National League 2021 - has it been abandoned?

[old bob at herne bay]

There seems to be a dearth of fixtures for National League clubs - Kent "Royals" havent ridden for weeks with a just a few home fixures scheduled for the end of September.... whilst i cannot find a fixture list at all for the Eastbourne Seagulls, since the announced demise of any double headers with the Eagles CL team.   Occasionally, I see Mildenhall race an NDL fixture . Newcastle Gems pulled out of the NDL early doors, and IoW have moved onto brighter better more innovative speedway down at Ryde.  ........ so has the new reduced points limit introduced for 2021 killed off the thrid tier ?

 

 

[PotteringAround]

31 minutes ago, old bob at herne bay said:

There seems to be a dearth of fixtures for National League clubs - Kent "Royals" havent ridden for weeks with a just a few home fixures scheduled for the end of September.... whilst i cannot find a fixture list at all for the Eastbourne Seagulls, since the announced demise of any double headers with the Eagles CL team.   Occasionally, I see Mildenhall race an NDL fixture . Newcastle Gems pulled out of the NDL early doors, and IoW have moved onto brighter better more innovative speedway down at Ryde.  ........ so has the new reduced points limit introduced for 2021 killed off the thrid tier ?

With the demise of Newcastle, the NDL was down to 7 clubs.   So there's only 42 matches to be staged in total.

Of course with BoJo delaying the easing out of lockdown from June to July, some fixtures got pushed back a bit, but so far the NDL has completed 20 of its 42 fixtures, so I don't see any problem.

22 fixtures still to go averages out at each club having to stage roughly 3 meetings, and there's half of August and all of September and October to do it.  Be nice to see some NDL individual meetings (e.g. NDLRC) or challenges if there's time.

[topsoil]

6 hours ago, old bob at herne bay said:

There seems to be a dearth of fixtures for National League clubs - Kent "Royals" havent ridden for weeks with a just a few home fixures scheduled for the end of September.... whilst i cannot find a fixture list at all for the Eastbourne Seagulls, since the announced demise of any double headers with the Eagles CL team.   Occasionally, I see Mildenhall race an NDL fixture . Newcastle Gems pulled out of the NDL early doors, and IoW have moved onto brighter better more innovative speedway down at Ryde.  ........ so has the new reduced points limit introduced for 2021 killed off the thrid tier ?

 

 

In a word no. And I have to laugh at how moving from National League to grasstrack on shale / amateurs / Pee Wee / beginners is "brighter better more innovative speedway".

[cityrebel]

22 minutes ago, topsoil said:

In a word no. And I have to laugh at how moving from National League to grasstrack on shale / amateurs / Pee Wee / beginners is "brighter better more innovative speedway".

It might work at a seasonal holiday venue, but it could never replace regular mainstream speedway. 

[False dawn]

The National Development League is alive and well, thank you. There is a healthy, if modest sized, following that enjoys watching 14 committed youngsters giving their all in every race.

And the NDL is just one piece in a bigger jigsaw that provides for a route into the sport and hopefully onto to bigger things. Oh, I know it's not all perfect. But lots of folks are working hard to build and evolve that career path for our home grown riders of tomorrow.

And remember the D for development comes before the L for League. Track time, a formal team structure and some kind of identity that both riders and fans can align with, are much more important than "winning the league".

[Sir Sidney]

1 hour ago, False dawn said:

The National Development League is alive and well, thank you. There is a healthy, if modest sized, following that enjoys watching 14 committed youngsters giving their all in every race.

And the NDL is just one piece in a bigger jigsaw that provides for a route into the sport and hopefully onto to bigger things. Oh, I know it's not all perfect. But lots of folks are working hard to build and evolve that career path for our home grown riders of tomorrow.

And remember the D for development comes before the L for League. Track time, a formal team structure and some kind of identity that both riders and fans can align with, are much more important than "winning the league".

Do you know what the plan is for 2022 ? 

It's a mathematical certainty that the averages will have increased to a level significantly above the points limit for this year. If the same limit is in place next year then a number of this year's riders will have to be jettisoned. 

[Sings4Speedway]

27 minutes ago, Sir Sidney said:

Do you know what the plan is for 2022 ? 

It's a mathematical certainty that the averages will have increased to a level significantly above the points limit for this year. If the same limit is in place next year then a number of this year's riders will have to be jettisoned. 

You mean there isn't a 5 year plan? Whilst ive hated the drop in averages and especially how it was managed/imposed it would be worse if it was a 1 season wonder. Everyone who has championed it needs to reap what has been sown. Riders will be jettisoned, new blood (ready or not) will be brought in and the reduction continues.  Might not be a pretty product but its what everybody wanted right?

[Sir Sidney]

Sadly I doubt any thought was given to 2022 when the rules for 2021 were imposed. 

8 minutes ago, Sings4Speedway said:

You mean there isn't a 5 year plan? Whilst ive hated the drop in averages and especially how it was managed/imposed it would be worse if it was a 1 season wonder. Everyone who has championed it needs to reap what has been sown. Riders will be jettisoned, new blood (ready or not) will be brought in and the reduction continues.  Might not be a pretty product but its what everybody wanted right?

 

[old bob at herne bay]

From what I read doubt there will be many UK clubs left running in 2022, so opportunities for youngsters will have all but dried up.

So well done BSPL for killing off the National League ….setting a stupidly low team building average to manipulate “old hands” out of the league, and now slowly the whole house of cards is tumbling down. Most sensible fans and some promoters saw this as a mistake forced upon UK speedway by the small dwindling clique of “premiership” owners who like dinosaurs are slowly becoming extinct. (Just 6 left now) 

People will vote with their feet and will not be forced into paying to watch “BSPL experiments “ with reduced team strengths if they do not find the “product” enjoyable, entertaining and value for money. 
Sadly there are not too many NDL clubs left offering all 3. 
 

[gazzac]

4 hours ago, old bob at herne bay said:

From what I read doubt there will be many UK clubs left running in 2022, so opportunities for youngsters will have all but dried up.

So well done BSPL for killing off the National League ….setting a stupidly low team building average to manipulate “old hands” out of the league, and now slowly the whole house of cards is tumbling down. Most sensible fans and some promoters saw this as a mistake forced upon UK speedway by the small dwindling clique of “premiership” owners who like dinosaurs are slowly becoming extinct. (Just 6 left now) 

People will vote with their feet and will not be forced into paying to watch “BSPL experiments “ with reduced team strengths if they do not find the “product” enjoyable, entertaining and value for money. 
Sadly there are not too many NDL clubs left offering all 3. 
 

Never thought I'd like one of your posts but agree with this one, more like this and not the usual anti Eastbourne rhetoric please !!

[Reliant Robin]

On 8/15/2021 at 11:22 PM, Sings4Speedway said:

You mean there isn't a 5 year plan? Whilst ive hated the drop in averages and especially how it was managed/imposed it would be worse if it was a 1 season wonder. Everyone who has championed it needs to reap what has been sown. Riders will be jettisoned, new blood (ready or not) will be brought in and the reduction continues.  Might not be a pretty product but its what everybody wanted right?

Doing what it was set up to do then, no? A development league to develop and bring through new blood

[Sings4Speedway]

26 minutes ago, Reliant Robin said:

Doing what it was set up to do then, no? A development league to develop and bring through new blood

Its all a matter of what when and where development is considered to become paid entertainment.  Ive always been an advocate of if you are good enough you will get a place. Currently its either young enough or willing enough. Not all but some teams are tracking riders far below the sensible and safe levels of ability that should have been developed in the amateur meetings and practice. 

[Sir Sidney]

2 hours ago, Reliant Robin said:

Doing what it was set up to do then, no? A development league to develop and bring through new blood

Let's assume for the moment that the NDL stays with the same points limit next year. Team averages will have risen to say 42 (as mathematically they must rise) and so teams will have to reduce again. 

How do you think will they do that?

- Get rid of the 10 point number one and replace with a 3 point rider

- drop two riders with a total average of 13 to bring in two more 3 point riders.

There are any number of permutations,  but it is unreasonable to think that there are enough available places in the Championship to take all the displaced riders (assuming you consider they are good enough ) , and that there is a sufficient number of safe riders to come in on a 3 point average each year. 

I suspect the NDL will change the rules again next season. 

[old bob at herne bay]

How many clubs are you expecting to come to tapes in NDL 2022  "Sir Sidney" ? 

[Sir Sidney]

1 hour ago, old bob at herne bay said:

How many clubs are you expecting to come to tapes in NDL 2022  "Sir Sidney" ? 

I have absolutely no idea Old Bob. I do think it will be different to this year - for good or bad I can't say

Edited August 17, 2021 by Sir Sidney

[Sings4Speedway]

Scary times ahead. Looking at Eastbourne potentially not finishing the season, attendances at Leicester poor and Newcastle dropping out already it paints a fairly glum picture for next season. Berwick will only continue with the low points limit, Belle Vue open that PL subsidises NDL for them. Kent struggling to get all the fixtures in and unable to run double headers makes options quite bleak. 

Hopefully the Double entry teams can continue, Eastbourne, Brum plus who know drops down and the league can get back to what it does best but there is an uncomfortable winter for a lot of people ahead.

[szkocjasid]

On 8/15/2021 at 9:47 PM, False dawn said:

The National Development League is alive and well, thank you. There is a healthy, if modest sized, following that enjoys watching 14 committed youngsters giving their all in every race.

And the NDL is just one piece in a bigger jigsaw that provides for a route into the sport and hopefully onto to bigger things. Oh, I know it's not all perfect. But lots of folks are working hard to build and evolve that career path for our home grown riders of tomorrow.

And remember the D for development comes before the L for League. Track time, a formal team structure and some kind of identity that both riders and fans can align with, are much more important than "winning the league".

That's one thing NDL riders are missing this year, "track time" 12 matches over a season will not help their development! Be good if they were encouraged to get extra racing at IOW!

[szkocjasid]

On 8/17/2021 at 9:16 AM, Reliant Robin said:

Doing what it was set up to do then, no? A development league to develop and bring through new blood

Only if the developing riders get Champ places, what if more NDL riders are forced out, due to low points limit, than get signed for Champ teams?

[Sings4Speedway]

55 minutes ago, szkocjasid said:

Only if the developing riders get Champ places, what if more NDL riders are forced out, due to low points limit, than get signed for Champ teams?

Then something needs to be addressed about the journeymen in the CL. That said there should be no given right to move up. The nature of any successful sport is that the best will rise up and the remainder fall by the wayside. Places should be available for those genuinely good enough.

[False dawn]

1 hour ago, szkocjasid said:

That's one thing NDL riders are missing this year, "track time" 12 matches over a season will not help their development! Be good if they were encouraged to get extra racing at IOW!

As long as you're really good and can walk on water eh?

Seriously, even 12 matches is better than none. But a regular 2nd half regime might also develop some local talent. But I'll be called old fashioned if I keep talking this way.