2008 - A Year To Forget?

[hanstheman]

With the BSPA AGM coming up, it's time for them to think up more silly rule changes.

 

There were a few positives from 2008.

I think the extra points for an away win saw a few more away wins than usual, and some good sky matches, however, we also saw one of the most boring play-off series yet, and some hammerings (mostly everytime wolve or mildenhall was on track).

 

I think the Premier league went pretty well, could have been better, but by recent standards things could have been allot worse, so lets home the BSPA arn't to radical with what is proving to be a pretty good product with a few exceptions.

 

I think rumours of a regional split, or having a PL1 + 2 may be a bit too much as one of the big draws for the PL I find is the good variety of fixtures, unlike the elite league where wolves are the visitors twice in a month (a fixture well worth missing).

 

Perhaps making a regional split like in the NHL where all teams face each other and rank in a national league, but the results also count towards a regional league which would give some of the local derbys a bit more bite, and something meaningful for a few of the teams to chase. he regional leagues could then be used decide qualification for cups, eg, top 4 north v top 4 south in a play off competion.

 

So with things looking good in the premier league, things could hardly be worse in the elite. The points limit saw the absence of some of the big names (a list of names crumpy now joins, and when adams has no competion, he'll be gone too in 2010) and hence a weaker product. Attendances were down as the usual big match ups such as Crump v Nicki, Hans v Nicki were missing from a number of meetings, and heat 15 stopped looking like a GP final, and more like the old InterContinental final.

 

With crumpy being the only elite rider putting up a challenge in the GP series (Adams, and hans had a couple of good moments too, but should have been much better) it's easy to see why he and his fellow GP riders may be tempted to give britain a miss.

With a lack of competition for the likes of Crump & Adams, the extra rides are doing little to keep them sharp, and the fresh look of pedersen every other weekend just shows you dont need to ride in britian. and with a 39.9 (if the rumours are true) team building average and no new teams, the 2009 elite league will be even weaker.

 

As usual the promoters will turn up deciding to do whats best for there promotion for the next 12 months, and not whats best for speedway in general.

 

Many will say who needs nicki, greg and Jason, but with the GP riders, sky may lose interest, and without sky, theres no elite league. No elite league means that any british rider with any hope of being word champ will be off to poland, sweden, and russia (looking to be the new british elite league) leaving GB behind.

 

[baltimate007]

I can't believe thats the case "British riders will be off to poland, sweden, and russia (looking to be the new british elite league)"

But unfortunately that is the case, i never thought that would ever happen. This is devastaing, why can't the powers that be, wake up and see

whats happening?, we are in an emergency situation with this sport!