Hawk127 1,357 Posted June 2, 2018 Probably with the exception of the GP where you have a group of individuals going hell for leather against each other ‘team’ related meetings are dire because the skill of team riding and looking out for your colleague is a lost skill. League racing through to pairs meetings shows the same traits as the GP with individual riders looking out for number one.The gate and go merchants and those half a lap or more behind supports this up to a point. The SON format may not be ideal but the World Cup was becoming so predictable you might just as well had a race off for second third and fourth and given Poland the cup. People think speedway at the U.K. league level was dire but the mediocrity across most nations at least gives hope to the also rans. Probably best to draw judgement once this tournament has run its course until then treat tonight as a bad day at the office. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
iainb 4,962 Posted June 2, 2018 The only time team racing ever seems to work are when the rules are contrived to make the teams equal on paper Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Trees 2,814 Posted June 2, 2018 For sure the racing will be better at BV and in the final ...... to be fair in the SWC there were always riders out of their depth ..... 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikebv 10,227 Posted June 2, 2018 1 minute ago, Trees said: For sure the racing will be better at BV and in the final ...... to be fair in the SWC there were always riders out of their depth ..... But in the SWC, 'good' riders couldn't just coast around, settling for third behind a team mate, by beating one of their out of their depth opponents as every point counted.. Invariably you would have, at least, three similar level riders in most SWC races all throwing bikes at each other to gain that extra point... It will be interesting to see how the Final unravels when all the 'weak links' are out... I can see some real issues with riders slowing up to help a team mate, as instead of one rider twenty five yards back having to anticipate it and react, there may well be three riders all within fifteen yards taking evasive action... Could be 'interesting'... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bagpuss 10,750 Posted June 2, 2018 Well that was sh!te. 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
A ORLOV 8,628 Posted June 2, 2018 What a complete joke that meeting was. Do the riders , or the commentators know the meaning of a pairs meeting. There were only a couple of races worth watching. What a couple of idiots Tatum and Pearson are, they did not know the rules of the comp and at the end of heat 20 they kept telling us that in heat 21 neither Latvia nor Slovenia could get through to the farcical play off for third, only for Slovenia to get through to heat 22. It is time these two were dumped by BT. If tues is no better this comp should be dumped as well. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Aces High 70 Posted June 2, 2018 Is Gino ok? Felt awful watching that. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
topsoil 2,498 Posted June 2, 2018 I've seen my fair share of disappointing qualifiers in the World Cup in the four team version. A lot of times you had two teams of a higher standard than the other two. The run off and final meetings should be better whatever format you use. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
A ORLOV 8,628 Posted June 2, 2018 (edited) Does anyone know why there are two meetings, one fri and one sat and what is the point rather than one meeting ? Edited June 2, 2018 by A ORLOV Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
enotian 562 Posted June 2, 2018 7 minutes ago, A ORLOV said: Does anyone know why there are two meetings, one fri and one sat and what is the point rather than one meeting ? I think it's the same meeting twice over with cumulative scores across the two meetings. (presumably only the riding order changes) top cumulative scorers through to the final, 2nd and 3rd run off to reach the final. "winner" of the final are champions. "winner" might be finishing 2nd and 3rd. I think. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Grand Central 2,654 Posted June 2, 2018 12 minutes ago, A ORLOV said: Does anyone know why there are two meetings, one fri and one sat and what is the point rather than one meeting ? There is no 'point' at all. In Speedway terms. People have put forward the reason as the SWC had 4 meetings and TV contracts etc may 'demand' a similar number of meetings in this half-arsed replacement. Who knows. Just prolonging the embarrasment I would have said. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
marko 955 Posted June 2, 2018 It’s so contrived when a team could go unbeaten on Friday and Saturday and be top scorers by 20 points or even more ahead of second place and still not be the champions. 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
enotian 562 Posted June 2, 2018 50 minutes ago, A ORLOV said: What a complete joke that meeting was. Do the riders , or the commentators know the meaning of a pairs meeting. There were only a couple of races worth watching. What a couple of idiots Tatum and Pearson are, they did not know the rules of the comp and at the end of heat 20 they kept telling us that in heat 21 neither Latvia nor Slovenia could get through to the farcical play off for third, only for Slovenia to get through to heat 22. It is time these two were dumped by BT. If tues is no better this comp should be dumped as well. I wouldn't normally have a pop at the commentators as it's not a job I could do but that was embarrassing tonight!! In a poor meeting the only point of interest was the result of heat 21 deciding who would meet Denmark in the run off for the last place (as heat 22 was defunct thanks to USA not picking a reserve [as an aside it would have been a better meeting if they'd selected Ricky Wells]) yet we were continually told during the ridiculous break before heat 21 that it was a dead rubber. The one bit of faux drama the meeting provided for the commentators to add colour and they failed to work out that even a 3-3 would have taken one of the teams past Ukraine. That's just adding up which is a basic requirement for following a speedway meeting. Doesn't Pearson do darts? And that's take aways!!! How does he cope...... 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
INCOGNITO 357 Posted June 2, 2018 2 hours ago, Rico said: So glad I watched it on delayed coverage and it only took about an hour of my life up. Absolutely awful meeting, format might work with equal standard teams. Cringey watching Danes celebrate beating the mighty Slovenia to attain their final place. Dire fare all round tonight. Tuesday should be better on a decent track. Final may be better still with more equal sides. Rico Tuesday will see only three teams really capable of going through bar some bizarre event as GB, Australia and Sweden are far too strong for the rest and Milik on his own cant save the Czechs. So basically three heats of equal standards and twenty just to fill up the programme. Hope GB give Bewley a few rides even if it's against the mighty Finland and Italy. May be a great track but not a great format unless it's the finals with seven capable teams. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
INCOGNITO 357 Posted June 2, 2018 Can Belle Vue please provide an Abacus for Waldorf and Stadler as they seem to struggle with basic maths going into the prenultamate heat when one team was sure to progress at the expense of Ukraine and with USA down to one rider the first knock out race wasn't worth running. 1 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
