Belle Vue -V- Northampton

[PhilTheAce]

Live on BSN

 

Won't be an easy win, if anyone can get close here it will be Northampton. 

 

Kildermand will be out injured again. Getting tests on his shoulder to see the extent of the damage. 

 

Ben cook or a dan Thompson guest most likely. RR would work also. 

[Rob B]

Ben Cook guest for Kildemand. 
Doyle also out with rib injury, guest or RR  TBC

[ouch]

I’m hoping we are getting the absences out of the way and we don’t get our usual play off curse that sees a significant injury a week or so before the play offs, as has been the case for five out of the last seven play offs. 

[gjcone44]

ill be making the effort to go tomorrow,

[Youhave2minutes]

31 minutes ago, gjcone44 said:

ill be making the effort to go tomorrow,

Effort? Steady on🤣
Is that a deep armchair your trying to get out of.😂

Edited 1 hour ago by Youhave2minutes

[bellevueace]

I know injuries are part and parcel of the game but the amount of guests/rider replacements this season seems worse than at any other time, who really cares about this so called "league"? 

[mikebv]

8 minutes ago, bellevueace said:

I know injuries are part and parcel of the game but the amount of guests/rider replacements this season seems worse than at any other time, who really cares about this so called "league"? 

197 in the top two leagues last year...

Well on track to eclipse that this year with one less team..

The Speedway Star included some analysis a few weeks ago, and, I think, it was circa 40% of the Guests used were not for injuries but fixture clashes and illnesses... 

I think most believe that the framework is basically set up to give enthusiastic promoters, who love being involved in Speedway, a chance to run a track, with a large part of their plan being to generate as many opportunities for riders to ride, so they can justify their large equipment outlay, and earn a decent salary for six months work...

 

[IainB]

53 minutes ago, mikebv said:

197 in the top two leagues last year...

Well on track to eclipse that this year with one less team..

The Speedway Star included some analysis a few weeks ago, and, I think, it was circa 40% of the Guests used were not for injuries but fixture clashes and illnesses... 

I think most believe that the framework is basically set up to give enthusiastic promoters, who love being involved in Speedway, a chance to run a track, with a large part of their plan being to generate as many opportunities for riders to ride, so they can justify their large equipment outlay, and earn a decent salary for six months work...

 

Looking at guest usage over the last 10 years or so and it's remarkably consistent with 2017 being a particularly bad year, not that any of it makes for good reading. But I think the reasoning for the usage of guests is being abused far more in recent seasons than in the past when generally it was for injuries and international duties. 

 

 

Season	Estimated league & play-off matches	Guest appearances	Guests per 100 matches
2016	~350	350	100
2017	~270	340	126
2018	~240	255	106
2019	~235	250	106
2020	0	0	–
2021	~190	225	118
2022	~180	205	114
2023	~185	215	116
2024	~185	220	119
2025	~170	198	116

What it shows

• 2016: ~100 guest bookings per 100 matches.
• 2025: ~116 guest bookings per 100 matches.

So despite there being fewer clubs and fewer fixtures, the rate of guest use has actually increased by about 16% compared with 2016.

Another way to express it:

• 2016: roughly 1 guest booking every match.
• 2025: roughly 1.16 guest bookings every match.

I think this is the strongest statistic because it compares like with like instead of just counting total guests.