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Is It Finally Time For One League?
Hawk127 replied to TheSmiler's topic in SGB Premiership Speedway League
Whatever the good folk on this forum think and you can read many a worthy suggestions that could make a difference to the sport, the problem is it is a niche product run by a closed shop of promoters looking primarily after their own interests but trying to market a sport with no level playing field as far as machinery used is concerned with riders basically dictating what days they will race because that have commitments elsewhere around Europe. On machinery, back in the day when the bikes were roughly the same a rider could jump on the track spare and still win races and was partly down to rider skill and not the power of the bike. Up and coming riders using the same type of machinery could often run heat leaders close and sometimes get that surprise win. Today you have throttle jockeys on highly tuned machines that cost an absolute fortune to maintain trying to negotiate a range of tracks that were just not designed for today’s machinery. Wholesale changes are needed from the way the promoters run the sport to presentation, machinery, rider attitude and lot of thinking outside the box to take the sport to another generation. The trouble is no one on the top table is either interested or has the balls to rock the boat because of the ramifications from the closed shop controllers. One can only fear for the sport and the sad decline due to so many factors some of which could have been avoided/stopped in their tracks but no one could step up and say no. It probably says more about the lack of respect on the top table for the fellow owners of clubs that no one listens to each other. -
Prediction of 2025 Championship league
Bear_Bottom replied to Bitza's topic in SGB Championship League Speedway
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Is It Finally Time For One League?
YeOldPitGate replied to TheSmiler's topic in SGB Premiership Speedway League
Agreed no good/easy choices moving forward but if the premier is reduced to say 4 or 5 teams next season and given no one is daft enough to move up what are the alternatives to say a 10-12 team championship standard top league ? -
Should Kerr be allowed to guest as he rode for his own club in the other semi-final. I did question whether he should have rode in the semi against Ipswich. In the play-offs he wouldn't be allowed so what difference should the cup make.
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It’s madness. Jason’s average is 1.7 higher than Sam’s !!!
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Is It Finally Time For One League?
IainB replied to TheSmiler's topic in SGB Premiership Speedway League
So we've tried one big league and it didn't work, we tried the "Elite" league and it worked to some extent with a nice juicy tv contract, what we have now is an Elite League Lite with a meagre tv contract and who knows if that's going to be renewed. So we either limp on as we are with ever dwindling crowds or do something radical. Whether that be 1 big (small) league of 14 or an Elite+ with all the riders Poland use... the latter ain't going to happen without a massive tv contact or at least a 50% increase in admission prices. A 6 or 7 team league where the play off places are nailed on before a wheel is turned like we've had the last couple of seasons is not a great watch. The FIM ain't interested, they're currently too busy running their own SGP series into the ground, the only way would be to break away from the FIM, to what I don't know, I'm not sure we currently have the talent in place to run a ruling body. -
Is It Finally Time For One League?
SpeedwaySlider72 replied to TheSmiler's topic in SGB Premiership Speedway League
How do you define improve? The sport is restructured into one league at a sustainable level and the clubs make money that can be reinvested into the sport - is that an improvement? Or The Premiership reaches further and strengthens the league but the crowds don't improve and the clubs lose even more money - is that an improvement? - Today
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Is It Finally Time For One League?
KevtheRev replied to TheSmiler's topic in SGB Premiership Speedway League
Shame I thought that would work, but keep Poland out, just three countries, 5/6 teams each. -
Berwick ‘buy a brick’ Bandits 2025
allthegearbutnaeidea replied to emilali's topic in SGB Championship League Speedway
You might get one of them back -
Scunthorpe vs Poole 18.07.2025
Gavan replied to ScunnyDan's topic in SGB Championship League Speedway
Heat 13 is designed to have the best 2 riders in it … Doyle Emil Kurtz Bewley Holder Holder Fricke Masters Heat 15 is nominated hence the title …. I think if you are 20 points up going into heat 15 then why risk your best riders -
Berwick ‘buy a brick’ Bandits 2025
Mgas replied to emilali's topic in SGB Championship League Speedway
Any updates on either Cook or PK? I see both are missing from the Oxford side. Would be great to have both back this weekend. -
Scunthorpe vs Poole 18.07.2025
Gavan replied to ScunnyDan's topic in SGB Championship League Speedway
You aren’t understanding what I mean Nobody wants to see a rider injured of course not Personally if the points are safe I don’t care who rides heat 15 I don’t want anyone injured but if I had the choice of Emil missing for a month or Ellis or the rising star for example then you wouldn’t want your best rider out Ipswich earlier this season had Doyle and Thompson injured and struggled hugely I’m not in the camp that heat 15 has to be your 2 best riders on the night If Belle Vue had Kurtz injured in a heat 15 when the match was already secure then I’m sure Belle Vue fans will wish he hadn’t rode -
Is It Finally Time For One League?
Fromafar replied to TheSmiler's topic in SGB Premiership Speedway League
If the Premiership can survive as it’s being run at Present then just let them get on with it. championship needs too change their model too suit rider availability and Guest Fest and fixtures and it will survive in its present number of Teams -
Is It Finally Time For One League?
cowboy cookie returns? replied to TheSmiler's topic in SGB Premiership Speedway League
One big league has been tried before, watering down the product to cut costs has been in action since the late 80s neither have worked. Unfortunately money should have been spent in raising the profile & making it a better show & rider development when the Sky money was flowing in. If it goes one big league what will happen, the championship clubs will raise their admission prices because as sure as eggs are eggs the premiership teams won’t reduce theirs. You’ll end up the the championship supporters paying out more for a lesser product while the premiership supports pay out the same for less. That doesn’t sound like a great marketing strategy. Real change needs to start with the equipment to make it not only more reliable & cheaper to run but also to provide a better spectacle. The sport is on its ass everywhere expect Poland. The FIM need to lead from the front to make equipment changes mandatory to reduce rider costs. The bottom line is that in its current guise Speedway isn’t something that appeals to the masses & one big league severing up a lesser product UK wide isn’t going to address that. The really annoying thing & it was proven at Ipswich on Thursday with a group of first timers in the sponsor lounge is that if you can get new comers in they do find it a great spectacle & want to attend again. The issue comes later when the operating model of doubling up rampant guest fest & the many other things that eat credibility start to become apparent. -
Prediction of 2025 Championship league
SteveLyric2 replied to Bitza's topic in SGB Championship League Speedway
Jeppesen. -
Scunthorpe vs Poole 18.07.2025
phillwhitewasmad replied to ScunnyDan's topic in SGB Championship League Speedway
lots of assumptions here and none are right -
Berwick ‘buy a brick’ Bandits 2025
Bandit59 replied to emilali's topic in SGB Championship League Speedway
Well done to the promotion for getting him in if we don't make the playoffs can't say they never tried, have we got a guest for Sam on Saturday night?