Guests ! Why ?

[rob tatum]

So darcy ward is injured and replaced by iversen who just happens to be in the team who could be there biggest challengers for the league. Of all the daft rules in our sport surely the guest system is the most laughable I cannot believe after all this time we cannot sort out something better than this. Just heard gareth bale is being replaced by giggs for 2 weeks ,sounds ridiculous dosent it

[guitar_art]

Instead of asking why, I am pretty sure we all know why, why don't you give us a viable alternative. And while we are on the subject of why. Why oh why do we insist (and I am as guilty as the next man) on comparing ourselves to a sport that seems to operate in its own financial heaven? You cant compare the two sports and thank god for that.

[mickthemuppet]

No different to footballers going out on loan to other clubs, then going back to their own clubs again. How many footballers out on loan at the moment, perhaps 200

Speedway compared to football is well run

Ipswich football club just released their figures for last year and they lost £16m last year to take their total debt up to £80million. This is from a club that only went broke a decade ago.knocking all the local tradesmen.

P.s They also have 7 players on loan and virtually no assets.

Edited April 6, 2013 by mickthemuppet

[Tsunami]

So darcy ward is injured and replaced by iversen who just happens to be in the team who could be there biggest challengers for the league. Of all the daft rules in our sport surely the guest system is the most laughable I cannot believe after all this time we cannot sort out something better than this. Just heard gareth bale is being replaced by giggs for 2 weeks ,sounds ridiculous dosent it

 

Alternatives :-

 

Put a junior rider in instead, and the fans complaining that the standard is rubbish and complaining about their team getting beat. What happens when you have more than one rider missing.

 

Have a pool of riders, Where are they coming from, and how does a rider exist financially if he is expected to have top gear already ready, waiting in case he gets the call to ride.

Edited April 6, 2013 by Tsunami

[Daniel Smith]

Isn't all team motorsport the same???

 

In F1 injured drivers can be replaced by another teams reserve or test driver. In bike & some other 4 wheel track racing it's been known for injured factory riders / drivers to have the same championship independants to come in.

 

Squad systems keep getting mentioned in British speedway but it would create more expense to promotors as less meeting for riders would mean retaining fees would have to be paid. That just isn't affordable

[rob tatum]

Oh well that's me told your all obviously happy with the guest rule. Sorry but I'm not ok were not football BUT we are supposed to be a professional sport and with this rule we make ourselves look daft.

[The White Knight]

Oh well that's me told your all obviously happy with the guest rule. Sorry but I'm not ok were not football BUT we are supposed to be a professional sport and with this rule we make ourselves look daft.

 

That doesn't answer the question about an alternative System though. I don't think that MOST Speedway Supporters like the 'Guest System' but what else can we do? As has already been pointed out - if you get hammered at Home every week because you are filling in with Juniors people will stop attending - once they are lost to Speedway it is b****y difficult to get them back. We found THAT out at Sunderland near enough forty years ago. As has been said, a Pool (no pun intended) of Riders is far too expensive and would not be workable anyway. What Rider worth his salt would be prepared to sit in the Pits week after week with no Rides if there were no injuries. The Squad rotation System wouldn't work either because Riders need MORE Rides not less.

 

I appreciate what you are saying Rob - BUT - I can't think of any other workable System - can you?

 

Until that question is answered, I guess we are stuck with 'Guest Riders'.

Edited April 6, 2013 by The White Knight

[guitar_art]

Oh well that's me told your all obviously happy with the guest rule. Sorry but I'm not ok were not football BUT we are supposed to be a professional sport and with this rule we make ourselves look daft.

 

That's fine and dandy. But. Give me a viable alternative.

[Mad Potter 2]

In the bad old days of speedway, if a team had a heat leader out they used rider replacement. If both teams had any of their 1 to 3 out both teams promoted their 4^th highest rider then moved the highest reserve up the order, then brought in their No. 8 at reserve. But as this was the bad old days and its now better to have any Tom, Dick or Harry in your team.

[chunky]

As has been said,, I feel that the vast majority of fans DO dislike the guest system, but again, what are the options? The age-old habit of comparing speedway to football is totally ridiculous, as the loss of a top rider really does impact the team much more than it does in football.

 

Should we grab guests every time a rider is missing? Of course not. Replacing him with a junior is not always good, particularly away from home. A squad is a great idea, but again, what happens if your best two riders are injured or unavailable? You're back to square one...

 

Steve

[RonButler]

I can't understand why so many contributors to this and other speedway forums insist on continually comparing the sport to football.

 

Sadly speedway is regarded as a minor sport. This has been the case for many years as witnessed by the the fact that routine results are rarely available in the popular national daily press. Even when they are a powerful magnyfing glass is required to read them.

 

I wonder if there is any way we, as dedicated speedway supporters, can influence the national daily press to include even the weekly league matches in the sports results section?

[MattK]

The Elite League at least seemed to be moving in the right direction (IMHO) towards a squad system, with each team having a #8 and pairs of double-uppers.

 

However, this season DUers have been reduced to single riders and the concept of having a #8 appears to have been dropped, although not officially announced as far as I can see.

 

Personally I think teams should be made to bite the bullet. Their #8 comes in at the bottom of the team and then every other rider moves up a place.

[thommo34]

As many people have said there seems to be no better way of replacing an injured number 1.

 

My annoyance is with the rule that allows a guest for the higher averaged reserve. It seems obvious to me that a guest from a lopwer league (not an old timer though) would be a much better and fairer solution and would give opportunities for younger lower league riders to show a wider audience what they can do..

[SCB]

It's not an ideal situation but look at it another way, with Darcy look would score 45, take Darcy out and put in their squad rider who would be a 3 point, who goes no and score 2 instead of Darcys 12, suddenly Poole only score 35 and the meeting is a bit pants. The fans want to see big names, not 3 point quad members. and who would the squad riders be? Because surely it would be a joke to use PL teams riders?

 

It's a necessary evil IMO

 

 

An even bigger frustration of mine on this one is that in November poor old Puk was threatening to quit British speedway as we had too many meetings yet here he is taking on an extra meeting. Sounds like an ideal guest for Poole, he has 0 integrity.

[PHILIPRISING]

THINK that is very unfair on Niels. He has to earn money and shouldn't be castigated for taking an extra booking in the UK when he has already missed out on two in Poland.

[SCB]

THINK that is very unfair on Niels. He has to earn money and shouldn't be castigated for taking an extra booking in the UK when he has already missed out on two in Poland.

He moaned about the number of meetings. HE is now taking on more meetings. So does eh want less meetings. Or more meetings to earn more? It's one or the other.

[rob tatum]

Maybe comparing speedway to football was a mistake instead ill compare it to my stepsons amateur rugby team where injuries are commonplace and they don't draft in players from other teams. I don't have the answer but I do remember when phil crump broke his thigh many moons ago and he was out for the whole season and bristol had to get by ,yep we struggled but personally I don't want a rider who rides for another club riding for a club I support. Sorry that's how I feel. With a sport like ours maybe naming a squad of 10 ,7 team members plus 3 other riders on standby to cover for injuries. What is the point of having a team of 7 when after 1 to 2 weeks teams are normally decimated by injuries. Sorry I sound like an old git but I am 50 any now need a lie down

[MattK]

Maybe comparing speedway to football was a mistake instead ill compare it to my stepsons amateur rugby team where injuries are commonplace and they don't draft in players from other teams.

 

In this instance I don't think your comparison to football is a mistake. If Ryan Giggs did guest for Spurs in place of the Bale it would be farcical and the Premier League would be the laughing stock of the sporting world. However, this is a common occurrence in speedway and another reason why it is not taken seriously by the wider media and members of the public.

[iris123]

Personally and i have said it before there should be a group of unattached riders like Gollob,Hancock,Holta,Liglad etc who could be called on when an injury to a no 1 happens.It is a nonsense to have a rider from an opposing team ride and possibly hinder his own teams chances.I also don't think it helps the attendances to have guest riders who people have seen a number of times already.A group of riders who don't tide for an opposing team don't make the sport look mickey mouse and should i think help boost crowds if they are seeing someone who doesn't want to ride too often in the country.Would it make it harder for teams to sign a number 1 in the first place as more top riders opt out and hope for the guest option though?

[SCB]

Personally and i have said it before there should be a group of unattached riders like Gollob,Hancock,Holta,Liglad etc who could be called on when an injury to a no 1 happens.It is a nonsense to have a rider from an opposing team ride and possibly hinder his own teams chances.I also don't think it helps the attendances to have guest riders who people have seen a number of times already.A group of riders who don't tide for an opposing team don't make the sport look mickey mouse and should i think help boost crowds if they are seeing someone who doesn't want to ride too often in the country.Would it make it harder for teams to sign a number 1 in the first place as more top riders opt out and hope for the guest option though?

I've never understood why a guest has to be in someone elses team TBH. Why if a promoter wants to use one of the riders you have mentioned as a guest shoudlnt he? Let any rider guest, provided his average fits. And if the rider is not in a 1-7, his guest bookings count for an average.