britmet

Wasn't there ranking into a number of grades, A,B,C etc. in the NL/CL about 5 or more years ago ? I wasn't too involved/interested back then to have paid much attention. .

Only once ? I've just skipped thu the Regs and finally came across the one (and only one, I think,) ref to National Development League, - on p38 . I did find 14 other mentions of 'National League' or 'NL', and never an 'NDL'. Dare I suggest an oversight in the drafting, ( - or else very sloppy drafting !) Yes, the league came into existence for that reason, but much water has flown under the bridge since then, and several name changes as well, as the league per se as developed from what it started out as. Sure, riders in the NL are developing for the PL or EL, in the same way that PL riders are developing up to EL standard. By that logic every level except the top level, - SGP ? - , could be classed as Development status.

(Stepping aside from the thrust of the last 2 posts, re Adam,) - It's not a Development league, - It hasn't been for several years. We do have Development Lges, - the ADL and the MDL. The Northern broke up.

The banter between Stoke and Cradley goes back to the 1940s. Look what they did to our star rider in the days of Reg Fearman and Tyburn Gallows !

Because the fixtures this season are chronic with so many rain-offs, - ? Heathens have had to forego 2 visits to Chesterton already because of rain. The match is preceded by the Bronze Helmet Match Race for the NL's MRC, - With Holder Worrall out injured Ashley Birks meets Tom Perry to decide the new Champion. .

But it meaningless unless it's to demonstarte that it was a successsful team structure. - ? So I looked it up. P'boro were 5th that year, - so not recommended.

Well done lad. What's the age ?

The official FIM site tells us this was their 125cc Grass Track Youth Gold Trophy. At the same track, Vechta, on Sept. 9th is the FIM 250cc Long Track YGT ! (Are the bikes any different? - Rear suspension? Brakes ? ) The British win was reported on this site's Youth Speedway section, - Zach Wajtknecht .

Not for his first appearance in UK, but in the '60s Nygren was in some dispute like that, but I think it was more about 'foreign riders', - Should they be allowed? - How many should be allowed,? - Should one team be allowed more than one foreigner? I think Olle was wanted by Norwich, who also already had Fundin, and should they be allowed 2 foreigners? Such was the debate. That he married to an English girl and was living in Norwich area added an extra dimension to the issue, and when foreigners were banned one year, (or just part of one year, !-BSPA relented,) he and Sjosten who also had an English wife were exempt.

Leaving aside the post-war & '50s, I don't believe rider allocation started in the Provincial Lge, for the Southern clubs ignored the 'older-experienced' limit in year one. It was the merger of the PL & the National Lge. that brought about rider allocation, in an attempt to level up teams, but the big boys hung on to their 3 ht-leaders, eg Swindon, Coventry, (which proved 3 ht-leaders alone won't win a league title,) while PL clubs got fobbed off with 'name' riders past their peak. At the start of '66 George Major, who along with John Hart had carried Cradley the preceding year after Ivor Brown's terrible injuries at the Wimbledon Internationale, was told he was to move to Sheffield. His Heathen best-buddy Hart said “No way. If he goes, I go !” - and he did ! Which proves no one is indispensable. - Or does it ? Cradley finished bottom of a 19-team British Lge. !

There's now a new website with current and historical data from South Africa, including results of this Easter weekend's Cape Revival tour. "Speedway South Africa", www.speedway-sa.com

All results from South Africa can now be found on a new website, Speedway South Africa, www.speedway-sa.com The Johannesburg club, WSRC, are undertaking a Revival Tour of the Cape area this Easter with meetings at George in the Western Cape, and Port Elizabeth in Eastern Cape.

Interesting developments Stateside, no doubt in the wake of having a US World Champ once more, including the possibility of a US-GB u23 mini-series of Tests Matches : QUOTE from Steve Evans: "The AMA has invited some key speedway people to form a new Advisory Committee. Its purpose is to make recommendations and assist the AMA in key projects for the benefit of American Speedway both domestically and on the International scene. The Committee consists of six people - Dave Joiner, Richard Child, Billy Hamill, Josh Larsen, Jason Bonsignore and Steve Evans. It will be very hands on and active - each of the members brings unique skills to the table and the blend of experience, top riders and future visionaries is perfect. It is a brand new approach - it won't be a sit in the ivory tower, all words and no action group, but a team who will collectively be prepared to get busy and do a vast amount of work ahead. The first two projects being worked on are expanding the AMA National Series and 2012 FIM Events. The International events are at the forefront right now as they are occurring in the Spring - the USA will be entering the World Team Cup, the Under 21 World Cup, and will have 2 riders in both the GP & Under 21 Individual Qualifying Rounds. For the World Team Cup the intention is to track the best team we possibly can with the goal to win the qualifying round in Croatia on May 5th and make the Sky TV stage (July 7th in Poland). There is also the serious possibility of a 3 match official test match series in the UK the weekend before to prepare the World Cup Squad. This would be USA Vs Great Britain Under 23 and would be the first official series in over 15 years. The Under 21 team goes back to Ukraine on April 21st. To prepare the team, they will do 4 matches in the UK between April 10th and 15th. The touring team will be called the USA FUTURE (name courtesy of Billy Hamill!) and it will be to groom riders to be our Future World Cup Squad. As we need 5 riders for Ukraine there will be 2-3 spots on the 'Future' team for riders who are over 21 or even 15. Their will be a huge fundraising drive - factually the last time USA had a big World Team Cup push was 2006 and the fans got behind it in massive numbers, and we qualified, made the TV stages and came in 6th place. For this reason a 'Stars and Stripes Club' has been launched with five levels of membership so that any budget can help - and big, medium or small, ALL help is needed and appreciated. "

I'm sure that if there was a concrete, bona fide reason for a 16 limit it would have been stated in response to the question put last year on the BBC phone-in to Mssrs vanStratton & Pearson (and Drury). Infact what was said was that it could be a bit of a rush after Monday nights, particularly if the weather was bad, and said - or suggested - , that it was rather demanding on the volunteer staff that did the Tuesday work, - prep'n and/or match-night activities. In my simple reasoning I can't see that the adverse weather would be any more likely to occur on the extra mtg nights than on the existing meeting-Tuesdays, - no one knows how bad the weather is to be on the current mtg days. As to volunteers, we're all no doubt aware and appreciative of the time and effort put in by primarily long-term Wolves supporters, but I'm absolutely confident that there would be no shortage of Cradley supporters who'd rush to cover these roles should 18 or 20-plus mtgs a season be too much for the existing staff.

Correct. Here is official confirmation I received of this from FIM when I queried the same point ~2 years ago. There was no 2nd place awarded.

Featuring Solos ? Would that be the only one this season ?

Okay, I'll rephrase it, - Any Solo racing this season, or this decade, at W.Springs ? Apparently not, for the link gives us 'Classes & Drivers' and 'Race & Results', with no mention of Solos or s/cars in either. It seems Western Springs is already lost to speedway, (as known to European followers.) When did bikes last have a full season ?

Is there any Solo racing at W.Springs today ?

. He's always been shown HERE .

WALKERVILLE, 11 Dec 2011. 3rd & Final Round, Dot Engineering National Championship. Yesterday's meeting at Walkerville Raceway was abandoned when just a few heats into the programme after a spectacular crash of the sidecars followed by a downpour of rain which flooded the track. The solos managed one heat in each class, Pettit winning the Premiers' race from Magill, but on the second lap of the first s/cars race a triple collision resulted in three competitors each sustaining broken bones, - driver Sean Todd 3 broken ribs and a broken arm, his passenger Dean Todd a broken collar bone, and passenger Stef a broken right arm. No sooner had the ambulance departed than a downpour occured flooding the track and ending the days event. A decision about a restaging will be made shortly. Meanwhile contributions yesterday to the cancer relief fund for baby Reef Carneson totaled R5,000. Thanks to all.

Ashley rode for Scunthorpe Saints in 2009 alongside Byron the skipper; 15 mtgs, Ave. 5.56. (Byron 10 mtgs, Ave 8.83.)

Sorry, - no idea ! .

. Can you confirm, (what I think happens) that in each of the individual competitions (Snr & U21) that the highest total point scorer of each country will become that country's national champion. e.g. if the 2 new young Austrians come last at 15th and 16th, the higher will be Austrian U21 Champion, - Yes ?

If its a summer season (S'thn hemisphere) activity, isn't this the 2011/2012 championship ? (I have Leigh Boujos as the 2011 winner.) .

That's tough on the chap, - about 40 mtgs . Try this: 1938 11/6 HACKNEY 7/6 NEWCASTLE 16/7 BELLE VUE 9/7 HARRINGAY 4/6 NORWICH 26/5 SHEFFIELD 24/6 BRISTOL 21/6 WEST HAM 18/5 SOUTHAMPTON 11/5 BIRMINGHAM 18/7 WIMBLEDON 24/5 NOTTINGHAM 20/7 NEW CROSS Semi's 30/7 BELLE VUE 5/8 BRISTOL 8/8 WIMBLEDON 10/8 NEW CROSS 18/8 WEMBLEY 20/8 HARRINGAY 23/8 WEST HAM 1939 8/6 SHEFFIELD 17/6 BRISTOL 1/7 HARRINGAY 12/7 NEW CROSS 12/6 NEWCASTLE ? MIDDLESBROUGH 24/7 WIMBLEDON 19/7 SOUTHAMPTON 3/6 HACKNEY 10/6 CRYSTAL PALACE 8/7 BELLE VUE 4/7 WEST HAM 18/6 NORWICH Semi's 15/8 WEST HAM 5/8 HARRINGAY 21/8 WIMBLEDON 19/8 BELLE VUE 17/8 WEMBLEY 2/8 SOUTHAMPTON 23/8 NEW CROSS