Vicar 2 Posted April 8, 2012 I'm reading now the Swindon history and found some strange things, about "moving" riders. There are often such sentences like "in 1969 the Rider Control Committee moved Frank Shutter to Poole". What does it mean? There was a body which moves riders between clubs to make strength of the teams more equal? Nonsense! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stratton 1,491 Posted April 9, 2012 I'm reading now the Swindon history and found some strange things, about "moving" riders. There are often such sentences like "in 1969 the Rider Control Committee moved Frank Shutter to Poole". What does it mean? There was a body which moves riders between clubs to make strength of the teams more equal? Nonsense! Ashby and Kilb both at at different times got moved to Exeter did well, Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chunky 6,087 Posted April 9, 2012 O yes, the infamous "Rider Control"... Rather than imposing a points limit, and letting the teams sort themselves out, riders were not only forced out of teams where they had ridden for years, but even told them where they were going! Not sure when Rider Control actually ended (sometime in the mid-70's, I believe, but it did cause problems. There were some ridiculous decisions made, and many riders threatened to retire rather than be forced somewhere. One of the most controversial was when Tommy Roper was told that he was leaving Belle Vue for Newport, and Tommy threatened to retire. In the meantime, Chris Pusey broke his leg, and Tommy was allowed to stay. When Chris came back, Tommy moved to Oxford in place of Ronnie Genz, who went to Newport. Quite often, the situations were resolved by means of a triangular move like this. As sidney says, it was a merry-go-round with Martin Ashby and Bob Kilby, and I also remove the fuss when Reg Luckhurst was allocated to West Ham. Steve Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Robbie B 262 Posted April 10, 2012 O yes, the infamous "Rider Control"... Rather than imposing a points limit, and letting the teams sort themselves out, riders were not only forced out of teams where they had ridden for years, but even told them where they were going! Not sure when Rider Control actually ended (sometime in the mid-70's, I believe, but it did cause problems. There were some ridiculous decisions made, and many riders threatened to retire rather than be forced somewhere. One of the most controversial was when Tommy Roper was told that he was leaving Belle Vue for Newport, and Tommy threatened to retire. In the meantime, Chris Pusey broke his leg, and Tommy was allowed to stay. When Chris came back, Tommy moved to Oxford in place of Ronnie Genz, who went to Newport. Quite often, the situations were resolved by means of a triangular move like this. As sidney says, it was a merry-go-round with Martin Ashby and Bob Kilby, and I also remove the fuss when Reg Luckhurst was allocated to West Ham. Steve Yes Steve, rider control was scrapped at the end of the 1976 league season. The Ole Olsen saga, didn't help matters, before the 1976 league season started. He was allocated to ride for Hull, but he refused to ride for them, as he only wanted to ride, for Coventry. If I remember right, at the start of the 1977 league season British League teams were given a 50 point rider limit. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wessex Wanderer 148 Posted April 10, 2012 I'm reading now the Swindon history and found some strange things, about "moving" riders. There are often such sentences like "in 1969 the Rider Control Committee moved Frank Shutter to Poole". What does it mean? There was a body which moves riders between clubs to make strength of the teams more equal? Nonsense! Yes, that is what happened. In retrospect it was one of the things that gave Speedway one of its most stable periods ever. Despite some "unpopular" moves it did ensure that all 19 (yes, 19) teams were at least reasonably competetive and, I am sure, actually led to far LESS rider moves from season to season which made for much better team identity. For instance after Poole won the BL in 1969 their only loss for the 1970 season was Bruce Cribb who moved to Exeter with Mike Cake going in the opposite direction. It also did not lead to any shenanigans about manipulation of rider averages. I admit that I was among those who were not overly keen on it at the time but time is often a good teacher! Just think, a league of 19 with no "steamroller" teams and only the odd weak one (injuries happened then too), where teams were more or less set for the season riderwise and everyone could get on with watching it. The crowds were sooooo much better too! As others have said, some triangular switches solved more than one issue (an example would be Alan Cowland to Hackney, Roy Trigg(?) to Wolves and Tommy Sweetman to Exeter one year). I too believe it was Ole Olsen who eventually brought the scheme to an end. Popular at the time but no way was it in Speedway's interest in the long term. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
iris123 20,939 Posted April 10, 2012 Seem to remember a number of riders weren't too happy to be allocated to Wimbledon.Mick Hines(although it turned out to be a move for the best really) ,Kevin Jolly(???) and one of the Christers(Lofqvist?)who refused to ride.....It is unthinkable to have such a system nowadays and was fairly unpopular with riders and who can blame them Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stratton 1,491 Posted April 10, 2012 Yes, that is what happened. In retrospect it was one of the things that gave Speedway one of its most stable periods ever. Despite some "unpopular" moves it did ensure that all 19 (yes, 19) teams were at least reasonably competetive and, I am sure, actually led to far LESS rider moves from season to season which made for much better team identity. For instance after Poole won the BL in 1969 their only loss for the 1970 season was Bruce Cribb who moved to Exeter with Mike Cake going in the opposite direction. It also did not lead to any shenanigans about manipulation of rider averages. I admit that I was among those who were not overly keen on it at the time but time is often a good teacher! Just think, a league of 19 with no "steamroller" teams and only the odd weak one (injuries happened then too), where teams were more or less set for the season riderwise and everyone could get on with watching it. The crowds were sooooo much better too! As others have said, some triangular switches solved more than one issue (an example would be Alan Cowland to Hackney, Roy Trigg(?) to Wolves and Tommy Sweetman to Exeter one year). I too believe it was Ole Olsen who eventually brought the scheme to an end. Popular at the time but no way was it in Speedway's interest in the long term. Agree i think it did its job then well, two ex) at Swindon Keen 11 years on the trot Hitch 7 years out of 8 years service.Two exciting loyal riders who the fans loved the fans then could identify more with there team whether they were top of the table or bottom.Cam Woodward at Eastbourne i think is in his 7th season? those days have gone now be great if the same team could defend a title. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BritPete 625 Posted April 11, 2012 I'm reading now the Swindon history and found some strange things, about "moving" riders. There are often such sentences like "in 1969 the Rider Control Committee moved Frank Shutter to Poole". What does it mean? There was a body which moves riders between clubs to make strength of the teams more equal? Nonsense! Did they really spell Frank Shuter's name "Shutter"? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
frigbo 518 Posted April 11, 2012 Agree i think it did its job then well, two ex) at Swindon Keen 11 years on the trot Hitch 7 years out of 8 years service.Two exciting loyal riders who the fans loved the fans then could identify more with there team whether they were top of the table or bottom.Cam Woodward at Eastbourne i think is in his 7th season? those days have gone now be great if the same team could defend a title. Clive Hitch was really unlucky. 1965 he rode for Halifax 1966 he rode for Swindon and Halifax won the league 1967 he rode for Coventry and Swindon won the league 1968 he returned to Swindon and Coventry won the league! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
keef 105 Posted April 11, 2012 Clive Hitch was really unlucky. 1965 he rode for Halifax 1966 he rode for Swindon and Halifax won the league 1967 he rode for Coventry and Swindon won the league 1968 he returned to Swindon and Coventry won the league! Must have been a bloody jinx then!!! Hitchy was one of my Swindon favourites, at number 2 partnering Briggo. He was in the first heat I saw at Blunsdon in 68. Great competitor, great clubman with the likes of Keener, Munday, Bouchard, who had solid if unspectacular second-string averages. Still Wiltshire speedway legends amongst us over-50s!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
arnieg 3,627 Posted April 11, 2012 Rider Control is mostly associated with the 1965-76 period but there was some control over rider moves before that - so when did it originate and how did it develop? (I know that in 1946 there was an allocation of riders for the first post war season, but I'm less clear about what happened after that. For example I believe that there was a period when only foreigners were subject to SCB diktat over where they rode) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Humphrey Appleby 13,943 Posted April 11, 2012 There was a body which moves riders between clubs to make strength of the teams more equal? Nonsense! Well it was recognised one of the failures of the (old) old National League was that too much talent ended-up being concentrated in the hands of a few teams, which lead to one-sided matches and escalating costs. I think it was the Provincial League that therefore introduced rider control to try to ensure as many teams as possible were competitive, and that continued when the British League started. There's nothing wrong with the principle of team equalisation, and although it was before my speedway watching time, I'm not sure that it was actually worse than the current incarnation of the points limit. Some of the basic principles were sound, and I believe 'home-grown' riders were generally not moved around, but as with anything administered by promoters it was undoubtedly subject to inconsistencies and outright bias. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BOBBATH 466 Posted April 12, 2012 Glad to see someone mention Mike Keen-he was from MInety, does he still live there. A real rider control bummer was when they moved Peter Vandenberg from Newport to Wolves-in I think 1966(?) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oldace 1,678 Posted April 12, 2012 For example I believe that there was a period when only foreigners were subject to SCB diktat over where they rode) Some of the basic principles were sound, and I believe 'home-grown' riders were generally not moved around, but as with anything administered by promoters it was undoubtedly subject to inconsistencies and outright bias. It was not carved in stone though as to who got moved. As Kevin says home grown riders were generally left alone but not always and Belle Vue suffered more than most in this respect. We lost Mauger to Exeter after the 1972 season, not home grown and foreign so no issues there. We the lost Chris Pusey to Halifax after 1974 who was both English and home grown by Belle Vue followed by Soren Sjosten to Birmingham after 1975 who although not English had been with the Aces for 13 years and was coming to the end of his career anyway, the move pretty well destroyed the rest of his career (well that coupled with a fondness for a beer or two). In theory the points limit was a better solution but there are, and always were, so many abuses of it Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
britmet 233 Posted April 12, 2012 Leaving aside the post-war & '50s, I don't believe rider allocation started in the Provincial Lge, for the Southern clubs ignored the 'older-experienced' limit in year one. It was the merger of the PL & the National Lge. that brought about rider allocation, in an attempt to level up teams, but the big boys hung on to their 3 ht-leaders, eg Swindon, Coventry, (which proved 3 ht-leaders alone won't win a league title,) while PL clubs got fobbed off with 'name' riders past their peak. At the start of '66 George Major, who along with John Hart had carried Cradley the preceding year after Ivor Brown's terrible injuries at the Wimbledon Internationale, was told he was to move to Sheffield. His Heathen best-buddy Hart said “No way. If he goes, I go !” - and he did ! Which proves no one is indispensable. - Or does it ? Cradley finished bottom of a 19-team British Lge. ! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
