PotteringAround

Shocking referee. Exclusion for Doyle all day long

Say what you like about Richard Lawson, but he's certainly got a sense of humour!

I certainly don't think GB are going to come last. I do think that the quality of riders and home advantage will be enough to see Poland win. But I believe GB are second favourites and could win. Australia could flop like the opening round or triumph like the race-off depending on how they go on the night. Denmark I just don't see as winners.

How are Brennan and Ellis being set up to fail? There's one person (possibly 2) on here suggesting that Brennan/Ellis should be taken out of their easiest rides. The rest of us seem to be arguing against this as it's a stupid idea. Presumably, the GB managers are thinking in line with the majority of us. Our two non-GP riders are the weaker on paper, and we need to help them and get the best from them. The three GP riders should be believing they can beat anyone if we are going to win the final.

Thank god you're not the team manager! You're really suggesting that you want to make races easier for Bewley (one of the top riders in the world who should be scoring from any gate) but want to make it as difficult as possible for Brennan/Ellis (who would benefit from any help they can get).

No. If not 6 points behind he can only have 5 rides. If we're 6 behind he can have a 6th tactical ride. This applies to all the riders in the team, not just the reserve.

No advantage there either. If you don't drop 6 behind (as you wouldn't want to) then you don't get tac rides, and you'd want Bewley, Lambert and Woffinden to be taking all their 5 rides, and it's just a case of how to split the other 5 rides between Brennan and Ellis.

Yes. An ill-thought-out move that offers no advantage, and could backfire.

The Czechs were aiming for third place to get into the Race-off. They were always going to quickly fall 6 or more behind the top two, and could then juggle their resources to pinpoint defeating the Germans. They didn't have to worry about trying to catch up to GB and Sweden, just maximising the chances of outscoring Germany. In that way it's a legitimate tactic. In the race-off and final it's only about winning. There's no damage limitation exercise to target just one team. So the "put the best rider at No.5" thing offers no advantage.

Same here. This week's has arrived!

The same. 5 rides plus a tactical.

Everyone in the top 4 gets 4 programmed rides between heats 1 and 16, plus a nominated ride (heats 17-20) and if the team is 6 or more points behind the leaders they can also take a tactical ride.

They don't get more rides. They just get the opportunity to pick and choose when to use those rides. This may offer an advantage to a lesser team in the opening rounds if they are trying to avoid fourth place and sneak into the play-off. You know you are going to be using tacticals and you can target your closest rival's weakest rides. But I see no advantage in the play-off or Final when you're aiming to win the meeting.

Think that might just have handed the advantage to Australia as the other three using their best rider at reserve will cancel each other out. I can only see an advantage to putting the top rider at reserve in the first two rounds and if you are one of the lesser teams battling between third and fourth. If you're just hoping to third place to progress to the play-off and need your best rider to mop up the easy points then it could be worthwhile. But if you're going for the win in the race-off or final, then I see no advantage. You want your top four out there every race and your best man looking to dominate all races, not just coming in to pick up the "easy" points.

The scenic railway was the one you could often see behind the first bend in photos of the Hyde Road track. The Bobs was the wooden roller coaster that was the fastest in the world in its prime.

The Cumberland suite and Bavaria suite

Is anyone having any success with getting the Star via Royal Mail? Again I received last week's 5 days late. It turned up this Tuesday. So far today's hasn't arrrived. Presume it will come next Tueday.

Same here. Via Newsteam it used to arrive about 4am every Thursday. By Royal Mail, last week's Star arrived this Tuesday (5 days late), This week's hasn't arrived yet.

Met office forecast for Glasgow looks bad 80% - 90% rain until 12pm. Then 50% rain until 6pm.

Dreadful decision. Especially with the benefit of TV replays. Referee should be hauled in front of FIM, shown the replays, and asked to explain himself before he referees again.

Wasn't 1977 the year Belle Vue had those awful sponsored silver leathers? I think Collins wore them the night he crashed into the drain cover and broke his leg. I don't think anyone wore them after that.

Unlucky with fixtures there. Beaten by a strong Plymouth side with Gilkes and Atkins. After Belle Vue had been, Gilkes got injured, Atkins spat his dummy and left, and every other team were gifted 4 easy points.

The Water Chute was right at the front of the funfair in front of the Bobs and behind the turnstiles at the junction of Hyde Road and Belle Vue street. It was opened in 1957 and dismantled in 1978 and sold to Blackpool Pleasure Beach.

Belle Vue seem to be unlucky the way the fixtures have fallen. Went to Kent with half a team where a full team would have won. Most teams have won at Berwick, but Belle Vue won't win now that they've fiddled Boxall in on a dodgy average. They also have to go to Workington, but what's the chances of Bickley being in there soon?

Would be, but Bowtell rides for Mildenhall not Kent. Morley is the Kent No.1