Do We Still Need The Play-offs

[bellevueace 913]

Im of the opinion that the team that finishes top of the league at the end of the season are the real champions as they have had that consistency over the whole year not just four matches. Having said that we now use that system so we have to go with it. The thing is it was supposed to be a system that would give clubs some incentive if they were not going to finish top of the pile and also give the qualifying clubs a couple of good paydays. Now at Belle Vue we qualified for the play offs a while back so the remaining matches were in effect meaningless as we were not going to finish top. Thus we have seen crowds drop over the tail end of the season, question is will a good crowd on Monday and also for the final if we get through compensate for the lost revenue in the regular league matches that saw people stay away waiting for the play offs to begin?

[Jacques 3,114]

The best bit of the Speedway season is the playoffs. It's what keeps us interested!

 

I've missed quite a few meetings on tv. But I'd never miss a playoff meeting. Look at Monday, that was brilliant, proper screaming at the tv stuff!

 

In fact. When I was in the Midlands I'd go to the meeting then watch it back when I got home...

 

2010 has been watched many times in fact 😁

[BWitcher 12,453]

Im of the opinion that the team that finishes top of the league at the end of the season are the real champions as they have had that consistency over the whole year not just four matches. Having said that we now use that system so we have to go with it. The thing is it was supposed to be a system that would give clubs some incentive if they were not going to finish top of the pile and also give the qualifying clubs a couple of good paydays. Now at Belle Vue we qualified for the play offs a while back so the remaining matches were in effect meaningless as we were not going to finish top. Thus we have seen crowds drop over the tail end of the season, question is will a good crowd on Monday and also for the final if we get through compensate for the lost revenue in the regular league matches that saw people stay away waiting for the play offs to begin?

 

If you were not going to finish top, they would still have been meaningless without the play-offs.

 

However, given how close the top three were this year I don't buy that you weren't going to finish top and this year is an exception in that if there weren't any playoffs the race for the title would have been fantastic. Things would I am sure have played out differently too.

[orion 7,615]

Im of the opinion that the team that finishes top of the league at the end of the season are the real champions as they have had that consistency over the whole year not just four matches. Having said that we now use that system so we have to go with it. The thing is it was supposed to be a system that would give clubs some incentive if they were not going to finish top of the pile and also give the qualifying clubs a couple of good paydays. Now at Belle Vue we qualified for the play offs a while back so the remaining matches were in effect meaningless as we were not going to finish top. Thus we have seen crowds drop over the tail end of the season, question is will a good crowd on Monday and also for the final if we get through compensate for the lost revenue in the regular league matches that saw people stay away waiting for the play offs to begin?

Yet again if there was runaway leaders in a normal season all the matches would be meaningless and you would lose revenue without any chance of getting it back .

[ouch 1,191]

The thing that's coming over loud and clear is that play off matches see riders giving 100%. I cannot argue with that after witnessing my first ever play off at the NSS last year. It was one of my most enjoyable nights of speedway in nearly half a century of watching the sport.

 

The flip side is that other meetings are run with riders not giving their all, I can't argue with that either and this is the problem.

 

Years ago many teams knew from day one that they weren't going to top the table but the pecking order especially with local rivals was still a focus. Riders wanted to perform for THEIR club no matter what and fans wanted to watch them. Your place in the table was as important at the last meeting as it was for the first.

 

Now you either qualify or you don't.

 

Fans now have a mental benchmark for what is "good" speedway, speedway worth going out for. The inevitable consequence of this is they can feel (most) other meetings just aren't worth the bother.

 

The question is does the extra? attendance immediately before and during play offs make up for the rest of the year?

[moxey63 1,785]

The thing that's coming over loud and clear is that play off matches see riders giving 100%. I cannot argue with that after witnessing my first ever play off at the NSS last year. It was one of my most enjoyable nights of speedway in nearly half a century of watching the sport.

 

The flip side is that other meetings are run with riders not giving their all, I can't argue with that either and this is the problem.

 

Years ago many teams knew from day one that they weren't going to top the table but the pecking order especially with local rivals was still a focus. Riders wanted to perform for THEIR club no matter what and fans wanted to watch them. Your place in the table was as important at the last meeting as it was for the first.

 

Now you either qualify or you don't.

 

Fans now have a mental benchmark for what is "good" speedway, speedway worth going out for. The inevitable consequence of this is they can feel (most) other meetings just aren't worth the bother.

 

The question is does the extra? attendance immediately before and during play offs make up for the rest of the year?

 

 

Agree.

Yet again if there was runaway leaders in a normal season all the matches would be meaningless and you would lose revenue without any chance of getting it back .

 

I doubt it... as teams usually increase support when they are successful.

[orion 7,615]

Agree.

 

I doubt it... as teams usually increase support when they are successful.

so if there were runaway leaders how would all the club's get there money back

[Midland Red 2,383]

Yet again nearly every final in every sport put the price up for a final but in speedway its some how a crime even thou clubs need every penny they can get to survive .

It's to pay for the fireworks, and the hot showers for visiting riders

see Poole v Coventry!!!!

[The White Knight 9,039]

The thing that's coming over loud and clear is that play off matches see riders giving 100%. I cannot argue with that after witnessing my first ever play off at the NSS last year. It was one of my most enjoyable nights of speedway in nearly half a century of watching the sport.

 

The flip side is that other meetings are run with riders not giving their all, I can't argue with that either and this is the problem.

 

Years ago many teams knew from day one that they weren't going to top the table but the pecking order especially with local rivals was still a focus. Riders wanted to perform for THEIR club no matter what and fans wanted to watch them. Your place in the table was as important at the last meeting as it was for the first.

 

Now you either qualify or you don't.

 

Fans now have a mental benchmark for what is "good" speedway, speedway worth going out for. The inevitable consequence of this is they can feel (most) other meetings just aren't worth the bother.

 

The question is does the extra? attendance immediately before and during play offs make up for the rest of the year?

Overall - probably not.

[Fromafar 10,363]

The thing that's coming over loud and clear is that play off matches see riders giving 100%. I cannot argue with that after witnessing my first ever play off at the NSS last year. It was one of my most enjoyable nights of speedway in nearly half a century of watching the sport.

The flip side is that other meetings are run with riders not giving their all, I can't argue with that either and this is the problem.

Years ago many teams knew from day one that they weren't going to top the table but the pecking order especially with local rivals was still a focus. Riders wanted to perform for THEIR club no matter what and fans wanted to watch them. Your place in the table was as important at the last meeting as it was for the first.

Now you either qualify or you don't.

Fans now have a mental benchmark for what is "good" speedway, speedway worth going out for. The inevitable consequence of this is they can feel (most) other meetings just aren't worth the bother.

The question is does the extra? attendance immediately before and during play offs make up for the rest of the year?

A lot of riders start protecting their average once their Team goes out of the running for aPlay -Off place.IMO.

[Tsunami 10,219]

A lot of riders start protecting their average once their Team goes out of the running for aPlay -Off place.IMO.

I agree it can happen, but not on a wide scale. Most riders are still needing money for food, family and bikes and just like racing. All sports have that few who won't give their all leading up to a big final, or end of season looking forward to their holidays.

[orion 7,615]

 

The question is does the extra? attendance immediately before and during play offs make up for the rest of the year?

A Better question is if one team runs away with the league why would any fans bar the die hards watch any of the other matches ..it's amazing to think that fans think that with clubs seasons being over in may or early june that somehow crowds would go up overall if we went back to the old format because somehow riders and fans would be proud to finished 4th, 5th, 6th or 7th .

[Vincent Blachshadow 2,937]

A Better question is if one team runs away with the league why would any fans bar the die hards watch any of the other matches ..it's amazing to think that fans think that with clubs seasons being over in may or early june that somehow crowds would go up overall if we went back to the old format because somehow riders and fans would be proud to finished 4th, 5th, 6th or 7th .

 

Once upon a time they did, yes. Fans realised one team comes top, one comes bottom, and the rest finish somewhere in between and the crowds came to watch regardless of where their team finished. I'm sure there's a few on here that can tell tales of heaving stadia when the bottom two teams were racing, let alone the top two. They came because they wanted to watch four blokes on brakeless motorbikes and league positions were relatively unimportant although the visit by the team at the top did usually draw the biggest gate after the local derby matches.

 

But times are different now and its a shame that play-offs have to be held just to give four teams two or four more matches and (usually) bigger attendances with higher entrance fees. This is a subject which crops up on this forum most seasons and the same posters post the same reasons for and against with most of the pros going for the financial angle of up to four bonus matches after a prolonged qualifying competition and the antis citing the unfairness of a team finishing in 2nd 3rd or 4th place somehow being crowned Champions.

 

I'm firmly in the anti camp and, following no sport other than several forms of motorcycle racing, don't give a toss what other sports do at the end of their seasons. I'd just like the promoters to come up with something that helps all the teams get that bit more survival cash rather than just four of them and if they must have play-offs get another award for the winners.

Edited September 14, 2017 by Vincent Blackshadow

[waiheke1 4,295]

But it's not just 4 that get rewards? The teams in 5th and6th will also have more to race for in the chase for the playoffs. And even 7th and 8th will have something at stake for longer

[orion 7,615]

Once upon a time they did, yes. Fans realised one team comes top, one comes bottom, and the rest finish somewhere in between and the crowds came to watch regardless of where their team finished. I'm sure there's a few on here that can tell tales of heaving stadia when the bottom two teams were racing, let alone the top two. They came because they wanted to watch four blokes on brakeless motorbikes and league positions were relatively unimportant although the visit by the team at the top did usually draw the biggest gate after the local derby matches.

 

But times are different now and its a shame that play-offs have to be held just to give four teams two or four more matches and (usually) bigger attendances with higher entrance fees. This is a subject which crops up on this forum most seasons and the same posters post the same reasons for and against with most of the pros going for the financial angle of up to four bonus matches after a prolonged qualifying competition and the antis citing the unfairness of a team finishing in 2nd 3rd or 4th place somehow being crowned Champions.

 

I'm firmly in the anti camp and, following no sport other than several forms of motorcycle racing, don't give a toss what other sports do at the end of their seasons. I'd just like the promoters to come up with something that helps all the teams get that bit more survival cash rather than just four of them and if they must have play-offs get another award for the winners.

That is not how life or sport works .you do well you get the rewards or you might as well not even ride for any points or have match points .maybe in the Wimbledon they should give the same prize money to the players who got knocked out in the first round to the player who wins the event .