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shippy22

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Posts posted by shippy22

  1. Posted

    2 hours ago, Jaizer said:

    All of whom proved last season not up to championship level. Throw in jpb into that as well

    The problem at the moment, is that the gap between the Premier League & Championship is too small, and the gap between the Championship & National League is too large.  With Premier heat leaders riding in the championship,  only the very talented riders stepping up from the National League stand a chance.  The Championship standard should be more like the Newcastle team this year,  which would give riders similar to those above, a chance to score some points and progress.   Also, doubling up needs to be gradually reduced,  initially only allowing riders who do not ride in any overseas leagues to double up.    Imagine in the 1970's allowing top first division riders to ride in the second division !!

     

    • Like 6

  2. Posted

    I just cannot see the point of this extra "super heat ".   What is wrong with a draw in a League match?  It has been fine since League Speedway started.  Usually both teams supporters go home happy. 

     It will just drag the match out, as most if not all the riders in the super heat, will have ridden in heat 15.  So another long delay !!!

    The supporters dont seem keen on this, and it will cost the promoters more wages, as the riders wont be racing for nothing in this race.   So why bring it in?     

     

    • Like 5

  3. Posted

    27 minutes ago, HGould said:

    If there are 8 Clubs would at least keep NDL alive.

    Armadale, Berwick, Northside (Workington); Leicester, Mildenhall, Scunthorpe; Oxford and hopefully Iwade may be best we can hope for?

    Are Belle Vue not planning to run a team in NDL?.  Have Scunthorpe announced they will enter the NDL?.  Hopefully they will.  Could   IOW  be tempted back if the points limit was higher and they had a say in how the league was run?

  4. Posted · Edited by shippy22

    3 hours ago, BOBBATH said:

    Was I right on the two veterans interviewed- Arthur Atkinson and Tiger Stevenson? And was anybody able to identify  the West Ham  supporter lady who evidently was a dedicated fan over many years? It was distressing for me to see the parts of the news report that showed some of the stadium already being destroyed. I first went to West Ham in 1965 for the British Final and I think at that time all four corners of the stadium were available to supporters. My last ever visit was  August 1968 just before I left the UK-think it must have be sixth of August -maybe the Nordic- British Final of the World Championship- Briggo didn't qualify but then somebody got sick (Eric Boocock maybe) in a later round and Briggo made the World Final after all- think he finished second to Ivan.

     Brian Foote was after my time- wasn't there another guy called Foote who rode for Leicester-also I know that Kevin Holden was killed in a racing accident , at Exeter maybe was that also in 1972??

    Brian Foote also rode for Rayleigh, Rye House & Leicester.   I think he was related to the Leicester promoter, Ron Wilson. As a Rockets supporter, Brian Foote was always a villain when he rode for our rivals at Romford, but became a hero when he signed for the Rockets !!.     Kevin Holden was sadly killed in an accident at Poole. 

  5. Posted

    It does seem strange that a couple of poor crowds has resulted in such a financial mess.  Eastbourne had 7 English riders, several of them were local, so the travel expenses must have been around the lowest in the league.  The stadium is owned by a family with a lot of speedway history, so would not imagine that the rent would be more than other tracks.  Were the promoters being too optimistic budgeting for a crowd of at least 1000?.    

     

    • Like 1

  7. Posted

    1 hour ago, M.D said:

    Hes got a point, you need more clubs in the top league and a watered down lower legue with minimal doubling up..

    trouble is, riders wouldnt make that pay in either league

    Riders such as Aaron Summers, Edward Kennett, Matthew Wethers, Simon Lambert, Ashley Morris and others manage by riding in just one league.  Riders need to realise that unless you are at the top, then speedway is not a full time living.   Back in the 1960's and 1970's when crowds were much higher, only the top riders were full time.

     

    • Like 6

  14. Posted

    First ever meeting for me was Rayleigh V Plymouth on 11th May 1968

    Rayleigh

    1. Geoff Maloney,  2. Graeme Smith,  3. Dennis Mannion,  4. Mike Gardner,  5. Laurie Etheridge,  6. Terry Stone,  7. Colin Tucker

    Plymouth

    1. Phil Woodcock,  2. Eric Howe,   3. Dave Whittaker,  4. Frank Payne,  5. Tony George,  6. Mike Cake,  7. Keith Marks

    I think all the Rayleigh team are still with us, which is quite remarkable,  not sure about the Plymouth riders

     

  15. Posted

    What about Nathan Greaves on 4.61 and one young Australian.    Nathan Greaves was one of the few riders whose away average was higher than his home average, meaning he is likely to increase his average with a more suitable home track.

    Surely safer than signing 2 new Australian riders.

  17. Posted

    With most of the team places taken for next year, the following riders appear to have been left out.

    Paul Hurry

    Luke Bowen

    Adam Royon

    All 3 have had a lot of injuries in their careers, not sure if they are fit or planning to ride again

    Ben Hopwood

    Mitchell Davey

    Bradley Andrews

    These 3 all finished the season on the injury list.

    Matt Marson

    Had a decent first season at Mildenhall

    Charley Powell

    Mark Baseby

    Both have been left out after Eastbourne moving to the Championship

    Rob Shuttleworth

    Walked out of a meeting and was suspended by Stoke

    Luke Harris

    Likely to fill the final place at Cradley

    Jon Armstrong

    Reported as not enjoying his speedway last season, so may not be planning to ride again

    Josh Embleton

    Showed a lot of promise last season, so surprising, he doesnt have a team place

    Tom Woolley

    Another surprise, as he has been slowly improving each season, and in a weakened league, could well  be an 8 point rider.

     

    Probably a few others without a place.

     

  20. Posted

    32 minutes ago, Halifaxtiger said:

    Nonsense.

    Speedway has had guests and doubling up for decades. In 1977 White City won the British League with a rider replacement facility for a rider who did not appear in their colours once that season. In their 1979 Championship winning season, Coventry used 29 guests in 55 matches. In 1980 Belle Vue named Taffy Owen in the line up simply so that they could use the likes of Rob Maxfield, Steve Wilcock, Derek Richardson & Louis Carr (all riding for NL clubs) instead. 

    I doubt very much if there is a single Belle Vue fan who would want to ditch Dan Bewley, Craig Cook or Steve Worrall simply because they double up and the same would apply ay every other club.

     

    Doubling up was only on a small scale, and usually the riders concerned, belonged to the top division club, and were loaned out to the second division team.   Nowadays the Premier League teams are more or less a "Championship Select" team, plus 1 or 2 full time Premier riders.

     

    • Like 3

  21. Posted

    Perhaps a better idea would be to go back to the squad system that the league used to have.   The heat leaders currently without a place could share a position with riders who are also riding in the Championship and therefore will often miss meetings.   Surely much better than using guests and forcing some riders into retirement.

    It is ironic that promoters state that they need doubling up between the PL & CL as there is a shortage of riders, yet several riders in both CL and NL, could retire if they are unable to get a place, meaning even less riders in the sport !

     

  23. Posted

    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 ?

     

     

     

  24. Posted

    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.

    • Like 3

  25. Posted

    Doubling up/down is here to stay. The riders want it, and the promoters want it. If you get rid of it, the riders will want more money that the promoters can't afford. None of us like it, but fans would hate 5 man teams too.

     

    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.

    • Like 3
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