eric i Posted July 28, 2007 Report Share Posted July 28, 2007 On plant speedway there were talks of only having 2 leagues next year with the wealthier PL clubs joining the EL. I think this would work if they also did the following…. 1.Only let riders ride in two countries, so there would be less use of rider replacement and guests. 2.Reduce the points limit in both leagues, so teams would be more even. 3.Set the admission prices for all clubs in the EL to £12 adults and PL to £10 adults. The leagues would probably look like this. Elite league 1. Poole 2. Coventry 3. Belle Vue 4. Arena Essex 5. Eastbourne 6. Ipswich 7. Wolverhampton 8. Peterborough 9. Reading 10. Swindon 11. Birmingham 12. Kings Lynn 13. Oxford 14. Sheffield 15. Stoke 16. Rye House Premier League 1. Workington 2. Glasgow 3. Edinburgh 4. Berwick 5. Newcastle 6. Redcar 7. Mildenhall 8. Somerset 9. Sittingbourne 10. Plymouth 11. Scunthorpe 12. Weymouth 13. Newport 14. Isle of Wight 15. Buxton 16. Exeter (hopefully Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
father jack Posted July 28, 2007 Report Share Posted July 28, 2007 I don't think Stoke, Oxford, Birmingham, Sheffield, are keen on Elite Leauge, and there doubts about Reading. As for Pl, I dont think Sittingbourne and Buxton could afford it not sure about Plymouth and Weymouth. All clubs an the UK have to complete at a level thats viable for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
em1500uk Posted July 28, 2007 Report Share Posted July 28, 2007 I didn't think King's Lynn were too keen on EL either, but maybe that's changed I know where I'd rather be though... I was told Plymouth had put in a bid to join the PL, but that maybe hearsay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eric i Posted July 28, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 28, 2007 Stoke, Oxford, Birmingham, Sheffield and kings Lynn may change there mind with a lowered points limit. If it was around 38 or 36 then they would only need to change about 3 riders. This goes for Sittingbourne and Buxton in the PL they would only need to change about 3 or 4 riders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MARK246 Posted July 28, 2007 Report Share Posted July 28, 2007 Of the tracks listed for the EL, IMO only four would be classed as certain to run next season, Coventry,Poole,Wolves and Swindon the rest I think will have problems maintaining the level of team required.In sport in the UK in general there is a decline in attendance. It will need promoters with deep pockets to cover loses incured by the lower clubs. The only way to encourage PL teams to go up? and the other EL teams to stay is to reduce wage bills.This would mean removing costly GP stars and then you have a weaker league, (not so Elite any more) but maybe getting a more even spread of the remaining talent. Effectivly this takes us back to the one big league that was tried before but with smaller costs. The only other altenative is a smaller EL consisting of eight teams running an A and B series. Quite why a PL club would risk financial security to join a dying league is beyond me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
em1500uk Posted July 28, 2007 Report Share Posted July 28, 2007 Quite why a PL club would risk financial security to join a dying league is beyond me. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> My thoughts exactly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
star ghost Posted July 29, 2007 Report Share Posted July 29, 2007 And, if I am not mistaken, the Kings Lynn promotion think this way also Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
25yearfan Posted July 29, 2007 Report Share Posted July 29, 2007 If it was done properly, EG the fair distribution of riders then it could work for most teams but; I'm afraid Buxton and Sittingbourne struggle to afford CL so most definately couldn't run at an even higher level. Also finishing the CL would most probably mean the end of one of its stronger better run clubs in Boston who don't have a track of their own and don't get regular good crowds at KL. So looking at these points it is far better to continue with 3 leagues - but trying to make the EL more interesting and viable. With Exeter hopefully returing, Oxford likely to revert to PL, Scunthorpe set to move up with Plymouth thinking about it, as well as strong murmouring from 2 former big league teams who could have new stadiums then their would be scope for 3-4 of the better PL tracks to move up without hurting the PL number wise! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eric i Posted July 29, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 29, 2007 The only way to encourage PL teams to go up? and the other EL teams to stay is to reduce wage bills.This would mean removing costly GP stars and then you have a weaker league, (not so Elite any more) but maybe getting a more even spread of the remaining talent. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> There would be less wage bills if they only let riders ride in two countries therefore a lot of the GP star would ride in sweden and Poland. If the points limit was lowered, teams wouldn't have many top expensive riders.This would mean the league would be alot weaker and the name might need to be changed from elite to 1st division. There might need to be a third division of 8 teams in which teams like Buxton, Sittingbourne and Weymouth could be in. There would also be teams from the current CL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Smith Posted July 29, 2007 Report Share Posted July 29, 2007 Jonny Chapman did say on the centre concrete that King's Lynn will strongly consider riding the top league if next season's BIG CHANGES come off and there will be some BIG CHANGES. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Meynell Posted July 29, 2007 Report Share Posted July 29, 2007 (edited) I'm afraid Buxton and Sittingbourne struggle to afford CL so most definately couldn't run at an even higher level. Also finishing the CL would most probably mean the end of one of its stronger better run clubs in Boston who don't have a track of their own and don't get regular good crowds at KL. I guess you could still run a third division for second teams, or teams without tracks of their own. Exceptionally you could allow marginal standalone tracks such as Buxton and Sittingbourne to join as well. Even without Buxton, Sittingbourne and Boston, there could still be two leagues of 14 and 15 tracks respectively (16 if Exeter returned). Edited July 29, 2007 by Kevin Meynell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matousek Posted July 29, 2007 Report Share Posted July 29, 2007 Jonny Chapman did say on the centre concrete that King's Lynn will strongly consider riding the top league if next season's BIG CHANGES come off and there will be some BIG CHANGES. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> hmm wonder what these changes would entail Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Meynell Posted July 29, 2007 Report Share Posted July 29, 2007 There would be less wage bills if they only let riders ride in two countries therefore a lot of the GP star would ride in sweden and Poland. They would take some sort of international agreement, and I doubt that will happen. However, there's no doubt the Elite League needs to cut costs, so some of the top riders will have to go. the name might need to be changed from elite to 1st division. Elite and Premier are silly meaningless superlatives anyway. I can understand why you might not want to use Division 1 and 2 when they're effectively separate leagues, but what's wrong with 'League One' and 'League Two', or even 'British League' and 'National League'? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matousek Posted July 29, 2007 Report Share Posted July 29, 2007 does any have the link where i may be able to read about this, cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Meynell Posted July 29, 2007 Report Share Posted July 29, 2007 hmm wonder what these changes would entail I'd imagine it would entail running the BEL (or top league) at a level closer to the BPL. Perhaps something akin to the level of the BPL circa 1995/96. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matousek Posted July 29, 2007 Report Share Posted July 29, 2007 I'd imagine it would entail running the BEL (or top league) at a level closer to the BPL. Perhaps something akin to the level of the BPL circa 1995/96. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> well i will admit that wasnt every1s cup of tea, and for some a financial flop, but 95/96 was my best years in all 16 years ive been going. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Meynell Posted July 29, 2007 Report Share Posted July 29, 2007 (edited) well i will admit that wasnt every1s cup of tea, and for some a financial flop, but 95/96 was my best years in all 16 years ive been going. I think the sport experienced a bit of a mini-revival for the couple of years the single league was in operation, which demonstrates that variety is preferable to supposed quality. Unfortunately, the league proved too expensive for some of the smaller tracks who ended-up closing, or who would have closed had it continued. Of course, the original BPL was still pitched as a league featuring all (or most of) the top riders, but the current BEL is in a much more precarious state. Clearly one big league still wouldn't be viable, but there are 10 more tracks now, so a two league structure isn't out of the question. The main issue is whether the BEL is prepared to 'lower' its standards to make it viable for 4 or 5 current BPL teams to move-up. Edited July 29, 2007 by Kevin Meynell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matousek Posted July 29, 2007 Report Share Posted July 29, 2007 I think the sport experienced a bit of a mini-revival for the couple of years the single league was in operation, which demonstrates that variety is preferable to supposed quality. Unfortunately, the league proved too expensive for some of the smaller tracks who ended-up closing, or who would have closed had it continued. Clearly one big league still wouldn't be viable, but there are 10 more tracks now, so a two league structure isn't out of the question. The main issue is whether the BEL is prepared to 'lower' its standards to make it viable for 4 or 5 current BPL teams to move-up. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I think that the bigger clubs have got to lower the standards to keep british speedway going, otherwise you will have like people have said, a 4 team tournament. Well that would be a no go so somethings got to give. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eric i Posted July 30, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 30, 2007 (edited) They would need to take some sort of international agreement, and I doubt that will happen. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> They wouldn't need to take some sort of international agreement, they could just not let riders ride in britan if they are riding in two other counties already. Edited July 30, 2007 by eric i Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MARK246 Posted July 30, 2007 Report Share Posted July 30, 2007 They wouldn't need to take some sort of international agreement, they could just not let riders ride in britan if they are riding in two other counties already. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> And trust promoters to play fair ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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