NDL Future

[25yearfan 476]

1 minute ago, *JJ said:

This already exists: the Midland Junior League. Unfortunately, the idiot BSPL mostly destroyed it as they couldn't be bothered to run it. As for curfews, Birmingham manage to run a 15 heat main match and a MJL match before 10 pm ... and have found enough riders to run two teams.

100% but another reason the BSPL destroyed it was because it was successful. The still born Premiership Junior League is still very painful to mention.

[iainb 5,024]

1 minute ago, 25yearfan said:

Fair enough iainb but you say that as a Leicester fan presumably?

 

Ask Mildenhall fans about the virues of the 3rd Division cause without the 3rd tier Mildenhall speedway wouldn't exist.

 

 

Absolutely, I accept that I live with several tracks on my doorstep, all pretty easy to get to by car, especially Leicester. If 3rd tier Speedway was my only real choice, then I suspect I would probably give it more of a chance

[Hawk127 1,359]

A third level of the sport needs to exist to ensure a pipeline of new talent but the format of a meeting does not have to mirror the standard thirteen or fifteen heats.

Make race days a festival with teams made up of say, 500 cc, 250 cc, and 125 cc with perhaps 80 c c or even electric powered bikes. Each category would race as a team with say four man teams and include both male and female riders. Set an upper age limit for each category.  

Set a fixed price for points and that is it. If the talent exists and it wants to compete then they have to understand that at the 3rd level it is equivalent to an apprenticeship.

Clubs could band together to offer a season ticket to punters which gives them access to all tracks or a flat £7.50 entry on the day with kids under 16 free.

Just thoughts and I am sure others on here can come up with more and better ideas, but most of all you have to create the demand and start somewhere. The sport cannot afford to lose the Kent’s and Mildenhall’s of this world.

[MillenTheVillen 27]

25 minutes ago, Hawk127 said:

A third level of the sport needs to exist to ensure a pipeline of new talent but the format of a meeting does not have to mirror the standard thirteen or fifteen heats.

Make race days a festival with teams made up of say, 500 cc, 250 cc, and 125 cc with perhaps 80 c c or even electric powered bikes. Each category would race as a team with say four man teams and include both male and female riders. Set an upper age limit for each category.  

Set a fixed price for points and that is it. If the talent exists and it wants to compete then they have to understand that at the 3rd level it is equivalent to an apprenticeship.

Clubs could band together to offer a season ticket to punters which gives them access to all tracks or a flat £7.50 entry on the day with kids under 16 free.

Just thoughts and I am sure others on here can come up with more and better ideas, but most of all you have to create the demand and start somewhere. The sport cannot afford to lose the Kent’s and Mildenhall’s of this world.

Simple enough Idea however when fans won't come out and watch free (some clubs do charge entry) British Youth Meetings just now they won't turn out for the above as suggested.

Scunthorpe and Redcar also run Summer/Winter Championships for all levels (entrants even pay to ride) yet very few come and watch those either.

The Kids who "make it" every year do so because of the commitment from parents, Clubs actually do very little in terms of bringing the own riders through nowadays and those who rely on "Go Fund My Hobby so I can get to the paid ranks because I'm entitled" will always struggle to make it.

Edited October 21, 2023 by MillenTheVillen

[KK62 70]

1 hour ago, *JJ said:

This already exists: the Midland Junior League. Unfortunately, the idiot BSPL mostly destroyed it as they couldn't be bothered to run it. As for curfews, Birmingham manage to run a 15 heat main match and a MJL match before 10 pm ... and have found enough riders to run two teams.

Your kidding yourself if you think the MDL still exists, it doesn’t !

One club , in the MIDLANDS ,running two teams against a Redcar side, in the NORTH,  is NOT a league. 
The BSPL never had anything to do with running the MDL or any other junior league so don’t blame them.

But Birmingham do an excellent job of providing racing for the youth, so you got that bit right.

[False dawn 2,298]

3 minutes ago, KK62 said:

Your kidding yourself if you think the MDL still exists, it doesn’t !

One club , in the MIDLANDS ,running two teams against a Redcar side, in the NORTH,  is NOT a league. 
The BSPL never had anything to do with running the MDL or any other junior league so don’t blame them.

But Birmingham do an excellent job of providing racing for the youth, so you got that bit right.

The fact that the BSPL has never shown any interest in youth development is very much their fault.

[KK62 70]

1 hour ago, 25yearfan said:

100% but another reason the BSPL destroyed it was because it was successful. The still born Premiership Junior League is still very painful to mention.

Again….the BSPL did not destroy it, they simply stopped the use of ‘ghost ‘ names, the teams could still have ran under a different name associated with the track they ran out of.

Im no fan of the BSPL but they did not destroy it, the will to run it ( and the BSPL had nothing to do with that either) simply ran out because of the names used.

[KK62 70]

2 minutes ago, False dawn said:

The fact that the BSPL has never shown any interest in youth development is very much their fault.

Now THAT…I will give you.

[25yearfan 476]

23 hours ago, eric i said:

Whats the problem with Kent and Mildenhall? I know Mildenhall struggle to produce a safe track.

Kent got in a spot of bother with the BSPL cause the track they rent, Iwade tried to stage a NORA meeting which I believe had nothing to do with the Kent promotion. Therefore I hear they are looking towards the NORA set up next season and leaving the BSPL umbrella?

 

Mildenhalls problem is that when a heavy grippy track surface occurs on their West Row track the inexperienced nature of most riders at NDL level who aren't used to grippy tracks means that crashes are inevitable. The last meeting against Leicester in the cup final was raced on a grippy surface cause of the time of the year. I commented at the meeting that had this been a higher League meeting most of the crashes wouldn't have happened and the more experienced riders would of relished the conditions. Like a previous poster hints upon, Mildenhalls track gets an unfair repututation because of the above reasons. 

[25yearfan 476]

On 10/21/2023 at 10:27 AM, KK62 said:

Again….the BSPL did not destroy it, they simply stopped the use of ‘ghost ‘ names, the teams could still have ran under a different name associated with the track they ran out of.

Im no fan of the BSPL but they did not destroy it, the will to run it ( and the BSPL had nothing to do with that either) simply ran out because of the names used.

In effect they did destroy it cause the Midland development League was running very well at the time. I agree with the sentiment that "ghost" teams aren't ideal but unfortunately in modern times British speedway is in no ideal state so if any "ghost" team can spark a possible reopening of a track in the "ghost" teams area in the same way that Rye House, Scunthorpe and Oxford reopened their own tracks after "ghost" teams using their name rode in meetings on other tracks then surely thats a good thing?

Edited October 23, 2023 by 25yearfan

[MillenTheVillen 27]

To be fair some clubs do treat their Juniors (and other Clubs Juniors) the same as their Paid Seniors and they are 100% included in that Club without being paid.

The reality of it all is if your a Parent who can't invest £60,000 minimum to do at least 5 years needed (and upgrade equipment as you go) to be able to step into the NDL then as it is now your paying riders in the NDL who will never make it in the CL or PL (there's riders in NDL who have ridden  for up to10 years who have barely got above a 3 points average)

We hear Boughen etc has only been on the bike a year etc, he rode Moto x at the highest level for years and has done his time (Moto x route) the same as every other junior who's climbed the ranks and invested the money in training and track time, it's not the Clubs doing it.

Riders wanting Van's, engines, ridiculous wages demands for the NDL is all wrong, if you have been riding for years you should already have the equipment!

Edited October 21, 2023 by MillenTheVillen

[False dawn 2,298]

5 minutes ago, 25yearfan said:

In effect they did destroy cause the Midland development League was running very well at the time. I agree with the sentiment that "ghost" teams aren't ideal but unfortunately in modern times British speedway is in no ideal state so if any "ghost" team can spark a possible reopening of a track in the "ghost" teams area in the same way that Rye House, Scunthorpe and Oxford reopened their own tracks after "ghost" teams using their name rode in meetings on other tracks then surely thats a good thing?

I never quite got the objection and eventual banning of ghost teams. If you start with the objective of organizing a racing environment whereby young riders can get competitive track time on a regular basis and enough people are willing to pay to watch them, what's the problem?

[False dawn 2,298]

6 minutes ago, MillenTheVillen said:

To be fair some clubs do treat their Juniors (and other Clubs Juniors) the same as their Paid Seniors and they are 100% included in that Club without being paid.

The reality of it all is if your a Parent who can't invest £60,000 minimum to do at least 5 years needed (and upgrade equipment as you go) to be able to step into the NDL then as it is now your paying riders in the NDL who will never make it in the CL or PL (there's riders in NDL who have ridden  for up to10 years who have barely got above a 3 points average)

We hear Boughen etc has only been on the bike a year etc, he rode Moto x at the highest level for years and has done his time (Moto x route) the same as every other junior who's climbed the ranks and invested the money in training and track time, it's not the Clubs doing it.

Riders wanting Van's, engines, ridiculous wages demands for the NDL is all wrong, if you very been riding for years you should already have the equipment!

Ok. So if we're going down that route perhaps the BSPA should be organizing formal track days to attract riders from other bike formulae. 

[MillenTheVillen 27]

10 minutes ago, False dawn said:

Ok. So if we're going down that route perhaps the BSPA should be organizing formal track days to attract riders from other bike formulae. 

I believe they did or spoke  about it (I'm sure someone will confirm or correct me) but why does it need to be the BSPA and not the Clubs and Promotions?

Parents pay xyz on training to get their kid to CL level then Clubs pounce and command loan fees for them for their whole careers without investing anything in them. Clubs only pay attention to kids when they turn 14/15 and get closer to having a value as they near their 16th Birthday.

The Northern Clubs seem to be better now at the Junior Scene than the Southern ones but the Southern Juniors are having to travel North to Them for structured Competitive Track time.

Then the Southern Clubs swoop in and sign the Southern Lads without having to do any of the leg work.

The EFL don't hold Acadeny Days so Football Clubs can get players so why should the BSPA

Edited October 21, 2023 by MillenTheVillen

[25yearfan 476]

On 10/21/2023 at 10:57 AM, False dawn said:

I never quite got the objection and eventual banning of ghost teams. If you start with the objective of organizing a racing environment whereby young riders can get competitive track time on a regular basis and enough people are willing to pay to watch them, what's the problem?

Agree completely.

I think the objection was cause they saw it as fans running "ghost" teams with no intention whatsoever of reopening a track in the teams area. I see where the authorities are coming from in that respect but when Rye House ran in the 1999 Conference League using Mildenhall and Eastbourne as home tracks the consortium doing it didn't reopen Hoddesdon the next year, Len Silver did. But if the 1999 consortium hadn't reopened at Mildenhall and Eastbourne would Len Silver have been motivated to reopen the track the following year?

In this day and age of not enough tracks any possibility/spark or little acorn that may lead to a track reopening has to be encouraged or at worst not hindered and/or nipped in the bud.

Edited October 22, 2023 by 25yearfan