Alan R Horne

Very interesting get together last night and the Ipswich lads look as though they are bonding very well together. We have lost Gino's input with his funny quips etc but now have Paco who seems a very nice fellow and it seemed those there took to him very well. Lets hope he do as well as Gino in his first season at Foxhall but sorry to say I doubt that. The reserve pairing look the weakest in the premier league history and come to that ever and will doubt cost us dear at times. Be interesting to see if the top heavy side will work out, its worth a try but oh! dear those reserves are a worry.

Lets keep to Speedway news after all its a speedway site. My god isnt football mentioned enough as it is?????

Can you imagine that couple purchased the property just 560 yards from the track and said they never realised they would hear the noise from speedway or stock car racing!!! They are either thick as planks or telling down right lies!!! How the court could give a judgment in their favour for a property burnt down beggars belief. It seems the poor old speedway or stock car fans have no consideration as usual from the powers to be.

Well thats better than using candles as some tracks have no better lighting than this.

The talk of Castanga reaching a 5 average is way OTT if he makes a 4 average he will have upped his average by 0.67 and that in its own context will be very good. But why Louis has picked Ritchings and Risager is beyond me, it must be down to costs what else could it be? Risager has always been a failure ever since Louis so unfortuately signing him and was not good enough last season so WHY??? sign him for next season??? What can we expect from Ritchings, he average 6 in the National league so what in hell caught Louis eye about him?

Well Ive had a good ponder about the team which is not so unlike team being talked about for the last few days. But I hear Hilton has bit the dust and am very pleased about that never did know what the hell he was doing all last season and was why Hawkins left in a cloud. Simmons to come back I hear well an improvement on Hilton will leave it at that. Danny King good a No1 as you will find 10/10 Nico Covatti brilliant signing and wonderful to watch 10/10 Lewis Kerr brilliant at foxhall last season lets hope he recovers totally from that horrendous crash 9/10 Morten Risager a real step backwards surely there was an up and coming rider better on his average 3/10 James Sargeant well very up and coming if he can stop his tapes disqualifications and better than Neilsen as the fifth rider 7/10 Paco Castagna totally unknown but now an asset Im sure he will improve his 3.33 especially with Nico's help 6/10 Daryll Ritchings been around a little while and having awful crashes must have held him back but a real gamble 3/10 So adding up my ratings it makes 48/70 so 68.57% so basing the team on that it looks slightly above average and a little better then last season but looks very vulnerable at reserve. I will be surprised if the Witches win any silverware, well prove me wrong lads.

Well its a no brainer not to have Hawkins on a 3.35 and although Ive not seen young Castagna surely he is worth a reserve spot at 3.33 he can only improve. But Risager oh no please

Well must agree with stu219 that its better to have speedway than not just ask Reading fans. But we are also entitled to our opinions on this site, lets face it, its not going to make any difference anyway whatever we say.

IF??? This is the team for next season (or just a hoax) it do not impress me very much. Risager returning is a no-no in my books, I was hoping to get away from just gaters or miles at the back Neilsen in the team proper is detriment to his riding performance and he Im sure will agree is a reserve only on present form. Kerr after his horrific injuries is a real gamble and who knows how much that may have taken away from his abilities. The reserves are ok but will not pull any trees up during the season. King and Nico Im very happy with. So as has been suggested a mid table position looks on the cards again and even more dropping of attendances.

At least we have speedway to watch its not all about winning the league, just taking part is a plus. Admittedly Louis has failed to live up to expectations and the fans are dwindling as they get fed up with the premier league. Is there any chance we could sign Z.Wajtknecht ?? He is a real future talent see him ride Sunday.

Well we could only beat the opposition put forward which we did with aplomb in a must win meeting, so I myself was very happy with the way we did get all 3 points. Seems sometimes "fans" only are happy if they have something to moan about, for goodness sake just accept a good win with all 7 riders giving their all.

Another night of Ipswich Select v Berwick Select how wonderful this premier league is and exactly as Chris Louis saId it would be.............. NOT !!!!!!

Well after doubting the Witches before this meeting being so understrength, Ritchie Worrell was great and our riders not far behind. An all round team effort with no rider letting the side down and some great passing also to make it exciting. On to Plymouth tonight with Summers guesting and hopefully another team effort like this to secure another 3 points. Well done the Witches you did yourselves proud.

Looks like another banana skin for the very understrength Witches at home where we are poor much to often.

Once again a team comes with 2 guests at reserve also r/r in the team, this league is getting as bad as the puny elite league. I must say I wonder sometimes why Louis dropped us into this league but obviously down to money nothing else. What Witches team will turn up tomorrow and Friday at Somerset if the weather allows that meeting to take place? The team with all our riders giving their all or the one that looks uninterested ? My prophecy is for 3 points from the 2 meetings.

Where did you get the idea Im "gloating" over the possible closure of a great racing circuit like Scunthorpes?? No such thing I would never do that about any track and nothing is further from the truth believe me.

What are you talking about Ive seen the evidence and its plain to see Rohan was not to blame it was a sheer accident as Auty had slowed down to much right in his path. I guess you will see whatever you want to see (a little like the Americans seeing UFOs) but there is no case to answer as has been proven by no further action after the ref had fined Rohan. Auty probably slowed down a lot to provoke Rohan even more than just knocking him off during the first run of race 10, lets face it he has loads of form for doing such things all during his career.

Just read Rohans side, as I said there is always two sides to any story. He said Auty had slowed down after just going over finish line and he (Rohan) was chasing Davis to the line. Then he had to keep it wound on not to go straight into the fence and low and behold Auty was right in his line and impossible to miss. So therefore it was just an accident, so for gods sake you Scunthorpe fans stop whinging!!! The truth is you don't like losing to a better team but having said that support your team more otherwise you will not be able to whinge as there will be no speedway to whinge at.

Think it might well have been pay back time as Auty has for a long time, got form for riding into riders to take them out of the race and this is what happened to Rohan. All riders are sick of Auty's continued over zealous riding and something had to happen sooner or later. Brilliant win by the Witches as had everything going against them including the Scunthorpe management. No wonder they could be close to closing!!!

Why on earth many think this will be a ( walk in the park) for the Witches is beyond me!! Scunny are back to full strength and Witches are without Gino, so in my opinion this will be close as I predicted yesterday at Foxhall and it could not have been closer than a draw!! Am I right in saying Nico, Cameron and the reserves can only take the R/R rides tonight?

Don't see that Edinburgh are weakened by Worrall for Masters as Worrall is flying at the moment and could in fact make them stronger!! Branford would probably not have scored so being replaced by Greenwood also could make them stronger. This is a real banana skin as has been said and we need all 7 riders to perform, otherwise another damaging home defeat is on the cards.

A great deal of negativity about the Witches riding order and team come to that, come on lads lets get behind the team and cheer them on as we need that 6th spot badly if our season isn't to grind to a halt in September. Personally I think the riding order is now spot on as before we looked lopsided somehow. I know we do not look very strong but in Danny and Nico we have 2 riders that grace heat 13 and 15 if needed for the first time in the Premier. Lets face it who in their right mind would want to watch a team in that pathetic "elite" league, so lets cheer our lads on to more success with the pairs already in our camp.

Well I hear Cameron will be back Thursday against Plymouth making us a 7 man team again. In my opinion looking at our 7 they do not look good enough to get the Witches into the top 6. And if Nico loses any form at all definitely not. He has been the only bright spark among mostly duds apart I suppose for Danny. I hope Ashley improves us but if he misses the gate that's it with him like most of our riders. If this post seems negative about the team, well I am.

Well this is all very sad and doing the Witches and speedway no good at all. I cannot remember these confrontations happening at Ipswich for many a moon. In my opinion at the start of the season I thought Hawkins should not have been included in the side because he was not good enough and quite evident sometimes on poor equipment. I was quite surprised he was included in the team and so its now proved but to late to save our season. I do not know Hilton so cannot say much about his ability to select the right riders at the right time but seem to have done ok. Rohan Tungate is an enigma, you never know which Rohan is going to turn up. The one that tries his heart out, or the one that seems uninterested. I feel that a great deal lies in his court for our poor season and other seasons come to that. We need a good back-up for Danny in heats 13 and 15 and we don't get it very often so therefore there lies a lot of our problems together with a great deal of poor starts to the meetings.

Well the score line certainly do not reflect on a super meeting with countless passes almost in every race. Fantastic to see Gino back to form with loads of aggression that's been lacking all season and several passes. In fact one race coming from 15m back to pass their riders was great and the entertainment level on track could not be bettered for us Witches fans. The track was exactly how it should be every week with passing taking place all through the meeting. So a great thank you to all involved for a smashing meeting, really enjoyed my £16 worth.