Steve Shovlar Posted May 19, 2018 Report Share Posted May 19, 2018 One big league is nonesense. Fans will not come for Poole v Redcar or Berwick. How is that going to pack out stadiums? Clubs like Sheffield and Ipswich should be in the top flight and they way they acted when the premership wanted Mondays and Thursdays was frankly disgraceful. 1 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Shovlar Posted May 19, 2018 Report Share Posted May 19, 2018 24 minutes ago, Phil The Ace said: 1 big league. 5 man teams. Then there should be enough riders. Good god no. Don’t want anything other than 7 man teams. 5 man teams to repetitive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ch958 Posted May 19, 2018 Report Share Posted May 19, 2018 too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve0 Posted May 19, 2018 Report Share Posted May 19, 2018 50 minutes ago, Steve Shovlar said: One big league is nonesense. Fans will not come for Poole v Redcar or Berwick. How is that going to pack out stadiums? Clubs like Sheffield and Ipswich should be in the top flight and they way they acted when the premership wanted Mondays and Thursdays was frankly disgraceful. Redcar and Berwick would be popular - not so sure about Poole Your arrogance precedes you! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catalan Posted May 19, 2018 Report Share Posted May 19, 2018 59 minutes ago, Steve Shovlar said: Good god no. Don’t want anything other than 7 man teams. 5 man teams to repetitive. And 8 team leagues aren't Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Smith Posted May 19, 2018 Report Share Posted May 19, 2018 I'm not against 1 big league, I just can't see who it could be a successful structure. Unlike Shovlar though, it would be so much better racing against a variety of teams once a season rather than the same teams 2 or 3 times a season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin wood Posted May 19, 2018 Report Share Posted May 19, 2018 If years ago you said let's have 8 team leagues and if you finish fourth you can still win the league you would have been laughed at! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikebv Posted May 19, 2018 Report Share Posted May 19, 2018 1 hour ago, Steve Shovlar said: Good god no. Don’t want anything other than 7 man teams. 5 man teams to repetitive. Correct, four man teams with two or three guests is what we want..... Or maybe three man teams with three or four guests is what we want...? Or maybe seven man teams made up of anyone who happens to be available is what we want..? With the current piss poor attendances, paying seven, rather than less employees makes absolutely perfect fiscal sense.. Maybe Speedway should run with eight man teams to ensure its not 'repititive' and add more costs and double upping complexity? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC2 Posted May 19, 2018 Report Share Posted May 19, 2018 Seven man teams for me too. In one big league. Assuming the BSPA can come up with a well thought out plan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevebrum Posted May 20, 2018 Report Share Posted May 20, 2018 15 hours ago, sugarray said: And 8 team leagues aren't It's worth noting that the most successful countries hosting speedway (Sweden and Poland) run 7 man teams in an 8 team league. Seems to be the best way forward. One big league has already proven before it won't work. Worst thing that could happen to the sport. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aces51 Posted May 20, 2018 Report Share Posted May 20, 2018 10 minutes ago, stevebrum said: It's worth noting that the most successful countries hosting speedway (Sweden and Poland) run 7 man teams in an 8 team league. Seems to be the best way forward. One big league has already proven before it won't work. Worst thing that could happen to the sport. That's isn't true. One combined league brought about the success of the 70's and 80's but failed in the 90's. Society and the popularity of the sport have changed dramatically since then so neither example may now be relevant. However, what we do know know it's that current structure certainly doesn't work. I would love the see the big stars back in the UK but I would love much more to see the sport grow and become, at the very least, sustainable. The fact is that it is more important to give fans settled teams where, injury apart, absences are a rarity, regular weekly meetings on the nights that best suit that team and preferably a number of local riders in each team that fans will better identify with as their own. The present structure is broken beyond repair and we have to go back to basics and rebuild. We also must have the leadership that has the vision and ability to carry through the changes needed. Whether that comes from an independent body or the BSPA perhaps doesn't matter, what is vital is that they have the necessary authority and are capable of doing the job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iris123 Posted May 20, 2018 Report Share Posted May 20, 2018 5 minutes ago, Aces51 said: That's isn't true. One combined league brought about the success of the 70's and 80's but failed in the 90's. I think the success of the 70’s and 80’s was more down to having two leagues where the likes of Peter Collins,Michael Lee and later Gary Havelock,Martin Dugard etc all started in the lower league.It brought us no end of talent,before foreign riders started taking places away.Local riders are very important in bonding people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevebrum Posted May 20, 2018 Report Share Posted May 20, 2018 5 minutes ago, Aces51 said: That's isn't true. One combined league brought about the success of the 70's and 80's but failed in the 90's. Society and the popularity of the sport have changed dramatically since then so neither example may now be relevant. However, what we do know know it's that current structure certainly doesn't work. I would love the see the big stars back in the UK but I would love much more to see the sport grow and become, at the very least, sustainable. The fact is that it is more important to give fans settled teams where, injury apart, absences are a rarity, regular weekly meetings on the nights that best suit that team and preferably a number of local riders in each team that fans will better identify with as their own. The present structure is broken beyond repair and we have to go back to basics and rebuild. We also must have the leadership that has the vision and ability to carry through the changes needed. Whether that comes from an independent body or the BSPA perhaps doesn't matter, what is vital is that they have the necessary authority and are capable of doing the job. Settled teams are the key and why I think the fixed night is a good thing. There is no getting away from the fact that there aren't enough riders to fill one big league unless it's a radical re think on the way forward. Which is more than overdue. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aces51 Posted May 20, 2018 Report Share Posted May 20, 2018 2 minutes ago, iris123 said: I think the success of the 70’s and 80’s was more down to having two leagues where the likes of Peter Collins,Michael Lee and later Gary Havelock,Martin Dugard etc all started in the lower league.It brought us no end of talent,before foreign riders started taking places away.Local riders are very important in bonding people. Crowd numbers increased from the amalgamation of the league in 1965 and it was because of that success that the second division started in 1967. There were many factors which added to that success, the emergence of top class British riders, which resulted in the dominance of the national team, local riders progressing through the second division to become international stars and the Belle Vue and Eastbourne training schools, which produced many good riders. However, it was the amalgamation of the leagues and that rebirth which made possible most of the other things that then happened. Without that rebirth things would have continued as they were no doubt with the two warring factions of the National and Provincial League escalating their problems. Speedway would have stagnated with very likely no opportunities for riders from the Provincial League to move up and progress. They would have probably been blocked from doing so because without the eventual agreement in 1965 those Provincial League tracks would have been unlicenced and the riders banned from SCB licenced tracks. Thankfully, the National League realised that they could not survive alone and the results of the inquiry were accepted by both sides. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trees Posted May 20, 2018 Report Share Posted May 20, 2018 (edited) 14 hours ago, DC2 said: Seven man teams for me too. In one big league. Assuming the BSPA can come up with a well thought out plan. I don’t think the promoters would agree to it as a whole, I don’t think there are enough riders to have equal teams either, we’ll see .... This isn’t what the riders want either, most want to race for 2 teams ...... they wouldn’t have this with one big league, 19 teams, no home/away twice, less meetings, less earnings ..... Edited May 20, 2018 by Trees Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aces51 Posted May 20, 2018 Report Share Posted May 20, 2018 (edited) 38 minutes ago, stevebrum said: Settled teams are the key and why I think the fixed night is a good thing. There is no getting away from the fact that there aren't enough riders to fill one big league unless it's a radical re think on the way forward. Which is more than overdue. I don't disagree with fixed nights in principle. What I do disagree with is the fixed nights we have ended up with. It is an agreement that could be the cause of teams facing serious financial difficulties and that is not acceptable and outweighs any perceived benefits. What if any or all of those teams close or apply to join the CL? If 2 or more teams went there will be no PL or FNR. Edited May 20, 2018 by Aces51 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC2 Posted May 20, 2018 Report Share Posted May 20, 2018 1 hour ago, Trees said: I don’t think the promoters would agree to it as a whole, I don’t think there are enough riders to have equal teams either, we’ll see .... This isn’t what the riders want either, most want to race for 2 teams ...... they wouldn’t have this with one big league, 19 teams, no home/away twice, less meetings, less earnings ..... Good point about the riders and their earnings. I guess double uppers currently have more than 50 meetings here and some more abroad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IainB Posted May 20, 2018 Report Share Posted May 20, 2018 3 hours ago, Fred Flange said: Fixed race nights will always fail when one of the nights is Monday. I'd better not mention wolves as their obtuse fans will get upset Just because they ride Monday's doesn't mean it's great for them either, I've watched their crowds drop over the years attending as an away fan since the late '80's watching section after section of the stadium being closed off due to lack of numbers... makes you wonder what crowds they could get if they didn't race Monday's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trackrat Posted May 20, 2018 Report Share Posted May 20, 2018 23 hours ago, Steve Shovlar said: Poole v Redcar. That’ll pull them in! You're so insulting I'm embarrassed for you. It wasn't that long ago the mighty Poole was in the second tier, can remember going to Enfield park to watch them lose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beowulf Posted May 20, 2018 Report Share Posted May 20, 2018 16 minutes ago, iainb said: Just because they ride Monday's doesn't mean it's great for them either, I've watched their crowds drop over the years attending as an away fan since the late '80's watching section after section of the stadium being closed off due to lack of numbers... makes you wonder what crowds they could get if they didn't race Monday's You are incorrect, Ladbrokes who own the stadium, decided to close the home straight, nothing to do with lack of speedway numbers. In 1996 when Wolves reached the KO Cup final we had to race the 'home' leg of the final at Long Eaton while alterations to the greyhound track were going on. Not exactly ideal eh ? But renting a track, you are totally in the hands of the landlord. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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