Jump to content
British Speedway Forum

Recommended Posts

stupid rule, riders have to make a living, and riding in the Prem only will not pay for most riders.

 

No rider has a divine right to ride speedway fulltime if the riders and the sport cant generate enough income, then part time it is. STOP THE TAIL WAGGING THE DOG.

  • Like 3

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

if I had a contract of employment for 2 days per week, then would it be unfair for me to try to get more work to boost my income.

Nic Morris has a higher average P/L than Nichols or Kennet have in the same P/L, has the BSPA stopped him from riding in 2 leagues

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I don't go along with this School/kids out late, I was at Old Trafford last night to see Utd beat Moscow, there were plenty of parents with 1...2... and more children with them, the match finished at roughly the same time, but the journey home would of been a fair bit longer as getting out of the stadium and traffic jams are far worse than any speedway match over here.

The bottom line is, if the kids want to go to the speedway, the parents will still take them.

 

The other bottom line is that if some parents want to go to the match and the cost of taking them is less than a competent babysitter, they will take them ( wether the kids want to go or not ).

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

if I had a contract of employment for 2 days per week, then would it be unfair for me to try to get more work to boost my income.

Nic Morris has a higher average P/L than Nichols or Kennet have in the same P/L, has the BSPA stopped him from riding in 2 leagues

Speedway isn't a normal job. If a rider is good enough then channels to ride abroad will open for them, otherwise they're not owed anything here, particularly not to the detriment of the paying public. Riders ride in the first place for themselves as a hobby or to satisfy the need for an adrenaline rush. Somewhere along the lines some have started to expect to earn their living from it.

 

Ultimately riders race for themselves, in other sports if you're not good enough you have to go out and get a proper job and either give up the sport or compete and practice in your spare time and funding it from your own pocket.

  • Like 3

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Boocock one of England's all time greats worked as a garage manager in Rugby.Looks like speedwayriders will have to go back to working or get sponsorship to pay for the extras

  • Like 2

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Speedway isn't a normal job. If a rider is good enough then channels to ride abroad will open for them, otherwise they're not owed anything here, particularly not to the detriment of the paying public. Riders ride in the first place for themselves as a hobby or to satisfy the need for an adrenaline rush. Somewhere along the lines some have started to expect to earn their living from it.

 

Ultimately riders race for themselves, in other sports if you're not good enough you have to go out and get a proper job and either give up the sport or compete and practice in your spare time and funding it from your own pocket.

The other factor, though, is that there might not be enough riders of a suitable standard to fill the existing clubs. There were about 35 riders last season who doubled - five team's worth.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Have one Elite league and then a semi pro league for weekend racers.

Once this happens a few tracks would close so rider shortage wouldnt be a problem.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Have one Elite league and then a semi pro league for weekend racers.

Once this happens a few tracks would close so rider shortage wouldnt be a problem.

That seems a forward looking solution. I hope your track doesn't close!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

That seems a forward looking solution. I hope your track doesn't close!

As I've sadly had to say elsewhere, these 'supporters' are great at being happy to see tracks close - as long as it isn't theirs. I know I'm not the only one here who still misses Rayleigh....

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Yes Rob so do I my first taste of speedway but when you consider all London tracks have gone some others are in their twilight and a dwindling fan base its a depressing fact of Speedway today.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Yes Rob so do I my first taste of speedway but when you consider all London tracks have gone some others are in their twilight and a dwindling fan base its a depressing fact of Speedway today.

 

Why do people go on about London, whether you like it or not, the make up of residents are vastly different fact than from the 20th Century and unless Speedway can find a way to reach out to the non white population, London speedway will always be a "thing from the past"

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Why do people go on about London, whether you like it or not, the make up of residents are vastly different fact than from the 20th Century and unless Speedway can find a way to reach out to the non white population, London speedway will always be a "thing from the past"

Belle Vue, Birmingham, Bradford, Leicester, Wolverhampton, Coventry...

 

So many tracks within towns or cities with a high ethnic, in particular Asian, populous in and around the tracks immediate catchment area..

 

Nothing seems to be done to attract this ever growing sector of the community to the Speedway on their doorstep...

 

A huge opportunity I would suggest in targeting them, particularly as many of whom in this community have a culturally higher than average number of children...

Edited by mikebv

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

 

Why do people go on about London, whether you like it or not, the make up of residents are vastly different fact than from the 20th Century and unless Speedway can find a way to reach out to the non white population, London speedway will always be a "thing from the past"

Yes it has changed, but other sports survived. We were so reliant on dog tracks and it's the decline of that sport that's dragged us down in London.

 

Land is worth more used for commercial units or housing than running minority sport. Unless the stadium is making good money or has protection, either through a benefactor, legal or council policy you are inevitably under threat. In many ways the Weir was a signpost to the future.

 

I had to break a vow a couple of years back. My wife (an ex-Hackney Hawks fan) persuaded me that I really needed to buy clothes from a shop situated I reckon about on the old fourth bend terracing site. And so, after thirty years I finally returned to the Weir, under protest ;-)

 

I'd made one other visit since 1973 - in 1980 after the Rockets had won their first title at Rye House I went back as part of a personal celebration/commemoration/contemplation. I'd been tempted to ask if we could take the NL trophy there just for a small private parade of it round what was left of the track - a bit of sad sentiment to today's supporters, I expect. I doubt whether the then promotion would have understood the sentiment. It was sickening to see it still derelict after seven seasons that could have given us so many more speedway memories there.

 

It is one of the greatest truths that you do NOT know what you have until it's gone. I hate it whenever I hear of another track's closure, and it hurt like hell when we lost Rye House in 1994, almost two decades to the month after Rayleigh. Thankfully that wasn't permanent but so often tracks, like lost loved ones have an awful habit of staying dead. It's easy for others to say "Well, I'm okay"....

 

With the promotional changes at Rye House I hope to get there next year. It would have been this year if not for poor health and other problems. I'll just take a quiet seat in a corner and remember.

Edited by Rob McCaffery

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Feel those sentiments ^^. Heard from a couple of sources that Rye House's tractor & grader circa 1994 ended up at Hull, Craven Park for 1995 season....

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

if I had a contract of employment for 2 days per week, then would it be unfair for me to try to get more work to boost my income.

Nic Morris has a higher average P/L than Nichols or Kennet have in the same P/L, has the BSPA stopped him from riding in 2 leagues

Of course not. You can have as many employments as you like. There is no restriction. You take the job(s) that suits your needs and desires.

 

Speedway riders are no different and can ride in different countries, if they so wish. There is no divine right to ride speedway in the UK or make it pay to the levels they desire. Ultimately, if the promoters dont pay the money they want, what does a speedway rider do then?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now

×

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. Privacy Policy