lucifer sam

It was also pretty cool to drive through, although at the same time there's an anxiety of what happens if the car gets stuck on the flooded roads or what if I pick up a puncture from one of these branches which are all across the road? The annoying thing is that the weather forecast looked absolutely dreadful on Thursday night, but looked far, far better at around 3.30pm yesterday, which is why I set off. Someone got that badly wrong. The heavy showers were only supposed to come back at around 10pm. Thankfully, I don't think the EWR had the worse of it, even though it tipped down enough to call off the meeting.

I drive to Scunthorpe via the A46 and A15, and it started to rain incredibly hard on the last stretch of A15, reducing visibility down to next to zero. After leaving the A15, the road all the way to the Ashby Ville roundabout was underwater. Lots of car deciding to stop. Then alongside the steelworks, there were at least two fallen trees, with greenery along all road - I was a bit concerned about picking up a puncture. Got to the stadium, where it had clearly rained very hard very recently (called off around 10 minutes before I arrived), but glad they didn't get what was a few miles down the road, because otherwise there could have been stadium damage. Went home via the longer (but drier) M18 and M1.

Latest from Scunny twitter: ALL SYSTEMS GO! We have had a couple of heavy thunderstorms, particularly one yesterday evening, but it's a boling hot day so that's not a problem. Next heavy rain is due late tonight, by which time we will have completed the meeting.

ALL SYSTEMS GO! Just spoken to Rob G and he doesn't think the rain will arrive until after the meeting.

It's a shame that more teams have not been more helpful in getting their meetings in at Workington. Scunthorpe have done so, and fixed a date. It's the second time that Scunny have done Worky a favour this season.

Looking at the current demographic stood out on the terraces, I don't think that's going to be any time soon. Replacing programmes is the least of speedway's worries. I would suggest the overall entertainment package, especially between the racing, is of far, far greater importance. (PS Scunny programme is just £1 - contains racecard plus update from the promoter)

It will alternate - starts with first heat of 250cc, then 500cc, and so on, and concludes with the two finals. 8 riders in each class.

Apart from Stevie Worrall, we had the full team out against Workington. Scunny normally strong around Peterborough - not always the case at Workington. Plus Workington are the team in form at the moment.

Out of those three teams I would have said Scunny would have preferred Peterborough - we always go well around there. So any conspiracy theory regarding the draw is daft.

It wasn't the most enjoyable meetings on Saturday, by any means. If Josh Auty had not been there, it would have been 15 processions. Then again, it is the height of summer, without any rainfall, and track prep is currently a nightmare. I wish Scott and Jamie Courtney all the best, and it was good to be them doing something to entertain the crowd (the kids, in particular) with the interval attraction.

Steve has practiced at Scunthorpe, Belle Vue and Newcastle. Not sure if you stayed around for his practice after the Scunthorpe v Sheffield, but Steve really looked on it. He should be fully ready for a competitive comeback this time.

Keep up. It has been sanctioned.

5pm.

It wasn't football that was the issue, in regards to the Berwick meeting. From what I've heard (i.e. from the Scunthorpe end), it's all systems go for Saturday.

News here: http://scunthorpescorpions.co/?p=8814

MAJOR ANNOUCEMENT AT 9PM TONIGHT: http://scunthorpescorpions.co/?p=8814

Fair enough. I was at the meetings in 1981 and 1982. As an inquisitive 8-year-old in 1981, I asked my dad what was happening when Jessup suddenly dropped a couple of points in his final race, and was told he and Larry Ross didn't need the points to qualify, but Lee and Mauger did. It's why I got fairly angry the following year when everyone started booing Penhall (my big hero at the time) for doing exactly the same thing. Although I admit he made it slightly more obvious.

I think the race at the end of the 1981 Overseas Final was also fairly obvious. Did you wipe it from your mind because Michael Lee and Dave Jessup were involved in it?

Not quite true and Wednesday is a good example why. Back in the 70s and 80s, meetings were rushed through to heat six, because at that point, there was NO refund. On Wednesday, there were six races, and yet there should still be discounted admission for those with re-admission tickets. A supporter on Wednesday is better off under the new system than the old system.

He's about 10 years out of date - that was the old system. The new one was devised to be fairer - sometimes the supporters loses out, sometimes they gain. It's £1 back for each incompleted race before Heat 10. Once Heat 10 is done and dusted, there's no refund. If six races are run, then for the re-staging you receive a £4 discount. Sometimes you will get an exception. For example, a couple of years ago a meeting was called off at Scunthorpe after just two races, and promoter Rob Godfrey decided on a full refund for the re-staging as a goodwill gesture, rather than a discount. To be fair to Buster regarding last night, he still has 6 races to pay out riders. So I would expect he will use the standard readmission policy of reduced admission for the re-staging.

Incorrect. Five races before Heat 10 means a £5 discount. The extra race only cost spectators £1.

I think it's a pretty poor statement, to be honest. It does nothing to get to the heart of the issue, such as any outstanding money to riders.

Unattached rider Coty Garcia rides for Scunthorpe, so that they can track four riders. Not a guest as such.

http://scunthorpescorpions.co/?p=8746

His guest bookings with Scorpions this weekend, before he got injured in Sweden on Tuesday.