shippy22

I got hooked on speedway after my first match of Rayleigh V Plymouth in 1968, 50 years ago. As far as I am aware the Rayleigh team of Geoff Maloney, Laurie Etheridge, Mike Gardner, Colin Tucker, Dennis Mannion, Terry Stone & Graeme Smith are all still with us. Unfortunately, many riders from that season, have since passed away. Are there any teams from longer ago, who are all alive today ?

I think you have misunderstood my post. I was just wondering if there was any other team from 50 years ago or more , where the whole team were still alive today.

All teams should have at least a couple of riders from the amateur leagues named to cover for missing reserves. Eastbourne were the worst culprits with official number 7 Matt Saul and then Charlie Saunders, only riding 1 League match between them all season. Birmingham also rarely had a proper number 7 available. it is a farce that riders like Alex Spooner, William O'Keefe and later in the season Jason Edwards and Drew Kemp rode for most teams in the League.

If riders reckon they cannot earn enough just riding for 1 team, how did riders like Scott Nicholls, Edward Kennett, Kevin Doolan, Aaron Summers, Tyrone Proctor etc, survive riding for 1 team only ? If doubling up is to continue, then it should be restricted to riders who only race in the UK. Anyone riding for any other team overseas, should only be allowed to ride for 1 team in the UK.

I hope that Sheffield win the championship, and then meet Leicester in the relegation battle. With 2 riders riding for both teams, surely this will bring home what a farce the doubling up system is !!!

I agree entirely. This is the main reason that after nearly 50 years of being a super keen speedway supporter, I have not been to a single match this year. If the promoters cannot be bothered to stage matches between 2 proper teams, then I cannot be bothered to give them my money. Most of the Premiership teams are nothing more than a "championship select team". Teams used to be mainly made up of local riders from that area, who were proud to represent their team. I can accept riders missing through injury, but not missing because they are riding for their other team. Doubling up also makes the injury situation worse, as when a rider is injured, most of the time it will affect 2 or even 3 teams, meaning they all have to use guests or rider replacement.

I agree 100%. After nearly 50 years of being an avid speedway fan, I stopped going to meetings last year, and havent been at all this season. I used to average at least 2 meetings a week, and hardly ever missed a Rockets home meeting. The main reason I have lost interest is because of doubling up. I can accept riders missing because of injury, but not because they are riding for another team. Doubling up should be limited to up and coming riders between National League and Championship teams only. No rider should be riding full time for a team in the Championship and another team in the Premiership. It is crazy that riders like Stefan Nielsen, Joe Jacobs, Matthew Wethers & Theo Pijper have not got a team spot, and others are riding for 2 or even 3 teams. These riders would all do a good job at Championship level, and if they do not get a place soon, could be lost to the sport. If riders cannot make the sport pay just riding for one team, then they can get a full or part time job. In the late 60s and 70s, it was only the top riders who rode full time. Most of the first division second strings and reserves and second division riders had their own business, or full time/part time jobs. Riders should realise that the crowds do not justify most of them making a full time living at speedway. Teams used to be mainly local riders who represented that area, and many had progressed from the second halves. Nowadays, teams are just a collection of riders, whos averages fit for the season.

The averages in the Elite League are a complete farce, and it makes no sense for FTR to move up to heat leaders based on averages obtained in protected races. I cannot believe that the promoters could not see what was going to happen. The most sensible thing would be to race the "B" fixtures using the race format used in the PL and NL. The reserves still get slightly easier races, and the heat leaders slightly tougher races.

The raiders are the only team not to have announced any signings so far. Would not be surprised if the team was something like : Benji Compton David Mason Luke Chessell Aaron Mogridge Danno Verge Adam Sheppard 3 point rider from training school. The above comes to just below the points limit.

That is what I am struggling to understand. Plymouth have stated that they wouldnt run in PL, if costs were not reduced. Scunthorpe have stated that unless things change 2015 would be their last season, and most tracks lost money last year. The BSPA have just tinkered with a few things, but done nothing to solve the main problems, ie riders costs, too many guest riders and long drawn out meetings. The costs have not been reduced. As usual, they appear to have buried their heads in the sand, and are probably blaming the weather, football world cup etc. for poor attendances last year, and think that suddenly the crowds will come back in 2015, and everything will be fine!! Very likely that come the end of 2015 season, most tracks will again have lost money, and some will be threatening to close again.

You have hit the nail on the head. There are too many riders trying to make a full time living from speedway. Back in the late 1960s and 1970s when crowds were much higher than today, only the top riders were 100% professional. Most of the second strings and reserves in the first division and I think all of the second division riders had other business interests or full or part time jobs. The crowds today are not enough to support so many full time riders. The only way speedway will survive in the long term, is to reduce the riders costs, which would enable the promoters to reduce wages, and also reduce admission costs.

From memory, he was about average height, but must have weighed getting on for 20 stone.

The largest rider must have been Tiny White, who rode in some open meetings at Rye House in the early 1970s

If a NL team has riders doubling up with a PL team, then it would be better if 2 riders shared the position, ie Dudley could have kept Tom Perry and shared a position with Ashley Morris, this would reduce the chances of a guest being needed. Looking at the metings a couple of weeks ago in Speedway Star, there were 25 League matches ridden across all 3 leagues, and only 1 meeting had 2 full teams with no guests or rider replacement. That is only 4% of meetings, which is crazy.

The worst decision that Somerset made was turning down Scunthorpe's request for no tactical rides to be used in the final. If they had agreed, then Somerset would be the League Champions !!

Len states that the admission prices havent risen for 3 years, this is incorrect as the price increased last season, making Rye House the same as most Elte tracks. I am sure this was one reason that the crowds dropped last year.

Wouldnt be surprised to see Edward Kennett back as number one next season.

I think it would be much better if the NL had a squad system, at least for the reserve spots. This would ensure that more riders got the chance to race for teams. Also, the NL should have the same rules for missing riders that used to be used in the old Second Division/ National League R/R only allowed for the 3 heat leaders, any other missing riders to be covered by the teams squad members. If both teams have a heat leader missing then they would both promote a squad member. A guest would only be allowed if a team had 2 heat leaders missing. Also, doubling up positions should be shared by 2 riders, to reduce the chances of missing riders. Most supporters in all leagues want to see 2 full teams of 7 riders, if possible.

Kyle Newman ??

Using riders who could ride in NL, my choice would be 1. Kyle Newman 2. Jason Garrity 3. Steve Worrall 4. Richie Worrall 5. Kyle Howarth 6. Ashley Birks 7. Jaimie Pickard 8. Ben Morley

Kevin Smith and Marvyn Cox rode for Rye House on the old track, which was slightly more of a normal track, it didnt have the camber, and generally wasnt so smooth and slick as the track is now, although it was sometimes even dustier than nowadays. I agree that most tracks over the years have had riders who scored heavily at home, but struggled on away tracks. Any track that is a "bit different" tend to have more one track riders. In the past Exeter ( big track) and Crayford ( small track), used to have a lot of riders like this. Sheffield have also had riders like Scott Smith and Jamie Birkinshaw who were often very good at home, but struggled on most away tracks At Rye House we have also had Luke Bowen and Tommy Allen in particular, who struggle on any track that is different to Rye House.

Well said, I agree 100% with your comments. Some of the best racing in the NL, involves the older, experienced riders. Last year when IOW visited Rye House, you were the only rider who managed to overtake anyone in 15 heats of racing. Buzz Burrows also always livens up the racing. The youngsters can also learn a lot from the experienced riders.

For pensioners it is cheaper to go to Elite League meetings at Belle Vue, than National League meetings at Rye House !!! I am another supporter who will be giving the NL meetings at Rye a miss, and also for the first time since supporting the Rockets in 1968, will be picking and chosing Premier League meetings. For 1 adult and 1 OAP, Rye House is now dearer for PL meetings than any Elite track ( apart from Eastbourne). I wouldnt have minded paying more if Len Silver had spent money on altering the track to try and improve the racing ( as Glasgow have done). Too many meetings at Rye House are run on a dry, slick, dusty track with very little overtaking.

I seem to remember that he rode for Buxton at Mildenhall last season, meaning he was only 14 at the time.

We keep hearing about all the British youngsters that are kept out of a NL place by the Aussies and older riders. Surely, if these riders were serious about getting a National League team place, they would be riding in the second half at NL tracks, trying to impress and ger a team slot. That is what riders used to do in the past. Only a few years ago at Rye House, there were regularly 8 or more riders in the second half. This season we are lucky to see 3 riders. Newport and Buxton have also recently stated that they struggle to get riders for the second half. By placing even more restricitons on who can ride at NL level ( ie only 1 rider over 25 per team, as some have suggested), will result in a much weaker product, and drive away even more fans.