Edinburgh promoter John Campbell has called for the scrapping of the transfer deadline currently operating on August 31st. He will be raising the issue at the BSPA conference next week.
The rule was introduced last year on the pretext of preventing teams from being strengthened for the title run-in. Especially was of concern was the possibilities of riders being released from tracks where all fixtures had been completed.
In the usual BSPA manner a sledgehammer has been used to crack a nut. This dogs breakfast left several clubs including Monarchs unable to replace injured riders.
Monarchs were badly hit having to run with effectively a five man team from early September onwards. Not only were they unable to replace Justin Elkins who was injured for much of September, but they were unable to bring back David McAllan after injury in place of another injury victim Brian Turner. Missing a second string and a reserve is a killer combination. Rider replacement has to be used for the number 2 and three out of four rides have to be taken by the reserves. With only a Conference League rider available to replace an injured reserve, rider replacement is a major disadvantage especially in home matches, in such cases. Had, for example David McAllan been allowed back into the team for the Premier National Trophy, Monarchs could well have taken a winning lead to Newport for the second leg.
Elite League Poole also suffered badly from this rule with Magnus Zetterstrom missing the critical end of season matches in three major tournaments.
The rule may or may not have cost Edinburgh the Premier National Trophy. It almost certainly cost Poole the Elite League Cup and possibly the Elite League Championship.
If a transfer deadline is to be retained then it should not be used to prevent a team bringing its own riders back after injury and it should only apply to tactical changes and not to prevent injured riders being replaced.
The current system is short-changing the paying public by forcing teams to run with five or six man teams in the trophy-deciding matches at the end of the season.
Monarchs will be seeking at least a review of te deadline rule. Alex Harkess added:
"We would not evisage moves for riders already in a one-to-seven, but it seems wrong that teams can't even bring in their own assets, or other riders not in a one-to-seven."