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I'm certainly not very excited about the NL this year. When I look at the teams I don't see a lot of riders & think to myself, wow that's a team with lots of potential, I more think, there's a bunch of riders who aren't good enough / haven't improved enough / will never make it into the Champ. Having riders racing for a hobby, or Career NL second strings / reserves actually never bothered me in previous years, really when they kinda screamed it's a DEVELOPMENT league to us this year, I see all the flaws of their plan. To me it just looks a very weak league. Obviously Max Perry not getting a team spot greatly annoys me, a 16 year old in his first Champ season is exactly the sort of rider the NL should be designed for imo. After two seasons in the NL, it's sink or swim for him in the Champ. I mostly blame Leicester for this, signing Joe T over Perry goes against the new "ethos" of the league imo.

So you are actually commenting on the money NT has admitted to pouring into the club over the last 2 years. Delivered nothing? So saving speedway in Birmingham and now the West Midlands, taking us into the Premiership and now ploughing more money into the club is apparently in your opinion delivering nothing. This is all because our last 2 riders are yet to be named, which I'm sure will only give you something else to complain about when announced. Whatever the team I will be at Perry Barr this season, or until according to you we close down without completing the season, to give the support Nigel deserves for saving and backing Birmingham Speedway. The last 2 years have been far from perfect but at least we still have Speedway.

Why is it that developers always want to build on ground that has a stadium on it and think it is a good idea to build a new stadium on some other land? Why don't they build their bloody developments on the other land they want the new stadium to be built on?

There is a sensible pay structure this year.

The content that I have seen put out is poor, the free advertising tool that is social media isn’t great they could do so much more and you don’t have to be a marketing specialist to know how to promote on something like Instagram/ Twitter for example to reach a different/new market. I don’t know the Birmingham management set up but surely if the people working for Nigel Tolley aren’t up to pulling in new money you change the people, that’s how the profitable businesses work.

This is what I said before and I completely agree with. Fair play to Tolley if he has has coughed huge amounts of money - but it actually only shows even more how incompetent he has been in spending it.

Probably wants too much money, more so, as this is the last team place left in the league, so riders know the place has to be filled, so it's probably a major sticking point, promotion budget V riders (whoever it is ) demands

Oxford have had 2000 fans paying to watch.. Brum do well to get 700.... The TV money will subsidise any "big names" I would think.. Personally, cannot see it all adding up given the complete and utter lack of interest in Speedway from the vast majority of people in Birmingham, (regardless of "success" or not over the years), but fair play to NT for giving it a go...

The GTRs had thier merits but build issue and terrible organisation by the management commitee created a massive white elephant. Then there is the issue that riders will have decent bikes/engines prior to getting team places and probably wouldn't want to switch alternatives. The theory of clubs suppying and maintaining the engines to a standard they seem fit does appear good on the surface but would be a nightmare getting them back from released / injured riders.

Home wins keep the fans interested anything on the road is a bonus.

7.55, I think final signing could be James Wright

I think he sold up his last track in the 80s so he was in speedway for about a quarter of a century, which suggests that he had a feel for the sport. He was the driving force behind both the PL and BL Division 2, without which it's difficult to see how the sport could have enjoyed it's last golden period in the 60s and 70s.

You might think there is, but do you really believe it’s being adhered too by all the clubs ?

Comparing any top two with Ipswich is daft, they will be the best pairing by a million miles.

Tracks too big for him !!

How come you don't talk this much sense in the flesh

and if a sensible pay structure was used for a ‘development’ league then a few hundred would be just fine, but don’t expect the likes of Clegg, Morley etc to want to ride for expenses only style wages.

Absolutely, with decent crowds.

Absolutely not, but the new rules mean riders like Luke Crang or Tom Woolley can ride forever in the development league for fun, but riders like Max Clegg & Ben Morley can't. I actually think the Morley's & Clegg's are needed more, to let the top developing riders know they are ready to step up into the Champ. If you can beat them, you're ready to move up.

I really hope there isn't a double change, if Workington are struggling for a 7th rider, just sign the best available. If they're under the limit they can still give all their riders 6 meetings before the league starts to prove themselves before considering strengthening up. Will take a long time for any averages to change, so if below the limit, the spare points won't disappear any time soon.

So far Leicester look streets above the rest imo. Oxford ahead of Belle Vue.

Which, I guess, is why there are no "stand alone" clubs in it.

Tolley can't win really. The support is crap along other issues involved with the track and stadium. Brum had no choice but to move up due to race nights. My issue isn't with how much money he's put in, its what he's spent it on. If he claims to have poured in loads and loads money then more fool him, the teams he's put together are shocking. I can't comment on this year's side yet because it isn't finished but the more it drags on the more negative comments will appear. I know someone said it's just good to see birningham running and that there is speedway. OK that's great for you, but what about the fans that want to see a WINNING team (atleast at home). Surely he could not run speedway this year, save a fortune of cash and re invest it into 2025. That money can improve the side and stadium. I don't know really... like I said he can't win.

1. Leicester 2. Oxford 3. Belle Vue 4. Scuffield 5. Edinburgh 6. Middlesborough Tight between 2, 3 & 4. Bottom two well adrift of the rest.

Certainly appears so, medals for everyone who turns up.....spectators that is as whats on show will be of little reward. Few years ago the NL was a viable competitor to the CL, now that has been diluted the NDL has to follow suit, to the point that its almost an unviable product. Can't imagine any club will get gates of more than a couple of hundred this season.

Easily explained.....there was a two for one offer on carrots in the Workington Store. And as he loves carrots, he thought..."why not" ?

Isn’t it all about the taking part this year ??

Looking at the content on your profile over the last few months, I must say you come acros as a really miserable guy.. Is there anything that makes you happy in life?

Everything you write is too hard for me to grasp……

But.....you insisted that YOUR informant was telling you the truth that the team was completed by Xmas. And I merely stated that I thought MINE was telling the truth that it wasnt yet completed. But you wouldnt have it...you insisted that I was wrong, and you were right ! Right from the outset of that discussion, you could have easily said "well we have both been told conflicting information, so lets wait and see who is right ?". And of course, we now know who was right !! Well, at least that person was right, at the time of the interview, which was 11am on Friday. Things may have changed since the interview on Friday ? (Ooooh !!) Have a nice day.

bit unfair with that too .. it's not always the money, it could be in part to the club only moving up this year and it's not a club that has the pull of Belle Vue, Sheffield etc, and Ipswich have been very lucky with their backing and having Chris Louis as the figurehead. If Birmingham can have an ok season with good racing it might give them a chance to encourage riders to go there

You may be right (sadly). However, this application was appealed all the way to the Secretary of State and rejected on numerous grounds. This gives the faithful, me included, some hope.

Congratulations hopefully the start of something special and Coventry be a catalyst for those clubs who have fell by the wayside!

Well done to all the Save Coventry Group, lets hope this is one step closer to bringing back Speedway to Brandon.

Brilliant news!

A great day for British Speedway, it's only a (bloody fantastic!) step in the right direction and there will no doubt be other hurdles thrown in the way but hopefully this at least sets a legal precedent

just because the thread is titeld workington 2024 does not mean its not of interest to genuine speedway fans all around the country and world theres some user names i recognise and respect and others i just know will disagre with anything others post but anyone can post on a open forum and they might even have a connection to 1 off the riders personaly so it might concern them

Wessex Marine continue as Main Team Sponsors of the Pirates for a 2nd season

Can't understand why you are so concerned about Birmingham signings. You are neither from Birmingham or a brummies fan. In fact all you have done for the last 2 months is run down the Birmingham owner and the club as a whole. Perhaps you would do all genuine Birmingham fans a big favour and troll off somewhere else.

Middlo and Havvy continuing as joint team Managers. Havvy will have one more meeting under his responsibility (Worky), whilst Middlo will have one less (Brum)!

i wouldnt believe one word that poster says to be perfectly honest with you

They had no choice if they wanted to continue.. And, maybe, the TV deal could also have been in jeapordy if they didnt move up? Personally, given Brums' historical lack of interest from their local community, I cannot see it ending well, but let's keep our collective fingers crossed for them..

Dont remember him riding for Belle Vue, rode for Reading long time ago

that post is o so true , but there is one thing for sure . we cannot live in the future and thats a fact .

Good way of trying to twist things, I applaud your tactic to be fair. I'm commenting on the fact that Tolley is acting like billy big bo**ocks bragging about his wealth by saying he would sign Zmarzlik if he could because the money isn't a problem for him when the FACT is Tolley and his big lump of cash hasn't been able to convince any half decent Heat Leader to join the club for the 2024 season let alone the World No.1 and current 4 x World Champion. My point is this -> TALK IS CHEAP! Actually sign some Heat Leaders and put out a competitive side before acting like the big I AM, If he insists on throwing around names in public like Zmarzlik only to end up with a top two of Zagar and Milik for example then he's only going to get criticised for it. Hope this helps.