TMW Posted January 31, 2011 Report Share Posted January 31, 2011 the Brits that are worthy of a place get a place I hear this term used a lot and I would like to know what parametres or criteria should be used to measure this. This is a genuine question as I would be interested to know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrystalCastles Posted January 31, 2011 Report Share Posted January 31, 2011 What we don't, as suggested, is a situation where there are no foreign riders and perhaps no older riders with 'wobblers' making up the short fall. That would not do the league or the riders any good. Agree with that assesment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ond Posted January 31, 2011 Report Share Posted January 31, 2011 Here we go again...!!!! The age rule coming into play and teams finding problems fielding a side because dad cant take their son or son has exams to do at school. Riders willing to ride will be sitting at home or even be at the tracks doing second halves and not be allowed to ride. I would love to know of a younge lad or lass that has given up the sport just because he hasnt got a team place over the last ten years ........ if he is good enough he will earn a place!!!!! If he or she not good enough for a team place then more practice is need until good enough..... There are plenty of ameture clubs about the country for this practice and would be more if Mildenhall had been accepted into the league. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigFatDave Posted January 31, 2011 Report Share Posted January 31, 2011 It's the official title of the National League, BFD. It stands for National Development League. I thought they'd given up on the 'D', judging by some of the vintage riders going around - not that they're blocking places for juniors, perish the thought! I don't know. I'm sure it's nothing more than a coincidence but it was worth a mention. If it was just one season it would have no effect, in real terms, on British Speedway. How many top Swedes were there that would have been over here given the choice at that time? Pretty long bow you're drawing to give the credit for Screeny's emergence in the late Eighties to one year off for Swedes in the early seventies. One 'foreign' rider per team would do no harm, IMHO Hope they haven't introduced this knee jerk no 'foreigners' rule, 1 per team is sensible and i'm sure it increases crowds and they should be trying to get more people not less through the gates. I have already stated my opinion.If it helps pull in the crowds by having a Dane or a young German rider or any other nationality,it helps the clubs and so helps British riders.Without the crowds we can forget about training up young Brits because there won't be many clubs and so not many fixtures for them.Plus,like i have said before,there isn't anything stopping young Brits riding on the continent to help further their development.I remember seeing a team including Bridger and Roynon riding in Germany.Pity it isn't a yearly fixture For so long as there are enough teams in the NL that all the Brits that are worthy of a place get a place that would be fine by me too. What we don't, as suggested, is a situation where there are no foreign riders and perhaps no older riders with 'wobblers' making up the short fall. That would not do the league or the riders any good. Fair call from all there. I can't see any harm on one import per team per year - it would only improve the racing and at least give the young Brits a benchmark to aim at. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iangnz Posted January 31, 2011 Report Share Posted January 31, 2011 Some interesting comments on this thread. I used to be a track marshall / sponsor at Rye House in the late 80's, but am now based in Christchurch NZ where I try to help NZ youngsters from Canterbury Motorcycle Speedway Club to find team places in the UK (eg: Andrew Aldridge with Rye House 2008 and Bournemouth 2009). First, let's dispel a rumour about the visa issue - when commonwealth riders were admitted to the old conference league in 2008 they required what was called a working holiday visa. This was subsequently obsoleted by the UK Border Agency in late 2008, I think. It was replaced by the Tier 5 Youth Mobility Visa which, in trying to get one of our youngsters a place in the NL this year, I proved to the promoter involved makes it perfectly legal for commonwealth riders to ride in the NL. So, the visa issue is a non-starter. Having proved this, we had high hopes the rider in question would be free to ride in the NL, however, we had been warned about the possibility of the NL being 'Brits only'. In going down this path, you have gone back to the old Conference League model pre 2008, and how many future British GP riders did that produce...?? The gap between the CL and PL then was so wide that a CL heat leader struggled to score points from reserve in PL meetings. Having a limited number of commonwealth riders in the NL has helped raise the standard and closed that gap. That must be to the benefit of the British riders in the league too, mustn't it..?? Sure, some PL places are now occupied by commonwealth riders that have progressed through the NL, but the answer is not to ban them, instead the question you need to think about is why they succeeded and the British youngsters didn't..?? To us, having a few commonwealth riders in the NL was a win - win, and we hope the rules might allow it to happen again in 2012. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villiers210 Posted February 1, 2011 Report Share Posted February 1, 2011 Ian, to my mind you make some very good points regarding whether its good for British Speedway that young foeigners are allowed int the NL. My understanding now however, is that of this year, the BSPA have to declare to the UK Border Agency that foreigners wishing to ride here are at the top of their particular sport. Having said that, I will be very interested to see how they handle the eligibilty of certain riders in the PL. I whole heartedly agree with you that having a number of foreign and commonwealth riders in the NL will improve the quality of racing, and the performance of the average British rider. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scribbler Posted February 1, 2011 Report Share Posted February 1, 2011 This was subsequently obsoleted by the UK Border Agency in late 2008, I think. It was replaced by the Tier 5 Youth Mobility Visa which, in trying to get one of our youngsters a place in the NL this year, I proved to the promoter involved makes it perfectly legal for commonwealth riders to ride in the NL. So, the visa issue is a non-starter. Having proved this, we had high hopes the rider in question would be free to ride in the NL, however, we had been warned about the possibility of the NL being 'Brits only'. I'm sure you'll find that the BSPA aren't to blame. It's the fault of the 2010 UK Border Agency rulings. As villiers says, it will be interesting how the BSPA handle the rules re certain PL riders... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhidassa Posted February 1, 2011 Report Share Posted February 1, 2011 I see it is now confirmed on the BSPA that 9 teams will be competing in the 2011 National League. Sadly, I can't read more yet, as the faulty link that leads to a blank page with a years-old date as header problem on the main page news stories seems to still not have been fixed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueherb777 Posted February 1, 2011 Report Share Posted February 1, 2011 I see it is now confirmed on the BSPA that 9 teams will be competing in the 2011 National League. Sadly, I can't read more yet, as the faulty link that leads to a blank page with a years-old date as header problem on the main page news stories seems to still not have been fixed. How frustrating is that ? So just 9 teams. And no Sittingbourne ( )OR Peterborough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TMW Posted February 1, 2011 Report Share Posted February 1, 2011 (edited) I see it is now confirmed on the BSPA that 9 teams will be competing in the 2011 National League. Sadly, I can't read more yet, as the faulty link that leads to a blank page with a years-old date as header problem on the main page news stories seems to still not have been fixed. You can get it on the Dudley sight but unsure if it is the full statement. It certainly looks like it. Don't get to excited Edited February 1, 2011 by TMW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidba Posted February 1, 2011 Report Share Posted February 1, 2011 More bad news from speedway land! Thank god Leicester are opening, at this rate with only 3 riders i've never seen before in British speedway(Nelson,Bondarenko+Nedermark)and less teams in EL+NL than usual i may not bother too much this season if they are really banning foreigners from the NL too!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigFatDave Posted February 1, 2011 Report Share Posted February 1, 2011 Nine teams on the BSPA site, with Aussies Jay Herne and Todd Kurtz confirmed for the Mighty HORNETS!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nikko Posted February 1, 2011 Report Share Posted February 1, 2011 You can get it on the Dudley sight but unsure if it is the full statement. It certainly looks like it. Don't get to excited I think that is the full statement for the moment. 9 teams so only 63 riders able to ride in the National League this season (and it looks like the D for Development) has gone again. National Trophy has been scrapped because not enough clubs!! So 16 league meetings plus KO cup for each team plus an extra 2 for Dudley & Buxton for the National League Shield. If a new reserve to the league races 4 times per meeting and their team get knocked out in the first round of the KO cup thats about 72 mins of racing this season !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TMW Posted February 1, 2011 Report Share Posted February 1, 2011 (edited) I think that is the full statement for the moment. 9 teams so only 63 riders able to ride in the National League this season (and it looks like the D for Development) has gone again. National Trophy has been scrapped because not enough clubs!! So 16 league meetings plus KO cup for each team plus an extra 2 for Dudley & Buxton for the National League Shield. If a new reserve to the league races 4 times per meeting and their team get knocked out in the first round of the KO cup thats about 72 mins of racing this season !! It doesn't sound like many meetings but it may encourage more people to attend and it gives the teams more flexibility in planning for NL/PL riders to be able to ride both as those riders are missed by fans and team mates alike when absent. You can't knock it until you have tried it. Edited February 1, 2011 by TMW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueherb777 Posted February 1, 2011 Report Share Posted February 1, 2011 The statement says `The team that finishes top will be handed some silverware` What strange wording !! So I presume it means NO play-offs and the team that finishes TOP will be Champions of the NL 2011 ?????????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
21st century heathen Posted February 1, 2011 Report Share Posted February 1, 2011 the Brits that are worthy of a place get a place I just mean it would do the league no justice nor the rider any good if places were filled by someone struggling to stay on the same lap and only scoring when only three riders finish. Pretty long bow you're drawing to give the credit for Screeny's emergence in the late Eighties to one year off for Swedes in the early seventies. That's not what I said. I acknowledge from the start it's almost certainly nothing more than coincidence and specify the period I'm talking about as 15-20 years after the mid-70s ban on Swedes. I see it is now confirmed on the BSPA that 9 teams will be competing in the 2011 National League. Sadly, I can't read more yet, as the faulty link that leads to a blank page with a years-old date as header problem on the main page news stories seems to still not have been fixed. The front page often links to a blank page. I tried going to the NL menu, latest news and hey presto. http://www.speedwaygb.co/news.php?extend.9947 9 teams so only 63 riders able to ride in the National League this season (and it looks like the D for Development) has gone again. The BSPA website refers to the league as the NL and the rules and regs refer to it as the NDL, which is what has always led to confusion and debate on here. --------------------------- No mention of P'brgh which may give hope to a resolution. I'd have like a higher points limit and it's a shame some teams have been lost. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayne Posted February 1, 2011 Report Share Posted February 1, 2011 Ian, to my mind you make some very good points regarding whether its good for British Speedway that young foeigners are allowed int the NL. My understanding now however, is that of this year, the BSPA have to declare to the UK Border Agency that foreigners wishing to ride here are at the top of their particular sport. Having said that, I will be very interested to see how they handle the eligibilty of certain riders in the PL. I whole heartedly agree with you that having a number of foreign and commonwealth riders in the NL will improve the quality of racing, and the performance of the average British rider. I'm sure you'll find that the BSPA aren't to blame. It's the fault of the 2010 UK Border Agency rulings. As villiers says, it will be interesting how the BSPA handle the rules re certain PL riders... Not my understanding of the regulations but I may be wrong. To qualify for a work permit(tier 2 I think?) as a professional sportsperson you do have to meet certain criteria regarding standards but this does not apply to the tier 5 youth mobility visa which is for young people and for a maximum of two years. However, the NL is now for British riders or those with ancestery only as it was in the days of the CL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Leslie Posted February 1, 2011 Report Share Posted February 1, 2011 The statement says `The team that finishes top will be handed some silverware` What strange wording !! So I presume it means NO play-offs and the team that finishes TOP will be Champions of the NL 2011 ?????????? I presume that to mean that there ARE play-offs. The team that wins the play-off will be declared League Champions, but the team that finishes top of the league "will be handed some silverware" to mark their achievement in topping the league. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zonkers Posted February 1, 2011 Report Share Posted February 1, 2011 2011 NATIONAL LEAGUE TUESDAY FEBRUARY 01, 2011 BRITISH Speedway's National League will have nine clubs doing battle when the tapes rise on the new season. New entrants Belle Vue, Stoke and the reborn Hackney Hawks will join Buxton, Dudley, Isle of Wight, King’s Lynn, Newport and Scunthorpe in the third tier of the sport. Belle Vue will be entering their Colts team in addition to their Elite League operation, Stoke have dropped down from the Premier League and Hackney will share home meetings between Rye House and Lakeside. On the negative side an application was submitted by a potential promotion at Mildenhall but this was turned down. Bournemouth didn’t apply and with no agreement in place to see the sport continuing at Weymouth, the Wildcats have also missed out. The National Trophy has been scrapped because not enough clubs can enter the competition, but the Knockout Cup is retained. The National League Shield has been introduced and champions Buxton will face last season’s table-toppers Dudley over two legs. And whoever finishes top of the league in 2011 will be handed silverware to recognise their achievement. The points limit has been set at 40 and clubs have already started putting their teams together for the new campaign. The National League Pairs have been allocated to Newport, the Fours to Stoke and the National League Riders’ Championship returns to Rye House in September. http://www.speedwaygb.co/news.php?extend.9947 Read more: http://subedei.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=conference&thread=4770&page=1#ixzz1CiMW0k8A Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhidassa Posted February 1, 2011 Report Share Posted February 1, 2011 (edited) The front page often links to a blank page. I tried going to the NL menu, latest news and hey presto. http://www.speedwaygb.co/news.php?extend.9947 I tried that too this morning but wasn't showing up there yet, though I was doing it in a rush. It doesn't sound like many meetings but it may encourage more people to attend and it gives the teams more flexibility in planning for NL/PL riders to be able to ride both as those riders are missed by fans and team mates alike when absent. You can't knock it until you have tried it. I would imagine the stand-alone clubs wouldn't be overly happy; I doubt less meetings will benefit them. Edited February 1, 2011 by rhidassa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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