foreverblue 6,096 Posted September 20, 2023 4 minutes ago, Pinny said: Guests have been a thing since I have been following the sport. The only difference is, back then it was very rare that a rider would be missing unless they were genuinely injured. Mike Coles, Phil Morris, Brent Werner, Neville Tatum, Colin White and Jan Pedersen were all regular guests for Newport in 1999 when Anders Henriksson and then Frank Smart were out injured. It has always been the case. What gets on my nerves is when riders are apparently injured, then ride in Sweden on a Tuesday and then are unfit to ride on a Wednesday for their British club before riding in Poland on the Sunday. There are only two solutions to stop all this. Either pay what Poland do OR ban any rider who races in Poland. Sadly, either option looks about as likely as Manchester United winning in Munich this evening! I especially like the last bit! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pinny 2,536 Posted September 20, 2023 Just now, foreverblue said: I especially like the last bit! We will probably go and beat them now! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
orion 7,615 Posted September 20, 2023 16 minutes ago, Bagpuss said: Out of interest how many guests were permitted back in the day? I started going in the the early eighties and I can remember guests for number ones while everything else was covered by R/R and juniors. I could stomach that, it's when teams have been running with three, four and sometimes five riders borrowed from other teams that it gets silly. Cant remember a limit....you also had unlimited ts if 6 points behind lol..and the crowds were packed..The sport in terms of Mickey Mouse is the same as it ever was when the sport was massive..People over state the importance.. Its pretty simple with speedway..As the teams have weaken so have the crowds. . 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SUPERACE 440 Posted September 20, 2023 43 minutes ago, Call me wolfie said: If you think they were the rules then carry on, shows your mentality really. This is you all over, you start to aggressive in any discussion you have. I try to deal in facts, Robert rode because it wasn't in the rules to stop him. If those rules have been written incorrectly that is not the fault of Belle Vue Speedway. Simply you don't like Belle Vue so it annoys you that the management were smart, they found a way it's what the best do. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
foreverblue 6,096 Posted September 20, 2023 35 minutes ago, Pinny said: We will probably go and beat them now! I would rather they didn't, come on Bayern and Harry. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Call me wolfie 677 Posted September 20, 2023 22 minutes ago, SUPERACE said: This is you all over, you start to aggressive in any discussion you have. I try to deal in facts, Robert rode because it wasn't in the rules to stop him. If those rules have been written incorrectly that is not the fault of Belle Vue Speedway. Simply you don't like Belle Vue so it annoys you that the management were smart, they found a way it's what the best do. How's that aggressive? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Roger Jacobs 554 Posted September 20, 2023 1 hour ago, orion said: Cant remember a limit....you also had unlimited ts if 6 points behind lol..and the crowds were packed..The sport in terms of Mickey Mouse is the same as it ever was when the sport was massive..People over state the importance.. Its pretty simple with speedway..As the teams have weaken so have the crowds. . I think the fact that there is so much else to do has had the biggest influence on the crowds. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Roger Jacobs 554 Posted September 20, 2023 1 hour ago, SUPERACE said: Correct. In fact I believe the rule is that a rider can only guest for 1 team in the play offs, so Chris Harris (if he rides tomorrow) can't guest for anyone in the final other than Ipswich (if the get through), but Ipswich could get 4 different guests (if required) as long as those guests haven't ridden for another team in the play offs. It doesn’t matter what you believe - there’s nothing in the Regs to say that a rider can guest for only one team in the play-offs. Maybe there’s a gentleman’s agreement that it would lend *some* credibility to allow play-off guests to ride for only one team. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Roger Jacobs 554 Posted September 20, 2023 2 hours ago, Call me wolfie said: If you think they were the rules then carry on, shows your mentality really. Except, they were the Regulations - no thought required. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Arch Stanton 2,255 Posted September 20, 2023 34 minutes ago, Roger Jacobs said: I think the fact that there is so much else to do has had the biggest influence on the crowds. Very true. Things were pretty basic back in the day and there wasn’t much choice in anything really. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bagpuss 10,784 Posted September 20, 2023 1 hour ago, orion said: Cant remember a limit....you also had unlimited ts if 6 points behind lol..and the crowds were packed..The sport in terms of Mickey Mouse is the same as it ever was when the sport was massive..People over state the importance.. Its pretty simple with speedway..As the teams have weaken so have the crowds. . That's the bottom line. I think guests, R/R and doubling help don't help though. My wife's grandad no longer goes to Belle Vue regularly for a number of reasons but if you ask him why the first reason he will come out with is the lack of a team identity. I know on the odd occasions I go that if Lynn don't have a full team my enthusiasm drops. Overstated maybe but definitely a factor. I would suggest that apart from replacing number ones there should be a pool of riders to choose guests from who don't ride in the same division abs aren't going to ride for you one week and against you the next.it needs reigning in. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Call me wolfie 677 Posted September 20, 2023 8 minutes ago, Roger Jacobs said: Except, they were the Regulations - no thought required. It wasn’t within the rules that were intended, there is a difference. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikebv 10,292 Posted September 20, 2023 4 hours ago, orion said: The sport was massive with guests years ago..the sport was taken seriously. then. People caring about guests is completely over stated. The sport was massive due to the individual comps going out on one of just three channels throughout the summer on TV.. Tens of millions literally watched it... Then turned up at the tracks to watch those riders.. And in those days when PC was "somewhere else" (with Larry Ross, Pete Smith, John Titman, or Martin Ashby), replacing him, you found out when you were there, not on the internet a couple of days before... A completely different time... Time, which has moved on... Speedway (n the UK) hasn't.. "But guests are a necessary evil"... "Dribble, Dribble".... . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SUPERACE 440 Posted September 20, 2023 2 hours ago, Call me wolfie said: How's that aggressive? Ok, but your post goes personal. Rather than discuss the point you attack the poster. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SUPERACE 440 Posted September 20, 2023 1 hour ago, Roger Jacobs said: It doesn’t matter what you believe - there’s nothing in the Regs to say that a rider can guest for only one team in the play-offs. Maybe there’s a gentleman’s agreement that it would lend *some* credibility to allow play-off guests to ride for only one team. In the rules or not I can guarantee you Harris won't be able to ride for more than 1 team in the playoffs, so either way the point stands. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
