Rename The Conference League

[king jeff]

just a thought........

 

with some CL tracks struggling crowd-wise, might it be an idea to rename it? when people think of conference they think of the football conference; which with no offence is considered a lower league. when people see the word conference they may think "oh, must be a lower league, doesn't sound good, don't want to go to that". but when they here elite or premier they think "ooh, they must be the top leagues, think i'll go to that". so if we renamed the CL something like 'Super League' or 'National League' it may be more attractive. it may not make a difference, but it's just a thought.

[Kevin Meynell]

when people think of conference they think of the football conference; which with no offence is considered a lower league. when people see the word conference they may think "oh, must be a lower league, doesn't sound good, don't want to go to that".

 

IMO, all sports have been afflicted by such marketing nonsense, with the result that we now have ridiculous names like the 'The Championship' for a second division, and 'First League' for a third division. Speedway also has a 'Premier League' which isn't the premier league at all.

 

What's wrong with first, second and third league so everyone knows where they stand?

 

if we renamed the CL something like 'Super League' or 'National League' it may be more attractive.

 

I've never liked the term 'Conference League' because something can either be a conference or a league, but not both. Calling it a 'Super League' though would be a total misrepresentation, and I'm not a great fan of 'National League' because it's non-country specific. I'd just call it the British Conference and be done with it.

 

Fans are not stupid and even if they don't immediately grasp the status of the competition in the overall hierarchy, they soon will. In fact, trying to make it out to be something it's not could actually be counterproductive if fans are tricked into thinking it's the highest level of the sport.

[PolskiZuzel]

What's wrong with first, second and third league so everyone knows where they stand?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I agree !

BTW, why is it called 'Conference League' ?What 'Conference" has to do with it ?

[Kevin Meynell]

why is it called 'Conference League' ?

 

'Conference' is an Americanism that gained popularity in Britain when American Football was shown on television here. I think football first used the term for the effective fifth division (known as the Football Conference), and rugby league also started using it as well.

 

A conference tends to be associated with a competition that has an unbalanced fixture list (i.e. teams don't meet home and away an equal number of times). As teams in the early incarnations of the speedway third division only had to ride a minimum of twelve fixtures and didn't have to meet every other team, somehow the idea that it used 'conference principles' seemed to take hold.

 

I wouldn't object to calling it the 'British Conference', but 'Conference League' is just ridiculous.

Edited August 9, 2005 by Kevin Meynell

[John Leslie]

I wouldn't object to calling it the 'British Conference', but 'Conference League' is just ridiculous.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Agree totally.

Conference League is a contradiction in terms. It's either a Conference or a League.

Since it is made up predominantly of British riders I would say "British League" or "British Conference" is the best answer, with "British League" being favourite as the competition is run on a league basis not a conference basis.

[BertHoven]

My dictionary [Merriman-Webster Online] defines the meanings of our three groupings of clubs/teams as:

 

 

ELITE. The choice part.

 

PREMIER. First in position, rank or importance.

 

CONFERENCE. An association of athletic teams.

 

 

Based solely on those definitions it would seem that the Premier League equates with First Division, the Elite League with Second Division and the Conference, and here I would stress that I am using the above dictionary definitions and not expressing my opinion, has nothing whatsoever to do with the sport of speedway racing.

 

This all goes to show that these titles are nothing more than a confusing and worthless marketing ploy. It would be better to adopt the simple nomenclature of Divsion 1, Division 2 and Division 3. This would, of course, suggest levels of quality.

 

As I speedway supporter I would support the local team whichever grouping they occupied.

[Guest speedyguy]

My dictionary [Merriman-Webster Online] defines the meanings of our three groupings of clubs/teams as:

ELITE.  The choice part.

 

PREMIER.  First in position, rank or importance.

 

CONFERENCE.  An association of athletic teams.

Based solely on those definitions it would seem that the Premier League equates with First Division, the Elite League with Second Division and the Conference, and here I would stress that I am using the above dictionary definitions and not expressing my opinion, has nothing whatsoever to do with the sport of speedway racing.

 

This all goes to show that these titles are nothing more than a confusing and worthless marketing ploy.  It would be better to adopt the simple nomenclature of Divsion 1, Division 2 and Division 3.  This would, of course, suggest levels of quality.

 

As I speedway supporter I would support the local team whichever grouping they occupied.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Yes, get speedway back to the format of the immediate pre- and post-war years. Things worked then and riders stayed at tracks for years. It was wonderful.

[BertHoven]

Yes, get speedway back to the format of the immediate pre- and post-war years. Things worked then and riders stayed at tracks for years. It was wonderful.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Can't comment on the 'immediate' pre-war years, Speedy, as I was only a nipper then and had never heard of speedway.

 

As to the 'immediate' post war period - now that I do know. I was there, watching the rebuilding of what was to become a great national family spectator sport.

 

Oh, what days they were for a lad of fourteen. The thrill of it all, that time when every man [and a few women too] involved in the rebuilding was doing it for the sake of the sport. They had to for there wasn't much money to be made from speedway then.

 

They were great days. They were wonderful days. More even than that; They were unique days!!!

 

The the thrill, the excitement, the joy of those days cannot be told through any form of media. It lies and lives in the heart - at least it does in mine even though I'm now approaching my seventy-third birthday!

 

Enjoy your speedway as much as I've enjoyed and still enjoy mine. Best steer clear of the politics though.

 

Ron.

[goose]

although i agree with your argument in part what would we rename it too 1st 2nd and 3rd divisions imply a promotion and religation thing going on

so who about the british amatur confrance or BAC?

[SwissPosition]

There's something horribly New Labour about league naming these days. I can't see what's wrong with First Division, Second Division, and Third Division myself, but that would doubtless irritate the PL by changing their name to something that didn't sound like "the best".

[shazzybird]

I always liked National League can't they go back to using that?

[Kevin Meynell]

although i agree with your argument in part what would we rename it  too 1st 2nd and 3rd divisions imply a promotion and religation thing going on

 

League 1, League 2 and League 3?

[Unibabe]

When Simon Stead, David Howe, Oliver Allen etc rode in that league I remember it been called the Amateur league!

 

I know what everyone means about the league names being confusing as whenever you speak to someone not involved with speedway they seem to find it very strange that the premier league is not the top league.

 

Thats just given me an idea..... call them the top, middle and bottom leagues!

Edited August 26, 2005 by Unibabe

[goose]

Thats just given me an idea..... call them the top, middle and bottom leagues!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

implies promotion etcc.......... iv sed this b4

[Kevin Meynell]

implies promotion etcc.......... iv sed this b4

 

I think using the term in preference to division makes it clearer there's not necessarily any connection between the competitions. However, consistent numbering of the leagues is still more logical than calling them Elite, Premier and Conference.

[BertHoven]

Thats just given me an idea..... call them the top, middle and bottom leagues!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Not a good idea, Unibabe, it immediately gives the impression of superiority, inferioroity and barrel scrapings!

 

I emphase my original suggestion of First, Second and Third Divisions.

[goose]

the names dont mean anything on pupose because they have no bering on the quaility of riding its just names!!!!!!

[Kevin Meynell]

the names dont mean anything on pupose because they have no bering on the quaility of riding its just names!!!!!!

 

Strange.. I could have sworn the best riders rode in the Elite League!

[goose]

i didnt mean that sorry i mnt that the names dont imply any promotion etc

[Guest speedyguy]

Can't comment on the 'immediate' pre-war years, Speedy, as I was only a nipper then and had never heard of speedway.

 

As to the 'immediate' post war period - now that I do know.  I was there, watching the rebuilding of what was to become a great national family spectator sport.

 

Oh, what days they were for a lad of fourteen.  The thrill of it all, that time when every man [and a few women too] involved in the rebuilding was doing it for the sake of the sport.  They had to for there wasn't much money to be made from speedway then.

 

They were great days.  They were wonderful days.  More even than that; They were unique days!!!

 

The the thrill, the excitement, the joy of those days cannot be told through any form of media.  It lies and lives in the heart - at least it does in mine even though I'm now approaching my seventy-third birthday!

 

Enjoy your speedway as much as I've enjoyed and still enjoy mine.  Best steer clear of the politics though.

 

 

Ron.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Thanks for kind reply. I think we have passed through the same era - which was good speedway in its post-war days. It's been ruined since the introduction of guest riders, team equalisation and men with calculators setting averages for teams every year. No other sport has it - look at football - and the clubs survive. We also need a free-for-all policy as was the case years ago when great teams like Wembley and Belle Vue evolved. We also knew, year on year, who our riders would be. Now we don't know from week to week it seems. Men like Ronnie Greene, Johnnie Hoskins and Fred Mockford to name a few ran speedway much better and with more dedication than those "organising" it today. More importantly, they knew how to put on a slick show and PROMOTE speedway to the public at large and not just the fans.