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Cheeting Death? - Speedway 2022

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    #76
    So the Birmingham team is announced and it's also four guests and r/r.

    The Plymouth team is 5-points stronger on paper.

    Comment


      #77
      Is that some sort of sympathy vote as didn't Adam Ellis miss out last year.

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        #78
        Yup. He was dead last on 1 point after 3 rides last night.

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          #79
          British Speedway Grand Prix
          Millennium Stadium


          Well, what a bizarre evening, at times farcical but ultimately thrilling. A lot of people will be relieved that Dan Bewley's outstanding performance throughout the meeting and especially in the final will be the abiding narrative rather than all the track & organisational problems.

          I suppose maintaining a temporary track in 36 degree heat was always going to be exceptionally difficult. I don't know if that problem was exacerbated by the humidity from having the roof closed or if it would have been worse with direct sunlight on the shale all the way through. Heavy Dracula might have a more informed opinion on that.

          Either way we ended up with a track which had many bumps & ruts which seemed to alternate with slick patches, especially on the second bend. There were a LOT of stoppages for track grading as the meeting went on and at one point I thought we would have a rider revolt leaving the whole GP in jeopardy. The final couple of heats of the main twenty were characterised by riders who had nothing to really race for simply getting themselves around the track slowly and safely. I suspect Tai's withdrawal was at least in part due to the conditions.

          That said, some riders excelled despite the difficulties, Bewley obviously but also Zmarzlik, Dudek, Madsen and Holder. Bewley stood out throughout due to the quality of his starts and his commitment & will to win. Once he took off in the final nobody was going to catch him and, much like when I saw him and Lambert become World Team Champions last year, I found myself screaming "Just stay on the bike, stay on the fucking bike!" at him.

          So, myself and the home crowd (certainly down in size on recent years though not as bad as I expected. The cost of living crisis is always going to hit speedway's predominantly working class crowd hard) went home ecstatic but nobody could kid themselves about the obvious problems.

          As well as the track, new organisers Discovery got other things wrong. The in-stadium presentation was appalling, a gawdawful DJ and announcer clashing over the PA making it almost impossible to hear any announcements. Both also drowned out the pit interviews on the screen which may have helped people realise what the riders were going through (I managed to make out Zmarzlik complain about safety at least once though). Also there were no merchandise stalls open at all in the venue, I suspect because Discovery were unwilling to pay the percentage the stadium charges.

          In summary, I had a great night (and it was fantastic to be watching the world's most exciting sport in the world's best stadium after a few years away) but Bewley's brilliance saved the GP in the end in so many ways.

          Comment


            #80
            Oh, and can anyone who was watching on TV tell me why Ronnie O'Sullivan was there (and awarding Bewley his trophy!) and who all the other "legends" were looking nonplussed in the centre green?

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              #81
              I observe British speedway from afar and therefore I don't attend meetings live, just watch through a subscription watching Championship matches. I see Oxford's (home) season finished last night. It's the middle of August and it's over already? I wrote a long winded letter to the Kings Lynn promotion years ago for abandoning the 'Pride of The East' season ending meeting - usually the highest attended meeting all season, always my favourite individual meeting of the season for many reasons. Some years a much better field than the World Final.

              personally I think the league has to revert to one league and either 5 or 6rider teams, until either the Poles release all their riders for British teams or we can get enough juniors through the ranks. Without running the stats, I think Chris Harris may break all records for 'team match appearances' this season, including guesting in both leagues. And he's having a good season - probably made enough to retire...haha.

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                #82
                Since losing Eddie Kennett after three heats in our first meeting of the season I make it something like this:

                Total Guest bookings: 44
                Riders booked: 24
                Rider Replacement operated: 13

                Chris Harris has worn the Gladiators race vest on five occasions (and it would have been twice more if it wasn't for postponements), followed by Lewis Kerr on four with Richard Lawson and Jason Edwards both three times. Ben Morley and Connor Coles have both guested twice before signing to replace injured riders.

                I don't think any other club has had it as bad though Birmingham probably run us close.

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                  #83
                  I did the Birmingham numbers, because I'm like that:

                  Used R/R or guests in 23 out of 27 matches
                  Total guest bookings: 53
                  R/R operated: 9

                  Tom Brennan has guested 8 times, followed by Paco Castanga (5), and Lee Complin and Jason Edwards (both 4).

                  Suffice to say, something has to change.

                  Comment


                    #84
                    I think we can conclusively say that Peterborough have had some kind of curse placed on them since winning the title last season. Tonight's televised meeting must be a new low, leading by eight points after heat 12 yet managing to lose the next three heats 2-4, 2-4 and 1-5 to lead to a super heat. Even then they had second and third place halfway through which would have given them the win but blew it eventually losing 2-7.

                    Great fun to watch for the neutral but it must be devastating for everyone connected to the Panthers.

                    Comment


                      #85
                      Scunthorpe managed to blow a ten point with just three heats left a week or so back and Redcar getting consecutive 5-1s.

                      And at least Peterborough didn't run out of tyres this week.

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                        #86
                        I’d forgotten the “super heat” was a thing and then realised what a farce it would make of a decent meeting. I mean, why not tinker with useless additions like that when everything else is going so great, right? What’s that? A league of just 6 teams, half of which are owned by the same man?

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                          #87
                          Our season has gone right down the pan.

                          What with injuries to all four main riders and Ben Barker's suspension we've pretty much stumbled into the playoffs and due to lack of rider availability have to track this team at Poole tomorrow:
                          1 Rider Replacement
                          2 Ben Morley
                          3 Ben Trigger
                          4 Anders Rowe
                          5 Dillon Ruml
                          6 Lee Complin
                          7 Connor Coles

                          It's not going to be pretty. I'm praying for rain.

                          Comment


                            #88
                            Although speedway is tugging its forelock in the UK this weekend, there's a Grand Prix tonight and I'm actually excited to see it (on catch up) for the first time in ages, wondering if the Ginger Prince can make it 3 out of 3...

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                              #89
                              Hadn't realised Speedway was one of the few sports apart from football to completely cancel fixtures. Especially absurd given how the weather will make rescheduling ever more haphazard in coming weeks.

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                                #90
                                The rerun of the British Individual Final is just starting on Eurosport 2.

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                                  #91
                                  Bewley by a mile. Good on him. At least he could be bothered to turn up, unlike the other two.

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                                    #92
                                    I spend a lot of time in the 80s these days, a consequence of everything being a bit shit right now, and I’ve been thinking about the speedway scene when I first started going to meetings in 1988.

                                    The sheer number and geographical spread of tracks seems amazing now, and if you were inclined you could see speedway every night of the week.

                                    Monday: Reading, Wolverhampton, Exeter, Newcastle
                                    Tuesday: Milton Keynes, Poole
                                    Wednesday: Long Eaton, Wimbledon
                                    Thursday: Ipswich, Middlesbrough, Sheffield
                                    Friday: Belle Vue, Oxford, Edinburgh, Hackney, Peterborough
                                    Saturday: Bradford, Coventry, Cradley Heath, King’s Lynn, Swindon, Arena Essex, Berwick, Stoke
                                    Sunday: Eastbourne, Glasgow, Mildenhall, Rye House

                                    It all means nothing, of course, but I miss it.

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                                      #93
                                      To ignore the royalty bothering on Monday, I watched a fillum on London Live which was based on speedway, and filmed at New Cross speedway in 1948.

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                                        #94
                                        Originally posted by Gangster Octopus View Post
                                        To ignore the royalty bothering on Monday, I watched a fillum on London Live which was based on speedway, and filmed at New Cross speedway in 1948.
                                        Once a Jolly Swagman?

                                        Comment


                                          #95
                                          That's the one. Apart from Bill Owen with a terrible Australian accent, I couldn't work out why the name.

                                          Comment


                                            #96
                                            Swindon Robins join an ever-growling list of teams and/or stadiums being closed - SWINDON SPEEDWAY STATEMENT - Wednesday, September 28, 2022 (britishspeedway.co.uk)

                                            Comment


                                              #97
                                              Saw that and more depressing news. Wasn't there a brand new stadium being built next to the Abbey at one point, fanciful though the idea always seemed?

                                              Comment


                                                #98
                                                Plymouth Centurions 50-40 Armadale Devils
                                                National Development League
                                                Plymouth Coliseum


                                                Someone on here once said there’s something magical about speedway in October under lights, everyone huddled together against the cold and so with that thought in mind I mooched down the hill forgoing the delights of a rocking, capacity Home Park instead to rattle around with about 250 others. Table topping football or wooden spoon, National League racing. I mean is it really a choice?

                                                It's been a tough, old year for the Plymouth second stringers. A team built around the up and coming talents of Dan Gilkes and Henry Atkins alongside the expectant breakthrough of local lad, Ben Trigger, suggested we had all the makings of a playoff team and when those three fired to dominate Belle Vue it was all looking so good. Then a week in early May changed everything.

                                                Blame Scunthorpe, most of our supporters do anyway due to some feisty encounters back in the early days of the Devils. Anyway, first of all Henry, though more likely Henry’s dad, threw a sulk over being switched out of a heat in favour of Dan, decided he didn’t like speedway anymore and refused to race in the return meeting a few days later. With the Gladiators on course for a rare away win Dan, who already hit double figures suffered a season ending horror crash. Now trying to get replacements for a number one rider at the National League level is tricky, trying to source two is nigh on impossible as the riders just aren’t there. Fortunately, one was already available within the Gladiators line up in Alfie Bowtell along with his Kent team mate Ben Morley. Thing was we couldn’t have both and at the other end of the team the reserves were barely scoring and the two experienced lads in the middle were racing like the tracks were laced in syrup. And so the Centurions started losing and losing and losing again. Whichever of Morley or Bowtell was picked pretty much won every race and Ben Trigger soon doubled his average but getting a full team together was so difficult. Rhys Naylor who was in the pits spannering for Alfie decided the only way was to get back on his bike after a decade away and give it a go. Turned out he still had it, then Ben Trigger broke his leg in a junior meeting and still the losses continued.

                                                Enter Adam Roynon, a lad who’s been in, out and around Plymouth speedway for what seems like an age, something to do with connections to his old man. But best of all is he knows his way round our track and so it proved. First meeting we ran table toppers Berwick so close and but for his very dodgy exclusion in heat 13 would almost certainly have won it.

                                                So to the last meeting and but for a Roynon inspired bonus point from a defeat at Kent had nothing to show from the season apart from that solitary win. Mind you, Armadale hadn’t fared much better. Two wins and some proper heavy defeats on their journeys with most of them seeing their opponents hit 60. Probably, the speedway equivalent of a string of 5-0’s.

                                                Well, what a fantastic night. In true speedway style the rider of the night was Lee Complin, a rider based in Yorkshire who rides for Armadale in the NDL, Plymouth in the Championship and is giving the sport another go after a few years out. For five races he rode the boards and had many watching through their fingers waiting for the spill that never came and fully deserved his maximum. Proper exciting stuff. Ben Barker watching from the bar approved of his style while Adam Roynon said afterwards he could have taken him at any time but didn’t want to risk an injury with the season pretty much over but I’m not sure I believe him.

                                                Everyone did there bit, Ben Trigger did alright on his return, Rhys Naylor showed he still has it and will surely give National League racing another go next season. Richie Andrews had his best score of the season on what might have been his swansong from the sport and Adam Extance’s dad standing next to us danced with joy every time his boy got a point. But also the Armadale riders too, and although poor James Laker was the only one not to score even he had couple of moments. Fifteen heats, and apart from one minor fall with the rider clearing the track no reruns, not dodgy starts just loads of great racing and a taste of what might have been. It was a most enjoyable way to end the season. Last minute winners against Sheffield Wednesday or Lee Complin riding the outside line. Turns out there was no choice.

                                                No word yet whether the Centurions will run again next year. Part of the problem is getting riders down on our Tuesday race night because for many it’s a school night, literally a school night. It’s alright for Lee Complin, he’s got his business and can afford to take the time out, but for many of the others it’s a precious days leave. I hope the promotion can come up with something as it’s been great having racing every week. It’s not about the results at this level it’s about watching the next generation, but the worry is there’s not enough young talent coming through.


                                                We're not clear of the wooden spoon yet. Armadale have one meeting to go, but whatever happens it's been fun.

                                                JjcLZRM.jpg

                                                Last edited by Greenlander; 13-10-2022, 18:27.

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                                                  #99
                                                  I've not been too enamoured of Eurosport's coverage of the SGB Premiership but both legs of the Grand Final have been excellent viewing. Very happy to see Belle Vue finally win the title again after all these years and final failures, well deserved. Excellent scenes from their away following too, including some very Polish-style pyro and flags. Not sure what the sombreros are about though.

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                                                    Nice report, Greenlander. My season looks like it might have petered out post-Cardiff as the sheer distance to any tracks has really hit me along with the ridiculously random fixture list.

                                                    I still have an eye on trying to make a meeting at one of the legs of the League Cup Final or Championship Final next week though weather forecasts may play a vital part in my decision.

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