scribbler

The difference between Woffy and Ward... Woffy turned his life around - and then became Speedway World Champion. Ward keeps making the same mistakes and is not a World Champion.

If I heard it correctly yesterday... It was said that Nicki P never drinks alcohol at all during the season. No alcohol = no problems. Many riders put themselves on a strict training programme and the consumption of alcohol would not be part of that regime. More likely that he was proud of the fact that he needs no alcohol to compete in a meeting - and showing others that not all speedway riders are like Darcy Ward.

How sad - especially for the mother and son to be abused this way . It still is the NDL. I've quoted directly from the SCB regulations pdf.

If you think that Benji being offered a place in the Poole team is a good thing you have no idea how the EL is run - and how Matt Ford works. As for Benji being fast tracked... he was in the CL in 2005 - 9 years ago . I really don't think that he will ever be in the EL other than as a FT reserve. He's being used... The fast track reserves should be young riders with the potential to improve. Lee Smart was Poole's first FT reserve this season... and Brendan Johnson has just been moved out of the team to make way for Benji Compton. If anything rider's confidences are being harmed. Lee Smart (I think) retired from speedway after being replaced in the Poole team....

But Mason, Baseby, Compton and/or Lambert in the same team is a bit excessive don't you think? Mason + one other experienced rider is much more balanced IMHO. PS. I'd love to pop down to Kent - but I physically couldn't manage it. We have a wedding to attend in Kent November 1st and I will need to stay for 2 or 3 nights to be able to cope.

But the NL is the only league that the SCB recognises as a development league... Page 50 of the SCB Speedway Regulations... 19. NATIONAL LEAGUE MEETING REGULATIONS Known as the National League, it's official name is the National Development League to clarify that this is the entry level league dedicated to the training and development of young home grown riders. IMHO those teams using too many experienced riders are not following the regulations. Scunthorpe is not breaking the regulations but - as I stated yesterday - all teams could be more balanced by having a maximum of 2 experienced riders, 3 riders gaining more experience, and 2 rookies. (the poor grammar and punctuation comes from the SCB - not me )

Probably because PL don't get Sky money. Without Sky money the EL would probably have to run at the same level as the PL. They're almost there now...

I'd say that some of the older riders are turning out as negatives - rather than developing (photography analogy ). They've been in the PL and are now back down to the NL. A max of two experienced riders on the way down, 3 fairly experienced riders on the way up, and two rookies would be the ideal team build IMHO.

They were good enough for the Conference League, when grading was used and the years ridden and age of the rider were taken into consideration. Older, experienced riders were 'expensive' because they used up points when calculating the points limit of any team. You had to have a better mix of riders within a team. But this is the National Development League - better known as the National League. Mason and others have developed in the Conference League and back to the National League. I enjoyed watching riders progress. I admit I was spoiled because I watched Tai, Josh, Joe, Tully and others - even Benji - progress to the PL, and some to the EL. They moved to other clubs - but I still enjoyed 'keeping tabs' on their progress because I had seen them take their first steps in their career. Seeing 'old-timers didn't have the same interest for me. Perhaps I'm unusual - but I'm OK with that. I have no interest in the EL. The PL is better - but my favourite is NL/NDL. Sadly my disabilities prevent me from attending meetings nowadays - but they don't stop me from maintaining my interest in the sport.

Many riders did their own work on their bikes in the late 1960s-early 1970s - and a friend in the pits who helped out for free. My husband used to be in the pits at Poole with Gordon Guasco. His wife and I used to watch meetings from the car at home meetings. Not sure if he had one or two bikes in the trailer that hooked onto the back of his car.

From what I gather he rode poorly after the meeting. He may well be lost to speedway in the very near future if he's treated so poorly by the management. He must have felt, as you said, totally demoralised...

You can't seriously class Compton, Mason and Baseby as boys ...

So why name him as the Number 8? The poor nipper must be confused by the management's decision. Good enough to be named - but not good enough to be given the opportunity to actually ride. If he's that poor why name him?

So - explain to me what experience Sheppard gained by watching a meeting whilst the rest of the team had extra rides. Explain what experience Kent management gained of Sheppard's ability to ride in a team.

Just said something similar in the Kent v Scunthorpe thread... Sheppard would have had the experience of riding with experienced riders against riders of a similar experience to his own. Kent would then have had some idea as to what he was like as a rider. A missed opportunity for both club and rider.

Kent Kings R/R = 11 = 1. Adam Sheppard (number 8) DNR... How many years experience of riding do Baseby, Mason and Compton (and Lambert - when he's fit) have between them? I'd rather watch youngsters than has beens. Poor Sheppard - wanting to ride, but having to watch as other riders took extra rides. He could have had experience riding with experienced riders and against riders he may be on par with.

And which teams will give any of those 40 under 15 year old riders a chance when they become old enough for the NL?

The PL run without Sky money. The EL have Sky money and yet still cry about losing money.

Thanks for quoting the official rulebook. When the NDL first came into existence I got quite a bit of abuse on here for using the official name. This actually proves that Rob Godfrey is doing nowt wrong

I thought that R Lambert bypassed riding in both the PL or NL because he thought that he was good enough to go straight into the EL without needing the experience from either of the lower leagues. Has he changed his mind? It seems that he's changed his mind about riding for GB...

Nobody ever knows, nowadays, who will top the PL each season... Poole are seen as manipulating the rules and Cradley as buying success by paying riders well over the rate set down.

IIRC that's the problem. Other clubs came in and promised riders 'the sun, moon and stars' before they were old enough to be signed up with Scunthorpe. IIRC one rider stayed and the others signed for other clubs. Rob Godfrey didn't get a penny...

No religion required... Just respect for fellow users. I think all sorts of things about fellow users - BUT - I re-read before I press 'post'. Sometimes I reword, sometimes I cancel a post. It's not difficult to take a few seconds longer to post a reply... or not. It's not 'manly' to offend others and call them names. It's cowardly to name-call behind a keyboard, invariably you would not converse in that manner face to face. It's not 'soft' to type a well though out answer without swearwords, it's deserving of respect.

Which totally negates all that I have said!!! Why should certain posters be allowed to abuse other forum users? {(Gavan and Stevebrum are less abusive than the forum users that abuse them. They react occasionally, after much provocation). This is not a Poole thread. This is a discussion about abuse that may occur throughout the whole forum...

I'm becoming increasingly fed up with the posts that attack the poster and add nothing else to discussions. It seems that thee people who insult others are also the first to complain if someone reacts. Rather than suspend the reported post perhaps moderators could look at the root cause. It's rather like a child telling his mother that someone called him an idiot - omitting the fact that said child called the 'offender much worse in the first place...