Real Progress Or Slipping Standards?

[Ommer Mon]

Just seen the line up for the British Semi Final at Newcastle and the thought crossed my mind that apart from Schlien, King and Lawson this could have been a National League open meeting from a couple of years back.

 

Is this a sign of how well the National League is doing in producing a new crop of Brits to compete at this stage or that standards of British Speedway have slipped since the days when Collins, Simmons, Lee, Wilson, Morton etc etc could have been involved at this stage.

 

What do you think?

[SCB]

I think it's somewhere between the two. We have a few "kids" making real progress at the moment but for years we really lacked anything. Between Loram (who only ever really had 2 or 3 good years) and Woffinden we really had a glut of riders. Nichols and Harris were it.

[foamfence]

Just seen the line up for the British Semi Final at Newcastle and the thought crossed my mind that apart from Schlien, King and Lawson this could have been a National League open meeting from a couple of years back.

 

Is this a sign of how well the National League is doing in producing a new crop of Brits to compete at this stage or that standards of British Speedway have slipped since the days when Collins, Simmons, Lee, Wilson, Morton etc etc could have been involved at this stage.

 

What do you think?

I was surprised that track was chosen and I think it might well spring a few surprises.

[Fromafar]

Just seen the line up for the British Semi Final at Newcastle and the thought crossed my mind that apart from Schlien, King and Lawson this could have been a National League open meeting from a couple of years back.

 

Is this a sign of how well the National League is doing in producing a new crop of Brits to compete at this stage or that standards of British Speedway have slipped since the days when Collins, Simmons, Lee, Wilson, Morton etc etc could have been involved at this stage.

 

What do you think?

Slipping standards by a mile IMO .

[The White Knight]

I was surprised that track was chosen and I think it might well spring a few surprises.

I must admit - it surprised me too.

 

Good on George English and the rest of the Management Team for securing this plum Event for Newcastle.

[Ommer Mon]

I think it's somewhere between the two. We have a few "kids" making real progress at the moment but for years we really lacked anything. Between Loram (who only ever really had 2 or 3 good years) and Woffinden we really had a glut of riders. Nichols and Harris were it.

 

I agree with that SCB.I think the quality of British riders hit a real low a few seasons back and as you say we had very little to trouble the Grand Prix scorers between Loram and Woofy.

 

I've seen quite a lot of National League speedway since the Heathens came back in 2010 and I think there have been some real successes flowing through. Craig Cook, Steve Worrall and Paul Starke are mixing it at top level. Not forgetting Rob Lambert though I know he only featured in the NL briefly due to his 'schooling' abroad. I think the addition of NL riders in the Elite League also helped to bring them along and learn from some of the top guys.

 

I hope we have made some progress and that some of the products will now start to develop into international riders to take over from Chris Harris and Scotty. Hopefully we will see the benefits in the World Cup in future.