mikebv

Then Sky came in a few years later and pumped many millions into the sport.... Providing thousands of hours of live prime time coverage to a sport bereft of such an opportunity to showcase itself.. You really couldn't fail to develop the sport successfully with such huge backing providing a gilt edged golden opportunity to do so could you?.... What a night by the way...

Will they need to take a Covid test to get back in? Is the IOW on "the list"...?

Poland have zero tolerance and dont seem to have many starting issues and races start promptly.. Start Marshall walks away, and if a rider moves back, then the ref tells him and he returns to move the rider forward.. The Final at Peterborough had some riders six inches from the tapes.. No need for so many extra Mickey Mouse rules to be added if they just implemented some rules that they have properly.. Although there would need a comms system from ref to start marshall like Poland have... Two plastic cups and a piece of string may work..?

I believe that isnt quite right anymore... I think we are the "bring a friend" sport now...

And also do a bit of testing of machinery in race conditions which may help him in Poland...

I think the kids like to go to other sports as other kids are there.... When my lad started to go to BV as a five year old there were around five other kids of the same (ish) age who all ran around in between heats together.. I would imagine standing around for a couple of hours when you are several decades younger than every one else there must be a bit boring and unappealing... T20 in particular targets families and does a very good job of doing it....

Correct... 12.minute...

And a next level that doesn't have the majority of riders that ride as heat leaders in the top tier... The level currently from step three to step two is too big, as basically in reality it's not far off going from step three to step one in one move... Having one or two experienced old heads from the tier above in most teams brought the riders on and gave them an idea of what the next level looked like... Now you can go from learning your craft, gradually improve and move up, and be facing riders who just represented Team Great Britain in a test match v Poland...

Good to see you back with us Geoff... Thought the Final had done you in you were so quiet.....

It's more amazing that the ONLY Speedway team in a conurbation of over 2.5 million is so little known..

Fixed nights just provide teams, who want to stay in certain divisions, with riders, otherwise they couldn't run because they dont have enough riders of the calibre that they need for the league that they want to race in.. And of course it now becomes a "must do" for the riders as their income stream will be getting delivered for several years now by having two jobs... Meaning the 2nd tier is virtually the same standard as the top one, and the NDL is miles away from the 2nd tier.. Nothing will change...

Because they didnt have fixed race nights... Meaning you could ride here, there and everywhere... Meaning the top riders rode Poland Sunday, Sweden Tuesday, Denmark Wednesday, and then GB some, and sometimes all, of the other four days, with (apart from Tuesday and Sunday), every top league team racing on all the other nights. Then the top lads left and said there was "too much racing".. So we changed the top league to two nights to accommodate them.. And then they never came back... So instead it meant everyone not earning big money abroad could double up and down and ride every night of the week somewhere in the UK should both their teams be in action.. And guest even if they didnt.. With these riders now racing against "Rising Stars", in both leagues, several times a night/week, rather than against "GP Stars" several times a night/week, which they have spent a fair portion of their careers doing.. A fantastically well devised system I am sure we all agree...

Running so many double headers shows how promoters were concerned about selling the NDL.... And by running double headers you also need to ensure you don't have an expensive second meeting as many fans don't like them and don't attend due to having to pay for both when they only want to watch the first one... For me, it was more of a way of closing down the 'old NDL' rather than any great inspired development plan... As if it was part of a development plan then the jump to the 2nd tier for those whose averages are now "too good" for the NDL is too far... Riding against inexperienced newbies one year to riders who just rode for Great Britain v Poland the next...?

"The World Famous Belle Vue Aces".... I got two taxis from Stockport to the NSS last week on Sat and Sun and both times when asked "Where to?" I replied "Belle Vue Stadium". The drivers both times said "You going the dogs mate?"...... I said I was going to watch Speedway and then had to add "Motorbike Racing" to answer the non plussed quizzical looks both lads gave me... They both nodded politely... But I dont think it really registered..

I always thought that, at that time, the Swedish League was the best in the world overall.. No U21 makeweights in their teams, (as some Polish teams end up with), meaning the Swedish reserves were pretty much always of a good standard.... (2nd tier HL over here at worst for most of the Swedes)...

Spot on.. However.. To dilute the 2nd tier to make the top look stronger (the right thing to do for me as the sport needs a 'top tier' with a clear standard demarcation to 'sell it'), would mean a lot of riders not being allowed to 'double down'... Which may not be met too positively by both riders and 2nd tier promoters who, in the riders case, wont want to give up the chance to earn the money they did this year, and in the 2nd tier promoters case, they have become used to having "the best we have over here" riding for them, (maybe even doing so at a lower rate than the top tier pay them for the same thing)...

Just checked on the result again.. Still says Great Britain won.. Poland were second And Denmark third.. No mention of who beat who, and by how far, and how many times they did it in the qualifying races leading up to the Final... A Final which ended, Zmarzlik, Lambert, Bewley, Janowski... GB 5 - Poland 4... I suspect as the years go by and it passes into the midst of time it will still only say.. 2021 Speedway Of Nations 1st Great Britain 2nd Poland 3rd Denmark... How it all unfurled will be but a side issue...

Those Speedway countries that it is felt can develop their audience the fastest are being chosen to have the "free to air" feed.. I seem to remember Germany mentioned. (?)... ie. Countries that run domestic Speedway so have a "following" and already show the GP's behind a "pay wall".... Theory being it could maybe get others engaged in these countries by opening them up to the sport... Cardiff wasnt ruled out as having the same, but, as per other countries, there was still a lot of negotiation and strategy planning going on.. Bottom line is if you can get enough to pay for it, then why give it away free.?

100%. The NDL is needed... However, the level they now run at is far too far away from the next level above... Meaning the jump needed is too far... Therefore they need to decide whether to dilute the level above or increase the standard of the NDL by bringing in more experienced lads from the middle tier.. Personally, for me, the whole structure should be based on an "Elite" League which you use to 'sell the sport', ten x five man teams with say 3 squad riders on stand by for injuries, so no guests, and then a league of "Championship Lite/NDL Plus" for all the rest, where you can run the RS system, having these lads as part of the "Elite" squads' list so they can come in to replace missing riders, with an aim to gain themselves a permanent team place if they do better than the man they replaced..

Woffy spent his formative years in Oz, riding very regularly out there to launch his career and came over here well advanced in his development for his age level.. Robert Lambert spent his early years learning his craft riding regularly in German racing as he couldn't get permission to race in GB due to his age. And Dan Bewley was one of those riders who crossed over from another bike discipline and finds he is a "natural" on a Speedway bike, so would have made it through sheer natural ability regardless of age and opportunities to race, (similar to someone like John Louis).. A simple fact is that riders of their natural talent, (like so many riders who reach the top levels), would have "made it" anyway given whatever route they took.. A bit tenuous to suggest it's any big influence from the NDL.. Tom, (who doesnt seem to be quite at the same level at this stage of his development that those other three were at the same stage), looks like someone who has benefited from riding in the NDL, as he has made solid incremental progression, but, (like the others), it was the "old NDL" where he got the chance to ride against better more experienced competitors... Not sure that someone starting out today, and are similar in ability to where Tom was, would get the same development given they wont be getting stretched the same.. I would suggest Woffy and the Team who took over running "Team Great Britain" have been far more influential in the success of this weekend....

I was screaming at Lambert to not race Zmarzlik as Majic had got back on the bike and if he had got himself excluded by knocking Zmarzlik off, then it was all over... He didn't seem to hear me though, or if he did, he ignored some good advice.......

Are the BSPL involved with this? If so, it could be Leon Madsen...

I think that the BSPL dont have any input anymore to Team Great Britain do they? If that is correct.... It probably goes a long way in explaining the success last night...

Spot on... It is effectively a "Best Pairs' event rather than a "Best Rider" event. Coming last delivers you zero points, meaning to be successful 'the team' needs to avoid doing it..

I love how in 2021, what was the most ridiculous system in 2018, is now the perfect way to decide the SON.....