RobMcCaffery

Must be your most successful defeat in years Ghostwalker. Congratulations.

Dave - another vote for Rayleigh. You never forget your first love ;-) By the way, it's a trading estate not a leisure centre now.

I think we have to take FreeSports' schedules cautiously. Digiguide is still showing other programming tonight and their website STILL doesn't have formal listings. So, we have to rely on the Sky listing or electronic programme guides or advice from Dave Goddard, the commentator. Until things settle (*) we have to be prepared for last-minute decisions and changes. Apparently they keep changing their football matches. Well, it IS for free.... (* we were saying that about Eurosport in 1989...)

Top 2 teams qualified direct for the semis. The next four raced a preliminary round with Dackarna and Lejonen losing. So six teams qualified for the finals and four matches had been raced before tonight.

There's nothing like a fight for survival to make moments like this so precious. Enjoy.

There are now virtually no evening papers left. One of the last, The Oldham Evening Chronicle went bust last week. Most papers switched to overnight printing some time ago, which is why these 'evening' papers have largely dropped the word and are now available first thing in the morning. It's cheaper that way. The biggest selling 'regional daily' is not from Manchester or Birmingham (The London Evening Standard is free) but the Wolverhampton Express and Star, as a regular Wolves supporter on here will confirm ;-) It was one of the last to convert to overnight. These changes make it remarkable that many still carry that night's speedway report. Out here in the west the Western Daily Press report on Swindon matches doesn't appear until the Saturday edition! This is the effect of free news on the internet. Local newspaper sales are slumping even more drastically than speedway crowds with many that used to sell well over 100,000 copies now struggling to get over 30k. Several below that figure have been converted tp weeklies. Regional printing centres have long since dominated and few papers are now actually printed on their own 'patch'. One, the Manchester Evening News isn't even written in its own city - the newsroom's in Oldham! The spiral gains momentum and standards disappear. Remind you of a sport?

The most important meeting of the year and probably the last - and the supporters don't turn up. What's the matter, does the loyal, fanatical support only work when you're guaranteed a win you can boast about?

Think of them as Premier Sports 1 & Premier Sports 2. Some of the sport on PS is repeated on FS, sometimes it's on both at once. Occasionally, as in tonight the sport's on FS first when there's no room on PS. As an example of what's happening regarding other sports, PS have the rights to 15 NHL ice hockey games a week. They only have room for 12. In the past the other 3 weren't shown. Now they'll be shown on FS. It's rather like Sky being able to show every Premierr League football match but dumping all the Bournemouth, Brighton and Crystal Palace matches on their free channel, Sky Sports Mix. There will be cross-over between the two channels but from what's been seen so far they will be running very different schedules. Tonight's speedway (and tomorrow's) were last minute changes. Originally they were just going to show repeats at 10 tomorrow night and during Thursday afternoon. It's NOT a case of running two identical channels but charging a tenner a month for an HD version...

The Laguta hearing was today and lasted five hours, Sporftowe Fakty has reported. . Laguta has been suspended for two years from 11th June 2017. His points have after all been deducted from his final two matches for Rybnik so ROW lose five match points and thus finish last in the Ekstraliga, sparing Torun from automatic relegation. It scarcely seems fair to punish the club for the stupidity of a rider. No doubt the Polish version of Sue, Grabbit and Runne will be wanting some of Rybnik's money back from Laguta in part-compensation. Full story: https://sportowefakty.wp.pl/zuzel/710466/jest-decyzja-w-sprawie-grigorija-laguty-row-poleci-z-pge-ekstraligi (EDIT: Tarkens hit send just before me!)

Excellent work Dave, I really enjoyed the commentary. Looking forward to tomorrow night. (At least they let me go to Sweden to commentate ) Congratulations to Ghostwalker on Smederna's remarkable win, After all he and the club have gone through that must really taste good.

FreeSports launched on Freesat 252 today. Glad to hear both days' matches are being carried. For those complaining I think the idea was that you got a little more than speedway for your £25.

Yes, this is Free Sports on channel 95 who have made a late schedule change, and a very welcome one too. They second legs are tomorrow night so hopefully we might have good news then as well. Free Sports has launched on Freesat today on channel 252. Still no news on Virgin Media.

I believe Frank's day job was as a restaurant owner. I expect people didn't have to wait long...... He was an absolute delight to work with, even though he banned me smoking in the box. If only I could have put him on the mic when he explained the reasoning behind his decisions. While supporters were baying for his blood his explanations were clear-cut and expert, but private. He was certainly one of the most intelligent men I've ever known to referee. Frank's early years as a supporter standing in the freezing cold explained his rapid use of the two minute warning, often while I was still reading out the result of the previous race.

Do they not have mental hospitals in Zielona Gora or do they give them Falubaz season tickets instead?

Hypocrite.

Anyone who uses Digiguide TV schedule system might like to know that FreeSports' schedule has now appeared there, up to October 1st. There are plenty of repeats of the Swedish racing scheduled but not so much Polish. You can scroll through the guide here https://digiguide.tv/

It is not just one person causing the problem. For goodness' sake look at the damage you are ALL doing to what remains of this forum. It has been said by you many times, and guess what, nobody's taking you seriously. Wonder why? Now will you all start thinking about others and take your moronic squabbles elsewhere and let the grown-ups talk! There, it's set up for you. Off you go. http://www.speedway-forum.co.uk/forums/index.php?showtopic=85241

Reserved for the morons ruining almost every thread with their childish squabbles. Do it here instead and and give us all a break. Now, you can start off by having a stupid row over who belongs in here while the rest of us talk about speedway. Have you heard of it? It's quite good you know - a few serious problems that need sorting out but still a good idea. You should try it.....

Look, I worked for one a long time ago, much to my cost. They all are. Sky raised the bar though and that invited the likes of BT in. People seem to think that Sky are a generous charity giving sport to the masses then the awful BT came along to spoil it. At least BT's coverage assumes the viewer has a brain.

(Sigh) Well it worked, for a while. I think this sandpit is a horror sandpit and the people describing what goes on in it 'do my head in'. If only this sandpit was perfect as mine. Tears before bedtime, I suspect. Is it worth opening a thread called "Sandpit" and banishing these bores there? Phil, are you there? Anyone heard of a sport called speedway? It used to be rather good and had some pretty decent fans. Seems so long ago......... (Off to check whether my dad is bigger than other people's)

If Sky hadn't ripped-off the customers to line the pockets of footballers and their agents the likes of BT would probably have left them alone. As soon as silly money started circulating then competition was inevitable.

Now you can enjoy your six month close season.

Did anyone watch the matches last night?

The shortest season at Rye House since the Rockets moved in in 1974. I do hope that quality compensated for quantity. (Still care about the old place and Rayleigh Rockets will always be my team).

Going off-topic, anyone else think BT and the BSPA 'dodged the bullet' by the former not televising Wolves v King's Lynn last night? So far only the odd guest has shown up our problems on live TV. While it was pure, tragic chance that the match would lose three reserves in one heat, resulting in only four heats having four riders they would also have had to show two riders appearing for two teams on the same night! I shall now return you to the sandpit. It'll all end in tears, mind you.