Grachan

Those 3 PL team were quite happy to stuff the PL to suit the CL. So how has nothing changed? The problem is the second division seeing itself as some sort of opposition. Why vote for a night when they know the first division will be against Denmark and some team (not including Swindon, by the way) will lose riders?

Usual problem from you, Rob. You are only interested in the club you watch rather than seeing the bigger picture. No "nice try" about it. As I said, it's a two way thing with riders doubling up and doubling down. I do think the top flight should be stronger though. Low points limits have hampered it for many years now, and meaning the bottom ends of sides are often filled out with NL riders. But we had 2-point riders at reserve as far back as the 80s, so it's not a new thing. I do wonder if you would hold the same opinion if Oxford were in the top league still, however. Swindon wil be using Mondays and Wednesdays in the latter part of the season, by the way.

Or maybe the problem is the lower league signing riders who are of first division standard. It is a two-way problem. Nick Morris, Rory Schlein, Chris Harris, Steve Worrall in division two? Shouldn't be allowed. The international agreement was Monday and Thursdays, which should have been adhered to, but there shouldn't be such a clash of riders in the two British leagues. If teams want to have riders the standard of Morris and Schlein then they should ride in the top league.

I know from when I was younger, that Thursday was the night I started going out as the start of the "weekend". It's just more of a "going out" night than a Wednesday. Wednesday is Denmark's night. Monday and Thursdays are the UK's nights. That is the main problem with Wednesday. Look at the problems at King's Lynn. Unfortunately, your attitude is typical of the lower leagues, who, somehow, see themselves as more important than the top league. The top league should sort itself out, and the lower league clubs fit in with that. It's common sense. If Wednesdays were priority for the UK then, sure, ride on Wednesdays. To be honest, we are lucky to have Thursdays ahead of Sweden and Denmark. It should be used. Is there a reason why Ipswich, Sheffield and Redcar could not switch to weekends? Surely a better time for a lower league club.

Wednesday is also a bad night to get people out. They need to change it. Thursdays as the main night, with Wolves and TV meetings on a Monday (unless one of the other teams prefers Mondays too). It's much easier to get people out on a Thursday night as it is just one more day before the weekend.

Which Swindon fans are on Bellego's back? All I can see is a Reading fan on Bellego's back. Bellego is on 5.92 for this year. He's had some relatively poor meetings by last year's standards, but he's had some excellent ones too.

How did it lose you the match? Rye House had a 4-2 in that heat. Even if they'd scored a 5-1, they would still have lost. Plus KK had just been 5-1'd in the previous heat. Plus it would have meant giving him 3 on the trot.

Lee has been giving regular live updates on social media and is doing great. Two hours ahead of schedule at the monet.

They'll need to watch it, though. More meeting like that, with people hanging around while tractors go round, and crowds will drop. People aren't going to pay money to be bored for 45 minutes. (I wasn't there, by the way, but basing this on comments on updates and on here).

He's not really up against Cook and Lambert for a place. The real choice is between those two, rather than Bewley himself. If it's Cook that gets the nod, then Lambert is at reserve. If it's Lambert then Bewley is at reserve. On form you'd probably choose Lambert for the main pair, giving Bewley the u-21 slot.

Starke in the top 5? Not sure about that. The only change likely to happen is a stronger no 7 if the averages drop - and if we are losing a lot they will.

You keep on about who Swindon should ditch, so how about giving options of who should be brought in? Personally I think we should keep the side we have.

Just been reading about what is going on. Meetings like this do more damage to crowd numbers than any fixed race night decisions.

Pretty predicatable to have those 4. Getting it down to 3 is slightly more tricky. I would say it depends on Lambert's form from now until the cut-off date - whenever that is. The big choice is whether to have Lambert or Cook in the top pair. If Lambert keeps up his early season form then Woffinden, Lambert, Bewley seems the best choice.

I would say that it is the actual "sticking plasters" that have caused the decline more than the Grand Prix. A failure to address fixed race nights - and then, when doing it, doing it against Denmark on a Wednesday. A Thursday, as well as being Britain's protected night, is much more likely to attract people as it is a night when people start thinking of maybe going out again as the weekend approaches. Low points limits. Constant rule changes. Tactical rides. Team full of guests due to clashing race nights. Constant rain offs. Old fashioned presentation. All these probbly had much more of an effect that the Grand Prix, which, if anything, should have attracted interest. Yes, Friday and Saturday nights would attract more, but Swindon switched from Saturdays to Thursdays many years ago and did ok, but there is an effect there too. ButI don't see that as the main reason.

Maybe I'm misinterpreting this, but I'm not sure bring sat in the stadium gives you the best view to analyse who touched the tapes first. Yes, the exclusion was correct, but it took a few views to notice that the other rider (Laguta, I think) also touched the tapes. My guess on the hold up was about deciding whether or not to exclude them both. Seemed pretty clear cut to me, though.

We have Anders Rowe, who might benefit from a few outings. He'll probably cover on those occasions if no other decent guests are available. In the end, whoever we have at number 7 is going to struggle to score anything as they are going to be the lowest rider in the league. This is what teams have to put up with when finishing at the top of the league, unfortunately. It's just the way it is. I think it is better as it is, by keeping the bulk of the side together from last year. But last year we had the World Champion at the top and always had a strong reserve. Both these have had to be jettisoned in order to keep the rest of the side together. Even with Jason and BWD gone we've had to go with a 2 pointer. This is why clubs at the top can often look like they are manipulating averages a bit.

Must be great watching Dan Bewley every week, and on a track like that. If he keeps up riding like that then BV look a good bet for champs. Enjoyed the meeting despite the loss. I still think they should have got everyone into the main stand, though.

So would we if we did.

Exactly why they should, maybe, let everyone in for the same price tonight so that they can put everyone in the grandstand and make it look busier.

Twenty-two for the main stand. I would have thought they would at least try to fill the seats by having the same price. It's been shown many times that people turn up for tv meetings if there is some sort of offer on. If there isn't they tend to stay away.

Just looked on the website to see if there was a £10 offer. 22 quid to get in for a televised match? I think that might be the reason.

Maybe they are applying for the wrong visa. As a parent of a British child he can apply for one of these: https://www.gov.uk/uk-family-visa/parent But you don't automatically get that right. You need to put in the application. Unfortunately, the whole visa thing has become extremely complicated since the new rules of 2012, and you need to make sure everything is done correctly.

A rod was made for their own back. Thursdays should have been the race night. Top league should have had priority. Simple as that. It's amazing the clubs couldn't see this coming, but the fans - once again - could.

Exactly. So why not?