Electric6 9 Posted November 5, 2015 Now what is the national league about? Should it be about teams winning titles and becoming the mini Poole of this league dominating or should it be about developing young British riders to progress up the ranks? I think the National League needs in essence a Major Revamp - I think it HAS to focus on the individual rider rather than the team and thus I would propose the following National League divided into North/South with more clubs asked to compete National League North - Birmingham Buxton Coventry Cradley Glasgow Belle Vue Edinburgh Sheffield National League South - Eastbourne Kent Kings Lynn Mildenhall Rye House Stoke Peterborough/Ipswich Poole The season should run from May 1st - August 31st Teams should consist of 4 rider teams with 1 reserve and the format should be 16 heats and 4 teams per meeting i.e. Eastbourne at home vs Kent vs Kings Lynn vs Mildenhall This would focus on individual riding, not team riding with the emphasis on individual rider developement whilst working towards a team goal. Each club get 14 home meetings and 14 away meetings. Top 2 from each division meeting in the "Grand Final" at a neutral venue Points awarded 4 for 1st, 3 for 2nd, 2 for 3rd and 0 for last place. This would offer any young rider plenty of meetings and experience and again with the emphasis of riding individually against 3 other riders who are not team-mates with the sole focus of winning, not looking out for your team-mate, not tactically riding etc. just pure racing, we could develop a set of riders with a winning mentality under this format. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alex2000 266 Posted November 5, 2015 I think this sounds like MDL meets with 4 riders on each team all of them youngsters not the 4 teams a meeting though. The MDL is for doing that bit don't you think and NL is like the first level of proper league racing that gives them what Elite and premier is like 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Electric6 9 Posted November 5, 2015 There are not enough riders in the UK for a 3 tier system. The Top 20 riders in the current national league need to be in the Premier League full-time The Elite League needs to become the British League with the top 10/15 premier league guys racing in it (who are not currently in it) The Premier needs to become the National League with the top 20 national league riders The National League needs to become the Conference League under the format I have stated above Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TurnTwo 317 Posted November 5, 2015 I think it's pretty good the way it is look at the riders that are now blossoming - Ayres, Shane's, Waj Look at talent from the league Ellis Branford clegg Wilson dean waj lamberts (previously) worralls sarjeant Garrity Bates 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
steven101 103 Posted November 5, 2015 Ellis Branford clegg Wilson dean waj lamberts (previously) worralls sarjeant Garrity Bates Nick morris Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gee jay 234 Posted November 5, 2015 we have the youth set up in place now so that young riders gain years of experience of racing a bike by the time they are 15. then it is time for them to be part of a team so why still have them racing as individuals it's a step backwards. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Islander15 1,065 Posted November 5, 2015 I'm glad that plan will never get implemented! The NL has problems but making it 4 man teams and uncompetitive isnt the way forward. You need good quality and close meetings for fans to turn up. The league has needed to up its professionalism and Eastbourne led that superbly last year! Oh and you missed out the Isle of Wight's return. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
*JJ 512 Posted November 5, 2015 The National League does NOT need to take a step backward into a 'Conference'. It has been very successful this year, and is set to expand next year. You could say that it is the future of British speedway! Ask any Eastbourne or Birmingham fans about it 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
00000 1,279 Posted November 5, 2015 Now what is the national league about? Should it be about teams winning titles and becoming the mini Poole of this league dominating or should it be about developing young British riders to progress up the ranks? I think the National League needs in essence a Major Revamp - I think it HAS to focus on the individual rider rather than the team and thus I would propose the following National League divided into North/South with more clubs asked to compete National League North - Birmingham Buxton Coventry Cradley Glasgow Belle Vue Edinburgh Sheffield National League South - Eastbourne Kent Kings Lynn Mildenhall Rye House Stoke Peterborough/Ipswich Poole The season should run from May 1st - August 31st Teams should consist of 4 rider teams with 1 reserve and the format should be 16 heats and 4 teams per meeting i.e. Eastbourne at home vs Kent vs Kings Lynn vs Mildenhall This would focus on individual riding, not team riding with the emphasis on individual rider developement whilst working towards a team goal. Each club get 14 home meetings and 14 away meetings. Top 2 from each division meeting in the "Grand Final" at a neutral venue Points awarded 4 for 1st, 3 for 2nd, 2 for 3rd and 0 for last place. This would offer any young rider plenty of meetings and experience and again with the emphasis of riding individually against 3 other riders who are not team-mates with the sole focus of winning, not looking out for your team-mate, not tactically riding etc. just pure racing, we could develop a set of riders with a winning mentality under this format. I am sorry to say this is the very last thing the National League needs. It is working fine - the riders are coming through and some are making really fast progress. Jubilee Clip gives some in his earlier post. There are certainly more on the way. As I said on another thread, the big problem is that the EL and PL are too close together in terms of standards; making it hard for NL boys to step up The idea floated here would make the gulf between the NL and the PL an ocean 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
John Leslie 3,213 Posted November 5, 2015 Sorry, but your idea is quite barmy. Each club get 14 home meetings and 14 away meetings. No they wouldn't. You're proposing a 4TT so every club gets 3 times as many away meetings as home ones. Financially 4TTs are a disaster as you have to pay your riders for 3 away meetings out of just 1 home gate. You're proposing 16 heats instead of 15 so more costs. you're proposing 20 riders instead of 14 per meeting, so more costs. 4TTs don't provide team racing. You would ride oponents an unequal amount of times, and it would be riding the same opponents around 10 times per season. quite mad! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Electric6 9 Posted November 5, 2015 If you take those who score above 7.5+ out of the Premier League and place them into the Elite League and then Take those who score over 7.5 out of the National League and place them into the Premier You are not creating a massive divide between Premier League and National League - in fact you are making the Elite Stronger, the Premier League weaker by removing the top scoring riders, and creating more opportunity for National League riders to step up. Reducing the National league to 4/5 rider teams will allow in my opinion more clubs to field a youth/development side Maybe a different format where there are only 2 teams per meeting but 5 vs 5 would work better, as it would give more riders more heats! The gulf between the top riders in the National League and the bottom is massive - the names mentioned here could potentially be really good riders but perhaps over-hyped due to the level they are at - the above suggestions would allow more progress from bottom to the top. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TurnTwo 317 Posted November 5, 2015 Honestly I don't think making the teams smaller would make any did fence 7 riders one team all representing their club to win Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Baldy 69 Posted November 5, 2015 I only pop in now and again to see if there has been an improvement in the way speedway is help and quite excited by the title but alas no. How about equally talented riders racing against each other?. Not been for few years now to any speedway as 80% of races were either won from gate or riders that far strung out i had neck ache watching them. Just as a small aside. How to we get Cradley in North and Stoke in South when Stoke is further up M6?. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sings4Speedway 3,247 Posted November 5, 2015 IMHO the NL has just had one of its best seasons for a very long time and does not need a dramatic overhaul as suggested. Asking / forcing clubs to host NL will not work as too many staff & supporters are set in their ways. The MDL is widely welcomed and the riders embraced by some clubs and others treat them as a second rate hindrance. As a league for home grown riders (plus a few exceptions) the only way the NL will continue to flourish is if there are plenty of riders coming through the ranks fighting for team places not the occasional over hyped hot shot and a few that have bikes and will travel. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ben91 1,743 Posted November 5, 2015 NL will always have this issue while there are stand alone sides and reserve teams, however reducing the points limit last season was a positive step in ensuring teams were all bringing through young riders, while the stand alone teams can still try to assemble title winning teams within the points limit. No major changes to he structure of the NL are needed at all, if anything it is the league with the least wrong at the moment. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
