TheWellBehavedWorrall

No input to your post, but I love your dog. He/she’s a cracker.

On the subject of the quality of racing and rider safety, it’s a tough one. I’ve never sat on a speedway bike, so I’m hardly qualified to comment. Having said that, I do feel the appetite for racing has decreased. I don’t think I’d be incorrect to suggest several riders chucked in the towel last night. I remember the City of Glasgow International, the night after the 1995 British GP at Hackney. Glasgow managed to persuade several GP riders - Hans Nielsen, for example - to remain in the UK for one more night at Shawfield. I’m sure it was October, but I’m absolutely certain the weather was worse than it was last night. Yet, every rider gave their all. If my memory serves me right, Ronnie Correy won the meeting. Rory Schlein would have been having kittens if he was on commentary that night.

Yeah, I thought Schlein’s pre-meeting track walk was great and he clearly has the personality for media work, but he went proper glass half empty when it started raining. I felt like I was listening to a Union rep with a background in HSE.

Two questions. 1. Is Rory Schlein always this pessimistic? 2. Do both Ben Cook‘s feet touch the ground when he sits on a bike?

”WE’VE GOT A BIKE ON FIRE!

Bewley is unreal, but Shane Parker will be watching this at home in Australia, spitting his deep fried Mars Bar down his 2004 Tigers’ race bib in disgust at his lack of team riding. Is team riding still a thing?

Heat 10 is brought to you by “Paul’s Sauna Club”, only because there isn’t a Heat 69.

I was literally just thinking that. ”Great win for Cook, BUT WHAT ABOUT THIS WEATHER?!”

I’m about to wake-up the missus to ask if she needs any housework doing.

I hope Schlein is right in stating that the racing will improve because while the coverage is great, the speedway is dreadful. If I had a speedway track in my back garden and this meeting was on, I’d close the curtains.

That queue was brutal. The ladies running the snack bar were grafting away, so no criticism, but I ended up just giving chips a miss. I stood for about 25 minutes and wasn’t even close to the front.

Dan Bewley, rapid.

BSN’s coverage is outstanding. My best purchase of 2024 is the season pass. Schlein, even as an ex-Edinburgh rider and part of the side that beat Glasgow on Saturday night, is a natural “lead” with the mic. This track walk with Douglas is beyond insightful. Paul Bowen, too. The Apprentice can’t have done him any harm, but his enthusiasm is great.

@crescent girl has just been audited by @StevePark and has 3-5 working days to respond in writing.

Is it? I genuinely didn’t know that. I’m sure I’ve been seeing Dick Barrie‘s name in Speedway Stars and programmes since the 90s, but I’ve never actually saw him. Deadly. I hung around after the meeting for an autograph, a selfie and a calf massage.

I thought they were good entertainment. I recognised the young guy from BSN’s coverage, I think. I’m 90% sure it’s the guy I’m thinking about. Scottish accent? He’s got the right blend and balance of professional and humour. If he’s involved in a meeting on BSN, he adds value. I hope he’s covering the Belle Vue versus Leicester meeting tonight.

Looking forward to this tonight. Heatings on, so the missus should be asleep in no time, leaving me with the a bliss evening of speedway and chocolate.

Off the topic of random drug testing and the outrageous wait time for a portion of chips, who is the centre green announcer at Shielfield? Not the young guy who works for BSN (although he was great), but the other guy. He observed one of Harris’ wins as ”three points for the little fat man” and credited the man responsible for the coin toss as being ”a great tosser”. Tremendous. I’m also certain he had a bet on with one of his mates. He was due twenty quid if he could mention the two minute time allowance for each heat at least a thousand times.

What’s the script for a failed or non-negative drug test? Does Complin have to leave or would he have hung around the pits? For what it’s worth, I don’t think it’s fair to pass judgement quite yet. It’s only fair to await the outcome of the lab assessment.

I’ll take that. Taking into account the Complin situation and Berwick being two meetings deep, that’s a decent result. Lewis Kerr, take a bow son. He bullied and I mean bullied Harris at the first bend of heat one and coming off the second bend in heat fifteen. That’s the first time I’ve been at Shielfield since Adrien Rymel was using those last two bends as a half-pipe. Loved it. My first was Nicki Pedersen’s Newcastle debut. Leon Flint’s needing to pack in those wheelies at the end. You came last, mate. You’re riding for the champions now; we don’t celebrate defeats.

What is the rumoured team? I haven’t had the opportunity to see anything on here over the past couple of months. I assume Harris will be one, but find it off that if so, he wasn’t announced following the cryptic “01/12/23” nonsense on social media. Again, nothing against Lee Complin who I’m a huge fan of.

What’s the script with the amateur dramatics team building announcements? I’m delighted Complin is back, but firing-out a cloak-and-dagger social media post with nothing more than a date, then subsequently announcing the first reserve’s return is speedway’s equivalent to Netflix releasing a set date drumroll which turned-out to be Ready, Steady, Cook. I’m happy, but f*cking hell, talk about underwhelming. It isn’t a huge deal because I’ve got faith in the club’s ability to build a solid team, but if I was the supporter of another club, I’d be pointing and laughing. It’s like they’ve let the social media work experience lead on this one. An incredible gesture with the charities again though. Fantastic stuff.

He took it last night. He posted when he got home from the meeting and congratulated Glasgow, but he was still met with one or two bitter responses. How do you know he stormed out of meetings? I’m not doubting you, but that’s a wild accusation from nowhere.

What exactly is a “troll” in a forum sense, if you don’t mind me asking? He may be one, but from what I’ve saw, he has a few people on toast because he makes a tongue-in-cheek post and the response is outrage. I mean, let me put it into perspective; he was called-out multiple times during last night’s fixture and at one point, as Glasgow were on the brink of a league title victory, a fellow Tigers’ fan took the time to work out that Mr Shovlar hadn’t posted in the ‘Poole v Glasgow’ topic since page thirteen. Wow. The term “rent free” doesn’t even come close. That’s merely about that member, though. The name calling is the issue. It’s childish. This place has opportunity for debate everywhere, but resorting to calling someone a name - then the inevitable onslaught of back-up likes - takes that away.

This place is mental. Honestly, I’ve never know so many grown adults to call one another names. It’s insane and I’ve been on the end of it. Poole will use last night as motivation. They won’t forget seeing Glasgow’s riders and staff celebrate around Wimborne Road, so I’ve no doubt they’ll be as competitive as ever next season. Celebrating without class is the sign of a poor winner, but I’m not just referring to this topic. I don’t know @Steve Shovlar, but even following his gracious acceptance of defeat, he was being goaded and questioned last night. A bit of class wouldn’t go a miss.