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The continuing decline of Speedway

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35 minutes ago, TesarRacing said:

YOU sound a lot more cynical than you used to Philip.

THAT ain't the half of it!

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47 minutes ago, PHILIPRISING said:

BSPA General Council meeting today ... will anything happen and if it does will they even tell us?

It'll depend on whether they can all agree on where to meet first.

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59 minutes ago, PHILIPRISING said:

BSPA General Council meeting today ... will anything happen and if it does will they even tell us?

Is the General Council different to the Management Committee?  Is the GC the full BSPA?

Where can you go to see an Organisation Chart showing how the sports' authorities are structured?

Edited by Stoke Potter
Added question

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2 hours ago, Stoke Potter said:

Is the General Council different to the Management Committee?  Is the GC the full BSPA?

Where can you go to see an Organisation Chart showing how the sports' authorities are structured?

The ACU (Auto Cycle Union) is the internationally recognised ruling body of all motorcycle sport in Great Britain and it is affiliate to the F.I. M which is the International ruling body for motorcycle sport. 

The ACU has delegated the Speedway Control Bureau to control the sport of motorcycle Speedway in this country. The SCB has in turn delegated the BSPA manage the day to day running of the sport.

Details of the SCB and its officials can be found on the SCB website and in the Speedway regulations which are available on line . The BSPA is a bit more secretive and doesn't say much about itself on  it website, and  generally acts under a cloak of semi secrecy. A lot of its disciplinary decisions for example  as well as results of protests and complaints handling never seem to be made public.

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54 minutes ago, E I Addio said:

The ACU (Auto Cycle Union) is the internationally recognised ruling body of all motorcycle sport in Great Britain and it is affiliate to the F.I. M which is the International ruling body for motorcycle sport. 

The ACU has delegated the Speedway Control Bureau to control the sport of motorcycle Speedway in this country. The SCB has in turn delegated the BSPA manage the day to day running of the sport.

Details of the SCB and its officials can be found on the SCB website and in the Speedway regulations which are available on line . The BSPA is a bit more secretive and doesn't say much about itself on  it website, and  generally acts under a cloak of semi secrecy. A lot of its disciplinary decisions for example  as well as results of protests and complaints handling never seem to be made public.

Accordingly, each season  the SCB produces a Rule Book entitled The Speedway Regulations, that covers all the rules applicable to the sport in Great Britain. It is available in booklet form at a small cost from the SCB Office or as a fre download from the SCB Website www.scbgb.co.uk

Financed entirely by fees generated through the issue of Track Licences, Rider Registrations and Officials Licences the SCB seeks to act as the independent body to ensure that the BSPA, Member’s Tracks, Riders and Officials all act within the Rules and Regulations of the SCB and most importantly within the best interest of Speedway motorcycle racing.

The SCB is managed on a day to day basis by the SCB Co-ordinator (Neil Vatcher: neil@scbgb.co.uk) and an Administrator (Nikki Jameison: info@scbgb.co.uk). They are augmented in specialist areas by Track Inspectors (Alan Bridgett: alan@scbgb.co.uk & Mick Bates: mick@scbgb.co.uk) and a Technical Advisor (Jim McMillan: jim@scbgb.co.uk).

Further specialist advice concerning Medical and Environmental matters are obtained via the ACU Committees; Environmental Advisor (Peter Gregory: pgregory@ntlworld.com), Medical Panel Secretary (Debbie Walmsley:  dg@acu.org.uk)

The Bureau consists of 4 nominated Members, two representing the ACU are Tony Steele and Graham Reeve (ACU Members) whilst Alex Harkess (BSPA President) and Gordon Pairman (BSPA Promoter) represent the British Speedway Promoters Association under the independent Chairmanship of Tony Gillias (a former Rider with Coventry & Scunthorpe).

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5 hours ago, Stoke Potter said:

Is the General Council different to the Management Committee?  Is the GC the full BSPA?

Where can you go to see an Organisation Chart showing how the sports' authorities are structured?

YES and no idea

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2 hours ago, E I Addio said:

The ACU (Auto Cycle Union) is the internationally recognised ruling body of all motorcycle sport in Great Britain and it is affiliate to the F.I. M which is the International ruling body for motorcycle sport. 

The ACU has delegated the Speedway Control Bureau to control the sport of motorcycle Speedway in this country. The SCB has in turn delegated the BSPA manage the day to day running of the sport.

Details of the SCB and its officials can be found on the SCB website and in the Speedway regulations which are available on line . The BSPA is a bit more secretive and doesn't say much about itself on  it website, and  generally acts under a cloak of semi secrecy. A lot of its disciplinary decisions for example  as well as results of protests and complaints handling never seem to be made public.

MANY moons ago the RAC was the ultimate authority for all motorsport, two wheels and four, in the UK. The Secretary of the RAC was also the appointed Chairman of the Speedway Control Board. 

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5 hours ago, PHILIPRISING said:

THAT ain't the half of it!

Come on, ALL of us that have been around for 40+ years are cynical!  Thing is, I know that, the older we get, the more cynical we get, but in the case of British speedway, there are very good reasons for our cynicism!

Steve

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26 minutes ago, PHILIPRISING said:

MANY moons ago the RAC was the ultimate authority for all motorsport, two wheels and four, in the UK. The Secretary of the RAC was also the appointed Chairman of the Speedway Control Board. 

Ah, the days of Mr. Nelson Mills Baldwin OBE...

Steve

Edited by chunky

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41 minutes ago, chunky said:

Ah, the days of Mr. Nelson Mills Baldwin OBE...

Steve

AND Michael Limb, MBE ... a great Chairman who actually got involved and run a very tight ship at the SCB with Dick Bracher as Secretary. Trust me, none off today's nonsense would be taking place on his watch.

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32 minutes ago, PHILIPRISING said:

AND Michael Limb, MBE ... a great Chairman who actually got involved and run a very tight ship at the SCB with Dick Bracher as Secretary. Trust me, none off today's nonsense would be taking place on his watch.

...what the same Dick Bracher who initially refused both Per Jonsson and Jimmy Nilsen racing permits until pressure was exerted in the way of a local MP amongst others?

To quote Bob Radford

"...his judgement on Per and Jimmy stands as testimony to his lack of knowledge and understanding of speedway racing and the riders"

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44 minutes ago, steve roberts said:

...what the same Dick Bracher who initially refused both Per Jonsson and Jimmy Nilsen racing permits until pressure was exerted in the way of a local MP amongst others?

To quote Bob Radford

"...his judgement on Per and Jimmy stands as testimony to his lack of knowledge and understanding of speedway racing and the riders"

NOBODY is perfect but Bracher was a great administrator who stuck by the letter of the law. Hated the Press  mind you.And maybe he didn't fully understand speedway but he certainly knew  how to run the SCB with Limb as his boss.

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1 hour ago, PHILIPRISING said:

NOBODY is perfect but Bracher was a great administrator who stuck by the letter of the law. Hated the Press  mind you.And maybe he didn't fully understand speedway but he certainly knew  how to run the SCB with Limb as his boss.

And if you were up in front of any of those names you shat yourself!

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16 hours ago, mikebv said:

Agreed...

Watching PC blast off into the distance, like he did in many races, certainly wasn't a 'spectacular' race...

Nor was watching Mauger, Olsen, Michanek etc etc do the same to '2 point reserves'..

The difference was? These guys brought a crowd in through their reputations...

When these riders, and more such as Penhall, Carter, Lee etc came to your town crowds were up..

A more modern, but lesser impact of the same were Nielsen and Gunderson, with probably the last rider with any 'extra pulling power' being Jason Crump..

These guys had reputations,  THEY attracted the improved crowds NOT the team who were in situ..

Those who attended may not even attend again that season, however I am sure the racing on that night was improved considerably in the eyes of the regulars by the large attendance. (Even if tangibly it probably wasn't much better than normal)..

Even in the 'good old days' it was the riders riding for, and bringing success to, England into your homes via World Of Sport that generated the interest in your local team...

Racing today overall is at least on a par, if not better, than all those years ago I would say, as there now is much less of a disparity between riders in the meeting/races that there once was, so not sure the racing is to blame for the Sports decline..

British Speedway has virtually 100% lost its tribal, emotional connection that fans need to follow a team sport by the ludicrous, (almost comical if it wasn't so sad) way it has ran itself...

I would suggest that this is infinitely more the problem than poor racing..

 

Well the bad news is the big star names are not coming back to Britain anytime soon. My point was if the racing is better then ever then where is it ? . Where can we showcase the sport, the last 2 weeks on BT sport we have had meetings from Wolves and Leicester which have been 4 hours of absolute dross. One from a track that is purpose built , one that has been there 90 years. All in the height of summer with great weather. The top league on BT is the showcase of our sport in Britain to the outside world, what must people think if they watched the last 2 weeks ,its not going to attract new fans or get old fans to return. Still in Pearson's world it was 2 great nights of speedway. People need to wake up and smell the coffee, the product is not good enough. In the top division Belle Vue is brilliant, Somerset occasionally , that's about it, all the rest poor. If that is the best the sport can show itself in the last 2 weeks then it is definitely on its way out.

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10 hours ago, Whisperer said:

And if you were up in front of any of those names you shat yourself!

I have no doubt, but doesn't that say more about the way younger generations have no respect for any authority?

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