Or just make the the 2nd division Semi Pro? how many riders in the lower league make a living? Unless the likes of Hodder are on £300 a point!!! Then I would say hardly any. Yes, the No1's especially with their doubling up, most likely make a living.
There might be other sports where their top league only consists of 4/5 clubs, but you can't really have a play off system with that amount of teams, can you? The sport is already laughed at by most news outlets. I don't even think you get the results in the National press anymore. The doubling up put a stop to the sport being taken serious by most.
Riders can't keep living in this fantasy world. How many people attend Redcar/Scunthorpe/ Edinburgh/Plymouth etc? The promoters have got themselves into this situation. They have bowed down to the riders wants and needs and this is the end result.
They have to tell the riders the bubble has burst. They should offer them a fair deal for what the club can afford. If they can't except the deal. Then unfortunately they will have to go and get a job! No one can justify calling speedway at 2nd division level professional anymore. If some riders reject the offers, then you promote the young lads from the 3rd division. Lets face it the sport at 2nd division level has been watered down so much over the last few years, a couple of more riders won't make that much difference.
The majority of riders in the 2nd division worked back in the 70s/80s. The sport was also in a lot better health. The leagues and crowds were a lot bigger. Every year the sport dies a little bit more. It's been on life support for a while now. How much longer before the plug is pulled?