barrow boy 119 Posted August 14, 2013 Come on Promoters please do something right for once and get rid of 'Guest Riders'. If squads are still not on the agenda then please do something to make my favourite sport credible. How about when a team's top rider is absent his rides could be covered by giving the second best rider 2 of his rides with any other 2 riders doing one each. Similarly if the second best rider is missing then 2 of his rides could be taken by the third best rider with any other 2 riders doing one each and so on. A problem may occur I realize if more than one rider is missing but surely something can be worked out to cover such an eventuality other than bringing in a guest rider from another team in the same league. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
broadsider 55 33 Posted August 15, 2013 Have to agree Ive been saying that guests are a joke, for years I see the other day I think it was kent or Hampshire cricket team used a guest batsman so its not jjust speedway !! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted August 17, 2013 Have to agree Ive been saying that guests are a joke, for years I see the other day I think it was kent or Hampshire cricket team used a guest batsman so its not jjust speedway !! Oh dear! A sporting disease - like Man U's Rio Ferdinand turning out for Liverpool possibly. It makes one wonder what the reason for youth/development squads if these riders are never given their chance to make-up the side with the rest of the original squad being 'shuffled upwards' to make way for them? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tyretrax 2,240 Posted August 17, 2013 Another thing I would stop is both teams using R/R. Is that not a case for promoting your No. 8? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted August 22, 2013 (edited) I am sure that as far back as 1956 'Speedway Star' was outspoken about the folly of the introduction of guest riders. Another thing I would stop is both teams using R/R. Is that not a case for promoting your No. 8? Tyretrax - my toughts entirely. But this system will stay because - as with guest riders - speedway likes to impress the sports media at large with its Mickey Mouse image! Edited August 22, 2013 by Guest Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pandorum 1,259 Posted September 11, 2013 A problem may occur I realize if more than one rider is missing but surely something can be worked out to cover such an eventuality other than bringing in a guest rider from another team in the same league. Such as what? It's alright advocating getting rid of the dreaded guest leaving it in the lap of someone else sort of dilutes your argument. Squad systems. Rider grading. Getting rid of the speedway gypsies and becoming insular by focusing on developing home grown talent and riders who commit to our leagues. The only real answers involve dropping the level of our leagues to a top PL level and having a development system at NL/PL level. But of course it will never happen as this has been going on for decades. Riders get injured and nowadays ride in several leagues. The pool of talent just isn't there to solve such problems and the will is even lesss. It all a bit pointless really as the promoters never listen to fans ideas as they tend to be usually good and all they want are silly ideas. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ghostwalker 1,858 Posted September 12, 2013 I don't know what the current rules are but you could keep the guest riders but add some limitations to the riders that is brought in as a guest rider, Limitations like this; He has to be a British rider His average cannot be higher then the missing riders average He cannot ride permanently (season wise) for another team in the same league Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
waiheke1 4,295 Posted September 12, 2013 I don't know what the current rules are but you could keep the guest riders but add some limitations to the riders that is brought in as a guest rider, Limitations like this; He has to be a British rider His average cannot be higher then the missing riders average He cannot ride permanently (season wise) for another team in the same league the issue with that is that there are no British riders of a reasonable standard not riding in the el. so if darcy ward got injured you'd be replacing him with a rider who might get at best a couple of points . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ColinMills 1,728 Posted November 19, 2013 been saying it for yrs, you will never get credibility in this sport til the guest system dumped.. poole own so many riders yet last season fielded 3 guests and a r/r in same match! utter joke this "sport" Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Seymour Dix 1,965 Posted November 24, 2013 Sad to say guests are a nesescerry evil in the sport. Speedway works best if the teams are reasonably evenly matched. If a team turns up minus it's best rider, or minus a few riders due to injury or international duties then I would not want to see them replaced by juniors and the lousy match that would follow. You cannot replace a 10 point star rider with a novice. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted November 25, 2013 been saying it for yrs, you will never get credibility in this sport til the guest system dumped.. poole own so many riders yet last season fielded 3 guests and a r/r in same match! utter joke this "sport" Sad to say guests are a nesescerry evil in the sport. Speedway works best if the teams are reasonably evenly matched. If a team turns up minus it's best rider, or minus a few riders due to injury or international duties then I would not want to see them replaced by juniors and the lousy match that would follow. You cannot replace a 10 point star rider with a novice. Guests (and rider replacement) are also a reason why much of the National media regard speedway as a 'Mickey Mouse sport'. Guest riders, rider replacement, double points and so much more. All rubbish innovations which have over the years run alongside the increasing decline in interest for the sport. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mickthemuppet 976 Posted November 25, 2013 Guests (and rider replacement) are also a reason why much of the National media regard speedway as a 'Mickey Mouse sport'. Guest riders, rider replacement, double points and so much more. All rubbish innovations which have over the years run alongside the increasing decline in interest for the sport. Not really true is it?. The Grand Prix's are run without Guest Riders,Rider Replacement's or double point scores and how much publicity do they get. UK has a world champions yet how many National Papers reported it or gave it a write up. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted November 25, 2013 Not really true is it?. The Grand Prix's are run without Guest Riders,Rider Replacement's or double point scores and how much publicity do they get. UK has a world champions yet how many National Papers reported it or gave it a write up. That's because the problems I highlighted sadly reflect also on the GPs. In any case I was commenting on trying and failing to get speedway recognised as a team sport and why it fails to do so. Sadly, with the mainstream press speedway world champions because of their overall view of the sport cause little excitement - no more probably than if we produced a table tennis world champion. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ColinMills 1,728 Posted November 26, 2013 That's because the problems I highlighted sadly reflect also on the GPs. In any case I was commenting on trying and failing to get speedway recognised as a team sport and why it fails to do so. Sadly, with the mainstream press speedway world champions because of their overall view of the sport cause little excitement - no more probably than if we produced a table tennis world champion. as a fan in the 70s, before the stupid double rule, speedway was credible, was always the guest rule, but in the main, it was 1 rider, 1 team. I not got a clue, who owns who nowadays!!.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ColinMills 1,728 Posted January 20, 2014 I see greg wants a squad system......that is of course, it don't interrupt with gps, w cup, Swedish and polish lges.. in other words, when he got a free date in diary, ........lets go earn some more over in englnd!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites