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And it doesnt really matter what the "rules" are, because, as we know, Polish Speedway will do exactly what is right for Polish Speedway, at even the slightest hint of them being impacted... Up to, and including, banning their riders from leaving...

But isn't there a presumption that sportsmen stay in bubbles with their team mates/ fellow competitors - a model that doesn't work when riders ride for different teams in different countries.

Seen a bit from Kurtz that he leaves for Poland soon and HOPES to be able to travel between countries to compete in Britain He is not the only one in this position and I cant see it being the UK coming off best I can see a shambles approaching.......

This has to be seriously the worst post I've read in ages the Njl is a far better product than any other junior league racing. They give riders from 125 cc the chance to compete from 8 years old and go right through to 500 . Other junior leagues give juniors a race when 15 on 500s only and above and already at an adequate level having raced in other junior competitions examples British youth or amateur meetings then try and claim they developed them . Don't give me mdl sdl are the saviours of speedway they are far from it. that said much respect to those who volunteer to do the organising

BSPZzzz motto these days - "our way or the highway". No room for renegade promotions that do things differently, that do a bit of forward thinking, that innovate, that aim to do well, or that actually "promote". You march in step or you ship out...and sadly IoW have shipped out.

Well thank you those in power at the BSPL for ruining what is the most interesting League in British speedway! This smells very similar to the BSPA's attempts to water down the 1997 3rd tier and try and force standalone clubs to move up by restricting the amount of fixtures which wasn't overly productive. Having top up and coming riders beating novices by half a lap isn't going make them World class riders and will also cause fans to lose interest! Wobblers already had the Junior Leagues to start in and any rider with some potential would soon get a NL spot! Standalone tracks that don't want the expense of higher League racing were content in the 3rd tier including the IoW who've been one of the most go ahead clubs in recent years, now sadly lost to League racing. The BSPL have short memories cause a few years ago the NL was the saviour of current Championship sides Birmingham and Eastbourne. If a similar scenario occurred now would the likes of Eastbourne and Birmingham have dropped into the new watered down limited NL? - After all the IoW have opted out! As a Mildenhall regular I fear for the club in this new set up and the lovely Sunday afternoon racing at West Row which more often than not was better value for money than its higher League neighbours! I respect Rob Godfrey for what hes achieved at Scunthorpe but as chairman of the BSPL hes made dreadful decisions like the set race days, forcing other Friday night clubs to postpone home meeting at late notice a few years back and now this all of which have resulted in club closures.

Yes but Poland may say that nobody including sportsmen are not allowed in from UK just like Germany. Spain etc are doing currently. Or come May Poland could be added to our red list, who knows, hopefully it won't happen, but like Mike said above if there is any slight risk of quarantine or travel restrictions then Polish teams just wont let them leave Poland.

I don’t know how professional speedway can be classed as ‘elite’ given that the sport received nothing from the government whilst other sports that ARE elite did. Speedway appears to be classed as semi professional so should be fighting their corner to start earlier with crowds.

No, the new Team would have been new to League racing, but we have lost a Track due to the imposition of rules by those that had previously had no interest in the National League, there only interest up until now was what Overseas rider they could find on a false low average that they could turn into an asset for their own benefit, now they have lost another Track for 2021 and i suspect that another could well follow in 2022, there are ways this could have been achieved other than the route that they have gone down, strict adherance to pay limits would have been one way to achieve this.. and we probably wouldnt have lost another track for 2021, now i suspect the NDL will be nothing more than a glorified second half with one man/woman and his dog watching, but hey its what the BSPL want so it must be right, not.

Their Pi££ up is now officially organised, how smug they must all be. The successful removal of the only Promotion that actually promotes must give them all such a feeling of satisfaction. RIP Isle of Wight.

A shame... Could they still run some 'open meetings'? One thing that the team on the IOW seems to grasp is that if you need 'X' hundred per week to remain profitable, you don't necessarily need the same 'X' hundred per week... And with such a transient population on a 'holiday island' promoting their 'product' to people who might only be there for seven days or so is vital... Every promoter should promote every meeting like the IOW do, ie just like it is their last... Because one day, for them all, it might be... The IOW team seem to understand this better than the vast majority of all the rest I would suggest.. Best of Luck to everyone down there...

‘ Rubbish product ‘ ? Wow, you are a bitter sole. Youth racing up north via the NJL has been strong for years and judging by the crowds who stay back to watch then they are very happy with it. The BSPL dont pick the teams, the club does and the club is obviously happy to enter under the new rules so I guess we won’t be seeing your unhappy face at Berwick Bullets matches any time soon?

And has been shown in the Champions & Europa league where some countries are banning everyone including sportsmen from going into the country, this could still be a problem in the future.

That would wash if the foreign rider just came in on a 4.00 average and was on a comparable deal to a Brit but when they are sponsored there is accommodation supplied, workshop facilities a guaranteed wage etc. If the emerging Brits were afforded this level of luxury they could they could focus on racing, fitness and bike prep without the additional stresses of having to earn enough to keep a roof over their heads.

Watering down and restricting the best League in the Country which has caused a club to close, will severely affect another standalone club and will cause fans to walk away isn't a good move! Add in the factor of the unbalanced nature of rider standards with more spread out races which will dilute the entertainment value and the potential of producing World class riders then things don't look very good.

In addition to Mason Watson, l think Keiran Douglas should be on board. Both very local - the very type of riders the NL is designed to attract to the sport! The suggestion of Greg Blair's name is intriguing (no idea of his average) as Greg is the great-grandson of Danny and Liz Taylor, who created speedway in Berwick, 53 years ago!

Let's see how long before col69 manages to find the NL thread...

Such a sad day and I hope this isn't Barry and the Warriors lost to the sport

I hope so too. Things have been worryingly quiet from the Fen Tigers and Warriors. being the standalone teams who have been most impacted by changes but least informed i fear they will be hurting a little atm. Two contrasting race tracks and promotions but two that the NDL can certainly not afford to upset/lose.

Will be plenty more changes / riders following suit i suspect. Watch out for a team building rule change before May 17th

All the more reason to increase the 4.00 starting average for new foreign riders. Not a pop at those teams that have taken advantage of this if they can as it's all within the rules. Whilst acknowledging how big a part foreign riders have to play, I think if you're serious about allowing UK riders to progress removing these low averages for foreign riders has to be considered.

Wasn't that down to fact Speedway was an "Elite Summer Sport' and those who got offered a grant were classed as 'Winter'?.. Either way, I think the fact it wasn't "free money" was possibly the reason it wasn't pursued. Paying it back might have dissuaded them from going down that particular avenue.. Ironically, a year out for some tracks may have actually been beneficial given we hear so many "lose money" regularly.. And that year out has also, for me, put the standard to where it should have been in relation to its crowd levels a good many years ago. Which must reduce costs going forward.. A 'reset' was long, long, overdue, so maybe this season, with the TV money to add in also, could be a start of something more positive for the sport in the UK?

That's the point though isn't it. By giving these riders a low assessed average of 4.00 you can't blame the promoters for going for two assessed foreign riders ahead of say a UK 5.00 and 3.00 who maybe haven't shown signs of improvement. It always seems worth the gamble especially now you might have seen footage of the foreign rider in action and apparently they become an asset of the club rather pay a loan fee. Had those assessed foreign averages been 5.00 then there's some more jeopardy as to whether a newcomer would achieve that level so the likes of Mountain, Greaves, Sarjeant, Kinsley, Smith and Ruddick might have got places. Notwithstanding that there are still places available elsewhere so hopefully they do all get fixed up. But you can see the incentive to go for a new foreign rider on 4.00 over a UK rider which doesn't really fit in with the Rising Star ethos.

Hi, I produced the discs with Hugh Vass (stats) and John Somerville (photos). A few years ago there was an issue at work which prevented me from continuing with the discs and I started the website. However, there were some software problems that I couldn't resolve and I got so busy with other things the domain name expired a few years ago. The 1960s disc was just about done but will need tweaking to bring the biographical info up to date. I have checked with John Somerville re the photos and he has very kindly agreed, and I am happy to send out the 1960s document as a PDF to anyone who wants it. If you want to send me a message or email on mattjackson68@btinternet.com I will sort it out. I'll need a couple of days to check the biographies though.

Not racing against you and if no restrictions were in place you would have your biggest attendance of the season, the rest of the the league can embrace that and enjoy it,you really need to stop sucking lemons your very bitter

They started with 2 surprises that no one saw coming so would be excellent for the last one to be another one. It makes you wonder why the BSPA were so against them joining for the past couple of seasons. They have been a breath of fresh air and excitement to British season for, hopefully, the new season. Some of the more established promotions could learn a thing or two from the Plymouth promotion.

Great news that we are going full on in the NL full rather than just the cup competition and I appreciate we need to balance the team with the number of local untried youngsters in there but Max Clegg should not be in there. Nothing against the lad but he’s been riding as a professional for about nine years, he was in the Elite league draft system in 2014 and he is way too good for the NL. Add the fact that the pressure of doing the previous championship match and then being expected to clean up doing another 5 rides afterwards is just too much to put on him. This is supposed to be a development division , he isn’t going to learn anything that he doesn’t already know. Yes, he will be a big scoring number 1 but isn’t the point of the exercise to give new youngsters opportunities ? There are bound to be clashes of fixtures away from home so he will miss meetings anyway and there won’t be many 10-11 point averaged guests knocking about! I know we need a competitive team but there’s room there to bring in two less experienced 5-6 pointers who , with the reduced standard, will become the next generation of heat leaders.The likes of Josh Embleton will double his average based on that so let’s look around at the least experienced lads out there. Id throw in the name of the likes of Greg Blair who is on the comeback. Seen him at Redcar in 2020 and he’s already on the pace, he’s experienced enough and has been unlucky with injuries and don't think he’s actually ever had a full season under his belt . He’ll score points and be entertaining to watch and he’d be an ideal rider to step up into the diamonds side if required!

Exactly, all the tracks would be ‘Covid ready’. Seems only GAH doesn’t think so.

So you think that because tracks were closed no activity took place? Dear oh dear. Lots of clubs up and down the land have a plan for re-opening. No doubt you will disagree on something that is obvious to anyone with a brain.

Kieran has been riding a good long time now, and since a serious injury a few years ago has imo, stagnated and lost the aggression that you need in a tough sport

Without knowing the reason for IOW not competing I'll not attempt to apportion any blame but it does seem a massive shame that in a year when there'll be (hopefully) lots more people holidaying in the UK it would have been great to have had (a well run by all accounts) speedway as an attraction to potentially new supporters. Without knowing too much about the NL the 2019 IOW team didn't appear to be full of 'old hands'. Only Ben Morley had extensive CL experience. So perhaps it was the limited fixture list? If so I'm sure some other shared events could have been awarded. It sounds like it would be a great place for all the young riders to spend their six weeks holiday (if that still exists) getting track time every day. Shame.

With respect you are in full support as the path suits your own family agenda. If things change in a year or so would you remain so supportive? There is no doubt that IF the rising star system remains then clubs will need to show a bigger interest in developing quality riders than they have in recent years be that on thier own or forming club alliances. But if the standard isnt maintained the gap between the leagues will only grow.

God your such a doom monger. It was YOU who brought up locality As motorsports go speedway is cheap !

In theory now the club has a set up which provides a stepping stone for any riders starting out in the NJL from a very young age, to the National League, then the full team in the Championship, so creating their own asset base from within. Hopefully the new project will be backed by the fans, I know the NJL racing was. Gives fans more racing, whether as part of a double header, or filling in blank Saturdays. All round win for the club.

This team fits: Kent 1 Dan Gilkes 8.00 2 Jordan Jenkins 6.55 3 Rob Ledwith 5.93 4 Luke Harris 5.36 5 Jacob Clouting 3.16 6 Jake Mulford 3.00 7 Sam Hagon 3.00 Total 35.00

I think his license is still locking in Laurence Rodgers glovebox Seriously though Bickley, Flint, Verge and 4 x 3.00ers. Team building this way is going to leave a rubbish product and only encourage spectators to watch at a higher level... oh wait thats what the bspl want.

You seem to be forgetting that Poole's main aim for this season (as it would have been in 2020) is to recoup some financial stability for the club after what happened in 2019!! Zane and Ben have been recommended by Matt's Aussie contacts so lets wait to see them on track before criticising them from afar! As far as Zane's performance in Saturday's meeting is concerned we don't know any of the circumstances.

Arghhhhhh dam the BSPL no IOW which is a great loss to the Sport and argueably the most supporter friendly Promotion in british speedway are lost to the sport.. but " Its for the good of the Sport" is it heck.

Unfortunate when other clubs are sticking with the 7 they had in 2020

Sure it wasn’t the E final? Nick Morris won the B final before jumping the start in the A final & being excluded..

Spot on... The sport has riddled itself over the years with "journeymen" from overseas that have been on an almost revolving door basis.. "Tried him, didnt work. Next!" Must have collectively paid huge money out too for what on a lot of occasions has been short term results...

That's great, Matt. I'd love a copy please. I'll message you.

I think so,probably not those two though.We will have to wait and see but he is bound to get a place.

In any other job in the country that would be age discrimination & illegal, how is speedway any different?

You don't need to lower the minimum limit from 3.00 to 2.00 to encourage newcommers, as the limit is low every year, clubs will always need 3.00 men to fill the bottom end of the team!

And there you you have the biggest frustration for all fans trying to make sense of rules. It's simple psychology. The BSPL / promoters keep the rules to themselves and then they wonder why social media makes up 10 reasons why they are the way they are. And those reasons are nearly always perceived to be unfair or self serving.

Agree totally but do feel they powers that be ensure those riders who's average inflates due to the low average should be looked after especially the younger ones or newcomers. also I have no axe to grind with max hope he gets his opportunities in the leagues above

its a development team the way it should be local teams giving local lads a chance and long may it continue

A very positive start. Max will be a big draw in the NL, Archie really impressed me in 2020 and after his efforts for Leicester Cubs I am a big fan of Josh.

There has never been any doubt that Josh Bates can ride a Speedway bike and ride it fast. The number of falls and injuries and attitude strops though would be the main concern. I also recall reading an article in the Speedway Star where his comment was, he doesn't mind if he gets hurt , as speedway is all he wants to do. Wish him well and hopefully he can fulfil his undoubted potential.