I decided to have a look back at the set up for the top league in 1976, I just arbitrarily picked that year from a period when the sport was riding high. Though we had more tracks the issue of top stars not being available to all and the repetitive nature of the same clubs challenging was just the same. It’s easy to name certain riders when harking back to the old days but there just wasn’t enough to ride for each club. In 1976, Birmingham had Alan Grahame, Cradley John Boulger, Hackney Dave Morton, Halifax Christ Pusey, Hull Barry Briggs in his forties, Wimbledon tragic with a number 1 and Wolverhampton Jimmy McMillan. All fine riders but the gap between them and the Olsen & Collins of the time was the same if not more than the gap now.  Jettisoning top rides is not going to save our top league, however if they had a 5-10 plan to get speedway back to where it should be and they could prove their reasoning then I’d accept it. I just feel if they did it then we would see no benefit and the sport would continue to die.  I not saying this in a holier than thou way but Belle Vue’s operating model regarding team building needs to be adopted throughout. Dan (3.00), Brady (7.50), Jaimon (4.00), Norick (4.00), Tom plus Max (4.84) etc are riders brought to the club that we have invested time and effort in seeing them reach their full potential. This also generates an identity with the club that the fans can engage in. The problem for other clubs in doing this is the fact there is little longevity in top league participation. Ipswich (2019) & Sheffield (2021) are considered top clubs yet only recently did they move back up to the top league, I’ve got older soup in the cupboard and this doesn’t allow the rider development as mentioned above. If we can, we need to stop this yo yo ing of clubs from year to year. Having said that in the past, clubs would move up when ready and not when cajoled into it. When Ipswich moved up in the 70’s it was on the back of a very successful period of rider development with many team members moving up with them. The problem with doing that nowadays is the dreaded doubling up that has been allowed to grow at an alarming rate so you move up into a league where “your” riders are already participating with other teams. The sport once again painting itself into a corner.   

I'm 1 mile from the track, had a little rain shower but the dampness is now drying up, sun trying to shine and blue sky trying to appear, should stay dry for the rest of the evening, leading to a good track and racing, UTC 

Tiny shower an hour ago in Workington. None since. Rain and thunderstorms are all to the East of us and moving away now. 

Thank you

It's the reaction of the fans, with everything at stake. I suggested they consider their reaction if it had been a Witch making such a pass a Star, and the Witch had been excluded ... 

The Aces would, just as we have with Max to Leicester when they moved up and it was great to see Tom riding at number 1 last season at Birmingham.  We wouldn’t want to and it’s hard to see our lads moved on after the work put in but there is a bigger picture here.