enotian

If the reason IOW left the NL was due to lack of competitive fixtures (8 max is understandable) I wonder if they considered (or would have been allowed to) running two NL teams? Presumably signing on fees at NL aren't prohibitive so signing up 14 riders would have been too costly? Would have made it a 10 team league so 18 home fixtures on the Island.

Not sure anyone will be too bothered about the Gem's results. I think those interested realise it's about rider development and will be happy to see three local lads progress. We love a local hero up here you know (some old fart once even wrote a terrible tune about it ). However, if they come off the back of some Diamonds home defeats I can imagine you'll not need to worry about social distancing....

It'll be interesting to see who ends up finishing the season with the better record? 4* Bates or 1* Palin? Ultimately that's what matters. If the last year has taught us anything it's that statistics are only ever part of the story. And it's not as if the others on the 4* list are guilt edged prospects.

Weren't the GP practices over by 19:00?? Fair point on the track prep as you'd definitely want the GP to be the best possible product but you could argue it might even help improve the track? I wonder if anyone at the BSPA has ever enquired?

Lads can't win. Take a leap at developing their career by riding in stronger leagues in Poland and they're turning their back on British Speedway. Ride two British leagues and they're milking the UK gravy train. I think Ellis and Bewley have made the right choice by picking PL and Poland. Hopefully scoring heavily and maintaining confidence in the UK and taking that confidence on to the continent for tougher challenges overseas. Should the opportunities in Poland be limited then consider a CL place. For which they'd no doubt get stick. Imagine having the freedom to do whatever is best for your own circumstances.......

Always wondered why the never did this. I'm sure the Hoteliers of Cardiff would approve. Get if offered as an add-on to the GP tickets and you might attract a few Polish fans etc to attend. Maybe the SGP promoters would be a bit stingy with the rental fee? Wonder if anyone has asked and enquired if the Welsh tourist board would be prepared to help out?

If you look at all of the first season averages for the British World Champions it's been about 7 in the 2nd division and 5 in the top flight. Or higher. In what were higher standard leagues. However a rider like Lee Richardson didn't have a spectacular start to his career but went on to be an International class rider. The special talents like Lee and Collins would always have achieved on talent alone but its the progression of less naturally talented riders that needs to be facilitated. There seems to be a couple of hurdles. When a youngster reaches the 1 to 5 and struggles and is replaced (as happened to Kemp in 2019) and then once they do reach 2nd division heat leader status kicking on to become International class. Which there are numerous examples, Danny King for instance.

I know Max Clegg has been named but I'm not sure if that's a good idea for him or the league. I'd rather see someone like Jack Smith or Joe Lawler pushing for a CL place. I guess the old Stoke assets come into the equation but it would be great to see Harry McGurk in one of the 2nd string roles.

Great to see the three northern clubs entering the competition. Whether it's the right model for them commercially remains to be seen but is testament to all the effort put into the NDL over recent seasons. Yes not many of the riders are ready for the CL but there were very few who wobbled around at the 500cc or even 250cc levels. I thought the NL often reduced its points limit to incentivise the introduction of new riders? In hindsight it might have been worth restricting participation to the regulations of the Rising Star system from 3* and below. Ideally you'd want the NL to be a place where the CL Rising Stars can continue to learn their trade supported by those aiming to become CL standard riders

Without knowing the reason for IOW not competing I'll not attempt to apportion any blame but it does seem a massive shame that in a year when there'll be (hopefully) lots more people holidaying in the UK it would have been great to have had (a well run by all accounts) speedway as an attraction to potentially new supporters. Without knowing too much about the NL the 2019 IOW team didn't appear to be full of 'old hands'. Only Ben Morley had extensive CL experience. So perhaps it was the limited fixture list? If so I'm sure some other shared events could have been awarded. It sounds like it would be a great place for all the young riders to spend their six weeks holiday (if that still exists) getting track time every day. Shame.

All the more reason to increase the 4.00 starting average for new foreign riders. Not a pop at those teams that have taken advantage of this if they can as it's all within the rules. Whilst acknowledging how big a part foreign riders have to play, I think if you're serious about allowing UK riders to progress removing these low averages for foreign riders has to be considered.

That's the point though isn't it. By giving these riders a low assessed average of 4.00 you can't blame the promoters for going for two assessed foreign riders ahead of say a UK 5.00 and 3.00 who maybe haven't shown signs of improvement. It always seems worth the gamble especially now you might have seen footage of the foreign rider in action and apparently they become an asset of the club rather pay a loan fee. Had those assessed foreign averages been 5.00 then there's some more jeopardy as to whether a newcomer would achieve that level so the likes of Mountain, Greaves, Sarjeant, Kinsley, Smith and Ruddick might have got places. Notwithstanding that there are still places available elsewhere so hopefully they do all get fixed up. But you can see the incentive to go for a new foreign rider on 4.00 over a UK rider which doesn't really fit in with the Rising Star ethos.

There'll be test events prior to that. They're even talking about the F A Cup final being a test event on the 15th.

agreed, once a rider has experienced riding as a #1 in the NL what else is there for them to learn? Exciting group of talented riders though when you add in Flint and the Thompsons plus others. Hopefully they'll all be given the support and opportunity to develop. Typically the U21 world team cup is now also a pairs event but we could be challenging for silver already

I thought only the top 4 in the USA championship qualify for a work permit? They were Max Ruml, Broc Nicol, Billy Janniro and Luke Becker. Dillon Ruml ran 5th. 2020 FIM NORTH AMERICAN FINAL Perris, California 12.12.20 | Speedway Updates (proboards.com)

just get the home track to pay for both sets of points, it's all fixed rates at this level isn't it?

Don't think streaming from individual tracks will provide enough revenue. You probably have to charge less for streaming and you lose income from families (who only buy one stream instead of say 4 tickets) and probably a fair amount who don't stream given the demographic. You might pick up more revenue from away supporters and even some neutrals but you basically have the same cost base. I reckon it could work for shared events where there's an interest for each team but not when there's only two teams involved where I doubt the viewing figures would be large enough to attract advertising to fund the gap. I really hope that the BSPA are asking government if they can act as a guinea pig for the return of supporters to live events. Whilst I've got no appetite to attend events with restrictions in place I think league speedway would be an ideal test bed for that sort of thing and it can't do any harm doing the government a favour. They might even under write any losses.

That could be workable if there was an 8 team league with 3 full members (Belle Vue, Mildenhall, IOW) able/looking to run a whole season and 5 (reserve teams) only looking for 4 home fixtures. The 5 only host matches against other reserve teams for 4 home fixtures. With their remaining 'home' fixtures taking place at the full members tracks, i.e. they visit Belle Vue, Mildenhall & IOW twice. So reserve teams would in reality have 4 home and 10 away fixtures. And the full members would have 12 home fixtures and only 2 away fixtures. Not ideal but you end up with a final table in which every team has met its opponents twice over the season.

functionality on a hand held device. It's basically a user interface, and accessing a website is what your grandad used to do when he was a lad.

Love this. I wonder if this is what becoming a Pro Star Status is all about? I seem to recall Josh Auty was one of those in the Redcar changing rooms back in the day if you add an 'n' and shuffle the r and the o

There's loads of them on the list. And on the basis that the whole idea is to encourage the progression of more young UK riders it seems obvious that you'll pick an available rising star from the list while your star is injured. So yes, it'll definitely be guests and Jordan Palin will have ridden for every CL team by the end of May

wonder if the substitute will have to be an U-14 rider

I don't think we can apply these gradings to anything other than 2021. Surely, for example, Jordan Palin doesn't remain a 1* for the next 5 years!!!!! By 2026 he could be in the SGP FFS

I agree that riders should obtain their place on merit and not handed a place on a plate. But remember in 2021 we're only talking about 12 places. Between the 3* and 1* grades there are easily 12 riders of capable of being competitive in the 2021 CL. If certain promoters decide to pick an uncompetitive RS then that's their choice. The old 2.00 reserve didn't always go to a rider on merit anyway. How often did the points limit dictate that 2.00 pointer was thrown in to get under the limit while a better rider on say 2.32 was left on the side lines. At least this removes that issue. I think the idea of creating a pathway for young British riders is a good one. Unfortunately the 2.00 assessed starting average isn't enough to do that. How many times has a promising youngster upped their 2.00 average only to be replaced by an old hand on a lower average but perceived to be an improvement. Seen this at Newcastle many times, Andersson, Schramm, Mills being brought in at #7 based on past reputation. With youngsters dropped. How many times did James Burkinshaw move away from Sheffield get a low average to return to the Tigers the following season to increase his average? As I've posted previously this attempt looks over engineered to get to the position of securing a development pathway for British youngsters. All that needed to be done was to remove those old hands from obtaining team places on low averages. Easily done. Just set a minimum assessed average based on rider experience. Just like new British riders start on a 2.00 over 60 matches have a minimum average of 3.00 over 90 matches have a minimum average of 4.00 over 120 matches have a minimum average of 5.00 any non UK riders have a minimum average of 6.00 For example if a rider with over 120 matches has an actual CMA of 3.33 they can still obtain a team place but on a 5.00 average for team building. Naturally creating team places for inexperienced British riders but also incentivising them to progress their performances to achieve the minimum average. It would mean that teams could build a side with strength in depth if they couldn't afford/find top heat leaders and still have a competitive side. As it stands the 15 heat format already favours teams with strong 1st and 2nd heat leaders. This new system compounds that by levelling out heats 2, 8, 12 and 14 which teams with strong reserves would normally have had an advantage in. That balance doesn't exist anymore so if you haven't got a strong top two (or a wonder kid at #7) you're going to struggle. In summary a good strategy poorly implemented.

Didn't El supremo have a sweet 16 list of available riders? Time to dust it off I'd say. I think Roynon must have been one of them but what about Doolan, Howe, Williamson, Mear, Birks, Complin, Frampton in addition to the previously mentioned. Apologies if any are no longer with us.