Noelinho

It was dry until 18:30. I went for a shower then, and having come out, it's wet everywhere, and I don't mean I forgot to pull the shower curtain in.

I thought it was a light rain off, and given my track record on these things, that usually proves the rain off to be correct!

Gutted Vissing is missing. He’s been a quality watch so far this season. Richard Lawson is always good value though.

Get in the bin!

He was walking at the end of last week's meeting, so I'd guess so. He seemed to get off remarkably lightly in the circumstances.

I did wonder if this might be part of it. I suspect the bike would react much worse to incidental contact with polyfoam than the metal fence - and Harris, Basso and Vissing all regularly scrape it, especially into turn 1.

We’ve had two, and one of them was possibly intentional. I do often wish the polyfoam extended a bit further but I don’t know much about the implications of doing that, or rules. It’s not the most common place for riders to crash at Ashfield, and in the Poland Test match in 2021, one of the visiting riders (Kubera, I think) crashed into the fence in the middle of the back straight. I guess that’s why he told Marcin Nowak the place is dangerous…

Yes, they have clearly decided not to fix it, even though there are two fairly easy ways to do so (extend the WiFi, or get 4G compatible payment terminals). Edinburgh manage to make it work despite their entrances being a long way from the main bar area.

I've read before it's because the WiFi doesn't stretch to the entrance. No idea if that's the real reason, although 4G payment terminals are a thing, so it's not like they couldn't still do it. It is a PITA though - speedway is the only thing I ever use cash for. Just let me tap my phone and walk in!

The other thing not mentioned is banking. Glasgow has great racing, but not because the bends are very wide. IIRC, they're actually only just wide enough for FIM standard (which I think is why some riders struggled at the SGP qualifier last year) but the banking really makes the outside line work. Without the banking, it would be a very ordinary track.

Maybe..! Too many scoring systems between the competitions. Also, you get T/S in this, but not in KO Cup. Seems weird, but there ya go.

Leon often gets the extra rides. Happened in the reverse fixture too, I think. Surely not nepotism?

It would have been tonight, in effect, because they started equal on points. In terms of points awarded, you are right, but tonight was about topping the group.

2 withdrawals. Knudsen hit the metal fence in heat 2 and Piper had a horrible head-on impact with the air fence in heat 8. We've also had Greg Blair exchanging signals with the ref at one point (although the ref was in the right).

They read my remarks. 7 passes in heat 13!

Weather forecasters don't have to get it right though! We've had a bit of everything tonight... Apart from passing. Not a lot of that.

Right, yes, I forgot that. I'd still use a reserve in 5 and put Jorgensen in 6 for an extra ride.

I didn't understand it either. Surely IRR in heat 5, then T/S in heat 6 to replace Greg Blair would have been the best option.

Yep, draw on the night and it's winner takes all in the Super Heat, I believe. That would be the sensible thing to do anyway...

Track looks better than at the start two weeks ago, when it was also very good. Should be a good meeting. Can't see Berwick winning though. Couldn't see rain coming two weeks ago mind!

The rain must have stopped at Ruchill then. Drumchapel, Maryhill and the city centre are all depressingly wet.

Not in Cowcaddens, which isn't a long way from Ashfield.

Amazingly, they're saying the track is dry (no idea how - it's wet everywhere else!) With no more rain expected, so they are confident. My track record on the weather is pretty bad tbf.

Weather is awful. Early call off, surely. It's wet everywhere north/west of the city this morning, and doesn't look like changing.

Well, if you deal with 1), then 2) is a lot easier. And if you manage 3) hopefully more people turn up, which helps those even more. But if you want to grow the sport, you need to do more to include younger fans, and ultimately, no matter what you do, if you don't control your stadium, sometimes getting all those things right doesn't matter. If Edinburgh owned their own track then it their future would look a lot brighter. Their current track is a bit crap, but I also totally understand why it doesn't change. If they build a new one of their own, I'm sure it would be better, and then on Fridays when Glasgow aren't at home, I'll happily spend my money there. The reason I don't go there is because the racing is dull.