I haven't written one of these since 'Worrallgate' as I wasn't keen on a torrent of further abuse from oversensitive speedway fans but I've decided to resurrect it for the next few weeks to write about the end of the season. The end of a season which has become such an embarrassment that if it was a family member they'd be discussing flying it to Switzerland.
Lindbacks's decreasing talent
Anyone who knows me will know how excited I am about the opportunity to watch Antonio Lindback race. I find him thoroughly entertaining whenever he's on a bike and for that reason I am happy Poole have made that signing.
There has been some doubt about Hans' injury with many expecting him to be riding in the SEC this weekend (he has since confirmed he won't take part in the SEC) but he has suggested that he could be back on a bike within a week and has written that he will ride again this season.
The rule that allows Poole to sign a replacement is as follows:
16.3.4.1 A 7-day window, prior to the scheduled date of the first EL Play-Offs will enable EL Clubs only
to replace long-term Injured riders, but not with riders in other EL Team Declarations.
So what consists a long term injury? What happens if Andersen rides again prior to the completion of the play offs? There's no contingency for such a situation (shocking I know given the usually excellent foresight of the BSPA) and it's only going to cause further controversy if it happens.
So how does Lindback fit for Andersen I hear you ask? Well, no one really knows. He's been reassessed at 7, despite his last league average being above Hans' current average.
The argument is that other established riders would also come in on a 7 in this country and he has been absent from British Speedway for some time but so what? There are plenty of arguments against a Lindback reassessment.
- The BSPA blocked Richard Hall riding from Birmingham due to a 12 year old average, so clearly they are willing to use historical averages when it suits.
- When Piotr Pawlicki signed for Wolves in 2014 he was assessed at 7, this was in the same heat format (with the heat leaders having tougher heats) but in a tougher Elite League in terms of quality. At the time Pawlicki was not a GP rider and had ultimately achieved nothing. He was only 19 at the time of the signing. Pawlicki finished that season on 7.32, meaning 7 was slightly conservative despite it seeming high at the time he initially signed but he didn't have the quality then Lindback had now.
- Poole fans seem excited by his signing and that this signing isn't just an adequate replacement for Hans but is of better quality. This seems strange, as according to the BSPA's assessment he's a worse rider than Andersen.
- Lindback is 8th in the world and has been assessed at 7. Iversen is 11th in the world and has an average of 8.99. Lindgren is 10th in the world and has an average of 7.54. Lindback is bang smack in the middle of the GP series, and the average average of GP riders currently in the EL is 7.80. Lindbacks last EL average is 7.94, so about right given the current performances of GP riders in the EL. Why does it need changing at all?
The BSPA must believe that Lindback is a declining talent and for that reason I would urge all of you thinking about going to watch him whilst he is here to not bother as he is clearly on the way out.
For a Coventry fan, I'm really not a Poole 'hater', I generally enjoy racing there and it's one of my favourite and friendliest tracks to visit (despite it being the meeting I want to win more than any other) but I just don't understand how so many decisions made by the management committee go in Poole's favour year after year. I I don't know the seedy goings on at BSPA towers but if Ford does have no hold over other promoters, why do they so often get the rub of the green? It's utterly infuriating for me as a neutral in this years play-offs, so I dread to think how it must feel to be a Belle Vue fan in all of this, who had the same 1-7 all year. Well, maybe 1-6 given Fricke's attendance record!
The only positives to come out of this are an opportunity for me to get further use out of my Antonio Lindback flag and that for the 1st year in a long long time, there are 3 teams who could genuinely win the EL going into them.
For the 1st time in EL history there is going to be a rider racing for a club in the play-offs that hasn't ridden a single match for that club throughout the regular season (guests excluded). Maybe this is the genius way the BSPA will save speedway? Or then again, maybe not...
'They won't win there anyway'
Hopefully some of you, as I have, will have enjoyed Peterborough's hilarious 'throw enough mud at the wall and some if it will stick' approach to their team building this season, but it doesn't stop what's happening to them concerning the cut-off being wrong.
Peterborough have pointed out correctly that the play-off cut off has already been put back once, and if that was stuck to they'd have qualified. There is now only 1 remaining meeting that could affect the play-off line up, and it's only right this is given priority to run before the cut-off. I appreciate the cut-off can't keep being put back time and time again otherwise the play-offs won't get run, but when you consider this is a matter of 1 meeting the common sense approach is surely to allow it to be run.
As a former Oxford fan, one of the memories that sticks with me above nearly any other is beating Peterborough at Arena Essex as the Showground had no dates to complete their fixtures prior to the cut off and they had to run. Why aren't Edinburgh being forced to do this to get the match in prior to the cut off if Armadale has no dates?
The general opinion seems to be 'does it matter, they wouldn't win there anyway?' but they should definitely be given the opportunity. It's typical speedway and the sort of attitude that has seen plenty of fans walk away. If we are going to start going down the route of meetings not being run if we think we know the result prior to them we should just cancel all Lakeside away matches going forward.
PLRZZZZZZZZZZ
The PLRC was an utter bore fest this year except for the semi final and the final (which is hard to appreciate when you've watched 20 heats of dross). Sheffield is a pretty unique track but has a fair few track specialists but none more so over the last 10 years than Simon Stead.
There are so few tracks these days that wouldn't give any rider an advantage but there aren't many that have the ability to turn David Bellego into a potential PLRC champion. I really think it's time we get the PLRC away from Sheffield. It's getting boring going to the same place every year anyway, but with Stead in the premier league you might as well write his name on the trophy before you start every year.
Track grading took place after every 4 heats. Except after heat 10, when unusually track grading was completed out of sync, right before Simon Stead was off the worst gate. No doubt the attitude will be 'does it really matter? He'd have won anyway'. As per my previous segment, if that's the case let's just declare the PLRC as Stead for the next 5 years and not bother spending £20 watching it.
Belle Vue'd It
I think this might need to be a regular segment going forward as so rarely is there a week where Belle Vue haven't done something so Belle Vue that only Belle Vue could have done it.
Following a racist comment from their track announcer, he has resigned with immediate effect. There are plenty of Belle Vue fans who are defending it as a slip of the tongue or PC gone made, but to use the word nigger in front of a crowd of people is not acceptable. It's also not something that can just slip out, calling someone the 'nigger in the woodpile' is really not an every day phrase that just slips out. It's clearly not been meant to attack Tungate's race, but it's not acceptable and it's right he's gone. I just feel sorry for Belle Vue who are now stuck with Yorkey for their biggest meeting in years.
Whilst this didn't happen this week, there have been many rumblings from the NSS all year about ex riders having to pay at Belle Vue. It's been handled so poorly this year, that it's even lead to Peter Collins having to make a comment about it in the speedway star this week. Whilst it's only right that ex riders shouldn't take the mick and arrive with an entourage, it's only right club legends should be given entry to the club. If nothing else, fans like to see their club heroes when they can so it adds to the experience for them too. It's just another example of poor PR from a club that trips itself up time and time again in that area.
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