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Time To Scrap Doubling Up?

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What was initially introduced as a way for young up and coming Brits to gain extra experience in the higher league has now turned into a complete farce (a bit like the draft system... whatever happened to that?). It seems to me that too many riders think that they are owed a full time living by Speedway these days. Back in the day, riders held down a job and took time off to ride Speedway and that wasn't too long ago (wasn't Carl Stonehewer also a Postman? While also riding in the GP's?). The current double up system is not sustainable too many riders are doing it, meaning that there's a lack of openings for the youngsters. We are now at a stage where almost every league match seems to be effected by lack of riders. This is making a mockery of the Sport (as always I use the term Sport loosely).

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No.

 

Firstly, I don't believe that doubling-up as it stands does reduce openings for youngsters. Look at how many of the National League riders are currently riding in at least one other league. How many NL or Championship youngsters have the ability, but cannot get a ride in a higher league?

 

Secondly, people say they want riders who are committed to racing in Britain. If that is the case then British speedway has to offer said riders the opportunity to make a decent living. British speedway does not exist in a bubble. If riders can't make it pay then they will look to other league to supplement their income. You can't ask for commitment and then tell them to be a postman in their spare time.

 

Yes there is currently a problem with riders missing meeting due to clashes between their clubs. However this should be solved with better fixture planning, not by scrapping the concept of doubling-up.

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I agree entirely. This is the main reason that after nearly 50 years of being a super keen speedway supporter, I have not been to a single match this year. If the promoters cannot be bothered to stage matches between 2 proper teams, then I cannot be bothered to give them my money. Most of the Premiership teams are nothing more than a "championship select team".

Teams used to be mainly made up of local riders from that area, who were proud to represent their team.

I can accept riders missing through injury, but not missing because they are riding for their other team.

Doubling up also makes the injury situation worse, as when a rider is injured, most of the time it will affect 2 or even 3 teams, meaning they all have to use guests or rider replacement.

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I've been once this year when I used to attend every week I could, work permitting.

 

The sole reason for this is the doubling up farce. A sport has got to have some sort of credibility for it to be a success and speedway has none at the moment.

 

The sport should not be run so the riders can make a decent living, it should be run for the fans, like shippy22 says, that are proud of their team and the riders who represent it, not seven journeymen who ride for your team because it fits in with their busy schedule of riding for other teams.

 

Not all that long ago, it was only the British League top men that were full time riders. Now it seems that a five point rider in the second tier who rides for two or three different teams can be full-time when only a few hundred fans are watching the racing. That surely can't be right.

 

Craig Cook, Danny King, Robert Lambert, Chris Harris etc. should not be riding at second division level.

 

When speedway starts alienating long term fans and losing them from the terraces whilst at the same time failing to attract new faces, it is in big trouble.

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It's a knock on effect without the top riders racing here we need riders to fill our teams. I'd like to think that doubling up improves riders skills anyway. I personally don't have any problem with it, we can live in our club bubble and not even consider any other team that our riders race for, when they are racing for our team they are our riders...

Edited by Trees

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It's a knock on effect without the top riders racing here we need riders to fill our teams. I'd like to think that doubling up improves riders skills anyway. I personally don't have any problem with it, we can live in our club bubble and not even consider any other team that our riders race for, when they are racing for our team they are our riders...

 

So when my team (Sheffield) go to Edinburgh without their number one who is riding for Somerset and we borrow a rider from Glasgow, one of our main rivals for winning the league, to replace him, that's the sign of a good well run sport is it?

 

Oh well, as long as the rider's skills are improved...

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I hope that Sheffield win the championship, and then meet Leicester in the relegation battle. With 2 riders riding for both teams, surely this will bring home what a farce the doubling up system is !!!

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The answer would be to have one league. You would need to reduce averages to allow more lower end riders to fill the places and you could even reduce the teams to six riders. The current system might be very lucrative for some but it isn't credible to a newcomer and is beyond understanding to anyone outside the sport. Fans need to be able to identify better with the teams, rather than seeing Bomber riding for every team in the league.

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Time To Scrap Doubling Up?

.

YES !

Its one of the main reason I don't attend now, when a team has no more than 4 recognizable members on the track.

 

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Rider who only ride in Britain can double up. Anyone riding in Poland, Sweden, Denmark or Germany can't double up.

 

Miss a meeting that a club isn't allowed a facility for and you're not allowed to double up any more.

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Rider who only ride in Britain can double up. Anyone riding in Poland, Sweden, Denmark or Germany can't double up.

 

Miss a meeting that a club isn't allowed a facility for and you're not allowed to double up any more.

Agree goes some way in the answer to riders saying they cannot afford to ride in just one league.

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So when my team (Sheffield) go to Edinburgh without their number one who is riding for Somerset and we borrow a rider from Glasgow, one of our main rivals for winning the league, to replace him, that's the sign of a good well run sport is it?

 

Oh well, as long as the rider's skills are improved...

 

You want to use your number 8? Or does your promotion want to use a rider base in Kent for a meeting in Edinburgh? It's how it has to be, no more than using a guest if your number one is injured is it? Until the sport becomes a lot more popular than it is so your promotion can pay big £££ a point and keep a squad of riders on his books we have to put up ......... or do the other :(

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Agree goes some way in the answer to riders saying they cannot afford to ride in just one league.

... or they could get a job until they're good enough to go professional

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tigerowl wrote " When speedway starts alienating long term fans and losing them from the terraces whilst at the same time failing to attract new faces, it is in big trouble".

 

We have reached that point now and wether the riders don't like it nor the promoters, the sport is going down the pan Big Time & Swiftly. Come on BSPA "save" the sport by making it credible and attractive. Doubling Up must go if they want the sport to have a future and reach it's centenary.

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