ouch

Not read all this so sorry if the obvious has already been stated. It's a money saving thing. Before a top liner came out giving the fans a chance to see him in action again, even if it was a mismatch of a race. The problem was he needed paying start and points money. The new rule does fudge things a bit as I think we are the only sport now where percentage wise you can amass more points than their opponents but still be on the loosing side.

I don't think it's meant to represent the takings from pie & mash with a stout to wash it down. It's more about Belle Vue ( using that here in its geographical sense) getting back to producing British youngsters. I good while ago, but still in the GP era we had Screen, Stonehewer and Smith all in the series together having qualified. All were ex Colts and the point is that not every rider coming through the system stays with the Aces like PC and Mort, but go on the successfully represent other UK teams. So in that sense it benefits the sport nationally.

I agree, we're the Belle Vue of speedway not the Man U. The greatest speedway team of the 20th century and with 80 odd years still to go the greatest of the 21st century. It's 2500 seats plus terracing. Some nice pics of the tin shed here. http://www.bellevueaces.co/newsitem.aspx?id=885 LOL That says it all to me. If a bloke who has issues with club can be tempted then we will have no problem attracting all the people with a passing intrest in the Aces. I think we will get 6000 for opening night. That will pay the £75K in one go plus a good few grand on top.

Half price admission is one of the perks when buying a season ticket or joining the 500 club, so if they are using them as an incentive then they must be running.

I can only go off the official line and not hearsay or opinion re the Dudley match. "Meeting abandoned due to curfew. Result stands." I can't remember a GP without riders hitting ruts and veering off course. It was AJ in the last one, indeed on the run up to that meeting Hancock hurt his knee in Poland when he hit a rut. Theres no point in debating this point as I will always say tracks have ruts while you think they are smooth. Re Stoke and Kings Lynn match. This was the night with about 6 or 7 falls over 30 races. I think that's quite good at this level but again we will have to disagree on that. I've been to all but 4 current UK tracks plus many that have since closed and a fair few abroad so I feel well placed to judge whether a meeting is "fair" or not. Kirky Lane can be good and bad just like any other track, indeed the last time we were on Sky it was discussed as one of the better tv matches this season. It is unfair to label a track such as Belle Vue as always producing dreadful meetings. Whilst I agree that Scunthorpe and Milldenhall are better circuits, that is not the criteria used to determine champions.

Lucky! The first running of the race before Irving caused the race stoppage we were on an 8-1. In the rerun we managed to get an er 8-1. That delay though coupled with what happened in heat 15 almost halved our advantage. That's how I worked it out.

No meeting have been abandoned due to a dangerous track. Many many tracks from the GP’s down suffer from ruts so we are not a special case. The rut in question was on the inside. Karl kissed it twice in his first race, then fully embraced it in his last. This happens. Irvine did not fall due to a rut. The meeting was fine not “bloody awful”. Not many of the Colts are assets due to the fact that this is our first year and we will look to build up from here. We have offered second half racing for years but have been unable to offer youngsters a league team with regular team racing home and away. This has seen many Aces youngsters lost to the club. A more pertinent question would be how many of the riders on show last night had regular, not the odd one or two, by regular second half rides for the Colts. The list Kyle Howarth Jason Garrity Steve Worrall Richie Worrall Adam Wrathall Lee Smethills Even operating on the back foot in terms of developing riders we have still managed to produce this year NL champion in our first year. Interestingly despite the supposed experience of the Colts team we do have a younger average age than Scunfield. The other reason many Colts have gone west is due to the current financial situation as we sort the new stadium together with its academy for British youngsters. The stadium rental cost is so high even for the Colts, we have more than likely spent more on junior speedway than you guys. Here’s hoping we can pick things up again and help UK speedway. The last time we had a decent representation in the GPs, three out of the five were ex Colts. I hope the Colts make the final, they thoroughly deserve it. Having their potential lead almost halved due to faults, though unintentional of the opposing team is hard to take. Many managers when asked say they want a 10-12 point lead and 9 would have been game on, but to loose 80% of what the lead could have been following the exclusions of members of Scunfield really sticks in my craw. In the current scheme of things with the new stadium, to win the play offs (and the seniors win the KO Cup) would mean so much more than it may normally do and help further raise the profile of Belle Vue at a time when it is most needed.

Well if I leave Owlerton next week and we aren't in the final it will be the biggest injustice in speedway - ever. If there are any Saints/Prowler fans who witnessed tonights action who think otherwise then there's something very wrong with you. Let's all hope for the right result next week,

We had a match earlier this year when the Colts threw points away with falls etc. It's a learning curve and they just got on with it together with the opposition. Cup match I think. Glad the lads are ok, I hate to see injuries. We had a match where we lost our number one plus our best rider. Can't remember where but will look it up as I won't be going there again to see injuries like that.

Good one to kick off with, with some great match ups in prospect. Hope we get a few away fans to add to what I'm hoping with be a good home turnout. Stock cars at weekend so I hope the track is in good shape. Fine weather this week should help. Go for it lads, but stay safe!

The gate positions in the first two rounds must confirm that this race is incorrect, or for some reason this race has been changed.

Looking at the race card, I think it will be really close for the 2nd spot. If we can pull off a “backs to the wall” performance then we could sneak it. Heats 13 and 20 are the decisive heat for us and we need to ensure the Joker is not squandered. Whatever happens it will be the meeting of the year, real edge of your seat job. Can’t wait.

I reckon the Aussies to go through with the Poles second and making their way to the play off which they will be satisfied with. The Brits will keep in contention for second due to the Slovaks more often than not occupying last whilst the Aussies finish first meaning the two middle teams stay fairly close. At around heat 19/20 the Brits will fold and end up third. Kings selection will be the main bone of contention with the Brit fans after the meeting, due to him only beating Slovaks.

Peter Ljung, Jonas Davidsson, Daniel Nermark, Adrian Rymel, Kenneth Bjerre and Bjarne Pedersen. All these riders rode above themselves, obviously with some national pride. The GB team underperformed terribly. Why didn’t they at least show some fight whilst going down. Where was the bulldog spirit you here about? That’s what gets me. I’ve always said I prefer to see a lad trying his heart out to score 5 than some bloke go through the motions and score 6. We need more passion and Lynch is not the man. Floppy or Havvy would be much better at getting MORE out the riders we have available. When asked at the top of the programme if he thought the Danes were favourite, Lynch agreed. Even if he thinks that he should not voice that opinion. It should be instilled in the team that we WILL beat the Danes in our country no matter what. If you aim high and just miss, you’ll finish better than aiming lower and hitting it. We aimed low and missed that! Show some bollox GP, for Christ sake.

Move off the inside line and go backwards. Didn't the Brits think about this?

Thanks for clearing that up. I'd already posted that the top three qualified but f-s-p didn't get it. Lets meet back here at the end of the GP series and discuss Ferjan's GP scores. I'm going out a limp now by saying I think Stead will have scored more GP points that Ferjan. I am there to be shot down though.

Nope top three. Just ask Peter Karlsson if you need it confirmed. The meeting in question.

It only mattered if you finished in the top 3. Neither did. This meeting is as relevant/irrelevant as any other for these two non qualifiers.

The last time Team GB rode at Smallmead Loram scored 7/5, Richardson a 10/5, oh and Louis 1/4. Ouch. If the track is prepared to Steadys liking, all the Brits will do well. I still say it's in our hands to give us an advantage.

That will do for me. I’m more than happy. The Aussies cannot take any physiological advantage from this meeting, as there was nothing between them and Team GB. Todd e/f was accounted for with Scottys re-run, and if he hadn’t have fallen whilst in no-mans land then the leading brit would have won the race. I’d much rather face the Poles at the race-off than the Aussies and its another match for the lads to ride together as a team. Hopefully they will keep in their minds the riding of the track under race conditions and take that knowledge forward to the final. From a personnel point of view, I’d prefer to watch a match with Team GB in than without. I now know how it feels to have the 2006 vintage Jason Crump in opposition and quite frankly he’s a pain in the backside. It’s a daunting prospect when your lads have to come up against him. Also from an Aces point of view I still think Stead get pushed about too much. He rode a good race to keep Gollob behind him, but too often he lets others dictate the race. Watching the meeting, if you beat Nicholls or Harris you certainly had to work for it with no quarter given. If Middlo reads the thread then remember the next two meeting are in Britain, so we should prepare the track for our team. If you had to describe Loram, Nicholls, Harris and Stead then you would say they were racers. Forget what Olsen wants for the Danes, we’re running it so we decide. Come you Brits!

Looking through the riders that have pulled out of the next round either through injury or disinterest, then David Howe looks the next available qualifier. Wouldn’t it have been easier to report the fact that all this had occurred instead of the leading with the picking a choosing method that was originally stated. It only served to get peoples backs up when it could have been avoided. Cheers for the clarification, something the sport needs to do more often.

Your first two paragraphs restate the points I made, but unbelievably you seem to think this kind of behaviour by the powers that be is ok. Middlo given the choice. That’s bad surely. You shouldn’t assume in speedway. That’s bad surely. Lee Richardson over Hans Andersen. That’s bad surely. Seeding Wrighy last year over a true qualifier. That’s bad surely. Yet you use these in defence of your augment. We are poles apart in what we think is right and wrong. Lets stick to PL matches only. Wrighty is higher. Oh and his current EL average is now 4.76 You cannot pick and choose which world final you want. It’s completely logical to use the most recent and I’ll stick with it. If I look a fool because I feel that the points above are bad for the sport then so be it, trouble is people like me don’t feel foolish, they just walk away from the sport never to return. BTW I wouldn’t have chosen anyone, I’d have let them ride for their place.

I’ve seen many inaccurate and ill-informed posts on this forum, but this one is beyond belief. If you have just started watching speedway this year then I apologise for calling you a fool. For almost eighty years when qualifiers have been run in a speedway meeting (longer if you look at other sports), the first competitor who finishes outside the qualifiers is known as the first reserve, the second as second reserve and so on and so forth. If a competitor above them is injured or unable to take there place in the next round then these reserves take their place. It’s yet another very simple rule that speedway has somehow managed to cock up, and it gets added to all the others that collectively turn people away from speedway. Second bit…. James EL average 4.46 Eddie EL average 4.43 James PL average 8.86 Eddie PL average 8.10 In the most recent U21 final the top Brit was James Wright. I just pick James because I know more about him. I’m sure many other fans from many other teams could come up with a better choice than Kennett. I DON’T think James should be seeded by the way as he didn’t qualify, but then neither did Eddie. It’s not what you know etc….

Once again Crumpie makes the final whilst his “close” challengers fall away. If I couldn’t have a Brit win or Crump, then Andersen winning was just the thing to give BSI the finger after the farcical selection process that went on last year. I even turned into a Poole fan for a few heats as once Pedersen and Lindback made the final Crump was assured of at least 20 big points. I’ll be cheering on the Pirates again on Monday. Have to find a blue and white scarf if it carries on like this.