CHAMPIONSHIP PLAY OFF FINAL - SCUNTHORPE v POOLE v SCUNTHORPE (2 & 7 October)

[Wee Eck]

21 minutes ago, STEVEHOLS54 said:

I wonder if any of the Poole riders will announce they won't be back in 2027 after tonights meeting.

 

I wonder if any of the Scunthorpe riders will announce they’re riding for Poole next season?

[SteveLyric2]

1 hour ago, STEVEHOLS54 said:

I wonder if any of the Poole riders will announce they won't be back in 2027 after tonights meeting.

 

Maybe 3 possibly- or maybe not?!

[SteveLyric2]

37 minutes ago, Wee Eck said:

I wonder if any of the Scunthorpe riders will announce they’re riding for Poole next season?

Maybe one possibly, and maybe a guest?!

[Wee Eck]

26 minutes ago, SteveLyric2 said:

Maybe 3 possibly- or maybe not?!

Maybe Matt’s getting, erm, Picky?

[Mr Bee]

Back on the 30th of January, I posted on here about making the Eddie Wright Raceway my regular track after moving to Lincolnshire. I said back then “Regardless of where we finish in the league, I’m massively looking forward to the new season. Let’s get behind the lads and hopefully spring a surprise or two” after being written off.  

Well, look where we are tonight.

Whatever happens at Wimborne Road in the second leg, Scunthorpe have had an absolutely brilliant season. Taking an eight-point lead into the Grand Final decider against a side like Poole is massive credit to every single rider, promoter, and volunteer at the club.

Do I think they will pull it off tonight? Hand on heart, probably not. We all know how tough Wimborne Road is and how well Poole are around their own patch. In fact, it’s one of the biggest frustrations in British speedway for me right now: every year it feels like a foregone conclusion. You can pretty much pencil in the league winners before a wheel turns, and the entire championship boils down to “who earns the right to get beaten over two legs by Poole.”

If the Pirates overturn the deficit and lift the trophy again, nobody will be shocked. But that shouldn't take an ounce of shine off what Scunny have achieved.

I’ll be following tonight with everything crossed and if they do it, it’ll be one of the best nights in the club's history. But even if Poole do what Poole usually do, the Scorpions will still be winners having proved pretty much everyone wrong.  

[LisaColette]

24 minutes ago, Mr Bee said:

Back on the 30th of January, I posted on here about making the Eddie Wright Raceway my regular track after moving to Lincolnshire. I said back then “Regardless of where we finish in the league, I’m massively looking forward to the new season. Let’s get behind the lads and hopefully spring a surprise or two” after being written off.  

Well, look where we are tonight.

Whatever happens at Wimborne Road in the second leg, Scunthorpe have had an absolutely brilliant season. Taking an eight-point lead into the Grand Final decider against a side like Poole is massive credit to every single rider, promoter, and volunteer at the club.

Do I think they will pull it off tonight? Hand on heart, probably not. We all know how tough Wimborne Road is and how well Poole are around their own patch. In fact, it’s one of the biggest frustrations in British speedway for me right now: every year it feels like a foregone conclusion. You can pretty much pencil in the league winners before a wheel turns, and the entire championship boils down to “who earns the right to get beaten over two legs by Poole.”

If the Pirates overturn the deficit and lift the trophy again, nobody will be shocked. But that shouldn't take an ounce of shine off what Scunny have achieved.

I’ll be following tonight with everything crossed and if they do it, it’ll be one of the best nights in the club's history. But even if Poole do what Poole usually do, the Scorpions will still be winners having proved pretty much everyone wrong.  

Not a foregone conclusion especially if the track is a bit wet. Scunny held on to a 4 point lead in 2023 in KOC final and track was damp. Track was wet when Redcar won in BSN trophy last season. 

I think a lot will depend on what the U21 riders in each team do. 

[SteveLyric2]

16 minutes ago, LisaColette said:

Not a foregone conclusion especially if the track is a bit wet. Scunny held on to a 4 point lead in 2023 in KOC final and track was damp. Track was wet when Redcar won in BSN trophy last season. 

I think a lot will depend on what the U21 riders in each team do. 

...and also what the 2nd heat leaders do?!

[Mr Bee]

54 minutes ago, LisaColette said:

Not a foregone conclusion especially if the track is a bit wet. Scunny held on to a 4 point lead in 2023 in KOC final and track was damp. Track was wet when Redcar won in BSN trophy last season. 

I think a lot will depend on what the U21 riders in each team do. 

I think you’ve completely missed my point while trying to prove it!

You’ve just cited two cup meetings over a three-year span where specific weather conditions produced an upset, to argue against a point about pre-season predictability over a whole league campaign.

My point wasn't about whether a damp track on a random Wednesday in October gives an underdog a chance over 15 heats. My point was that back on January 30th, before a single wheel had turned, before anyone knew the forecast for October, and before team declarations were even warm, you could have bet your house that Poole would be occupying one of the two spots in the Grand Final come autumn.

The fact that the best counter argument relies on having to consult the Met Office and pray for rain rather proves the wider issue, doesn't it? If the only thing standing between a dominant powerhouse and an inevitable title is whether the track curator turns the bowser taps off, it wasn't exactly an open, unpredictable league to begin with.

Don't get me wrong, I hope you're right and the weather or the U21s turn the form book upside down tonight.

Fingers crossed for that damp track, though!

[marko]

Poole will be bang up for this where as Scunthorpe will say the same old thing of we all start level etc etc, Pickering will have a go but even he might take it easy later if the score has gotten away from them as won’t want to do something stupid and miss Sheffields chance.

[LisaColette]

45 minutes ago, SteveLyric2 said:

...and also what the 2nd heat leaders do?!

Ok, ok. Every rider is important 

Also if Scunny do win people will go on to say about Scunny predicted to finish bottom. But if you watch Humans of Speedway YT video about predictions from 6 months ago, AI predicted Scunny 5th, higher than any human! Not that far out really. Though it also predicted Berwick to win playoff final! So you win some, you lose some 

[Bald Bloke]

2 hours ago, LisaColette said:

Not a foregone conclusion especially if the track is a bit wet. Scunny held on to a 4 point lead in 2023 in KOC final and track was damp. Track was wet when Redcar won in BSN trophy last season. 

I think a lot will depend on what the U21 riders in each team do. 

 

2 hours ago, SteveLyric2 said:

...and also what the 2nd heat leaders do?!

It's what they all do 

[WookieboyDon]

Losing Ablitt has just scuppered Scunny’s chances. 

[PhilTheAce]

Whats schlein talking about regards kerr. No way is jenkins at fault 

[BlueIn2Red]

Yes a shame that injury has decided it.

And how can Rory Schlein possibly blame Jordan Jenkins for the heat 3 crash? He was miles ahead!

[TheWellBehavedWorrall]

10 minutes ago, WookieboyDon said:

Losing Ablitt has just scuppered Scunny’s chances. 

 

6 minutes ago, BlueIn2Red said:

Yes a shame that injury has decided it.

Am I tripping, or is this the same Nathan Ablitt who scored two at Ashfield and one in the first leg?

While I wish him well, he is absolutely no loss to Scunthorpe.

[TheWellBehavedWorrall]

Cannot stand this track. What an awful advert for speedway, regardless of who wins.

Two crashes aside, it’s been utter dross.

Scunthorpe prepared a track for racing. Why can’t Poole?

The grand final and this is what’s being served. 

[BlueIn2Red]

As their best reserve I think you are tripping if you say absolutely no loss! He may well not have scored many, but any rider is better than no rider at all (especially at reserve). It looks like Ingram’s seven rides will result in no wins over opponents. Stranger things have happened of course, and it looks like three or four of the Scorpions are in good form…

Edited 7 minutes ago by BlueIn2Red

[Neila]

Isn't the dirt supposed to go back on the racing line 🤔 not being bladed off 

[TheWellBehavedWorrall]

4 minutes ago, BlueIn2Red said:

As their best reserve I think you are tripping if you say absolutely no loss! He may well not have scored many, but any rider is better than no rider at all (especially at reserve). It looks like Ingram’s seven rides will result in no wins over opponents. Stranger things have happened of course, and it looks like three or four of the Scorpions are in good form…

You said losing Nathan Ablitt has “decided it”.😂