mikebv 10,263 Posted June 19, 2022 (edited) 7 hours ago, Trees said: You need to persuade the Championship promoters that they need to promote weaker teams, they are sitting pretty! Indeed... No Rising Stars either.. A good interview with Mark Lemon in this weeks Speedway Star on the very same subject... (The Star in the past few months has been truly of a great standard by the way, but I digress).. There simply is too big a leap from Div 3 to Div 2, as Div 2 is too strong.. And given the talent is in no way shape or form shared around, it is also too uncompetitive... Whether Div 1 should be of a higher standard is a discussion point, but immaterial in relation to giving those Div 3 better performers a route into the higher levels of the sport.. One Div 1 HL, and then the rest made up of two Div 2 standard riders, and three places at the bottom end for NDL level riders would be ideal.. Six rider teams with the No 6 being a true NDL level reserve who can be replaced by other NDL level reserve (but unattached), riders when injured or not capable of riding at a higher level.. There needs to be an organic pathway into Div 1 from Div 3... Therefore Div 2 has to be the stepping stones that facilitate it... Edited June 19, 2022 by mikebv 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ch958 2,395 Posted June 19, 2022 7 hours ago, Trees said: You need to persuade the Championship promoters that they need to promote weaker teams, they are sitting pretty! once you get a few competitive meetings the crowds will soon forget the big names, in reality they're not here anyway Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pvm 114 Posted June 21, 2022 We keep coming back to the same question, Which teams would you sacrifice in order to prop-up the perceived “Top league “. Baring mind that the present promoters of the said “Top League “ are the very promoters who have brought about it’s demise. Would you increase the number of teams in the “Top League “ to <11, thereby keep the present “Top League” promoters the advantageous numbers in any vote regarding changes to the rules etc? If you were to create a system, where there was one league, it would have to include more than 12 teams (assuming the present 6 Top league teams are part of any new league). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
iainb 4,994 Posted June 22, 2022 (edited) 16 hours ago, pvm said: We keep coming back to the same question, Which teams would you sacrifice in order to prop-up the perceived “Top league “. Baring mind that the present promoters of the said “Top League “ are the very promoters who have brought about it’s demise. Would you increase the number of teams in the “Top League “ to <11, thereby keep the present “Top League” promoters the advantageous numbers in any vote regarding changes to the rules etc? If you were to create a system, where there was one league, it would have to include more than 12 teams (assuming the present 6 Top league teams are part of any new league). Div 1: Belle Vue Ipswich Kings Lynn Peterborough Sheffield Wolverhampton Poole Leicester Glasgow Oxford Div 2: Berwick Birmingham Plymouth Scunthorpe Kent Mildenhall Redcar IOW ANY new team coming in/back 7,6,5 or 4 rider teams, what ever is needed to run without doubling up All clubs to run a 3/4 rider junior team as a 2nd half Edited June 22, 2022 by iainb 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ch958 2,395 Posted June 22, 2022 in reality, the situation is similar to the 6 team National league of the mid 60s. This resulted in the RAC appointing Lord Shawcross to come up with recommendations to ensure the survival, nothing less, of the sport. Can the RAC be asked to intervene again to independently find a way forward? His (Shawcoss) work lead to the formation of the British League (one big league!!) which prospered, led to a Division 2 which equally prospered and led further to a period of great success internationally and domestically. The problems any such commission would face are quite different to those in the 60's(rapidly diminishing audience and environmental concerns for two) but would at least be independent and dispassionate. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DBP 66 Posted June 22, 2022 What's going to happen next season, Peterborough wont have a home due to redevelopment the premier League will only have 5 teams it's already dire only having 6 Something will have to be done, it's a crazy situation when the premier league supposedly the better league has less than half of the teams that the championship does. Even more stupid is that almost every premiership rider doubles up in the championship Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
topaz325 1,855 Posted June 22, 2022 Swindon might be back, Edinburgh might be lost.....Workington might be back in the junior League ? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
yoda 81 Posted June 22, 2022 51 minutes ago, topaz325 said: Swindon might be back, Edinburgh might be lost.....Workington might be back in the junior League ? Edinburgh wont be lost Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
steve roberts 9,242 Posted June 25, 2022 Never mind tractor "racing" but apparently at the Crystal Palace track after heavy rain during the meeting created ruts a ten ton steam roller was introduced to iron out the track so that racing could continue...that would have been some sight! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GWC 495 Posted June 25, 2022 6 hours ago, steve roberts said: Never mind tractor "racing" but apparently at the Crystal Palace track after heavy rain during the meeting created ruts a ten ton steam roller was introduced to iron out the track so that racing could continue...that would have been some sight! Back in those days the track would have been cinders 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ch958 2,395 Posted June 26, 2022 350 souls at Birmingham, the second city. If its not possible to get more people in, and double that crowd would still be pretty poor, then costs must be slashed. Its a double whammy, poor income, high outgoings. Is anyone winning in this situation? 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikebv 10,263 Posted June 26, 2022 7 hours ago, ch958 said: 350 souls at Birmingham, the second city. If its not possible to get more people in, and double that crowd would still be pretty poor, then costs must be slashed. Its a double whammy, poor income, high outgoings. Is anyone winning in this situation? The riders.... Two jobs and loads of guesting... Kerching.... 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikebv 10,263 Posted June 26, 2022 On 6/22/2022 at 11:23 AM, ch958 said: in reality, the situation is similar to the 6 team National league of the mid 60s. This resulted in the RAC appointing Lord Shawcross to come up with recommendations to ensure the survival, nothing less, of the sport. Can the RAC be asked to intervene again to independently find a way forward? His (Shawcoss) work lead to the formation of the British League (one big league!!) which prospered, led to a Division 2 which equally prospered and led further to a period of great success internationally and domestically. The problems any such commission would face are quite different to those in the 60's(rapidly diminishing audience and environmental concerns for two) but would at least be independent and dispassionate. The issue is exactly as you describe... The "leadership" isn't either independent or dispassionate.... Even if large companies ever decided to sponsor Speedway, who negotiates? You can only imagine that whoever gets the job will have to shuttle back and too throughout the talks as they get commitment and agreement from others who will have wide and varied different agendas from one to another. .. Ultimately we are at a point that doubling up is pretty much a given ongoing as riders will be used to two jobs' worth of income, with 50 to 60 meetings being what they expect/need, to earn the amount of cash that they see as acceptable. .. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
THE DEAN MACHINE 4,738 Posted June 26, 2022 (edited) 52 minutes ago, mikebv said: The riders.... Two jobs and loads of guesting... Kerching.... The days of the professional rider in British speedway is over, I warned a few years back this was happening offering various ideas at the time to address some of the issues we face on both sides of the fence but I was crucified by certain riders and their fan boys in the sport, until we accept the dire situation we are in the sport is doomed, I don’t claim to have the answers but you don’t need to be a fortune teller to see the dark days ahead, speedway is under pressure from external forces too but it’s main danger comes from within our sport Edited June 26, 2022 by THE DEAN MACHINE 5 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikebv 10,263 Posted June 26, 2022 24 minutes ago, THE DEAN MACHINE said: The days of the professional rider in British speedway is over, I warned a few years back this was happening offering various ideas at the time to address some of the issues we face on both sides of the fence but I was crucified by certain riders in the sport, until we accept the dire situation we are in the sport is doomed, I don’t claim to have the answers but you don’t need to be a fortune teller to see the dark days ahead, speedway is under pressure from external forces too but it’s main danger comes from within our sport Spot on Death by a thousand self inflicted cuts... 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
