KK62

NDL riders at the speedway show were very optimistic with Oxford, Leicester and Belle Vue confirmed and rumours of joint teams running out of Scunthorpe and possibly another northern based track. With so few league fixtures looking likely clubs will be looking for date fillers and a small NDL commitment could be the answer, if they can find the riders willing to ride for fun and just expenses rather than profit so less financial risk to the host clubs. But we will all have to wait and see …

He does enjoy throwing curve balls…

Tut tut, just because your on ‘the inside’ doesn’t mean you know more than the keyboard warriors….behave yourself !

Now THAT…I will give you.

Again….the BSPL did not destroy it, they simply stopped the use of ‘ghost ‘ names, the teams could still have ran under a different name associated with the track they ran out of. Im no fan of the BSPL but they did not destroy it, the will to run it ( and the BSPL had nothing to do with that either) simply ran out because of the names used.

Your kidding yourself if you think the MDL still exists, it doesn’t ! One club , in the MIDLANDS ,running two teams against a Redcar side, in the NORTH, is NOT a league. The BSPL never had anything to do with running the MDL or any other junior league so don’t blame them. But Birmingham do an excellent job of providing racing for the youth, so you got that bit right.

Why do we have to reduce it ? Clubs are more than capable of running 15 heats and a six heat second half….and more ! Redcar , and a few other northern clubs, do it every week.

Whatever they come up with for a new version of the NDL they will have to tackle the issue of payments. Fifty percent and more of the current breed of NDL riders expect good payment for riding, some are paid the same as good Championship riders and this has to stop if there is to be any hope of clubs willing to run some form of NDL style racing alongside their current team racing. Riders have to get their heads round it being a ‘hobby’ at this level and not a full time job. Wasting their money on logo’s vans, fan merchandise etc, the priority is learning to ride first, then ‘race’, the time will come, if they are good enough, for the flash stuff. If there is to be a mini version of NDL type racing, perhaps as part of a national style second half racing, but regionalised to reduce travel costs, then riders have to get their head round it being a possible stepping stone to ‘semi professional’ racing, not a ‘good earner’ as some view it now. I do hope the powers that be come up with a workable alternative to the NDL or the sport will die.

Wow! I wouldn’t even imagine telling my track curator ( Jonathan ) when to do his job ! and I don’t seek advice from team managers either . The Ref is in charge and the promoter tells me what he would like to happen. I wouldn’t be in the role long if I told them their jobs !

As a current clerk of the course I can inform you this is all sorted at a pre meeting discussion . The referee runs the meeting, and track grading is sorted between the ref, the team managers and the track curator . Team managers, riders etc can ASK for track grades during a meeting at any time, this occurred on Friday, but it’s upto the ref if he allows it. Some tracks don’t have intervals , Redcar being one of them. Im sure every Clerk has his own club protocol to discuss with a referee before a meeting.

Do you think clubs just have ‘staff’ in cupboards waiting to be brought out at 48 hours notice ?

It was my job, as a former promoter, to know how it works. Nothings changed in the few years since I stepped down.

1. Each club sets its own ‘budget’ based on how ‘ rich ‘ they are, so some clubs will always be able to offer more than others , that doesn’t mean they will get whoever they want due to race night issues and travel. 2. clubs are different, some promoters do the team selection some leave it to the team manager. 3. There is a ‘ assets ‘ list of riders, not available to the public and it’s always out of date and means very very little in the scheme of things as a rider will sign for who he wants not necessarily who owns him. 4. How long is a piece of string ? That’s upto the club. 5. Depends on the rider….things such as average, age , etc can all come into it. 6. Rules say the ‘owning club’ should be approached officially first, in reality , this rarely happens and ‘tapping up’ goes on all the time . 7. See above. it works both ways. 8. Visa’s can cost many hundreds , then it depends on what your offering the import, living wage, accommodation, bikes, van, mechanics etc, but you don’t have to offer any of those things . 9. Scouts ? Word of mouth usually, other riders and ex riders recommendations more often than not. 10. Expenses ? Not a standard thing but some clubs , the richer ones, do . Most have fans how will let a rider ‘ lodge ‘ when required. Air fares don’t need to be paid , it’s all included in what ever deal the club comes up with for the rider. All of these things are different between clubs and riders, there isn’t an official pay scale , it’s all done by ‘that’s what others get ‘…. If you stand in the pits long enough and listen to the chat , especially between mechanics, very little is kept secret for long. It’s not a very professional approach but it’s the way it’s always been done . They have tried to have pay scales etc but it never worked and never will. Things differ from division to division and country to country but my comments are based on the UK. Poland is a different scenario all together.

No, as their absence suggests, they have finished with speedway and just enjoying life.

So you haven’t taken in anything that has been said because your so up your own ar#e you think you are always right. I’ll try and put it in simple terms for you….Wright did NOT refuse to ride for Redcar , he was contractually obliged to ride for his Polish club and, if he didn’t, he would have been banned from riding ANYWHERE and he competed with Redcars blessing. Cook is a completely different ball game and you know it.

You can stand by your idiotic comment if you wish, just shows you to be incredibly wrong. Wright has ridden through the pain barrier on many occasions for the Bears over recent years, rides for the club where he doesn’t get the biggest wage but is extremely happy , well loved and supported , he consulted the club about his opportunity to ride in Poland and rode with the clubs blessing so in no way shape or form did he give up on the club ! No, Poland doesn’t have an equivalent of the SRBF but does have a a very good history of looking after injured riders.

Wow!…you certainly have some serious ‘issues’. Fortywhatever told you what happened and he was right, and you call him names ….then you call me names for pointing out your nonsense comments…..think you have showed yourself as one BIG NIPPLE as you like to say. Why don’t you pick on the BSPL , who didn’t follow their own rules and drag the sport down to the depths instead of individuals who point out your inaccurate posts?

So you make inaccurate comments and he’s the ‘nipple’ ? How big is your ego ! You slagged off Redcars meeting before it started then praised the quality of the meeting , you certainly come across as an attention seeker.

Barry Simpson Menorial Trophy 19/8/2023. 1st Sam McGurk Workington 15 pts 2nd Danny Phillips Berwick 12 pts 3rd Katie Gordon Redcar Cubs 8 pts Novices 1st Lee Harrison 15 pts 2nd Dan McTeer 9 pts 3rd Rachel Hellowell 9 pts 125 class 1st Ollie Binns 12 pts 2nd Harry Fletcher 12 pts 3rd Liam Morris 11 pts.

Three ladies in Redcars Amateur meeting yesterday and all scored good points. Katie Gordon was third in the Open Class, Rachel Hellowell on the rostrum in her class and Morgan Leonard scored good points.

REDCAR CUBS 18 E.Davison 1,Fx, 1….2 K.Gordon 0,1,0….1. O.Bovingdon 2*,3,3…8&1 O.Binns.3,2*,2*..7&2 WORKINGTON METEORS 17  C.Foy 2*,2*,2*..6&3. B.Rathbone 3,3,3..9 max. H.Fletcher EF 1,1…2. C.Fletcher X ,0.0…0

So Skunny staff don’t go to Cardiff ? I don’t arrange the fixtures but was advised that October is looking very likely.

Redcar 18 E.Davison 1,Fx, 1….2 K.Gordon 0,1,0….1. O.Bovingdon 2*,3,3,…8&1 O.Binns.3,2*,2*..7&2 Workington 17 C.Foy 2*,2*,2*..6&3. B.Rathbone 3,3,3..9 max. H.Fletcher EF 1,1…2. C.Fletcher X ,0.0…0

Redcar ‘ Gallagher Insurance Cubs ‘ 16 Edward Davison 3, Fx, Fx,…. 3 Katie Gordon 2*, 2, 2…. 6 & 1 Charlie Southwick 2, 2, 3…7 Rueben Marsh did not arrive.  West Lothian Wildcats 20 Mark Parker. Fx, 3, 3…..6 Dan McTeer ( guest )…1, 1, 1…3 Lewis Hague 1, 1, 1….3  Rocco Webb. 3, 3, 2…8

Redcar ‘ Gallagher Insurance Cubs ‘ 16 Edward Davison 3, Fx, Fx,…. 3 Katie Gordon 2*, 2, 2…. 6 & 1 Charlie Southwick 2, 2, 3…7 Rueben Marsh did not arrive. West Lothian Wildcats 20 Mark Parker. Fx, 3, 3…..6 Dan McTeer ( guest )…1, 1, 1…3 Lewis Hague 1, 1, 1….3 Rocco Webb. 3, 3, 2…8