ragdoll64 647 Posted November 17, 2013 The youngsters will learn a hell of a lot being in the team and rubbing shoulders with the likes of Holder and Woffinden. And if they rub shoulders with Ward and Morris they could learn a HELL of a lot MORE. Oops!! Did I write that out loud? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skthecat 90 Posted November 17, 2013 If the reserves are to have 2 reserves races, and one more programmed ride, it coud be worked so 6h v 2a and 7h v 4a and reversed for away reserves This would add 2 more races to make it 17 heat meetings, thats simplified, obviously othe riders inthe races, dont see why that cannot work.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bigcatdiary 3,165 Posted November 17, 2013 (edited) So all EL teams have to have two NL riders but PL teams don't? Some PL teams are going to have stronger reserve pairing that the EL! Take out the riders not eligible for the NL any more and to get the 20 NL riders needed you're looking at rider on 6.00 NL averages in the EL. They're only just out of reserve in the NL! I'd stick a couple of 3 pointers in my 1-5 personally, as they're going to wlak all over the NL reserve riders. Would give me loads of points for my top 2. Poole are laughing! Ward, Holder, Grajczonek, Howarth. Can fit in a 5 point man with that lot. This is so bad it's actually funny. I will be very interested to find out who proposed this rule, wouldn't mind betting its someone who has the best 2 NL riders already in place. Edited November 17, 2013 by bigcatdiary Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
salty 2,202 Posted November 17, 2013 This smacks of trying to keep the TV people enticed. We keep the attraction of the top stars (who still want to ride here), but cut costs at the bottom end of the team. Very much a fix for next season only, to keep the all important TV money. A lower points limit (as was rumoured) would have meant more of the top boys being forced out and would have made Terry Russell's salesman job all the more difficult. If Sky do sign up again, does anyone want to hazard how many times Pearson - prior to the reserves races - says "their points count just as much as the heat leaders"? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
arthur cross 492 Posted November 17, 2013 (edited) A few years ago didn't Mildenhall & Rye House get shafted because other promoters didn't like the fact that Jon Armstroing & Steve Boxall were doing well. Still, it couldn't happen again could it? Premier League 2006 ... 3 levels of graded reserves A-B-C with each rider retaining his grade for the whole season and each team was limited to picking an A-&-C pairing or a double-B pairing ... it was announced after the 2005 BSPA AGM as a 2-year scheme for that league with the only re-assessment of grades (or forcing up into the main team) supposed to happen in the 2006-07 close season. However, as you rightly say, Mildenhall's Jon Armstrong and Rye House's Steve Boxall each scored shedloads in every meeting and simultaneously had their A-grades stripped in either June or July with the whole system quietly forgotten about the following year instead of getting its originally planned 2nd season ... from what I remember, Boxall was averaging over 9 so had to go straight from A-grade reserve to number-1 !! Even by the BSPA's usual dysfunctional standards this is a staggering decision to revive a failed Premier League reserve-grading system just 8 seasons later in the Elite League where the gap between the top riders and the bulk of the reserve-graders is going to be far wider than it was in that 2006 Premier League. Jon Cook says the "top 20 young Brits" will be graded and allocated Elite League reserve places while the BSPA statement says "National League riders at No.6 and No,7" ... in practice, that probably means dishing out 10 A-grades and then regarding all the other National League riders as B-grades but only allocating 10 of them to start with. But if the gradings are strictly limited to National League riders, are there actually 20 young Brits from this year's National League who'll be able to commit themselves to a mostly week-night schedule of 36 Elite League meetings while still fitting any National League or Premier League commitments around their jobs outside speedway that are vital towards funding their involvement in the sport ? !! ... actually, given an inevitable rate of injuries, you're either going to need a pool of about 26 graded reserves (so that you're likely to have at least 20 of them fit once the season's in full swing) or it'll boil down to about the best 6-or-7 A-graders and best 6-or-7 B-graders scooping up guest bookings galore as the crashes take their toll. Stand by as well for guests and rider replacements galore in the Premier League (despite it being the best level for National League riders to steadily step up the ladder) because they'll still need to use the best National League prospects in the lower half of their line-ups but will now have a full-time double risk of losing those riders to injuries while riding for another club. Overall, a lovely idea sitting round an AGM table on a chilly day in November ... spectacularly unworkable once the season's a few weeks old. By the way, I love the BSPA's emphasis on Tai Woffinden working his way up from National League to World Champion as an example of how this daft idea can work ... they've conveniently overlooked that Tai's steady progress included his Premier League spell at Rye House rather than a fast-track into the Elite League ... in fact, Tai's first ever Premier meeting (at Sheffield, either on or a few days after his 16th birthday) saw him score 0 points from several rides and probably gave him one of his best-ever lessons in working his way up the ladder rather than being fast-tracked. One final thought ... which A-grader or B-grader is going to be dumped just a few meetings into the new season to make way for Robert Lambert ? !! ... because he's bound to be in demand for one of these Elite League team places but doesn't turn 16 until early-April so is too young to take part in the early weeks of the Elite League campaign !! Edited November 17, 2013 by arthur cross 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Triple.H. 1,986 Posted November 17, 2013 What if............................. There aren't 20 NL riders wanting this opportunity? What happens then.....? No doubt they can double sideways backwards etc Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mdmc82 2,878 Posted November 17, 2013 Someone has just put on Twitter, that the NL reserves will be graded A & B and those will be allocated to the teams by the Management Committee. not very fair to the teams like Coventry and Kings Lynn who support riders by having NL teams and then don't get to select own riders 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fromafar 10,359 Posted November 17, 2013 I will be very interested to find out who proposed this rule, wouldn't mind betting its someone who has the best 2 NL riders already in place.I think it was Pererborough before they withdrew from the League just for a bit of revenge on their fellow Promoters.!!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
noggin 1,388 Posted November 17, 2013 Where's that Job lot of straight jackets when you need them.... 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Irk Deflector 130 Posted November 17, 2013 the trouble is even if this works in 2014, what on earth happens the year after?Recruiting 2 riders per team from cycle speedway! What the **** do they think National League riders will do? Would have done better to be radical and have 5 man teams without reserves! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Team Man 32 Posted November 17, 2013 "Peterborough Licence up for grabs". another wonderful opportunity for all you people who know how Speedway should be run to take it on now, you can apply for whatever League you think it would do best at. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Phil The Ace 2,860 Posted November 17, 2013 I've done A rough list of the graded NL riders GRADE A Charles Wright Lewis blackbird Ashley Morris Steve boxhall Stefan Nielsen Paul starke Robert lambert Lewis Kerr Adam Ellis Joe Jacobs GRADE B Steven worrall Max clegg Ben Morley Josh bates Ben reads Lewis rose Jake knight Tom perry Robert Branford James sarjeant Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
moxey63 1,785 Posted November 17, 2013 It is a similar scenario I suppose to the mid-80s, when they forced teams to track at least one junior - many sides fielded two to keep the average of the side below 48 or something. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
torpointfanatic22 268 Posted November 17, 2013 I wonder if this reduction of quality will see a reduction in admission prices? 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
OILYRAG 86 Posted November 17, 2013 (edited) Just glad to see Sheffield on the list , hope they keep Thursday racing as I cant make Sundays ... gutted for Peterboro fans , thought we were gonna be in the same boat for a while. This NL rider rule reminded me of Jake Knight at Sheffield last season who was brought to the PL before he was ready , quite competative in heat 2 and then 2 or 3 demoralizing zero's after ... got dropped and retired from the sport ! Edited November 17, 2013 by OILYRAG 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
