Big Al

Hans was Leicester's best rider by that stage but with Klindt going from 3 he had almost no chance. Bjerre's fall had knocked his confidence and so on this occasion it may have been better with Wells going from 4 but the chances of beating Klindt were still going to be slim. But they might have had a better chance of combining to stop Kurtz and get a draw. It's a shame for Leicester that Klindt's engine failures at Ipswich yesterday didn't occur sooner!

BT matches seem to be over more quickly than the Sky ones. Or is that just a general trend? Certainly looks like they scored a bad own goal by not ripping up the start area on this one, no matter whoever's decision it was.

Who takes charge of the track prep for BT matches now? Back in the Sky days it was Mr Russell who took temporary responsibility and supervised it but from what I've seen it has been put back into the hands of the local curators now. Having now seen the TV coverage, Kelvin Tatum spotted that gate 4 was going to present problems for riders, and that was well before the start of the meeting. What actually happened was that apart from two heats, the majority were effectively 3-man races with the poor s+d off 4 effectively having a 15 metre handicap. So the entertainment possibilities were clobbered even further. Surely this is highly unsatisfactory for BT and their subscribers, and of course those who paid to attend. Not having any experience of track prep, I don't know about the feasibility of this - but would it have been possible for Tatum's concerns to be followed up and acted on, such as ripping up the start area before the meeting began? He is after all a hugely experienced person, so why not put that to good use?

It's clouded up here now. Hope the riders have plenty of tear offs for the insect swarms

This should be an absolute ramtoozler of a match and probably a last heat decider. I predict Sarjeant to win heat 2. Klindt to score double figures. And a sun break.

Terrible news about Lewis Kerr, so soon after his wife's involvement in a car crash and another child on the way.

How many tracks are on metered water supply now? The water companies are wanting/having to switch consumers onto metered supply so is that causing some reluctance to use methods such as soaking the tracks early morning. Then add-in the problems with shale supply, tracks breaking up, and it's starting to look bad unless the weather changes soon.

Yes it states quite clearly in the news release of 29 June on the website, that Wright is a 28- day cover replacement. What? You didn't spot that bit? Go try reading it again

Well it looks like the possibilities are a bit thin on the ground. James Shanes and Paul Starke (but not both) are names that looked possible but Starke seems to have three different averages! I just think that turning up to an away match, knowing that you're likely to be required for both opening heats and not having a bike in working order, ought to be a sacking offence. Kurtz is improving his Sheffield average, but I think we need somebody capable of winning races on away tracks and he hasn't shown that potential so far.

So looks like it's Tuesday if any change/s being made then. Don't think the new averages have been put out yet, but maybe tomorrow. I'm thinking that Danny Ayres had a PL average of 2.74 last season - don't think he's doing anything except NL this season - so could he come in for JS on that figure? If so, would that give Leicester up to 5.0 to replace Kurtz (6.50 PL rider). Or has the heat got to me!!?

So as somebody has said, leaves the door ajar for another change, at reserve. Kurtz seems to be very much "in favour" with the Lions management. I've just seen the farce of heat 2 at Monmore and I can hardly believe what I was watching. Embarrassing is the only word that comes to mind. So maybe JS is in line for the chop. But then again he has a habit of saving his bacon by scoring well at home.

Anyone know what the team averages total is, following the changes?

First match I went to, age about 10, I went because I'd heard that Speedway was dangerous, including for spectators! There was Ray Wilson and Ivan Mauger but didn't really know much about them. Who was the match-winner for Leicester? Young local lad Graham Plant. So I went a few more times, and it was Graham Plant who I went to see ride. Pity he went off to Halifax, really peed me off.

No. We are considerably, considerably, worse than yow

Slamdunk home win. Lions are carrying too much baggage at the moment.

Arm and shoulder injuries are nightmares for speedway riders and promoters, there's rarely a clear pathway unless it's a straightforward break, and the effects can drag on for ages, years even. Can Leicester afford to carry Danny King whilst both riding and trying to recover? I think it's a difficult decision they've got because although he probably wants to carry on riding, it might have now reached the point where he can't. And the absence period will be nearly impossible to accurately predict. Bjerre seems to be a rider who needs a boot up the backside every now and then, and it usually has an effect so I wouldn't be surprised if Sheffield have recently applied the size 12. May be a good time to bring him in! But that still leaves the Kurtz issue to resolve.

The more I think about it, the more doubts I'm having that Charles Wright would be right. Even though it's a neat fit, averages-wise.

I think Danny King seems like a really nice guy, and he normally prefers some deeper stuff out wide but with his gammy arm isn't so keen on it now. Which makes you wonder how his scorings going to affected by it for the rest of the season.

You hear quite a bit this season from tracks up and down the land, that promoters and curators are not putting down enough material according to both spectators and riders preferences. I'm sure it's not everywhere and then there are places like NSS where it's better not to be too deep and grippy. If one of Charles Wright's main grouses with Somerset was lack of material on the track, particularly out wide, isn't he likely to find the same problems elsewhere, including at Leicester?

Best solution I've come across is two equal standard "conferences" of 9 or 10 teams each and they can run their home race nights so as not to clash spread from Thursday to Monday. Doubling up should be plentiful and unconflicting! The two conference winners (however arrived at) meet in a grand final. Would probably mean no Bewley and Lambert for example as they would likely take the "Poland" option along with 20+ others currently in the PL. But better collaboration between UK and Denmark would be desriable in the best interests of both in terms of rider opportunities and development. Helped of course by UK not using Wednesdays!!

I half suspected this would get "local" responses. Never mind your own club to start with, it's a hypothetical question. There have been some voices on BSF calling for the UK to ditch the International Leagues agreement and just run on race nights that suit the UK best instead. Many of those are highly anti-Mondays although if a club wanted/needed to run on Monday well why not if it decided that's best for them. So to start with, how many riders would the UK league be left with, if the UK were to declare UDI and for the most part go head to head with Poland?

You must have missed "occasionally Mondays will be used"

103 riders across the PL and EL at the moment, give or take a couple. If BSPA were to write now to each of them, stating "Our intention is that from 2020 the UK will run meetings only on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Occasionally Mondays will be used, but Tuesdays and Wednesdays will be set aside for those riders who wish to ride in Sweden and Denmark. Therefore UK clubs will not be able to engage the services of any rider who has contractual commitments to a Polish club, which could prevent him from fulfilling UK commitments. Please let us know, by return, if you would be prepared to remain competing in the UK under those conditions." How many of the 103 would say yes. And what assurances would they need?

He isn't related to Peter Madsen is he? (guy who was recently convicted of murdering a journalist on his home-made submarine near Copenhagen)

James? His brother Charles rides for Sheffield btw