400 in the whole stadium.

How have Mountain and Howarth done?

TV at the wrong meeting. The action from Monmore is more superior tonight.

There’s 3 million people in Manchester. 151,000 in Poole. Manchester 20 times as big as Poole.

Neither do BV. About 200 there looking at the feed.

Just waiting for the Wolves Sheffield clips. More competitive meeting with no dodgy signings.

Looks a far better meeting at Wolves. Wrong meeting being shown.

Have to ask. Why such a tiny crowd? Half the size of Poole.

Utter BS. A shame Belle Vue have wrecked the league playoffs with this one move. Pretty disgraceful to be honest. Their title will be completely hollow.

Within the rules? Don’t they have no changes after the end of August?

Credibility of the top flight? Blown out of the water. Shameful allowing Lambert to ride.

I would be ashamed. There’s something called guests or r/r. I call this cheating.

Isn’t there a rule so no changes after 31 Aug? If I was in opposition I would tell BV to stick the trophy up their jacksy.

What is this utter BS bringing in Lambert? Effing joke. Belle Vue fans must feel totally embarrassed. Shameful and wrecks the playoffs. Utter joke of a decision.

Poole are not moving up with current size of top flight. Interestingly, the team Poole have in the championship would probably have made the playoffs in the PL.

Fridays should be good for travelling Leicester fans. Expect the second bend to Be full of Lions fans cheering their team on to defeat.

I think we need a good 14 point lead to take to Leicester. We can forget about the 60-30 drubbing we handed out a couple of weeks ago. That isn’t going to happen in the final and Leicester will be all out to revenge the Poole kicking they received a couple of weeks ago. The team as a whole are riding very well and if we can get Drew to show the form and skill he has like in heat 14 last night, we are going to be hard to beat. Bring it on!

On Friday Pirates travel to Redcar for the first leg of the Knockout Cup Final. A good racetrack and one that we ride quite well. Poole won there in May 40-50 with a solid display. Will the Bears be able to give themselves a chance with a decent lead to bring to Wimborne Road?