Belle Vue Aces Vs Poole Pirates 29/4/2013

[BROCK 76]

I suppose now is the time to submit my hotel and fuel expenses

 

[WembleyLion 413]

We all know that this is far from the first time that clubs have postponed meetings in dubious circumstances but that in no way excuses what occurred. Let us hope that these proceedings serve as a warning not only to Belle Vue but to other clubs who might consider calling off meetings without valid reason in the future.

 

I agree as dubious postponements have been happening far too often!

[Steve0 5,517]

I suppose now is the time to submit my hotel and fuel expenses

 

Good luck with that!

[TheSmiler 420]

Thank god they didn't let them off lightly. I'm sorry but it doesn't matter whether Belle Vue aren't a very wealthy team, did they really think they'd get away with it.

 

Right call 100%

[SCB 0]

About time the authorities showed they had some bite. Now next time Len silver calls a meeting off at 10am lets hope they send a referee to the track at 7pm!

[Skyjack2 5]

Either BV are guilty of a deliberate misrepresentation of the truth

regarding the 2nd bend being waterlogged, or they've been

spanked by the SCB for calling it off too early before the referee

arrived.

 

Poole riders posting pictures of a different part of the track

than the part claimed to be waterlogged is/was not helpful.

Especially when an MEN journalist then contacts a Poole

rider on Twitter in order to write a story about his Tweeted picture.

 

It would be helpful if the SCB published the facts that influenced

their decision and stated what BV are guilty of.

[woodenspoon 157]

A fair judgement. The only thing I would have liked to have seen, is that ALL clubs will be vetted, when they have call off meetings, not just Belle Vue.

Belle Vue got punished because they were stupid enough to be caught out. It will be interesting to see what happens in the future.

[AndyJ 95]

Whilst it's hard to argue against the fact that a mistake was made and, applying the letter of the law, that punishment is deserved it does appear that Belle Vue are just the first to be 'found out' and being made the scapegoat in order to send a strong message to all.

 

Assuming the "flooded track" story was concocted in lieu of any valid-by-the-rulebook cancellation reason, the biggest concern I have is that we may find the impact to be damaging to the sport. Personally I'd much rather a meeting featuring non-competitive teams be cancelled early enough to prevent travel by both sets of fans (riders flights being a separate issue) rather than pay to watch it. My view being that it is more damaging to have spectators paying good money to watch a weakened product. All clubs are struggling with sparse crowds and need the product to be as entertaining as possible. For the home team to field an understrength team, that is almost certainly going to be battered, is unlikely to be considered entertaining by the bulk of the paying customers....

[Skidder1 7,637]

After the SCB ruling about Miedzinski last year I wasn't holding out much hope that anything would be done! How wrong was I? - this sends the right message out to all clubs and seems very fair indeed.

Steve0, the SCB clearly took notice of ALL the facts in both cases and came to the correct conclusions in each case! Nothing more to say really!

[BWitcher 12,453]

Whilst it's hard to argue against the fact that a mistake was made and, applying the letter of the law, that punishment is deserved it does appear that Belle Vue are just the first to be 'found out' and being made the scapegoat in order to send a strong message to all.

 

Assuming the "flooded track" story was concocted in lieu of any valid-by-the-rulebook cancellation reason, the biggest concern I have is that we may find the impact to be damaging to the sport. Personally I'd much rather a meeting featuring non-competitive teams be cancelled early enough to prevent travel by both sets of fans (riders flights being a separate issue) rather than pay to watch it. My view being that it is more damaging to have spectators paying good money to watch a weakened product. All clubs are struggling with sparse crowds and need the product to be as entertaining as possible. For the home team to field an understrength team, that is almost certainly going to be battered, is unlikely to be considered entertaining by the bulk of the paying customers....

 

Belle Vue should have contacted Poole, explained the situation and requested a postponement. If Poole had (within their rights) refused this, then Belle Vue should have announced the situation, let the public know they are having to race with a weakened team, they requested the meeting be postponed and Poole declined. They would have come out smelling like roses and Poole bashers could have had a go at Poole. No member of the public would have been misled either as they should make it clear before people pay to go in what the situation was.

 

Wolves have been in this circumstance before when Mikael Karlsson/Max had a flight cancelled and missed a meeting at home to Eastbourne (they had a decent team that year), we had to track Joe Haines in his place. The meeting was superb as the crowd got behind the weakened Wolves team and it created a great atmosphere. I think Wolves lost by 2 in the end, but I could be wrong.

[Steve0 5,517]

 

Steve0, the SCB clearly took notice of ALL the facts in both cases and came to the correct conclusions in each case! Nothing more to say really!

 

Yes you wind-up merchant

[bigcatdiary 3,165]

About time the authorities showed they had some bite. Now next time Len silver calls a meeting off at 10am lets hope they send a referee to the track at 7pm!

 

Reasonable penalty but it certainly wasn't hard as a rain off costs the host club thousands anyway.

 

I liked the bit about only a licensed referee or official could now call off a meeting at BV, I can see no real reason why that shouldn't be standard procedure for all fixtures everywhere.

[AndyJ 95]

Belle Vue should have contacted Poole, explained the situation and requested a postponement. If Poole had (within their rights) refused this, then Belle Vue should have announced the situation, let the public know they are having to race with a weakened team, they requested the meeting be postponed and Poole declined. They would have come out smelling like roses and Poole bashers could have had a go at Poole. No member of the public would have been misled either as they should make it clear before people pay to go in what the situation was.

 

Wolves have been in this circumstance before when Mikael Karlsson/Max had a flight cancelled and missed a meeting at home to Eastbourne (they had a decent team that year), we had to track Joe Haines in his place. The meeting was superb as the crowd got behind the weakened Wolves team and it created a great atmosphere. I think Wolves lost by 2 in the end, but I could be wrong.

 

Can't argue with any of that (assuming the rulebook allows such an agreement to be made between both teams at such a late stage). I'd hope that, faced with such a decision, Poole would consider the bigger picture and act in the best interests of the sport rather than selfishly chasing the easy points.

[ouch 1,191]

Belle Vue bashing - 50 years and still going strong.

 

Twas always thus, and always thus will be."

 

Anybody who thinks this will send a message to other clubs is deluded. They have and will continue to do as they please, if it can be at our expense all the better.

 

RIP

1974 - 2013

Goodbye

 

[AndyJ 95]

Reasonable penalty but it certainly wasn't hard as a rain off costs the host club thousands anyway.

 

I liked the bit about only a licensed referee or official could now call off a meeting at BV, I can see no real reason why that shouldn't be standard procedure for all fixtures everywhere.

Probably not feasible because it'd require the official to be at the track much earlier. Doubtful that speedway officials are paid enough to negate the need to have a 'day job' - so the extra demand on time would most likely be problematic for them.