Academy set for 2025 National Development League

NEWS Thursday 28th November 2024, 2:00pm

by Edinburgh Monarchs Speedway

  Edinburgh Monarchs

Edinburgh Monarchs Academy team is set to continue in the National Development League as British Speedway has confirmed the structure of the 2025 season.

All six competing teams from 2024 will return, with five more clubs entering the NDL system in the new and separate National Trophy competition.

The two competitions will have the same points limit and regulations, but they will run as separate entities with riders able to sign both for a club in the NDL and also a club in the National Trophy – therefore maximising their track time and almost doubling their meetings at this level compared with 2024.

The points limit for both competitions has been set at 38, and both will be settled on a league-only basis of one home and one away match against each opponent, with the league leaders declared champions.

The clubs in the two competitions are:

NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE: Belle Vue, Edinburgh, Leicester, Middlesbrough, Oxford, Scunthorpe/Sheffield.

NATIONAL TROPHY: Birmingham, Kent Eagles, King's Lynn (subject to confirmation), Plymouth, Workington.

British Speedway chairman Rob Godfrey said, "The National League really came back to life last season, so it's great to have all six clubs back for that but also now to be able to introduce the additional National Trophy group.

"That group will utilise largely the same riders as the NDL which means they will get maximum track time between the two groups, and also more experience on different circuits.

"If you look at it from a rider's point of view, they will have a home track in the NDL and all the away tracks in that league, and then if they're in the National Trophy they will have another home track there along with four more different away tracks to visit.

"There's no replication between the two groups, so really it's fast-track experience for the riders and they're going to be much busier next year compared to this.

"Everyone is doing this for the right reasons, and we've now created more meetings for the youth and developing riders to participate in, and with the majority of our tracks involved, so we see this as very positive all-round."

Northern Junior League

The structure of the 2025 Northern Junior League has also been confirmed with the West Lothian Wildcats continuing to represent Edinburgh Monarchs Speedway at this level.

Armadale Angels will stand down for the time being with some of the 2024 crop of 125 riders now progressing to 250cc and 500cc level and the next batch of Monarchs Speedway Academy graduates still developing.

After discussions at the recent AGM it was concluded that teams will operate under the same format in 2025, to include one NDL rider with an average of 5.00 and under, along with one unattached 3.00 rider, and two riders on 125cc/150cc motorcycles.

Joining the Wildcats in the league will be Ashfield, Berwick, Redcar, and Workington.

The league will run on a one home/one away format, meaning eight fixtures for each club across the season.