ch958 Posted May 26, 2015 Report Share Posted May 26, 2015 I think one big Premier League is inevitable. The Elite League has been on borrowed time for several years now and with Birmingham and Eastbourne closing last season it is surely only one club folding away from collapse. i agree completely MattK - the 64000 dollar question is - and always has been - at what level? Remember what happened last time? Berwick, Redcar, Worky, Scunny - these clubs can't pay for EL heat leaders. But as i've said before - the very idea of weakening the EL causes riots on here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveLyric2 Posted May 26, 2015 Report Share Posted May 26, 2015 Not quite though....................................... Poole charge £17 - the same as a number of PL teams. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BWitcher Posted May 26, 2015 Report Share Posted May 26, 2015 Poole charge £17 - the same as a number of PL teams. Exactly. So PL are ripping of their fans.. Simples. i agree completely MattK - the 64000 dollar question is - and always has been - at what level? Remember what happened last time? Berwick, Redcar, Worky, Scunny - these clubs can't pay for EL heat leaders. But as i've said before - the very idea of weakening the EL causes riots on here The very idea of weakening the EL has caused riots on here because those 'rioting' predicted exactly what would happen. And it has. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The White Knight Posted May 26, 2015 Report Share Posted May 26, 2015 What do you mean - weakening the Elite League. Has the Elite League itself not done that already, by employing National League Riders as a penny pinching measure. Add in the Premier League 'Double Uppers' and there is not much Elite left in the Elite League. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moxey63 Posted May 26, 2015 Report Share Posted May 26, 2015 The Elite League is merely watered down (diluted) water. Sad thing is, it's just as appealing.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The White Knight Posted May 26, 2015 Report Share Posted May 26, 2015 The Elite League is merely watered down (diluted) water. Sad thing is, it's just as appealing.... Sadly you are right. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billybikespeedway Posted May 26, 2015 Report Share Posted May 26, 2015 When I saw promotion and relegation my first thought was whoever wins the elite league would be promoted to the Swedish or Polish league which are the next step up from our Elite League, just a thought ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moxey63 Posted May 26, 2015 Report Share Posted May 26, 2015 (edited) Promotion and relegation has never been given a chance to work, nor were the one big league 20 years ago. It was great seeing all the different sides of the one-big league of 1995 and 1996, as riders of past second string standing became top riders for their clubs. Promotion and relegation, the season it was taken serious (1991), it added something extra to the season. I recall the likes of Oxford, Eastbourne etc, relegation threatened, came to Belle Vue with a real purpose at the end of the season. Relegation fell apart though, when Swindon bellyached their way out of the drop, and the experiment of one up-one down soon vanished. Peoplewill say, rightly or wrongly,that PL sides wouldn't step up due to the cost factor. But who is saying the top league would have to have the running costs of, say, the current EL. Build Promotion and Relegation around finances that every side can conform to, whether it be Poole or Plymouth. It is about time speedway became grown up and serious, not professing to be a professional sport that doesn't even know its true identity. Edited May 26, 2015 by moxey63 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ch958 Posted May 26, 2015 Report Share Posted May 26, 2015 Exactly. So PL are ripping of their fans.. Simples. The very idea of weakening the EL has caused riots on here because those 'rioting' predicted exactly what would happen. And it has. you've lost me there like Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BWitcher Posted May 26, 2015 Report Share Posted May 26, 2015 (edited) What do you mean - weakening the Elite League. Has the Elite League itself not done that already, by employing National League Riders as a penny pinching measure. Add in the Premier League 'Double Uppers' and there is not much Elite left in the Elite League. Yet its still a higher quality than the Premier League. The more you mock the standard of a league higher than your own, the more you mock your own. you've lost me there like Season after season as the Elite League was weakened many of us predicted it would only result in a further deterioration in the fan base. So it has proved. Edited May 26, 2015 by BWitcher Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ch958 Posted May 26, 2015 Report Share Posted May 26, 2015 Yet its still a higher quality than the Premier League. The more you mock the standard of a league higher than your own, the more you mock your own. Season after season as the Elite League was weakened many of us predicted it would only result in a further deterioration in the fan base. So it has proved. yeah, i think the fan base started deteriorating first to be honest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BWitcher Posted May 26, 2015 Report Share Posted May 26, 2015 yeah, i think the fan base started deteriorating first to be honest Of course. However the changes made have only made things worse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ch958 Posted May 26, 2015 Report Share Posted May 26, 2015 Of course. However the changes made have only made things worse. agreed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattK Posted May 26, 2015 Report Share Posted May 26, 2015 i agree completely MattK - the 64000 dollar question is - and always has been - at what level? Remember what happened last time? Berwick, Redcar, Worky, Scunny - these clubs can't pay for EL heat leaders. But as i've said before - the very idea of weakening the EL causes riots on here It has to be at current PL level. That's a no brainer. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ch958 Posted May 26, 2015 Report Share Posted May 26, 2015 It has to be at current PL level. That's a no brainer. agreed again put your tin hat on though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattK Posted May 26, 2015 Report Share Posted May 26, 2015 If Swindon and/or Lakeside drop out of the Elite League next season, then there may be no choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orion Posted May 26, 2015 Report Share Posted May 26, 2015 If Swindon and/or Lakeside drop out of the Elite League next season, then there may be no choice. Why would Swindon drop out ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattK Posted May 26, 2015 Report Share Posted May 26, 2015 Why would Swindon drop out ? No stadium? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The White Knight Posted May 26, 2015 Report Share Posted May 26, 2015 Of course. However the changes made have only made things worse. Which is more or less my point. Why would Swindon drop out ? Because they may not have a Track to Race on............................. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Humphrey Appleby Posted May 27, 2015 Report Share Posted May 27, 2015 (edited) Promotion and relegation has never been given a chance to work, nor were the one big league 20 years ago. The only way promotion and relegation works is if the top league is operating at full capacity and there's demand from other teams to join it. Otherwise it's just an artificial construct, and you're forcing teams to compete at an economic level that's beyond them. Not good for them, and not good for the sport. It is about time speedway became grown up and serious, not professing to be a professional sport that doesn't even know its true identity. Plenty of serious professional sports don't have promotion and relegation - just about all the ones in North America and Australia for starters. In fact, promotion and relegation is actually terrible for planning and running a business, and if you don't actually need to ration the teams competing at higher levels, then why have it? Football gets away with it because there's a huge pyramid structure underpinning the top levels of the sport, so when one club falls by the wayside, there's always another one to take its place. Speedway does not have that luxury though. The fact that so few teams want to ride at Elite League level merely indicates how wrong its cost structure is, and how it needs to be pitched at a much lower level. However, that just leads to howls of 'watering the product down' and how you'll never get the crowds back without the top riders, when in fact they never pulled the crowds even when they were riding in Britain. Promotion and relegation won't solve this problem. Edited May 27, 2015 by Humphrey Appleby 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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