moxey63 Posted October 15, 2018 Report Share Posted October 15, 2018 2 hours ago, MattK said: How does scrapping the play-offs mean meaningful matches for all teams up to the end of September? Without the play-offs if you are not within touching distance of the top of the league your season is over and you are merely going through the motions to fulfil your fixtures. The play-offs keep the season alive for the majority of teams, as qualifying for the play-offs is mathematically possible until the very end of the regular season. The Play-Offs kept the season alive so much for Poole fans that in June they were throwing in the bucket, drifting away and calling for Matt Ford's head. The Play-Offs seem to have presented the sport with a win at all cost mentality. Gone are the days when you'd turn up for any fixture, even if your team was rock bottom, just to see your team... and I mean your team and not a bunch of names juggled together for a few nights at the season's end. 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waytogo28 Posted October 15, 2018 Report Share Posted October 15, 2018 6 hours ago, iainb said: The Speedway season runs from March until October, so as it's only halfway through October and it looks as if all the fixtures will be complete by the end of the month, I'd say that it's been planned to perfection I lost interest in going to King's Lynn when they had two doubleheaders ( against the same opposition on both of the nights in question ) having not bothered in the better weather, to race to the cut-off date. The only thing I question on this thread is the title - it's been a shambles from every perspective since at least 2000 and clearly is a planned annual event- part of the BSPA business strategy that sees average crowds dwindle everywhere. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moxey63 Posted October 15, 2018 Report Share Posted October 15, 2018 (edited) There is an urgency to have a cut-off date for the POs and then act all manic and rush the semis into one night as if there's some sort of sell-by date. You tend to feel the TV company just want it out of the way. They leave me feeling empty. But they are here to stay. Edited October 15, 2018 by moxey63 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikebv Posted October 15, 2018 Report Share Posted October 15, 2018 (edited) 34 minutes ago, moxey63 said: There is an urgency to have a cut-off date for the POs and then act all manic and rush the semis into one night as if there's some sort of sell-by date. You tend to feel the TV company just want it out of the way. They leave me feeling empty. But they are here to stay. Maybe they could run the Cup Comps in October? Get the play offs complete by the end of September when the weather should be at its best.. Then for the Prem, first week in October the quarter final (), 2nd week the semi and the final in week three. Leaving one more week for rain offs etc.. For the Championship they will need the full month due to more teams.. Poland and Sweden are finished so all riders should be available.. It gives the teams with zero chance in the League something to strive for.. And prevents the Cup going on for months which sadly devalues it so much... Maybe they could do the draw based on the final league positions? In the Prem, Top v Eighth, Second v Seventh etc.. (Presuming they can keep eight teams in it obviously) That would hopefully leave the top two in the final if the seeding worked... Having a Sept end date for the League would also focus the mind on getting the League finished and result in more meetings taking place during the key summer holiday period of July and August.... If doubling up prevents this happening as riders will need to be in two places at once in October then run one of the Cup Comps in the first month of the season.. Or they could just carry on doing what they do now...? It works so well.. Edited October 15, 2018 by mikebv 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IainB Posted October 16, 2018 Report Share Posted October 16, 2018 (edited) 15 hours ago, mikebv said: Maybe they could run the Cup Comps in October? Get the play offs complete by the end of September when the weather should be at its best.. Then for the Prem, first week in October the quarter final (), 2nd week the semi and the final in week three. Leaving one more week for rain offs etc.. For the Championship they will need the full month due to more teams.. Poland and Sweden are finished so all riders should be available.. It gives the teams with zero chance in the League something to strive for.. And prevents the Cup going on for months which sadly devalues it so much... The trouble is running the cup comps at the end of the season, as tends to happen now, is that you get the same teams in the league play offs and the cup comps due to them being the strongest at the end of the season and then you get clubs having to run double headers against the same team and having the same team visit 2 or 3 weeks on the trot. If they were run throughout the season as they used to be clubs that don't make the play offs would also have a chance at extending their season. If Leicester had been in the cup at the beginning of the season they may have got further than they did by the time their team had been decimated Edited October 16, 2018 by iainb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woz01 Posted October 16, 2018 Report Share Posted October 16, 2018 Run the league from march, plan the Play off final August bank holiday weekend and run a cup competition for September + October 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IainB Posted October 16, 2018 Report Share Posted October 16, 2018 (edited) So we see the same top teams in the semis and final? You'd just be replicating the league in miniture Edited October 16, 2018 by iainb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paddi Posted October 16, 2018 Report Share Posted October 16, 2018 On 10/15/2018 at 8:17 AM, Mike.Butler said: get rid of the play offs and have meaningful matches for all teams up to end of September. (Matches cannot be postponed on a whim!). October for challenges etc as required. This will never happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris116 Posted October 17, 2018 Report Share Posted October 17, 2018 Run the KO Cups during April to July. The Leagues from April to August with Play Offs in September. Those teams not in the Play Offs race for a secondary trophy/shield. The leagues need to have at least 8 teams for it to work but this means even the bottom teams have something to race for in September and October would only be used by clubs who want to run events like the Ipswich 16 lapper and Wolverhampton Olympique. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waytogo28 Posted October 18, 2018 Report Share Posted October 18, 2018 On 10/15/2018 at 8:17 AM, Mike.Butler said: (Matches cannot be postponed on a whim!). Decisions made by Mr Godfrey and/or Mr Chapman should not be confused with whims. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawk127 Posted October 23, 2018 Author Report Share Posted October 23, 2018 And so the shambles appears to continue with the Panthers and Rye House/Lakeside with Workington waiting in the wings and eight days to the end of the month and still nothing decided. Feel sorry for Workington. But what can one say about this joke of a sport. Best decision that the AGM could make for 2019 is scrap the top two leagues and simply have individual meetings. That will give the incompetent lunatics allegedly in charge and control of events time to work out a winning formula for 2020. Until then most supporters have found other things to do because of the irregular fixtures this year so no real loss for the fans who may just crave more speedway if they see some close individual meetings. Alternatively rally around the NL teams that are the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triple.H. Posted October 23, 2018 Report Share Posted October 23, 2018 On 10/18/2018 at 6:10 PM, waytogo28 said: Decisions made by Mr Godfrey and/or Mr Chapman should not be confused with whims. They both prefer A WIN AWAY A WIN AWAY Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dontforgetthefueltapsbruv Posted October 23, 2018 Report Share Posted October 23, 2018 6 minutes ago, Triple.H. said: They both prefer A WIN AWAY A WIN AWAY Isnt that a song by Tight Fit? 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triple.H. Posted October 23, 2018 Report Share Posted October 23, 2018 3 minutes ago, dontforgetthefueltapsbruv said: Isnt that a song by Tight Fit? The mechanics favourite band Tyre Fit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paddi Posted October 23, 2018 Report Share Posted October 23, 2018 On 10/16/2018 at 11:38 AM, Woz01 said: Run the league from march, plan the Play off final August bank holiday weekend and run a cup competition for September + October Yes, I agree wit this. Every year their is lack of effort to race meetings in April, May, June and July and then everything piles up in September and October! British speedway needs regular weekly home meetings. The only gaps should be rain offs. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyb Posted October 23, 2018 Report Share Posted October 23, 2018 On 10/15/2018 at 9:26 AM, Daniel Smith said: The Championship fixture struggle was down to Rob Godfrey's selfishness and bitterness. Cancelling weeks of team fixtures so he could use their rider's as guests. Chapman and Godfrey are a disaster partnership for British Speedway. They need to be removed come the BSPA AGM. Correct 150% 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
startline sid Posted October 23, 2018 Report Share Posted October 23, 2018 1 hour ago, crazyb said: Correct 150% still don't see how the (official) fixtures were allowed to be altered - if I remember correctly Peterborough continued to stage their matches after being asked to cancel them - a pity the other clubs didn't do the same - it would serve the bspa right if a breakaway group was formed (I am told a similar thing happened in darts a few years ago) - it has happened before (anyone remember the provincial league being formed?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike.Butler Posted October 24, 2018 Report Share Posted October 24, 2018 The play-offs and cup finals in NL and Champ seem to typically involve the same 2 or 3 sides. So some teams have to finish their competitive season before the play off cut off date; whilst a small number then run right up to end of October in a battle to get extra matches in. Seems to me this is totally out of balance and suits no teams (either the successful or the unsuccessful)! I would ditch the play-offs. Have a k.o. cup by all means as the finale to the season. All we get now is duplication of matches between the same sides. Far from helping the season reach a crescendo, it just flops like a runover cat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CUFC_Brummie Posted October 24, 2018 Report Share Posted October 24, 2018 The answer isn't scrapping the playoffs it's ensuring teams get their fixtures scheduled and run well before the cut off date, which should be the end of August, and if they don't there should be serious consequences. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IainB Posted October 24, 2018 Report Share Posted October 24, 2018 It's happened before, why wouldn't it happen again... I seem to remember a competition final taking place at Coventry on November the 1st in the past, think it was a Sunday afternoon... And didn't Oxford and CH share the cup for 6 months each back in the 80's because they couldn't get their fixtures done? Or am I imagining that/both Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.