Would of been very weak with him anyway so no different if it's a new 2.00

Yeah, bigger ask for Vinnie this coming season for sure unless team average drops and we can strengthen up if we need to.

Last season between the NDL/NDT there were 50 "league" meetings. This year with only the NDL there will be 30. That drop off is alarming. Particularly when we should be trying harder than ever to establish some strong foundations for the sport here.  The following quote from the press release looks to me like no more than lip service too.  So we have some tracks running a full third tier campaign and others who can just get away with the ambiguous "Second Half Open Invitation". Of course there are differing restrictions at certain tracks but there has to be more than the odd second half. It should be mandatory for professional tracks to run at least two NDL level meetings during the season. The benefit of doing this over a second half would be the riders and their team (generally parents at this level) would know they're guaranteed a ride weather permitting rather than the always in the balance chances they have to take by turning up for a second half. If the tracks lose money on these meetings it's not ideal but it is an investment in their riders of the future, without whom there won't be anyone to help them make money in the long run.  Furthermore I'd like to think when the riders coming through reach "professional" standard they'd choose to race for a club that actually put some effort in to the third tier rather than one that did the bare minimum but can throw more money at them. We all know that's wishful thinking though.  As with everything in British Speedway there is too much ambiguity. There should be hard and fast rules in place with consequences for those who don't toe the line. The top riders don't want to be here. We need to focus on developing more riders domestically, instead we've almost halved the meetings available to them. Pretty pathetic really. 

Looks like leaving us with a very weak reserve if Max Perry does not fit. 

Godfrey said doubling up was here to stay and he could never see it ending... just the kind of vision you want from your leader 😂

Very true. He rode for us. Sunderland 'Stars'. 1971/72/73/74. 🙂