Rockets 61 Posted January 2, 2014 I would like to see a winter league of NL and trainee riders formed into teams of defunct tracks. Localise it to keep costs down and to minimise the inconvenience of call offs. Speedway in the off season and watching the youngsters improving bit by bit. Perfect. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted January 3, 2014 I would like to see a winter league of NL and trainee riders formed into teams of defunct tracks. Localise it to keep costs down and to minimise the inconvenience of call offs. Speedway in the off season and watching the youngsters improving bit by bit. Perfect. Can you give more details as to how you visualise such a league? What team names and suggested team homes for example. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rockets 61 Posted January 3, 2014 Well for example mildenhall could ride as Norwich rye as hackney Peterborough as Milton Keynes Eastbourne as Weymouth and maybe Kent as Canterbury. Maybe even lakeside as Romford. You could use any NL rider with an average of 6.5 or below and the best of the trainees at your lower end. So the jack kingstons of this world will be heat leaders and have the responsibility of looking after the still rawer recruits. The trainees will benefit from riding against their betters. The NL riders will benefit from confidence and track time. The defunct teams may gain publicity and profile which might rekindle interests in reforming. The fans get cheap off season speedway a team to cheer and see the stars of tomorrow getting better. The promoters get new stars a cheap to run meeting and a continuity of supporters all year round. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted January 3, 2014 (edited) Well for example mildenhall could ride as Norwich rye as hackney Peterborough as Milton Keynes Eastbourne as Weymouth and maybe Kent as Canterbury. Maybe even lakeside as Romford. You could use any NL rider with an average of 6.5 or below and the best of the trainees at your lower end. So the jack kingstons of this world will be heat leaders and have the responsibility of looking after the still rawer recruits. The trainees will benefit from riding against their betters. The NL riders will benefit from confidence and track time. The defunct teams may gain publicity and profile which might rekindle interests in reforming. The fans get cheap off season speedway a team to cheer and see the stars of tomorrow getting better. The promoters get new stars a cheap to run meeting and a continuity of supporters all year round. A reasonable suggestion. Main snag would be officialdom - the sanctioning of league matches in what is termed 'out of season.' One team name change though out of Eastbourne may be Hastings rather than Weymouth? Hastings was the NL Division Three successor to Eastbourne in 1948 and 1949 and promoted by the late Charlie Dugard. The only reason Hastings was lost to speedway was following the High Court decision to uphold an objection to speedway at the local Pilot Field football ground after a small number of people complained of noise. I'll be interested in follow-up comments on this suggestion from other BSF members. Edited January 3, 2014 by Guest Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Parsloes 1928 nearly 495 Posted January 4, 2014 Well for example mildenhall could ride as Norwich rye as hackney Peterborough as Milton Keynes Eastbourne as Weymouth and maybe Kent as Canterbury. Maybe even lakeside as Romford. You could use any NL rider with an average of 6.5 or below and the best of the trainees at your lower end. So the jack kingstons of this world will be heat leaders and have the responsibility of looking after the still rawer recruits. The trainees will benefit from riding against their betters. The NL riders will benefit from confidence and track time. The defunct teams may gain publicity and profile which might rekindle interests in reforming. The fans get cheap off season speedway a team to cheer and see the stars of tomorrow getting better. The promoters get new stars a cheap to run meeting and a continuity of supporters all year round. This is an excellent idea! And quality team names. Lakeside (aka Arena Essex) has an RM post code and I've long thought that 'Romford' could be used as a legitimate name for some kind of team racing out of there. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted January 4, 2014 (edited) This is an excellent idea! And quality team names. Lakeside (aka Arena Essex) has an RM post code and I've long thought that 'Romford' could be used as a legitimate name for some kind of team racing out of there. A pity this excellent idea is tending to get lost under Rye House Raiders when it deserves its own Thread title. It's nice to see Romford listed - there was some activity there 'yonks' ago. http://londonspeedways.proboards.com/board/33/romford and a 1938 reference here - but no home track. http://londonspeedways.proboards.com/thread/532/sunday-amateur-dirt-track-league Edited January 4, 2014 by Guest Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted January 6, 2014 (edited) Any further thoughts on this? I rather tend to like the idea of a Winter League. It certainly feels like yonks ago, i remember seeing the czechs ride there, bouncing off of the concrete safety fence! Yes 'Romford' then rode at Dagenham.Interestingly the site of the old Dagenham track (on Ripple Rd. now in an area landlocked between the old A13 and the new one) now contains a huge warehouse which is empty and to let...Only 500 yards or so away another big warehouse (though nowhere near as big...) has been converted into an indoor karting venue!THe old Dagenham track site would be ideal for a permanent indoor Speedway track!Shame that my ever-decreasing salary and your journalist's pension not enough to fund such a venture..! Anyone out there wanna to come in with us?! Taken from Rye House Raiders topic but relevant to this subject IMO. Edited January 6, 2014 by Guest Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted January 7, 2014 Posible team name re Eastbourne as either Weymouth or Hastings. Here's an item regarding the Hastings Saxons in 1948 and 1949. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hastings_Saxons Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rockets 61 Posted January 7, 2014 Is it just me Gustix or does there seem to be a lack of activity on the forum at the moment - and I don't mean just on this subject. I hope it's not a sign of indifference to the new season. Looking at the Hastings speedway link interesting to see a track record of 71 seconds for a 380 metre track. Shows how much faster - if not better - modern racing is. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted January 7, 2014 (edited) Is it just me Gustix or does there seem to be a lack of activity on the forum at the moment - and I don't mean just on this subject. I hope it's not a sign of indifference to the new season. Looking at the Hastings speedway link interesting to see a track record of 71 seconds for a 380 metre track. Shows how much faster - if not better - modern racing is. I think you are correct. It's the same on several other forums that I visit. Perhaps people are still recovering from the welcome (?) Christmas/New Year break. Regarding the Hastings track record: remember this was third tier racing, tracks were much deeper and bikes were different in many ways to modern machines - but a welcome and interesting pointer on your part. Yes racing is much faster these days but having seen speedway since 1946 there were plenty of thrillmakers around - especially famous old leg trailer riders like Oliver Hart, Bert Spencer, George Newton and Phil 'King of Crash' Bishop. But I'll add: it looks as though the Winter League suggestion has gone on the back-burner. Edited January 7, 2014 by Guest Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ray Stadia 1,071 Posted January 8, 2014 (edited) I think you are correct. It's the same on several other forums that I visit. Perhaps people are still recovering from the welcome (?) Christmas/New Year break. Regarding the Hastings track record: remember this was third tier racing, tracks were much deeper and bikes were different in many ways to modern machines - but a welcome and interesting pointer on your part. Yes racing is much faster these days but having seen speedway since 1946 there were plenty of thrillmakers around - especially famous old leg trailer riders like Oliver Hart, Bert Spencer, George Newton and Phil 'King of Crash' Bishop. But I'll add: it looks as though the Winter League suggestion has gone on the back-burner. I have only just rubbed the Xmas sleep from my eyes and seen this thread! Would there not be a lot of rain offs/bad weather offs? In my opinion, could be ok, if regionalised, so if called off, people wouldn't have travelled too far. But basic idea, sounds good, to me! There may be others who have a contra view! (surely not!). Edited January 8, 2014 by Ray Stadia Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted January 8, 2014 (edited) But basic idea, sounds good, to me! There may be others who have a contra view! (surely not!). Surely not indeed? Edited January 8, 2014 by Guest Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gatwick Rocket 53 Posted January 8, 2014 Anything that results in more speedway is good news in my book. I particularly like the opportunity this creates for developing riders that need more competitive track time. Please can you explain why this proposal gives fans cheap speedway. Aren't the running costs going to be the same as an on-season NL fixture? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Parsloes 1928 nearly 495 Posted January 8, 2014 Please can you explain why this proposal gives fans cheap speedway. Aren't the running costs going to be the same as an on-season NL fixture?Well they'd be amateur racing meetings where riders actually pay to ride so I'd say there's a fundamental difference there.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gatwick Rocket 53 Posted January 9, 2014 I see, thanks. I hadn't picked that up. Will the intended riders want to pay to ride in this way? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
