uk_martin 1,606 Posted January 22, 2022 It's been a fair few years since Poultec started their speedway apprenticeship programme. Can anyone list out the riders who have benefited from it, and which new faces to the sport have been introduced by way of this scheme, that may otherwise not have become speedway riders? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FromBendThree 145 Posted January 23, 2022 They were widely called apprenticeships but they were not apprenticeships in the official use of the word. You won't find a speedway apprenticeship on the government website, for example. They were really diplomas in speedway business skills. Yes, they learned a bit on track but the whole purpose was to help the youngsters with running their own business - not how to ride a speedway bike fast. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Racin Jason 72 1,272 Posted January 23, 2022 Be very interesting to know. Be a good article for the speedway star to cover Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fortythirtyeight 838 Posted January 24, 2022 On 1/22/2022 at 10:02 PM, uk_martin said: It's been a fair few years since Poultec started their speedway apprenticeship programme. Can anyone list out the riders who have benefited from it, and which new faces to the sport have been introduced by way of this scheme, that may otherwise not have become speedway riders? Think you will discover that only those that were already riding speedway took part in the scheme. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
uk_martin 1,606 Posted January 24, 2022 On 1/23/2022 at 8:52 PM, Racin Jason 72 said: Be very interesting to know. Be a good article for the speedway star to cover Are you kidding? SS doing "investigative" journalism??? 5 hours ago, Fortythirtyeight said: Think you will discover that only those that were already riding speedway took part in the scheme. Yeah, but who? And how did their lives / careers improve as a result? And why the past tense? Is there nobody left on the scheme now? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bagpuss 10,762 Posted January 24, 2022 I seem to remember that it covered nutrition, fitness and mechanical knowledge too. James Shanes was definitely one of them, there were a (the?) group of lads who were on the course at Lynn every Wednesday evening but this was a few seasons ago and I can't recall any of the others. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FromBendThree 145 Posted January 25, 2022 16 hours ago, Bagpuss said: I seem to remember that it covered nutrition, fitness and mechanical knowledge too. James Shanes was definitely one of them, there were a (the?) group of lads who were on the course at Lynn every Wednesday evening but this was a few seasons ago and I can't recall any of the others. Yes you are right about what the course covered. It is a pity that someone called it an apprenticeship when it wasn't. It gave people totally the wrong impression. Don't get me wrong, I think what Poultec did was excellent and very valuable for the riders but it was never intended as an entry-point for young speedway riders; more a way of teaching the lads business, fitness etc. But it was never - and wasn't intended to be - an apprenticeship. Eastbourne wrote about Tom Brennan and Jason Edwards at Poultec in one of their flying high magazines last winter. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stevehone 3,425 Posted January 25, 2022 Poultec is a very successful company that primarily deals with training and apprenticeships, so the idea was to give the young riders all about running their business, accounts etc, as well as diet and fitness, and they have a well equipped workshop for learning about the mechanical side of things including making their own parts. https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_womble/albums/72157657413955128 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Daniel Smith 5,646 Posted January 27, 2022 Course is still live https://www.poultec.co.uk/studyprogrammes/speedway/ This was Olly Allen's project but I'm unsure if he's still continuing since he became Great Britain Speedway manager Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
