Sings4Speedway

Moving up perhaps but im praying its not just 2 tiers. The NL may have some flaws but is largely better off than the higher leagues so hope it doesnt get dragged into the mess

it might not seem more attractive to clubs but it would for fans. The chance of some unpredictable results is something the league as a whole is craving.

Certainly going to be an interestng winter as rumours are major shake ups are being plotted. I just hope they are being fully considered in both the short and long term. Dragging teams up a tier to boost numbers is all well and good but if it drags the need to pay more riders more money is that going to help the situation?

Given his current low average & ability around Ipswich i would have thought Kennett would be another on the must have list?

Brum not going to contest the first 2 heats and give Stoke a 10-nil headstart?

Not many in the league would beat Morley & Bowtell around the Island. With respect i do't think many would have expected Whitmore not to start the meeting or the in form Spooner to withdraw after falling in heat 2 so with no reserves the Young Lions were always up against it.

RIP Frank. True Grasstrack enthusiast and inspiration to many, age was never a barrier.

Wish i could find the threads / posts about this from pre-season. But 100% agree. League matches first, get them completed and those that have hosted all their home fixtures by an agreed cut off are then able to enter the other competitions, if not there would still be X number of weeks to prioritise the completion of league fixtures. That way we might have a chance of the genuine top 4 being the top 4 and prevent the ridiculous post play off date matches where blatant average manipulation occurs.

Think you are largely right there. Brum are the only team to look a threat at Mildenhall this season so think they will be avoided, Mildy face Eastbourne home & away in the final weeks of the season so a fair indicator will be there but i suspect you are right and it will be Mildy vs Kent & Brum vs Eastie unless Plymouth can spring a shock / Eastbourne struggle to get their matches in. Either way that should be 2 good semi finals

I think this is another potential example of the need to scrap the ruling that there must be an exclusion following a stoppage. If this was first bend it would be all 4 back. Because the riders have continued to race side by side for longer than the first bends there has to be an exclusion, whilst rare this happens and surely the potential option for racing incidents with no direct fault and all riders return for a rerun has to be considered not just with the occasion but in future likely situations too....?

A quick glance through the current NL sides shows almost half the riders competing have ridden in M/SDL / NJL at some point. Which makes it all the more surprising that many of the teams competing have limited interest in hosting one of these sides. Even some who do host them have no active input into running the sides and yet year on year there will be comments about the limited number of riders ready to make the step up into NL racing despite it being clear that those who are given the opportunities and guidance can progress strongly in the sport.

Biggest shock would have been if Kent Kestrels had not won the SDL this year however they had a job to do and it was completed. The benefit of extra track time really started to show throughout the meetings and had James Laker been available over Palmer it could have been bigger wins. Hats off to Spooner for completing his full house again, really benefiting from the NL and made no silly mistakes. Fair play to all the opposition teams who all turned up and gave it a go despite the powerhouse Kestrels side.

Dan sadly is at the other end of the spectrum....had it all in front of him, for some reason struggled to make the step up divisions and now is a real shadow of his former self. I know the equipment is tired now but he should still be more than capable at NL level but has failed to really deliver. Also a shame he was released virtually on deadline day so didnt get a chance to get fixed up elsewhere.

Unfortunately for Walker he has only crept his average up from 3.00 to 4.00 over 4 seasons. Not many riders would have had the chances he has been given. The way Brum built a team this season with one very strong reserve and one very weak it was hugely important that both Walker & Cupitt both kicked on so that when they swapped between the reserve berths all season. Callum has been a victim of Layne's failings along with how the team has been built but i still expected far more from him, he has bikes many would kill for but has traded of Zach Waj's reputation for too log and needs to become a good rider in his own right.

Huge Congratulations to Waj on his first Masters title

Im still staggered that there has been no statement by Boxall, no apology, no excuses just a wall of silence. Personally i would like to see failure as 2 years refusal as 3 years.

Given the options available and short time frame its a good signing. Got plenty of knowledge that earns as many points as hit ability. Will take a while to get up from a tumble and may not always mix it like he did but got to be good for double figures most weeks and thats all you can ask of a number one......well that and stay off the drugs.

Sadly my only real gripe about the development leagues is the lack of team spirit & more that it has become purely an opportunity for riders to get additional track time (no bad thing on its own) but the number of guests used now is creeping ever higher and teams are being put together depending on opposition rather than fully utilise the squads as per the intention. My biggest bug bear is the costs involved with trying to run teams, standalone clubs face huge bills whereas teams associated with a parent club can run much cheaper e.g Birmingham Bulls entry & admin costs are significantly lower than Milton Keynes for example and both run from the same track, however that is not due to the development leagues organisation but the greed of the SCB/BSPA yet again who bleat about the future of the sport and do limited amounts to help it.

Sounds like a fair result in the end? Bacon under performed from Brum and likewise Hampshire below par for Kent. Important points picked up by reserves on both sides levelled it in the end and i doubt either side will be too unhappy with a draw upon refection. Given the averages and Danyon's unexpected earlier return can he slot back in for Greenwood? His average is way higher for a like for like swap and team average doesn' have the points to play with unless he is going to replace Flint in the 1-7 or i have got something totally wrong (and it has been known occasionally)

Unfortunately now confirmed as fractured wrist.

Best wishes to Callum Walker who's sudden sickness bug has now turned into a nasty longer term issue that may take weeks to recover from.....bet he wishes he just had a badly kicked shin now

Nobody knows if there is an H in Box or anything else as the fool refused the test.

On form and on paper this looks like a good night for the Brummies with a prolific heat leader trio that have the very real threat of all scoring maximums. For Kent to keep in the running its important to avoid any last places and pick up spoils when they come their way. Greenwood has been patchy so far and RR for Walker is unlikely to return much whereas RR for Stoneman should be respectable. Could be one of those nights where a dodgy decision or bit of controversy swings it either way.

Kent got away with it last night and held on to progress to the next round due to the determination of the remaining riders which says much to their credit. Plymouth were always in trouble with RR for RTD and lightweight reserves added to by Laker falling bizarrely during a stopped race and subsequently taking no further part although no reason given as to why/if he was actually withdrawn but fair play to Sheppard for grinding out his 7 rides. As for Boxall what a tool. Brings the curtain down on a career surrounded by poor decisions, plunging his home town club into the mire and turning himself into a speedway & grasstrack outcast.

Struggling stoke are finding it hard to even get guest riders and almost impossible to get full time signings. The Wallinger decision looks like a major lemon and losing Atkin does huge amount of harm to the whole team .