Star Lady 5,400 Posted September 13, 2017 Seems from rumours that speedway on TV is no longer the cash cow it was (if ever ) and the play-offs were brought in to suit TV, do we still need them. Would it not be better to have a league with champions and an end of season cup competition so that clubs season doesn't end in August? BT could always show the cup comp if they wanted to go into October. Disclaimer....I've always been against play-offs 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Grachan 7,314 Posted September 13, 2017 They could keep the play-offs, but have them as separate to the league champions and have all teams involved. Other sports such as Basketball do this, and the play-offs are still prestigious to win. Call them KO Cup or Craven Shield and nobody will care. Call them "play-offs" and they will. That's the way it is these days. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Terry 1,319 Posted September 13, 2017 No, I've always hated them. Top of the league=league champions, that's the way it should've stayed. League, British Final, Riders Championship etc...Why does everything 'have' to finish with a grand final these days? 7 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chairboy 77 Posted September 13, 2017 Too many people are in favour of the end of season play-offs for them ever to be scrapped completely. If your club is involved in them I guess you are happy - but those that don't qualify have to finish their league programme (relatively) early, then sit and watch while 4 clubs have (up to) 4 extra meetings. I know I'm not the first to suggest this but the ideal scenario (in my opinion) would be to amalgamate the top 2 divisisions into 1 big league which would then be split into North and South divisions. The 2 divisional champions could then have a 2 leg play-off to become national champions. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
IronScorpion 1,407 Posted September 13, 2017 I tend to agree with the top team being the League Champions as it covers the whole season including team changes. At the end of the season then have a top 4 play off with teams 1-7 settled to be Premiership Winners & Championship winners. What is the point of play offs for promotion & relegation when there are rumours of Kings Lynn dropping down because of the many fiascos at the club. There are, also, the rumours of the North/South divide with Ipswich mentioning a move back up. Their is, also, talk of Lakeside moving up so teams will still move in & out of divisions from year to year as & when it suits. When it was brought in at the last AGM, surely, it was based on being a long term proposal & not short term(1 year). On another note, I saw the 2nd leg of the Ekstraliga Semi Final on you tube yesterday of Gorzow v Wroclaw & not noticing it before, how the riders stay still at the tapes. In heat 14 a rider moved, did not touch the tapes & was excluded. I LIKE IT! No messing around, no reserve replacement, no 15m thus possible gate change. Just straight forward MOVE AND YOUR OUT. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
THE DEAN MACHINE 4,736 Posted September 13, 2017 Yes , one of the very few positives left in British speedway at the moment 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Star Lady 5,400 Posted September 13, 2017 Yes , one of the very few positives left in British speedway at the moment Not sure Lynn, Leicester, Somerset and Rye House fans would agree. Their seasons have sort of petered out, without the climax of a final meeting. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gemini 4,894 Posted September 13, 2017 Not sure Lynn, Leicester, Somerset and Rye House fans would agree. Their seasons have sort of petered out, without the climax of a final meeting. And Poole.......probably. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BWitcher 12,453 Posted September 13, 2017 Not sure Lynn, Leicester, Somerset and Rye House fans would agree. Their seasons have sort of petered out, without the climax of a final meeting. There are many arguments against the play-offs. This isn't one of them. Without playoffs their season would have 'petered out' in about early May! As it was Somerset, Rye House and to an extent Kings Lynn still had something to race for right till near the end of the season, in Rye's case, till the very end., That said, with no play-offs the battle for the top spot this season would have been amazing. 7 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
waytogo28 2,054 Posted September 13, 2017 Seems from rumours that speedway on TV is no longer the cash cow it was (if ever ) and the play-offs were brought in to suit TV, do we still need them. Would it not be better to have a league with champions and an end of season cup competition so that clubs season doesn't end in August? BT could always show the cup comp if they wanted to go into October. Disclaimer....I've always been against play-offs The Top Team should be the League Champions. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fromafar 10,336 Posted September 13, 2017 We can't even complete all the fixtures these days,the Champs would be declared round about Christmas the rate we are completing fixtures. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
00000 1,279 Posted September 13, 2017 Should be a decent attendance for club's who make semis; even bigger for final. Means there is a big financial incentive and could rescue some clubs finances. If you miss out, season over early - like it was for last couple of years at Lakeside when they were in the EL. Problem is to find some meaningful competition for those that miss out. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BWitcher 12,453 Posted September 13, 2017 They could keep the play-offs, but have them as separate to the league champions and have all teams involved. Other sports such as Basketball do this, and the play-offs are still prestigious to win. Call them KO Cup or Craven Shield and nobody will care. Call them "play-offs" and they will. That's the way it is these days. Not quite. In other sports it is recognised that the play-offs is the big prize, where the 'real' champions are crowned. Rugby League for example has a shield for whom tops the table, but the reality is, it's winning the Grand FInal that matters. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gavan 5,049 Posted September 13, 2017 Not sure Lynn, Leicester, Somerset and Rye House fans would agree. Their seasons have sort of petered out, without the climax of a final meeting. Bit of a strange comment Those teams in all liklihood couldnt have won the league around June time............in Rye House and Somersets case they were riding into August with a chance of becoming champions Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
False dawn 2,294 Posted September 13, 2017 .....1 big league which would then be split into North and South divisions. The 2 divisional champions could then have a 2 leg play-off to become national champions.I also had a similar idea, a sort of Super Bowl (AFC va NFC). Unfortunately, to be all things to all men, they would allow doubling up between north and south divisions. This could be practical if it was arranged, as far as possible, to avoid clashes between north and south fixtures. The trouble is, Sod's Law would dictate that at least one rider (maybe as many as 7) would ride for both the North and South champions . Then what do you do? P.S. if you think our playoff system is daft, they said on the Swedish speedway TV programme a couple of weeks ago that the Swedish second division has a 4 team playoff at the end of the year. Why daft? I hear you say. Because there are only 4 clubs in the Swedish second division. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
