damosuzuki

Apologies Geordies, but can't see anything other than 68-20 with Newcastle trying to have the meeting abandoned before heat 10.

Belle Vue will need time, but my point in posting that article was to ask if that's where they were 22 years ago would ANYONE have believed it if you'd whisked them into the NSS at the bank holiday Poole meeting. The advice I'd give them is do what Glasgow did - they went down and spent time with Matt Ford finding out how he'd gone about marketing and promotion at Poole.

Exactly. Ford is 100% panto villain and everyone other than Poole fans want to see the smug look wiped off his face, but ffs how can anyone criticise his promotion of his team or the fact that Poole are run on succesful lines. In any sport you will get top vs bottom mismatches like this meeting. And yet there was a good crowd and plenty to enjoy. FFS blame whoever you like but we have a wide open playoff situation impending with Woffinden, Holder, hopefully Doyle, etc. Middlo manages to LOOK like a manager and the team LOOK like a professional sports team. Compare that to, say, Coventry. I watch a lot of speedway and last night came across well on TV. Sky's presentation was absolutely top notch and it looked and sounded like an exciting place to be. Why not blame the promoters who make hee haw effort and are happy to have a virtually empty stadium on Sky.

Another dreadful forecast by the looks of it. We need to get this on asap as only a week left till the cut off. Hopefully this changes. Otherwise, I'll be honest and say we can sneak it 43 -47 or would be happy with at least a point. Beat by more than 6 and I'm burning my scarfe.

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/speedway-dogs-life-at-the-home-of-speed-aces-guy-hodgson-examines-the-plight-of-belle-vue-and-a-1397375.html

I'd be inclined to think assume the issue is with penalty payments forthcoming for the track debacle. EL teams only have 14 home meetings and Belle Vue have had huge crowds at least 4 times. The last Poole meeting being an example. One thing I do wonder about is sponsorship - the stadium always looks very bare and there don't seem to be many advertising banners about the place(?). Also they are terrible at answering emails which is poor.

R/R for Nicholls doesn't look like a huge loss to me, tbh. He's improved slightly at the NSS but only managed 4 the last time Poole visited. Jacobs and the Worrals will manage more than that.

Worral is in the Glasgow team just announced for Saturday at Workington so don't see why he wouldn't be riding on Monday (!)

Disappointed for Cook that this season has had it's ups and downs from a personal point of view, but testing his set up hasn't hindered him last night by the look of it. Hopefully he does a repeat of last year and goes into the playoffs flying.

Very entertaining, lots of racing across different lines. Lambert going back into second in heat 15 very impressive. The meeting was on Sky sports mix, but it is pretty random and I don't think Belle Vue Poole is on it.

Sky have covered some cracking meetings this year and the playoffs, the meetings that really matter will be the usual Thrillers. Anyway, anything less than a perfect track and Holder will stage a one man protest so who knows...... might not be a trouncing after all.

TIVO - I need to make sure it starts though as I've not got a f****** clue

We'll race on a Friday once Edinburgh are pumped out.

christ's sake this might be half decent. Cheer up. I'm taping it anyway.

Belle Vue to win by approx 10.

The dynamic of the teams, having to chop and change because of the averages every year, would be different without the playoffs. To me they make it if anything slighty fairer. Take Edinburgh as an example - don't think they are going to win, but they are in the playoffs and still have a chance despite making two gambles on riders, only one of which worked. The teams that develop best over the season are in the playoffs, rather than the teams that flew out the starting blocks gaining an advantage. Maybe it's because I'm (slightly) younger but to me they are great. Put it this way, you'd have 12 teams with nothing to play for other than those still in the cups at this point in the season. There are no european places or promotion up for grabs and no relegation battle, so for most teams the season would have been over weeks ago.

It's clear noone is going to hammer Poole because of their strength in depth, but also they are capable of being mediocre....... so I still think they are going to be difficult to beat in the playoffs, unless Holder decides he's not playing and one of the reserves has a real off night.

Pole still favourites for me, due to bottom end and also strategic injuries as and when required. That's a pop at Ford not Poole BTW. Wolves or belle vue could. Otherwise do it though. Glad tai is OK and playoffs promise to be huge this year.

Thanks Dan, think there will be a good contingent of us coming down, looking forward to it!

Waiting to see if this - as expected - ends up a double header with Glasgow....... IE Saturday coming. They aren't selling tickets to the Glasgow meeting atm, but maybe that's just a problm with the website. Any Worky fans have info?

Scum scum scum. Absolutely disgusting. Glad clubs are getting behind Plymouth though.

I am very hopeful someone comes in here - not everyones favourite track, but a fantastic place to visit with a very special feel about it.

Yep, p*** poor Sheffield. Why was Garrity missing btw? You would almost think they don't care who they get in the Playoffs and were playing games. Lets face it, Stead is in Semi retirement. Bates impresses me so much in the EL, one of my favourite riders but was a non event. HOWEVER it puts is into our two away meetings in a good frame of mind and that's all I'm really bothered about. As ever, a throughlly enjoyable day at Ashfield and nice to see Danny in amongst the points.

Weather expected to be good. Excitement promised, #COYT

Man City is bizarre though, the stadiums huge and single tickets are extortianate. Result is that there are tons of people with £300 season tickets who don't turn up to most of the games!!!