TheWellBehavedWorrall

They lost a rider who wouldn’t have beaten an opponent all evening. Losing Ablitt will have had zero impact on proceedings, other than Ingram - who will also fail to beat an opponent tonight - being a tired boy tonight.

First pass of the night comes in heat ten.

How?😂 If Pickering, Palm Toft or Jenkins crashed out, I’d understand, but who are we kidding here? Ablitt wouldn’t have beaten an opponent tonight. He is zero loss. I’m not overly fond of Poole either, but let’s not be silly.

The play-off final too. Seven heats and not a single pass - or even an attempted pass - beyond the first lap. If the powers that be are serious about improving British speedway, then track preparation independent of the home side might be a solution. The sad thing is good, hardworking track staff who do all they can to provide the fans with a racing track - like Glasgow, Red at and Scunthorpe - would be the cost.

It’s bizarre. He rounded Leon Flint - who had just returned from Team GB World Cup duties in Poland - at Scunthorpe, but tonight, he looks it’s his first time on a speedway bike. He won’t score a single point tonight. Another heat, another FTG. The racing is taking away from the occasion.

Yeah, Cairns (number two) replaced Kerr (number three). Never saw that before, but presume it’s now a rule, given it was allowed. Harrison well off the pace tonight.

Is that a new/recent rule change, where a rider injured during the meeting (Kerr) can be replaced by someone other than a reserve (Cairns)?

You said losing Nathan Ablitt has “decided it”.😂

Cannot stand this track. What an awful advert for speedway, regardless of who wins. Two crashes aside, it’s been utter dross. Scunthorpe prepared a track for racing. Why can’t Poole? The grand final and this is what’s being served.

Am I tripping, or is this the same Nathan Ablitt who scored two at Ashfield and one in the first leg? While I wish him well, he is absolutely no loss to Scunthorpe.

I think we’re losing sight of the topic. Can I be clear? I don’t care what your personal preference is. I couldn’t care less. You quoted me, sharing your indifferences. I think the experience could be improved and the overwhelming majority see live sport as an event; not just the result. It’s why music plays such a key role in the biggest of those; the Champions League theme song, the F1 national anthems, the Super Bowl half-time show, walk-out music in boxing or football or even fitting music when trophies are lifted.

I’m afraid you’re confusing ‘affecting the team or racing’ with ‘affecting the event’. No-one with half a brain would argue playing Wham’s Club Tropicana before heat thirteen would aid us in any way. The fact is, speedway isn’t just four riders going around a track; like all sports, presentation is part of the event. Music, announcements, crowd interactions, introductions, etc. all contribute to atmosphere.

A good point and hopefully true. I hope I’m wrong, but I think the stage is set for an absolute borefest. The line-up is filled with talent, but given the deficit from the first leg, Poole won’t risk going toe-to-toe racing with Scunthorpe. The second leg of last season’s play-off final where Poole secured the title at Ashfield was one of the best meetings I’ve ever been to. Those unfortunate enough to remember the first leg at will recall Freddy Hodder’s pass of Paul Starke on the line in heat two was the only pass that happened beyond the first lap in the entire evening.

Well, if the shoe fits, Arthur. You’ve had a cheating incident as recently as your last meeting. You’ve also got a Rushen riding for you. No-one else has been allowed one since the Ukraine war.

Gutted for Hodder. I rate him. Not every U21 rider is a Will Cairns or a Cooper Rushen, but he’s steadily improved, year-on-year. That’s all you can ask. He doesn’t settle either. KJP gates second, he’s finishing second. He’s content to play follow-the-leader. Not Hodder. His progress and development in riding Ashfield has been huge this season. He’s so comfortable riding that outside line, near the fence. Wishing him a speedy recovery.

What’s the script for team building, like who actually puts the team together; the manager or the owners? I’d be interested in knowing how riders are approached too, given there are no agents. Do clubs have dedicated “recruiters” who approach riders? First thing I’d be doing for 2027 is finding a new DJ.

If that’s the case, we need to throw a Neymar-like deal at him. And by that, I mean we do what Barca did and send a lap dancer to his dad’s house at least one every week. @phillwhitewasmad Don’t worry, we’ve got you.

Welcome to Glasgow, Luke Harrison. 🤑

That is absolutely awful from Plymouth.😂 I’m laughing, but that’s so poor. It’s the biggest meeting of the season and Gladiators’ fans will already be gutted about the first leg, but instead of a galvanising article, it’s: we need £46K or you’ll have no speedway next season. What a prospect, walking into the Coliseum; about a 2% chance of winning the trophy and faced with the prospect this will be the last meeting at Plymouth. P*ss poor from the powers that be at Plymouth and a prime example of why British speedway is in the state it’s in. In other sports, sensibility prevails. In British speedway, it doesn’t. Remarkable that’s been given the green light for release. At least two grown adults have read that and thought “yeah, that’ll do”.

Could you elaborate please, Steve?

Agreed, but I don’t want him gone; I just get the impression he will be. If he was announced for 2027, I would not be disappointed.

I don’t think that’s fair on the start marshall and for what it’s worth, discussions like this are a byproduct of cheating. In its very fundamentals, the start marshall is responsible for several preparation factors, but enforcing the tyre warming rule is absolutely not one of them. The finger should be pointed at Cairns and the referee; not the start marshall. That’s entirely unfair.

The screenshot was from when BSN replayed the incident, just after Howe’s comments before the last heat.

Wouldn’t mind a top two of Flint and Thompson. I don’t think Flint’s ready to be a number one, but Thompson might be. Add Zischke and Hooder, that’s a promising first four. I do like the idea of Vinnie Foord joining Hodder at reserve. Gutted Berwick have retained Morris and Battye. Think they’d have been huge additions with every possibility of adding to their average. Wouldn’t be surprised to see KJP back, but hope it doesn’t happen. Doubt Harris will be back. Sad, but this has been a poor season by his usual standards. He didn’t say as much, but his post-meeting interview against Scunthorpe last week had tones of a leaving speech.

He was warming his tyre before heat eight which is an illegal action, as deemed by not just the sport of speedway, but FIM. The rules on it are black and white: if you do it, you’re excluded. Cairns did it and wasn’t. He subsequently won the race and until heat fourteen, it was the only time any rider had done so from gate three. Like I said, I really rate Cairns and found him pure entertainment against Redcar. We could all argue until we’re blue in the face about whether or not he gained an unfair advantage, but the rules are very simple; it’s illegal. Here’s the incident: