|
|
Post by admin on Oct 29, 2007 11:07:19 GMT
I suppose the heathen Tigers had a steady enough season in 2007, although possibly not as good as they hoped, but was does 2008 hold in store for the Messiahdome?
Well, the good news, it seems, is that the Messiah Shane Parker has indicated that he'll be wearing the stripes come 2008 and you'd expect David McAllen and "big" Lee Dicken to remain from this season. And Trent Leveringtonare Robert Ksiezak are another couple I'd expect to see wearing the Tigers race-jacket in 2008, but I doubt whether Craig Watson or Michael Coles will.
Apparently the Tigers have shown an interest in rising Czech star Filip Sitera, but that seems "pie in the sky" to me. More likely that George Stancl or possibly Kauko Nieminen, depending on events in Barbaria, will return to the heathen fold.
Anyway, we'll all find out in good time, but while we wait we can discuss any rumours here.
|
|
|
|
Post by admin on Oct 29, 2007 11:09:13 GMT
-- CONFIRMED SIGNINGS -- 1.. 2.. 3.. 4.. 5..Trent Leverington 6.44 6.. 7.. 8.. Note: Not in riding order. |
|
|
|
Post by braveheart on Oct 29, 2007 12:52:06 GMT
-- CONFIRMED SIGNINGS -- 1.. 2.. 3.. 4.. 5.. 6.. 7.. 8.. Note: Not in riding order. I need to go to spec savers   |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 29, 2007 15:15:43 GMT
I suppose the heathen Tigers had a steady enough season in 2007, although possibly not as good as they hoped, but was does 2008 hold in store for the Messiahdome? Well, the good news, it seems, is that the Messiah Shane Parker has indicated that he'll be wearing the stripes come 2008 and you'd expect David McAllen and "big" Lee Dicken to remain from this season. And Trent Leveringtonare Robert Ksiezak are another couple I'd expect to see wearing the Tigers race-jacket in 2008, but I doubt whether Craig Watson or Michael Coles will. Apparently the Tigers have shown an interest in rising Czech star Filip Sitera, but that seems "pie in the sky" to me. More likely that George Stancl or possibly Kauko Nieminen, depending on events in Barbaria, will return to the heathen fold. Anyway, we'll all find out in good time, but while we wait we can discuss any rumours here. Just guessing but.....I wonder if David McAllen will be back. He broke his back a few years ago on the Isle of Wight (I think) and may have had enough. I will be surprised if George Stancl returns to Ashfield given the unpopularity he seemed to have generated amongst certain parties (well one in particular)who will probably still be there next year (allegedly!). Parker, Leverington and Ksiezak are shoe-ins and Lee Dicken might survive any cull due to his popularity with the supporters. Other than that.....time will tell. The second heat leader spot might be a bit more difficult to fill than some seem to think. Can you really see Workington allowing Nieminen to go? Can you really see a Sunday Premier League track persuading Sitera to sign? Still you never know and nothing can possibly be decided until the points limit is agreed for next year. I will be amazed if it's more than the current 40 (without bonus) and wouldn't be surprised to see it down to 39 or even 38 particularly if the three new applicants are allowed to join the league. |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 29, 2007 17:28:56 GMT
As has been asked many times before . Why does the points limit have to drop if more teams join the league ?
A Glasgow director has already indicated ( at the GTSSC dance ) that they will be pushing for 42 for next season .
Sad to say all indications are that David McAllan will be calling it a day .
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 29, 2007 21:48:43 GMT
As has been asked many times before . Why does the points limit have to drop if more teams join the league ? A Glasgow director has already indicated ( at the GTSSC dance ) that they will be pushing for 42 for next season . Sad to say all indications are that David McAllan will be calling it a day . The reason is because it forces some teams to release a top rider so allowing new teams for example to attract a decent heat leader or two. It seems to be more important this year because there is a shortage of riders likely to be available for the Premier League next season if the number of teams increases to eg 18. There seems to be a strong push in some quarters for the points limit to be reduced to 37.5 let alone 40 next year. I would think there was very little chance of it being increased to 42. I can understand Glasgow wanting the limit to be increased to 42 though with Shane Parker taking up such a huge whack of the points available but how many are likely to side with them on that? |
|
|
|
Post by admin on Oct 29, 2007 22:12:29 GMT
It's an interesting one, the points limit for 2008. I can see many clubs looking to 8.00 average foreign riders to fill up their teams, so maybe a 37.5 limit will actually restrict the number of riders available for the Premier League?
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 29, 2007 22:25:13 GMT
It's an interesting one, the points limit for 2008. I can see many clubs looking to 8.00 average foreign riders to fill up their teams, so maybe a 37.5 limit will actually restrict the number of riders available for the Premier League? The way the promoters will see it is that it forces riders up from the Conference League on their low averages thus keeping going the desired progression through the ranks whether the riders are ready for it or not. There may also be a number of Elite League riders wishing to drop down. Again a lower points limit restricts that trade because of the high average and high wage demands they attract. So again some promoters will see it as cost effective. It could lead to more EL riders looking to drop than places to accommodate them forcing them to drop some of their demands. The Premier League is the only one of the three leagues which has real stability. They know their product well and by and large operate within viable cost limits (although no doubt most teams run at a loss even if manageable). That is far more important than anything the fans would like to see. It's all very well for fans to complain about the cost cutting rules they came up with but without keeping costs under control the league will be in big trouble in my view. Even now I believe that some of the PL top liners are getting rather more than their clubs can really afford. |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 30, 2007 7:13:28 GMT
The Premier League is the only one of the three leagues which has real stability. They know their product well and by and large operate within viable cost limits (although no doubt most teams run at a loss even if manageable). That is far more important than anything the fans would like to see. It's all very well for fans to complain about the cost cutting rules they came up with but without keeping costs under control the league will be in big trouble in my view. Even now I believe that some of the PL top liners are getting rather more than their clubs can really afford. The league will be in even bigger trouble if we keep watering it down , as there will be nobody watching it . Yes the top men in the PL will have to be a bit more realistic in their demands , but speedway is in the entertainment business ( believe it or not ) and dropping below a 40 points limit will seriously compromise that . 40 is already bordering on the ridiculous - drop to 37.5 and it will finish speedway . Riders averaging between 6 and 8 will be earning their living driving buses or taxis and we will be left with 9 point riders beating 4 point riders by half a lap all meeting . Hopefully enough promoters will realise this and the limit will be 42 for next season . |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 30, 2007 11:55:52 GMT
The Premier League is the only one of the three leagues which has real stability. They know their product well and by and large operate within viable cost limits (although no doubt most teams run at a loss even if manageable). That is far more important than anything the fans would like to see. It's all very well for fans to complain about the cost cutting rules they came up with but without keeping costs under control the league will be in big trouble in my view. Even now I believe that some of the PL top liners are getting rather more than their clubs can really afford. The league will be in even bigger trouble if we keep watering it down , as there will be nobody watching it . Yes the top men in the PL will have to be a bit more realistic in their demands , but speedway is in the entertainment business ( believe it or not ) and dropping below a 40 points limit will seriously compromise that . 40 is already bordering on the ridiculous - drop to 37.5 and it will finish speedway . Riders averaging between 6 and 8 will be earning their living driving buses or taxis and we will be left with 9 point riders beating 4 point riders by half a lap all meeting . Hopefully enough promoters will realise this and the limit will be 42 for next season . Not sure I follow the logic of that. While it might mean the end of the PL for one or two top liners I would have thought that riders averaging between 6 and 8 would have been in big demand as the next generation of second/third heat leaders. This should of course be the natural progression of riders through the leagues although it will probably force a number of 'old timers' out of business. That seems to happen every year (Neil Collins and Paul Thorpe for example come to mind). Since the average this year was 40 and since there are likely to be more teams in the league next year how on earth can there be a case to increase the points limit to 42? Where are the new teams to find heat leaders and second strings when so many of the top riders wil either be returning to their former teams or playing the usual old game of musical chairs? I don't think you can simply equate rider strengths to entertainment either. If that were so then who on earth would watch the Conference League? The promoters have to get the balance right. That desn't mean picking some arbritary figure out of the air for team building purposes but assessing the likely need and supply of riders for the PL next year. It's the newcomers to the league who will need a new batch of riders; they can't possibly come up to the Premier League with the squads they operated in the Conference League. So where are these 'new' riders to come from? If there aren't enough riders around to fill the Premier League teams allowing each team to get close to the points limit, then reducing the points limit will make it easier to construct a team to the lower figure (even if it is not the team the promoter would want) because it will force/encourage/facilitate more Conference League riders to come up. It will also result in a supply of middle to top end riders becoming available because they can no longer be used by teams having to get under a lower limit. That in turn wll help the new teams pick up riders to give them some top end strength. Frankly I'm not so sure that some of the top riders in the league add much to the entetainment value. The gating tarts, for example, who run up maximums with tape to flag wins don't do a whole lot for the sport - one of the reasons I don't find the Elite League so interesting. Of course what we think will count for little as the promoters mull over again ways of cutting costs as I suppose they have to do to keep the sport alive. If that means lowering the points limit to expel some of the big earners and accommodate more riders whose demands are easier to meet then that's the compromise that will have to be made. Fans may not like it but I don't thik it will put them off. As we all know, speedway is an addiction; for some of us there is no known cure! |
|
|
|
Post by admin on Oct 30, 2007 12:21:15 GMT
Every year the same arguments and every year the same anticipation of the BSPA AGM and the decisions it will bring forth. All, to me, a sign of the hand to mouth existence speedway leads. There's no thought of the future, just of surviving another year.
It may be a Stalinist concept, but surely what the sport needs is a multi-year plan - a plan that allows teams to develop and grow. A plan that allows promotions to have some degree of confidence going forward.
By all means have a points limit, but how about having a "loyalty" reduction in averages as well as a British reduction - this could be a compound reduction that rises with the length of service given?
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Oct 30, 2007 18:04:06 GMT
Sounds good to me. I wish I had more faith but I just have the feeling that promoters will vote for whatever suits them personally. The bigger picture will only be a factor if this first condition is met and isn't compromised.
Up to a point this little club (the promoters club that is) exists on a cartel basis - the members of the cartel don't rock the boat even when some of their rules wouldn't stand up to challenge in a court of law. The bottom line for most of them is survival and that usually means tailoring the product to financial acceptance for the following season. The bigger picture always has to take a back seat to that objective and, to be honest, I can see their point.
No-one has to promote speedway and most promoters seem to do so by putting their hands in their pockets to subsidise it. If they feel that the product is going to cost more than they're prepared to put in the danger is that they'll walk away from it and that really would be the end for a lot of tracks.
Supporters have their views on how it should be run to make it more entertaining, fairer, more attractive etc but, although their money is essential for clubs to keep going, they're not the ones having to pay bills from an insufficient income.
Unless speedway somehow becomes a self-financing product we'll just have to live with what those whose money keeps it going decide. We may not like it but we'll certainly just have to lump it.
|
|
|
|
Post by admin on Oct 30, 2007 18:14:44 GMT
As I said, young Merlin, it's a hand to mouth existence for the sport these days. And, to be honest, it has been for many, many years.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Nov 26, 2007 19:31:42 GMT
Seems Trent Leverington is the first rider to sign on the dotted line to don the stripes in 2008 .
I'm a bit underwhelmed i'm afraid . While i'm not surprised that Trent's back , i just think he's reached his level and cant see him improving his average much, if at all .
|
|
|
|
Post by admin on Nov 26, 2007 20:20:23 GMT
As you say, young fellow, a solid, if uninspiring signing and always on the cards. But you know what you're going to get from Leverington.
|
|
