Belle Vue V Sheffield Playoff Semi

[Rob B 1,257]

Dates now been confirmed.

 

At Belle Vue Wednesday 5th October 8.00pm

At Sheffield Thursday 6th October 7.45pm

[manchesterpaul 447]

Dates now been confirmed.

 

At Belle Vue Wednesday 5th October 8.00pm

At Sheffield Thursday 6th October 7.45pm

 

This Scunthorpe/Sheffield or Sheffield/Scunthorpe hybrid is still throwing me when it comes to fixtures being listed.

 

IS it?.....and if it is why??? Belle Vue v SHEFFIELD. What on earth has happened to Scunthorpe?

 

Sadly, i simply don't have time to follow National League speedway so with such a statement as the title of this thread i'm at a loss. Please someone correct/clarify my confusion on any of the possibilities below.

 

1. I understood it that the team is called Scunthorpe/Sheffield - it's listed as such in the BSPA tables and Speedway Star tables. So i take it that Belle Vue are actually racing against Scunthorpe/Sheffield? Surely, the BV promotion wouldn't want to deter the mass hordes of Scunny fans from attending?

 

2. If the semi-final should be as the OP states and it is Belle Vue v Sheffield, then one presumes should they qualify the finalists will be against Scunthorpe on the grounds of fairness!!!.

 

3. The team is made up at all times of riders contracted to Sheffield AND Scunthorpe???, and that is the case whichever track the home meeting takes place at?

 

4. If the 'home' meeting is being staged at Sheffield the match programme has the team listed as Sheffield and vice versa for Scunthorpe??? Which seems very stupid, although i distinctly remember press releases pre-season saying such a thing.

 

5. I presume away meetings and match programmes refer to the hybrid Scunthorpe/Sheffield???

 

6. If the beast that is the hybrid progresses to the final the home leg will be staged at Scunthorpe? Or will they opt for what i presume is a superior stadium and hold it at Sheffield, seems very unfair if Scunthorpe don't get to host a play-off though.

Edited September 19, 2011 by manchesterpaul

[MrMungo 708]

I'll take number 3, Paul

As it is a joint venture, I think they are staging this one at Sheffield, and then if they qualify for the final, it will be staged at Scunthorpe, and the team will be known as Scunthorpe Saints.

The team name seemed to be based on where the home leg will be staged.

It's a bit confusing. A good idea, but probably needs a bit of tweaking for next season.

[manchesterpaul 447]

I'll take number 3, Paul

As it is a joint venture, I think they are staging this one at Sheffield, and then if they qualify for the final, it will be staged at Scunthorpe, and the team will be known as Scunthorpe Saints.

The team name seemed to be based on where the home leg will be staged.

It's a bit confusing. A good idea, but probably needs a bit of tweaking for next season.

 

Surely that can not be true, how absolutely farcical and inane if they do that?

 

Don't get me wrong i can see how on financial grounds and wishing to develop riders that a combination of teams is a good idea. Although, only if at ALL times the team is referred to and races as the combined team.

 

How are the general public (and speedway fans) supposed to comprehend when they see in the local Sheffield media that....'Sheffield are in the semi-finals of the play-offs'....'Sheffield have won their semi-final' and then forever keep an eye out for the result of the final only to never see Sheffield in it!!! Worse of all some team who never qualified for the final because they were not one of the semi-final participants goes on to win the trophy!!!

 

If you have a joint team surely when staging a home fixture one would be welcome of attracting supporters through the gates from your partner team?. Yet it would appear each team pretends the other one does not exist when staging a home match or listing fixtures? Alice in Wonderland/Alternate Reality or what? Guess the masterminds behind this are all Canadians (lol private 'in' joke).

 

Thanks for the quick reply.

[MrMungo 708]

I think they key element here is that it is a joint venture, so if they do make it all the way (to the final), then in the interest of fairness, the semi should be staged at one track, then the final at the other.

It's still the same team - they just don't have just the one "home"!

I agree the name element needs to be looked at for next year though.

[June 203]

From a fan point of view I'm gutted at this merger. We were told the team would be known as Scunthorpe /Sheffield Saints. 4 meetings at Sheffield and 5 at Scunthorpe. Bought the DVD of the dbl header at Sheffield because I'm not in agreement of having to travel from Scunny 60 miles to a home meeting. What did the DVD reveal. The matches headed as the Sheffield Prowlers and riders wearing the said named team jackets So upset of the loss of my team I didn't bring myself to watch the DVD. As I love this level of speedway and have watched these kids progress I will turn out to support them, but only at Scunny. Shock horror a lot will say, but tough. I feel hard done by. So UP THE SCORPIONS!

[manchesterpaul 447]

From a fan point of view I'm gutted at this merger. We were told the team would be known as Scunthorpe /Sheffield Saints. 4 meetings at Sheffield and 5 at Scunthorpe. Bought the DVD of the dbl header at Sheffield because I'm not in agreement of having to travel from Scunny 60 miles to a home meeting. What did the DVD reveal. The matches headed as the Sheffield Prowlers and riders wearing the said named team jackets So upset of the loss of my team I didn't bring myself to watch the DVD. As I love this level of speedway and have watched these kids progress I will turn out to support them, but only at Scunny. Shock horror a lot will say, but tough. I feel hard done by. So UP THE SCORPIONS!

 

Respect to you indeed for your support of the lower levels. Very impressed that you also sought out a dvd of the meetings you couldn't get to travel to.

 

And yeah!, i agree, shock horror indeed.

 

( just an afterthought, maybe you should play the dvd in case they swap race jackets halfway through the meeting to Scorpion ones )

[spin king junior 394]

From a fan point of view I'm gutted at this merger. We were told the team would be known as Scunthorpe /Sheffield Saints. 4 meetings at Sheffield and 5 at Scunthorpe. Bought the DVD of the dbl header at Sheffield because I'm not in agreement of having to travel from Scunny 60 miles to a home meeting. What did the DVD reveal. The matches headed as the Sheffield Prowlers and riders wearing the said named team jackets So upset of the loss of my team I didn't bring myself to watch the DVD. As I love this level of speedway and have watched these kids progress I will turn out to support them, but only at Scunny. Shock horror a lot will say, but tough. I feel hard done by. So UP THE SCORPIONS!

 

 

Where was it said that the team would be named Sheffield/Scunthorpe Saints, other than speculated on here? It was always planned to be the Saints at Scunthorpe and the Prowlers at Sheffield.

[manchesterpaul 447]

Where was it said that the team would be named Sheffield/Scunthorpe Saints, other than speculated on here? It was always planned to be the Saints at Scunthorpe and the Prowlers at Sheffield.

 

Incidentally, a further observation on this official name of the team thing, as they have all season the BSPA site has Scunthorpe/Sheffield listed in the league standings. However, in their play-off section they list them as Sheffield/Scunthorpe. (too complicate matters they have them racing against Belle Bue lol, no sweat we ALL make typo's)

 

I'm pretty sure everything i read preseason has them listed as Scunthorpe/Sheffield (alphabetical order).

 

Can't wait to see what happens if they win the trophy, do they have a tug-o-war to decide where to keep the cup?

 

SKJ, i know about the home naming, but can you enlighten me as to what they are called when they race away fixtures? I've not been to any of their fixtures, just interested.

Edited September 19, 2011 by manchesterpaul

[TMW 533]

The away name depended on where they were riding the home meeting. For instance at Belle Vue they were the Sheffield Prowlers because they were going to run the home meeting at Sheffiled but that went a bit skewiff as the home meeting was rained off and they ended up racing against the Saints a Scunthorpe in the re-run......Not having a go just stating the facts. I think the rest worked ok. If it helps the NL prosper then good on them.

 

June I appreciate your position but you are very lucky to have a track in you locality, and long may it continue, these days some people have to make that kind of trek for all home meetings and if Sheffield are sharing the costs but wnat a share of the spoils then good luck on them

[Albert 304]

Whether its a cost sharing issue or not, who knows? My personal opinion of the situation is this venture has damaged the Scunthorpe support. We supporters would just love to be on a level par with our nearest neighbours at Sheffield instead we're always playing the bridesmaid. The Saints offered us Scunny fans something to be rightfully proud of, something Sheffield didnt have, a successful national league team...but no, we're expected to share our success with them. Well, it gutted me at the time it was announced...and if i'm honest it still does. It peeved me off to the point I almost turned my back on speedway. I still support the Scorpions, but the Saints?... This season has felt so disjointed, iv'e all but lost any interest or enthusiasm I once had. Ditch the merger I say, bring the Saints back to their rightful home. Sheffield...get yer own.

[Greavsie babe 0]

Maybe it was a money issue, splitting an established NL team between two tracks, and if this was the only way for the saints to keep marching on then I'm all for it. So come on everybody get behind them whatever race jacket their wear, cos them lads want to win it , they want the Saints to win!!!

[duffyscouse 62]

All ill say from my perspective is the team is pretty much ALL Scunthorpe assets and lads Ive watched 'grow up' at the EWR - mostly through amateur meetings then onto the real deal and then into the PL, with numerous clubs. As an asset base Scunthorpe has done better than Sheffield out of the deal, whilst costs have been shared between two promotions - surely a good thing - halving the risks etc. Young lads have had a couple of 'home' tracks to learn - good for their development. Im all for tradition and history- however the world is cruelly run on porfit margins across almost everything so its a reality check. It meant that the youngsters got a NL ride - surely good for the sport and the bigger picture. ENGLISH youth develops and flourishes

 

 

WORKS FOR ME wherever they ride - of course id prefer to have them to us at the EWR - however i'll settle for the next best thing - Thank you very much

 

long live the Saints/Prowlers whatever they are called - its been an absolute pleasure to watch them this season - including those who played lesser roles, such as Coops, Oliver Greenwood, Greg Blair and JLo

[montie 1,273]

Ditch the merger I say, bring the Saints back to their rightful home. Sheffield...get yer own.

 

And would you put in the 6-8k needed to run it??? No merger means no Saints,SIMPLES

[montie 1,273]

It was always planned to be the Saints at Scunthorpe and the Prowlers at Sheffield.

 

Wrong,,, the start plan was to be known simply as the SAINTS,

Edited September 19, 2011 by montie