Where Are The National League Fixtures?

[lucifer sam]

Things have drastically improved in recent years.

 

In 1999, Oxford went to Ipswich in a top-tier match with a single week’s notice. I think the meeting was on March 18^th, so the fixtures came out that year in around the second week of March.

 

Likewise we knew about a CL match at Wimbledon in early April 2003 again with about a week’s notice i.e. the third-tier fixtures for that year came out at the end of March.

 

It’s now mid-January for the EL & PL, and early February for the NL – that’s actually a big improvement.

 

All the best

Rob

[SCB]

Things have drastically improved in recent years.

 

In 1999, Oxford went to Ipswich in a top-tier match with a single week’s notice. I think the meeting was on March 18^th, so the fixtures came out that year in around the second week of March.

 

Likewise we knew about a CL match at Wimbledon in early April 2003 again with about a week’s notice i.e. the third-tier fixtures for that year came out at the end of March.

 

It’s now mid-January for the EL & PL, and early February for the NL – that’s actually a big improvement.

 

All the best

Rob

TBF, this is one place the BSPA/British Speedway has improved dramatically in the last decade. Fair play to them.

[Vince]

The fixture list not being released until late used to be a major issue for us when my lad was riding. I used to have to book all my holiday and then rely on other people swapping with me in order to make the meetings.

 

This is one place where Speedway loses out to other motorcycle disciplines when it comes to ease of getting into racing for newcomers. They can buy a bike and practice and race amateur meetings at weekends like other sports. However when they want to step up to NL it suddenly begins to get very difficult to fit in around most jobs. There's not much that can be practically done about it but it does remain a difficulty for Speedway that other motorcycle sports don't have.

[uk_martin]

Things have drastically improved in recent years...It’s now mid-January for the EL & PL, and early February for the NL – that’s actually a big improvement....

 

So appalling is a big improvement on extremely appalling....still makes it appalliing though.

[lucifer sam]

 

So appalling is a big improvement on extremely appalling....still makes it appalliing though.

 

I would actually consider a couple of months notice fair enough - gives me plenty of time to book any time off work, etc.

 

I prefer that to a fixture list being rushed out in November/December and then being completely changed.

 

Fixture compiling has much improved massively in the last decade. As SCB has said, fair play.

 

All the best

Rob

[blueherb777]

The fixture page on the Kent Kings site is down at the moment.

Could we see something very soon ?

[Wiseguy]

They are being released at 10am this morning

[Jayne]

All will be revealed at 10am

[pete cc]

Surprise!! you can all stop moaning now & book your days off work.

[Guest]

All will be revealed at 10am

Here they are - on line - http://www.speedwaygb.co/news.php?extend.28255

[lucifer sam]

I just thought I’d see speedway compares to football, in terms of releasing a fixture list. I’ve taken my local club, Oxford United, as an example. For the U’s, the fixtures were released on June 18^th, 2014. Their first match was on August 9^th, 2014. So 52 days in advance.

 

The EL/PL fixtures were released this year on January 19^th, 2015. The official start of the season is March 15^th. That’s 55 days. Most clubs don’t start on that date, so actually it’s a bit longer.

 

The NL fixtures were released this year on February 3^rd, 2015. The official start of the season is March 15^th. That’s 40 days. However, it should be pointed out other than the Cradley/Birmingham challenge dates that were announced some time ago, the next fixture is scheduled for March 29^th. That’s 54 days. For many clubs which don’t open until April, it’s a bit longer.

 

So there you go. Speedway is comparable with Football in giving fans advance notice of fixtures. In fact, speedway is slightly better.

 

All the best

Rob

Edited February 3, 2015 by lucifer sam

[Humphrey Appleby]

I just thought I’d see speedway compares to football, in terms of releasing a fixture list. I’ve taken my local club, Oxford United, as an example. For the U’s, the fixtures were released on June 18^th, 2014. Their first match was on August 9^th, 2014. So 52 days in advance.

 

And the composition of the following season's Football League(s) is known the day after the playoffs, almost without exception. You never know in speedway who'll be running at any level until December.

[SCB]

I just thought I’d see speedway compares to football, in terms of releasing a fixture list. I’ve taken my local club, Oxford United, as an example. For the U’s, the fixtures were released on June 18^th, 2014. Their first match was on August 9^th, 2014. So 52 days in advance.

 

The EL/PL fixtures were released this year on January 19^th, 2015. The official start of the season is March 15^th. That’s 55 days. Most clubs don’t start on that date, so actually it’s a bit longer.

 

The NL fixtures were released this year on February 3^rd, 2015. The official start of the season is March 15^th. That’s 40 days. However, it should be pointed out other than the Cradley/Birmingham challenge dates that were announced some time ago, the next fixture is scheduled for March 29^th. That’s 54 days. For many clubs which don’t open until April, it’s a bit longer.

 

So there you go. Speedway is comparable with Football in giving fans advance notice of fixtures. In fact, speedway is slightly better.

 

All the best

Rob

I always thought speedway changing around of fixtures was a farce too. Until I went to football a few weeks back and heard the moaning about how fixture are dependant on how teams do in the cup, what Sky chose to do etc. Seems all sports move fixtures around with little notice!