cyclone

Congratulations in the following order:- 1. To the Bandits who adapted to the conditions right away & gave the home side a gating lesson over the first seven heats to build up a 16 points lead which was sufficient to ensure a final 6 point victory, despite being unable to win another heat over the remaining eight. 2. To the ref & the riders of both sides who were prepared to delay the start till 8 pm and then served up some decent races, including a memorable heat 13 contest. . Special mention to ref Willie Dishington who kept proceedings running smoothly tonight, and also at Ashfield on Tuesday, completing both meeting in under one & half hours 3. And last, but not least, to the track staff who incredibly managed to produce a decent racing strip after more than 12 hours of intermittent heavy rain beforehand, culminating in another deluge just before seven.The fact that they salvaged an apparently lost cause in less than an hour, was I believe, appreciated by those present and at least offers the Bandits the opportunity to stay in the hunt for a Play_Off place.

A bit optimistic expecting to get such detail from this Forum. Suggest you trying contacting the track directly now with your query, if you are seriously considering coming, as less than 3 hours to get your @rse up here PS rain now stopped & sun coming out in Scotland's Capital city

Here is link to an hour by hour forecast from yr website just now. https://www.yr.no/place/United_Kingdom/Scotland/Armadale~2657067/hour_by_hour.html Suggest you try using this in future, as I do, as not everyone will be near the area at the moment

Teams as per Official Edinburgh website:- STAGGS BAR MONARCHS: Ricky Wells, Victor Palovaara, Josh Pickering, Richie Worrall, Erik Riss (captain), William Lawson, Gino Manzares (Guest). BERWICK KLS BANDITS: Aaron Summers, David Howe (if fit), Jye Etheridge, Kevin Doolan (capt.), Nikolai Busk Jakobsen, Dany Gappmaier, Theo Pijper. Arithmetically if other upcoming fixtures were to cause either Worky or Lakeside to slip up, then either Monarchs or Bandits could sneak into the Play-Offs. However there is about much chance of this happening as me winning the Lottery If David Howe does not make it, then Etheridge & the Bandits reserves can cover his absence. With Nicol, Garcia & Stewart already booked as guests for Glasgow & Peterborough on Friday, Monarchs reserve guest choice was very limited (wonder if Carl Wilkinson was unavailable?). Some Bandits pundits seem confident that they can post their first 2018 League away win at the Dale, and certainly Pijper at reserve gives them some optimism.

Glasgow coming good at the business end and signing Cookie has galvanised the rest of their team, especially Harris. Starke has also now come to the fore and is in effect a decent third heat leader. If Worky & Glasgow are kept apart in the Play-Off semis, I would expect an Northern Final, as both should be too hot for either Panthers or Hammers to handle over 2 legs. The only caveat to my prediction would be if Panthers were to grab Kemp as their guest reserve before the Tigers

Good racing spectacle this evening, with Cook & Harris imperious, and Starke always seeking to team ride with his partner. Albeit Tigers were impressive, it was apparent that Monarchs are less than so when on the road, given that last week Ipswich ran Tigers a lot closer at Ashfield.. Pickering, Riss & Nicol get pass marks for the visitors, but the others, especially Worrall, will want to forgot their performances asap. Hopefully all the crucial remaining Championship fixtures can be completed this week, and I would bet on Panthers, Comets, Hammers, & Tigers being the Play-Off qualifiers. Re the booing of Cookie, I was near a small group who did so, but they were laughing at their own antics and it appeared to be more light hearted pantomime stuff than venomous, so perhaps folks should lighten up and be less po faced.

SGB website has Ipswich vs Berwick on 15/9

A red & white zimmer to match your concessionary bus pass holder Expect a comfortable home win with an untroubled 15 for Cookie. Also sure the Tigs will pick up at least 3 points at the weekend to ensure top four qualification. P.S. hope Connor Mountain's Sunday afternoon prang does not prevent him from guesting for you on Tuesday, as it will be interesting to how the "Real Tigers" guest reserves shape up against each other.

I'm sure Scunny aficionado, Lucifer Sam can confirm to you the following paragraph from the 2018 Speedway Regulations:- 16.3.4 No Team changes will be allowed after 12TH August with the effective date being 15th August, except for riders returning to the Team after injury who must re-take their position, dictated by their MA with their replacement being released. In effect Godfrey was trying to make a change, that was not because of either injury or a rider withholding his services. If it was the action of the SCB that insisted on the reinstatement of Phillips, do you not accept that part of their remit is to ensure that the current Regulations are adhered to by all promotions, including Scunthorpe?

Perhaps you should have waited until the match report was published on the website before making the above comment. FYI here is the relevant quote:- "The track was undoubtedly tricky though and several riders had difficulties, not just the visitors. The home riders like grippy conditions but the difficult thing is getting the balance right to still allow good racing." However as you regularly appear to display traits of paranoia towards any Monarchs' PR, no doubt you will find fault the above statement. Unlike your good self, I was actually at the meeting, and apart from Pickering & Worrall, in the first half of the match, the other eleven riders did struggle with what appeared to be too much grip. As the grip slackened off later on, Richard Lawson mastered the conditions and only dropped one point in his last three rides. Overall a poor spectacle and not up to the standard of good racing in previous weeks, despite the scorelines.

In other words, it suited you to just to make it up

Glad to see you're supporting Richie Take it you'll be doing the same on Tuesday?

Teams as per Official Edinburgh website:- STAGGS BAR MONARCHS: Ricky Wells, Victor Palovaara, Josh Pickering, Richie Worrall, Erik Riss (captain), William Lawson, Joel Andersson. LAKESIDE HAMMERS: Richard Lawson (captain), rider replacement for Kyle Newman, Nick Morris, Ben Morley, Adam Ellis, Zach Wajtnecht, Alfie Bowtell. This might be a case where r/r strengthens the Hammers as Ellis, Morley & the reserves could possibly score more than Newman would be expected, and also if Hammers were to fall six behind, they might also have the option of TS in an eligible ride for Newman (Morris or Lawson?). Interesting that Ricky Wells thinks this could be Monarchs hardest home match, based on the fact that they have three riders he believes will do very well round Armadale.

I knew Will as he was keen collector of old speedway programmes (esp Newcastle post war to 1951) and we helped each other out over the years A really nice modest man who was imo, a top notch ref. I particularly remember when he was forced to abandon a meeting at Powderhall due to poor track prep. A group of irate fans congregated at the pits with one guy particularly vociferous. Will introduced himself to the individual as being the ref and fully explained why the decision was made. This defused the frustration of the fans and I was impressed by his actions to enter into dialogue with a potentially hostile group.

Believe you are wrong, given the following meetings run at the Dale in recent times:- Saturday 1/8/2015 vs Redcar (KO Cup) Saturday 17/10/15 vs Glasgow (Premier Champ Final) Saturday 25/10/14 vs Somerset (Premier Champ Final) Certainly there have been several meetings since we opened at the Dale that have been run there on a day other than a Friday. Perhaps you can quote your source, as it appears you have been the victim of fake news

Also being a Tuesday night, those with work &/or kids with school next day, probably would favour an earlier finish in these circumstances

As an impartial observer, I reckon Ipswich could win this as their reserves could be their secret weapon. Garcia apparently now mounted on decent equipment could score big time and Kemp has shown the damage he can do with his mega score at Scunny recently. Add in Mark Riss who bettered Vissing in Monarchs KO cup win @ Ashfield, plus Nicholls, etc., & the Tigs with even Cookie in their ranks, could be struggling.

Dodgy weather forecast for Armadale on Friday atm - wonder if they will try to lay the track covers beforehand, as they did last Season, I think against Ippo? As the Hammers will not now have a fixture on the Saturday, perhaps this date should also be pencilled in as a contingency date at Armadale, should Friday fall foul of the rain?

Teams as per Official Edinburgh website:- STAGGS BAR MONARCHS: Ricky Wells, Victor Palovaara, Josh Pickering, Richie Worrall, Erik Riss (captain), William Lawson, Joel Andersson. THOMAS ARMSTRONG COMETS: Nicolai Klindt, rider replacement for Dan Bewley, Rasmus Jensen, Mason Campton, Ty Proctor (captain), Kyle Bickley, Rene Bach. Having already won at Armadale in the Shield, the Comets will be expected to provide the Monarchs with their sternest test at home in the League. Despite losing the highly talented Dan Bewley to serious injury, r/r can reduce the impact of his loss with Proctor, Campton, Jensen, & Bach ( who can also take additional as reserve replacement if desired) covering his programmed rides. Even though Edinburgh now have strengthened up with Richie Worrall in their ranks, I reckon there will be no more than 4 pts either way between the teams.

I thought that before when the signing window had closed, clubs were permitted to replace an injured rider, subject to the following conditions:- The replacement had a GSA equal or below that of the injured rider The replacement was not already riding for another club in that particular league The replacement is already an asset of the club seeking to replace their injured rider

I believe that when a rider is initially loaned to a club, that club are then able to subsequently re-loan the said rider to another club as a double up/down and they receive any subsequent loan fee. If I am correct, Glasgow would be dealing directly with Belle Vue, and Edinburgh would not be involved in the doubling down of their asset. I would also be surprised that Glasgow, who initiated the Cook deal, would not have been aware any fixture clashes with his GP schedule. BTW, as the result, turned out, Ben Barker netting 14 out of a possible 18, imo, was a decent guest replacement for the absent Cook.

All the weather forecasts I've looked at today for the Springburn area on Sunday, predict continuous rain from 8am through 4pm, with it being heaviest between midday through 3pm. Did Tigers ever obtain the track covers which were mentioned previously? Reason I ask, it might have been possible to reschedule for 5pm as it's forecast to be dry from thereon.

Teams as per Official Edinburgh website:- STAGGS BAR MONARCHS: Ricky Wells, Victor Palovaara, Josh Pickering, Richie Worrall, Erik Riss (captain), William Lawson, Joel Andersson. ALLIED VEHICLES TIGERS: Ben Barker (Guest), Nathan Greaves (if fit), Chris Harris (captain), Paul Starke, Claus Vissing, James Sarjeant, Jack Thomas. Due to Craig Cook missing for the Polish Grand Prix, Tigers have recruited the all action Ben Barker as a Guest replacement. If Nathan Greaves is unable to return for this match, then R/R will apply with Paul Starke & the Reserves able to cover his rides, though a TS is also a possibilty, should Tigers be six points behind for his scheduled 2nd & 4th programmed rides. For Monarchs this will be the third consecutive match in 3 days for Wells & Worrall, and the fourth in three days for Erik Riss, so it will be an endurance test for men & machine in their case.

I was at Monarchs last visit to Owlerton in 2017 & apart from Wells scoring 15 from five (including a 4pt TR), Pickering failed to score from 4, and Erik Riss only managed 4 from 4. Also given your observations on Richie Worrall's previous Sheffield performances, your prediction is more realistic than the optimistic forecasts of others of a Monarchs away win on Thursday.

Based on your teams performance on Friday & Chas Wright will return, & Howarth will score more than four, reckon it will be a comfortable home win