Fortythirtyeight

I doubt that is even feasible. What would be the point of a 5 team division especially when the majority of riders in northern based teams are based in the midlands or further south?

Fair assessment. As for who will run where , if crowds are a determining factor, I believe Sheffield are really struggling and are up for sale, crowds at Berwick, Edinburgh and Newcastle are not as large as I've seen at Redcar this season having visited all of these tracks a number of times this season. However three of these clubs have previously rejected the idea of joining one big division . Mr.Godfrey put a stop to the idea previously so think he showed his hand there. I think 14 teams might be the maximum attracted to the one division concept.

You actually think there's a major difference between the Premiership and Championship now? Other than about a dozen riders it's virtually the same. If you check out the averages for both divisions most Championship riders averages are the same in both divisions and sometimes higher in the premiership. That tells its own story on standards. if they go one division then it will surely have to be set between championship and national league standard to reduce the costs ?

All riders need skill to turn the bike and who mentioned full throttle tracks? I was merely pointing out that at tracks with no 'home advantage ' then the more skilful riders will come to the fore. We all have our own opinions of which track produces the best racing , and by racing I mean a track that produces overtaking both inside and outside on a regular race by race basis. I will stick by my opinion that the likes of Belle Vue, Sheffield, Scunthorpe , Peterbrough and Redcar produce the best racing on a weekly basis. Other clubs do produce good racing on occasions depending on track preparation ( doctoring is to the fore at the moment ) and who the visitors are. I have seen poor meetings all around this country and in Poland too, the so called Mecca of speedway, but you pays your money and takes your choice.

Clubs have no money but you want them to subsidise a coach for the 20 or so away fans that they may be lucky to have follow them who would follow them anyway? How do you police the 'away' fans? Do they have to produce I.D.??? I travel 80 miles each week to my nearest track, am I an ' away ' fan ? Fans don't travel because it's too expensive to attend two meetings a week , with travel, entrance and food, it's only the hardcore that still follow their team. An example was my club last season when they gave an award to ONE fan who had attended every fixture , home and away.....ONE fan! says a lot really.

When was the last time you saw more than 50 away fans at a meeting other than a very close local derby or a play off final? My last local derby saw a mini bus and several cars , total around 40 and they only had to travel less than 75 miles.

No good living in the past. Rider control will not work, riders are self employed and would go to court ( and win ) if they were told to ride somewhere they didn't want too. Besides 3 promoters own 50% of the riders who are currently still riding in both divisions, so that won't get manipulated!

Skill is required on a level playing field where all is equal, then skill rises to the top. Not required so much on a ' technical ' track where home knowledge can replace skill.

If you care to put your reading glasses on you will see ' Trick Track ' is in symonims meaning a term widely used, not necessarily that it is a trick track. All three of the tracks mentioned are not your average speedway track, different in size and shape to what most fans would regard as a regular shaped speedway track. I obviously touched a nerve.

They won't because the money clubs will pay top money for the best riders. Always have done always will do. Then the middle order become more in demand and they want a better rate , and so it goes on. Last season a top 4 National League club paid their no.7 ( new superstar in the making) more a point than my local championship side were paying their no.2! Poole and Glasgow , for example, will pay their no.1 mega bucks to get the best rider. Then their number 2 sees what the number 1 is getting and asks for slightly less and gets it because he's the best number 2 around, and so it goes on and on but with the poorer clubs left to try and pick up the last ones available. Modern riders expect to be fully professional and get paid accordingly. Unfortunately speedway in this country is a semi professional sport at best and can't afford this situation much longer. Everyone needs to get real or the sport implodes.

In order of ' Trick Tracks ' Eastbourne has to be the trickiest, then Edinburgh, very few visiting riders like Newcastle and Redcar appear to rate as the fairest track in the Championship ( See Steve Worrells comments in the S/Star a few weeks ago ). On that basis Eastbourne are favourites with an Edinburgh ,Eastbourne final. whats the odds?

The knock on effect of one league means no doubling up riders therefore top riders will be more in demand and want bigger wages. There will be a huge bun fight for riders and the poorer clubs can not compete. Put the likes of Newcastle or Redcar up against the finances of Poole , Kings Lynn or Glasgow in competing for riders and it just doesn't work. It didn't in 96 when it was one league , one club couldn't even get seven riders!

All this has been discussed by the ' top table ' during the winter and whilst there was a ONE LEAGUE proposal, six clubs said they would not take part and would likely close their doors. Obviously the proposal was eventually dropped. It would probably be no different in 2019 if it's ONE league, those clubs won't take part as they cannot afford it, so therefore there should not be a rider shortage as there will possibly be only 14-16 teams in the division. As for clubs paying £5,000 wages per meeting? They are the clubs killing the sport if that's the sort of wages they are paying out and that's why my nearest club no longer exists. One club is already up for sale, rumours of two more closing at the end of the season unless someone takes them over ( not very likely ) One league would work, but only for some and not for all.

Having a number 7 that hasn't ridden in a competitive match at this level this season is going to handicap Redcar meaning added pressure on Greaves.

Greaves is not missing any Redcar meeting. He intends to drive from the Glasgow fixture to Luton Airport and fly to Gdansk. Ride in Saturday's meeting , on borrowed machinery from ex Bear R.Konopka, then fly back Sunday morning to ride at Sheffield. All at his own expense. Now that is commitment for you .

If you did not know the facts then perhaps you should not have issued such a statement as ' disgraceful '. Ever other Newcastle fan was aware of the sacking by text as was most of the speedway world. On the surface it did look ' harsh ' but the decision was no doubt made on his previous performances and also made days in advance, very few riders are disposed of without a replacement having already been signed.

Palovaara was sacked by text, before he'd even ridden , that was disgraceful. Telling a rider to his face after a meeting in private is not disgraceful. Sacking any rider is not good for the rider but it is a fact of life not just speedway.

Slightly better than sacking a rider by text after he'd spent money on bikes and before even getting a ride.

From the matches I have seen the lad has some talent just lacks consistency . Certainly has a very high average around Redcar and around +2 away from there. He can certainly gate but has to accept that if you score zero ,zero then he is likely to get dropped from his next ride and not to throw his toys out of the pram and demand a move. Definetly worse number sevens around than Mr.Smith and I'd be surprised if he doesn't get a call from one or two other northern tracks.

Seem to recall the Redcar Promoter(s) being called names for telling a rider he was going to be replaced ( Richard Hall ) before his last match and now people complaining for NOT fore warning a rider he was being replaced. Can't please all of the people all of the time.

There isn't now so again, why double your costs?

So the club must pay for TWO paramedics and TWO ambulances, just in case? Get realistic. Clubs are heamoriging money left right and centre so they are not going to double their costs, just in case! There are one or two clubs who have fans who are medics so they may not charge the club for their services and a couple of clubs have purchased 3rd hand ambulances so they don't have to rent one in but it's the usual thing that matters....MONEY!

Yes, I have been to Newcastle many times over the years. Your track stuff do a marvellous job under the circumstances they have to work under and they produce the best track they can. It's the shape that makes it awful and it does not produce good ' racing ' Again YES those tracks were purpose built , hence they DO produce the best racing.

Whilst it has been improved its still the wrong shape. Dissapointing considering it was purpose built. Similar to Newcastle in that the straights are too long for the corners not giving varied lines for entry or exits to corners. Doesnt produce great racing but better than some depending how the track has been prepared as it does vary for some strange reason. Rates well below Belle Vue, Scunthorpe, Redcar, Somerset ( when not doctored) but currently rates above Poole, Newcastle, Edinburgh,

These ' decisions ' can be made by one individual on the management team. If that individual happens to have a vested interest in the result then he makes his decision accordingly. Has happened many times recently with those on the top table benefitting . One club can cancel a fixture as its not good business sense to run when riders are unavailable, another club gets threatened with fines for wanting to do the very same. A club gets granted a facility for a missing rider when there is no facility in the rule book, another club gets denied it. Several clubs apply to run on a certan evening but only the maagement teams clubs get to run that night and the others suffer the consequences. it goes on and on. Only an independent ' Ruler ' with no connection to any existing club will put a stops this. Why can't the Auto Cycle Uion run the sport?