alang 306 Posted December 14, 2017 2 hours ago, waco said: Maybe Nichols and Kennet could sue ? Not could-Should 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Leicester Lion 274 Posted December 14, 2017 On 13/12/2017 at 7:54 PM, The White Knight said: I must say that I can't see the logic here. If Chris Harris can ride Championship Speedway - why not Scott Nichols? If Scott Nicholls can't ride Championship Speedway, why should Chris Harris? The amount of doubling up of riders of increasingly higher standard has become ludicrous. It prevents any chance of team speedway being taken seriously by anyone other than the ever-dwindling number of die-hards. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MFE 105 Posted December 15, 2017 The death knell is sounding loud and clear for the sport of Speedway. The BSPA are fighting the diminishing financial returns through the turnstiles by weakening the product season after season, which in turn drives supporters away in their droves. In 2017 we lost the well supported Coventry Bees in 2018 Cradley look to be as good as dead and buried with just a handful of meetings, those two teams alone mean around 3000 supporters either relocate or lost to the sport. The Speedway Star is the only consistent over the years, with their excellent production values, one can only hope that they hang on in there, and continue their excellent work in reporting what is increasingly looking like, 3 Junior Leagues, masquerading as a professional sport. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gunner85 603 Posted December 15, 2017 Losing Cook , Lambert , Masters and Grajczonek from the Championship leaves quite a void for top heat leaders. surely the BSPA will admit the error and let Nicholls ride in the Championship 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SharpenRake 1,505 Posted December 15, 2017 I don't like the concept of doubling up/down BUT it appears it is necessary at least for the next year or so. I seem to remember someone suggesting that if you have doubling up/down it should be limited to those riders that are 100% committed to UK speedway, no matter there nationality, and that to me would be fair. If Scott/Eddie can't double up they will either retire which is no use to anyone or seek to ride abroad which doesn't help UK speedway. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
moxey63 1,785 Posted December 15, 2017 (edited) When a club as established as Coventry can be taken out, it does make you realise how fragile the sand speedway has been built on really is. I liken speedway to the fairground community - run from caravans, nobody wants it near their homes, workers see another day at another venue. Even non-league football clubs have more security than your top speedway club in the UK. Edited December 15, 2017 by moxey63 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SCB 0 Posted December 16, 2017 (edited) You're all looking at this the wrong way. IMO anyone with a Premiership average of 6+ should be blocked from the Championship. It's the second division FFS, it shouldn't have top riders (Cook as a GP rider IS a top rider) eligible. The fact that Morris, Cook, Masters, Schlein, Harris, Lambert, Worrall, King, Wright, Howarth, Lawson and Bjerre is wrong. If clubs want them riders? Go Premiership. For me, a far bigger issue is that Lakeside have signed Zach Wajtknecht and Ben Morley who rode in the 2017 Premiership on their 2016 Championship (PL) averages, yet Kennett cannot drop back down on him 2016 Championship (PL) average, despite the fact the whole purpose of the rule when first introduced in 2001/2002 was to prevent riders moving up, achievement too high and average and being forced out of the sport. Edited December 16, 2017 by SCB Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Baldyman 6,243 Posted December 17, 2017 One thing that has been made pretty clear to me over the last few seasons of the so called better riders riding in the second division..is that the standard is now a lot higher..but I haven't seen the crowds go up accordingly...I've read alot about strengthening the product will bring fans back...it really hasn't been the case at all....so that myth has completely burst in my eyes. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PHILIPRISING 7,298 Posted December 17, 2017 (edited) HAS coincided with an era of guests, depleted teams, irregular fixtures and lots of other nonsense so no surprise that attendances have gone down rather than up. Edited December 17, 2017 by PHILIPRISING 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ch958 2,395 Posted December 17, 2017 i agree with SCB - anyone over 6 shouldn't be in the 2nd Div 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
crazyb 156 Posted December 20, 2017 On 12/16/2017 at 6:08 PM, SCB said: You're all looking at this the wrong way. IMO anyone with a Premiership average of 6+ should be blocked from the Championship. It's the second division FFS, it shouldn't have top riders (Cook as a GP rider IS a top rider) eligible. The fact that Morris, Cook, Masters, Schlein, Harris, Lambert, Worrall, King, Wright, Howarth, Lawson and Bjerre is wrong. If clubs want them riders? Go Premiership. For me, a far bigger issue is that Lakeside have signed Zach Wajtknecht and Ben Morley who rode in the 2017 Premiership on their 2016 Championship (PL) averages, yet Kennett cannot drop back down on him 2016 Championship (PL) average, despite the fact the whole purpose of the rule when first introduced in 2001/2002 was to prevent riders moving up, achievement too high and average and being forced out of the sport. Why shouldn't the championship (second division) have top riders, it's better than the premiership anyway. Instead of arguing over averages, do away with them completely. It was always better that way, even with rider control. But I doubt that the present BSPA could organise that. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MattK 3,447 Posted December 21, 2017 8 hours ago, crazyb said: Why shouldn't the championship (second division) have top riders, it's better than the premiership anyway. Because it is the second division. If clubs want to sign the likes of Nicholls, Harris etc. then they should move up to the Premiership. The Championship has a few rich team, but also a lot of teams who need to cut their cloth accordingly. If you open the floodgates then you will find the majority of the Championship teams simply won't be able to afford the top riders and will become uncompetitive, which isn't a good long term outcome for the league. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SCB 0 Posted December 21, 2017 13 hours ago, crazyb said: Why shouldn't the championship (second division) have top riders, it's better than the premiership anyway. Instead of arguing over averages, do away with them completely. It was always better that way, even with rider control. But I doubt that the present BSPA could organise that. 1. Because it's the second division, second division are by their nature second rate. If you want first rate you aspire to the top division. 2. How is it better exactly? It has exactly the same issues and apart from a dozen or so of the very top riders its the bloody same! Why do Championship fans always think their league is better? Weirdly while wanting the top rider who in fact, cause a lot of the problems. I don't believe it was the Premiership that Robert Lambert missed on a whim in 2017, or the Premiership that Jack Holder fecked off from a few weekends. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Baldyman 6,243 Posted December 21, 2017 4 hours ago, MattK said: Because it is the second division. If clubs want to sign the likes of Nicholls, Harris etc. then they should move up to the Premiership. The Championship has a few rich team, but also a lot of teams who need to cut their cloth accordingly. If you open the floodgates then you will find the majority of the Championship teams simply won't be able to afford the top riders and will become uncompetitive, which isn't a good long term outcome for the league. This is going to sound harsh...but isn't the idea of sport that the best get better and if the weak can't keep up they get denoted and find the level they can compete at? why should speedway be any different?? It's either a sport or it isn't. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MattK 3,447 Posted December 21, 2017 55 minutes ago, Baldyman said: This is going to sound harsh...but isn't the idea of sport that the best get better and if the weak can't keep up they get denoted and find the level they can compete at? why should speedway be any different?? It's either a sport or it isn't. You are right, in theory. The main difference for me is that with only 20 professional teams and no promotion/relegation the leagues needs to be mindful of their least resourceful clubs, rather than as other have suggested, allowing clubs to build teams without limits. If on the other hand, the club who finished top was forced to move up, then over time the clubs with deeper pockets would tend towards the top league and the second division would be a collection of teams with similar bankrolls. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites