2019 NL Season

[Halifaxtiger]

5 hours ago, East End Fan said:

If a club like Birmingham can make Speedway a profitable business in the National League, what possible incentive is there to move

into a far more costly Championship, a level at which we keep reading stories of money troubles, tracks for sale and now even the

millionaire owned Glasgow threatening to close if things do not improve after 2019 ??  How would all those fans ( don't think it's all that many)

who are howling for Championship level feel if,  after moving up,  the club loses money and shuts down again ? It's a no-brainer for me.

Its a matter of ambition. I suspect  It would be the aim of every club in existence to go as high as they can in the world of speedway, and some are prepared to accept substantial losses in doing so (for right or wrong). 

My own view is that Glasgow are at least partly the architects of their own situation. If you pay huge amounts of money to riders - as they by all accounts do - and don't attract the attendances and sponsorship to pay for them, you can only expect thumping losses. 

[cityrebel]

Look at somersets recently signed heat leader trio. How can any NL club compete with that.

[Fromafar]

Sad to see Buxton,the only Team who tried to compete with spirit which the league was set up but were outgunned in the end by glory hunters paying over the odds to riders for success.

[teaboy279]

9 hours ago, Fromafar said:

Sad to see Buxton,the only Team who tried to compete with spirit which the league was set up but were outgunned in the end by glory hunters paying over the odds to riders for success.

My opinion is Buxton just failed to move with the times.

[Fromafar]

56 minutes ago, teaboy279 said:

My opinion is Buxton just failed to move with the times.

So have a number of clubs unfortunately they have financial issues too.

[Brummies_Ste]

Jack Smith the 1st victim of the low 36 point NL

Belle Vue Colts cant include him  so Jack looking for new team 2019 

[Halifaxtiger]

On ‎11‎/‎24‎/‎2018 at 8:55 AM, cityrebel said:

Look at somersets recently signed heat leader trio. How can any NL club compete with that.

The same way Somerset do. A promoter funding the track's losses. 

Debbie Hancock has repeatedly said that their gates aren't good and word I got was that winning the PLa few seasons ago cost them £90k. 

19 hours ago, Fromafar said:

Sad to see Buxton,the only Team who tried to compete with spirit which the league was set up but were outgunned in the end by glory hunters paying over the odds to riders for success.

That's simply not true. The league was set up for development and its performed - and continues to perform - an admirable task. The GB team at Glasgow last season were all products of the third tier of British Speedway. 

I think its a myth that Buxton chose to maintain the 'spirit' of the league and more the truth that they simply lacked the resources and income to match some of the other clubs. Had they had those resources, they would have been no different.

In addition, its not all about development. The NL is still a business, and to stay in business it needs to have an attractive product. Moreover, there is no better way to attract crowds than success, and no better way to lose them than being continually unsuccessful.  

The NL has consistently struck a balance between development and viability, and its done an excellent job. 

9 hours ago, Fromafar said:

So have a number of clubs unfortunately they have financial issues too.

Jayne Moss has made it clear that Buxton made a big loss last season but I suspect the killer blow was Sheffield switching to Sundays. 

Of the existing NL clubs for 2019, though, I am aware of only one that makes one substantial losses.  Along with the reduction in clubs, that's what makes the new points limit so hard to understand (particularly when they tried -with 10 teams - to increase it for 2018).

My suspicion is that there has been meddling or pressure from people outside the league, and that's not on. 

Edited December 1, 2018 by Halifaxtiger

[Fromafar]

4 hours ago, Halifaxtiger said:

The same way Somerset do. A promoter funding the track's losses. 

Debbie Hancock has repeatedly said that their gates aren't good and word I got was that winning the PLa few seasons ago cost them £90k. 

That's simply not true. The league was set up for development and its performed - and continues to perform - an admirable task. The GB team at Glasgow last season were all products of the third tier of British Speedway. 

I think its a myth that Buxton chose to maintain the 'spirit' of the league and more the truth that they simply lacked the resources and income to match some of the other clubs. Had they had those resources, they would have been no different.

In addition, its not all about development. The NL is still a business, and to stay in business it needs to have an attractive product. Moreover, there is no better way to attract crowds than success, and no better way to lose them than being continually unsuccessful.  

The NL has consistently struck a balance between development and viability, and its done an excellent job. 

Jayne Moss has made it clear that Buxton made a big loss last season but I suspect the killer blow was Sheffield switching to Sundays. 

Of the existing NL clubs for 2019, though, I am aware of only one that makes one substantial losses.  Along with the reduction in clubs, that's what makes the new points limit so hard to understand (particularly when they tried -with 10 teams - to increase it for 2018).

My suspicion is that there has been meddling or pressure from people outside the league, and that's not on. 

Will not any GB team be products of third tier though,you have got to start somewhere

[TurnTwo]

Think, next year you could have an under 17 team of Brennan Kemp Gilkes Edwards that’s how good the third tier and British youth system is we are now developing riders that are heat leaders at such a young age 

[dontforgetthefueltapsbruv]

3 hours ago, TurnTwo said:

Think, next year you could have an under 17 team of Brennan Kemp Gilkes Edwards that’s how good the third tier and British youth system is we are now developing riders that are heat leaders at such a young age 

and Flint

[flipper11]

52 minutes ago, dontforgetthefueltapsbruv said:

and Flint

and Rowe

[East End Fan]

Yes, it is a pleasure to see the youngsters with real talent as they progress. I was really impressed with Anders Rowe last season. I went to

Kent from time to time, and every visit I made he looked better and better.  I see that they have now signed Gilkes, another impressive performer

that I look forward to watching.  With regard to the numbers of such kids, cannot the BSPA fix up a Test Match or two with, say, Denmark, at Under

19 level. I'd love to see that.   But I do not see much enterprise in that direction.

[topsoil]

The British Youth Championships have got as much as anything to do with the increase in quality of riders coming through, year on year it seems that more good young riders are getting into the system. Hopefully those in charge can see this and give it all the support they can. Meeting against other countries are an excellent idea, the more experience they can get of different environments the better.

[Halifaxtiger]

19 hours ago, Fromafar said:

Will not any GB team be products of third tier though,you have got to start somewhere

Not necessarily. To be fair, its rare for a rider not to start in the NL, but  Richard Lawson, for example, had no more than a handful of outings in that league before getting a team place at Workington.

[Halifaxtiger]

19 hours ago, TurnTwo said:

Think, next year you could have an under 17 team of Brennan Kemp Gilkes Edwards that’s how good the third tier and British youth system is we are now developing riders that are heat leaders at such a young age 

The infuriating bit is that with the low points limit in the NL this season the likes of Brennan and Kemp are not guaranteed a team place. We have already seen Jack Smith shown the door at Belle Vue, and he is going to be very lucky to get in anywhere else.

How stupid is it that our best youngsters are - at least potentially - denied a position in our development league ? 

Edited December 2, 2018 by Halifaxtiger

[adz_mft]

4 hours ago, Halifaxtiger said:

The infuriating bit is that with the low points limit in the NL this season the likes of Brennan and Kemp are not guaranteed a team place. We have already seen Jack Smith shown the door at Belle Vue, and he is going to be very lucky to get in anywhere else.

How stupid is it that our best youngsters are - at least potentially - denied a position in our development league ? 

That's the issue.Think I counted 23 riders on over an 8 average in the NL.Well over half will miss out of getting more experience from this level.Teams are going to be left with riders on a 5 point average who have been in the league for years as a 3rd heat leader.Hardly the way to bring people though the turnstiles.I want to see the likes of Smith who are progressing rather than riders who have stayed the same level for years.The NL is going to be a poorer product next season that's for sure 

[B.V 72]

There was nothing wrong with the league the way it was, it was doing its job producing some great racing to watch and producing a good number of riders good enougth to move up to the championship league.It was also giving the paying public value for money with a mix of riders good enough to produce some quality speedway racing and the chance to watch youngsters improve over the season a perfect mix to get me to part with my money.I have bought a season ticket every year for the Colts but next year I will not be doing so I will go to a few meetings and then form an opinion if the product on show is good enough for me to part with my money.

My worries are.

The Colts have already lost Smith and Perry next year who produced some quality/great racing round the NSS who is going to do this next year.

I don't know but say we keep Bickley as our number 1 we might see some great races against the opposing teams number 1 but in his other races there is a good chance that he will be riding on his own well in front of the other riders in the race, this I have no interest in watching.(Will others ?.)

The more talented youngsters improve very fast (Bewley,Kemp etc) and at some stage in the year to improve further need to ride against better riders there wont be many of them around to do this.

The way it is now a rider that ends the season with a high average is a good indication that he is ready to be given a chance in the Champ league.Next season will this be the case a rider that ends up with a high average will he be good enough/ready to be given a chance as this average will have been achived by racing against less talented riders.

We may lose a good few talented riders who cant or are not quite ready to get a Champ league place but who's average is to high to get a team place in the Nat league

Some of the riders that get a Champ league place spot may still need to race Nat league to help them improve further and keep  their confidence up if they are finding it hard in the Champ league.

My biggest worry is yes the National league is a development league but for people to pay their money(for some teams its not much less than the higher leagues) and turn up you have to give them a product that will give them value for money and entertain them ie good speedway racing.For me the product next year from seasons past looks like its going to be a lot poorer than previous seasons.As I say I will give it a try but if I am disappointed I am lucky I can just go back to just watching the Aces.But to me these changes could cause the sport to lose even more supporters when to me the product was fine and needed no changes what so ever.

I have a few other reasons going round in my head but the above reasons above should get my point of view across.but to me its just another worry for the future of the sport I love.

 

 

 

Edited December 2, 2018 by B.V 72

[ProudtobeaBrummie]

Will there be just 1 home and away fixture or is there 2 like in the top tier ?

[MattJ81]

38 minutes ago, ProudtobeaBrummie said:

Will there be just 1 home and away fixture or is there 2 like in the top tier ?

One I believe, hence Cradley being able to fit in the matches at Monmore (with the odd one at PB should the need arise)

[Dickie Head]

So as the end of the season approaches, are we bidding farewell to the NL?

With Stoke departed, Plymouth looking to move up and rumours that Cradley, Leicester Cubs and Belle Vue Colts are ‘doubtful’ for 2020, what happens if those scenarios actually play out. Obviously a 3 team league is impractical. Perhaps Rye House and Buxton and others could return but what is the realistic future for Kent, Mildenhall and IOW? May be Kent and Mildenhall could be induced in to a step up but I would fear for the Island’s ability to finance higher costs without a big increase in attendances or significant additional sponsorship.

I Wish I had some answers.