Wee Eck

When it’s laid out like that, it looks a really weak team but I assume that the predictions of greatness for Poole in 2020 are dependent on some (most? all?) of the above list being replaced during the year.

Maybe not Poole track experience but Josh MacDonald has plenty of Championship track experience

Shame that. Everyone thinks he’s entitled to reductions for everything else, so I thought it worth a go

I seem to recall he has joint Australian and British nationality so wouldn’t need a work permit. But, would that mean he was eligible for the 2.5% “British” reduction?

Thank you for your responses which, other than the unnecessary kick about finances (which I’ll return to in a moment) are appreciated. It seems that the NT has been abused in the past with the essence of creating opportunities for up and coming riders being overlooked in exchange for a win at all costs mentality. Because of this, it’s my view that there should be severe restrictions on which riders can be included in an NT only team, perhaps something like under 18s or first season after NJL/MDL/SDL only. It should also be a ride for expenses league for any non-NDL team. Whilst applauding the efforts of Newcastle in entering an NT team, using Leon Flint would have been an expensive error (and that’s no slur on Leon who I expect to get rides in all three “professional” leagues this year) It’s one of the bees in my bonnet that Speedway is the only Motorsport that pays novices to learn their trade. It cannot be a coincidence that it’s also a Motorsport that is loss making.

Can someone explain the value of those teams just riding in the NT please? The stepping stone between the NJL and SDL/MDL is surely the NDL so why insert another step, especially if it’s going to be filled with riders beyond the first stages of “development”? It can’t be to do with making money for the promotion as I’d hope that Newcastle’s admission price is the same whether or not there is a double header.

I don’t follow. What does this mean, please?

Was that when an Edinburgh promoter was Chairman?

Absolutely not. Though it did lead to rule changes. And, of course, the same rider, but this time riding in the 1-5, and for the team he helped beat in 2010, was again on the winning side in 2014.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-birmingham-51428182

I didn’t know that. I’ve been maligning Len for years then

I thought that was Len Silver’s doing?

Ah, the good old days, when you needed 6 home and 6 away meetings for a rider on an assessed average to get a GSA. I seem to recall a Polish rider who had the potential for 23 meetings but surprisingly missed 12 and went into the play-offs still on an assessed average so still riding as a reserve. He scored 26+2 from 11 rides in the play-off final

And yesterday’s MailOnline? Selling his George Medal?

I agree he learnt the next steps in his career in Britain, that’s why Rob uprooted the family to move back. But he was already an established junior rider in Australia, and a successful one too, especially round Pinjar Park which Rob helped to build. That’s really where Tai learnt the basics. I don’t think GB can really claim him as “home grown” but riding in GB moved him from “promising junior” to “established winner”

I certainly agree with your last point, but at least we have a clutch of young riders coming through. None are guaranteed success but the hope has to be the greater the number of riders, the greater is the chance of them becoming internationals. The young riders who I see as having great potential, and who are all riding in this year’s Championship include Leon Flint, Jack Thomas, Tom Brennan, Drew Kemp, Jason Edwards, Dan and Joe Thompson, Connor Mountain, Jordan Jenkins, Jordan Palin and Anders Rowe. I’m not sure about Kyle Bickley, and unfortunately, am a tad negative about Jack Smith. Other British riders that could go much further are Dan Bewley, of course, and James Shanes if he chooses to concentrate on speedway rather than grasstrack and longtrack (which I doubt). The most important point about all of these riders is that, unlike Tai, they have largely learnt the basics of their trade in UK. My view is that British Speedway needs to replace many of the imported riders with home grown if it wants to regrow the fan base. But with a 12 team Championship - is that now the largest league there is? - and opportunities to ride in other domestic leagues, then I’m positive about the future. In due course, if they want to continue developing their skills, Europe will beckon, and they’ll probably leave UK behind, but that should just create vacancies for the next wave of Brits.

Who was the last decent young Swedish rider? And how many under 21s are there? Indeed, how many licensed Swedish riders are there in total? The last I heard it was between 20 and 30. The US has produced a few reasonable riders in recent years but no one of World class potential since Hancock and Hamill. Until now. Luke Becker has great potential, Broc Nichol too maybe. Denmark has produced plenty of journeymen, but they all seem to get so far and no further. Mikkel Michelsen has, for me, the best potential, but those ahead of him in age (with the obvious exception of Leon Madsen) seem to have hit their ceiling. In GB, there are now three different strands directly creating opportunities for British riders - the commercial set up of Poultec, the hugely succesful British Youth Championship, and the elite development of No Limits. I can’t predict the future any more than anyone else, but I can have an opinion. And my opinion is that, outside Poland, the best development programmes for domestic riders, are happening in Britain right now. And that will lead to far more British riders appearing on the international stage in due course.

I will admit to my ignorance here as I’ve never heard of Birkenmouse and couldn’t find anything about him. My view is Freddie is limited. He might find his height is against him. And we all know that 15 year old protégés often fall by the wayside. Like Arthur Sissis or Josh Auty. But, at least we have several riders coming through - the Thompsons, the McGurks, Jordan Pailin, Drew Kemp, Leon Flint, Tom Brennan, Jason Edwards, Jordan Jenkins, Anders Rowe. Plus Dan Bewley of course. Shame Poole weren’t in a position to invest in the future of GB

I’m very positive about the future of GB. There’s some very talented riders coming through to follow Tai, something that’s not been the case for too long. Sweden have produced next to nobody worthwhile for too long, young Danish riders were plentiful but seem to hit a peak too early. The exception being Madsen, but he’s not one of the young ones. Poland, of course, is a rider producing machine, but even they seem to get so far and no further. The country has been crying out for the heir to Thomas Gollob since he won his title in 2010. Hampel looked promising but then was blighted by injury, the Pawlicki brothers rose and fell, Przedpelski was another the same, as, by his 2019 performance, has Dudek. I don’t think Janowski will go much further, and it’s too early to say about the three under 21s. Drabik, Smektala and Kubera. The stand out, of course, is Zmarzlik, but, with Madsen on the prowl, will he be another with only one Championship? The immediate future looks like it belongs to Poland, and so it should with its subsidies, but I reckon GB will be the next best. Our likely SON team of Tai, Robert Lambert and Dan Bewley looks pretty strong to me, especially round the NSS.

Many people are saying that but what level of achievement would you define as “good enough”? Keleher’s problem is his age. The “give him time” argument doesn’t apply to someone his age (27 on Saturday) - he needs to hit the ground running. Let’s face it, for all the whinging that comes out of Australia, there’s not really been a great outpouring of talent in recent years. Take Fricke and Lidsey out of the equation, and who else has shown potential to follow the Aussie greats of the past?l Ryan Douglas is another who hits 27 this year, so again, not up and coming. Maybe we’ve been spoilt in recent years with Sullivan, Boyce, Adams, Crump, C Holder, Ward and Doyle, but the wealth of talent of the past seems to have dried up.

Teletext? Did the two days between the press (and probably all of the teams) getting the fixture list, and the date of agreed publication for all - press, BSPA, teams websites/social media resources - make a big difference to you?

Why? Fixture list was embargoed until Thursday to ensure everyone had time to release them at the same time. I believe that British Speedway needs the Star as, without it, there would be no central source of information. So it’s a simple trade off that the Star gets to release their information at the same time as everyone else. Not before, and not after. It’s how media works best, in my view

This is called working with rather than against the media.

On BSPA site this morning too

But it isn’t broke! The 4s as a one track one day event works.