One League - Matt Ford

[mikebv]

7 minutes ago, Gambo said:

Meeting costs are not affected by the number of riders (apart from travel money). It's the number of heats and therefore points that determine the outlay.

Get that,

But paying for ten riders will be cheaper than paying for fourteen...

As not even Speedway would keep the same costs by letting ten earn the same as fourteen did..

Especially as 'Championship Lite' would need to be the level to ensure enough teams can join 'one big league' I would think..

With the rest running at development level..

 

[HGould]

Some interesting comments.

I'd prefer 7 man teams and a 45 point limit with a stipulation of Under 21 British Reserves and help kids like Zach,Kemp; Brennan,Thomas,Bickley etc by adjusting their average down to a maximum of 4 until they are 20/21.

If we have 7 in PL and 11 in CL surely we could keep 15/16 of the 18 in business and may be a couple move down to NL (Brummies most likely to do that anyway and I hear Berwick struggling for crowds too).

I think most would love a 15-16 team league. I'd not want it split  geographically though as that would defeat object; and would need to be able to race all 7 days to succeed as many CL are Sat/Sun tracks.

[Fromafar]

It’s took a number of seasons for the “penny to finally drop” with Ford &Co.The fans have been telling them for years

[ch958]

1 hour ago, orion said:

Here we go again lets cut the standard ..When will speedway ever learn . Year 30 of the same plan 

you get your chequebook out then

[orion]

1 minute ago, ch958 said:

you get your chequebook out then

To late ...speedway has sunk so low it can't be saved now in the uk . Years of making the standard lower has killed it  I think only in speedway can people used the same plan 29 years in a row only to  think the way forward is to do the same the next year .

 

[keepturningleft]

Years ago I remember when someone like Barry Briggs came to Halifax for a league meeting, there was a special buzz and an obvious spike in attendance because this, apart from a possible international, was likely to be his one and only appearance at the track for the year.

Those special times are gone. As world champion, I doubt if the presence of Jason Doyle attracted a single extra person through the turnstile, with all due respect to Jason.

When the same teams and faces are appearing week in and week out, meetings become less meaningful and the sense of anticipation is diluted. 

The formation of one big league was the salvation of speedway in the 60's, maybe it could be again. 

[orion]

3 minutes ago, keepturningleft said:

Years ago I remember when someone like Barry Briggs came to Halifax for a league meeting, there was a special buzz and an obvious spike in attendance because this, apart from a possible international, was likely to be his one and only appearance at the track for the year.

Those special times are gone. As world champion, I doubt if the presence of Jason Doyle attracted a single extra person through the turnstile, with all due respect to Jason.

When the same teams and faces are appearing week in and week out, meetings become less meaningful and the sense of anticipation is diluted. 

The formation of one big league was the salvation of speedway in the 60's, maybe it could be again. 

The big league was hardly the salvation in the 90's thou 

[topaz325]

According to the BSPA everything is rosy in British Speedway . 

[GWC]

1 hour ago, orion said:

The big league was hardly the salvation in the 90's thou 

Principally because the ‘better off’ teams wouldn’t share around their riders so some teams struggled badly.

The British league of 1965 was successful because it provided more variety of opposition plus teams were put together under the ‘ rider control’ system.

Maybe a similar system would initially be required - especially if Buster owns all the clubs! 

[Halifaxtiger]

11 hours ago, Steve Shovlar said:

Absolutely no way would I support 5 man teams. Has to be 7 man teams with the points limit set between championship and premiership. A second league for the lesser championship teams who can expand the national development league.

The problem is finding extra riders. Currently there are not enough to go between the two league without doubling up.Using young NL British riders will help. Sure, some will be out of their depth while others will thrive. Polish Extra league has u21 6 and 7 regardless of ability who stay there even if they are world champion. We should take the same mentality.

Seven teams is no good. Not enough variety or meetings. 

I agree about 5 riders. But 6 (and all taking 5 outings) would be a compromise between the lack of riders and the need to amalgamate the leagues, especially if 1of those 6 was a British junior(as you have suggested).

I think it has to be championship level, especially with the increase in travel costs. At the moment, Poole go as far as Manchester and half of the championship clubs are well to the north of that . That still leaves the option open for some to drop into the NL, although again location may play a big part. Berwick, for example, would be about 200 miles away from the nearest current NL club. 

Its not necessarily the case that the drop in standard of rider (but not racing) will mean a loss in terms of attendances. Word is that Leicester's gates this season have increased, for example, as did Birmingham's when they went into the NL. 

One thing is certain. With that sort of loss for one meeting, something has to happen. 

[steve roberts]

7 hours ago, GWC said:

Principally because the ‘better off’ teams wouldn’t share around their riders so some teams struggled badly.

The British league of 1965 was successful because it provided more variety of opposition plus teams were put together under the ‘ rider control’ system.

Maybe a similar system would initially be required - especially if Buster owns all the clubs! 

Remember in 1987 when Hackney  elected to join the British League and only Oxford came to their assistance (despite assurances from other promotions) and loaned them Simon Wigg...which paid Oxford dearly that season after two seasons of outstanding success.

[waytogo28]

9 hours ago, Fromafar said:

It’s took a number of seasons for the “penny to finally drop” with Ford &Co.The fans have been telling them for years

The sound of our collective clamour was too insubstantial for promoters of such "height" to hear. Lofty perches and all that! It may be some years before our glorious Chairman may be able to hear. By which time it really will be too late!

[Trees]

So if we haven't got enough riders at present and with the prospect of certain ones leaving these shores if we went to one big league, what then?

[Fromafar]

50 minutes ago, Trees said:

So if we haven't got enough riders at present and with the prospect of certain ones leaving these shores if we went to one big league, what then?

We soon won’t have many Clubs the way things are going.

[Bavarian]

1 hour ago, Trees said:

So if we haven't got enough riders at present and with the prospect of certain ones leaving these shores if we went to one big league, what then?

AUSTRALIA ?

With no EU law restricting You in the future, You can call on the Aussie boys, who are eager to come over, and unliek many of the Europeans they are loyal to British speedway, not having to ride in their home country every other week durign the European season

 

[cityrebel]

40 minutes ago, Bavarian said:

AUSTRALIA ?

With no EU law restricting You in the future, You can call on the Aussie boys, who are eager to come over, and unliek many of the Europeans they are loyal to British speedway, not having to ride in their home country every other week durign the European season

 

Just like they always have since 1928.

[The Cheese]

1 hour ago, Bavarian said:

AUSTRALIA ?

With no EU law restricting You in the future, You can call on the Aussie boys, who are eager to come over, and unliek many of the Europeans they are loyal to British speedway, not having to ride in their home country every other week durign the European season

 

I would think that after the trouble of a few years ago it's very unlikely that rules on getting a visa will be relaxed.

[orion]

11 hours ago, GWC said:

Principally because the ‘better off’ teams wouldn’t share around their riders so some teams struggled badly.

The British league of 1965 was successful because it provided more variety of opposition plus teams were put together under the ‘ rider control’ system.

Maybe a similar system would initially be required - especially if Buster owns all the clubs! 

I expect it  was successful because all the top  riders rode in it etc etc and there was not much  else to do ..There been a variety of teams in the Pl for years its hardly helped or made  the crowds bigger

Edited June 1, 2019 by orion

[SteveLyric2]

2 hours ago, Bavarian said:

AUSTRALIA ?

With no EU law restricting You in the future, You can call on the Aussie boys, who are eager to come over, and unliek many of the Europeans they are loyal to British speedway, not having to ride in their home country every other week durign the European season

 

As much as the Aussies are based over here  for the season and can be loyal to our domestic league set-up - if they get offered a team place abroad you know where they will go when there are fixture clashes - especially if a new 'one league' set-up races on any night that suits each individual club!

A one league format (+ National league) of approx current championship level or below, will lose not only the top riders but also many of the non-British/Commonwealth 3rd heat leader/2nd string riders too!

Trying to propose a financial structure for all teams in such a league would be difficult if not impossible due to most clubs having different cost and income bases. For example, what works fincially for say Eastbourne or Kings Lynn who own their own stadia, would not necessarily work for say Poole, Peterborough or Sheffield who have to rent their facilities and who don't get the benefit of any food/beverage/parking revenues.

[Trees]

3 hours ago, Fromafar said:

We soon won’t have many Clubs the way things are going.

Use em or lose em, nah I think their ought to be a huge summit of all league speedway promoters to thrash out some ideas for the future of the sport ...... if things are rosy anywhere then something has to be done?