CrystalCastles

Thats not good. Also best wishes to Stoneman & Franklin, hope they are both ok.

Looking good Steve, team looks to have a lot of ability in it, as you say usually takes a few of them a match or so to get upto speed, but with the strength in the team & the experience of being on a couple of tours be really interesting to see what Buman, Stark & Novratil do.

Should be a good Match. Come on the Potters

Interesting move,its good to see Jlo fixed up somewhere though.

Great review

I agree I think we all would Montie, whatever side of the fence any of us sit on any of the issues of the NL or British speedway. A few core ideals are clear, we want it to be successful in the future. We want more youngsters coming through. We want British speedway to be at as high a level as possible & successful. And most people who post in the NL section would be the ones to go and support a team of kids. Or the youth championship & the future. As you say development takes more than 1 season for most people at this level, so perhaps they could look at doing something on a 2/3 year timescale. Yeah I did sorry Montie. Stu Parnaby deserves a mention (thanks for pointing that out).

I think you misread what i said "It shows that the real problems with British Speedway occur before the NL." Lack of kids, lack of training opportunities, a big jump between amateur speedway & NL, cost. No support for families who are struggling to be able to afford to make end meets to give there kid a chance to ride. Lack of riders coming in from other related sports. A downturn in riders taking up things like grasstrack. No junior speedway i.e. 80cc 125cc All those are bigger problems. The NL is by no means perfect, and there are problems with it, that can be improved but the NL will never has or will be solely a development league. So the NL has to do the best it can to support all its member teams, that means comprimising on ideals for the good of the people riding in it, which is far more important than what anybody thinks is specifically wrong with the NL.What is imperative is that it is competitive and it gives opportunities for new riders to have a go. Currently the last two years its been at its best imo for about a decade. However i dont think we have had as many youngsters to have come through and be ready this year compared to last year. What they need to do is think outside the box and try something new next year. Id like to see them bring in a rule where 1 overseas rider with patriality/dual nationality is permitted and people stop moaning about it but they must commit to ride for an entire season and in the main body & on a higher average if it ment retaining oppurtunities for them. Id like to see teams build to 6 man teams, with 10 team places at number 7 kept open (on the basis of teams in the NL this year) if there were 10 new riders who are availble to ride in the NL next year, they all get rostered as number 7s but not tied to a club. -only ride twice at a track representing a home side once & an away side once, -they also race against each other member of the 10 twice. -all meeetings would be predetermined in a draw as to who goes what & where before the season. -all riders are obligated to complete these fixtures -no team can make a change to these riders unless injured when a replacement will be chosen (if there are sufficient riders available underneath the 10 that are guaranteed places who perhaps are not ready to commit to riding 18 meetings) A development league in theory could work but it would have to strip away existing team names, riders allegences to clubs. In such a way that teams were run by british speedway for the good of british speedway, irrespective of what promotions do or don't do atm not one of them is in the NL for the good of british speedway over there individual club,no rider turns out for any of the teams that are named,team A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,I,J,K on more than X number of occasions, they don't ride a track on more than X number of occasions. As for Scunny, the work done by your team is fantastic, but your in a fortunate situation compared to a lot of other tracks & areas with regards to the uptake of speedway & of other similar sports. Its dissapointing from a neutral perspective that Scunny haven't given the same opportunities afforded to riders this year as they did last year as that was fab, especially if you still have a lot of amateur meetings & practices with plenty of youngsters. However that will come down to winning and why not, as i said those lads deserve the opportunity to try to win it this year, as do all you fans who support the NL team up at Scunny.

I agree, Scunny have a real good chance of winning this season but after last season it's imperative to go with as strong a line up as possible in every meeting. Irving, The Worralls & Birks have been superb this year & this a real chance for them to win something. How many chances do riders get to win a League in there career. Agreed its pointless giving riders a chance unless they are ready for it. They need the opportunity to learn but sticking them in a League where they would be out of there depth doesn't help them. Last year a number of riders thrived in a competitive & entertining league, and a number of those are subsequently this year ensuring that that environment & competitive nature remains, which is important for those riders who have been ready to make there debuts this year. However the number of new riders in the League this year is worrying. It's shows that the real problems with British Speedway occur before the NL.

Well done to the Sheffield/Scunthorpe

Another awful loss of life, its a reminder of how dangerous the sport we love can be. RIP Arkadiusz Malinger

Well done to the Potters. Im sure Vog had a top night out!

Totally agree they are doing a fantastic job. Evidently a huge amount of work has gone & continues to go into making this a successful venture. Great to see how quickly its been turned around, its a fantastic achievement

Can see two good wins for Scunthorpe/Sheffield in these ones Montie. Shame that Stevie is unavailable, will R/R be in operation? The team has done really well when having to cover an absence. With both the Worralls/Birks/Irving doing well at PL level this year IMO, which is good to see Think Belle Vue will present tougher opposition being on second and having a stronger side. Im sure both will be entertaining fixtures, Sheffield's promotion have pegged admission prices for the double header, so hopefully they will get a good crowd! Il go for Scunthorpe/Sheffield 58 IOW 35 Scunthorpe/Sheffield 52 Belle Vue 42

Because you wern't invited to go on holiday with him?

June it's not a loophole its being eligible to be British, which no matter how much of an issue some people try to make it it has nothing to do with Speedway or the rules written down in the NL rulebook. Government legislation & International legislation & International Sporting Laws regarding elibility far outrank the rules of the NL.

Could be a cracker Belle Vue have got some cracking young talent backed up by two experienced campaigners who have both been prolific at NL level. If the Heathens can match the Belle Vue top order, I think they can pull through to get a win, but can see Belle Vue picking up a point. Dudley 47 Belle vue 43

Anyways onto a prediction for tonights meeting. I think a really tight entertaining match will be on offer on the Island tonight, Simmons, Warwick & Smith all going well whilst having seen Starke recently he seems to be getting things sorted, so hopefully he will turn in a good performance. For the Fen Tigers can see Blackbird, Hargereaves, & the Baseby's going fairly well but Heeps to top score for them.Heeps to have 6/7 rides but Simmons & one of Warwick/Starke to also beat him. Im going for Islanders 46 Fen Tigers 44.

Well done lads Didn't make this one, hope brendan is alright.

Do you know the full Young stars Line up Jayne?

hope you get more than that tbh, a better away performance is needed.

Nope but i think you will go better than you did lastnight & they are without Webster, although my prediction given lastnight's performance i think it might need to be ammended .

True but you'd have a better chance.Perhaps tomoz they will do a bit better.

After tonights performance, i think your right can't see you getting enough points. Unless you bring Newman back in you have had it.

Well done Scunny. The Worralls & Birks put in a stormer. Special mention for Nielsen and Stoneman, cracking performances. The Heathens well 'Ommered

Meeting preview can be found here Hot Toddy has a new nickname TK Max. Should be a good match with a lot of ex Newport riders in the Hackney side. Freemantle also looked good when he rode at QM last year. Think the Hornets will have enough firepower with Brendan back to overcome the Hawks. Hornets 52 Hawks 40