Thetownend.com

Anyone going tonight?

I am.  Never been before and have no real idea what to expect so ..... will see what happens! 

Been once (v Wolves) about 18 years ago. Not my thing but I hope they do well tonight.

so what are the rules?

go round the track faster than your oponent ?

i assumed that.  any others?

Four laps, clutch start, match decided on race points - 1st 3, 2nd 2, 3rd 1, 4th 0.

Riders are identified by Helmet Colours: Home Riders: Red and Blue, Visiting Riders: White and Yellow.

Track Signals: Flags displayed during the course of the race mean: Yellow & Black Diagonal Cross - Riders entering last lap. Black & White Chequered - Race finished. Black with accompanying disc - Rider Excluded. Red Lights around the Track - indication that a race has been stopped.

A coin toss takes place before Heat 1 and winning captain can either choose gate positions for Heat 1 or Heat 15.

A Tactical Ride (TR) is permitted after heat 4. On the first occasion when a team is 10 or more points in arrears, and on a subsequent occasion when the team is 12 or more in arrears - a programmed rider can then be nominated as a Tactical Ride.

The TR rider starts from the starting tapes and any race points scored are doubled (providing he beats an opposing rider). A TR can only be taken by each rider once and is not permitted in heat 15.

All riders (No's 1-7) must have a minimum of three rides prior to heat 15, unless prevented by injury and being declared unfit by Track Medical Officer.

Reserves shall be entitled to maximum of 7 rides, use as a Tactical Substitute, Rider Replacement or in nominated Riders Race, will count in the maximum rides allowed.

In the case that a Rider touches or breaks the Tapes, the Team Manager may, at his discretion, either use a Reserve in the original start position, or re-instate the guilty Rider to re-start on a 15-metre handicap. In Heat 15 the handicap is the only option.

A full set of rules are available from the Speedway Control Bureau (SCB) website.

LEAGUE SCORING SYSTEM
Home loss by any amount of points = 0
Home draw = 1
Home win by between 1 and 6 points = 2
Home win by 7 points or more = 3
Away loss by 7 points or more = 0
Away loss by 6 points or less = 1
Away draw = 2
Away win by between 1 and 6 points = 3
Away win by 7 points or more = 4

seems pretty straight forward

I'll get drunk!!

The best view is on the end of the  corner pressed up near to the fence.

I used to go to speedway sometimes, thoroughly enjoyable.

The smell of the fumes is fantastic.

:clap:

Although this is from a couple of years ago,this is the sort of racing that you can expect to see tonight at the Abbey.

Poole will have the newly crowned world champion,Chris Holder riding for them tonight.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tb6_wgYuXdE

Agreed. Mouth open in shock, too.

The Speedway tonight at The Abbey has been called off due to the weather.  Re-scheduled for next Monday.

Trying to fit in re-arranged finals for Sky coverage and continual worsening weather must be
an administrative nightmare and also for the poor old speedway fans.

Update.

1st leg Monday 15th October.

2nd Leg Weds 17th October.

Talking of which..........What is the latest update on Leigh Adams?

He was on the radio earlier but I missed it. Anyone else hear him?

Massive shame last night had to be postponed. Should be a cracking two matches next week. Come along if you can next Monday, it would be great to see the place packed to the rafters. This EL final is probably one of the tightest and hardest to predict for years.

The playoffs have thrown up some incredible drama over the years... Like this in 2010. If Rosco can master plan a win for us like he did with Coventry a couple of years ago, most speedway supporters over the UK will be very happy indeed.

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=ff1XQE_8WOE&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dff1XQE_8WOE&gl=GB

It was the big upset in this match that kick started the winter of discontent in 2010/2011 off season for the Elite League and one of the many reasons why quite a few people dislike Poole. Seeing them flop in the final will be very satisfying indeed.

As for Sir Leigh, he's still in Aus recovering at home. Confined to a wheel chair still, he says he has reasonable movement in his right leg but his left is still not responding as we'll as hoped. He spent the beginning of this year at project walk in America, an intensive rehab clinic where they also taught his wife how to help continue with the training at home. The other month he had some pretty massive surgery on his back to remove the metal rods supporting his spine which has aided his general movement and flexability. Apart from that, the guy seems pretty good, getting on with his life, watching his kids growing up and running junior speedway training sessions. The guy was my hero when I was growing up and even more so these days after what he's been through. Legend.

Its on tonight! Sky Sports 2, that's the channel immediately after the Disney channel (there is some mickey mouse shit on SS1).

Cheers...forgot about this.

Good start from the Robins 10-2 up after heat 2, Holder up next for Poole

I've never been to the speedway but always wanted to go. Everyone I know that does go absolutely love it and always mention the smell of the fuel being "wonderful"

What's happening next Monday then? Is it still part of the play offs? Are the play offs similar to the football with 2 teams playing home and away?

I might pop along and take a look. Could be the right time to jump on the bandwagon

Um, its tonight and Wednesday isn't it. Not sure what's happening on week Monday.

I'm only going by what matey a few posts up said. If I'm there on my own it would be a shite bandwagon to climb on

Some of those posts are a week old :)

There seems to be some Elite league Rider championship on Saturday though ?

http://www.swindonrobins.co/fixtures12.php

Ahaha  :-[

Swindon were 18 points up now its down to 8 With 2 races to go. Poole normally finish strong but the Robins could really do with a 10 point lead going into the away leg. Been some great races tonight.

Great racing. Stupid double tactical ride changed things :(

And its just gone Pete Tong in heat 14.

didnt know about a double tactical ride, was trying to explain to the wife after the 1st one and said they can only use it once! You just know this is going to end in a draw which would be a bit of a disaster for Swindon considering the start they had.

I'm learning too. Apparently at 12 points down you get 2. Silly sport :)

First bit of luck for a few races, Swindon will now win the 1st leg so not so bad.
Be nice to get a 5-1 on the last race.

Was it just me, or was Kelvin Tatum creaming his pants every time a Poole rider hit the front!

No he always does that.

So what was the final score?

Blame me. We were romping home when I stuck it on, then it all went pear shaped.

Set up wonderfully for the neutral on weds now though.

51-44

Oh well, that's a lot better than when they fucked it up completely against Wolves a couple of years ago.

Liked it that Rosco had a STFC hat on. Often see him at the County Ground, Glad he went back to the Robins and they've done a lot better this year with him there.

Heads up for the second leg at Poole tonight.

Can't quite see 7 points being enough, unfortunately. Go on Rosco, prove me wrong.

Normally I would agree with that but if they put in the effort they put in the first leg they might just do it !

COY...Robins

Please excuse my ignorance, but why do the home team get such an advantage in Speedway?

Different track sizes mainly I would say.

Track size and shape (straights and bends vary) and home teams usually have track surface prepared to their preferance i.e. more loose dirt or compact surface.  All of these effect the set up of the bike (gearing etc) that is most suitable/faster. Usually home sides have their bike sets ups ready from the start whereas away teams take a few races to get the feel and adjust. Racing on the same track more frequently means home riders know all the nuances of the track and the best lines to take. All this stuff helps to give an advantage but not a cast iron win every time.

As I don't have Sky Sports and the chances of getting to Poole are zero, is there likely to be a dodgy internet feed of this tonight?

Off again.

Cancellation #21

The weather is an absolute cunt. Hope it rains Monday as will be working.

Just award it to Swindon (if only to piss off Poole)

Looks like Speedway is on tonight. For anyone outside of the BBC Wiltshire area or without Sky, Radio 5 Live Sports Extra are covering it or try http://www.thefirstrow.eu/sport/motosport.html

Poole's Darcy Ward is out after being hospitalised outside a pub. The rider replacement isn't bad though.

Link works a treat. Nice start too, a 4-2 in Heat 1!

another link here

http://cricfree.tv/sky-sports-2.php

great start

So far, so good.

7-4 up, now lead by 10

Nice work Kildemand, beats Chris Holder. Still lead by 10. Whoop!

Great ride there, considering he had the world champion up his arse

12 points in front now!!!

 :banana:

 :bandwagon:

Keep the updates coming gents! C'mon Robins!!

Robins rider into the fence and excluded in heat 6. Pooles could take advantage here

Come on Batchelor!

Tatum is an absolute tool

That's not drastic, losing 4-2 but could of been worse. Swin still 10 points up after heat 6 of 15.
4-2 win. Now 12 points up after heat 7.

Kildemand's on fire...

Who the hell is Peter Kildemand? Never heard of him before tonight, but my life, he's destroying Poole single handed. Back to 12 in front!

Haha, Middleditch in meltdown......

Young Danish rider, who was originally in the reserve berth earlier in the season (6/7), but due to his form improving his average forced his way in the main team (1-5).

Truly enjoyable  ;D

Come on Robins, turn the screw

I'm not trying to make an excuse but our track is not normally like this.

Cock !!

next race is key, hopefully we can hold of holder!

Quite a talent then!

Lost heat 9 4-2. Robins need a couple more heat wins and it will be very difficult for Poole to catch them.
After heat nine 10 points up.

Fucking awesome 5-1! Not in the bag yet, but thats a huge race

That 5-1 will help :)

Yes! 5-1 win in heat 10. 14 points up after heat 10 of 15  :D

Get in there  :clap:

Kildermand is a nutter, but a very good one  :nod:

And another 4-2. Easy.......................

its got to be in the bag now

Brilliant, so glad I could watch this afterall. Rosco has pulled an ace from out of his sleeve!

Job done, Champions!

Champions !!

Champions !!

Yeeeeeees!

 :beers:

Spooky....!

Cracking! Congratulations lads, well fucking done!

Congratulations to the Robins,Rosco,the riders and promoters!

Laid the ghost of 1967,after so many close occasions.

Hope Leigh Adams was watching in Australia.

Well done the whole Swindon Robins team.  :beers: :clap:

Well done to the Speedway Kings of England. Swindon Robins we salute you.

Fair play Robins  :beers:

Speedway Team lap of honour at the Aston Villa game? Would be a great pre-match spectacle to get the fans going....?

Brilliant effort. Well done those speedway lads.

Yeh thats a cracking idea

I can just seem them ploughing into the Villa fans on the Bank as they try to take the first corner

Good shout, they brought their bikes to the CG a few years ago and took them round the pitch before KO, it went down well then and I'm sure even more so now they are Champions.

rub it in after beating the Birmingham Brummies in the play-off semis!

Totally agree with this idea. No need to mention the plans to ditch 'the Robins' name though until the bikers have left though eh ?

Don't really follow Speedway but watched it tonight and thought it was brilliant! Awesome seeing another champion Swindon team!

Congrats to all involved

Good job the Pirates didn't turn up until Heat 13......still, what a night!

You being serious Pumbaa? Is this one of those whoosh posts that I never get?

Tonight was the speedway equivalent of a football team going 6-0 up then letting a couple in injury time.  Looked a very comfortable aggregate win to me, but then again I'm no speedway expert.

If it wasn't for the 2 tactical rides in the first leg, we would've clinched it with 5 races to go. In the end the scoreline flattered Poole.

Not at all, I'm delighted and relieved to be honest. Never ever expected to turn over Poole tonight. I suspect the foot was taken off the gas (so to speak) once the aggregate victory was achieved. Heroes the lot of them.

Great year for Swindon sport. Pleased for Rosco. He is Swindon through and through.

Was checking the score at work, very pleased for the Robins, always good to see a Swindon team doing well!

Well done to Rosco and the Robins. Great effort matching the home leg and a thoroughly deservred win. Absoultely no doubt that if they needed anything in the final three heats they would have got it. Once they were Champions they switched off, and that didn't matter one bit  :D

Great result, now just the Town to get promoted again and very happy days  :clap:

Ditto

Not knowing a lot about Speedway, I can't work out why - once it was a done deal - they carried on racing? Should it not have been called once it was mathematically impossible to turn it around?

Do you stop a football match if the other team is 6-0 up?!

It's different though, isn't it.  Even at 6-0 up with 2 mins to go, the other team could still win the game in theory - although not in practice.  In speedway, there are only so many points on the table.

I guess it is just a convention from sport to sport. Seems like maybe when there's a team element to it you play to the end.

For example in Tennis, you don't play out all 5 sets if someone is 3-0 up, but in the Davis cup they will play the 'dead rubbers' even after a tie is decided. (Maybe to do with appearance fees etc?)

I suppose it is also to do with the spectators. If you pay to go and watch any sport, you will expect to get your moneys worth and see as much as possible. You wouldn't be very happy if they stopped half way just because the tie/match/race or whatever, is over.

As they mentioned last night, most of the riders get paid per point, so that'd be a good reason for them to carry on.

Having seen the Points West news I noted that the speedway team have some 'special' supporters.

Like F1.....if that couldnt get any more fucking pointless.....

Oh look...Jenson has changed his tyres....whoop whoop...boring alert!

Haha, much like whenever we're on the box and they interview the most challenged people they can find.

On this occasion I actually agree, think it was heat 13 after Swindon had won that Harris nearly had his head knocked off. The riders were all saying how bad the track was and if someone was seriously injured or even killed there would of been uproar.

quick heads up for those not in the know but have nothing better to do/watch this evening..

It's play-offs time again for the elite league and tonight is the first leg of the semi finals.

Swindon V Poole & Wolves V Birmingham.

1st leg for us at blunsdon tonight, both matches on sky sports tonight, alternating between heats. should be 2 good matches.

to cut a long, boring story short, Poole are devious, cheating wankers who shouldnt even be in the play-offs in the first place, so hopefully we'll crush them over the two legs. Again we have a good strong team this year,but poole have strengthened considerably during the year and could well win it, even though they scraped into the play-offs by hook and crook, dragging british speedway's already lowly reputation through the mud in the process.

Should be a cracking match though. 7:30 sky sports.

Poole always 'bend' the rules, and the Speedway authorities let them do it.

Hopefully we'll spank them...

What did they do (Poole)? Cheat the rider points system?

I can hear the speedway from my garden in Highworth. So there you go.

So far so good, need to try and keep Ward under control in heat 11

Can't see anyone stopping ward in 11...probably all night. Better off concentrating on keeping jonasson towards the back.

uPVC jed here tonight, gave a warm hello and pat on the shoulder when he clocked my town scarf as he walked past...rawwwr.

Could swear I saw Nile Ranger on the centre green earlier too.

Jed interviewed on the speedway and upcoming game
Came across as ok on this occasion

Christ, wasn't expecting that. Shocking gate by ward.

I'm kinda get ino this! Only watching as my bestie is one of the pit girls!

Bollocks. If Morris is injured for the return leg I can't see us getting to the final. He's our form rider at the moment and his position in the middle order of the team is very very hard to cover with rider replacements.

z? She was in her leathers Saturday in the legends... :)

Iverson took a huge tumble for the wolves too in 14

Great ride by Batchelor in heat 15. Ten point lead in the 1st leg.

Never watched speedway before till tonight, quite enjoying it.
That reporter at Swindon is also very pleasant on the eye.

I used to watch Swindon in the premier league.

Fucking plastics.

;)

;D
Good days those...

My grandad went to the very first meeting at blunsdon back in 1948 and went religiously until he became too ill to attend 7 or so years ago, and passed that on to my dad then me.

Decent match in the end last night. That last bend move from batchelor in heat 15 could be the clincher that puts the return just beyond Poole. We should be able to defend that lead with the team we have, but poole have riders that could do nothing one minute, then snatch a crucial win the next.

There are many things that Poole (or more specifically their promoter Matt Ford) has done over the years that has not endeared fans to them, i dont have time to go into detail at the moment, but whenever theres some sort of dodgy ruling or controversy in british speedway, Poole will most probably be mentioned in the same sentance. Matt Ford being one of the wealthiest and most influential members of the sports governing body on this country goes a long way to explain why.

As far as i can remember, the team building points limit is one of the few things they havent seemingly bent the rules of this season, surprisingly.

Refusing to go to the away leg in the play-offs to follow the robins is not something i'd do lightly, but i'm not prepared to line the pockets of the poole promotion next monday.

Return leg about to kick off at Poole on sky Sports. C'mon swindon.

Lost! :(

Really disappointed with that. Rosco was let down badly by several riders. Maybe Andersen was hurting from his crash yesterday, but he looked down on power and a poor number 1. Edward Kennett has just gone backwards in the last 2 years. Batchelor was dire. The others tried hard.

First meeting I went to had David Ashby, Bob Kilby, Geoff Bouchard, Bobby McNeil Martin Ashby R/R Leonard Raba & Jerzy Treskowski (I think).

Sick as a fucking parrot

Only went one full season. Barry Briggs, Bob Kilby, Martin Ashby and Mike Broadbanks. 1967 ish. Went to Wembley for the World Final, also to Coventry for the Midland Riders Championship. The prizes there were presented by none other than "Miss Diane" from Crossroads. Still remember how stunning she looked!  
My Lambretta TV 200 looked a bit out of place in the Abbey Stadium.car park and I found other things to do on a Saturday night.

A lot has been written - and will continue to be written - about how Poole can manipulate the rules to their advantage and other teams are disadvantaged (ie being allowed to cancel a match when their team was weak, yet Swindon were forced to go to Coventry with only two of their recognised team!) but the truth was that the best team won over two legs.  Robins carried too many passengers on the night and I would be surprised to see Anderson and Kennett back in the Robins colours next season.  Something not right in the Swindon pits it would seem, money troubles again?

Maybe. Andersen has been on a steady decline for a few years, and he had an almighty prang the night before at the euro Champs. When he got back up after the crash he wasn't as quick nor brave as he had been before. Still a good rider, but not a number 1.

Kennett has been awful every time I have seen him in t he last couple of years. Think he's been a passenger all season, when most expected him to be a heat leader.

Batchelor seemed very off form last night which surprised me.

Morris looks like a very good rider these days.

I can see the top 2 being Kildemand & Doyle next season.

A lot will depend on what happens for next season, if (as expected) Sky pull out of sponsoring & showing the meetings then I can't see there being an elite league.

Long weekend away abroad meant missed both Preston game and speedway V Poole, probably just as well by the looks.

10 point lead was never going to be enough (unlucky not to have more from the first leg) and can honestly see Elite league speedway going down the pan in this country once Sky pull out. Question will be can lower level speedway still pay for itself and will fans remain interested ?, especially with the crap BSPA running the show. Top riders will be happy to ply their trade entirely abroad as British speedway is certainly the poor man as far as Europe is concerned.
Will be a shame as whilst not an ever present at the Abbey I do try to go as much as pocket and time allows. Have been going on and off since my Dad took me as a tot and will miss it if it stops.

Hans Andersen to Coventry. 2 x British reserves. Cost cutting ahead of new tv deal. Wonder whether speedway will still be on sky?

Doubt it. Wonder if BT would step in. Possibly a bit too minority for them.

Anyone going to the GP in Cardiff next year? Got my tickets...

Maybe Eurosport may show an interest in the Elite League? (Probably not)...