mikebv

Maybe it is factually correct... Maybe this year they will be doing an "untraditional" one? One where they come up with proper plans to move the sport forward?

Which is why they have set up the U24 league.. The Football Premier U23 League (and the clubs Academies from a very young age upwards), all have lots of players from overseas to ensure that the quality of the Premier League remains as high as can be.. They know that there isnt enough talent in the UK only to keep that level up, hence pay out many millions collectively to attract some of the best young talent from all parts of the globe... Obviously not all make it in the very top League with some ending up playing either in the lower leagues over here, going back "home" and playing, or joining another league elsewhere... Bottom line being the standard remains high so the product remains saleable.. Poland are adopting a similar model to ensure their Leagues all have a flow through of talent (regardless of nationality), in the years to come.. No point building the hugely successful operating and business models that they now have, to just let it all decline due to not being able to replace "the talent" with a similar level of rider..

To give them maybe more of a balance on away tracks? Tracks like Lakeside, Rye House and Eastbourne often seemed to overkill the home small track specialists to the detriment of their away results.. One thing for sure with MPT is that you will get 100%, so any gap, however tiny, will have his bike aimed at it, which will be fun to watch on a tight circuit..

Wasn't Covid restrictions heavily part of the subsequent crowd levels? They seem to still be signing up some of the very best talent considering they are 'struggling', so I presume they feel all should be well again next season?

You would think that these clubs would need to do something similar to each other all the time as their business model must be heavily based on 'local' derbies.. If only one moves then they are very much stand alone.. And if two move that leaves one left alone.. Bottom line though is why would any team "move up" when you can see the vast majority of the same riders each week already in the 2nd tier?

Correct... But what happens in reality is that clubs sign these ridees knowing their other commitments, making sure though that they are available for most of their home matches, with the ones they miss getting covered by a decent guest using the plus 5% rule, so no issues from a team standard perspective.. You seem to find it is the away meetings these riders miss as the promoters of the visiting tracks earn no money that night, and their crowds are then not the ones being affected by their best known riders' non appearance.... You would simply think they would avoid fixture clashes full stop and run the sport properly without actually, pro actively as part of their operating model, planning in credibility destroying guests wouldnt you? Meaning every meeting, that has no missing through injury riders, gets its full complement of riders contracted to those teams and therefore becomes a proper sporting contest... Not that simple though seemingly...

And quite right they are too... It could destroy the sports (in the UK), credibility...

Maybe Bjarne is doing another farewell season? Or maybe Rory? A bit like Status Quo used to do... And Madness still do.....

I actually think from a general 'entertainment' point of view with the level of riders being so similar it is actually worth watching.. I watched lots of domestic Speedway on TV and three 'live' and there was plenty to keep you interested.. Unfortunately it is clear that these riders cannot make one league pay therefore it all becomes a bit contrived and nonsensical, which obviously then takes more than a fair bit away from the event itself.. If only they could get the racing level within a proper team sport structure.. Unfortunately, until they do the sport will continue to underperform against its undoubted potential..

Never.... It's worked for the past decade and a half or so, so plenty of life in the business plan yet.... Some are still attending which shows it still has legs.. .

Be a real dilution of tier one that wouldnt it? Second Strings becoming Heat Leaders means reserves become Second Strings.. The vast majority of last years 2nd Div HL's would be top tier HL's this.... And they will also need to keep one eye on the Polish U24 League I would suspect.. That could take a fair few of our lads out of the equation at weekends in particular given the potential prize of a career in Poland and the money that the Poles have invested in it... I would think the U24 lads coming through at a fair pace are very much key for the 2nd Division teams..

Leicester had to wait a year didnt they as that would have thinned out the TV money split that season.. Think it would have been 11 teams instead of 10 that year so not a huge difference to the split.. Six to seven means a bit bigger of a 'wedge' lost to the original six.. Rider availability must also be a consideration for bringing more teams into the top tier.... Would they have enough heat leaders of the required level to cover seven teams? 21 riders needed with Bjarne and Rory retiring and Dan Bewley also going from last years 18 heat leaders.. Max Fricke could be one replacement it looks like but it's still two shy of a full compliment..

Presume its to do with having a lower grade of second strings and reserves in the 2nd tier so 'easier' races to make your money....? If indeed they do get less? A third level HL in the top tier could be a No1 in the second division so maybe not too much difference at all between points money and deals..?

And never will whilst their operating model allows any rider to ride for any team at any given time... Unsurprisingly. Zero credibility brings Zero interest from major sponsors... When even winning a title means so little, it will always be a hand to mouth, constantly changing, year on year existence...

He will tell him to put two teams together... One ok one from the start to July, then a decent one from July to the play offs...

Again, as clear as day... Hardly anyone cares who wins any Speedway title in the UK due to the ludicrous way it can be attained.. Yet promoters will try and out do each other in all sorts of ways in a desperate bid to win one... Rather than focusing on how to make their competitions credible and actually worth winning in the eyes of the many who no longer go but still follow the sport closely,... And also focusing on how to ensure all have a decent crack at winning one of those titles... Say 18 teams come to the table next season... It would be far better for the sport to have all 18 running in front 500 punters extra each meeting, due to racing on the best night for each track to get their best crowd in, and the entertainment and closeness of the racing on view, as that would grow the sport by 9000 punters each week... No matter which individual clubs win either title they could never hope to grow their crowds by 9,000 on any week, and it would be very doubtful if they could grow their crowds by 9,000 over the whole year....

100% correct but sadly it seems it is only now realised that they are a training ground and a 'rest home'.... It was obvious to a great many several years ago though how it was going, and instead of accepting it and building their own plan around it, the UK still tried to pretend it was relevant on a world stage and changed fixture lists to suit riders, and paid out more than was coming in to afford them, and neglected to follow any clear development pathway for riders to improve... The current situation of 'not enough riders' and therefore zero credibility for the sport, and therefore zero major sponsorship, didn't happen overnight, but was a clear 'end game' for a good many years if they carried on doing the same thing ad infinitum... Dan owes the UK nothing, especially given it was his then Polish team who paid for his treatment from his major injury.... Let's hope it all works out for him... The heavily invested in U24 League in Poland will also help develop a few of our lads too I would think...

But apart from that....?

Well done plucky Poole.. Every time I read a Poole match thread on here they were always very much the "underdogs" it appeared.... With the other team seemingly having Laguta, Bartek, and Woffy level riders as heat leaders.. And even that level at reserve sometimes.. Whereas Poole had to make do with only top tier heat leaders Danny King , Rory Schlein and Steve Worrall as their heat leaders in the 2nd Division... Well done say all of us to the "Leicester City of Speedway"...

Indeed... The UK spent many millions on paying top riders to ride over here, and very little of the money received was set aside for planning for the future growth of the sport... Hence, when the money stopped coming in, and all the top lads left, we have ended up with around 90 riders (tops), of the required level for circa (give or take at any single moment given how quickly tracks close), around 124 top two divisions team places.. The Poles havent just spent the huge new TV and Sponsorship deals on paying the "top lads", they are instead investing a considerable amount of it for their future growth and success... 'Seeing beyond the end of their nose' I believe would be a good description.. You would think the likes of Brennan, Palin etc would be very much at the forefront of their thoughts which can only impact UK Speedway team building plans, especially in the Championship given their spread of race nights..

The incentive is definitely there isnt it? Do well at U23 level and you could be riding for the same club on BIG money a year or two down the line... The U23 league is being very well backed financially too so it will be interesting to see who gets chosen by the Poles.. They want to expand the top league so know they need riders to be at a certain level to compete, and thus, not dilute the quality... And also know that there probably wont be enough Poles to fill the amount of team places available.. Hence giving these lads from further afield a chance to develop... A very forward looking plan..

All sports have financial imbalance, however many then get a set amount from TV to at least remain competitive against their more affluent opponents.. Speedway doesnt have this and then compounds the issue by using averages which make certain riders with the "right average" become "must have", (even at a very low points per meeting level).. Thus increasing salaries, which invariably means those who can afford higher offers will be chosen by the rider.. Just another of those things that sadly dont help the sport, collectively as one, move forward..

Why? Doesn't Sheffield and Leicester have the same promoter? Even they double up now... So why not also have a "guest promoter" for two teams in the same league?... Got a nice synergy to it...

I once got a "stereo record player" for being the leagues "Player of the Year" when I was 12.... In the days when leagues did such a thing... And at a time when not "everyone" were winners..

Not a Richard Branson business and marketing plan I presume?