mikebv

Of course it is.. But. How can anyone expect anything else... Or. Even be surprised... Fans pay money all season to watch competitions that may not even get completed.. So. You have to ask... What is the point of them?

Thought I was mistaken when I thought Adam hadnt been too good around the NSS.. The BF apart obviously... But, no disrespect, to win the BF you are not racing against any overseas top talent, just your own level of rider (Dan apart)... If the Aces sign him I presume it will be to strengthen away? But, to be honest, I would keep Charles Wright as decent away and, can be, box office at home...

Might explain why some have said they were planning to drop Div 2? Although "sponsors" might be able to top this up maybe?

He is riding for everyone else...

Wieslaw Jagus.. Rode for several years at the very top echelons of Poland's averages in Div 1.. Yet, never really made the transition to Global level.. Kolodziej, a simlar story I would say..

Maybe should have typed this in bold... A true font of knowledge and someone who truly lived through the halcyon days of the sport and covered it too... Always good value on here to get a debate going, and often, stirred up..! RIP John...

Surely, as it was so obvious, the penny dropped the moment what was announced came out...? There is a very good track, with a brand new stadium, in a town that has supported a Speedway team for decades in more than decent numbers... Surely all they now need is a promoter to run a Speedway team there...? Wonder why someone hasn't come forward?

If only the Swindon Promoters had a venue to continue the sport somewhere in Swindon.. Ideally a venue with a main stand and a track would be ideal.. Anyone with any idea where there may be one being constructed within the Borough Of Swindon..? Maybe someone locating one could get say a 20% finders fee for finding it...

More than who didn't, unfortunately, for so many things... It does though give the UK Speedway Promoters a huge opportunity to become "self sufficient" and no longer rely on "journeymen, after journeymen" coming over to take team places... Just think, loads of UK lads riding in Div 2, and maybe higher, and all down to a clear development path using team places previously given to the Speedway equivalent of dozens of "Carlos Kickabouts"...... Maybe even growing the UK sports profile with the GB Team being consistently successful at international level due to plenty of strength in depth... Who just said we need a five year plan?

It was, and it was in a large part, down to lots of Commonwealth riders coming over to the UK to take places in Div 2.. And also lots of European potential superstars, or simply just journeymen, being given Div 2 places... With the European lads in particular getting replaced often with much of the same standard of rider, coming in and out through the revolving door.. Nowadays, with Brexit, it is far more difficult to just "open the doors" to those lads and fill your teams with them... Therefore, we find ourselves short of riders of the standard both leagues want to race at, hence doubling up/down is now part and parcel of the sport.. With that shortage of riders, in a major part, being down to UK lads not getting opportunities when journey men European and Commonwealth riders were constantly being brought over... A vicious circle excellently led and delivered by those in charge, who had no plan for any future growth and development of both riders and sport, bringing us to where we are today... To You. To Me, To Me, To You. etc etc etc

If clubs that are of a level to run in Div 1, choose to stay in Div 2, then they have to expect controls to provide a more level playing field.. As we know, averages often don't do that, given all the random variables involved that contribute to a riders average, including even subjectivity when using assessed averages... The lower average basically will prevent teams from using 3 Div HL's , or two HL's and a strong Div 1 SS.... It should therefore mean that each team have at least two "good" Div 2 level riders, which means all should be at least competitive.. Which has to be the ultimate aim of any sport that doesnt have promotion or relegation, or delivers any great financial rewards for winning any title, or cup...

Hopefully it wont... Especially as they have nearly 70 years to plan it...

Walking down by Poole Harbour and just been stopped by a bus driver... He has been booked to drive an open air double decker bus around the town at mid day to "celebrate a cup win or something" he tells me, but no one yet has arrived... He wants to know if anyone is turning up, or can he go home..?

You cannot have a "ghost" team but a team full of "guests" is more than acceptable...

Cannot blame the riders though... Div 2 Promoters have been happy to use Div 1 HL's, and also not use RS's, therefore they have been more than happy with the arrangements... Best of both worlds . You only have to read on the threads how poorly any possible "diluting of the league" is being received to see that the fans too are more than happy watching Div 1 HL's, with some complaining about admission costs needing to be reduced for a "lesser product" . These fans will have been happy though, for example, to watch Sam Masters top the averages in Div 2, for less money than Div 1 fans paid to watch him topping the monthly Div 1 averages at the same time, as happened the season before last.. Given the lack of rider development, and organic growth structure to the leagues over the past two decades or so, doubling up/down is simply now part of the sport... Riders, Promoters and Fans all require it...

Are all the Champiinship teams on the back too? Or inside if it is reverseable....

I do agree, however.. "Professional Juniors" have become far too prevalent so I can see why clubs may not want to keep running the NDL in its current guise.. Any "junior league" really needs to be expenses only, with track time and development, via a clear time lined structure, being the key determinants rather than renumeration.. And given the rents for some tracks, and all the other costs, to put on events, I do see why "blank weeks" will be left blank as, for the vast majority, the crowd who attend won't pay the costs...

I remember the old SJL.. I think all had four heats each in 3 man teans, with six heats in all... That could work maybe? Six lads per night getting more racing...

Pity Huckenbeck is in the GP's, would be a decent rider around the NSS... Presume his average now goes up? Or does his old one apply? Adam Ellis is a surprise for me, presume it is more for away tracks? As BF apart not seen him have too many good meetings at the NSS.. Wright missing out would be a shame as always good to watch...

He can never be World Champion if he doesn't learn how to ride small tracks don't forget...

For me the core product is very good, it is just the nonsense rules that prevent the actual leagues from ever being taken seriously... How the hell can anyone take seriously Peterborough's Bomber helping Ipswich to beat Belle Vue in the Semi, and then helping Sheffield beat Ipswich in the Final? You simply cannot market that.... Less riders per team would mean more riders to replace injured ones, so guests could be eradicated if the will was there .. A fit for purpose RR facility would also mean no need for guests... Development should be the 2nd Divs priority not Div 1, and clear demarcation within the leagues should always exist so the top league can be marketed as "Elite"... Every sport needs a "flagship" league that sells the sport with the other leagues feeding off it.. National generic marketing has to be the biggest opportunity. Huge amounts are spent on riders, very few of which bring a big crowd in, yet very, very little is spent on marketeers who may be able to put some bums on seats... Being able to take league racing seriously first though is needed before any money is spent hiring any marketing companies...

100%, however what we have is pretty much all there will be.. Some tracks are "playthings" of the promoters who choose to spend big amounts on it.. This means that winning or losing doesnt make much difference to them as they will keep subsidising their "hobby".. Some tracks are the actual business of the promoter so they need to make money.. Meaning getting a "winning team" is paramount regardless of what entertainment value is on offer, or what integrity impacting rules some may need to try and circumnavigate to get that winning team.. The bottom line issue is very much a chicken and egg situation in that the sport needs big outside money to come into it, either via league or club sponsorship, or via a bigger TV deal... However, given the often "Mickey Mouse" way the sport is ran, you haven't a hope in hell of any major nationally well known businesses wanting to tie their brand to it... Hence, those well meaning, but ultimately bereft of the required skill set, "amateurs" will continue to try and run a professional sport... Doing "their best" i am sure, but with the inevitable outcome...

The reality is that there is no clear direction, hence teams can pick and choose what level to race in, as and when it suits them.. Those in the top flight deserve the TV money as they are the ones that get covered.. Unfortunately, more teams in the top league would dilute that money, therefore it isn't viable for many teams to even consider it.. What we have is hanging on by a thread if you use the last ten years worth of track closures and defections as a barometer of the next decade to come... Maybe now Phil Morris has a full season (and pre season), he can make a fundamental difference.. Without a clear generic growth plan for the sport as a whole though, it will not work.. Sheffield and Glasgow won their respective leagues but it has hardly raised a ripple of publicity nationally... But, next year, if nothing changes, every track will no doubt, once again, try and ensure they can manipulate success by using some ill conceived, ambiguously written regulation that let's them have some success.. Whilst, all the while, diluting any kudos in winning, and preventing wider mainstream coverage, by their very insular focused actions.. UK Speedway sadly thinks small time, insular, and short term, and that isn't ever going to grow it organically, generically and nationally... Putting an extra 200 on one tracks gate due to their "success" really isn't progress.. Putting 200 on every track, however small that still may be, is... And may start some momentum for further growth..

I attended the NSS last year specifically to watch Laguta, and Sayfutdinov... And attended the PCMM to watch Lambert and Tai... Wouldn't have been the only ones either...

When meetings are rearranged, like both are, I am pretty sure that the rules say that the "senior league" of the two takes priority... Just a shame the rearranged Cup Final was arranged on a day that everyone knew that the NDL flagship meeting was taking place... No surprise though as it is in keeping with the usual genric national marketing and planning strategy that they demonstrate so vividly each season...