Whats actually going on?

[Ringitsneck]

1 hour ago, phillwhitewasmad said:

As a matter of interest who out of all the amateur riders is the lowest level you would go to. For me the likes of dean Douglas and Danny smith would be adequate reserves any rider currently not beating them frequently shouldn't be considered. This is no slight on these two who are both steadily improving 

I don’t think Dean is quite ready yet as his style is somewhat limited and he falls off too much but certainly Danny is definitely ready for NL. The few meetings I saw at Redcar in 2020 had a few who, even in the support class, could ride in a lower standard NL. There was the likes of Watson , Rothbury, Muff, even youngsters Goldsbrough, Lyden, the two ladies Gordon and Hellowell can control a bike well enough to be competitive.There are a few other Scottish based lads who didn’t appear in 2020 who rode in the NJL that would also be of the right standard. They do have to be able to race rather than just ride around the track ( wobblers ). There was one or two ‘ old uns ‘ that might be interested  if it wasn’t too competitive and you only needed one bike, the likes of Turner, Mudgway , Blair and possibly Parr who could fill in if required. Just depends where they want the standard or even age ( I hate the age thing as some lads don’t take it up till later on in life ) . There used to be a good crop attend Scunthorpe meetings but they thinned out when they started doing 75 plus heats in a day without any track grading plus riding once each month didn’t really bring them on enough. A lower standard NL would offer them that opportunity if it was run right.

[phillwhitewasmad]

27 minutes ago, Ringitsneck said:

I don’t think Dean is quite ready yet as his style is somewhat limited and he falls off too much but certainly Danny is definitely ready for NL. The few meetings I saw at Redcar in 2020 had a few who, even in the support class, could ride in a lower standard NL. There was the likes of Watson , Rothbury, Muff, even youngsters Goldsbrough, Lyden, the two ladies Gordon and Hellowell can control a bike well enough to be competitive.There are a few other Scottish based lads who didn’t appear in 2020 who rode in the NJL that would also be of the right standard. They do have to be able to race rather than just ride around the track ( wobblers ). There was one or two ‘ old uns ‘ that might be interested  if it wasn’t too competitive and you only needed one bike, the likes of Turner, Mudgway , Blair and possibly Parr who could fill in if required. Just depends where they want the standard or even age ( I hate the age thing as some lads don’t take it up till later on in life ) . There used to be a good crop attend Scunthorpe meetings but they thinned out when they started doing 75 plus heats in a day without any track grading plus riding once each month didn’t really bring them on enough. A lower standard NL would offer them that opportunity if it was run right.

Thought this was a reasonable post till you mentioned Gavin Parr

[BuxtonTiger]

43 minutes ago, phillwhitewasmad said:

Thought this was a reasonable post till you mentioned Gavin Parr

Out of order.

[phillwhitewasmad]

18 minutes ago, BuxtonTiger said:

Out of order.

I know the rain man well and he would have taken my post in the context it was meant 

[Ringitsneck]

13 hours ago, phillwhitewasmad said:

Thought this was a reasonable post till you mentioned Gavin Parr

I take it from your other comment that you know him well. I only mentioned him as I know he’s always appeared keen with decent equipment and unlike one or two we have had at Brough, in control ! I’m sure he would have got a NL place in the past but his age went against him, which is a shame as guys older than him have been included in teams as they were heat leader standard. Isn’t Ledworth at Kent around the same age?

I do worry that a few will have been lost to the sport with the inactivity over the last 12 months.

[Parsy29]

I heard that .

I didn't buy my first bike until the age off 44 and spent thousands trying to make it to NL standard in a short space of time which maybe was a bit crazy. Unlike Ledworth I hadn't ever ridden before so was at a huge disadvantage. I got so close with a no 7 offered for a meeting at Stoke only to be rained off ( surprise surprise ) and at the end of 2019 I decided to sell my laydowns and concentrate on upright racing. With the only competitive upright stuff at Scunny, I had a bit of a fall out over the social distancing aspect etc last season so ended up racing against the laydowns at Redcar which I was well on the pace with on a 30 year old JAWA.

So over the winter Ive purchased another laydown rolling chasis  and at the ripe old age of 49 Im looking forward to racing at a amateur level next season and see what happens.

For me the National League in a minority sport like Speedway should be purely amateur league with riders only being paid travelling expenses and maybe £5 a point as pocket money. If you have the ambition to make it in to the paid sport then like other motor sports you have to have the money behind you to make that dream a reality. If it did go back to this I believe it would become a good mix of older lads enjoying the sport which in turn could bring on the new lads and catapult them on to the next level.

[Sings4Speedway]

20 minutes ago, Parsy29 said:

I heard that .

I didn't buy my first bike until the age off 44 and spent thousands trying to make it to NL standard in a short space of time which maybe was a bit crazy. Unlike Ledworth I hadn't ever ridden before so was at a huge disadvantage. I got so close with a no 7 offered for a meeting at Stoke only to be rained off ( surprise surprise ) and at the end of 2019 I decided to sell my laydowns and concentrate on upright racing. With the only competitive upright stuff at Scunny, I had a bit of a fall out over the social distancing aspect etc last season so ended up racing against the laydowns at Redcar which I was well on the pace with on a 30 year old JAWA.

So over the winter Ive purchased another laydown rolling chasis  and at the ripe old age of 49 Im looking forward to racing at a amateur level next season and see what happens.

For me the National League in a minority sport like Speedway should be purely amateur league with riders only being paid travelling expenses and maybe £5 a point as pocket money. If you have the ambition to make it in to the paid sport then like other motor sports you have to have the money behind you to make that dream a reality. If it did go back to this I believe it would become a good mix of older lads enjoying the sport which in turn could bring on the new lads and catapult them on to the next level.

In all honesty if the snobbery was taken away i believe that graded amateur meetings would provide a good level of entertainment for many. Sadly only really Scunny offer this with a few other meetings held at Redcar, Iwade etc. With the opportunity to do more racing locally you might see more riders picking up the sport whatever age. The cream would naturally rise to the top and attract the attention of the "professional" leagues. Grasstrack doesn't really even grade the riders yet often offers a full afternoon of entertainment, if the ability levels were grouped closer then the racing and entertainment would be provided.

[cityrebel]

On 2/11/2021 at 12:31 PM, Sings4Speedway said:

In all honesty if the snobbery was taken away i believe that graded amateur meetings would provide a good level of entertainment for many. Sadly only really Scunny offer this with a few other meetings held at Redcar, Iwade etc. With the opportunity to do more racing locally you might see more riders picking up the sport whatever age. The cream would naturally rise to the top and attract the attention of the "professional" leagues. Grasstrack doesn't really even grade the riders yet often offers a full afternoon of entertainment, if the ability levels were grouped closer then the racing and entertainment would be provided.

Hopefully the amateur and grasstrack scene will resume in the summer months.

[Ringitsneck]

23 hours ago, cityrebel said:

Hopefully the amateur and grasstrack scene will resume in the summer months.

It’s looking like the ‘ amateurs ‘ will be required in the new lower standard NL and as for grass track in this country it’s dying. More than 50% of the competitors up north are on Moto x bikes and those few on proper grass track bikes most are aged 50 plus! 

[GWC]

1 hour ago, Ringitsneck said:

It’s looking like the ‘ amateurs ‘ will be required in the new lower standard NL and as for grass track in this country it’s dying. More than 50% of the competitors up north are on Moto x bikes and those few on proper grass track bikes most are aged 50 plus! 

Yes it’s appeal to youngsters seems greater than speedway and, as you say, grasstrack is now a veterans sport. Standard equipment for MX too.

[cityrebel]

4 hours ago, Ringitsneck said:

It’s looking like the ‘ amateurs ‘ will be required in the new lower standard NL and as for grass track in this country it’s dying. More than 50% of the competitors up north are on Moto x bikes and those few on proper grass track bikes most are aged 50 plus! 

Still a few meetings in Kent for me to go to. It's a decent afternoon out, with most of the tracks only an hour from my home.

[Mike.Butler]

Some good news for you Tony...

Greater Anglia have replaced the open shelter Up platform waiting area at Rye House with an enclosed waiting room with new seating and featuring automatic doors and  energy efficient air conditioning plus state of the art cctv...

thought you'd be pleased  

[Sings4Speedway]

With Kent having the lowest averaged built team and still needing to make changes how harsh has the limit been cut?  Looks like every team will be forced into changes and some like Armadale have very few options (already tracking 4 x 3.00 pointers). 

It feels a little odd that this change has been brought in now when teams are largely already built as an approach would be very different building to 32 points compared to 39. It could have been implemented next year with a respectable piece of notice. 

Either way i just hope if the NDL is to operate on a new lower limit that A. They stick to it for a few years or the averages will be horribly skewed and B. they cap the top allowed averages otherwise we could see teams built with 2 x 8.5 & 5 x 3.00 which is never going to produce any decent racing.

[East End Fan]

On 2/16/2021 at 12:13 PM, Sings4Speedway said:

With Kent having the lowest averaged built team and still needing to make changes how harsh has the limit been cut?  Looks like every team will be forced into changes and some like Armadale have very few options (already tracking 4 x 3.00 pointers). 

It feels a little odd that this change has been brought in now when teams are largely already built as an approach would be very different building to 32 points compared to 39. It could have been implemented next year with a respectable piece of notice. 

Either way i just hope if the NDL is to operate on a new lower limit that A. They stick to it for a few years or the averages will be horribly skewed and B. they cap the top allowed averages otherwise we could see teams built with 2 x 8.5 & 5 x 3.00 which is never going to produce any decent racing.

I am impressed by your mathematics.  Where did you get the information about the Kent team and its average ?  I have seen no reports on how the team

is being made up.   

[BuxtonTiger]

Now that Eastbourne have listed their fixture dates and indeed the matches v Newcastle home and away (although provisional). Is it not time for the authorities to let the riders, the public and Barry Bishop what's going on.

[W9 Lion]

I think its a positive plan to build on the growing sccess of the British Youth Championship which is starting to develop good, young riders.

Maybe the plan is get lots of untried riders into league racing.

After say, a couple of season those that are good should be at Champrionship reserve level.

Then a couple of years after that in the top league aged 20ish.

Maybe the benefits of these changes will not be seen for 4+ years

[Sings4Speedway]

20 minutes ago, BuxtonTiger said:

Now that Eastbourne have listed their fixture dates and indeed the matches v Newcastle home and away (although provisional). Is it not time for the authorities to let the riders, the public and Barry Bishop what's going on.

Newcastle certainly seem keen to rack up the miles although the fixtures may yet just be just challenges? Eastbourne are interested but i think much depends on a start date for them as the available dates for fixtures is going to be key this year. It does certainly feel strange that Leicester are making changes based upon the points limit and signing riders whilst others are being kept in the dark about things.

[Ringitsneck]

1 hour ago, Sings4Speedway said:

Newcastle certainly seem keen to rack up the miles although the fixtures may yet just be just challenges? Eastbourne are interested but i think much depends on a start date for them as the available dates for fixtures is going to be key this year. It does certainly feel strange that Leicester are making changes based upon the points limit and signing riders whilst others are being kept in the dark about things.

So now do you believe a ‘ meeting ‘ took place ?

[Sings4Speedway]

7 minutes ago, Ringitsneck said:

So now do you believe a ‘ meeting ‘ took place ?

I believe discussions have been taking place and that the league is going to be spoilt because of interference from the BSPL who only operate wit the interests of their own clubs. But the only promotion i trust is that of the IOW and will stand by the word of Barry and Martin until it is revealed without doubt they are intentionally lying to fans. Once that happens i will then walk away from the sport for good.

[Ringitsneck]

9 minutes ago, Sings4Speedway said:

I believe discussions have been taking place and that the league is going to be spoilt because of interference from the BSPL who only operate wit the interests of their own clubs. But the only promotion i trust is that of the IOW and will stand by the word of Barry and Martin until it is revealed without doubt they are intentionally lying to fans. Once that happens i will then walk away from the sport for good.

That’s fine. I obviously won’t reveal the source but they can’t keep everybody happy, not even the rest of the promoters but it’s all ‘ in the best interests of the sport ‘ as they like to say !