Premier League 4 Team Tournament

[spin king 1,927]

Well Done to the Comets, I see the home advantage debate has already started on here, and quite frankly people should put this debate to bed, Workington did not have their number 1 rider, one of the other regular top 4 was not fully fit, so this was an excellent win.

Hard lines to the Stars of Kings Lynn who very nearly pull off a win, they were one of my tips for the top, very unusual for me to get right, maybe if Rusty Harrison had been there they might just have sneaked it.

I think that the riders and fans of the Edinburgh Monarchs will have been very disappointed, but this might just brought them back down to earth, and gewt them refocussed on the rest of the honours that they are still in the chase for.

As for my own team,well that is the story of our season, no consistency, we came on stronger towards the end of the qualifying stages, but the damage had already been done in the earlier races.

Once again Well Done to the Comets.

[King Jamie 361]

I think that the riders and fans of the Edinburgh Monarchs will have been very disappointed, but this might just brought them back down to earth, and gewt them refocussed on the rest of the honours that they are still in the chase for.

have to say i'm not in the least bit disappointed about our result. it's a Mickey Mouse competition and, considering we didn't have our number 1, i'm just relieved the others are returning injury free.

 

it's so far down my priority list this season i couldn't even be ersed going, so i had a night off. well, if it's good enough for the Monarchs' skipper...

[Subedei 0]

It's a Mickey Mouse competition.

 

It was much more important in 1981, wasn't it?

Mind you, what wasn't much more important in 1981. It's sad to see events such as the Fours being so devalued - used to be real highlights of the season. But perhaps they belong to the past.

 

[Adam 74 0]

Well done Workington fair play for the double..

 

Awesome from the rebels again tonight got so close, really gave it a good go which is great to see and we could have pinched it.. so close yet so far!

 

Anyway proud of all four of them..proud to be a rebel!! Get well soon Emil and si-co..

 

No need for little excuses from the rebels fans, how ever 'mickey mouse' this event is, they all wanted to be up there come the end..

Edited July 26, 2008 by Adam 74

[NJC71 388]

Well Done to the Comets, I see the home advantage debate has already started on here, and quite frankly people should put this debate to bed, Workington did not have their number 1 rider, one of the other regular top 4 was not fully fit, so this was an excellent win.

 

Why should it be put to bed? The 4TT used to be one of the highlights of the speedway season in the days of regional qualifiers and a finals day at a neutral venue. The current qualifying system is an absolute joke - how can it be right that Redcar for example with a top 4 of Havelock, Grieves, Proctor and Kerr were not even there? (and that's from a Newcastle fan).

 

The collective will of the BSPA continues to ignore the request to bring back the qualifiers - why? Promoters always moan about poor crowds and surely these meetings are guaranteed to pull in good crowds. I just cant understand it.

 

As someone has just said it is a mickey mouse competition. Unless there is a fair qualifying system and the finals are held at a neutral venue it will always be a mickey mouse competition.

[Trees 2,814]

have to say i'm not in the least bit disappointed about our result. it's a Mickey Mouse competition and, considering we didn't have our number 1, i'm just relieved the others are returning injury free.

Ah but you would say that KJ lol .................. good win by the Comets, great for their fans, sorry that Tomas just couldn't get the better of Kauko in the run off, the win would have been just deserts for our top two who were denied a chance of winning the Pairs. Coventry or Peterborough would have been good neutral venues to hold the meeting imo.

[spin king 1,927]

Why should it be put to bed? The 4TT used to be one of the highlights of the speedway season in the days of regional qualifiers and a finals day at a neutral venue. The current qualifying system is an absolute joke - how can it be right that Redcar for example with a top 4 of Havelock, Grieves, Proctor and Kerr were not even there? (and that's from a Newcastle fan).

 

The collective will of the BSPA continues to ignore the request to bring back the qualifiers - why? Promoters always moan about poor crowds and surely these meetings are guaranteed to pull in good crowds. I just cant understand it.

 

As someone has just said it is a mickey mouse competition. Unless there is a fair qualifying system and the finals are held at a neutral venue it will always be a mickey mouse competition.

 

Yeah you can say that, but this would create an even more fixture overload if you include qualifying rounds.

[NJC71 388]

Yeah you can say that, but this would create an even more fixture overload if you include qualifying rounds.

 

Fixture overload!!! Come on Newcastle have had two or three blank dates this year - qualifiers would only mean one extra home meeting for each track.

 

As I understand it there are a number of promoters who are very keen to see the regional qualifiers brought back. Peter Waite said as much in the winter.

Edited July 26, 2008 by NJC71

[mervjankefanclub 48]

Fixture overload!!! Come on Newcastle have had two or three blank dates this year - qualifiers would only mean one extra home meeting for each track.

 

As I understand it there are a number of promoters who are very keen to see the regional qualifiers brought back. Peter Waite said as much in the winter.

 

its definately a money spinner for the northern promoters as the qualifiers were always well attended over the weekend but from what others have said it looks as though the southern promoters arent too keen to see them return unfortunately

Edited July 27, 2008 by mervjankefanclub

[RobMcCaffery 2,752]

Well Done to the Comets, I see the home advantage debate has already started on here, and quite frankly people should put this debate to bed,

 

Why?

 

A thing is either right or wrong. Workington's win is as devalued as any team in the same situation, especially Peterborough's many wins on their home track in the same competition.

 

Good, so Comets won a home meeting with a rider injured. Hasn't that happened a few times elsewhere?

 

I would be quite delighted for Workington and their supporters to win this tournament, on a neutral track.

 

Still, this is speedway and if the right thing is too hard to do we'll just come up with a convenient laughable bodge and hope too many don't notice.

 

Rob McCaffery.

[Merlin 0]

Just back from this match. Maybe it should have been renamed the Premier League Gaters Championship because, especially in the two semi-finals, the ...errr....racing resulted in two hours or so of utter tedium. Talk about gate and go! The only redeeming race of the 16 was in the second semi-final when Jason King did what no one else managed by actually passing someone (other than on the first two bends) - Shaun Tacey in the seventh of the eight heats in brilliant style. Considering the efforts of all the other riders it was unique!

 

The final was more interesting mainly because of the see-sawing of the scores and the ultimate tenseness of the last race when it was all up for grabs. The best effort came from Richard Hall in heat 12 to pass Jason Doyle relegating the previously unbeaten Somerset man to third. In the run off Kauko Nieminen changed lines brilliantly round the first two bends which completely fooled Tomas Topinka. It got him to the front of bend two and that was that.

 

Did Workington deserve to win? Yes probably they did. They didn't have much luck with injuries prior to the meeting nor with engine problems for Joe Haines and Kauko Nieminen during the meeting. They certainly made some electric starts all down the line and that proved decisive.

 

 

[John Hannibal Thomas 0]

It was much more important in 1981, wasn't it?

Mind you, what wasn't much more important in 1981. It's sad to see events such as the Fours being so devalued - used to be real highlights of the season. But perhaps they belong to the past.

Too true, the fours should remain back then, i can't believe it made it to the 90's.

 

time to end the 4TT & Pairs, they are at most meaningless.

[Paulco 7,145]

Too true, the fours should remain back then, i can't believe it made it to the 90's.

 

time to end the 4TT & Pairs, they are at most meaningless.

I would have the Pairs . It has taken on a new lease of life since it has went to the wonderful Somerset track on the eve of the GP . But the fours is definently a tournament too far .

 

[Halifaxtiger 5,318]

Why?

 

A thing is either right or wrong. Workington's win is as devalued as any team in the same situation, especially Peterborough's many wins on their home track in the same competition.

 

Good, so Comets won a home meeting with a rider injured. Hasn't that happened a few times elsewhere?

 

I would be quite delighted for Workington and their supporters to win this tournament, on a neutral track.

 

Still, this is speedway and if the right thing is too hard to do we'll just come up with a convenient laughable bodge and hope too many don't notice.

 

Rob McCaffery.

 

I don't think there's anyone who wouldn't rather see the meeting held on a neutral track, Rob, as it does devalue the home team's win and indeed perhaps the competition as a whole.

 

To his credit, Jonathan Chapman tried that last year and clearly it didn't work - if it had, then they would surely have done the same this year.

 

It is, as many have said, a question of finance: make money if held at a track where the hosts are riding, lose money at a track where they aren't. As I say, I totally agree with you on neutral tracks but I can understand why they don't.

 

[Shortcrust 0]

Don't know how you restrained yourself form posting on the updates SS.......I tried so very hard but failed miserably

 

Quite simply it wasn't worth it.