One League - Matt Ford

[steve roberts 9,244]

7 hours ago, GWC said:

Principally because the ‘better off’ teams wouldn’t share around their riders so some teams struggled badly.

The British league of 1965 was successful because it provided more variety of opposition plus teams were put together under the ‘ rider control’ system.

Maybe a similar system would initially be required - especially if Buster owns all the clubs! 

Remember in 1987 when Hackney  elected to join the British League and only Oxford came to their assistance (despite assurances from other promotions) and loaned them Simon Wigg...which paid Oxford dearly that season after two seasons of outstanding success.

[waytogo28 2,054]

9 hours ago, Fromafar said:

It’s took a number of seasons for the “penny to finally drop” with Ford &Co.The fans have been telling them for years

The sound of our collective clamour was too insubstantial for promoters of such "height" to hear. Lofty perches and all that! It may be some years before our glorious Chairman may be able to hear. By which time it really will be too late!

[Trees 2,814]

So if we haven't got enough riders at present and with the prospect of certain ones leaving these shores if we went to one big league, what then?

[Fromafar 10,359]

50 minutes ago, Trees said:

So if we haven't got enough riders at present and with the prospect of certain ones leaving these shores if we went to one big league, what then?

We soon won’t have many Clubs the way things are going.

[Bavarian 766]

1 hour ago, Trees said:

So if we haven't got enough riders at present and with the prospect of certain ones leaving these shores if we went to one big league, what then?

AUSTRALIA ?

With no EU law restricting You in the future, You can call on the Aussie boys, who are eager to come over, and unliek many of the Europeans they are loyal to British speedway, not having to ride in their home country every other week durign the European season

 

[cityrebel 2,960]

40 minutes ago, Bavarian said:

AUSTRALIA ?

With no EU law restricting You in the future, You can call on the Aussie boys, who are eager to come over, and unliek many of the Europeans they are loyal to British speedway, not having to ride in their home country every other week durign the European season

 

Just like they always have since 1928.

[The Cheese 2,022]

1 hour ago, Bavarian said:

AUSTRALIA ?

With no EU law restricting You in the future, You can call on the Aussie boys, who are eager to come over, and unliek many of the Europeans they are loyal to British speedway, not having to ride in their home country every other week durign the European season

 

I would think that after the trouble of a few years ago it's very unlikely that rules on getting a visa will be relaxed.

[orion 7,615]

11 hours ago, GWC said:

Principally because the ‘better off’ teams wouldn’t share around their riders so some teams struggled badly.

The British league of 1965 was successful because it provided more variety of opposition plus teams were put together under the ‘ rider control’ system.

Maybe a similar system would initially be required - especially if Buster owns all the clubs! 

I expect it  was successful because all the top  riders rode in it etc etc and there was not much  else to do ..There been a variety of teams in the Pl for years its hardly helped or made  the crowds bigger

Edited June 1, 2019 by orion

[Skidder1 7,634]

2 hours ago, Bavarian said:

AUSTRALIA ?

With no EU law restricting You in the future, You can call on the Aussie boys, who are eager to come over, and unliek many of the Europeans they are loyal to British speedway, not having to ride in their home country every other week durign the European season

 

As much as the Aussies are based over here  for the season and can be loyal to our domestic league set-up - if they get offered a team place abroad you know where they will go when there are fixture clashes - especially if a new 'one league' set-up races on any night that suits each individual club!

A one league format (+ National league) of approx current championship level or below, will lose not only the top riders but also many of the non-British/Commonwealth 3rd heat leader/2nd string riders too!

Trying to propose a financial structure for all teams in such a league would be difficult if not impossible due to most clubs having different cost and income bases. For example, what works fincially for say Eastbourne or Kings Lynn who own their own stadia, would not necessarily work for say Poole, Peterborough or Sheffield who have to rent their facilities and who don't get the benefit of any food/beverage/parking revenues.

[Trees 2,814]

3 hours ago, Fromafar said:

We soon won’t have many Clubs the way things are going.

Use em or lose em, nah I think their ought to be a huge summit of all league speedway promoters to thrash out some ideas for the future of the sport ...... if things are rosy anywhere then something has to be done?

[marko 956]

I no longer have a club to support but if I did I would welcome a league of 16-18 clubs, maybe its rose tinted glasses but I used to really enjoy the old National League back in the late 80s, so many teams and a lot of variety, that said though, they were the days when you had a lot of those clubs within reasonable distance, us Hammers had at various times, Hackney, Ipswich, Rye House, Mildenhall, Milton Keynes & Wimbledon.

[Tsunami 10,219]

16 hours ago, keepturningleft said:

Years ago I remember when someone like Barry Briggs came to Halifax for a league meeting, there was a special buzz and an obvious spike in attendance because this, apart from a possible international, was likely to be his one and only appearance at the track for the year.

Those special times are gone. As world champion, I doubt if the presence of Jason Doyle attracted a single extra person through the turnstile, with all due respect to Jason.

When the same teams and faces are appearing week in and week out, meetings become less meaningful and the sense of anticipation is diluted. 

The formation of one big league was the salvation of speedway in the 60's, maybe it could be again. 

And it was such a disaster in the mid 90's that the then PL have to be created to keep clubs in business.

[racers and royals 8,723]

12 minutes ago, Tsunami said:

And it was such a disaster in the mid 90's that the then PL have to be created to keep clubs in business.

That was mainly because the " Haves " refused to help the "have nots" with riders making it a really  unbalanced league.- The promoters talked a good game but failed to implement it properly !!!!

[Fromafar 10,359]

2 hours ago, Trees said:

Use em or lose em, nah I think their ought to be a huge summit of all league speedway promoters to thrash out some ideas for the future of the sport ...... if things are rosy anywhere then something has to be done?

They try that every year ,and come with nothing. ,what’s going to change.Self interest rules .

[Fortythirtyeight 840]

What's going to change?.....either nothing or the end of speedway as we currently know it.

The 'One league format'  was agreed in the winter , with a number of tracks refusing to join it but then a member of the board , who didn't like that decision led a revolt and had it overturned. Then when it was stalemate as not enough teams to continue with a Premiership and Championship his adversary buys two more clubs to keep the Premiership going. Rules were ignored and individuals requirements came first. They who had the most money and loudest voices got what they required. Nothing new to speedway.

This will only change when there's a revolution or a total collapse of the sport. There has to be new leadership, unattached to any club, to try to save the sport we all love ( well most of us on this forum !)

will it ever happen?