Norfolk Bear 250 Posted July 3, 2017 At the moment there are 5 teams at the top :- GLASGOW - Favourites & going well. EDINBURGH - Home track advantage will keep them in the frame IPSWICH- Strong team, very good at home starting to pick up away points SHEFFIELD- Strong at home, very reliant on their no.1 REDCAR- Surprise package. Problem is that everyone rides their track well. Injuries not helped Of the remainder 2 teams who could come with a late run are :- NEWCASTLE- strong heat leaders & massive home track advantage PETERBOROUGH- Starting to get themselves together , will give any of the others a run My tips ? Glasgow,Edinburgh,Ipswich, Sheffield. Hope I am wrong , I would love to see Redcar do it . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
parkendlass 102 Posted July 3, 2017 Pretty good appraisal of how things stand. As a Bears fan I would like a top four finish too. The Vatcher decision to award a 9 heat meeting becomes more relevant with each meeting that is ridden. The importance, and the consequences for Redcar should they miss out on a play-off place by say 1 point are no small matter. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oldywonkenoldi 36 Posted July 3, 2017 Basically it shows that the teams who have a track that gives so much home advantage will always top the league,as is proven year after year,if the points were 2 for a home win and 4 for an away win it would negate the home advantage, and in my opinion make speedway more interesting. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SharpenRake 1,505 Posted July 3, 2017 Basically it shows that the teams who have a track that gives so much home advantage will always top the league,as is proven year after year,if the points were 2 for a home win and 4 for an away win it would negate the home advantage, and in my opinion make speedway more interesting. OK Edinburgh have a great home advantage but doubt if they'll top the league at the end of the season but then again with the way the fixtures are being planned for the tv I can see the play-offs taking place before all matches have been played so they might be top cos they've raced more fixture! When you look at the current table Glasgow have got a point from every match bar one so there not relying on just there home form. The only teams not to have dropped points at home are Glasgow Ipswich and Sheffield none of which are trick tracks and teams might not have beaten them but have got the bonus point against them. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
scotchopper 312 Posted July 3, 2017 Basically it shows that the teams who have a track that gives so much home advantage will always top the league,as is proven year after year,if the points were 2 for a home win and 4 for an away win it would negate the home advantage, and in my opinion make speedway more interesting. Those days are gone when home advantage was the deciding factor if all you do is win your home meetings you won't get anywhere near the top, just ask Workington fans they have been specialists for the last few years. Especially with potential 4 point away wins, you can easily make up for a slip up at home with an away win or a couple of consolation points. It is the team who does best away from home that will finish top of the league. I'll be shocked and amazed if Glasgow don't finish top at the end of the regular season although Redcar's win on Sunday has certainly put the cat amongst the pigeons for the play offs. However if you take a step back Redcar's 4 wins have been 2 at Berwick and 2 at Scunthorpe it is the same for Edinburgh and Ipswich's 2 wins but they both have to go back to Berwick and Scunthorpe again. Sheffield have to go to Berwick twice. I know both teams are trying hard to improve but if those 3 teams pick up 5 or 6 points in these matches they are back favourites again. The form cookie is on right now I wouldn't completely rule out Workington yet but they will struggle to get all of their matches in before the cut off. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jenga 2,998 Posted July 3, 2017 rain off at workington again on saturday ? we dont really want sheff walking away with 3/4 points from wucky . missing craig , guests thin on the ground `! high scoring sarj prob still missing . so looks like sheff catch wucky on a good day , unless its a rain off . wink , wink . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
spanner47 336 Posted July 4, 2017 Normally at this time of the season the "real table" is a good indication of how the league is taking shape, but this season it's distorted a bit by who has ridden at Berwick and ( to a lesser extent ) Scunny once or twice. Normally + 8/9 would give you a good shout of the play offs, but this season I reckon it'll be + 14/15. So in a nutshell, don't drop any home points, get 2 wins at Berwick and Scunny and you should make it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Norfolk Bear 250 Posted July 4, 2017 Normally at this time of the season the "real table" is a good indication of how the league is taking shape, but this season it's distorted a bit by who has ridden at Berwick and ( to a lesser extent ) Scunny once or twice. Normally + 8/9 would give you a good shout of the play offs, but this season I reckon it'll be + 14/15. So in a nutshell, don't drop any home points, get 2 wins at Berwick and Scunny and you should make it. I believe Sheffield & Glasgow have already lost once at Scunthorpe I believe? The home defeats for Redcar are going to be costly in the final analysis Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Baldyman 6,243 Posted July 4, 2017 The big ipswich flop at Edinburgh isn't good for them Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lord Lucan 375 Posted July 4, 2017 25 meetings to race in 3 months will screw us....."again"??? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cheekycobra 159 Posted July 5, 2017 25 meetings to race in 3 months will screw us....."again"??? Double headers against the same team is in the pipeline i'm guessing. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lord Lucan 375 Posted July 5, 2017 Double headers against the same team is in the pipeline i'm guessing. Yep, looks a likely option for some, saves looking for individual dates and all your riders should be available for one so there should be no excuses for not putting on a second? Very likely to get the old argument about admission costs with that set up but, what do you do, there's another blank weekend coming up with the British GP and there are only so many Saturday's between now and Sept 30th, gotta come up with summat, weather doesn't always play ball either? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Paulco 7,080 Posted July 9, 2017 Looking more and more like Glasgow , Ipswich , Sheffield and possibly Edinburgh . Big couple of weeks coming up with Glasgow visiting Berwick and Scunthorpe , while Ipswich host Sheffield and visit Newcastle tonight . Edinburgh need more on the road to be more secure , Worky's home defeat last night will have damaged their chances and , despite winning at Redcar , Peterborough have possibly too much to do 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
boomerang 26 Posted July 9, 2017 Looking more and more like Glasgow , Ipswich , Sheffield and possibly Edinburgh . Big couple of weeks coming up with Glasgow visiting Berwick and Scunthorpe , while Ipswich host Sheffield and visit Newcastle tonight . Edinburgh need more on the road to be more secure , Worky's home defeat last night will have damaged their chances and , despite winning at Redcar , Peterborough have possibly too much to do and Newcastle have no chance with a two man team away from home Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Paulco 7,080 Posted July 9, 2017 and Newcastle have no chance with a two man team away from home That's why I never mentioned them , I witnessed that lamentable performance at Berwick the other week Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
