old bob at herne bay

In the freezer with many others....

Seems that the BSPL are trying to give fans more value for money with Junior racing added to the menu. There are so many good points coming out of this years AGM that it surely must mark a turning point for the sport in the UK. As others have pointed out with the new points limit in the PL, all the GP sooperstars will want to be be back practising their computer starting prowess. Only lack of wages will prevent their return. I don't see a problem. I do hope we don't have clubs manipulating the transfer window rule by rescheduling fixture to keep their window open longer. The new gust for any position 1-5 rule is surely a "squad" system in disguise with clubs able to produce sick notes to allow gusts in their sides to ride track specialists ? A new term T/G will be needed to denote a Tactical Gust where this facility is being used. No team in their right mind will be using R/R when a gust is allowed, so there will still be the "lack of gust" problem with the fixed race nights in the PL and expect more tactical call offs due to broken pit gate hinges etc. etc. Putting out junior racing before the main event as some suggest is a recipe for disaster . Seen so many incidents occurring on a fresh grippy circuits by youngsters trying to show off their skills (or lack of) to the eager assembled crowd. Air fence repairs delaying meetings, no ambulance cover, no paramedic cover, I have seen it all after junior racing before the main event. Imagine if on a dodgy weather evening the juniors race and then the main meeting has to be abandoned before a declared result is achieved ? Enjoy your speedway in 2024 those who have a track withing 100 miles of them (unlike me) S.E. England speedway is finally finished with the BSPL killing off Sittingbourne sealing the deal.

What an AGM! 2 replacement clubs to keep the PL at 7 clubs. Increase in points limit. 1 replacement club to move into the CL, reducing by one club, but with a reduced points limit. Less p off fixtures in the CL. More gusts allowed and random starting. Let’s hope all 7 PL teams can find enough riders to reach the new points limit

Anyone have any news on the league structure in UK speedway 2024? In the PL we have 2 teams gone ..... lots of steam from the possible Brandon revival. In the CL things seems to be in rude health - but for a shortage of quality riders. In the NDL question marks must be over the viability of at least a few clubs with so few fixtures now being staged. With the " most important Promoters' Conference in the history of the sport in the UK" to occur next month, I see no news of any forthcoming plans. Head in the sand by the BSPA ? or maybe they have a cunning plan :-)

Rumours reaching me are that there has been a lot of gardening taking place in the hotel grounds delaying the starts of the meetings. There is a 6pm curfew at the hotel, when the bar opens, so extending over the weekend was the only option to get a result.

Nobody can remember whose Jubilee the competition was celebrating. Apparently waiting for a response from the Palace.

Interesting indeed. Very much at the start of my speedway supporting career. The National league continued to decline I think to only 6 teams in the early sixties, before amalgamation took place in 1965 ? Maintained a number of different competition to keep interest throughout a season - and didn’t have a silly p off system. There are still a number of venues that could support speedway ( the tracks still are there) , but I see neither a chance of them becoming financially viable, nor the landlords wanting speedway to take place bradford odsal. eastbourne rye house Sittingbourne Swindon Buxton coventry lakeside Wolverhampton I am sure there are others . But the economics of opening a speedway track in 2024 are vastly different to that in 1960 when the provincial league started . Thinking back I cannot remember where all the riders came from to get the Provincial league up and running. ??

If memory serves me correctly, failed to win either the KO Cup or the PL play offs. despite having a septet with a high CMA . Think the modern day expression is “ choked “ in the finals. Under achieved would be my description. Thought they should have cleaned up this season. As I said they can only get better in 2024

Think Poole 2024 will be a much improved side after their pretty dismal season in 2023.

Whilst in no way condoning the actions of Richie Worrall, the behaviour of Mr Vatcher doesn';t surprise me at all. A guy with no particular skills arrived on the speedway scene at Arena Essex (or Lakeside whatever it was called at the time) and contributed little to the team as assistant TM. Not seen what he adds to the British Speedway scene tbh.

Mmm ... so some claim , yest still they come back for more every season. Do they really think 2024 is going to be any better than 2023 ?

Judging by the shyness of most riders to get out of the pits and onto the track for their next race ...... they need someone shouting in their face to get a move on. Classic example was in the p off final this season at Glasgow .... dozy Poole rider got himself excluded on 2 mins ......

Frankly, I am surprised that a thread entitled " NDL future" has run to 6 pages. Just one reply "NONE" would have sufficed/

Interesting idea indeed HGould. Certainly has merit , but I just do not see the current set of promoters setting this in motion to get rid of the current management committee. They will be opening themselves up to outside scrutiny - and having decisions imposed upon them that would upset their cosy arrangements to make up rules " on the hoof" . It would never do for British Speedway to be managed by professionals. It's all a bit like the "magic circle" or some form of secret society. Expect a statement coming out soon stating that this was a magnificent season with the p.offs not being decided until the last week of the season and other piffle like that . They will also talk up that they have a new club joining the PL and a new club moving up into the CL, conveniently forgetting the loss of Wolves and Peterborough.

Irrespective of blame for the delays to fixtures ( the Leicester boggy track being key to this ) thoughts are with Max Perry and I sincerely hope for a full recovery from his injuries sustained IMO by the failure of the ref to call off and declare the meeting last night at the earliest opportunity (heat 10) given the poor conditions . The ref should be questioned at a senior level and asked his reasons for continuing the meeting . Further training should be offered to assist. Sadly nothing changes in speedway and I see the same old same old drivel and excuses trotted out year after year by the same old “promoters” of the sport. NDL clubs run but a couple of handful of meetings a season and yet cannot complete their fixtures. Strict time limits to run fixtures MUST be imposed and rigidly adhered to by ALL clubs. Failure to run a fixture in a timely manner should result in the match being forfeited 75 -0 Maybe just maybe this would instil a sense of urgency in running fixtures earlier in the season?

Leicester again the cause of end of season chaos. What is wrong with their track. Seems it is unfit for racing every season for the last 2 months of the season. Is it built on a marsh ? Is their ea river nearby? Remember reading that the track machinery access is very restricted and causes damage to an already wet and boggy track . It is a continual source of fixture congestion. The BSPL have played their hand and made a frankly ludicrous decision . Joint winners would have been the logical decision based on the current format requiring p.offs to decide a winner. In other areas they have held over the Jubilee cup to next season another disgraceful insensitive decision, again stemming from the boggy Leicester track. With so few teams in the NDL and still unable to complete fixtures in a timely manner really have to question how the NDL can possibly survive as a professional league in 2024.

I now its Halloween and you all think this is a Treat , but surely its a Trick ? You really think a Global Infrastructures business has paid £40m for the site to stick speedway in there for £2k a week rent on a dozen days a year ???? They will want to build a huge new data centre (after all that's their core business) Sorry I don't see that this is any progress at all. Sad to hear that the only permanent structure at the old Arena, the raceway tavern has been demolished. Thurrock Council are bankrupt and will be only too glad of a big new owner to pay some business rates for the site.

Does anyone on here know what a speedway “licence” is? Are they in short supply - why do they have to be put “ on ice” seems to infer that once handed back they cannot be re issued? How do I apply for a new speedway promoters licence ? Who issues the”licences” DVLA? How much do they cost and how long are they valid for?

The rain God has delivered. Scrap this competition once and for all. Keep the Trophy at BSPL hq as a lasting momento of the late Queen Elizabeth

Much more appropriate

Don't get hung up on the "licence" to run speedway. You must be able to buy one cheaply on ebay or any other online website . Not worth a cent if housing developers own the land and are intent on building houses to help satisfy government house building targets. Anyone who ever thought Swindon speedway would EVER survive with peoples lovely new houses backing onto the speedway ... well naive is one word. There's much more money in housing than speedway or even greyhounds. How long do we really think Monmore will remain a greyhound track ?? Convenient excuse to get speedway out and clear the pitch to attract a housing developer .....£m

Skidder1 So it's totally wrong that this meeting is called the "Jubilee Cup final" An absolute disrespectful disgrace.

This competition is an absolute disgrace . To be holding it now with 2 cobbled together sides over one year after the passing of our Queen Elizabeth II in the depths of winter is disrespectful in the extreme. If it were to be rerun at all, this competition should have had first priority restaging at the beginning of this season with all appropriate publicity, not tucked away as a last meeting of the season after thought. I have nothing but contempt for the British Speedway fixture organisers responsible. May the rain Gods flood the Wimborne Road track and this meeting be consigned to join the memory of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Seem to remember this Leicester track is very boggy, poorly drained and caused fixture pile ups last season. Now trying to run double headers in early winter , with fans freezing their **** off. RIDICULOUS. Now we have fixture pile ups in the NDL, which has only a handful of clubs , some of whom don't even take part in the KO Cup. One cannot see this league surviving another season.

For sale at Sturminster Marshall Warehouse ..... one large trophy cabinet .... reason for sale owners downsizing.