mikebv

In an ever shrinking sport, where your only assets are some Speedway related fixture and fittings (plus a couple of tractors), and sponsors can sometimes be only there due to following specific riders, who may no longer be riding for you, and no TV deal... The valuation will be very much up for some huge negotiation you would imagine...

And that the stadium gets built, and be up and running, before any houses are built... That way no one buying a house can try and put a stop to the stadium being built...

It must be difficult to put a value on a Speedway team... With so many closing down in the past 15 years you would maybe think it won't be a long term investment, as, even if you are "doing well" clubs can close around you leaving you with an ever dwindling product to sell... And. Sponsors pay so much towards "the bills" with some of them coming on board to sponsor a specific rider, who may then no longer be with the club... And Ipswich in particular will have a big entry on the income column from their PO Final, which is not guaranteed for any future projections... Basically you are selling some fixture and fittings which are mainly Speedway use only.. Hence, it seems to be "fans" that end up purchasing clubs, for a hobby which, unfortunately, then can prevent any clear directional growth for what should be a "professional sport"...

Just run one league with the same credibility level that every league has had for years, and years and years?

Chris Louis himself said he he wouldn't be part of a five team league, nor would join a one league set up... I presume he was "in the know", given, it was him, himself, who said it..?

Baffling isn't it? Five or six teams? Makes little difference to how the league looks does it? Small time, and bereft of relevance and resonance, either way.... A strange, (very small), hill to die on...

But that is one of the major issues.. The majority of fans don't have any faith that the future will be better.. Simply based on what those in control have delivered over the last two decades... Even the die hards on the many Speedway related FB accounts (generic and club specific), take the pee at how poorly the sport is ran.. Why, suddenly now therefore, will those in charge improve things? The clearly, obvious, fundamental issues facing the sport have been there for a long, long time, with the answer, year in year out, being "Let's do exactly the same thing again"... Which, once again, they have chosen to do this year.. Well a "mini version"... The bottom line is... The Premiership simply doesn't work in its current guise, and is only there to give a few "quality riders" a fair few quid, (thus increasing costs much higher than crowd numbers) and the rest the chance to Double Up.. At least a 14 team league (at whatever level), looks, from the outside, like something with relevance, and makes the sport look at least "sizeable" and covers pretty much the whole country, which should improve sponsorship and marketing opportunities...

It must be simply down to riders needing to DU... There are no other reasons why the "top league" promoters would countenance a five team, (or even a six team), league surely?.. The optics of which alone paint the sport in a very sorry state... Decades of failing to develop UK talent and, instead, using foreign journeymen via a revolving door, has led us to such a tiny pool of riders able/willing to ride in the UK... I suggest they can now call the shots given the promoters have painted themselves into such a corner..

I an sure something very similar was put on here around 10 years ago, and maybe longer.... Those running Speedway in the UK had a different idea, and, subsequently, used that different idea each season since.... Which hasn't ever included ploughing its own furrow, and being in charge of its own destiny, at whatever level initially it would have meant... When it really should have....

If those were the numbers, and I was one of the two riders.. I would make sure it went to three races each time, at the home and away legs.. And the decider would also be three races, at a neutral track (like it used to)... Who wins? Well they both do... Kerching...

Just think of the excitement it would bring... Plus... Team riding by yourself.... And maybe even Guesting for yourself... Six points for a win would certainly boost the riders pay packet too.. Ticks a lot of boxes, for me...

I think you mean.... "Whilst not completely ideal, it is fantastic news that we still retain top flight Speedway in the UK, and, I am sure that all Promoters, Sponsors and Fans will be looking forward to watching, once again, another fantastic season of exciting racing, as the best teams in the land go head to head against each other to win the highest domestic honour in UK Speedway"...

I think my half n half kevlars and helmets might work...

Twenty six pounds ninety...

The flights happen now though don't they? Which is why I think it is worth at least pursuing... The riders will fly out as they do now, but do it in the same league rather than three separate ones.. Maybe one of the large Scandi companies who have a large amount of businesses over here could get involved in sponsorship?.. Three "small" leagues combining would also lessen the Polish control of the sport... Each of the three leagues seem to just amble along from one year to the next, making constant changes to suit a model that never seems to work, with all getting to the end of the season being some kind of achievement, therefore, why not all collectively increase their profiles through an "International League"?..

I think that is something very worthwhile considering ... Logistically there would need to be some working around riders currently riding for two teams, however, it cannot be beyond the capability of those in charge to sort it surely? Five teams from the UK would make a league of 21 teams.. A minimum 20 home matches.. It would give a boost to Sweden and Denmark too I am sure, given they too have pretty much the same old/same old, every season.. Fixed nights, Monday to Thursday, are made for such a competition... Maybe run with the Danish five rider team format? And add in a number of fixed positions for UK, Swedish and Danish riders, as all three seem to need some young talent coming through.. Might stimulate some TV interest too?

At least they weren't showing the Sky logo...

A song for the fans of the winners... "We've just won the league".. "We've just won the leeeeeeeeague"... "We only beat four teams"... " But, we've just won the league"....

It actually doesn't say anything at all really does it? And is a perfect microcosm of the way the sport is ran.. No names of teams who make up the five suggests even that isn't signed off yet, as you would simply name them wouldn't you..? Just over three months to the start of the season and the best we have is a very vague press release telling us very little concrete information... "Something might happen, but it may not, and it isn't perfect"...

Wouldn't be hard to sort... When you ride for a team then you cannot ride for anyone else in that league.. But ride for the team who used you as many times as they see fit.. A squad system would by stymied by averages as the rider needing replacing may have a lower average than his possible squad replacement.. Cherry picking from Div 2 means the rider you pick to ride for you will have to have a lower average..

Or two "new" riders brought in on seven point assessed averages just to make it looks like a team is close to the 37 point total.. Seven point averages that they will get nowhere near... With every fan, with even a modicum of knowledge, knowing before a wheel is turned, that they won't get anywhere near..

Less is More?...

No.. With so few riders needed there will be a surplus so having a few "on stand by" should mean seven rider teams can be delivered without the need for RR and Guests.. The whole sport in the UK is ran solely so riders can ride as much as they can, therefore I am sure those without a DU position will be pleased to fill in where required...

Riders need to guest as well as double up too, don't forget. The only reason two leagues exist is because they need it to, remember.. Heaven forbid they have to get a job outside speedway, like so many did for the majority of the decades when the sport was popular...

Will it bollox, Phil... Even Six teams in a "Top League" of a "National Sport" will look exactly like it looks... ie. A waste of time, and a waste of yet another year that could have seen some sense, and forward planning brought to the sport.. All this will do is reduce crowds further... But. At least riders can double up... So. That's got to be worth paying around thirty quid next year to watch them do it..