Get your abacus at the ready as season draws to a close

The speedway season is drawing to a close and for the Elite League and Grand Prix series it is over for another year.

The Elite League grand final second leg between Poole and Eastbourne was a fitting way to end the season and, although it didn’t quite go down to a last heat decider, the tension was high for much of the evening.

Poole must have been nervous after their implosion against Coventry last year and I’m not sure it helped that Sky presenters Chris Louis and Charlie Webster reminded manager and riders alike at every opportunity during the meeting.

Credit must go to Eastbourne, who were defending an eight-point lead, for taking it as far as they did, with Cameron Woodward providing some spectacular action – which usually involved him crashing into whoever he was racing against.

However, Poole were too strong in the end and their top duo of Chris Holder and Darcy Ward again proved why they are the two top riders in the league as they looked almost unbeatable.

Not only did they team up a couple of weeks ago to pull off one of the moves of the season against King’s Lynn in the semi-final but in the last heat on Monday, with the title already won, Holder found himself at the back. Ward did everything he could to slow the race down, which allowed Holder through in spectacular fashion to finish their season off in style.

It will be a shame if the Elite League keep with their rule of only allowing one rider with an average of over eight in any one team as it will mean this pair will be split up which will be a crying shame.

Crowds go to speedway meetings, in the main, to be entertained and Holder and Ward have been a box office smash this year.

THE Grand Prix in Poland was a slightly tamer affair but still threw up some entertainment.

Chris Harris secured another two wins which surely must put him in with a shout for a wild card next year, based on his last few performances,

Andreas Jonsson pipped Jarek Hampel for second and although Greg Hancock had already won the Grand Prix title two weeks ago, he put the icing on the cake by winning the meeting on Saturday.

The racing was slightly spoiled by the rain that fell before and during the meeting – although if the organisers came up to Workington they would know what a proper rain-off is like.

NOW that the Elite League and Grand Prix seasons are over attention will switch to the Premier League and who will finish where in the final mix-up.

Glasgow secured the title last weekend, although many knew they had it all but sewn up weeks ago.

Many fans will be getting their abacuses out, trying to work out how many points they are likely to get from their remaining matches.

Always liking to keep abreast of things I have had mine out for months and maximum points from the rest of our home matches – providing they all go ahead – will give us 77, which would mean Sheffield in second could only manage 75.

However, an eye must be kept on Newport who are flying up the league and do not seem able to lose at the moment – a stark contrast from the start of the season when all they could do was lose.

With the catalogue of injuries, rain-offs and everything else that has been thrown at the team this season I think second would be a highly impressive finish.

With the team we had at the start of the season it was disappointing to lose out on the title but compared with our finishes in recent years it is a siginifcant improvement and I think Keith Denham and Tony Jackson deserve praise for how we have coped this year despite the bad luck we have had.