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Wild Cards 2014


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That's your view Oldace and you are entitled to it. I only know what I see - and I believe that League Speedway in this Country has gone downhill since the advent of BSI.

It certainly has and that is a fact, no flexibility in the fixtures with rain offs a total nightmare to fit in all the meetings.With the change of the WC from the one off final to the series were the leagues properly COMPENSATED for the inconvenience over the years i think not.
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I've really enjoyed watching the GPs this series, I don't have Sky so it's the first real series I've followed. Even when the racing hasn't been great, having Tai in there means most heats have something to be excited about, working out possible permutations etc. I think Vaculik has been better than his 56 points suggest, and wouldn't be upset if he was given a wildcard

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Don't agree with wild cards in principle, however as we have a Grand Prix system whereby you you qualify for the next years World Championship, not this years, like the old one off championship, it's fairer for the riders that get injured and are not able to compete in qualifiers for next year. For example under the old system Holder and Ward could still qualify for next years Championship even though they both got hurt this year. Under the current system without the wild card they wouldn't be able to take part next year, tough on them but also tough for the fans who want to see them, so I reluctantly think they are needed. I do think however that they should only be for riders that have been injured during the campaign that were in a top eight position and not just given to riders to make the numbers up. If no rider is injured then the top seven from the GP challenge should go through.

 

On a seperate issue I think the whole qualifying system need to be looked at. But that's for another topic.

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Don't agree with wild cards in principle, however as we have a Grand Prix system whereby you you qualify for the next years World Championship, not this years, like the old one off championship, it's fairer for the riders that get injured and are not able to compete in qualifiers for next year. For example under the old system Holder and Ward could still qualify for next years Championship even though they both got hurt this year. Under the current system without the wild card they wouldn't be able to take part next year, tough on them but also tough for the fans who want to see them, so I reluctantly think they are needed. I do think however that they should only be for riders that have been injured during the campaign that were in a top eight position and not just given to riders to make the numbers up. If no rider is injured then the top seven from the GP challenge should go through.

 

On a seperate issue I think the whole qualifying system need to be looked at. But that's for another topic.

So you wont be celebrating Tais win on Saturday? Being a wildcard and all that.
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There is a viewpoint amongst some fans that if you don't make top 8 you should be OUT unless you make it through challenge. The logic in this is that each year there are up to 7 GP riders that should be replaced by up to 7 more next year. The facts of the matter are that each year there are likely 11-12 of the current series who should be retained. You always want new blood in the series and it should get its chance, but just because a rider finishes below 8th doesn't mean they should be booted out. Yes, sometimes a commercial angle gets a rider another chance or three - its been the Brits now the Swedes may fall into that, but its not like Freddie and AJ are not worthy of re-earning back their previous positions - all 15 riders can't score double figures in every GP. And as far as the wild card system not being fair, there are many riders that come through qualifiers who simply don't belong in the series - Many a Pole who came through qualifiers in Eastern Europe who lasted a year in the series of painfully low scores. The current system of top 8, 3 open spots and 4 nominees is about right in my opinion.

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The current system of top 8, 3 open spots and 4 nominees is about right in my opinion.

 

Agree strongly with that.

 

Top eight gives incentive for many riders to keep battling all season long.

 

Four nominations is perfect too, it's enough to cover injuries to top stars and also any new riders arriving on the scene at a blistering rate the previous season or those who had missed the previous years GP and qualifiers but are clearly a class rider.

 

Definitely no more than three from the challenge as it has provided some pretty mundane fare at times to the SGP menu. Also it is indeed open to riders who may benefit from a horses for courses one-off final nomination or track knowledge who then are out of their depth all series long.

Edited by manchesterpaul
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That's your view Oldace and you are entitled to it. I only know what I see - and I believe that League Speedway in this Country has gone downhill since the advent of BSI.

 

League speedway in this country has gone downhill since the advent of X Factor but that has nothing to do with it either

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WELL put ... anyone who believes you can lay the blame for all British domestic speedway's ills at the foot of the SGP needs a guide dog

 

It certainly didn't help to have its prime race days taken away though. And frankly, the SGP has hardly been the saviour of the sport either.

 

Maybe things would have been even worse without it, but the sport is almost entirely off the mainstream radar now.

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BUT the lack of British success, in either the SGP or the SWC, has been a major factor in speedway being ignored by the mainstream media.

 

Both BBC Radio (5 LIve) and News 24 have requested interviews with Tai Woffinden in Manchester on Monday morning should he clinch the title on Monday. It's a start and underlines my point ...

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There is a viewpoint amongst some fans that if you don't make top 8 you should be OUT unless you make it through challenge. The logic in this is that each year there are up to 7 GP riders that should be replaced by up to 7 more next year. The facts of the matter are that each year there are likely 11-12 of the current series who should be retained.

Exactly, Ive never got this. People are saying you could have the best 15 rider I the World in the GP series but because of the arbitrary top 8 rule, they'd kick 7 of them out and bring in 7 other riders. Barmy. A rider could arguably be the 9th best rider in the World for 15 seasons and need 15 wildcards but if he's the 9th best rider in the World he should get them. I want the top 15 riders in the World, not the top 8, plus 3 who fluked a qualifier and then 4 who get picked based on the fact they have qualified in the past or never had a wildcard before. It's screwed up logic but then humans are good at screwed up logic.
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BUT the lack of British success, in either the SGP or the SWC, has been a major factor in speedway being ignored by the mainstream media.

 

Both BBC Radio (5 LIve) and News 24 have requested interviews with Tai Woffinden in Manchester on Monday morning should he clinch the title on Monday. It's a start and underlines my point ...

BUT the lack of British success, in either the SGP or the SWC, has been a major factor in speedway being ignored by the mainstream media.

 

Both BBC Radio (5 LIve) and News 24 have requested interviews with Tai Woffinden in Manchester on Monday morning should he clinch the title on Monday. It's a start and underlines my point ...

BUT the lack of British success, in either the SGP or the SWC, has been a major factor in speedway being ignored by the mainstream media.

 

Both BBC Radio (5 LIve) and News 24 have requested interviews with Tai Woffinden in Manchester on Monday morning should he clinch the title on Monday. It's a start and underlines my point ...

 

CORRECTION: title on Saturday

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I want the top 15 riders in the World, not the top 8, plus 3 who fluked a qualifier and then 4 who get picked based on the fact they have qualified in the past or never had a wildcard before. It's screwed up logic but then humans are good at screwed up logic.

 

Exactly my opinion. The world championship is the event which is most likely to capture the attention of the National Press. It should be as good as it can be made to be.

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League speedway in this country has gone downhill since the advent of X Factor but that has nothing to do with it either

Dont know when that exactly was, but a Spar report back in 1994 says that the then top league had 85 English riders and 61 foreigners. Thats roughly 60-40 split, maybe something should had been done earlier? This is hindsight, I DONT know the answer, just that I been trying to get this snippet online since I read it this January. :lol:

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It gets a bit boring though when we keep on seeing the same riders every time, even if they are the best around. It would be nice to see some different riders now and again during the series. How about leaving out any rider who comes last and bring in a replacement rider from a list of those who did not re-qualify from the previous year and or those who just failed to qualify from the challenge. The rider who was replaced does however return for the following GP replacing whoever comes last and so on.

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