mikebv

Ring Ring, Ring Ring.... "Hello', Plymouth Speedway"... "Hi, Plymouth Speedway, it's the BSP, No! No! Don't put the phone down,! No! Please!"..... Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...... Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep........... Please replace the handset and try again...

Those three meetings when the lockdown restrictions were a lot lower than the current ones?

Used to be £10, in total, for me and my lad at the NSS to watch the Colts. . If anyone was sat next to me who didn't know about Speedway, they truly wouldn't have questioned the standard.. Brilliant racing. Brilliant value for money. And Brilliant to see the genuine, clear, body language, (delighted or devestated) reactions of the riders as they crossed the line, dependent on their finishing position.. I have thought for a good few years now that the NDL model is the way forward for the sport to grow.. Use it as the 2nd Division, with an "Elite" 8 team, 6 per team, top league which uses their own riders. . For many tracks, if an NDL team was their 'only ticket in town' to watch Speedway, I would suggest crowds wouldn't be too different from their current levels, and with costs so very much cheaper, it should mean potential admission cost reductions too.. "They" seem to get it right, so join them..

Don't you mean, "Wait a minute - wasn't he riding for Belle Vue, Sheffield, Somerset and Poole last week?"

'The Purple Helmet' Match races could be introduced... Sponsored by Viz.....

The 'Championship mix'? Will that be four double uppers/downers from the 'top league' and two double uppers from the NL, per team, I wonder...? With the 'top league' running pretty much the same, but replacing the NL riders with two riders who don't DU but ride overseas as well? That would keep the demarcation between the leagues that the 'top league' seem to desperately want.... Although no idea why this is given for the past several years a great many riders in every top league team ride outside the top league for lower league teams over here too... Not much difference in ability level when it's the same rider....

Given the ever changing position re 'air bridges' , I am amazed any business would recruit 'key employees' who may not be able to get to their place of work.... At any given moment, as we have seen, any country can prevent visitors coming in from any other countries, so to utilise riders who could very easily be 'stranded' overseas at literally a few hours notice seems ridiculous.. The riders who ride in Poland in particular will be instructed clearly not to leave the country should quarantining be enforced upon their return, and also if their own country (or next meeting destination country) is running at a high risk so likely to have the air bridge removed, they will be told they must not travel I would suggest.. And given that this will be their main contract financially I have no doubts all will obey..

I can see 'some' racing happening around September or October... The 'high risk' categories will have all hopefully been vaccinated by then twice (if all goes to plan).. And many of those age groups covered will form the majority of most Speedway crowds I would think so maybe if restrictions allow (as they will still be in place I would think until everyone has the jab), then maybe some individual and/or made up team events could take place in front of a 1000 or so? With the SON in Manchester in October actually happening too..

As long as plenty of guests are available..

About 85-90% object too.... Be good if everyone on here, and all other club forums, added their names and comments to it..

Maybe the superdome is being used to keep the new stadium dry?

Done....

With the "top six" qualifying for the play offs??

I did think this was a possible solution a while back so all teams come to the table, and ensure enough riders to go round, however.. My only negative to it was paying for 16 riders per meeting... Although I do think by grading riders and altering race formats that may be affordable? ie. 4 grades, A to D (with D level being riders 4 AND 5)., and (radical elert), the grades just race against each other 4 times from each gate position so the disparate level of riders on show shouldn't impact the closeness of the racing, as every race takes place with those of similar ability.. Stick down a maximum mean average for the team and that would mean no team could use the "best" of each grade.. Standard from Prem HL to Champ Reserve/NL Heat Leader., 96 points over 16 heats @ £75 a point average, (actual individual deals based on ability obviously), would mean an outlay of £7200 on average for each team to cover all four matches.. Eg per point, No 1 = £100, No 2 = £80, No 3 = £70 and No 4 = £50. (No. 5 same as 4 if he rides).. With no crowds nothing happens obviously, but if we do get fans in again, maybe doing 4 teams per match (one league) would mean lots of Speedway for the riders, and different teams visiting for the fans? (And four lots of Speedway starved fan bases to try and attract per meeting). Maybe even North and South Conference the league so you ride against more local teams more often than those at the opposite end of the Country, with a North v South playoff (similar to the way the NFL does it).. The NL could possibly still run the traditional format of two teams, 7 per team, to ensure lots of rides for those still progressing through, or, if enough teams are interested, also run 4 team tournaments meaning 16/20 developing riders get track time each night.. I am sure riders would prefer to ride four times per week (16 heats to earn money), in smaller team numbers, than run twice a week (and sometimes just once) in a seven man team

Can't run too many meetings on Saturday nights as there won't be enough guests to go round, (see Workington and Fridays), and we know guests are really important to the success of Speedway in this country.. You would also have to replace all the riders who will be riding in the GP,s the GP challenges, the SON, the SEC, the various Nation's own National Championships who use Satiurdays, and of course Poland the day previous, and the day after.... Unfortunately they are completely hamstrung by someone else's agenda, and there is absolutely nothing else they can do about it, they are simply unavoidable victims of circumstance, who can do nothing more but stick to the same operating model that has been followed for the past couple of decades or so... Although, radical as it may seem, maybe they could possibly set their own agenda? Maybe they could possibly take control over their own business again? Maybe they could possibly run an entertainment business more often at a time of the week most entertainment businesses get their largest customer numbers? You know, something like "Here is next seasons fixture list, riding on nights/days each track have decided they can get their largest crowds in, if you want a contract to ride you need to make yourself available to be at each meeting, and we will give you a fortnight to get back to us with that comittment in writing"... That sort of thing... Nah, what am I thinking... That wouldn't work would it? As you were, same again please, rinse and repeat ad infinitum...

Spot on.. These lads are 'self employed' whose only 'loyalty' should be to themselves and their families... If teams wanted 'loyalty' then they would tie them down on exclusive contracts meaning that they only rode for them.. They don't do that, so no one, fans or clubs themselves, can have any cause to complain as to any path each rider takes..

If correct. Surely this should have been done months ago? Forget any "Poland throwing a spanner in the works" or 'Brexit issues', as they should have had all riders who wanted to sign, signed up months ago using detailed knowledge of work permit rules.. Anyone hedging their bets, and biding time, should have been given to September end as the latest to confirm or not.. If no answer forthcoming or only a tentative 'yes' then that rider should have been ruled out... A 100% comittment or nothing at all has to be the way forward.. Then knowing how many unequivocal Yes answers they had, they could then have spent the last three months planning team strengths, riders per team, provisional fixture lists, race formats etc.. Its called being in charge of your own destiny..

All 100% accurate... But nothing that hasn't been said on here, clubs' own fans forums, and in the Speedway publications, a gazzilion times over the past two decades or so.. Rinse and repeat ad infinitum I am afraid.. The glaring issues have been there for a long, long time and must be obvious to all... But still not sorted... A classic example is that they have had a NINE month lead time to plan ahead, plot their own way forward, be in charge (once more), of their own destiny, and what do we have...? "Give us another week will you?"

Having a major rider (who will have had fixtures planned around his own individual ambition and racing schedule), be announced the day before the planned AGM that he won't be riding over here, suggests the last nine months of planning opportunity hasn't been too well delivered doesn't it? Maybe the time has been spent on the usual "how can we work around every one else's agenda instead of ploughing our own furrow and become in charge of our own destiny?"...

Six man teams in both leagues? Premiership Lite? Two Prem heat leaders, two second strings/championship 'third' heat leaders who double up, two Championship second strings/reserves who double up? Championsip Lite? One heat leader (doubling down), three Championship level second strings/Prem reserves doubling down, two reserves (NL double uppers?) Mainly British, lots of rides for the double uppers/downers, and gives plenty of the NL lads a chance to race in the 2nd tier.. Maybe even do some number crunching to devise a set maximum points limits on each segment of the team, ie top two riders, middle two riders, and bottom two riders all have a maximum points level per pair that you must work to, this would prevent one team having two outstanding heat leaders... Very important that each track gets a fair crack at putting a decent team together..

And 5, 4, 3, 2, 1... Cue the "turning his back on British Speedway", "he wouldn't be where he is now if it wasn't for British Speedway", "and just at the time British Speedway needs all the support it can get"...Comments.. He will be German next....

And they have a big housing estate now to keep the sunlight out...

Whilst never being someone stuck in the past, I am sure there is some mileage in some of the 'model' that they had then being transposed over to today.. The pot that all riders share is not as big as it was pro rata in the 70's yet there appears to be many, many more full time professionals than there used to be.. Even when "all was good", and riders could earn some very good money, it was mainly the heat leaders (in the top division only), who were "fully pro" and the rest did it as "well paid sideline" to their usual job, and could make a months salary from their 'proper job' on a good night... The ultimare irony is by the very way the Promoters have run the sport over the past two decades or so, they have all but devalued their own competitions to pretty much zero kudos status yet, I presume, expect riders to turn up with top 'expensive kit' to compete for these 'prizes' which can only result in higher salary expectations for the riders to meet their costs.. A strange operating model to follow..

Thought Elite sports were cancelled in Wales years ago... Interesting to see Sam Allardyce commenting that he tried to sign 4 players but due to Brexit regulations around work permits, couldn't, due to the players failing the 'points' system now in place to be granted a permit. . In many instances one rider coming over will actually have 'two jobs' due to doubling up, meaning he could be seen as actually taking two places UK nationals could take, and also, unlike other sports like football, will already have a job in his homeland which he will keep and do concurrently, so maybe that could be seen as another issue and could work against any application... eg Why should a work permit be granted to someone who won't be residing here, already has a job, and wants to take another two jobs that two UK people could have? Maybe that is part of the reason no info has come out yet for the season ahead?

Sam Allardyce bemoaning the fact that he couldn't bring four players in to WBA due to work permit issues linked to Brexit... Lots of 'points scoring' criteria linked to age, capability level etc... Presume Speedway riders will face the same kind or similar criteria to be awarded a permit? Maybe that is taking the time to announce details for this season?