Elite League Draft Riders

[Mr Blobby 2,684]

Sorry, what have the PL done?

 

Put on a better product than the EL

[Skidder1 7,658]

That's the thing about the PL - lots of similarly averaged/ability Johnny Foreigners and the product is great!!!!

[Tsunami 10,219]

Sorry, what have the PL done?

Over the years, gave World Champs and GP riders the start they need to achieve their potential. What's your point with this question.

[Fromafar 10,413]

Auty has been riding speedway since he was 13, I would suggest the rest weren't. Auty is still better that most of the draft riders and like Roynon is just above the cut off line. Put Auty in and someone else will complain who is marginally better than Auty.

Auty has been hyped up for years now, can't see him getting any better.This draft riders will maybe see out next season but will be scrapped or revamped when they realise its a farce,some of the draft rides might get lapped at the smaller tracks!!!!!'

[Kester 3,043]

 

Put on a better product than the EL

In what way? I've followed my club in both EL and PL, and I prefer the racing in the EL.

[Mr Blobby 2,684]

In what way? I've followed my club in both EL and PL, and I prefer the racing in the EL.

 

As in the racing is a lot closer and better in general all you have to do is watch the Sky matches that were on last season and the PL ones were far better

Edited December 17, 2013 by Mr Blobby

[Kester 3,043]

 

As in the racing is a lot closer and better in general all you have ot do is watch the Sky matches that were on last season and the PL ones were far better

 

But are they indicative of the racing that goes on week in and out in both leagues? Don't get me wrong I enjoyed the PL and the racing can be good. But in the EL the 1st and 2nd bends are far more cut and thrust, and the higher ability of the riders means you do see moves in the EL that you don't in the PL.

[SCB 0]

 

Put on a better product than the EL

Rubbish. As someone who started watching PL racing then moved on to watch EL racing, don't kid yourself.

 

Over the years, gave World Champs and GP riders the start they need to achieve their potential. What's your point with this question.

Straw man arghuement. You said the PL had tried to "to reverse this trend and you (me) still moan.". So what has the PL done to reverse the trend of foreignors taking up reserve spots in their teams?

 

 

As in the racing is a lot closer and better in general all you have to do is watch the Sky matches that were on last season and the PL ones were far better

You really are kidding yourself. I have the stats to prove there are more sub 3 pointers in the PL than the EL and that more EL reserves beat EL heatleaders than Pl reserves beat PL heatleaders. Kind of suggests that the racing is not closer in the PL.

[E I Addio 15,849]

 

If the sole, or even primary, aim was reversing a trend then surely it'd be introduced in the PL first, as young Brits would have a better chance of making a fist of it. As it is, it's hard to see it as anything other than a cost-cutting measure first and foremost.

 

Of course its a cost cutting measure. There was never any secret about that . This a section of Jon Cook's statement on the Lakeside site a week before the AGM, making it crystal clear that cost would have to be cut in order to have more meetings . People may or mar not agree with what has been done but there never was any secret about what was the priority. :-

 

 

"He continued “For our own club and many others, we are now running at too large an expense per meeting and as a result of other clubs wishes, have reduced our league programme to below a level acceptable to our landlords, our riders, who don’t have the luxury of riding in multiple leagues, our sponsors and most importantly our fans.

 

The problem we now have is that expense is too great to add in another half a dozen meetings at the current levels, as we have all got business plans dependent upon dividing our off-track revenues by 14 meetings and not 20.

 

Therefore, real change is required to return to regular Friday speedway, regardless of what future TV contracts bring to the sport. That is our priority over the coming weekend. At the very least we want three meetings a month with the fourth week free for potential rain offs.

 

Team strengths should be secondary to that need. Let the riders that want to commit to British speedway first and foremost and not hide behind the international calendar when it suits, be our priority too".

 

 

Plenty of people lining up to criticise the new rules on team strengths but I don't see anyone coming up with a business plan to show how we can increase meetings to suit landlords and riders without cutting costs per meeting.

 

Speedway is drinking in the Last Chance Saloon. It couldn't carry on as it was.

 

 

[Tsunami 10,219]

Rubbish. As someone who started watching PL racing then moved on to watch EL racing, don't kid yourself.

 

Straw man arghuement. You said the PL had tried to "to reverse this trend and you (me) still moan.". So what has the PL done to reverse the trend of foreignors taking up reserve spots in their teams?

 

You really are kidding yourself. I have the stats to prove there are more sub 3 pointers in the PL than the EL and that more EL reserves beat EL heatleaders than Pl reserves beat PL heatleaders. Kind of suggests that the racing is not closer in the PL.

Point me to the post where I said that, you can't.

[Kester 3,043]

 

Of course its a cost cutting measure. There was never any secret about that . This a section of Jon Cook's statement on the Lakeside site a week before the AGM, making it crystal clear that cost would have to be cut in order to have more meetings . People may or mar not agree with what has been done but there never was any secret about what was the priority. :-

 

 

"He continued “For our own club and many others, we are now running at too large an expense per meeting and as a result of other clubs wishes, have reduced our league programme to below a level acceptable to our landlords, our riders, who don’t have the luxury of riding in multiple leagues, our sponsors and most importantly our fans.

 

The problem we now have is that expense is too great to add in another half a dozen meetings at the current levels, as we have all got business plans dependent upon dividing our off-track revenues by 14 meetings and not 20.

 

Therefore, real change is required to return to regular Friday speedway, regardless of what future TV contracts bring to the sport. That is our priority over the coming weekend. At the very least we want three meetings a month with the fourth week free for potential rain offs.

 

Team strengths should be secondary to that need. Let the riders that want to commit to British speedway first and foremost and not hide behind the international calendar when it suits, be our priority too".

 

 

Plenty of people lining up to criticise the new rules on team strengths but I don't see anyone coming up with a business plan to show how we can increase meetings to suit landlords and riders without cutting costs per meeting.

 

Speedway is drinking in the Last Chance Saloon. It couldn't carry on as it was.

 

 

 

I was responding to claims that the rule was there to bring on youngsters.

 

What is really needed is a business plan to increase attendances. As Orion has pointed out - yes, this measure will cut costs, but if attendances dip as people decide that paying the same money for less (in terms of rider quality) is not for them, then it may not be a saving at all.

[500cc 309]

 

The problem we now have is that expense is too great to add in another half a dozen meetings at the current levels, as we have all got business plans dependent upon dividing our off-track revenues by 14 meetings and not 20.

 

 

The very fact the clubs ended up with business plans where extra meetings would result in extra losses doesn't give a lot of confidence in these plans. On the basis we have clubs from last year needing £6,000 sponsorship to replace Sky's, £5,000 to replace losses so approx £11,000 to save per meeting. We now have 4 more meetings with their £11,000 each to cover. So that's around £200,000. With a Sky equivalent of £90,000 the loss still increases from £70,000 to £110,000. At best I suspect we are treading water with the Brits enabling 18 home meetings, but the losses remaining fairly steady.

 

And all this assumes those supporters who paid for 14 meetings will increase their ticket purchase for the extra 4 meetings.

 

Now I agree that attempts to cut have been made and their needs to be a compromise, but unless clubs can break even at a per meeting level (less of course what the owners are prepared to invest against the losses), then things will only get worse.

 

It is a step in the right direction, but I suspect too much money is still going to the higher end riders. Hopefully though this will reduce the money wasted on journeyman foreigners.

 

This isn't any easy position, but there is still a lot of work to be done.

[Tsunami 10,219]

 

I was responding to claims that the rule was there to bring on youngsters.

 

What is really needed is a business plan to increase attendances. As Orion has pointed out - yes, this measure will cut costs, but if attendances dip as people decide that paying the same money for less (in terms of rider quality) is not for them, then it may not be a saving at all.

Which it was, along with reduced costs. Never been denied.

[SCB 0]

Tell that to the Pl clubs who have (have) Danes, Aussies and Argentinians, Czechs and pretty much anyone with a bike in reserve in recent years. Maybe if it'll save money having Brits Glasgow might like to try signing a few for a change for a start.

 

So we try to reverse this trend and you still moan.

Good job some folks just get on with the job that has to be done, and ignore some others.

 

 

Point me to the post where I said that, you can't.

There you go. I can.

[stevebrum 6,827]

Put on a better product than the EL

 

As in the racing is a lot closer and better in general all you have to do is watch the Sky matches that were on last season and the PL ones were far better

Sweeping generalisation.

When you hand pick the best tracks to show meetings on you will get decent racing. It is no diffferent if Peterborough and Wolves featured more often than not.

If you are saying that ALL the PL meetings have better racing and is always closer then you are clearly telling a falsehood.

I have seen some depressingly dull and lack luster PL meetings.

I can guarantee that if SKY covered a meeting from every track next season there will only be a handful that will be close and better racing.