Barrycuda Posted January 21, 2014 Report Share Posted January 21, 2014 Read on Speedway GP site Greg Hancock advocating having rider squads for the Elite League. He thinks it is a brilliant idea from a riders point of view Ya or Na anyone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waiheke1 Posted January 21, 2014 Report Share Posted January 21, 2014 Cant see how clubs could afford it as presumably riders would require some sort of retainer to cover them setting up a set of equipment, workshop etc. For their uk racing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattK Posted January 21, 2014 Report Share Posted January 21, 2014 Exactly. Poole the only team who could afford a squad. Saying that, I'm not sure what competitive advantage they would gain from it. If it means a rider like Hancock makes a dozen appearances in the Elite League per season, then I don't see why not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil The Ace Posted January 21, 2014 Report Share Posted January 21, 2014 Hancock said they wouldn't have to base themselves here. So probably would cost to much. Virtually said for 6 or so meetings they can drive over. Too riders will come if we had squads. Think we should try it one day but it's if the promotors have the balls to do it. I don't think they do Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy robin Posted January 21, 2014 Report Share Posted January 21, 2014 Have said squads should've been tried ages ago as how can Darcy & Chris for example sharing a slot be more expensive. Speedway has to do something to stop R/R being in so many meetings & they certainly havn't done that so far. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveLyric2 Posted January 21, 2014 Report Share Posted January 21, 2014 It'll never catch on because Matt Ford suggested it about 3 seasons ago!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPEEDY69 Posted January 21, 2014 Report Share Posted January 21, 2014 (edited) "a brilliant idea from a riders' point of view" - I'd suggest only for a few very well off riders who won't commit for a season. If they can't do it then stick with riders who will. Only then will British Speedway have a route to grow again. A squad system reduces the affinity of fans to their team and allows all sorts of horses for courses fixture planning etc. It also means less opportunity for other riders to get a team place. Edited January 21, 2014 by SPEEDY69 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevebrum Posted January 21, 2014 Report Share Posted January 21, 2014 Always believed a squad system was a great idea. No need for guests and RR when you have other riders you can call on. Obviously the practicalities of getting bikes, equipment here would be an issue unless all foreign riders signed have at least one bike kept in the UK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bagpuss Posted January 21, 2014 Report Share Posted January 21, 2014 A good idea as long as the richer clubs don't hoover up all the best riders and pay them more to appear sparodically than the smaller clubs can to ride a whole season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uk_martin Posted January 21, 2014 Report Share Posted January 21, 2014 Always believed a squad system was a great idea. No need for guests and RR when you have other riders you can call on. Open to far too much abuse. How do you govern what average the team/squad is built up to? What happens if your only 7 available riders for a fixture exceed the team average limit? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodenspoon Posted January 21, 2014 Report Share Posted January 21, 2014 It is about time that British Speedway stopped pandering to the wishes of some of the better off riders who only want to ride over here at their convenience, if they cannot commit then tough, stay where you are. Our Elite League has virtually been destroyed by the GPs,& Sky TV, John Perrin was right when he made the same comment some years ago. We are left with just one competition, a qualifying league and then a KO competition to decide the title, If you are not in with a chance of making the play offs, your season can effectively be over in June, as there is nothing else to ride for. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevebrum Posted January 21, 2014 Report Share Posted January 21, 2014 Open to far too much abuse. How do you govern what average the team/squad is built up to? What happens if your only 7 available riders for a fixture exceed the team average limit? Of course it is. But its better than RR, guests, riders missing meetings in dubious circumstances at a track they don't usually like. Average would have to be fixed to top rider in that position - ie Woffinden and Lindgren as number ones - Woffinden`s average used for average calculation. Same for other team positions. The system works well in Sweden and Poland where they are less hung up on averages. But i agree in the EL there has to be a much stricter and tighter use of averages and ensure perhaps only maximum 2 riders can share one position. Some teams obviously will still attract the better riders as do teams currently and similar to that in Sweden and Poland but i have always thought whilst it might be a nightmare to govern and ensure fairness it has to better than watching a poor mans substitute for a number one or RR and no top rider at all. I think if governed properly we would have an influx of riders only too happy to ride here 6-15 times a year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonB Posted January 21, 2014 Report Share Posted January 21, 2014 I like the idea. Perhaps you could name two or three number 1's who could share the meetings between them, a number of doubling up riders to fill any of the rest of the team and a number of NL riders for the reserve positions (two main ones and others as cover for injury or fixture clashes). There must be a way of working out the averages? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woz01 Posted January 21, 2014 Report Share Posted January 21, 2014 I like the idea.Perhaps you could name two or three number 1's who could share the meetings between them, a number of doubling up riders to fill any of the rest of the team and a number of NL riders for the reserve positions (two main ones and others as cover for injury or fixture clashes).There must be a way of working out the averages? Just use the averages the riders started the season with and everytime a side is named from it cant exceed a points limit. It could be so simple to sort out. Name a squad of ten but promoters will have to bear in mind a points limit has to be adhered to for every meeting so the standard of rider in a squad would vary. Id also say each rider named would have to ride in at least 6 meetings. The logistics of bikes and mechanics etc could be an issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPEEDY69 Posted January 21, 2014 Report Share Posted January 21, 2014 There are enough debates on her about fiddling as it is without opening up this can of worms. Janowski would never ride at Wolves or Cook never at Poole, additional Kevlars, how to restrict numbers/riders etc. all to pander to a few top riders who just want a bit of extra bunce & publicity. Rider commitments abroad have already had a detrimental impact on the top league here, why change everything again to suit the same few riders. Those comitted to a full season here should be the ones we reward. This could be the tipping point for me attending. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveLyric2 Posted January 21, 2014 Report Share Posted January 21, 2014 There are enough debates on her about fiddling as it is without opening up this can of worms. Janowski would never ride at Wolves or Cook never at Poole, additional Kevlars, how to restrict numbers/riders etc. all to pander to a few top riders who just want a bit of extra bunce & publicity. Rider commitments abroad have already had a detrimental impact on the top league here, why change everything again to suit the same few riders. Those comitted to a full season here should be the ones we reward. This could be the tipping point for me attending. What about rewarding some of the fans that commit to a full season?! Any option to attract fans back by seeing more top riders has to be considered seriously!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPEEDY69 Posted January 21, 2014 Report Share Posted January 21, 2014 What about rewarding some of the fans that commit to a full season?! Any option to attract fans back by seeing more top riders has to be considered seriously!! I agree about attracting fans but I disagree that this is the way to do it. You wouldn't see more top riders, just different riders in different meetings. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevebrum Posted January 21, 2014 Report Share Posted January 21, 2014 What about rewarding some of the fans that commit to a full season?! Any option to attract fans back by seeing more top riders has to be considered seriously!! Well said Skidder1. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCB Posted January 21, 2014 Report Share Posted January 21, 2014 I've never understood why guests have to be contracted riders. That way anyone needing a guest could use Hancock, Gollob, Holder etc if mutually agreeable. Surely its better to use unattached riders as guests rather than your opponents riders? Also gives clubs a chance to trial newbies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveEvans Posted January 22, 2014 Report Share Posted January 22, 2014 (edited) Having riders who are crowd pullers Greg, Emil, Gollob, AJ, Holder, etc could be a huge boost to the league. I would suggest if such names rode for realistic $ amounts it would be worth doing - the Elite League currently is going down the pan big time and with no disrespect to a guy like Danny King, who is a great club servant and heatleader, having him as a #1 rider doesn't quite excite me! You wouldn't want a system that would allow second strings to ride a part time schedule, but big names who could breathe some life into a dying league would be worth trying to work out. Edited January 22, 2014 by SteveEvans Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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