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New To Speedway, Please Someone Explain....


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Alright folks.

 

Disillusioned football fan here, just starting to get into speedway. Although I'm starting to get my head round most rules, there are a couple of things I haven't been able to get explained, wonder if you could help me out...

 

1) Promotion / Relegation - Is there an automatic promotion and relegation system in place between the EL/PL/NL and if so, how many teams go up and down? Also, am I right in saying the leagues have a play-off system to decide champions, promoted/relegated teams etc, more like that of Rugby League than Football?

 

2) Guest riders - recently went to my first race meet to watch the 2nd Leg of Diamonds v Monarchs in the PLKOC. Craig Cook absolutely dominated the night, comfortably winning 5 from 5. Then the next week I read he was due to guest for Plymouth against the Diamonds. How does this work? As someone who's spent most my life following football, this would be like watching Robin Van Persie score a hatrick for Man Utd against my beloved Newcastle, then turning out the next week against us for Wigan.

 

Many thanks in advance!

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No automatic promotion, a club would apply to join the Elite League which is more costly to be in. Likewise a team can ask to drop down from the Elite League to the Prem. Newcastle finished top of the league last season but Scunthorpe are Champions cos they won the play-offs, a not popular rule which only came to the Prem last seaon, been in Elite League longer.

 

Teams can get a guest for their No. 1 but not one with a higher average. Teams don't have squads, just 7 riders plus maybe a young number 8 so it keeps it competitive. Other rules are there but don't have time now. Some complicated, enjoy the racing!

 

Far too much hype in football.

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Not surprised your confused/baffled by the rules in Speedway , most of us are !

 

Personally been going donkeys years and there's a few new ones turn up every year .

 

Then of course there's the powers that be who seem to bend or change the rules mid season to suit their own agenda .

 

I would just enjoy it and not worry too much about the quirks if I were you .

 

Welcome to the sport !

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Good post Diamonds Ram and welcome to the crazy but brilliant world of speedway. I'll tell you something, I've been watching the sport, on and off, for several decades now. I distinctly remember the joy of it when I was a kid and later an adult also. I knew nothing about who did what and how or indeed why. It's only when I began to get masses of info, via the internet, about this and that, rules and regulations, that it actually spoiled things for me.

 

My tip would be to just turn up, enjoy the spectacle, the noise, the atmosphere and the crowds and forget about the infernal details. In this case, ignorance really is bliss.

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Thanks Catseyes.

 

I must admit, I will be giving serious consideration to which Newcastle club gets my season ticket money next year, NUFC who've had it for the last 10 years or the Diamonds.

 

Must say the noise was one of the things that really stood out from my first time going the other week. Looking forward to taking my 4 year old son once the school holidays are here... I'm pretty sure I know which of the two sports he'll be wanting me to take him to in future!

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As if that's a new fan. Nice try with the 'promotion/relegation' bit to disguise it but that's hardly something that you can't get explained. Every single fan of speedway would be able to answer that for you.

 

Just another existing fan trotting out the guest rider analogy.

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As if that's a new fan. Nice try with the 'promotion/relegation' bit to disguise it but that's hardly something that you can't get explained. Every single fan of speedway would be able to answer that for you.

 

Just another existing fan trotting out the guest rider analogy.

 

OR

Someone has liked Speedway after his first visit, and because of your hatred of the sport, you can't believe why he does not share your extreme views.

 

Take your pick :D .

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OR

Someone has liked Speedway after his first visit, and because of your hatred of the sport, you can't believe why he does not share your extreme views.

 

Take your pick :D .

 

Of course, we've seen the same regurgitated start to a thread many times.

 

Quite where you establish my 'hatred' of the sport is beyond me.

 

Now if you'd said hatred of the way the sport is so inefficiantly run you may have had a point..

Edited by BWitcher
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Good post Diamonds Ram and welcome to the crazy but brilliant world of speedway. I'll tell you something, I've been watching the sport, on and off, for several decades now. I distinctly remember the joy of it when I was a kid and later an adult also. I knew nothing about who did what and how or indeed why. It's only when I began to get masses of info, via the internet, about this and that, rules and regulations, that it actually spoiled things for me.

 

My tip would be to just turn up, enjoy the spectacle, the noise, the atmosphere and the crowds and forget about the infernal details. In this case, ignorance really is bliss.

well said
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Good post Diamonds Ram and welcome to the crazy but brilliant world of speedway. I'll tell you something, I've been watching the sport, on and off, for several decades now. I distinctly remember the joy of it when I was a kid and later an adult also. I knew nothing about who did what and how or indeed why. It's only when I began to get masses of info, via the internet, about this and that, rules and regulations, that it actually spoiled things for me.

 

My tip would be to just turn up, enjoy the spectacle, the noise, the atmosphere and the crowds and forget about the infernal details. In this case, ignorance really is bliss.

 

This I totally concur with!

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as shadders and co say. there are no rules in todays speedway leagues . its all done on a wing and a prayer. er, as an ex football fan asking about the rules of speedway, can you explain to me ( as an ex speedway fan and now a follower of the thing called football ) the offside rule which i think is the same rule in all the leagues, but it appears to be exempt to a team called manchester united. please reply.

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Alright folks.

 

Disillusioned football fan here, just starting to get into speedway. Although I'm starting to get my head round most rules, there are a couple of things I haven't been able to get explained, wonder if you could help me out...

 

1) Promotion / Relegation - Is there an automatic promotion and relegation system in place between the EL/PL/NL and if so, how many teams go up and down? Also, am I right in saying the leagues have a play-off system to decide champions, promoted/relegated teams etc, more like that of Rugby League than Football?

 

2) Guest riders - recently went to my first race meet to watch the 2nd Leg of Diamonds v Monarchs in the PLKOC. Craig Cook absolutely dominated the night, comfortably winning 5 from 5. Then the next week I read he was due to guest for Plymouth against the Diamonds. How does this work? As someone who's spent most my life following football, this would be like watching Robin Van Persie score a hatrick for Man Utd against my beloved Newcastle, then turning out the next week against us for Wigan.

 

Many thanks in advance!

If in doubt , ask the person next to you speedway fans are friendly folk and I'm sure they will be only to happy to help you out

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As if that's a new fan. Nice try with the 'promotion/relegation' bit to disguise it but that's hardly something that you can't get explained. Every single fan of speedway would be able to answer that for you.

 

Just another existing fan trotting out the guest rider analogy.

Spot on. It's clearly an existing fan just trolling the same old.

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pity you hardly get any crowds or atmosphere at speedway thesedays compared to the 60s/70s/early 80s, but the racing is as good as then, and I now prefer speedway to the business of over-hyped football, and as a Gooner cant afford to watch my team anyway. The guest system is ridiculous, and so are a lot of the rules, but it is my favourite sport to watch by far.

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