Grachan

The atmosphere at Poole sounded really good last night. It' not often you can really hear the crowd cheering at Speedway, but it was there for all to see. Must have really wound up supporters of other teams, who prefer deck chairs and a cup of tea. Of course the crowd will cheer when someone on a double point ride looks like he's about to take the lead and then loses it. It's sport. Crowds don't cheer nastly looking crashes. Crowds cheer their team getting an advantage though. Sorry, but if you are down about something then a good friend might well take you out to try and take your mind off things. I don't know the facts about Dakota North's family problems, but I don't see what someone taking him out for a round of golf has to do with it.

I think the world in which Emil inhabits has somehow convinced him that the SEC means something and is as relevant as the GP. Regardless of which of them can ride a bike better, as things stand history will show that Tai Woffinden was a great rider and Emil Sayfutdiniv achieved nothing in World terms. If he says the GP is too much for him then he can never be seen as someone who might have won it.

Yeah, because tonight proved there's no way Troy Bachelor would normally drop points against Belle Vue.

Our number one is in hospital eating pizza you idiot.

Perfect start from Morris and Tatum goes on about him getting a flier for the entire race! Annoying? Quite exciting this, seeing who will lose by more - Coventry or Swindon. Come on the Robins. Beat those Bees!!

Orion confirms Miedzinski not riding while fit. We all know that. Mr Beanie even appeared riding on Eurosport. What the issue was, was if Swindon used a guest for him while he was riding overseas and not having withdrawn his services. That's a different issue. If so, I dont see why a guest should be allowed, but he could have been deemed to have witheld his services if riding abroad, in which case a facility would be available.

If Miedzinski was still in the Swindon side and riding overseas, then Swindon should not have had a guest for him. I'm not sure if they did anyway, as they signed Kildemand as cover. And Miedzinski could have been given a 28 day ban if deemed to be witholding his services, which would also have allowed a facility. But there may have been matches when Miedzinski was riding overseas and was till in the Swindon side, and if so then I don't see why Swindon should have had a guest. But I don't know if that was the case, so if you know better perhaps you could point out which matches it applies to.

Dak having worries about his father and taking some time off. Fine. Poole having a guest facility in the circumstances. Not fine. Poole's fault? No.

Yes.

Exactly. The same there. Why should a guest be available for a non-speedway related absence?

It didn't use to be this easy though. The guest facility should be a premium option, not just something that can be used this easily. There was a time when Zagar would have been deemed fit to ride having ridden on the continent and the only way they could have got a facility would have been to have deemed him to be withdrawing his services, resulting in a 28 day ban. Now people seem to be able to bring in a guest as a tactical option. That can't be right, surely??

Isn't that exactly the point! Why should a team (any team, not just Belle Vue) decide that a rider might not be at his best so just be able to bring in another team's number one? Of course Belle Vue are looking to get the best out of this. The problem is that it seems remarkably easy for them to do so.

So presumably both will get the same amount of reaction from you then, Steve?

Shame. A missed opportunity to raise funds for the lad. Still, I'm sure AJ will be round with his bucket in the play off final.

Will the #prayforMatej wrist bands be available at Blunsdon tomorrow?

To be fair, Dakota North will need to be in the UK if he wants a visa for next year.

Expected, but ridiculous.

Take away the points Belle Vue got at Swindon, when you're saying we deliberately dropped points, and King's Lynn would be in the play offs.

If they did then lucky old Belle Vue, because it got you in the play offs.

Just out of interest, how many times this year has a team had to use a PL 6 pointer? I can't think of any.

Yeah, you're right. We should wait and see. :-)

Null and void. People have posted that AJ is already down to ride.

Don't forget Belle Vue.

Come off it. If the guy is riding overseas then Belle Vue shouldn't have a facility unless he has withdrawn his services. It seems that they can get a guest merely on the basis of him possibly not being able to ride as well as he normally does. That can't be right. I remember a few years back Renat Gafurov being unable to ride for Swindon in the semi final at Reading and we had to sack him to get a facility.

Swindon shouldn't have replaced Darcy. We could then have signed up Jonsson early to guest in the play offs. We'd have got in the final then.