sparkafag

There’s a pretty obvious reason why Berwick have beaten sides like Scunthorpe and Redcar and drew with Rye House but haven’t beaten Sheffield and Newcastle.

I appreciate it was just for examples sake but… If a side has a rider on a 7.28 average at reserve it isn’t going to matter much who it is they will be absolutely battering everyone and if a rider has gained an 8.00 average from reserve they absolutely should be moving up into the team… How about just going back to a model closer to the PL where any rider can be reserve and anyone in the top 5 based on form, but just with a little bit more structure.

Does this massively differ from sides in the past who have signed riders on artificially low averages who have went on to have excellent seasons (not even sure this is the case here**) It was always seen as smart management when sides like Poole picked up riders like Cegelski who went on to have a block buster season, same with Dryml at Oxford and other numerous examples in the PL. **With all due respect to him Peter Karlson has been a sensational racer, a neutrals hero, but he is an old man now who isn’t much more than a 5.5 EL rider and he will likely end up on that average as he will likely struggle if he does ever move up to Number 1 which will then decrease his average.

I am not sure the “falsely high averages” issue has to be that big an issue in the winter if it is managed correctly. The thing that can be used as a caveat to riders with falsely high averages will be the riders with falsely low averages due to their racing position. I assume irrespective of where riders averages end (falsely high or falsely low) that most will find a place as there is only a certain amount of riders who a: want to race in Britain and are b: good enough to race in the top flight, it is likely there will be collateral and one or two on the side-lines at the start, but that’s no different to most other seasons. The key is how riders are distributed next season (same as always) it wouldn’t be ideal if a side named, for arguments sake Paule were able to sign all the falsely low averaged riders while Leenster were left with the higher averaged riders.

Poole probably are the worst hit by the rule, if one of their top 5 goes to reserve it dents them in other heats more than most due to the chasm in ability between top 5 and reserves and they also have lost a little due to the balancing of reserve heats, something that had been their strength the last few years. A change back to the old format of last season would work in their favour IMO.

I always find the whole if you haven’t attempted it you can’t comment on it thing a bit precious…surely the one person that holds even less validity than someone who has “never attempted it” is someone who has attempted and was utterly terrible at it...why would anyone give that person any validity...

It is highly unlikely you will ever see a Speedway Utopia where are all sides are equal and every side is in with a chance of winning the league..and this season definitely isn’t that, but it is a season that is ticking loads of boxes re what fans feel would enhance the sport in this country. It doesn’t really have that many top stars and thus isn’t being dictated by them, there hasn’t been that many guests, Brits are developing and filling most team spots, most meetings are close and competitive as is the league. I actually think it is by chance rather than design but the reserve rules have balanced the league, the reserve swaps have actually weakened stronger sides like Poole on quite a few occasions already this season, and will likely continue to do so, while allowing weaker sides the chance of a super reserve without denting them in bigger heats…. despite all that, it does still lack star power IMO. It will still be between Poole and Belle Vue, which is still close to call due to the stunning form this season of Stevie Worral, who must be forcing the issue re a Team GB place if he has a strong British Final.

This forum has taught me one thing, new fans to the sport have an astounding level of knowledge when it comes to the speedway rule book it genuinely feels like quite a few have had the following conversations either at a meeting, work or the pub. “What were you up to at the weekend” “I was at the speedway” “Ow speedway….hahaha, I was interested but then I found out about page 23 section d rule ii paragraph 4 and decide it wasn’t for me” as they walk away laughing Everyday occurrence that, it must be given the number of cases where people have spoken to someone or introduced someone.

It is far easier to differentiate between two speedway riders on the same team in a race and know who is who than it is at a game of football and knowing which player is which, more so in some stadia where you can be a decent distance from the pitch.…. I don’t think football will be in a hurry to introduce helmets and helmet covers though. *In all honesty it is pretty easy to differentiate at both by using numbers, racing style, playing style, a programme, the announcer, tv graphics etc and so on.

Surely the end goal of a clubs existence depends entirely on the club, location, general fan base, club history, fan expectation etc? Poole as a club have a decent fan base, budget, history etc they have earned the right to be a club who attempt to win things, that being said though… by running a track and affording British riders the chance to race there 4/5/6 or 7 times a year then Poole (Ford) are doing their bit for British riders, that’s not even taking into account the NL team they run or the part they played in the development of riders like Nicholls, Richardson and Loram who seemed to really polish their skills up at Poole (not to say other tracks didn’t play a part). It is entirely possible rules could be put in place by the governing body to gift wrap even more chances to British riders, but a race jacket doesn’t make a rider, and, with all due respect to them, riders like Benji Compton and Ben Hopwood (both Young Brits who have been given the chance at Poole) show that. There is also the question around this, does a watered down product and a gift wrapped team place actually “develop” riders to World Standard or is it far better to develop by working towards a team place and then once it is earned racing a higher standard of rider, a standard of rider Poole have generally brought to this country. There is loads of chicken and egg scenarios to consider re rider development, what clubs should or shouldn’t do and also re where Britain once stood on the world stage. Also, maybe…and I do say this in a slightly contrary way…..maybe, Britain still produce riders to the same level they always have but other countries have just got a lot better than they used to be due to better access to equipment, facilities and funding, maybe Brits have just found their place in the chain of ability which was a false posisition previously.

Evidently not by design but…..this seasons EL is pretty good.

The standard on Sky this season has been good. Lewis Bridger sits pretty high in the riders I find utterly infuriating. It is difficult not to watch him and feel he has sold his talent short. The style and racing brain he shows at times is so good, he has stunning technique on the bike, he should be so much better. The early hype about him was merited and so easy to see why so many thought so highly of him. It is just unfortunate he has taken wrong turns or things haven’t fallen into place as he should have been a very competitive rider at a far higher level than the one he competes at.

I don’t see it as a change that either strengthens or weakens Glasgow, there is a much of a muchness between Barkers form this season and the Bach of the last few seasons.

No re new fans, I don’t think they care what other fans think or know. Yes re certain fans who have supported a while, some over think and over analyse rather than just enjoying it for what it is.

That’s a terrible attempt to justify it.

The British Final is regularly excellent…. has been since the 80’s it didn’t become crap because of the year it is raced. This year will probably be no different "cut and thrust" and "race offs" and even at some stage will be referred to as "the good old days". FWIW I actually think Woffindens nonattendance will raise the standard rather than lower it. I think it means just about every rider there will fancy themselves whereas they possibly haven’t been able to get in that mind-set before due to the subconscious of knowing they are in a meeting with one of the best British riders ever, we are lucky to be able to watch riders like him now.

Scunthorpe’s decision to sign Holub and drop him on a 3.00 average is utterly baffling irrespective of any spin put on the move.

I actually gave up reading this comment half way through.

This is true, he has been regressing for a couple of seasons now.

Emm wait a second… you are asking about hostility but in the same post you state “I’d like to see you do that to my face” to another poster and then proceed to call him a coward and have also called this entire forum “freaks” and used terms like “tools” and “idiots” that's just flat out hypocrisy to refer to this forum as unfriendly while at the time posting thinly veiled threats like that. If you actually read through this forum, and the general tone of replies to your posts people generally argue the points you make rather than referring to you as an idiot or starting with the kinell chat (as you often do)….in reality it is actually yourself who is the hostile one with the threats, profanity and just general abuse of anyone who dares to “debate” your point. Re your comment about other sports, as I have said it is neither here nor there in relation to the comment about away wins in speedway being rare. In your initial post you stated “the away team rarely wins in speedway” there is no context to that comment, that is what you said, those were your own words that you consciously chose to put out on a public forum, it is a comment that is utterly wrong, it might be your opinion, and that you are entitled to , but you aren’t entitled to facts If it is your own “thought” though at least have the courage of conviction to validate it (you haven’t) or admit you are wrong (you haven’t) rather than either abusing people when they question you on it, or simply implying “go away leave me alone let me write what I want on here”….sure write what you want no one has said you shouldn’t, but if you just write guff about speedway on a speedway forum then on occasion people will wonder why it is being written and if it’s wrong correct it.. that’s generally the entire function of a forum…point/counterpoint/debates and disagreements, for the most part it is generally good natured on here and posters manage to disagree without the need to refer to others as “idiots” and “trolls” when they put forward a counterpoint, nor does it actually make them "idiots", "trolls" or "freaks"......in actuality this forum is pretty tame.

Yeah, football is just like speedway, it is practically the same sport if you really think about it. Your grievance on this occasion isn’t with me, it is with your own use and understanding of the English language “the away teams rarely wins away in Speedway” the key words there are SPEEDWAY and RARELY, what happens on a football pitch makes zero difference to that statement, not one single iota. Rarely means the following – not often, seldom. Thus far this season, and this is just from memory but Belle Vue, Lakeside, Swindon, Wolverhampton, Kings Lynn, Berwick, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Sheffield, Somerset, Peterborough, Newcastle, Workington, Ipswich and Scunthorpe have all either drawn or won at least once on the road Thus far this season Belle Vue, Coventry, Leicester, Poole, Berwick, Edinburgh, Sheffield, Peterborough, Redcar, Ipswich and Scunthorpe have either lost or dropped points at home thus showing other teams win at their track. This is before even considering the NL. That isn’t “rare” this season away wins happen, maybe if your statement wasn’t as hyperbolic and sweeping there might have been some validity to it, but even then home defeats have already happened often – frequently, many times, this season.

Nah I am not interested, I already know teams win meetings away from home in speedway it isn't rare for that to happen what happens on a football pitch doesn't change that, football would be a really odd sport to use as a comparison as well. Can stick this one in Room 101 along with race jackets are easier to identify than suits and concrete starting grids

What happens in other sports doesn’t make a bit of difference to the number of away wins that happen in speedway or change the definition of the word rarely, it simply isn’t the case that “the away team rarely wins” it’s just a complete throw out line with no supporting evidence.

The away team rarely wins in speedway is sweeping statement that isn’t even remotely true. In the past week Glasgow won AT Redcar, King Lynn and Swindon drew, Stoke won at Belle Vue, Belle Vue won at Poole, Sheffield won at Scunthorpe, Wolves won at Leicester and Workington won at Redcar That is a single weeks’ worth of fixtures, that alone blows the theory re away sides rarely winning out of the water.

I highly doubt a rewrite of the rule book will make one iota of difference to attendances other than a return of The White Knight for a week until he stops going again if his behaviour on here is anything to go by.