HGould

Len laid his stall out a few weeks ago in the Speedway Star when he made an impassioned plea for a stronger NDL. Through no fault of his own the move up to Championship Speedway has been impacted by Covid ; Brexit and injuries and he hasn't been able to build a proper Team. Not hard to calculate that with the possible exception of Craig Cook that Scotty is the highest paid rider in the CL and his performances carrying a weakened team certainly justify whatever he is earning, but with the side looking weak and dispirited it's not going to ensure big enough crowds to cover the extra cost of Championship Racing and as even the most loyal locals will admit, his NDL admission pricing is unrealistic and overpriced. If Len gets what he wants then we could see an 8 Team Premier and a 8-10 team second tier (lower CL / upper NDL) sooner than we think so to give maximum opportunity to Gilkes; Mulford and a few others now may not be a bad thing. What happened though to Sam Hagon there too, he was in NDL Team for 2020 but allowed to move to KIngs Lynn and be loaned to Mildenhall. Same with Nathan Ablitt, another excellent young prospect in their 2019 team allowed to drift away?

Summers has been a great servant but struggling. Bickley needs to realise giving more stickers away on a van than he's scored CL points in 3 seasons doesn't make you a speedway rider.

Age has caught up with him.

Rory having one too many bangs for his own good. Needs to get out while he's in one piece. Has the look of a boxer having one too many scraps.

The appointment of Lee Kilby seems to have taken things to a new level down there. Lee did some good work at Brummies whilst running Swindon.

It's those little touches that matter to supporters. I remember going down one very wet day in 2019 when Somerset were there, never thought it would be on but it was and they were confident it would be. Just purchased Tickets for Leicester on the 18th at Arlington to go with a few Leicester supporting friends. I've seen that if you don't want to stop for Double Header v Cubs you can leave at set time and get a "reduction voucher" to reduce the price for next match you go to. £24 for double header or if you leave between 2 matches you get a £6 reduction voucher - difference between that match and just a Championship match. Another little touch, not unique; but it is very simple and the effort being made is as important than the offer sometimes.

Very premature comments really Loss of form or injury to any rider can quickly change a picture. Morris; Howarth and Douglas remaining fit will be vital and has not always been the case. The manipulation to get the Thompsons as 1 Star Riders has given scope to build to 39 points but if either of those got injured it would certainly mean a weak tail. Certainly strong at home with Twins excellent there but with a strong top 4 and lesser strength Away still vulnerable to a couple of the stronger Teams from 1-7. Poole and Glasgow not out of it yet and no one would really fancy trips to Scunthorpe; Edinburgh; Redcar or Eastbourne in a 2 leg tie.

Asked this at a fans forum a few years ago now. Answer I was given-: Each Club has an asset list and riders have notional values. Each Club has to have a certain target within that asset list if above it it's fine, if below it they have to top it up each year with a cash payment to BSPL. That's why some Clubs sign young assets, adds value to their list and reduces cash payment to top that list up to required level. Before Covid Clubs pay loan fees based on a % of rider average. So if a Poole Asset (Poole have by far biggest asset base allegedly) with an average of 5 is loaned to another Club annual loan fee is about 1.5 x that...so about £750 a year the loaning club has to pay the lending club. Higher the average higher the fee. NDL Clubs get a "training fee" again based on NDL average if a rider they have signed is given contract by a CL/PL Club (at time i was told that NDL Clubs could not sign assets, I think that changed though in 2018 or 2019) (this was correct as I understand it in 2017 not sure if still the case)

I've booked tickets at 4 tracks where actual event hasn't started. 2 called off before I travelled and got refunds on request same day as request. 1 called after I set off but got easy transfer to next match in one case another match as I was able to prove medical reason for not going. Credit to Leicester, Brummies; Eastbourne, Plymouth . Last three of them seem to use same Booking Company. No complaints from me for those Clubs. My own personal view is this is safer for me than turning up in damp and meeting being called off after I've travelled or see could of poor races then called off and have to go back weeks or months later. I do get a sense some Clubs are calling off more with fans in mind than maybe been case in the past. It will be interesting to see what Clubs do after July 19th assuming it happens Will they go back to all cash and card, will they go online and cash and card or will some stay online only. I'll see what happens on 19 July and then aim to see Brummies Away in August and as many other decent looking Fixtures as I can. Hoping Brummies run next Wednesday, that may need England to lose though tomorrow. I toyed with Sheffield last night, didn't go, seems I missed an absolute belter. Will do U21 at Redcar next Friday. Comments on here indicate some clubs really suffered from online whilst others don't seem to be reporting much of a drop off though could be on small capacity sell outs. West Midlands has been badly affected and both Peter and David and CVS have referred to local fan base and attitude to online.

Have read somewhere he has broken wrist as a result of crash in that meeting and some sort of visa issues and a large dental bill (ouch). Would he fit in with Eagles all British policy or is that something they may ditch or have to ditch?

I saw several Clubs doing excellent work along these lines in 2019. Brummies did and I also saw at Redcar; Somerset and Eastbourne on more than one occasion at those Tracks. The impact of Covid 19 will mean that such schemes have had to be mothballed no doubt but hopefully Clubs won't lose heart and will return to them when they can.

Revolving door Poole never change their spots. Kelleher may have got a nice move there, a Team who aren't riding half their Fixtures to a Team who seem to be riding all Home and Away matches unless Rain or opponents putting hold on season intervene. Regular pay or spasmodic pay...looks like Kelleher may have dodged a bullet

Poole will have no doubt checked that out very carefully

To retain Danyon at reserve (which they would 100% want to do I'm sure) they have to build to 38 points as he's a 3 or 4 star rising star, so top 6 has to be under 38. 5.27 looks to me like it's a nailed on 5 pointer with no UK experience probably from Europe who is not riding in 3 other leagues. Anyone with UK experience with that sort of average is like gold-dust. Assets like Kyle Newman would have just too high an average. Poole race night would rule out any in Danish League so possibly someone from Eastern Europe?

Poole will have no doubt checked that out very carefully

I said after reading last week's Star that Len wants an upgraded NDL to escape back to in 2022 and more convinced after tonight. Scott rolled back the years on a bumpy track he's no great fan of. Starke gave 100% as always the rest were well below par. Can't see Kent in CL without Scott and I'm sure he could still name his price in 2022 for any CL team he can fit his TV work around. Poole look sure to be in play offs provided they finish the season. Decent streaming

Dixie Dean is Swindon track man according to what I was told. Put the new shaped track in at Blunsdon and highly rated

please don't say anything remotely positive it doesn't for the agenda of the doom mongers most of all won't ever have seen any of these exciting kids in action as they haven't been in years and are proud of it or they aren't planning on going as much for various reasons either. No doubt all of those names and a few others will be tearing it up in Poland, Sweden and all over Europe in a few years time, whilst the Clubs that nurtured them are housing developments of laid waste whilst on the BSF the moaning goes on....

I fear that the problem of lack of riders will be resolved by the reality of far fewer Clubs. Reading the PR and runes of some Clubs it possibly not being too pessimistic in seeing only 10-12 Clubs going to tapes next season in what would remain of top 2 tiers. The top 6 in PL look solid enough as they have 95% of the TV money to help them (may be 2 Clubs in East Anglia rather than 3) will Swindon come back to cover any loss we can only hope so. Of the 12 CL Clubs I would most worry about in a higher League are Berwick, Brummies; Eastbourne; Newcastle, Poole; Plymouth . I feel Len at Kent in his Speedway Star article is already positioning to go in to a stronger NDL which may include some of those 6 with Mildenhall and possibly IOW but that NDL would be no stronger than in 2019. Do Glasgow want to work with the top 6 and would Leicester risk it again? Can't see Scunthorpe in a higher League either?

I use a smartphone to make calls and look at basic content. I use a tablet to look at websites and more detailed info I use a laptop when I really want to read something properly. I am a proud BOF - boring old fart...

I will gladly pay FULL price and think of my Club a bit more than myself on this occasion. Hopefully 700 or more think the same.

The better sites are the more independent ones. Look at Berwick, Eastbourne, Glasgow, Poole; Redcar excellent content and visuals and regularly updated. Similar with those Clubs socials too. The more formula based ones (from the same outlet that does SGB) are less interesting and need modernising totally agree on that..

Let's hope there are some Teams left for that to be a feasible option.

Jittendra Duffill.....known as "Ben" to many in the Sport. Excellent Promoter of Redcar Speedway

Anecdotal evidence would suggest Ipswich, Peterborough,Kings Lynn; Scunthorpe; Leicester; Eastbourne ; Plymouth have been least affected in terms of crowd sizes and restrictions. Similar that Glasgow ; Newcastle; Wolverhampton, Birmingham and Poole have been most affected by restrictions. Kent and Edinburgh seem to be mixed messages. Glasgow it seems able to continue via excellent Streaming as you'd assume would be Belle Vue. As for people "losing interest" if the only reason is masks or not being able to move around the stadium I think that both hopefully that will improve after 19th July but also a bit of a reality check as it only mirrors the reality of the past 15 months. I'm sure some of the more professional and forward thinking Promoters (and there are a few) are just waiting for 19th July to put in place some of the ideas to attract children and new families using some of the suggestions made. The one thing that has more amplified the rotten core of the inner sanctum though is the decision of Ben Duffill to walk away from the Sport. He's one of a few of the new / newer Promotions who have been a breath of fresh air to the Sport relatively speaking and he will be a big loss. Promotions like Glasgow (OK they have the clout), Berwick, Edinburgh, Newcastle; Redcar, Brummies; Plymouth; Eastbourne; in the CL do seem to be trying hard but the old dinosaurs at the top table seem hell bent on fiddling averages, stopping progress, buying substandard tyres and non existent bikes, screwing up the Rising Star scheme and in alienating a guy like Ben Duffill, you wonder how many of those more positive thinking Promoters will jump ship or just give up as well? It's not so much as walking away as being driven away by the politbureau who don't seem to care a jot