DaveWayne

Whose fault was it then ? The official statement said all 4 teams agreed to it.

I'm not going to get into an argument about it, but maybe you need to look into the underhanded ways in which it was all done, and the way the existing tenants were treated. I'll happily eat humble pie if it happens, but I really can't see it. And for the record, the stock car track was far from underused and was a profit making business.

And to support this you post a link to an official statement refuting it. 🤔

Loyal British riders ? In that case you don't need to fit Bewley into your team. 😂

They have kicked stock car racing out to do this. Can you seriously see them letting oval motorsport of any kind back in there on a regular basis ? Especially when it is only just outside the clean air zone.

The only things I saw stated that these dated were reserved for playoffs, no mention of which were which. Yet more conspiracy theories about the playoffs being 'fixed' with no evidence to back it up. Personally, I'm just looking forward to enjoying the racing. Enough stress in life without getting too wound up about this. It's only a gameshow. 😉

Any evidence to confirm this ? It was 1st v 4th first last year.

Not disagreeing but where has this information come from, as I had never seen anything stated that said that ?

Don't forget the 8 they have to make up would only be 4 had it not been for Masters bike failure. Are you suggesting a team that was good enough to only 'lose by 4' away from home will struggle to win by more than 8 at a track renowned for it's home advantage ? They haven't lost at home since the beginning of May. I expect it to be close, but I think Leicester will just about be strong enough to progress

Surely the fixtures were 1v4 this week and 2v3 next week, so the only variance would have been Leicester and Sheffield racing the opposite weeks ? Ipswich and Belle Vue would still have been riding on the same dates as they are now.

On recent results I think we will be fine without the headstart. 😉

Agreed, but the downside is that when tracks close that emotional attachment makes it difficult for fans to change allegiance, so they are either lost to league speedway or become far more occasional visitors.

You got upset earlier in the thread when I called you childish, and then you throw out a stupid reply like that. I'm done. I won't be replying to you any more, just laughing at you. 😉

I get it, I just don't care. The 4 teams in the playoffs haven't been fixed, and to win everybody has to beat 2 of the other 3, so what does it matter who rides against who in the semis ? I go to speedway to be entertained, I really don't see the point in getting stressed about the politics, I have enough of that at work. This is supposed to be fun !!

Convenient side stepping of the question about if your team had been in 5th on 31/8 with 2 matches remaining and a chance of 4th ?

Why was it pointless ? It's what got your team the top 4 place. Why does it matter so much who you face in the semis ? You still have to beat 2 of the 3 other teams in the top 4 to win the trophy. Would you have been happy if the top 4 had been called at that date and Leicester were 5th, but the 2 matches against Kings Lynn would have got you in the top 4 ? You just come across as a child stamping his feet when his parents won't give him what he wants.

Maybe it's just me, but I really don't get what all the fuss is about. At the point the decision was made, in order to win the title Leicester would have had to defeat either Ipswich or Belle Vue in the semis, then either Sheffield or the other of Ipswich and Belle Vue in the final. Now they have to beat Ipswich in the semis, then Sheffield or Belle Vue in the final. What is so different ? The reasons for the decision have been explained and all the teams agreed, so why is it a farce, a fix, or anything else ? Oh, please keep missing a letter out and referring to it as the pay offs, because that is so hilarious !!

Unless he doesn't fit next season due to averages, I think you have zero chance of prising Picko out of Sheffield !!

But Belle Vue wouldn't have had a choice between Sheffield and Ipswich. They were 3rd and Ipswich 4th, so Belle Vue were either against Leicester or Sheffield.

Yes they could have done what you said, but the teams agreed to do what they have done so why just blame Phil Morris or the SCB ? I'm pretty sure they would have discussed all options and come to a conscensus that this was the favourable one, not just said "this is what we are doing, do you agree ?". Yes I hope I get the sports entertainment I deserve, after all that is why I spend my money, to be entertained !!

Each to their own, but I really don't get the outrage you have about this, and why you consider them to be rigged ? At the end of the day you still have to beat 2 of the 3 other teams to win the title, and it's not as if a team that shouldn't be in there has been included. It's also not the first time this has happened. In 2021 there were similar issues with delayed matches and the playoffs were announced on the basis that either Wolverhampton or Peterborough were going to finish top and both had said they would choose each other. Despite this, and the fact the top 4 were settled, Sheffield still had to ride their 'dead rubber' match against Kings Lynn on the Sunday before the playoffs were due to start that week, just 4 days before their scheduled semi final 1st leg. In answer to your other question, I think it is quite clear that in the modern era, just like many other sports, it is sports entertainment.

Totally agreed, and I don't think anyone is disputing that losing your 1 and 5 is a massive blow to any team. However, it's interesting that you have named Pickering in that list as he has only really come into form in the last month or so and is on an average of about 7. It's almost as if people are forgetting that Sheffield have also ridden half the season without their number 5 who was injured only a month after Doyle.

I don't think there is a single person that disputes the 2 riders in question are irreplaceable, but that is the chance your management took when building a team so reliant on those 2 riders. Sheffield took a gamble with a strong 1-5 meaning they have run all season with 2 rising stars at reserve so had we lost 2 of our heat leaders we would also have struggled. The last minute loss of Emil has ruined the end of the season, and we do sympathise, but it was always a risk to put all your eggs in 2 baskets. We are fully aware that you couldn't find a 'like for like' replacement for Doyle, but surely there are riders out there that could have come in and picked up 7-8 points a match, rather than expecting Ellis, King, and Thompson to cover week after week. They are 2nd string riders for a reason and can't do it week in week out for 4 months. Had someone come in back in June when Doyle announced his season was over they would have been fully integrated into the squad and dialled into the UK tracks now when it matters.

So Holder, Woffinden, Musielak, Vissing and Gilkes last season wasn't comparable then ? Not only missing the top 2, but also the injury replacement for one of the top 2 !!

To be fair to King, he was in the following heat so was probably already preparing when the crash happened. It was also at the furthest point on the track from the pits so he would have taken a long time to get there and back. Ellis hadn't raced at that point, and wasn't due out till heat 4, so he was the logical 'buddy' to send out to Thompson.