customhouseregular Posted January 3, 2015 Report Share Posted January 3, 2015 Time for a CHR rant. I expect to get some brickbats thrown in my direction but maybe 1 or 2 likes too. I do not like the World Championship qualification system. With 8 seeded riders and 4 hand-picked by the puppet-masters there are only 3 places available for every other rider in the whole speedway world. Under the old system everyone had a chance to qualify from the reigning world champion to the lowest scoring reserve in the bottom-placed Provincial League side. I am not happy that the top points scorer in a GP is not necessarily the winner, How is it right that a rider can score a 15 point maximum yet the rider finishing 8th. could win the GP. I would be mightily p****d off if I was the best rider on the night but fell in my semi. I do not like play-offs. West Ham won the inaugral British League in 1965. Had they been beaten in a play-off by the team finishing 4th. my comments would have stripped wallpaper. During the 60's and 70's my favourite meeting of the year was the Internationale, with a gleaming new bike for the winner. Had I been a rider and scored a flawless 5-ride maximum only to see someone I had beaten ride off with my bike because he beat me in a ride-off, I would have been livid. In all competitions, Team or Individual the winner is the winner. The man with the most points or the team finishing top,,,simples!. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Smith Posted January 3, 2015 Report Share Posted January 3, 2015 I like the current GP format. Love the crescendo of semi finals and final as it keeps meetings going right to the end instead of dead rubbers. If the highest point scorer wins the meeting it could mean the last 5-6 heats mean nothing to the other riders if there isn't the semi final / final. If there is, you'll get the 15 point max man in the final knowing he's won so rides round at the back pulling wheelies. What great entertainment that would be The current system keeps meetings alive from start to finish. Regarding the qualifiers, I don't think there should be any at all. The authorities should cherry pick the World's best top 15 with only the meeting Wildcard available for the 16th rider. Having the Harris's, Smolinski's etc do nothing for the GP's. If there is to be a qualification process the only automatic qualifier should be the World Champion. After that, rider's should have their averages combined from the Polish, Swedish & British league's and pick the top 14 from that and 1 meeting wildcard each round. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starman2006 Posted January 3, 2015 Report Share Posted January 3, 2015 I like the play off's, they are in this day and age, good for speedway and the clubs involved, Take them away and you'l kill the league stone dead come August. Then appart from the league winners you watch the rest of the clubs attandances drop like a stone therefore in dangering those clubs existance.I personally feel there is now to many GP rounds, posibly one of the reasons why the big boys don't return to the EL, The schedual is just far to much.Its all very well those stay away riders saaying cut your schedual, you don't see them moaning about the amount of GP rounds along with Poland and Sweden, do you...Appart from Tai who else do we have that is GENUINE world class ? Chris Harris somehows squeezes into the GP series by hook or by crook every year, then the same as the last never the class to challenge the judge 9 times out of 10. But its hard to say at this moment in time, who we have that could actually do any better.The farcical system in the british final two year ago was just that a farce. The rider than wins the meeting or finishes runner up to the the GP rider SHOULD automatically go to Cardiff, no if's no buts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deano Posted January 3, 2015 Report Share Posted January 3, 2015 (edited) With the old system, if my chain bust in one ride or some stupid idiot fenced me and I got excluded, I was probably out of the competition until next year. As a rider I would have been well and truly pee'd off with that. Thankfully with the current GP system, as a rider, I will get another opportunity. Edited January 3, 2015 by Deano 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike.Butler Posted January 4, 2015 Report Share Posted January 4, 2015 I have been converted to the GP's. I like the fact riders can qualify and in theory would like any rider to be able to with more qualifying rounds but i realize they are not profitable for tracks to stage. I do not like the play-offs to find the champions - This is a league FFS! A separate comp for top 4 is fine. I do like 15 heats rather than 13 but request that every programme contains at least 21 heats. So that's either a junior match OR a 2nd half. 15 heats represents totally crap VFM. thank you. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
customhouseregular Posted January 4, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 4, 2015 I like the current GP format. Love the crescendo of semi finals and final as it keeps meetings going right to the end instead of dead rubbers. If the highest point scorer wins the meeting it could mean the last 5-6 heats mean nothing to the other riders if there isn't the semi final / final. If there is, you'll get the 15 point max man in the final knowing he's won so rides round at the back pulling wheelies. What great entertainment that would be The current system keeps meetings alive from start to finish. Regarding the qualifiers, I don't think there should be any at all. The authorities should cherry pick the World's best top 15 with only the meeting Wildcard available for the 16th rider. Having the Harris's, Smolinski's etc do nothing for the GP's. If there is to be a qualification process the only automatic qualifier should be the World Champion. After that, rider's should have their averages combined from the Polish, Swedish & British league's and pick the top 14 from that and 1 meeting wildcard each round. This is what is good about discussion...we can't all have the same point of view. With the old system, if my chain bust in one ride or some stupid idiot fenced me and I got excluded, I was probably out of the competition until next year. As a rider I would have been well and truly pee'd off with that. Thankfully with the current GP system, as a rider, I will get another opportunity. A very valid point Deano. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cj69 Posted January 4, 2015 Report Share Posted January 4, 2015 (edited) Wee all love a wee rantLike - Current gp system and the play offs (shud just be top 4 in PL tho). Current tv coverage (gb elite and odd prem, swedish, gps, euros, quite good imo compared to 5 years ago)Dislike - TR rule (in all competitions), lack of international meetings (gb v swe etc), Delay in finishing earlier cups (koc, premier cup), no 4s qualifiers, too expensive ticket prices.Bit of a mix between the GPs and League racing in there but it all came flooding out at once. Edited January 4, 2015 by Cj69 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orion Posted January 4, 2015 Report Share Posted January 4, 2015 PL fans desperate for the El to fail ...never really got this mind set when we are suppose to be supporting the same sport . this us and them does the sport no favours . 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
customhouseregular Posted January 4, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 4, 2015 PL fans desperate for the El to fail ...never really got this mind set when we are suppose to be supporting the same sport . this us and them does the sport no favours . In 1964 the sport had to be restructured as the NL had too few teams and the PL were taking the fans away, so in came the BL. It could happen again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mixy230 Posted January 5, 2015 Report Share Posted January 5, 2015 Dislikes: Darcy Ward threads (bored with them now untill something happens) Dislikes: Rain Offs Likes GP,s and Playoffs (Sorry) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arnieg Posted January 5, 2015 Report Share Posted January 5, 2015 In 1964 the sport had to be restructured as the NL had too few teams and the PL were taking the fans away, so in came the BL. It could happen again. The Provincials had the tracks and the riders that the NL needed, but I don't think fans were an issue. Can't imagine many Cov fans defected to Cradley and West Ham reported good crowds in '64 despite the proximity of Hackney. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PolskiZuzel Posted January 5, 2015 Report Share Posted January 5, 2015 ...I personally feel there is now to many GP rounds, posibly one of the reasons why the big boys don't return to the EL, The schedual is just far to much. You're not the only one. Emil Sayfutdinov thinks the same and for the 2nd year running will not compete for the World title. The Russian rider believes that he is not adequately prepared to battle for the GP medals at the world championships. - "The Grand Prix is a special game. To ride in it you have to have arranged everything accordingly. This applies to mental issues, logistics and equipment base. To obtain a good results, tone also needs a bit of luck. GP cycle is difficult to compare with the SEC, where there are only four rounds. The Grand Prix have twelve of them and one practically has to be focused just on them running from one GP competition to another. For me, it's too tiring. When I competed in it, there was always a moment when I was sick of seeing a motorcycle. Last season was different for me. I was focused only on the league and on the SEC appearances. I had more time for myself, I was able to relax between events. Thanks to this I managed to get satisfying results, and being on a bike brought me only joy - said Emil Sayfutdinov in an interview with the Polish newspaper "Glos Wielkopolski". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Humphrey Appleby Posted January 6, 2015 Report Share Posted January 6, 2015 GP cycle is difficult to compare with the SEC, where there are only four rounds. The Grand Prix have twelve of them and one practically has to be focused just on them running from one GP competition to another. For me, it's too tiring. When I competed in it, there was always a moment when I was sick of seeing a motorcycle. Last season was different for me. I was focused only on the league and on the SEC appearances. I had more time for myself, I was able to relax between events. Thanks to this I managed to get satisfying results, and being on a bike brought me only joy - said [/size]Emil Sayfutdinov in an interview with the Polish newspaper "Glos Wielkopolski". Well he would say that he's not in the SGP, and no doubt has to big up the SEC. If he's tired, then maybe he could ride in fewer leagues. I suspect it comes back to how much money he can expect to make out of the respective series, and the tiredness would dramatically disappear if the SGP was worth his while. This said, there are too many GP rounds, but that's no doubt a function of what BSI can squeeze out of television and hosts. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waiheke1 Posted January 6, 2015 Report Share Posted January 6, 2015 Im sure the fact that he was being paid by his club this season (I assume) may also have helped his enjoyment of riding. note he also says you need some luck to win the gp series, which ehile true arguably applies to a much greater extent to sec where one round missed with injury would effectively end your chances. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gavan Posted January 6, 2015 Report Share Posted January 6, 2015 Cant stand the play offs personally. I know why they are in place and they need to stay to help the sport survive but it becomes an absolute farce to me. Last season Poole or Kings Lynn were worthy champions and it panned out that way. The year Coventry won it from coming from the bottom to the play offs and beating Poole who were superior all season was a joke. Same as 2 years ago when Poole came 4th but because they could make changes were far and away the best team come play off time and robbed the deserved winners in Birmingham. Lets face it that season even Peterborough stormed into 5th and if they had pipped Poole to 4th would also have won the play offs. I dont like the fact the play off winners can just be the form team at the time , or one without injuries. If you finish top you are champions simple. Poole (when Coventry beat them) and Birmingham (when Poole beat them) were denied the league because they built the best team at the start, thus couldnt change it 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveLyric2 Posted January 7, 2015 Report Share Posted January 7, 2015 Cant stand the play offs personally. I know why they are in place and they need to stay to help the sport survive but it becomes an absolute farce to me. Last season Poole or Kings Lynn were worthy champions and it panned out that way. The year Coventry won it from coming from the bottom to the play offs and beating Poole who were superior all season was a joke. Same as 2 years ago when Poole came 4th but because they could make changes were far and away the best team come play off time and robbed the deserved winners in Birmingham. Lets face it that season even Peterborough stormed into 5th and if they had pipped Poole to 4th would also have won the play offs. I dont like the fact the play off winners can just be the form team at the time , or one without injuries. If you finish top you are champions simple. Poole (when Coventry beat them) and Birmingham (when Poole beat them) were denied the league because they built the best team at the start, thus couldnt change it You are not doing your 'I have no Poole paranoia bias' argument any favours by posting that comment in the SGP and SWC section!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BWitcher Posted January 7, 2015 Report Share Posted January 7, 2015 You're not the only one. Emil Sayfutdinov thinks the same and for the 2nd year running will not compete for the World title. The Russian rider believes that he is not adequately prepared to battle for the GP medals at the world championships. - "The Grand Prix is a special game. To ride in it you have to have arranged everything accordingly. This applies to mental issues, logistics and equipment base. To obtain a good results, tone also needs a bit of luck. GP cycle is difficult to compare with the SEC, where there are only four rounds. The Grand Prix have twelve of them and one practically has to be focused just on them running from one GP competition to another. For me, it's too tiring. When I competed in it, there was always a moment when I was sick of seeing a motorcycle. Last season was different for me. I was focused only on the league and on the SEC appearances. I had more time for myself, I was able to relax between events. Thanks to this I managed to get satisfying results, and being on a bike brought me only joy - said Emil Sayfutdinov in an interview with the Polish newspaper "Glos Wielkopolski". Quite simly Emil doesn't deserve to be World Champion and is a non-entity when it comes to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
customhouseregular Posted January 7, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2015 How can anyone consider Emil a GP nonentity?. A storming start to 2013 series and only injuries hampered his title charge. Without doubt he is the most exciting rider in World speedway, a worthy European champion and would be World champion if he competed, maintained top form and stayed injury free. Just my opinion of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PHILIPRISING Posted January 7, 2015 Report Share Posted January 7, 2015 BUT without the desire to be the very best, which we know he can be, he will never have the recognition that someone with his talent deserves. Very disappointing... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gavan Posted January 7, 2015 Report Share Posted January 7, 2015 You are not doing your 'I have no Poole paranoia bias' argument any favours by posting that comment in the SGP and SWC section!!! lol. see i can be nice about Poole when its deserved! just a shame the odd few cant Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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