Upcoming Fixture Chaos

[IainB]

This weekend we have had Peterborough, Ipswich, Redcar, Eastbourne & Leicester all called off based on a weather forecast. Yes there has been rain about, it's a very showery spell of weather we're going through at the moment... but it is August, there's still a lot of daylight, warm sunshine and a drying breeze.

Clubs are not even attempting to stage these matches because they are potential loss generators. It's not really about whether a match could have gone ahead or not and I (and others) will criticise if they could and promotions will pat themselves on their back if they couldn't, but it creates fixture congestion for later in the season. There must be serious doubt on whether the KoC will be completed.

Peterborough will have ridden 2 home meetings in the whole of July & August, Leicester has been silent on what should have been 2 of the most lucrative nights of the season and god knows what's going on at Eastbourne!

If clubs can't or won't fulfil their fixtures then the match should be forfeited or the points shared with the match not being rescheduled like in the other weather effected sport, Cricket. If the riders are going to miss out on a meeting it might make them more positive about riding in less than perfect conditions.

Some matches are going to be cancelled due to actual genuine rain and there will be nothing that can be done about that when a track is actually waterlogged but when you have Edinburgh fans sat in a Leicester hotel room looking out the windows at an evening perfect for Speedway and wondering if they'll get their money back on hotels booked for Birmingham on Wednesday it's far from an ideal state of affairs.

Why isn't it a pre-requisite for clubs to have track covers much, in the way that they have to have air fences? Cost would be the obvious answer, well if it means that each club has to stage a meeting where the riders don't get paid to cover the costs then so be it... especially if the riders know that if a match is called off it won't be restaged, thus loss of earnings.

Now we're looking at the possible abandonment of a national cup competition and as usual all of the major finals tucked away at the end of October on wet tracks, on off race nights, in front of reduced crowds.

Edited August 8, 2021 by iainb

[mikebv]

5 hours ago, iainb said:

This weekend we have had Peterborough, Ipswich, Redcar, Eastbourne & Leicester all called off based on a weather forecast. Yes there has been rain about, it's a very showery spell of weather we're going through at the moment... but it is August, there's still a lot of daylight, warm sunshine and a drying breeze.

Clubs are not even attempting to stage these matches because they are potential loss generators. It's not really about whether a match could have gone ahead or not and I (and others) will criticise if they could and promotions will pat themselves on their back if they couldn't, but it creates fixture congestion for later in the season. There must be serious doubt on whether the KoC will be completed.

Peterborough will have ridden 2 home meetings in the whole of July & August, Leicester has been silent on what should have been 2 of the most lucrative nights of the season and god knows what's going on at Eastbourne!

If clubs can't or won't fulfil their fixtures then the match should be forfeited or the points shared with the match not being rescheduled like in the other weather effected sport, Cricket. If the riders are going to miss out on a meeting it might make them more positive about riding in less than perfect conditions.

Some matches are going to be cancelled due to actual genuine rain and there will be nothing that can be done about that when a track is actually waterlogged but when you have Edinburgh fans sat in a Leicester hotel room looking out the windows at an evening perfect for Speedway and wondering if they'll get their money back on hotels booked for Birmingham on Wednesday it's far from an ideal state of affairs.

Why isn't it a pre-requisite for clubs to have track covers much, in the way that they have to have air fences? Cost would be the obvious answer, well if it means that each club has to stage a meeting where the riders don't get paid to cover the costs then so be it... especially if the riders know that if a match is called off it won't be restaged, thus loss of earnings.

Now we're looking at the possible abandonment of a national cup competition and as usual all of the major finals tucked away at the end of October on wet tracks, on off race nights, in front of reduced crowds.

And when call offs are done so easily on a whim, it can only lead to conspiracy theories when teams maybe cannot get decent guest replacements for injured and missing riders...

Can't get a decent guest? Possible chance of rain? Lovely coincidence.. Let's call it off...

Just another bit of nonsense the sport really doesnt need..

Covers definitely work, as had been proven (again this weekend), so finding a way to make it happen should be the focus, not the barriers to it..

Maybe supporters clubs could get involved providing volunteers to lay and remove covers? And as you say Ian, similar to air fences, maybe an expenses only meeting could be ran to pay for them? 

So many postponed meetings could be ran on often perfect nights for Speedway with the report in the Speedeay Star stating "the damage had been done with the torrential rain in the days leading up to the meeting"..

Giving spectators confidence that a meeting will take place is very important given the sports current situation, and, as you say, maybe a 'consequence' of one point each and no pay, for every call off would focus the minds of all a bit more..

 

[old bob at herne bay]

Sign of a dying sport  IMO.

There used to be a rule that only the referee could call of a meeting due to a waterlogged track .... later changed to the ref calling it after consultation with the 2 team captains. Now it seems anyone can call off a meeting for a dodgy "forecast" days in advance. 

Its a vicious circle because no away fan is going ot spend out booking up travel / accom. on the basis of AN Other deciding they don't like the look of the forecast ... so away supporters will completely disappear at most tracks.  

As for fixture congestion, unlikely that anyone will be bovvered ........as long as they ride the p. offs, thats all they care about.  Just remains to see how many clubs complete the season (CL and NDL)  

 

Edited August 8, 2021 by old bob at herne bay

[IainB]

The last day of the Cricket test match has been abandoned today... match ends in a draw and we all move on, no scratching around at the arse end of September trying to re-arrange the match... or even the last day of play.

[NeilWatson]

8 minutes ago, old bob at herne bay said:

Sign of a dying sport  IMO.

There used to be a rule that only the referee could call of a meeting due to a waterlogged track .... later changed to the ref calling it after consultation with the 2 team captains. Now it seems anyone can call off a meeting for a dodgy "forecast" days in advance. 

Its a vicious circle because no away fan is going ot spend out booking up travel / accom. on the basis of AN Other deciding they don't like the look of the forecast ... so away supporters will completely disappear at most tracks.  

As for fixture congestion, unlikely that anyone will be bovvered ........as long as they ride the p. offs, thats all they care about.  Just remains to see how many clubs complete the season (CL and NDL)  

 

Only once the referee is at the stadium, prior to that the Promoter makes the decision. (In rare circumstances when there has been an unjustified postponement by a Promoter previously the SCB might insist on having a representative present before a postponement is authorised).

[old bob at herne bay]

Thank you for the clarification.

Maybe iainB has hit upon a solution ....... postponed meetings  one league point per side .... no restaging required.  For a KO CUp match the leg should be declared a no result, and the result of the only leg raced decides who goes into the next round.

 

[IronScorpion]

1 hour ago, mikebv said:

And when call offs are done so easily on a whim, it can only lead to conspiracy theories when teams maybe cannot get decent guest replacements for injured and missing riders...

Can't get a decent guest? Possible chance of rain? Lovely coincidence.. Let's call it off...

Just another bit of nonsense the sport really doesnt need..

Covers definitely work, as had been proven (again this weekend), so finding a way to make it happen should be the focus, not the barriers to it..

Maybe supporters clubs could get involved providing volunteers to lay and remove covers? And as you say Ian, similar to air fences, maybe an expenses only meeting could be ran to pay for them? 

So many postponed meetings could be ran on often perfect nights for Speedway with the report in the Speedeay Star stating "the damage had been done with the torrential rain in the days leading up to the meeting"..

Giving spectators confidence that a meeting will take place is very important given the sports current situation, and, as you say, maybe a 'consequence' of one point each and no pay, for every call off would focus the minds of all a bit more..

 

Where were covers used this weekend? Genuine question.

[IainB]

Just now, IronScorpion said:

Where were covers used this weekend? Genuine question.

Lublin, Friday

[IronScorpion]

Polish Speedway have money thrown at them left, right & centre.

British speedway is losing money with 2 teams not turning up this year & a possibility others to fold this year.

[IainB]

17 minutes ago, NeilWatson said:

(In rare circumstances when there has been an unjustified postponement by a Promoter previously the SCB might insist on having a representative present before a postponement is authorised).

Previously to what? Previously to them not sending anybody? I assume nothing happens now?

[mikebv]

32 minutes ago, IronScorpion said:

Polish Speedway have money thrown at them left, right & centre.

British speedway is losing money with 2 teams not turning up this year & a possibility others to fold this year.

British Speedway has literally hundreds of thousands of pounds (probably over a million), thrown at it each season...

An amazing stat when you look at the result..

[Sotonian]

8 hours ago, iainb said:

Why isn't it a pre-requisite for clubs to have track covers much, in the way that they have to have air fences? Cost would be the obvious answer, well if it means that each club has to stage a meeting where the riders don't get paid to cover the costs then so be it... especially if the riders know that if a match is called off it won't be restaged, thus loss of earnings.

It's not always about cost. Berwick have covers but haven't used them recently due to having insufficient manpower to manoeuvre them.

[IronScorpion]

Yet this year, two Scottish clubs were given grants & the British clubs had to apply for loans (to be repaid)

[IainB]

There's quite a few similarities between Speedway and Cricket when you look at it. They're both totally dependant on the weather and a lot of the participants play for more than one club (although not at the same time like doubling up) Blast, 100, Big Bash, IPL etc. And there's a packed domestic and international calendar. 

[JamesB]

22 hours ago, iainb said:

This weekend we have had Peterborough, Ipswich, Redcar, Eastbourne & Leicester all called off based on a weather forecast. Yes there has been rain about, it's a very showery spell of weather we're going through at the moment... but it is August, there's still a lot of daylight, warm sunshine and a drying breeze.

Clubs are not even attempting to stage these matches because they are potential loss generators. It's not really about whether a match could have gone ahead or not and I (and others) will criticise if they could and promotions will pat themselves on their back if they couldn't, but it creates fixture congestion for later in the season. There must be serious doubt on whether the KoC will be completed.

Peterborough will have ridden 2 home meetings in the whole of July & August, Leicester has been silent on what should have been 2 of the most lucrative nights of the season and god knows what's going on at Eastbourne!

If clubs can't or won't fulfil their fixtures then the match should be forfeited or the points shared with the match not being rescheduled like in the other weather effected sport, Cricket. If the riders are going to miss out on a meeting it might make them more positive about riding in less than perfect conditions.

Some matches are going to be cancelled due to actual genuine rain and there will be nothing that can be done about that when a track is actually waterlogged but when you have Edinburgh fans sat in a Leicester hotel room looking out the windows at an evening perfect for Speedway and wondering if they'll get their money back on hotels booked for Birmingham on Wednesday it's far from an ideal state of affairs.

Why isn't it a pre-requisite for clubs to have track covers much, in the way that they have to have air fences? Cost would be the obvious answer, well if it means that each club has to stage a meeting where the riders don't get paid to cover the costs then so be it... especially if the riders know that if a match is called off it won't be restaged, thus loss of earnings.

Now we're looking at the possible abandonment of a national cup competition and as usual all of the major finals tucked away at the end of October on wet tracks, on off race nights, in front of reduced crowds.

The Ipswich call off was Thursday.

It was called off mid morning following days of heavy showers and a weather forecast that predicted heavy rain from 1930. The forecast was exactly right and so if they had waited those who had decided to risk it would have paid their money only for it to be abandoned without a wheel turning.

I know what approach I prefer. 

[old bob at herne bay]

I think that some firm cut off time for postponements due to weather is needed. 

So meetings cannot be called off before say 1000 on the morning of the meeting..... with promoters needing to seek authorisation from the BSPL before being allowed to cancel. Each team should then be awarded one league point. 

For other reason cancellations, home teams should forfeit all league points, the away team being given 3 league points. 

 

[IainB]

1 hour ago, JamesB said:

The Ipswich call off was Thursday.

It was called off mid morning following days of heavy showers and a weather forecast that predicted heavy rain from 1930. The forecast was exactly right and so if they had waited those who had decided to risk it would have paid their money only for it to be abandoned without a wheel turning.

I know what approach I prefer. 

Like I said people will be patting themselves on the back, either way. Could the match have gone ahead if the track had been covered? Maybe not, but track covers saved the GP at the weekend and meanwhile it was perfect Speedway weather at Leicester. 3 different cases there and the track covered event went ahead.

1 point each and move on...

[Skodaman]

7 hours ago, old bob at herne bay said:

I think that some firm cut off time for postponements due to weather is needed. 

So meetings cannot be called off before say 1000 on the morning of the meeting..... with promoters needing to seek authorisation from the BSPL before being allowed to cancel. Each team should then be awarded one league point. 

For other reason cancellations, home teams should forfeit all league points, the away team being given 3 league points. 

 

So what about the peop[le travelling hundreds of miles? There are groups of fans who travel on a regular basis but they wont if your idea is implemented.

[IainB]

12 minutes ago, Skodaman said:

So what about the peop[le travelling hundreds of miles? There are groups of fans who travel on a regular basis but they wont if your idea is implemented.

It should be easier than ever to keep up with developments these days with social media

[ruckerroo]

Youve teams that tour and book accomodation way in advanced so the 10am thing is a complete dead duck.

Just have to grin and bare it this season with a 2 month late starting date , see what 2022 brings with a less truncated season hopefully.