Speedway Elite League 2011

ah just reading they wernt happy about new rules or something,, just ploughing through 45 pages on forum now,, bit of a shock

Peterborough have cash flow problems and will join one of the lower Leagues.

Ipswich have already decided to step down to Premier League

Birmingham and Kings Lynn have stepped up from Premier to Elite to replace Peterborough and Ipswich...

Coventry threw what can best be described as a strop over 42 points limit on teams although it was the same as lest year....they withdrew from the League claiming they would take legal action to get the limit increased.When by the deadline day for registrations they had not applied the League (quite correctly imho) threw them out....

Coventry imho have past form in manipulating the averages and abusing the system....every year they stack their Elite League fixtures in to mid/late season - they then throw matches in the other Spring Competition and usually basically redeclare a team with falsely low averages around Mid May....this imho is cheating - and if they dont want to abide by the rules everyone else is playing by...then good riddance...

I'm also told by a local that thw Sandu family are struggling financially and may be about to pull out.....the track shop has been closed as they have failed to pay suppliers bills and at least 2 British riders are owned fortunes in back money and both I'm told will be returning to their parent club!!!!!!...

Its possible the EL will go with 8 this season before a realignment next winter to get the likes of Sheffield and Edinburgh in to a 10 team EL......PL wise Stoke have dropped to the National League but Plymouth have moved up to the PL....

Coventry have taken a stand about the constantly moving goalposts, Pawlicki shud start next season on his offical 4pt average,everyone knows he wrongly missed his 12th meeting but Coventry BROKE NO RULES, they covered his absence with there number 8 and never requested RR for his absence, to put over 50% on his average is digusting.

Also the prem to elite conversion has gone crazy, they sign Kenni Larsen on what they think wud be a steal only to find he has now got to be there 2nd heat leader lol..

Also only being allowed just one rider in ur team with an average of OVER 8 , means Coventry have to release Kasperzak or Harris, but luckily for Poole they can keep Bjarnne with Holder as his average is EXCATLY 8, some coincidence is that.

The "Elite League" is now just 8 strong and will serve up more bile than it did last season, it surely wont be long before SKY pull the plug on what is now a clearly substandard product.

As for Sandhu owing money, i cant comment, but i can confirm if Covenrty dont back down (and i personally hope they dont get bullied into that)  Kennet and Bridger will be back with the Budgies

I am sure Bridger will be back with the Eagles.....Kennett not so sure cant see how he could be slotte in there average wise even if Zagar goes......would'nt be a massive suprise to see him turn up at Birmingham or Kings Lynn.....possibly Kennett to Brum and Zagar to KL..

A measure of common sense is required on the speedway front.

The rules arent stringent enough and change every year to someones benefit.

Common sense from the BSPA, u must be joking lol

As for Eastie next year, rumour has it (and its a BIG rumour) 1 Cuppacoffee 2 Jedrezak 3 Gustafsson 4 Woodward 5 Kennet 6 Bridger 7 Dryml.

solid enough, but wont be putting many new bums on seats

The old tea limit rules were btter - allowed more scope

i.e you have say 25 points to play with with your 3 heat headers and 25 points elsewhere...

Some teams can then front load - others go for strength in depth...

I have to say also the actual standard and quality in depth now is a pale shadow of what it was 20-30-35 years ago......imho....

You'd go to places like Halifax,Sheffield,Belle Vue,Cradley Heath,Poole,Exeter,Hackney,Wimbledon,Coventry,Eastbourne,Swindon etc etc and have second string guys who would be GP class now.....riders like....Charlie Monk,Chris Pusey,Dougie Wyer,Reg Wilson,Alan Wilkinson,Les Collins,John Boulger,Alan Grahame,Andy Grahame,Phil Collins,Scott Autrey,Neil Middleditch,Zenon Plech,Dave Morton,Bo Peterson,Larry Ross,Eddie Jancarz,Roger Johns,Gordon Kennett,Paul Woods,Martin Dugard,Martin Ashby,Bob Kilby......very few of them would have made regular old fashioned World Finals.....most were 2nd/3rd Heat Leaders or second strings....yet most would easily get in to todays top 16 and GP's......and they are a handful of hundreds...

Elite league it certainly aint, clubs have tried to cut costs for the past few seasons by lowering the points limits and thus leaving GP stars out to an extent, this move has clearly failed as attendances are now at an all time low, for me personaley i wanna see the best riders compete week in week out in a league with at least 10 if not more teams.

Whoever you follow in the elite league now you could potentially watch the same fixture 10 times ...Two challange matches before the season proper starts, twice elite "A" fixtures, twice elite "B" fitures, two KO cup matches and Twice again if you both make the playoffs.. if that aint madness i dont know what is.

circle - who is cuppacoffee?...

Kylmakorpi

cheers...old joonas....ta!

That would be a potent and tight 7...imho..

Kennett,Bridger and especially young Gustaffson jnr plently of scoe to incrase averages...Woodward and Joonas very steady and capable and jedrezak and dryml capable of anything or nothing!

Worcester Willy, you were taking me back in time with your post. Watched Leicester in the mid 70s when my home town team Long Eaton was on one of its frequent sabbaticals. Im sure the 75 team featured Wilson, Jessup, Tony Lomas and Ila Teromaa and they only finished mid-table.

I remember when Leicester had Wilson,Boulger and Jessup as heat leaders backed up by Norman Hunter and Lomas - those were the days..

I did a bit of second halfing @ 78-84 - never made it into a side as such and actually had some kit and spares off Ila Teromaa - top guy

Bjaerne Pedersen on loan to Eastbourne for new season to replace Zagar....

Makes them look very strong..

The Pies....Long Eaton...

I remember when Alan Molyneux was almost unbeatable round there....

I also knew very well personally Dave Perks and Mark Stephenson who I think were in the Title winning team circa 1983???....

I also remember well being there with Oxford Team in 1982 when Oxford Team mates Ashley Pullen and Simon Cross has a massive falling out and all hell broke loose in the pits.....

Happy DAYS LOL

The other thing about Long Eaton I recall was that as you came out of the bottom bend there was a strip where you could get terrific grip  down the inside of the straight - I was told the local story was that when they built the track it was in that area built over the top of an old foundation wall and if you lined up with this wall you'd rocket off the turn.....how true that was I don't know but some of the locals were unbeatable round there...

GL

Willy - 1984 was the year LE were champions, stands out like a beacon compared with most of our efforts although for much of the 90s up to closure in 98 we were respectable. A guy who exploited that line round the inside into the home strait was Carl Blackbird. However, for much of the late 80s and early 90s they used to let the dirt drift out to the fence so that the likes of Gerald Short, Glenn Doyle and Mark Fiora could scrape their backwheels.

Despite the lack of success I always enjoyed following them even when we were going away and knew we were going to get a walloping. Hopefully I'll get across to Leicester a few times next year to supplement the TV action.

Some great names there "Pies"....one that stands out for me was the unique Gerald Short - I had a mate that did a bit of grasstrack racing and he was in the same ACU Club as "Shortie" - Bewdley MCC.....whatever he did on shale he was 100 times more exciting on the grass.......just unbelievable - his clashes with the Wigg brothers,Steve Schofield,Simon Cross,Jeremy Doncaster and the like - all speedway names too were legendary...

Hope you enjoy the new Leicester mate...

Cheers Willy. Happy punting next year and look forward to more reminiscing.