oldace

Ellesmere Port won the 1985 National League and closed immediately after

No need to imagine it. It has been the case for years in football, long before speedway thought of it.

If you lower admission by 50% you need a 100% increase in gate levels to offset it

The Taylor report was in the aftermath of Hillsborough in 1989 and was published in 1990. Hyde Road was demolished in 1987. Valley Parade in 1985 was really the death knell for Hyde Road

Total nonsense. It is just the excuse you were looking for to justify not going anymore. There is no way that someone would love everything about the sport but not go over 1 rule

But they would if it was a meaningless league match under the old format ?

This is unbelievable No one denies you your right to dislike the play offs. People have asserted that mid season crowds would be better if it were not for play offs so for the umpteenth time Why would this be, why would a match in Aug between the 5th and 6th place teams be more appealing if neither team had anything to race for. We are simply asking for the thinking behind this but no one seems willing to answer

I am saying that is what we know with 100% certainty, No play off final means no bumper play off crowds and that is there for all to see. What is conjecture, although common sense tells us it to be so, is the potential to increase gate revenue by what would be meaningless matches now being of some importance during the regular season Are you being serious!!!!!!!! They are not shared events so the gate receipts go to the host club. What else could happen to them

My son said to me he wants to go to speedway next year now the NL have brought back play offs. He says speedway is totally boring without them, a point everyone in the pub agreed with and there followed rapturous applause all round the vault on hearing the news

Easy tiger!!!!!

Didn't he one fully live up to his BJ initials in the back of his van. Not sure HMRC consider him a character either!!!!!

Course he did. Why do people still do this cobblers with made up conversations. It should be a bloke in the pub really you know who fell about laughing when you mentioned play offs

OK Sidney, one last try!! We get you don't like the play off, neither does Ian, or DAC and a few others. That is fine, it is entirely your choice. There is hard evidence that the final generates £1000s for each participating team. Belle Vue probably had 3000 more than the normal gate, so assuming a normal gate at least breaks even then at £14.58 nett admission that put over £40,000 into the coffers. Likewise Poole and every finalist in years gone by. That is undeniable but you assert that it is at the expense of crowds earlier in the season so I ask you again, why would this be? In suggesting dropping the play offs what is your rationale that crowds earlier in the season would go up. In my opinion fans are more likely to attend matches where the outcome matters, the match having some meaning so why, in your opinion would a match involving 5th and 6th place teams be more attractive under an old style league format. First place is still mega important with regard semi final opposition so why would their crowds be affected in the run to the season end. Wolves had to cram in a Belle Vue/Leicester double header with the outcome vital for the Aces, why would that match have had a better crowd with no play offs in place I am not asking for a rant about "no right and wrong answers" just simply tell us your thinking. We all know speedway is in a mess and that crowds are not good so tell us how that would improve. It may be something blindingly obvious that myself, bwitcher, orion etc have all missed!!!. So without a hissy fit just tell us why dropping play offs would benefit the sport

Well they only work if you are judging success in the context of thousands of extra fans through the turnstiles, both during the regular season and bumper crowds for the final. They only work if you consider generating £10,000s of extra revenue, possibly keeping clubs alive to be successful. If you consider success as keeping a couple of soppy old duffers happy then they have failed. Interesting that Fred likes the FA premiership model. Is this the model that despite £billions of TV money and gate receipts almost all clubs are virtually trading insolvent, Is this the model that requires a stream of mugs ready to do their wedge in on a hobby horse to keep it in any way sustainable.

Indeed you are, and you are perfectly entitled to not like the play off ethic, that is a matter of opinion and personal choice. It is when ridiculous statement saying they are responsible in any way shape or form for falling crowds that it becomes wrong. You need to learn the difference between opinion and plain facts. Am I entitled to if the opinion that 2 + 2 = 5 and expect no one to point out that it isnt a matter if opinion, its just total bollox