Steve Shovlar

Nothing like Wimborne Road. I have been to Plymouth 4 times now and on every occasion all the dirt is scrapped off halfway through the meeting. Why? Doing this ladt night meant the track couldn’t be watered meaning it went straight to blue groove and dust. And why no attempt to fix the dangerous hole on the third bend? Ten mins of attention could have sorted it.

Thought it was an entertaining meeting until, as per usual, the tractor starts dumping shale on the center green making the track bald. Add to that no watering and soon a blue groove appeared. There was a nasty hole on the inside of the third bend which was crying out for attention with all riders hitting it and being thrown all over the place, but not once was an attempt made to fill and pack it. Dangerous. Meeting finished in billowing dust with all riders received to get away unscathed. Pirates a class above all meeting and once dialled in we’re the far better team. Yes, Plymouth are missing key riders. And it will be different if we meet in the playoffs. But Pirates have got their mojo back which went awol for a few weeks. Beginning to look like a team that might be a threat come the playoffs. With this code,p, it’s looking good to progress through to the final.

Now at Plymouth ‘Colusseum’ . Impressed with the huge amphitheatre and 20 feet tall solid marble statues of Alfie Bowtell, Palm-Toft, Ben Morley and Gary May dominating each bend. The lions are hungry ready to eat any Christians but Hans ‘Christian’ Andersen is not available. Weather is warm 24C, light overcast conditions. More pleasant when I left Poole at 2pm in 38C. Hopefully a good meeting with passing after the second bend.

I see the track is going to get a very good watering around lunchtime looking at the rain radar.

Poole can practice as much as they like on their own track. Makes sense given recent form but they won’t need to worry about tomorrow night. Other than Douglas who will struggle to beat our top three, who is backing him up? Edwards is one for the future but serious won’t threaten our HL’s. I also wish Howard would guest. Would love to see him on a bike booming out such classics as “Bless Yore Beautiful Worrall” , and “Oh What a Beautiful Ablitt”, and as a finale “Pirates With a Fringe On Top”.

LOL! That was a cut and paste from the official Plymouth website! They can’t spell their own riders name correctly! Hilarious!

There was a first timer sitting with us who thought it was brilliant and is back on Wednesday.

Should be 55-35ish.

Oxford doing ok straight into Championship. Go NL then Championship won’t get a crowd kick. Should go straight into Championship.

Says all it needs to say. With Poole at full strength, the Westcolour Gladiators will bring in Guest Replacements for Edward Kennett and Michael Palm-Toft in the shape of Leicester Heat Leader Richie Worrall and Redcar star Lewis Kerr and will operate the Rider Replacement facility for Hans Anderson. With Barker at No 1 in the Averages and Anderson third in the Averages this will allow Worrall, Kerr, Alfie Bowtell and Ben Morley to share Andersons 4 scheduled rides between them. The Westcolour Gladiators will line up: Ben Barker, Alfie Bowtell, Lewis Kerr, Hans Anderson (RR), Richie Worrall, Harry McGurk, Ben Morley. The Pirates haven’t yet confirmed their exact Riding order but will line up with Steve Worrall; Richard Lawson, Danny King, Ben and Zach Cook, Drew Kemp and Nathan Ablitt. Weather: Effing sizzling!

British speedway cannot benefit if the riders turn their backs on who gave them the chance. A simple rule would be ride in the U.K. or you don’t get picked for SON/SWC etc. Rugby followed this lead when there was an exodus of top British players out of the British leagues.

That was brilliant from Dan Bewley.

Great to see Lambert and Bewley come on so well. But where are the next ones?

Thanks. Vk better than daddy where there’s a hundred pop ups.

Anyone got a good working link?

Ok changed format from top flight 4 team playoffs.

Zmarzlik should have gone. Throttle goes both ways. Kept it on hoping Dudek would back down. Ran out of room.

Cracking meeting making up for the dross served on Friday. Lambert/Zmarzlik battles brilliant.

Might now actually be coming down for this one now. Have to go to Honiton next week so if I chose Tuesday afternoon, it’s less than an hour further on to Plymouth.

Team who finish top can pick any of the other three.

Want to see the same fighting spirit we showed on Wednesday continue at Plymouth. Everyone knows you have to gate and hold the lead into the third bend and you are more or less home and hosed at the Coliseum. Unless you are Chris Harris. Will be buying the stream.

Ostergaard having a massive roller the whole stadium saw with the exception of the ref.

Yes agree lots of passing and a very entertaining meeting. Surprised, or perhaps not surprised, to return home and read a string of negative comments on the meeting (mostly from Glasgow fans) about how rubbish the meeting was, when in truth it was excellent entertainment. Pleased to see Danny Hume develop into the rider he is today and I believe there’s more to come. Saw it in glimpses last season and would have loved to have had him in this years lineup but it wasn’t to be. Ben Basso wasn’t roundly booed. Enough in the grandstand so he knew of the displeasure of what happened. Craig Cook was more roundly booed as is the norm when he visits. Again nothing to the reception he would have got at Eastbourne. I visit nearly all tracks and have to say away riders are much more warmly applauded when at Wimborne Road than any other track. Some tracks away riders are greeted with silence or a few boos.

I forgot the pass in heat 2 where Nicol took Ablitt. And heat 8 when Hume went around the outside of B Cook entering bend 3. Seems sour grapes are out in force to deflect admitting their team took a beating. So many passes last night. A great nights entertainment with the big crowd going home very happy. More next week please!