heathen chemistry 660 Posted June 8, 2016 Interesting interview on BBC Radio Solent this morning with Matt Ford wishing for more fixtures next season - either from an expanded EL and/or a second competition. Fans to be polled for their opinions and views to be put to the BSPA AGM in October/November!! more meetings , he needs to get his track sorted first, it carnt hold up to a match every fortnight, more meetings would mean more holes appearing 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
damosuzuki 696 Posted June 8, 2016 Do Glasgow want up though? I've not heard. The promotion are losing substantial sums in the PL, wouldn't the EL just make it worse? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RobMcCaffery 2,752 Posted June 8, 2016 (edited) The time has clearly come to put the EL out of its misery and to combine into one senior league but with one key proviso. It must be based on current PL team strengths and costs at worst . It would be appalling if the financially weaker PL tracks were thrown out of business in order to bail out the top division, as happened in the 90s. The problem is though that certain influences in the EL have poisoned that league, as can be seen by the reluctance of sane promotions to go anywhere near it and an unworkable rule book, full of clauses inserted to close loopholes exploited by those influences leaving it incoherent, illogical and requiring a degree in statistical research in order to just work out who can ride in a team. That poison must not be allowed to pollute the lower leagues. The PL needs to stand firm and defend what it's got. It and the NL can be the saviour of the sport running at a sane level relative to attendances. Sadly, entrenched attitudes such as "I only DO EL" need to be changed. You either love speedway or names. If you want the names the message sadly has to be in the short to mid term - "There are cheap flights out there to the GPs and Polish League". It's far from ideal but we need regular speedway with workable rules and teams - and certainly not have tracks closing for a month in peak season! Even if by some miracle Coventry, Swindon and Leicester are all able to enter the EL in 2017, and I pray they can, it is only postponing the crisis. Perhaps it does need one year of a single race night, possibly seven home and seven away on the Swedish and Polish model just to prove how that system is unworkable here. One thing is certain - the PL and to a certain extent NL must not be damaged in order to rescue the EL tracks. Edited June 8, 2016 by rmc 6 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lisa-colette 6,035 Posted June 8, 2016 Interesting interview on BBC Radio Solent this morning with Matt Ford wishing for more fixtures next season - either from an expanded EL and/or a second competition. Fans to be polled for their opinions and views to be put to the BSPA AGM in October/November!!You mean they are actually going to take on board what the fans think? Blimey! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ch958 2,395 Posted June 8, 2016 (edited) Why? Swindon will carry on at the Abbey, Glasgow are keen to move up whilst Ipswich have said they would step back up when it suits them. The sport needs a top flight of racing , without it the sport is as good as dead. i could be wrong but i belive the sport was very strong between 1965 - 68 after amalgamation (no top div as such - one level) this led to a revival that lasted for years with BL Div 2 and a host of British boys coming through if we levelled the remaining clubs in a single league (or divided in 2) there would be many opportunities to develop young British riders and operate an affordable league EDIT: of course - i mean 2 leagues with NL continuing more or less as is Edited June 8, 2016 by ch958 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Steve Shovlar 10,439 Posted June 8, 2016 We absolutely dont want to lose the el. Pl racing is ok but not el. Where would the top riders go who have averages over 6? Holder v Jake Allen? Nki v Skidmore? The bspa rules state that if the el becomes untenable the leagues will merge and then reform with an upper and lower league. Without a top league riders cannot progress meaning no developement of British riders. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stevebrum 6,824 Posted June 8, 2016 Do Glasgow want up though? I've not heard. The promotion are losing substantial sums in the PL, wouldn't the EL just make it worse? the promotion made a lot of noise about moving up when they took over. Plenty of press stories at the time. i could be wrong but i belive the sport was very strong between 1965 - 68 after amalgamation (no top div as such - one level) this led to a revival that lasted for years with BL Div 2 and a host of British boys coming through if we levelled the remaining clubs in a single league (or divided in 2) there would be many opportunities to develop young British riders and operate an affordable league EDIT: of course - i mean 2 leagues with NL continuing more or less as is Maybe times where different back then because it's been tried again in the 90's and failed and we had lots more riders back then. I can see why some say it's a good and sensible idea to merge the leagues again and it might appear to solve lots of issues. However it would lose any credibility and would see the sport fall into a part time amateur sport that would lose more supporters than it would gain. . One thing is certain - the PL and to a certain extent NL must not be damaged in order to rescue the EL tracks. You make it sound like those leagues are perfect and everything is great. IT ISN'T. Speedway in the UK is suffering, not any one league. All leagues have major issues, to claim only one is at fault is blinkered at best. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ch958 2,395 Posted June 8, 2016 the promotion made a lot of noise about moving up when they took over. Plenty of press stories at the time. Maybe times where different back then because it's been tried again in the 90's and failed and we had lots more riders back then. I can see why some say it's a good and sensible idea to merge the leagues again and it might appear to solve lots of issues. However it would lose any credibility and would see the sport fall into a part time amateur sport that would lose more supporters than it would gain. . You make it sound like those leagues are perfect and everything is great. IT ISN'T. Speedway in the UK is suffering, not any one league. All leagues have major issues, to claim only one is at fault is blinkered at best. you are correct it did fail and thats because the top tier teams held the whip hand and most div 2 teams were f*ckd over this time it would be PL way or shut down 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
New Science 1,059 Posted June 8, 2016 Do Glasgow want up though? I've not heard. The promotion are losing substantial sums in the PL, wouldn't the EL just make it worse? You would need to re mortgage your house to afford to watch Glasgow in the Elite League 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tsunami 10,219 Posted June 8, 2016 you are correct it did fail and thats because the top tier teams held the whip hand and most div 2 teams were f*ckd over this time it would be PL way or shut down Certainly the 'Boro were. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ruckerroo 792 Posted June 8, 2016 The elite league is a bit of a fake innits current guise,rules being changed at will, even a possibility of mid season rule changes due to the abortion of the reserve scheme. Clubs being in trouble, leicester having at best a very moderate side, coventry with no stadium, swindons ahem new stadium with no sign of a build, kings lynn switching nights, numerous guests and r-r. They need to have a very long agm in november and decide once and for all what they percieve to be the way forward. Listening to the dwindling supporters and getting theyre feedback may be a good starting point. Its no good the poole,belle vue and wolves back garden being rosy if the bailiffs are in at lester,coventry etc etc 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
robert72 845 Posted June 8, 2016 As do I. Absolutely miss the PL at King's Lynn PL is in my view the best league in British speedway Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BWitcher 12,453 Posted June 8, 2016 (edited) God bless the Premier League playing to its packed out stadiums where all the teams are making a fortune and everything is great. Edited June 8, 2016 by BWitcher 6 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Voice Of Reason 2,124 Posted June 8, 2016 (edited) We absolutely dont want to lose the el. Pl racing is ok but not el. Where would the top riders go who have averages over 6? Holder v Jake Allen? Nki v Skidmore? The bspa rules state that if the el becomes untenable the leagues will merge and then reform with an upper and lower league. Without a top league riders cannot progress meaning no developement of British riders. Words from a man, who's very promotion that he worships, has done more harm to EL Speedway than every other club combined - and that takes some doing! And how utterly laughable that he mentions 'the development of British riders'. Absolute hypocrisy at its finest. Edited June 8, 2016 by The Voice Of Reason 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stevebrum 6,824 Posted June 8, 2016 you are correct it did fail and thats because the top tier teams held the whip hand and most div 2 teams were f*ckd over this time it would be PL way or shut down Either way it's doomed as the PL Is in a marginally better place. It will be the day the sport is buried if it happens. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
