National/premier League Riders Nationality.

[Mad Potter 2 109]

Thank you MrMungo - then I have no problem with him in the National League.

 

 

As has Robert Branford.

[Vince 9,458]

At the end of the day if you say, for arguments sake, 1 rider in every 20 makes the grade in the PL or above then you need as many British riders on bikes as you can get.

 

If,as I believe, that difficulty getting enough racing is one of the reasons riders walk away from the sport before they hardly get going then it doesn't make sense to be giving places to foreign lads. Especially as in many cases the main reason the foreign lad is better than his British counterpart of the same age is because he has 10 times the amount of riding hours.

[Halifaxtiger 5,318]

 

If,as I believe, that difficulty getting enough racing is one of the reasons riders walk away from the sport before they hardly get going then it doesn't make sense to be giving places to foreign lads. Especially as in many cases the main reason the foreign lad is better than his British counterpart of the same age is because he has 10 times the amount of riding hours.

 

My view on allowing foreign riders into the NL is based upon the fact that NL teams aren't just training tracks (there are only 2 double up teams in the NL, and if those planning to come in in 2014 do so the percentage will reduce further) they are commercial enterprises. As such, they rely on gate receipts and other income just as much as their PL & EL equivalents.

 

The addition of one foreigner who can provide a great deal of colour and make the team line up far more impressive (Cameron Heeps at Mildenhall is the obvious exmple) will help to attract new fans and retain existing ones.

 

I think that that is very much worth the sacrifice of one GB youngster's place.

Edited March 24, 2013 by Halifaxtiger

[foamfence 2,917]

My view on allowing foreign riders into the NL is based upon the fact that NL teams aren't just training tracks (there are only 2 double up teams in the NL, and if those planning to come in in 2014 do so the percentage will reduce further) they are commercial enterprises. As such, they rely on gate receipts and other income just as much as their PL & EL equivalents.

 

The addition of one foreigner who can provide a great deal of colour and make the team line up far more impressive (Cameron Heeps at Mildenhall is the obvious exmple) will help to attract new fans and retain existing ones.

 

I think that that is very much worth the sacrifice of one GB youngster's place.

They can always join the PL.

[Long Eye 278]

My view on allowing foreign riders into the NL is based upon the fact that NL teams aren't just training tracks (there are only 2 double up teams in the NL, and if those planning to come in in 2014 do so the percentage will reduce further) they are commercial enterprises. As such, they rely on gate receipts and other income just as much as their PL & EL equivalents.

 

The addition of one foreigner who can provide a great deal of colour and make the team line up far more impressive (Cameron Heeps at Mildenhall is the obvious exmple) will help to attract new fans and retain existing ones.

 

I think that that is very much worth the sacrifice of one GB youngster's place.

 

So how would an inexperienced foreign rider help bring more to a team than an inexperienced British rider?

[iris123 20,989]

So how would an inexperienced foreign rider help bring more to a team than an inexperienced British rider?

A foreigner is seen as a bit exotic in some sense.A shame in some ways,but no getting away from the fact.I went with a lot of others once to see an Ipswich football match.Why?Because at the time i was caught up in the hype of the first Soviet football player in the football league.Sergei Baltacha.Now he wasn't one of the best ever footballers at that time or any other time,but it was something that caught the imagination of the media and the public because of that.He probably put 100s on the gate for that and maybe a few games after whereas if Ipswich had signed a British player of the same standard it would hardly have been noticed.

Edited March 24, 2013 by iris123

[Long Eye 278]

A foreigner is seen as a bit exotic in some sense.A shame in some ways,but no getting away from the fact.I went with a lot of others once to see an Ipswich football match.Why?Because at the time i was caught up in the hype of the first Soviet football player in the football league.Sergei Baltacha.Now he wasn't one of the best ever footballers at that time or any other time,but it was something that caught the imagination of the media and the public because of that.He probably put 100s on the gate for that and maybe a few games after whereas if Ipswich had signed a British player of the same standard it would hardly have been noticed.

 

I'll agree that a foreign rider from unusual countries can be a bit of an added attraction but we already have the PL and EL for that. The NL for me has the added attraction of NOT being full of foreigners.

[dontforgetthefueltapsbruv 10,706]

 

A foreigner is seen as a bit exotic in some sense.A shame in some ways,but no getting away from the fact.I went with a lot of others once to see an Ipswich football match.Why?Because at the time i was caught up in the hype of the first Soviet football player in the football league.Sergei Baltacha.Now he wasn't one of the best ever footballers at that time or any other time,but it was something that caught the imagination of the media and the public because of that.He probably put 100s on the gate for that and maybe a few games after whereas if Ipswich had signed a British player of the same standard it would hardly have been noticed.

I bunked school the one and only time that day to see his first match.

[Humphrey Appleby 13,958]

Sergei Baltacha.Now he wasn't one of the best ever footballers at that time or any other time,but it was something that caught the imagination of the media and the public because of that.He probably put 100s on the gate for that and maybe a few games after whereas if Ipswich had signed a British player of the same standard it would hardly have been noticed.

 

Yes, and his daughter Elena went on to represent Britain in tennis, usually badly, but never mind...

 

However, the point is that she was Ukrainian born so wouldn't have be allowed to compete in the National League if some people get their way, despite the fact she only five years ago when she arrived in Britain. It shows the difficulty of making hard-and-fast rules.

 

In general, I'd agree that the National League should be primarily a development league for British riders and not a finishing school for Aussies etc.. However, the fact remains there are many foreign nationals in the UK who may wish to take up speedway and it would be absurd to exclude them because of an accident of birth.

Edited March 24, 2013 by Humphrey Appleby

[foamfence 2,917]

Yes, and his daughter Elena went on to represent Britain in tennis, usually badly, but never mind...

 

However, the point is that she was Ukrainian born so wouldn't have be allowed to compete in the National League if some people get their way, despite the fact she only five years ago when she arrived in Britain. It shows the difficulty of making hard-and-fast rules.

 

In general, I'd agree that the National League should be primarily a development league for British riders and not a finishing school for Aussies etc.. However, the fact remains there are many foreign nationals in the UK who may wish to take up speedway and it would be absurd to exclude them because of an accident of birth.

They aren't excluded if they pledge their future to Britain.

[Mad Potter 2 109]

They aren't excluded if they pledge their future to Britain.

 

 

That’s the point, if they want to ride in the National League they should stay British.

[Vince 9,458]

Surely if they were in the UK from such a young age they could apply for citizenship and ride in the NL. But it is still more important to safeguard the future of young British riders than to worry about a few possible exceptions in any case.

[Halifaxtiger 5,318]

So how would an inexperienced foreign rider help bring more to a team than an inexperienced British rider?

 

I don't think they would.

 

On the other hand, some of these foreign riders are anything but inexperienced.

 

The best example I can give is Cameron Heeps. He made an enormous impact on the NL, and not just at Mildenhall. Ask anyone from Dudley - I can say with some honesty that people went to meetings just to see him, and that's precisely my point.

 

I'll agree that a foreign rider from unusual countries can be a bit of an added attraction but we already have the PL and EL for that. The NL for me has the added attraction of NOT being full of foreigners.

 

The thing is though is that the NL is as much a commercial operation as the EL or PL - they rely on gate income in exactly the same way. Allowing one attractive foreign rider (and one hardly means that the league will be 'full' of them) will scarcely damage the main aim of the NL but could help those tracks to stay in business.

Edited March 24, 2013 by Halifaxtiger

[Humphrey Appleby 13,958]

That’s the point, if they want to ride in the National League they should stay British.

 

And how do you enforce that? They can pledge to do it, but ultimately there's nothing to stop them changing allegiance later on.

 

Happens in cricket all the time.

[Long Eye 278]

I don't think they would.

 

On the other hand, some of these foreign riders are anything but inexperienced.

 

The best example I can give is Cameron Heeps. He made an enormous impact on the NL, and not just at Mildenhall. Ask anyone from Dudley - I can say with some honesty that people went to meetings just to see him, and that's precisely my point.

 

 

 

The thing is though is that the NL is as much a commercial operation as the EL or PL - they rely on gate income in exactly the same way. Allowing one attractive foreign rider (and one hardly means that the league will be 'full' of them) will scarcely damage the main aim of the NL but could help those tracks to stay in business.

 

There's already a shortage of team places for British riders. It's not going to help the careers of British riders by reducing opportunities even further. If a team feels the need to improve its commercial position further by employing foreign riders then the should go PL or EL. In 1989 when Jens Rasmusen joined Rye House it was said at the time that the floodgates had been opened. Look at the state of British speedway now.