Ommer Mon 381 Posted April 13, 2014 (edited) Disagree guys, the NL is all about rider development and Scunthorpe should be applauded for all they do for giving youngsters a chance. Other promoters who may have a different agenda should not be promoting NL speedway as the real deal, because it's not. Well done to all involved at Scunthorpe for helping young riders get track time. I totally agree with you that youngsters should be given their chance at all levels and I was a supporter of what the Elite League have done this year. Equally I have said what a great job Scunny have done in the past in bringing the likes of the Worralls, Birks, Cleggy and Woofy etc through. Having said that there are 'development' competitions around. I think the NL is a competitive League and should be respected as such. Its pointless having a minimum points limit, if you dont have the riders, simply just reduce the points limit to 35. I agree that having the points limit set before they joined the League would have hampered them in terms of getting riders but once a League has been established it has to be credible and that means having a credible level of competition. I would not be proposing something like a 34 point lower limit but enough to ensure that there are some experienced riders in the team who can put up a show and be an 'on track' role model for the youngsters. Perhaps a 30 point lower limit. If you can't track a competitive team then you can always run Challenge matches. At least there should be no shortage of riders next year even if the 40 point limit is retained with the cricket scores flying around at the moment. Edited April 13, 2014 by Ommer Mon 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
montie 1,273 Posted April 13, 2014 I totally agree with you that youngsters should be given their chance at all levels and I was a supporter of what the Elite League have done this year. Equally I have said what a great job Scunny have done in the past in bringing the likes of the Worralls, Birks, Cleggy and Woofy etc through. Having said that there are 'development' competitions around. I think the NL is a competitive League and should be respected as such. I agree that having the points limit set before they joined the League would have hampered them in terms of getting riders but once a League has been established it has to be credible and that means having a credible level of competition. I would not be proposing something like a 34 point lower limit but enough to ensure that there are some experienced riders in the team who can put up a show and be an 'on track' role model for the youngsters. Perhaps a 30 point lower limit. If you can't track a competitive team then you can always run Challenge matches. At least there should be no shortage of riders next year even if the 40 point limit is retained with the cricket scores flying around at the moment. tell me....next year...where will you get your heat leaders from???? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
roguetrader 51 Posted April 13, 2014 21-69! Congratulations to Sam Chapman for making a single handed fight of it and to the Heathens for taking it seriously for 15 races. Is this really what a competitive National League is all about? Lord knows how Promoters are supposed to sell this to their fans when Scunny are in town. If you have a maximum points limit, I think its time to introduce a lower points limit too for the credibility of the sport. Strange, but that is what most National League promoters will be saying when Cradley visit their tracks this season! If you are going to cherry pick the best riders available enticed by over the odds points money then you run the risk of unbalancing the League which is what you have done. That is detrimental to the National League. There is not a level playing field and it is a dreadful shame when money buys the best team. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
semion 2,192 Posted April 13, 2014 If teams don't like what Scunny are doing they could always move up a League, instead of buying this League. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bagpuss 10,764 Posted April 13, 2014 As others have said on this subject on other threads, there has to be middle ground found in a league where teams have different agendas. Scunny are too weak and Cradley too strong, a balance is needed for the good of everyone. Anyway today is all about Sam Chapman so well done to him. No doubt the Heathens have their eye on him for next year..... 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Halifaxtiger 5,318 Posted April 13, 2014 Strange, but that is what most National League promoters will be saying when Cradley visit their tracks this season! If you are going to cherry pick the best riders available enticed by over the odds points money then you run the risk of unbalancing the League which is what you have done. That is detrimental to the National League. There is not a level playing field and it is a dreadful shame when money buys the best team. Is it ? When I chose my meetings this season, one of the first to be pencilled in was Mildenhall v Cradley at West Row. To suggest that fans will not attend home meetings when the best team in the league turns up is bizarre. I have no problem with what Scunny are doing, but one thing is certain : other NL promotions will (I have been told that Buster Chapman was less than impressed last week). The drop in attendances that the weakness of the side provokes is exactly the reason why the Stags run as double headers with the Scorpions. That is exactly how the EL & PL work - witness the complaints made by fans about Workington, for example. Why should the NL be any different, and why shouldn't a club that is successful off track use the financial muscle gained by that success to give it the best opportunity for success on track ? 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ommer Mon 381 Posted April 13, 2014 Strange, but that is what most National League promoters will be saying when Cradley visit their tracks this season! If you are going to cherry pick the best riders available enticed by over the odds points money then you run the risk of unbalancing the League which is what you have done. That is detrimental to the National League. There is not a level playing field and it is a dreadful shame when money buys the best team. Have to say that my experience of following Dudley / Cradley to away tracks is that we are welcomed with open arms due to the number of fans we take with us. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Halifaxtiger 5,318 Posted April 13, 2014 (edited) If teams don't like what Scunny are doing they could always move up a League, instead of buying this League. Nonsense. Are you suggesting the Young Stars move up (the simple truth is it will be anything but just Cradley who will be unhappy), because apparently Buster Chapman wasn't impressed last week ? This view utterly overlooks the reason why Scunthorpe run Stags meetings as double headers with Scorpions ones : they do so because if they ran them as stand alones few would pay to attend and in running them as double headers you effectively pay for the NL meeting whether you want to or not if you want to see the PL match. In other words, they will take no financial risk on the effect that the Stags team will have on their overall viability while imposing that risk on every other club in the league. Until such time as Scunthorpe run Stags meetings as stand alones every other club in the league is perfectly justified in complaining about the effect the weakness of the Stags side has on their gates. As a final point, if Scunthorpe don't like other teams complaints (and, lets face it, the others will be very much in the majority) they could always move down a league. Edited April 13, 2014 by Halifaxtiger 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
EC Rides Again 143 Posted April 13, 2014 The scoreline wasnt important, what was, was the debut of a young man Sam Chapman, he scored 12 points including beating Tom Perry, Max Clegg, and Matt Williamson for a very good debut. As others have said on this subject on other threads, there has to be middle ground found in a league where teams have different agendas. Scunny are too weak and Cradley too strong, a balance is needed for the good of everyone. Anyway today is all about Sam Chapman so well done to him. No doubt the Heathens have their eye on him for next year..... Quite agree that the best thing about this match is the emergence of Sam Chapman. I wasn't there today (boo hoo) so could someone fill me in on his background story ? Looks like by rather more luck than judgement ( I presume he was in the team due to the injury crisis) the Stags might have a new prospect to get excited about. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bruno 1,790 Posted April 13, 2014 This isnt cradleys fault or scunnys fault but the way the nl is run.difficult to find an answer but neither promotions fault.I was looking forward to visiting Scunthorpe but it made no sense financially or competitively.not even sure il be at monmore wood for the return.answer? No idea 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SCB 0 Posted April 13, 2014 If Sam Chapman turns out to be anyway decent and capable of PL speedway then Scunthorpe will be able to say all the thrashing, all the moaning etc has been worth it, they have found a rider. More power to them! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ommer Mon 381 Posted April 13, 2014 Nonsense. Are you suggesting the Young Stars move up (the simple truth is it will be anything but just Cradley who will be unhappy), because apparently Buster Chapman wasn't impressed last week ? This view utterly overlooks the reason why Scunthorpe run Stags meetings as double headers with Scorpions ones : they do so because if they ran them as stand alones few would pay to attend and in running them as double headers you effectively pay for the NL meeting whether you want to or not if you want to see the PL match. In other words, they will take no financial risk on the effect that the Stags team will have on their overall viability while imposing that risk on every other club in the league. Until such time as Scunthorpe run Stags meetings as stand alones every other club in the league is perfectly justified in complaining about the effect the weakness of the Stags side has on their gates. As a final point, if Scunthorpe don't like other teams complaints (and, lets face it, the others will be very much in the majority) they could always move down a league. Far more eloquently put than I could have done Halifaxtiger. I think you have hit the nail on the head. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
THE DEAN MACHINE 4,736 Posted April 13, 2014 If teams don't like what Scunny are doing they could always move up a League, instead of buying this League. if they move up who are scunny going to ride against 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
greyhoundp 990 Posted April 13, 2014 Quite agree that the best thing about this match is the emergence of Sam Chapman. I wasn't there today (boo hoo) so could someone fill me in on his background story ? Looks like by rather more luck than judgement ( I presume he was in the team due to the injury crisis) the Stags might have a new prospect to get excited about. Iv read somewhere only today, Sam has been riding for Milton Keynes, so Im only guessing, he could be another Teams assett. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
montie 1,273 Posted April 13, 2014 if they move up who are scunny going to ride against The rest of them maybe?? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
