PhilTheAce Posted yesterday at 11:47 AM Report Share Posted yesterday at 11:47 AM 44 minutes ago, 1 valve said: Its no myth. Its math. I was replying to the suggestion that doubling up should be limited to one rider per team. If that were the case then using this years rider availability/line ups circa 32/35 additional riders would be required. as i said though, 5/6 man teams would help to reduce the double upping Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1 valve Posted yesterday at 11:49 AM Report Share Posted yesterday at 11:49 AM 1 minute ago, dontforgetthefueltapsbruv said: 5 man teams required then initially until such time as can attract others from around the world back or produce more home grown The issue with five man teams is that it limits capacity for growth. i.e. it accommodates current riders and club but no facility for future riders over and above those created by natural wastage. A more strategic way forward would be to reduce the number of promotions providing "top flight" team racing via a Super League with other promotions running individual meetings with riders from the SL featured and development type team meetings accommodating riders (say) below 4 points from the SL alongside rising semi pro/amateur's. This approach would create opportunity for riders to develop and indeed expansion of the SL if and only when sufficient number and capability of riders and promoters become available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikebv Posted 22 hours ago Report Share Posted 22 hours ago 4 hours ago, dontforgetthefueltapsbruv said: 5 man teams required then initially until such time as can attract others from around the world back or produce more home grown Top tier, seven clubs (Glasgow), five rider teams, no make weights, all over a 4.5pt average... Just 35 riders needed so plenty of replacements out there to cover injury and poor performance, so no guests needed.. Follow the Danish race night system of 14 heats.. Home and away once, with play offs.... The same seven teams also compete in the 2nd tier with six riders per team, riding on any night they wish, with the top riders included if they want to race over here... It may end up guestfest after guestfest, meaning it wouldn't be any different from now, the difference being it will be done on the best nights to get a crowd in... 14 teams, if Oxford only run Prem, one home and one away plus play offs. The top tier teams would have 19 matches, plus any play offs.. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeedwayJoe Posted 21 hours ago Report Share Posted 21 hours ago I don’t know what other people’s feelings are but for me unless something (quite possibly radical is done), then speedway as we know it will soon be lost altogether. The questions are numerous and the answers to those questions s extremely complex. It is clear that we all want speedway to continue as a team sport. I would like the BSPA (even though it will never happen) to bring in someone, an independent outsider with knowledge and experience of the sports and entertainment industry to come in, give a different perspective. Let them take a really good look at speedway this year by visiting tracks, talking to fans, riders, promotors and other stakeholders. We may not like what they have to say and their thinking may be radical, but what do we have to loose? We are on the cusp of loosing speedway at the moment. I know it is a massive gamble, but I feel it is worth taking the risk. What are others thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikebv Posted 20 hours ago Report Share Posted 20 hours ago (edited) 15 hours ago, SpeedwayJoe said: I don’t know what other people’s feelings are but for me unless something (quite possibly radical is done), then speedway as we know it will soon be lost altogether. The questions are numerous and the answers to those questions s extremely complex. It is clear that we all want speedway to continue as a team sport. I would like the BSPA (even though it will never happen) to bring in someone, an independent outsider with knowledge and experience of the sports and entertainment industry to come in, give a different perspective. Let them take a really good look at speedway this year by visiting tracks, talking to fans, riders, promotors and other stakeholders. We may not like what they have to say and their thinking may be radical, but what do we have to loose? We are on the cusp of loosing speedway at the moment. I know it is a massive gamble, but I feel it is worth taking the risk. What are others thoughts? Lots of failing businesses bring in a troubleshooter to assess their business model, operating model, and customer service plan... If such a person were asked to come in I am sure they would suggest the following.... * Open your doors when your customers want you to open, not when your employees tell you they can work... * Stop opening your doors knowing you havent enough staff, meaning you end up borrowing employees from your competition, which isn't a good look... * Set a payroll budget and stick to it, and ensure your marketing budget is sufficient to generate the required interest and population reach. Don't overpay employees to the detriment of the marketing budget... * Collectively market the business nationally and target families with young kids with all season round offers, given you are in the entertainment business... * Take every opportunity when on TV to make your premises look full, and make it somewhere those watching at home would want to visit... * Ensure what you are delivering to your customers has credibility, integrity, and is done at a competitive price point that accurately reflects the quality of what you provide, not what you think you actually provide... * Have a customer focused refund system should you not he able to provide the required service on any given night, especially to those who have travelled from further afield to attend your establishment... * Have clear, unambiguous Quality Control measures in place that all must follow to ensure the brand is never damaged. As you are only as strong as your weakest link... * And. As you are only as strong as your weakest link, ensure all work for the overall good of the business, and never in isolation.. I am sure there are plenty of other suggestions too... Edited 5 hours ago by mikebv 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
secsy1 Posted 2 hours ago Report Share Posted 2 hours ago 1. Leagues to be run on the Danish system of 5 rider teams with maximum of 1 GP rider per team. 2. Each team to name a squad of 6/7 riders. 3. Teams to run on their preferred night and if rider/riders are unavailable, National League riders to be drafted in. 3a. No guests under any circumstances, redeclarations allowed once per month. 4. North League; Belle Vue, Sheffield, Berwick, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Redcar and Workington. South League: Poole, Ipswich, Kings Lynn, Leicester, Oxford, Plymouth and Scunthorpe. 5. Teams having National League teams to stage meetings after main meeting with same format as Danish system. 6. Teams not having National League teams to stage second half with minimum of 6 heats. 7. North and South winners and second places to meet in semi finals and final. 8. League cup to consist of all teams and drawn in first round with 1 from North and 1 from South. Overall winners of each match through to quarter final with team losing with highest aggregate score to go through also. This is all fantasy, but something needs to be done now. Everyone to look at the big brighter future and get over themselves. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YeOldPitGate Posted 2 hours ago Report Share Posted 2 hours ago 19 hours ago, mikebv said: Top tier, seven clubs (Glasgow), five rider teams, no make weights, all over a 4.5pt average... Just 35 riders needed so plenty of replacements out there to cover injury and poor performance, so no guests needed.. Follow the Danish race night system of 14 heats.. Home and away once, with play offs.... The same seven teams also compete in the 2nd tier with six riders per team, riding on any night they wish, with the top riders included if they want to race over here... It may end up guestfest after guestfest, meaning it wouldn't be any different from now, the difference being it will be done on the best nights to get a crowd in... 14 teams, if Oxford only run Prem, one home and one away plus play offs. The top tier teams would have 19 matches, plus any play offs.. I agree Mike and think this is the best chance for trying to steer towards a mildly better future even if its 6 teams in top flight they meet home and away once then into play offs , if you didn't get into the play off you would only get the one chance to see Emil, Holder Jnr, Kurtz, Bewley etc if nothing else it would reduce club losses. From the big six the teams those that wanted could then also run a team in the second division this would consist of championship standard riders who would commit to at least 90% of matches, these matches would be run on a night that best suits the club ideally not Mondays and Tuesday's. If three of the top league teams went with it this would give a 12 team second division once home and away then into play offs. The rising star to be used in second division sides not the premier league which has always seemed bonkers to me for every Rob Lambert or Screen that are good enough to go into the top division there's a lorry load more that are sacrificed to make the numbers up, You then have the issue where their confidence is shot to bits within a year and then they are lost to the sport forever, where if they progressed gradually they might never be world beaters but could be the new second division engine room types like Si Lambert, Howarth etc currently are. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikebv Posted 2 hours ago Report Share Posted 2 hours ago On 9/3/2025 at 12:33 PM, dontforgetthefueltapsbruv said: 5 man teams required then initially until such time as can attract others from around the world back or produce more home grown If you could get Poole and Glasgow to join the "Super League" then that would be eight teams, (if all current ones stay in the top league).. Just 40 riders needed, at five per team, currently 85 ride in the two top leagues.. These eight can then ride in "Div 2" (if they want to), meaning the likes of Glasgow can still run at a lower level against "local rivals", and Poole can race on Wednesday's still... Utopia would be a 14 team Div 2, ran at Championship (ish), level, with a decent few KO Cup rounds, with the top four from the 14 team league meeting in the play offs... 20 ish meetings per season, if all teams ran in Div 2, and all done following the Danish model, meaning plenty of rides for the riders, and, given logistics, plenty of guest opportunities too for them as the season progresses... Make the "Super League" guest free, and sell it as the pinnacle of the sport, with credibility and integrity... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shippy22 Posted 38 minutes ago Report Share Posted 38 minutes ago On 9/3/2025 at 12:33 PM, dontforgetthefueltapsbruv said: 5 man teams required then initially until such time as can attract others from around the world back or produce more home grown A big problem with 5 man teams is what happens when riders are injured early in the match, as often happens. One rider injured, would leave only 4 riders to cover the remaining races. Even worse if 2 riders from same team were injured, then only 3 riders to cover all the rest of the heats. This would result in riders having 2 rides in a row, meaning longer gaps between races, and supporters would soon get fed up of seeing the same few riders in every race. Much less variety than we get at the moment !!. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dontforgetthefueltapsbruv Posted 20 minutes ago Report Share Posted 20 minutes ago 12 minutes ago, shippy22 said: A big problem with 5 man teams is what happens when riders are injured early in the match, as often happens. One rider injured, would leave only 4 riders to cover the remaining races. Even worse if 2 riders from same team were injured, then only 3 riders to cover all the rest of the heats. This would result in riders having 2 rides in a row, meaning longer gaps between races, and supporters would soon get fed up of seeing the same few riders in every race. Much less variety than we get at the moment !!. Id take issue with your statement of "as often happens" re injuries and withdrawals early in matches I have no data but I'd expect the number of times a side has lost 2 riders in a match is tiny So no different to running IRR now - certainly not the reason to reject a change that could provide far more positives than potential issues Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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