Time to move to one professional UK Speedway League in 2024?

Gives my rationale for moving from two to one professional UK Speedway League in 2024 but I welcome your thoughts and comments
For background, please take a look at the video "The Rise & Decline of team Speedway in UK" • The Rise & Decline of ...
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[@paulsowney771]

I really think this is so sad. Suppose the teams renting the stadiums etc. now developers moving in. Look at Coventry. You don’t see many kids at speedway. Maybe go into schools free admission for few meetings with someone from the school and maybe few volunteers. Helping them to understand the sport. It’s seems to me a real north south side divide. My nearest track now must be Leicester 100 miles away. Schools shopping centres. Trouble is now you don’t even see kids kicking a ball around over a park. Suppose thing’s have changed. It’s just so sad

[@speedwayuk]

You covered a lot here Paul! Yes, sad it really is and being realistic, taking the sport back to the 70s isn't going to happen and in my view it is about managing the decline so that we see professional speedway in UK for as long as possible. That is why I think the time is right to move to one professional league in the UK, lowering the cost base while having many more meaningful fixtures against different opponents.

[@paulsowney771]

Think you are right one league. Suppose riders will have to be semi professional. As they will ride at most twice a week in uk ?? Would it make any sense to have 2 reserves in each team given 3 races protected against each other and be allowed to be in a race one from each team against 2nd strings ? It would mean more heats but new blood ?? Think the one big league has to happen though as Seeing the same teams over and over is not good. Like the football with its super league etc. i was glad this season a few different clubs won trophies so was really shared out. No offence poole fans !!! But want Leicester as no good one team dominated the league. This is going to upset most of Dorset now !!! Speedway fan since 1974

[@speedwayuk]

Glad you agree that the time has come for a more radical change to try and secure the sport at a professional level for 10+ years (yes, mainly semi-professional riders except maybe a few heat leaders) rather than a limp along strategy with 2 leagues. You also have a few interesting ideas to make it more feasible for new blood to come into the sport. We will learn very shortly as the promoters are off to Tenerife for a three-day conference and should report by 18th November 2023. I am fearful it will be another limp along approach though, let us see!

[@Jamie97nufc]

Is there enough riders?

[@speedwayuk]

You have hit on a key issue Jamie as so many riders double up between the Prem & Champ. This is why I think the quality may need to dip slightly from current Championship with maybe reserves moving up into the body of the team and new juniors from NDL coming in at reserve. Once we know which teams can run next year,, some better analysis would be possible. There are also other issues to solve like what average to give to a rider who has only ridden in the premiership in 2023 like Jason Doyle. Personally, I think the cost structures necessary won't attract such riders to a one league format so I think the pool of riders is going to come those who currently ride in the Championship plus some new ones from NDL.

[@robbrownhill312]

No chance, more teams to share the eurosport money around, no way The less teams in top league more money for each team There will probably be 6 of 7 teams in top league next year Birmingham rumoured moving up taking some of the wolves riders with them

[@speedwayuk]

You could well be right Rob especially as history suggests (since the sport started to decline in 80s) that UK Speedway will be short-termist in approach limping along as the sport declines a bit more each year. I think the decline needs some active management although I fear it is too late now to reverse. A move to one league, as long as still competitive (admittedly at a lower standard), could at least stabilise the situation as the league will be more interesting (I would suggest to TV audiences as well as live spectators) and may persuade some currently uneconomic tracks to keep going. With regard to TV; Sky exited, then BT Sport - don't we need to be a bit more radical or shall we just wait for Eurosport to go the same way at the end of their contract?