BSPL AGM - November 2020.

[Ben91 1,743]

11 minutes ago, HGould said:

A number of Overseas Riders live in the UK and spend winter here. A similar number have properties they own or rent and have European base in UK. 

Probably a few may decide not to ride in UK in 2021. Poland and Sweden now have Covid 19 outbreaks as bad as or worse than us so no safer. 

There is no indication of mass absentees, definitely not in the Championship as yet. 

Jason Doyle is definitely basing in UK to ride for Swindon. 

Generalisations don't reflect a lot of positive intent that is coming out of BSPL. 

 I went to watch speedway in a safe environment with 400 others in September. If the Covid cycle is similar I Spring, who would deny all other tracks to open with measures in place and viable crowd limits especially if early vaccines are on stream for the most vulnerable. 

Plan for the worst, hope for the best. 

As far as the comments about planning for British riders only are concerned I’m talking about travel restrictions potentially not allowing riders in and out of the country to race on a weekly basis, which would mean riders would have to stay in one place predominantly as happened in Poland this year. Travel restrictions will hit us more than the Danes, Swedes and Poles because you have to fly here from those countries whereas you can drive between the others should you have the inclination. 

Jason Doyle’s comments are second hand from Rosco and if Poland run their league in a bubble again he’ll go there for the money and not race for Swindon, let’s not kid ourselves. 

You may have been to watch Speedway this year, but if you hadn’t noticed, the government (who have slightly more power than the BSPA) have banned fans from sporting events for the second time since March. The only meetings that were run with fans were “amateur.” 

Blind optimism is helping nobody in this situation. Realism, contingency planning and managing expectation levels has to be the way forward with hopes for the best. 

[enotian 562]

1 hour ago, HGould said:

. I went to watch speedway in a safe environment with 400 others in September. If the Covid cycle is similar I Spring, who would deny all other tracks to open with measures in place and viable crowd limits especially if early vaccines are on stream for the most vulnerable. 

we hope but Glasgow said they couldn't accommodate social distancing. then there's the greyhound stadiums which might not jeopardise their core business. just impossible at the minute.

I do hope they've thought about what can be done if there's no improvement in the situation throughout next Summer.  Some viable alternative funded by fulfilling the Eurosport deal or streaming.

GP''s are asking people to take part in vaccine trials so there must be something close to being ready but who knows.....

[HGould 2,213]

1 hour ago, Ben91 said:

Plan for the worst, hope for the best. 

As far as the comments about planning for British riders only are concerned I’m talking about travel restrictions potentially not allowing riders in and out of the country to race on a weekly basis, which would mean riders would have to stay in one place predominantly as happened in Poland this year. Travel restrictions will hit us more than the Danes, Swedes and Poles because you have to fly here from those countries whereas you can drive between the others should you have the inclination. 

Jason Doyle’s comments are second hand from Rosco and if Poland run their league in a bubble again he’ll go there for the money and not race for Swindon, let’s not kid ourselves. 

You may have been to watch Speedway this year, but if you hadn’t noticed, the government (who have slightly more power than the BSPA) have banned fans from sporting events for the second time since March. The only meetings that were run with fans were “amateur.” 

Blind optimism is helping nobody in this situation. Realism, contingency planning and managing expectation levels has to be the way forward with hopes for the best. 

All the BSPL are doing at the moment is planning for a near normal season. 

From that will come all kinds of contingencies that can be implemented. 

You seem to want to plan for nothing and then make it up as you go along 

Better to plan for everything and if you have to reduce you reduce. 

Your negativity is demoralising and planning for the best has built in contingency for the worst 

Planning for 100% allows contingency for 10%.

You'd plan for 10% and pray come February that your doom laden hopes have come true. 

Sad.. 

[False dawn 2,291]

1 hour ago, HGould said:

......
You seem to want to plan for nothing and then make it up as you go along 
......

You have to have some sympathy. We've been doing that for years. 

[Ben91 1,743]

1 hour ago, HGould said:

All the BSPL are doing at the moment is planning for a near normal season. 

From that will come all kinds of contingencies that can be implemented. 

You seem to want to plan for nothing and then make it up as you go along 

Better to plan for everything and if you have to reduce you reduce. 

Your negativity is demoralising and planning for the best has built in contingency for the worst 

Planning for 100% allows contingency for 10%.

You'd plan for 10% and pray come February that your doom laden hopes have come true. 

Sad.. 

No, they’re kicking the can down the road by hoping that we will be able to just run the planned 2020 season in 2021 just like they hoped we would have a full season this year until July/August when they finally admitted it wouldn’t happen. 

I don’t think you understand the point I’m making, to manage expectation levels in life it is best to plan for the worst case scenario and hope things are better. If they do it is easier to adjust. You’re suggesting planning for the absolute best scenario, and that is unlikely to happen sadly. 

Why do Speedway circuits have safety fences? Why do the riders wear body armour and crash helmets? In case they crash, worst case scenario. Best case scenario is they don’t and nobody gets hurt which as fans we all hope is the case. Plan for the worst, hope for the best. 

If anyone at the BSPA is reading my posts and feeling demoralised then they are in the wrong job and perhaps they should ask themselves why fans aren’t happy with the product they serve up on the whole.

Realistic expectations and negativity are very different things. I’m in the former camp. I’m a Speedway fan, why would I want the sport to fail? 

I have no issue with debating with you despite us having differing opinions, please don’t descend into personal abuse by calling me sad just because we aren’t in agreement. 

Edited November 5, 2020 by Ben91