oldtimer Posted May 23, 2013 Report Share Posted May 23, 2013 Swindon are missing 3 riders for their match against Birmingham (Thursday) Andersen and Kildemand are preparing for the Danish Final, with Morris injured. On Saturday Workington will use 3 guests and R/R against Glasgow, Howarth and Ashley Morris are in Poland for Team GB in under 21's. No wonder crowds are falling, there should be a rule that if more than 2 signed riders are missing the match should be postponed. If Glasgow get beat they can't say Workington beat them when the truth is it's a Workington select team, with only 3 team riders. If this happened in football and more than half the team were from other clubs, would the fans stay away? Would they complain? Why do speedway fans just accept this farce? 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 23, 2013 Report Share Posted May 23, 2013 Swindon are missing 3 riders for their match against Birmingham (Thursday) Andersen and Kildemand are preparing for the Danish Final, with Morris injured. On Saturday Workington will use 3 guests and R/R against Glasgow, Howarth and Ashley Morris are in Poland for Team GB in under 21's. No wonder crowds are falling, there should be a rule that if more than 2 signed riders are missing the match should be postponed. If Glasgow get beat they can't say Workington beat them when the truth is it's a Workington select team, with only 3 team riders. If this happened in football and more than half the team were from other clubs, would the fans stay away? Would they complain? Why do speedway fans just accept this farce? I think that increasingly, as reflected in attendances, speedway fans are not accepting these sort of happenings. It's also a reason why the mainstream media no longer takes much notice of speedway. Sad, very sad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldtimer Posted May 23, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2013 I wonder if there is any limit, would it be allowed, if through other rider commitments and injury's, a team had R/R, 5 guests and a Conference league reserve? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdmc82 Posted May 23, 2013 Report Share Posted May 23, 2013 Coventry spent most of 2011 with team made up of guests. Had 4 riders missing (Emil, Shamak, Piotr & Kennett) against Peterborough Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulco Posted May 23, 2013 Report Share Posted May 23, 2013 Swindon are missing 3 riders for their match against Birmingham (Thursday) Andersen and Kildemand are preparing for the Danish Final, with Morris injured. On Saturday Workington will use 3 guests and R/R against Glasgow, Howarth and Ashley Morris are in Poland for Team GB in under 21's. No wonder crowds are falling, there should be a rule that if more than 2 signed riders are missing the match should be postponed. If Glasgow get beat they can't say Workington beat them when the truth is it's a Workington select team, with only 3 team riders. If this happened in football and more than half the team were from other clubs, would the fans stay away? Would they complain? Why do speedway fans just accept this farce? Workington's guests make them much stronger on Saturday Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Islander15 Posted May 23, 2013 Report Share Posted May 23, 2013 If this happened in football and more than half the team were from other clubs, would the fans stay away? Would they complain? Why do speedway fans just accept this farce? It has this past season with Watford, and seeing as they nearly went up attendances weren't affected. However I do think that they're should be a maximum of R/R plus two guests, anymore and you don't feel like you're watching your own team! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Blobby Posted May 23, 2013 Report Share Posted May 23, 2013 Workington's guests have made them stronger all season. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCB Posted May 23, 2013 Report Share Posted May 23, 2013 The worst I've ever seen was Eastbourne vs Coventry in 2008. Coventry had 4 guests, R/R and their two reserves. To make it worse, one of the guests in the 1-5 was Chris Schramm! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fromafar Posted May 23, 2013 Report Share Posted May 23, 2013 I think that increasingly, as reflected in attendances, speedway fans are not accepting these sort of happenings. It's also a reason why the mainstream media no longer takes much notice of speedway. Sad, very sad. Have to agree,I think it is one of the main reasons that new fan drift away,it is very difficult to market as a serious Team sport when Everyman and his dog can ride for any team during a season.If as a lot of fans insist it is just 4 men producing decent racing you would as well just Promoting Individual Meetings.How many tracks are racing in front of increased attendances this.Answers on aPostage Stamp please. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Backless Posted May 23, 2013 Report Share Posted May 23, 2013 And in the mid 1970s ('76?) Mike Patrick took a photo of three Wolves riders which appeared in one of his books as the nearest he got to a team picture all year. Still, the sport had a few good years So,, what if a team already with a couple of injuries picks up another at (say) Ipswich on a Thursday. You'd be happier if at 10pm on Thursday the match at Somerset was postponed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickthemuppet Posted May 23, 2013 Report Share Posted May 23, 2013 Swindon are missing 3 riders for their match against Birmingham (Thursday) Andersen and Kildemand are preparing for the Danish Final, with Morris injured. On Saturday Workington will use 3 guests and R/R against Glasgow, Howarth and Ashley Morris are in Poland for Team GB in under 21's. No wonder crowds are falling, there should be a rule that if more than 2 signed riders are missing the match should be postponed. If Glasgow get beat they can't say Workington beat them when the truth is it's a Workington select team, with only 3 team riders. If this happened in football and more than half the team were from other clubs, would the fans stay away? Would they complain? Why do speedway fans just accept this farce? They did. Ipswich Town football club used 20 loan players from other clubs last season. Can Speedway teams equal that. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speed Hopkins Posted May 26, 2013 Report Share Posted May 26, 2013 The guest rider rule is the biggest reason league speedway isn't a serious sport. The catch 22 is that league speedway also couldn't survive without it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frigbo Posted May 26, 2013 Report Share Posted May 26, 2013 It has this past season with Watford, and seeing as they nearly went up attendances weren't affected. However I do think that they're should be a maximum of R/R plus two guests, anymore and you don't feel like you're watching your own team! That's not true. The Watford analogy doesn't work because the players were on loan and not just stepping in for one match. This compares with Eddy Kennett being on loan to Swindon for example, not teams full of other sides' riders as a one off. The Workington match last night was ridiculous, the Comets were significantly stronger by picking the low average, in form riders from elsewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Panda Posted May 26, 2013 Report Share Posted May 26, 2013 Not wishing to provoke a storm or anything but surely it is time to consider a squad system..........it would do away with the need for guests and r/r and probably doubling up/down too...........doubling up/down should be restricted to being at reserve only anyway.............I think it would work in the Elite League.........may be not so much the lower leagues and it might encourage more GP riders and other good European riders not at GP level to compete over here...........would also be a chance for British youngsters to have a better chance of EL experience................ Just my view............ RP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topaz325 Posted May 26, 2013 Report Share Posted May 26, 2013 Ok Worky without a meet for two weeks then postpone another due to whatever, then miss another weekend with the GP taking part, then another rain off for example and the fans will drift away too. The guest rule is not ideal but untill there is an alternative.....i would rather the original Workington team took to the track as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruiser McHuge Posted May 26, 2013 Report Share Posted May 26, 2013 how would a squad system work ?....i don't see it being feasible in this country at all... sure you could get as surplus of very top GP standard riders but surely if they were being retained in a squad they would want bikes maintained and kept in the country as they may be required at 24 hours notice if an injury occurs...they would then want very large retainer to be willing to drop everything and fill in at short notice...it would be expensive to say the least. Then the middle order riders...who sits in a squad to replace them and where do you get them from....i just cannot see squad system being workable Guests are not ideal but they have been around since i started seeing speedway in the 70's and i cannot see a true alternative...i think there are far more faults and reasons for speedway's decline than guests but that is another longer story 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pandorum Posted May 27, 2013 Report Share Posted May 27, 2013 Swindon are missing 3 riders for their match against Birmingham (Thursday) Andersen and Kildemand are preparing for the Danish Final, with Morris injured. On Saturday Workington will use 3 guests and R/R against Glasgow, Howarth and Ashley Morris are in Poland for Team GB in under 21's. No wonder crowds are falling, there should be a rule that if more than 2 signed riders are missing the match should be postponed. If Glasgow get beat they can't say Workington beat them when the truth is it's a Workington select team, with only 3 team riders. If this happened in football and more than half the team were from other clubs, would the fans stay away? Would they complain? Why do speedway fans just accept this farce? Why do people keep comparing speedway to football. The reason riders are missing is that they ride all over Europe for differing teams in different countries. This has been the situation for a long time. Speedway fans moan about it but it is simply part and parcel of the sport. If you could pay a rider enough money to make a decent living from riding for one team then he would probably stay with one team. Of course this would not take into account National championships, International meetings where he rides for his country and SGP. So even if you could do this the rider would probably still have fixture clashes. Footballers play for one team. Speedway riders cannot afford to do that unless they are semi pro and have a job outside of the sport. Those speedway riders have the added problem of getting time off from work to ride for their teams. A rider cannot show 'loyalty' to everybody and the British league is the poor realtion so riders miss meetings here. It's not about 'loyalty' as such rather making a living from the sport. Those that bang on about riders missing meetings here would do exactly the same if they were in the rider they whine abouts situation. Football, the sport speedway is often compared to is full of overpaid mercenaries that would not take a dump for the fans unless they were given a dump taking bonus. Speedway is simply a very minor reflection of that sport. Riders need to make a living so they have to dissapoint someone sometimes. Nowadays that's usually us. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fromafar Posted May 27, 2013 Report Share Posted May 27, 2013 (edited) Why do people keep comparing speedway to football. The reason riders are missing is that they ride all over Europe for differing teams in different countries. This has been the situation for a long time. Speedway fans moan about it but it is simply part and parcel of the sport. If you could pay a rider enough money to make a decent living from riding for one team then he would probably stay with one team. Of course this would not take into account National championships, International meetings where he rides for his country and SGP. So even if you could do this the rider would probably still have fixture clashes. Footballers play for one team. Speedway riders cannot afford to do that unless they are semi pro and have a job outside of the sport. Those speedway riders have the added problem of getting time off from work to ride for their teams. A rider cannot show 'loyalty' to everybody and the British league is the poor realtion so riders miss meetings here. It's not about 'loyalty' as such rather making a living from the sport. Those that bang on about riders missing meetings here would do exactly the same if they were in the rider they whine abouts situation. Football, the sport speedway is often compared to is full of overpaid mercenaries that would not take a dump for the fans unless they were given a dump taking bonus. Speedway is simply a very minor reflection of that sport. Riders need to make a living so they have to dissapoint someone sometimes. Nowadays that's usually us. While I don't dispute your post,I do think that a lot of fans now don't take it seriously because off the riders and team situation and just pick and choose when to attend meetings as opposed to be a regular every week plus I know a lot of regular fans who have just gave up .I don't think many Teams have a increased attendance these days.I really think fans want to see their riders every week and International speedway is killing Team racing in UK. Most fans will except injuries for missing riders as part and parcel of the sport but as for all the missing riders .Well. Edited May 27, 2013 by Fromafar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skodaman Posted May 27, 2013 Report Share Posted May 27, 2013 how would a squad system work ?....i don't see it being feasible in this country at all... Leicester were to start the season with Simon Neilsen and Lewis Blackbird and Lewis Kerr as reserves. Messrs Blackbird and Kerr were to share the no 7 birth. Lewis Kerr decided he wanted more rides and so moved to Newcastle. When Leicester signed Robert Branford, the same thing happed with Lewis Blackbird (or so it was claimed). If you have a squad system, there will be claims by some riders that they are not getting enough rides and will want to move away as soon as there is a spot somewhere else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruiser McHuge Posted May 27, 2013 Report Share Posted May 27, 2013 Leicester were to start the season with Simon Neilsen and Lewis Blackbird and Lewis Kerr as reserves. Messrs Blackbird and Kerr were to share the no 7 birth. Lewis Kerr decided he wanted more rides and so moved to Newcastle. When Leicester signed Robert Branford, the same thing happed with Lewis Blackbird (or so it was claimed). If you have a squad system, there will be claims by some riders that they are not getting enough rides and will want to move away as soon as there is a spot somewhere else. it could work with young reserves for sure....it often has in the past....but that is not a real squad system...these young reserves couldn't adequately replace a number 1 or any heat leader...or a decent second string to be honest...so where would the squad riders be got from to sit around to replace those riders ?.....young reserves are coverable iut the others are a lot trickier . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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