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Hawk127

Fixture shambles - An annual event

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6 minutes ago, Hodgy said:

standing in the cold 3 nights a week in October. Yes, great planning. 

22degs at Peterborough on Saturday night

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4 minutes ago, iainb said:

22degs at Peterborough on Saturday night

That was 1 night and extremely rare. I’m sure they all knew that would happen back in July / August. No mention of the numerous wash outs, wasted trips, double headers, do I or don’t I risk it. My point is, it’s so unnecessary. 

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I'll agree that having a lot of meetings packed into a short space of time with double headers, against the same opposition is pretty poor but the last home match at Leicester was Monday September the 3rd... 2 months of the season still to go, Belle Vue finished a month early...

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Excellent Post Hawk127 

Promoters often bemoan how the dodgy weather in this country can knock off the gate those vitally required couple hundred or so that make all the difference to them...

Then plan in no fixtures for weeks during the hottest summer for decades....

I think I spot a flaw in their cunning plan...

And even if they say they didn't know the weather would be scorching,  I would suggest there's a better than evens chance of running in July and August than running in October..

 

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4 hours ago, Mike.Butler said:

get rid of the play offs and have meaningful matches for all teams up to end of September.

How does scrapping the play-offs mean meaningful matches for all teams up to the end of September? Without the play-offs if you are not within touching distance of the top of the league your season is over and you are merely going through the motions to fulfil your fixtures.

The play-offs keep the season alive for the majority of teams, as qualifying for the play-offs is mathematically possible until the very end of the regular season.

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2 hours ago, MattK said:

How does scrapping the play-offs mean meaningful matches for all teams up to the end of September? Without the play-offs if you are not within touching distance of the top of the league your season is over and you are merely going through the motions to fulfil your fixtures.

The play-offs keep the season alive for the majority of teams, as qualifying for the play-offs is mathematically possible until the very end of the regular season.

The Play-Offs kept the season alive so much for Poole fans that in June they were throwing in the bucket, drifting away and calling for Matt Ford's head. The Play-Offs seem to have presented the sport with a win at all cost mentality. Gone are the days when you'd turn up for any fixture, even if your team was rock bottom, just to see your team... and I mean your team and not a bunch of names juggled together for a few nights at the season's end. 

 

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6 hours ago, iainb said:

The Speedway season runs from March until October, so as it's only halfway through October and it looks as if all the fixtures will be complete by the end of the month, I'd say that it's been planned to perfection

I lost interest in going to King's Lynn when they had two doubleheaders ( against the same opposition on both of the nights in question ) having not bothered in the better weather,  to race to the cut-off date. The only thing I question on this thread is the title - it's been a shambles from every perspective since at least 2000 and clearly is a planned annual event- part of the BSPA business strategy that sees average crowds dwindle everywhere.

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There is an urgency to have a cut-off date for the POs and then act all manic and rush the semis into one night as if there's some sort of sell-by date. You tend to feel the TV company just want it out of the way. They leave me feeling empty. But they are here to stay.

Edited by moxey63

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34 minutes ago, moxey63 said:

There is an urgency to have a cut-off date for the POs and then act all manic and rush the semis into one night as if there's some sort of sell-by date. You tend to feel the TV company just want it out of the way. They leave me feeling empty. But they are here to stay.

Maybe they could run the Cup Comps in October?

Get the play offs complete by the end of September when the weather should be at its best..

Then for the Prem,  first week in October the quarter final (:rolleyes:), 2nd week the semi and the final in week three. Leaving one more week for rain offs etc..

For the Championship they will need the full month due to more teams..

Poland and Sweden are finished so all riders should be available..

It gives the teams with zero chance in the League something to strive for..

And prevents the Cup going on for months which sadly devalues it so much...

Maybe they could do the draw based on the final league positions?

In the Prem, Top v Eighth, Second v Seventh etc.. (Presuming they can keep eight teams in it obviously);)

That would hopefully leave the top two in the final if the seeding worked...

Having a Sept end date for the League would also focus the mind on getting the League finished and result in more meetings taking place during the key summer holiday period of July and August....

If doubling up prevents this happening as riders will need to be in two places at once in October then run one of the Cup Comps in the first month of the season..

Or they could just carry on doing what they do now...?

It works so well..

Edited by mikebv
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15 hours ago, mikebv said:

Maybe they could run the Cup Comps in October?

Get the play offs complete by the end of September when the weather should be at its best..

Then for the Prem,  first week in October the quarter final (:rolleyes:), 2nd week the semi and the final in week three. Leaving one more week for rain offs etc..

For the Championship they will need the full month due to more teams..

Poland and Sweden are finished so all riders should be available..

It gives the teams with zero chance in the League something to strive for..

And prevents the Cup going on for months which sadly devalues it so much...

The trouble is running the cup comps at the end of the season, as tends to happen now, is that you get the same teams in the league play offs and the cup comps due to them being the strongest at the end of the season and then you get clubs having to run double headers against the same team and having the same team visit 2 or 3 weeks on the trot. If they were run throughout the season as they used to be clubs that don't make the play offs would also have a chance at extending their season. If Leicester had been in the cup at the beginning of the season they may have got further than they did by the time their team had been decimated

Edited by iainb

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Run the league from march, plan the Play off final August bank holiday weekend and run a cup competition for September + October

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So we see the same top teams in the semis and final? You'd just be replicating the league in miniture

Edited by iainb

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On ‎10‎/‎15‎/‎2018 at 8:17 AM, Mike.Butler said:

get rid of the play offs and have meaningful matches for all teams up to end of September. (Matches cannot be postponed on a whim!). October for challenges etc as required.

This will never happen.

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Run the KO Cups during April to July. The Leagues from April to August with Play Offs in September. Those teams not in the Play Offs race for a secondary trophy/shield. The leagues need to have at least 8 teams for it to work but this means even the bottom teams have something to race for in September and October would only be used by clubs who want to run events like the Ipswich 16 lapper and Wolverhampton Olympique. 

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On 10/15/2018 at 8:17 AM, Mike.Butler said:

(Matches cannot be postponed on a whim!). 

Decisions made by Mr Godfrey and/or Mr Chapman should not be confused with whims.

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