Ben91

I think the goal may have been for a third tier with no standalone clubs for a while. Arguably that has cost the sport Mildenhall and Kent as tracks and forced Workington to move up. Ironically the lowering of the points limit and stricter doubling up rules in the third tier could have made things more viable for those clubs and the likes of Buxton and the Isle of Wight. It would have opened up more team spots for young riders too.

Only if they don’t want to have a chance of winning anything. The side so far doesn’t look as bad as it’s being made out to be. There’s certainly hope/scope for improvement from all of the bottom four. Having the right number one is important though. Buying Ben Morley for the price of Scott Nicholls isn’t the answer and that’s what’s being rumoured.

They don’t give out prizes based on who uses the most of the team building limit at the start of the season. Wilson-Dean is pony. Anyone who signs him on that average would just be writing off their season before a wheel is turned.

Lots of uproar over a name. Lots of whinging because it’s not a name that was used for three years in the 70s. I’ll remember to petition for any potential new Rye House teams to be called the Kart Raceway Cobras (used for a cup of coffee about 15 years ago) rather than the Rockets or something new.

What’s the point of doing anything if years in the future the goal posts will be moved in hindsight.

Could race every round at Plymouth and Zmarzlik would still win. Bloke needs no help, he’s the best to ever do it. (Apologies for the tangent from the topic)

Drip feeding news over the off season keeps people interested and engaged. Slowly releasing the news isn’t going to turn anyone off of the product.

They’d be silly to invest the last couple of years into Blodorn and then show him the door for the season that investment could bear fruit.

It’s just more needless bumf the sport could do without. The riders will ride where they want anyway. They’re self-employed contractors too so the idea that someone owns them is silly. Stop clubs from signing assets now and then eventually all the “owned” riders will retire and there will be no more assets.

They’ve signed up for three leagues. In doing so they should be committing to all that entails. They’re not doing anyone a favour, they’ve not had a gun put to their head.

Ooh matron.

Yet Birmingham are in the cup. Sounds like an excuse to me.

If you’ve reached a 4 point average in the Championship or not is a fact too.

Devalues the competition. If one club doesn’t care about the cup enough to enter then why should any of the other clubs or their fans care. Teams shouldn’t be picking and choosing if they enter the KO Cup or not.

Yes and no. Because League Two is a professional league, whereas the new NDL looks to me to be the equivalent of a reserve/youth league. There’s no grey area in terms of stand-alone teams now. I’d say it is definitely being pitched as a process for development and training rather than being a competitive win at all costs league first and foremost. The lowest “professional” league in British speedway is now the Championship it appears.

It’s no different to someone becoming too old to compete in an under-21 competition, for example. Riders who have reached a certain standard in their careers shouldn’t be taking team spots in what is now solely a reserve/development league.

I think the emphasis with the NDL now is really going to be on development. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. With no stand-alone clubs there is no conflict of interest between sides there to win at all costs and those there to develop riders in a competitive environment. I’ll add that I am very sad to see any clubs close. That we’ve lost two from the third tier is incredibly sad. The over 4.00 Championship rule is no coincidence and again, I’m not against it. The likes of Morley and Clegg shouldn’t still be in the third tier over a decade after their debuts, especially now that the league is truly being framed as a development league. What could have helped riders of that ilk is tighter doubling up rules between the Premiership and Championship. They would be more sought after for clubs in the second tier then. It’s important to remember that the sport doesn’t owe riders a team place though. This is a step in the right direction when it comes to the sport telling the riders the rules to play by rather than bending to their will. At least if it is enforced. Is not allowing certain riders in restriction of trade? No, it’s the rules. I’d love to be a Premier League footballer but I don’t get a go just because I fancy it, nor can I take legal action over it.

That is a shame. Had the potential to go a long way in the sport. Health is of course the most important thing though.

Yes, he’s known as sleight of hand now.

Solid enough side for the Panthers in 2024 by the looks of it.

In the case of Boughen I think it will be up to the rider and his team whether he is ready for a season in the Premiership. Iron sharpens iron so if he can stay headstrong and learn from every meeting even when he isn’t getting results points wise then stepping up would be invaluable for him. Of course Oxford are going to want to compete now that they have stepped up too. Riders mature and peak at different times. Signs are positive with Boughen but if he isn’t an established top tier rider by the end of next season I don’t think we should be writing him off by any means.

I think it’s a great idea. But not at those prices.

That’s disgusting considering it’s just a tarted up shipping container.

Every point up to 8, sometimes 9 counts. Beyond that why take unnecessary risks. It’s not about finding a system that penalises Zmarzlik, it’s about the fact that a perfectly good system for ensuring every single race mattered was replaced with one where the individual heats aren’t as important as the semis and final. Zmarzlik is the best rider in the world. All the conspiracy theories (especially those suggesting he only wins because most of the rounds are in Poland) are frankly a load of BS. He’s just head and shoulders above the competition and knows when the right time to turn it on is.

It seems like Lambert is coming off the back of the best season of his career. On his average and in a slightly weaker league he looks like a very shrewd signing here.