The Ace Of Herts Becomes The Pair Of Aces @ Rye House Saturday October 10th

[Rocketbee 10]

Very noticeable last night other than running the tractor round the track a few time how low key Len was last night, it was very Steve Jenson and team BMR's show last night and even the programme was without Len's lines.

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I agree Shads, It wasn't a very entertaining meeting. Add in the cost of a programme and £20 was way overpriced. Racing wise, it reminded me of a poor Elite league fixture. A couple of 'top' riders & the 3rd & 4th riders half a lap behind. Most of us knew who would win when the pairings were announced. The fact that the riders didn't do the last race, which might have been a good one, sums up the night for me.

 

The highlight of the night for me was seeing Neathy back.

Another dig at the EL by the PL. Shane the stats don't back up view. The rider in yellow and blue win more races in the EL than in the PL which suggests the PL is more predictable!

 

The top and bottom of the EL don't race against each other. It's mainly heatleaders vs heatleaders, reserves vs reserves and the second strings have a few rides with the heatleasers and the reserves.

Edited October 11, 2015 by SCB

[Shadders 4,136]

Very noticeable last night other than running the tractor round the track a few time how low key Len was last night, it was very Steve Jenson and team BMR's show last night and even the programme was without Len's lines.

Len wanted nothing to do with last nights meeting from the outset.

[JmeRay 53]

Another dig at the EL by the PL. Shane the stats don't back up view. The rider in yellow and blue win more races in the EL than in the PL which suggests the PL is more predictable!

The top and bottom of the EL don't race against each other. It's mainly heatleaders vs heatleaders, reserves vs reserves and the second strings have a few rides with the heatleasers and the reserves.

I can only go on what I see. I watch PL live every week & watch the EL on Sky. The most recent EL meetings I've seen were the EL playoffs. IMO those semis were quite boring. If my team were involved I might think differently but as a neutral I don't think they did much in the way of entertaining me. I did say a poor EL meeting, I never said the EL was poor. The change of format in the EL since the introduction of the fast track system has been a good one for me as we don't get sgp stars racing novices. I hope the PL introduces it.

 

I've never looked at stats of what helmet colours wins most races. Tbh it doesn't interest me. Whatever floats your boat but I'm not sure what relevance they have to my comment. My enjoyment of the sport is based on the quality of the racing. Im not a fan of four riders being strung out across almost half of the track.

Edited October 11, 2015 by JmeRay

[Shadders 4,136]

The EL has completely changed its race format to adapt to the fast track system, but I don't remember it being any more entertaining or closer before.

That was done purely to cut costs. I don't much care for watching any form of speedway on TV. It's always better to be there, especially when you don't have to listen to Tatum & Pearson

[JmeRay 53]

That was done purely to cut costs. I don't much care for watching any form of speedway on TV. It's always better to be there, especially when you don't have to listen to Tatum & Pearson

Haha

[RobMcCaffery 2,752]

38 meetings were staged at Wimbledon in 1980 rob!

A very good season. Back then, anything under 26 and there were protests.

Not often I see eye to eye with rmc,

 

I'd be very concerned if you did.

Another dig at the EL by the PL.

Not surprising given the appalling state of the EL which can't even run a straight play-off final and apply the rules. PL's not perfect but at least it still has some integrity.

Edited October 11, 2015 by rmc

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Not surprising given the appalling state of the EL which can't even run a straight play-off final and apply the rules. PL's not perfect but at least it still has some integrity.

That'd be the PL where the referee messed up heat two of the PL play-off semi-final?

 

Both leagues are as screwed up, flawed and have their share of good, bad and average meetings. The sooner people get over this them and us attitude the sooner speedway in this country can look to sort itself out!

[Ben91 1,743]

I can only go on what I see. I watch PL live every week & watch the EL on Sky. The most recent EL meetings I've seen were the EL playoffs. IMO those semis were quite boring. If my team were involved I might think differently but as a neutral I don't think they did much in the way of entertaining me. I did say a poor EL meeting, I never said the EL was poor. The change of format in the EL since the introduction of the fast track system has been a good one for me as we don't get sgp stars racing novices. I hope the PL introduces it.

 

I've never looked at stats of what helmet colours wins most races. Tbh it doesn't interest me. Whatever floats your boat but I'm not sure what relevance they have to my comment. My enjoyment of the sport is based on the quality of the racing. Im not a fan of four riders being strung out across almost half of the track.

 

 

I really dislike the new EL race format, these riders are part of a system that is supposedly pushing them to a higher standard, so they need to race the best riders. On top of this most riders in the 1-5 at EL clubs are averaging around the six point mark because they are racing riders who are the same standard as them in each race they have.

 

I want a draft in the PL next year but tampering with the race format is a no go for me. Giving our own riders a leg up is good but not when they are then being wrapped in cotton wool and protected from racing the best riders in the meetings they race in.

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I really dislike the new EL race format, these riders are part of a system that is supposedly pushing them to a higher standard, so they need to race the best riders. On top of this most riders in the 1-5 at EL clubs are averaging around the six point mark because they are racing riders who are the same standard as them in each race they have.

 

I want a draft in the PL next year but tampering with the race format is a no go for me. Giving our own riders a leg up is good but not when they are then being wrapped in cotton wool and protected from racing the best riders in the meetings they race in.

The PL shouldn't need a change tot he format as the draft riders should be capable of more against PL riders. As it stands, I'd expect the EL to return to the old format next season as the draft riders are now EL ready, they've had two years of having their hands held, now they have to go for it. People are saying about making the top draft riders move into the 1-5, I'd just prefer a return to the old format with a points limit for the 1-7 and a rule that each club has to have at least 2 ex-draft riders (plus I'd add Lambert and Worrall to the list, possibly even Barker)

[Ben91 1,743]

The PL shouldn't need a change tot he format as the draft riders should be capable of more against PL riders. As it stands, I'd expect the EL to return to the old format next season as the draft riders are now EL ready, they've had two years of having their hands held, now they have to go for it. People are saying about making the top draft riders move into the 1-5, I'd just prefer a return to the old format with a points limit for the 1-7 and a rule that each club has to have at least 2 ex-draft riders (plus I'd add Lambert and Worrall to the list, possibly even Barker)

 

Exactly, these riders are no worse than Konopka, Maassen, Dilger etc who keep being given PL reserve berths, if every team has two draft reserves then there will be points there for them to score in heat 2 plus they will be of a quality to compete with existing PL riders anyway.

 

Agree with regards to the EL, Newman/Garrity etc are scoring well in their reserve berths but to make them second strings is watering down the top fives IMO. Let them get averages next season then implement a draft again for 2017 with another batch of riders by which time the riders who have been in the draft for the last couple of years should definitely be EL ready if they ever will be.

[The White Knight 9,039]

That'd be the PL where the referee messed up heat two of the PL play-off semi-final?

 

Both leagues are as screwed up, flawed and have their share of good, bad and average meetings. The sooner people get over this them and us attitude the sooner speedway in this country can look to sort itself out!

But it is 'them' (Elite League) who get all the money from SKY.

 

This is surprising because in my opinion the Premier League Meetings on SKY have been usually more exciting than those in the Elite League.

 

Hardly surprising then that it is 'them and us'.

[Ben91 1,743]

But it is 'them' (Elite League) who get all the money from SKY.

 

This is surprising because in my opinion the Premier League Meetings on SKY have been usually more exciting than those in the Elite League.

 

Hardly surprising then that it is 'them and us'.

 

I think the 'them and us' thing is more fan driven, there seems to be a lot in all three divisions that are quite blinkered in the opinion that the league they are in is best.

 

Statistically the EL should be closer on track than the PL because the averages of the riders coming to tapes in each heat is closer knit than that in the Premier League in most cases, however it always just boils down to being four blokes on a speedway track and then there are many variables which influence the outcome.

 

Both leagues (EL and PL) have shortcomings and both have positives in my book.

Edited October 12, 2015 by Ben91

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But it is 'them' (Elite League) who get all the money from SKY.

 

This is surprising because in my opinion the Premier League Meetings on SKY have been usually more exciting than those in the Elite League.

 

Hardly surprising then that it is 'them and us'.

The EL gets the money because it's the EL that gets shown because put quite simply, people want to see the best. We can argue the merits or each league and which is "best" but it's not different to the fact PL football gets the money, F1 gets the money and not the Conference or F3 or GP2 etc.

[Paul 67]

Sadly I can't agree over tonight's Rye House meeting. There were two full-time EL riders in that field but with six pairs, only 12 riders overall, as against 14, six of which were NL riders.

 

Putting the price up in those circumstances is not on. What a way to see you supporters off for the winter! It's typical of thinking that has to change under the new ownership at Rye House. Treating the public as easily-conned mugs has to end in speedway.

 

Rob, the point I was trying to make the point the Ace of Herts has in the recent past been run as a twelve rider event and they just don’t get my taste buds going I’m afraid. Long gone are the days of the last meeting being the 32 riders Champions Chase like we had at Hackney or the 16 rider Pride of the East at Kings Lynn, where I first saw a raw Zenon Plech ride. Those types of meetings just don’t happen in the UK anymore and probably never will. We’re under the GP thumb I’m afraid. It needs a breakaway body in speedway away from the speedway GP’s and I think with the European Championships gathering momentum this could well be that start of just that.

 

Now, to up the price by a couple of quid is really, in my opinion, wrong. As Shad’s says the price hike wasn’t very clever and I did also make that point, but it was still a healthy crowd.

If all the riders were on the same money [which I’m certain they weren’t] I wouldn’t have had so much of an issue over that. Personally I have enjoyed NL speedway more than ever this year.

 

Yes there have been the internal arguments at the club and I don’t think they’ve over yet and of course probably the worst season Rockets have ever had regarding injuries. So by putting Raiders out with more experienced EL and PL riders I think was probably a bold [and cheap] move. Reading other people’s posts on facebook they seemed to quite enjoy the evening, but to us speedway connoisseurs, well it was indeed poor.

 

The real fireworks took place at the end of the meeting and I have to say were probably every bit as good as Cardiff [can I say that] although they didn’t in my view marry up very well with the music, but that’s a nothing really.

 

Speedway promoters you would have thought would have learnt their lessons by now, but unfortunately it’s very much an old boys club and a closed shop at the BSPA. Let’s hope that Warren Scott doesn’t get disillusioned with speedway like so many other former promoters.

Edited October 13, 2015 by Paul