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Why Did The Bspa Get The Team Building Points Limit So Wrong?


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I don't know what the originator of this thread had in mind, is it the 40.5 points limit for 2016 or the 34 set in 2015? If it is the former, then that set in the 1 -5 for 2016 is lower than that in 2015 for seven of the current eight clubs, the exception being King's Lynn. In other words, if the reserves' combined averages exceed 6.5, clubs will have had to build lower than that set in 2015. So far five (possibly six once Lakeside decide which is the 1 -5 next season) are close to the limit with just King's Lynn and Leicester falling short, the former caught out by the late withdrawal of NKI and the latter having dug in their heels opting for an alternative race-night.

The reason I think it is set to high, is I think it was based on all riders of a heat Leader standard returning, and that is also why a list of 36 heat Leaders was drawn up and teams limited to three off that list, that would have given each team their numbers 1, 3 and 5. That would have left everyone else left available to get 2 second strings, and then pick 2 reserves, 1 with potential to move into the top 5, and one of a lesser standard to also improve, but remain protected for the whole season...

 

But, that has not happened, and riders on the heat Leader list, have abstained from riding UK this season, which has left teams without 3 heat Leaders. I think if the points limit had been set say 1.5 points less, this situation might have been avoided. Or, the riders on the heat Leader list had been asked first before being put on the fictitious heat Leader list in the first place!!

 

You try with the riders signed as heat Leaders already, and the ones left, if there are any (I doubt it) to distribute riders so each one of the eight Elite League have 3 heat Leaders each......

 

By the way, I really don't like any sort of rider control, it breaks up winning teams, riders end up at teams they don't really want to ride for, and it is generally bad for competition.. But, when a team sport is built in the way speedway teams are, and when there are not enough riders to fully staff 8 elite league teams with 3 heat Leader standard riders each, a certain level of rider control is required. I suppose they could have reduced the number of heat Leaders per team to two, and had a shorter list of say 20, and the 4 not picked would have gone into the 2nd string pool....... Or?

Edited by Shale Searcher
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Maybe some riders know that the more successful you become in the EL the less chance you have of being employable the next year, this system to me seems to constantly attempt to "balance" the teams, but merely ends up "dumbing down" the whole thing. The EL these days are about 5 and 6 point riders.

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It would be better and more funny if you explained why it has kept it's stock .

I was asking him to explain, but i supose thats asking to much.

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I have said for possibly a decade that changes needed to be made to the sport and this past close season was the perfect opportunity to adapt these ideas. This could have been done a number of ways but the one thing that needs doing for the good of the sport is the Elite and Premier Leagues working together and trying to get more riders in rather than sharing riders apart from fast track reserves.

 

The Elite League needs to go to one fixed race night. The only night feasable is Wednesday really but each week one match would have to be on the Monday for Sky. The Premier League would not be able to ride on these two nights as fast track reserves would be riding in both leagues along with a few others.

 

The Premier Leagues a smaller league than it is now with two groups of seven giving them just 12 meetings before the play offs. This is because the main league would be the British League where 8 Elite League teams and 14 Premier League teams would compete in two groups of 11.

 

Every team would be built to an agreed limit in the British League using assessed or real PL averages. The 8 tracks also competing in the Elite League would use their main five riders and the number six reserve along with two squad riders from a group of four which would mainly be the top riders like Woffinden, Petersen, Hampel etc who would agree to ride in a number of the 14 EL meetings mainly done on a Wednesday.

 

Of the four squad riders, one would have to be rated lower than at least one of the British League riders which would enable him to be used in case of injuries or fim meetings. SO using my team of Wolverhampton for example their four squad riders could be Tai Woffinden, Piotr Pawlicki and Emil Sayfutdinov (rides with Tai in Sweden on a Tuesday) plus RIcky Wells who is riding with Workington in the PL.

 

Their British League team could be something like Freddie Lindgren, Jacob Thorssell, Nicolai Klindt, Ty Proctor, Ashley Morris, Max Clegg and Matt Williamson. The British League would run on a North and South divide with four Elite League tracks in each group.

 

Belle Vue, Wolverhampton, Coventry and Leicester in the North and Kings Lynn,Poole, Swindon and Lakeside in the South. Therefore each Elite League track would run 7 Elite League meetings and 10 British League meetings let alone the play offs and cup matches.

 

Premier League tracks run 6 Premier League meetings and 10 British League meetings. Riders like RIcky Wells could be riding for Workington but also as a squad rider to cover for Lindgren or Thorssell while a rider like Ben Barker could ride for Glasgow in the Premier League and Swindon in the British and Elite League giving him more meetings.

 

Big changes but much needed to attract the big names who may be missing from Britain at the moment but so are the fans as crowds are getting lower and lower.

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Maybe some riders know that the more successful you become in the EL the less chance you have of being employable the next year, this system to me seems to constantly attempt to "balance" the teams, but merely ends up "dumbing down" the whole thing. The EL these days are about 5 and 6 point riders.

Agree, have been saying this for a few years now.

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Is the points limit too high? I thought it seemed high when they announced it, but I'm not so sure it is now.

 

King's Lynn could sign Greg Zengota, taking them to 39.68.

 

That would leave Leicester with a space to fill. I'm not sure what they have remaining as the their average aren't shown on here - but the problems they have are as much a problem with Leicester as they are with the points limit.

 

It's not the points limit thats wrong. It's the squiffy averages we have now. Greg Zengota is a good rider, but he's not a number one.

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I don't see how you can set the points limit much below 40. If you set it at say 37, the combined average will go up to around 42-ish then what do you do the following year with riders on falsely increased averages ? if you set the points limit back to 37 or 38 it means getting even weaker riders in to make the points limit.

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To be honest while they keep the new race format the points limit will be totally up the wall.Because of it no rider in the league has a true average so how can you access team strengths on averages when all the averages are cocked up.Next year it will be even worse with the FTRs now getting an average that counts towards team building,with protected heats the better ones or the riders that move into the reserve spot could end up with maybe 7 point averages how do you build teams to a point limit next year if this is the case totally crazy.Now the FT system has done its job and the tier one riders are of a better standard we should have moved back to the old race format this year so next year every rider would have a true average and team building useing averages would be back on track.That way they could look at the riders available on true averages and work out a points limit that has a chance of working,and no bloody heat leader list would be needed

Next year we will have to have a reserve list ignoring their averages and going off who the promoters think is a reserve or not and adjusting their averages to fit etc.

Edited by B.V 72
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The El is a little like an old wooden building that is over 60 years old. That has had very little or no maintainance done to it in all that time.

I am afraid, it is now starting to lose quite a few tiles and a few boards have strted to go rotten. This could be the year that it finally falls down.

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The El is a little like an old wooden building that is over 60 years old. That has had very little or no maintainance done to it in all that time.

I am afraid, it is now starting to lose quite a few tiles and a few boards have strted to go rotten. This could be the year that it finally falls down.

Im sure somehow it will be proped up again next season. But as i said on another thread, yes squads is the way to go, but implimenting is won't be that straightforward.

Edited by Starman2006
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Starman2006, on 08 Feb 2016 - 4:34 PM, said:

Im sure somehow it will be proped up again next season. But as i said on another thread, yes squads is the way to go, but implimenting is won't be that straightforward.

The money clubs will tie up the better riders in their squads & they wont be enough to go around for the teams with less financial clout .. one club will have three potential No1s in their squad while others wont get the sniff of one at all !! THREE TEAM ELITE LEAGUE IN 2017 I reckon !

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The money clubs will tie up the better riders in their squads & they wont be enough to go around for the teams with less financial clout .. one club will have three potential No1s in their squad while others wont get the sniff of one at all !! THREE TEAM ELITE LEAGUE IN 2017 I reckon !

Every club gets the same opportunities mate. Everybody starts a 0.

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The El is a little like an old wooden building that is over 60 years old. That has had very little or no maintainance done to it in all that time.

I am afraid, it is now starting to lose quite a few tiles and a few boards have strted to go rotten. This could be the year that it finally falls down.

No, it will have to be propped up again as Fat Maude has got too much money invested in it!

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Really ? So Poole Town FC can buy the same players as A.F.C Bournemouth then ? ...

Every EL club has the same opportunities to sign riders. Its as simple as that.

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