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All to do with scheduling. One day series between England and Australia starts next Thursday.

It should and might have been but for postponements right from outset. Firstly, both original home and away legs of the quarter finals fell foul of the weather and had to be re-staged, Poole having three attempts to get their meeting at Plymouth completed thus delaying the competition by a fortnight. Then they had a further three goes to get past Glasgow before that was completed on 2nd October.

Can't give you a track update but the weather not looking that good according to the met office. https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/forecast/gcr5qn5jy#?date=2022-10-30

Perhaps here are too many competitions placing pressure on the more successful clubs. Those who make the play-offs will invariably reach the latter stages of other competitions as well hence the situation we are in now. By contrast, those who didn't find their seasons effectively over by the end of August in some cases just padding it out by running open meetings or, those who run NDL teams, able to use some of the remaining dates. Some years ago an attempt was made to address this situation. The top six teams went into the play-offs as now and the remaining clubs entered a second competition. Perhaps this instead of a Jubilee league ( this year) or what similar event we've had in the past or in the future might be a solution.

I don't know but what I do know is that the whole play-off fixtures have been protracted from the get-go through nobody's fault just the weather. To begin with both the original stagings of the play-off quarter finals were rained off home and away. It then took Poole three goes before they managed to complete the away leg at Plymouth then a further three to get past Glasgow in the semi. I expect the KO cup fixture against Redcar had already been scheduled by then so, with over half of October left, it would be assumed there shouldn't have been any difficulty in getting the final legs completed. However, if the first leg against Leicester had been run on the 12th, the KO Cup would now be in a similar position ie., not completed.

In other words it took a long time to arrive at the wrong decision. Still, it is a new event and I'm sure they'll get it right should it happen again.

Yes, at Leicester on Monday 31st.

The rules are clear. Kyle is serving a seven day suspension from last Monday which expires on Sunday. I'd love a peek at that medical certificate though!

Can do if it is interpreted as withholding his services. In the meantime well done Richard on your maximum tonight.

There is little interest in this fixture I know but Ipswich have the opportunity to go top of the league. They are at full strength whilst Sheffieild will be without Musielak (family emergency) and Howarth (illness). Sam Masters guests for Musielak which is a little surprising as I thought he might have called time on this season plus he is not named in the Wolves line up for tomorrow's pairs.

You wont need to now. He has pulled out of tonight's fixture for Sheffield through illness so will miss both play-off matches.

Quite right. The promotion must ensure they schedule their fixtures so they don't coincide with the stadium owners destroying the safety fence, the police closing Penistone Road and the funeral of a Monarch!

Why no Nick Morris for Wolves?

You can add another Thursday lost due to the SON.

Well that knocks that on the head. I wonder if Scunthorpe have been approached.

Could be but I don't know when they could fit it in. Otherwise the only other option I can see is to run it at Sheffield this coming Sunday.

Sheffield went into the Premiership because they couldn't make Sunday work so it was the only way they could move back to their traditional race night. In the same way Thursday didn't work for Poole. I haven't heard this podcast but was it before Leicester made their announcement? On a more general note, Sheffield have no stadium availability this month so Leicester are stepping in at the eleventh hour and good for them.

More to the story here: http://www.leicesterspeedway.com/news.php?extend.32092 Good that all six rounds are to be staged otherwise it would have been pretty much a foregone conclusion that Ipswich would take the title. They probably will anyway but a poor round at Leicester could spice up the final round at Belle Vue.

The six rounds could be completed if round 5 is at Sheffield on Thursday 27th and the final one at Belle Vue on Monday 31st or even the previous day in the afternoon leaving Monday as a back-up day. All subject to stadium availability though.

Edit: Just checked again. No points for coming last.

They would receive 2 points.

If the round at Sheffield does not take place then the title goes to Ipswich as they cannot be caught. Even if they finish last at Belle Vue they will be on 40 points. Their closest challengers are King's Lynn on 26.

Meeting on youtube:

I think Thursdays were introduced when Sweden had 9 teams riding so, now that they are back to 8 Thursday racing might be considered unnecessary.

I have just discovered that the second leg of the Swedish League final is on Wednesday which means Glasgow will need a guest or RR for the visit to Poole.