TheWellBehavedWorrall

Forecast is a bit of rain and sun until around 4PM/5PM, then glorious speedway from there.

Shielfield Park, tomorrow night. 7PM (England time)/7PM (Scotland time). Love Shielfield. Those third and fourth bends can make or break a rider and even unchallenged, seeing a rider go around Berwick, full throttle, is a thing of beauty. I’m going to for another draw on the road. I think it’ll be close; I think the Bandits have put together a side with a lot of potential, but we’re strong too. As will be the case often in the early stages of the season, a lot will depend on if or how Hausl and Juhl Pedersen adapt to the track. Being left alone with their own thoughts for the duration of that back-straight could be dangerous.

I get my copy from Tesco every week, largely out of nostalgia and loyalty. Magazines are outdated in the current world, but British speedway’s lack of coverage dictates the vast majority of it is actually new information. I do feel like the content needs improving. Give us more insight, less reporting. Alun Rossiter’s interview a couple of weeks ago was interesting, as are the manager interviews because they give fans a perspective they’re unfamiliar with.

@StevePark explain yourself.

I might sit in the main stand tonight, if that’s the case. I’d also be closer to the announcer, so could maybe help correct his many errors. Who was the old presenter? Michael Max, I think? He was very good. I remember he was brought down to do the Pairs at Workington and the PLRC at Belle Vue, he was that highly regarded. At a time when there were 25+ active clubs in British speedway, all of whom had their own presenter. Edinburgh have quite a professional set up with no Laurel & Hardy like attempts at humour, but their previous one was also outstanding. I think his name was Scott Wilson. I still have nightmares about ”Peter ‘The Motor’ Carr”” because nine times out of ten, he was winning.

Darts has definitely become a spectacle; a blur between sports and live entertainment, but they kick started the rejuvenation by leaning on the characters and the rivalries, big time. Taylor and Van Gerwen, for example. I feel like speedway has so much potential, but we’re falling terribly short on the absolute basics, like a complete failure to modernise presentation. Anyway, I’m looking forward to tomorrow night, ”Lively Leon Flint” and ”a win for the rider in orange, Ainsley Harriett, in a winning time of two hours” aside.

FWIW, I’m not against 80s gay disco in the right environment (a 60th birthday party or an Elton John tribute act, for example), but that environment isn’t at a sporting event. We do a lot very well at Ashfield, but in terms of audible presentation, it’s dreadful. Utterly woeful. Glasgow - and British speedway as a whole, to be fair - has to rebrand itself, similar to what darts went through. Instead, we’re forced to endure incorrect announcements relating to riders, scores and times while we’re made to tolerate forced, dated, amateurish broadcasting like ”Lively Leon Flint”.

Senior Vice President of Airhorns.

He sounds mature.

😂 What an input. This is probably a grown adult, by the way.

What are you talking about? The track should be prepared for racing. It’s not black and white; prepare it for us or them. Poole came to Ashfield twice last season and won (once on aggregate); an emphasis that 1. We do not prepare the track purely for ourselves and 2. You build strong, entertaining sides that deserve so much better than they get at Wimborne Road.

Are we getting into this? Really? In the return leg at Ashfield, your riders - and ours - put on an absolute show of speedway. It was a pleasure to witness it. That is what speedway is all about. Don’t insult me or any other paying fan with at least half a brain with the ”we prepared it for ourselves”. Did you see Lawson and Cook in the play-off race at Ashfield? They smoked Harris and Howarth. Give them a racers track and they’ll entertain. We lost, but that is what speedway is all about. Utter brain damage, trying to justify two passes after the second bend across fifteen heats of speedway at Wimborne Road as preparing it for yourself.

Not quite the point the Lisa. You can talk about anything. You can talk about how many five years olds it would take to beat you in a fight, for example. The point is that a Poole fan criticising someone else’s track is similar to Donald Trump suggesting you should watch what you eat or Stevie Wonder questioning your vision.

Horrible situation for Swindon. A new company can be created on Companies House for around £20, but the fact the last entity to run speedway in Swindon has collapsed doesn’t exactly scream positivity. Do we have any Swindon fans on here? If so, do you still attend the likes of Oxford, or are you lost to the sport? Many years ago, I enjoyed visiting Reading, Oxford and Swindon. Cornerstone clubs of British speedway. It’s a travesty, what’s happening to UK speedway. I’m an optimist, but also a realist and without significant intervention, we’ll lose this fine sport one day in this country.

Ashfield, tomorrow night. 7:30PM (UK time)/10PM (Tehran time). The forecast does not look good. Prediction, should this go ahead: Glasgow 49, Berwick 41, me to cringe at least four times when the presenter says ”Lively Leon Flint” and the announcer to give the wrong time twice, incorrectly confirm the score four times and say the wrong rider won the last race six times. All of which will be supplemented by music more suited to an 80s gay disco than a sporting event.

I had similar concerns over Steve Worrall in 2024. 3, 3, 2, 1, 0 was a typical scoreline sequence for him. This is why I think we brought Howarth back. I feel like he’s got the mentality and aggression for heats 13 and 15.

That isn’t a bad result for Poole, all things considered. It could have been a lot worse, but they’re capable of winning at home by a greater margin. The irony - arguably karma - in Poole fans criticising the track is astonishing. You produce the absolute worst racing this country has ever seen at Wimborne Road, but you’ve been winning, so can’t see the forest for the trees. I've been victim to a robbery once in my life: when I paid for the Poole versus Glasgow stream last season. It takes an incredibly negative approach to make Chris Harris look boring. A truly remarkable lack of self-awareness.

The lack of self-awareness from you is quite remarkable.

😂😂😂

Welcome to the world of every other club whose had the displeasure of visiting Wimborne Road in recent seasons.

I’d sit this one out Lisa. A Poole fan criticising someone else’s track is like a homeless person criticising your curtains.

it’s exactly what happened. Updating the situation? Let me directly quote Oxford’s statement: ”after several days of meetings – the situation has now reached a point where it is full steam ahead again for Cheetahs” If you, as an Oxford or even a speedway fan in general, are appeased by that, then my suggestion is to be quiet and enjoy what’s left of the sport in this country while the rest of us hold clubs and their stakeholders accountable to even a degree of standards.

Oxford speedway on 07/04: “Two entities - neither of which are us - terminated their agreement, so we’re unable to fulfil our first competitive meeting, throwing our season and entire existence into doubt before the season proper has even began. We’ll keep you posted”. Radio silence. Oxford speedway on 10/04: “Get your tickets for the next home meeting!” This isn’t just poor communication; it’s blatant disregard for the supporters of Oxford speedway. I feel sorry for Cheetahs fans who deserve better.

😂 Might take a mental note of your name, so as to remember not to take a single thing you ever say seriously. An outrageously woeful perspective. Truly awful.

Really enjoyed that. I think a draw was a fair result. We looked dead and buried at one point, but two Harris inspired advantages in heats 12 and 13 pulled us back into it. Tonight was a free pass for Hausl and Juhl Pedersen, given it was their first encounter with Armadale (a tricky track to navigate), so it was great to see them both contribute important points in heats 11 and 14. Flint being disqualified for the wind blowing the tapes against him was definitely revenge for us “accidentally” stopping that heat with Kye Thomson half a lap ahead of Harris at Ashfield.