Bitza

Might just being thick but why will finding a guest for play offs be more difficult? When only 3 other teams 5 active. Harrison looks like becoming an honorary Pirate, and he's very welcome too.

75 0/0 of fixtures meaning what exactly? League, BSN, KO and everything?

And at the time the team was announced (post Anders Rowe debacle) most Pirates supporters on here were very relieved and happy to have Zac back despite knowing he would be missing some fixtures. Unfortunately the current state of UK speedway, makes it inevitable that riders need multiple club rides to make it viable. Much as we might love to have UK clubs to be able to sign riders with total priority, that's just unrealistic. Moving to some form of squad system could give more flexibility to cope with the inevitable reality of fixture clashes?

Well I have to go with optimism, Pirates win. But have to admit Zac has been doing plenty of the heavy lifting for Poole this season and will be missed, but not as much as he would have missed last night. Wóod has gone well at the Collosium this year 7+3 so should be good value, Harrison hasn't been down there this year but has real quality, so yes I'm feeling optimistic.

I'm a bit behind at the moment being stuck in a field near Barnsley, anyway from what I saw on the updates the Pirates really JUST got away with that one. One speedway rule I absolutely loathe is the strategic replacement one, I get ridiculously happy when it all goes wrong (cos I've never witnessed Poole use it before), but last night it was a godsend and gave the Pirates draw. Bad luck Cheetahs it is a cr.p rule.

NumberEight me thinks.

Hard to call, were it with Cairns/MacDiarmid I'd go for Poole, what with Cairns becoming a consistent performer for the Pirates, but with rr results will be more down to who actually gets dialed in on the night. Cheetahs may have been pants this year but all their league success has come at home where they have only been beaten once ......let's make it twice!

The literally closest racing was between Morris and Kemp, lovely move? well I thought so.

Looking forward to the speedway this evening, it'll be interesting to see how it all pans out. I totally understand how angry/frustrated fans are with the whole absences/guesting bit. Hopefully the Pirates come good and avoid the disjointed kind of performance of the KO semi.

But he's not withholding his services, the situation has arisen because Poole promotion have CHOSEN to arrange/rearrange matches when they know Lawson may well be unavailable (because his danish club has pre-arranged fixtures on those days). If Poole stick to the original fixtures and avoid clashes with the other club's, the Pirates have priority on Richards services. Of course it would be great if our club could have exclusive rights to a riders services, but that simply isn't practical/possible in the current UK speedway set up. Where a top Championship rider needs to ride in a number of leagues in order to make it a viable proposition.

I think that judgment is harsh, this is a person's livelihood (with a new family to support)as well as a sport. Can you really expect riders to simply ride for your entertainment? If the Fords had wanted/ valued it Lawson's obliged absences could have been AVOIDED, the promoters have basically not been the shrewd operators that they imagine they are. Their decisions have determined who rides on Wednesday, not Lawson. So yes he was forced into it!

The Leicester performance tonight doesn't make great reading Kemp 15/6 Masters 6/5 from a Poole point of view. Re: the absence of Lawson on Wednesday if you want somebody to blame why not the person/people who decided to cancel the Berwick KO heat cos it coincided with a football match (balancing the cost of running a poorly attended KO heat against potentially a well supported final) and of course the person/people who decided to swop the scheduled league heat with the KO heat. (That was the real clanger). These decisions directly resulted the Richard being contractualy obliged to ride for the Danish team on both occasions. Lawson is just trying to make riding speedway fit his life, he's done nothing wrong he's just doing what he has signed up to. The Fords on the other are making executive decisions that determine who actually rides for Poole on the night.

As I remember it the KO home meeting was swapped round with the league fixture, making both rearranged matches, that I'm thinking gives Lawson's danish side priority for their pre-scheduled matches.

Surely it would only be fair if this time Flint guests for Poole and Bomber for Berwick.

Well still plenty of league Speedway to come, but many teams are close to being in the final quarter. So who will make it to a playoff position? For me it looks like being: Poole, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Scunthorpe or possibly Berwick, But Berwick have to really up their game and take some big scalps, with the KO cup as well it could potentially be a big season for Berwick.

Hope you're joking, but if so I'll be praying Poole don't ask Bomber to guest again.

The KO home leg was a pretty horrid night for Pirate's fans as I remember it, no Lawson /Harris proving to be an uninspired guest, Bowes bowing out after two heats with his undiagnosed injury, newly promoted number 4 Rushen didn't have the best of nights finishing with a questionable exclusion in heat 14. Plus the Bandit's had Flint guesting who did well. All in all 47/43 seemed like a bit of a frustrating result at the time. The challenge facing the Bandits on Wednesday will be a Very different if the Pirates perform like last week, they rode well individually and there was also good team ridding too. I'm expecting a strong performance on Wednesday, 10+ home win.

Pity you can't drag your great track nearer to where more people live, but at least you don't have a Premiership Football club next door.

To be fair there were a fair number of overtakes but generally Poole on Worky, good ding-dong race with Rushen (on Cluff?), Lawson was definitely not on any blue line as he rounded Jeppsen in heat 15. But Workington were abysmal, riders kept making errors & falling, not clearing track etc, tactical substitution wasted. Over from the start. On the positive, did get meet up with Neila good to put a face to the name and the wind-ups.

OK so if anyone would like to actually meet up in person tomorrow (and that even includes Neil) I'll be right at the apex of turns 1 & 2. Tall bloke, glasses, NOT wearing Pirates regalia, plenty of hair, also answers to Mike. Me I'd like to meet up and put a Face to the name.

Well it should be great to get back to live racing at Wimborne Road, I'm really looking forward to it. I might even have a celebratory hot dog. Harrison is a fair guest to have so am confident he'll make his contribution. The Pirates are more than capable of winning this one, but could do without poor reffing decisions and mechanicals. Let's Just have a night of great racing. PS I'll give the hotdog a miss, I Just like the idea.

Question, has everybody been unable to access this forum for the last four days or so? Or was it just me.

Sounds like a good idea to me.

Kennet for Oxford at Scunthorpe scored 5 from 4 rides, but two of those were retirements, so just have to hope his machines are now sorted.

Sorry to interrupt but,...........nice to hear that Cairns had a good night for the Aces, 9+2 and voted on BSN as rider of the night.