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Theboss

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Posts posted by Theboss

  1. Posted

    BT have been pleased with viewing figures for both the SGP and the PL. No doubt they are keen to continue in 2018 but depends what sort of deal the BSPA are prepared to accept.

     

    My guess would be that if BT pick up the cost of production and pay a meeting fee, perhaps £10,000, the BSPA will bite their hand off. As well they should.

    Agreed Phil, a no-brainer in the words of Kevin Bacon

    • Like 2

  3. Posted

     

    So now we know - Thank You jchapman - in the PL riders are currently well paid for their efforts. As it should be but without the Sky cash, where is the rest coming from? Essential cost cutting, more sponsors or what?

    The main expense is professional riders and they will not want to cut their costs as they need to ride the best machines and compete at the highest level, just as they do in every other country

     

    The reality is british speedway can no longer afford these riders and therefore needs to focus on semi professional riders.... Just like we had in our successful premier league days.

     

    However there are not enough of these to go around and their packages have reached a level far higher than it should be due to them trying to buy equipment that can match the top riders.

     

    An attempt was made to remedy the problem with double up riders but this has backfired and created its own monster, with many now deciding to become full time professionals rather than semi pros.

     

    The best days are behind the sport and now it needs to go backwards to try and rebuild with a long term plan rather than living hand to mouth every year.

     

    I would personally have only two leagues of 12 teams (one semi pro and one amateur). In the top league restrict teams from building with any riders over a 6 point average, no GP riders and no riders who ride in more than one other country. Put in place a total team spend of £5k per match and riders pay terms have to be registered with BSPA. Any clubs trying to get smart and work a way around it will be fined £10k.

     

    Riders will then have to cut their cloth accordingly but clubs will be able to survive and start to invest money into marketing which will drive growth for the future.

    • Like 7

  5. Posted · Edited by jchapman

    A riders remuneration package is usually made up of multiple factors with different rates for each.

     

    1. A sign on fee which a rider may use to purchase equipment and get set up for season ahead.

     

    2. Contribution towards travel to each meeting, including flight costs.

     

    3. Contribution to accomodation costs ( sometimes required by the home office to obtain a work visa).

     

    4. Guaranteed minimum earnings per match.

     

    5. Tyre, oil and insurance costs

     

    6. Contribution towards or supply of a mechanic

     

    7. A fixed rate per point scored (including bonus points) which may increase or decrease based on team position. It may also have a step up in rate if the rider scores more than his average points.

     

    When all this is combined and spread out across the whole team it is fair to say that based on 50 points being scored each meeting (including bonus points) the average cost per point was around £200 when I was running the team in the elite league. Since I left this has increased significantly and I would estimate it is around £300 per point.

     

    This means each home meeting requires £30k of income (after VAT) to cover rider costs plus another £5k to cover rent and auxiliary costs such as paramedics.

     

    The sky money (which ceases to exist after this season) would probably cover 30% of that and gate receipts another 30-40%. Each club then needs to rely on sponsorship and generous beneficiaries to make up the short fall.

     

    That ladies and gentlemen is unfortunately why the sport is in the doo doos and I do not see how it can survive next year without a major revamp including cost cutting. Believe me the fixed race nights are the least of its problems.

    • Like 15

  6. Posted

    Theres so many different deals.Each rider has different deals.Some of the top riders are on a fixed wage,no matter what they score.

    Some might be on £500 plus £100 a point.Others could be on £300 plus £100 a point.Reserves might be on £300 plus £50 a point.

    Who knows

    I know and you are a long way out

  7. Posted

    Sadly it seems this programme has stalled and is currently in limbo, Im given to understand that Marcel has negotiated some sort of settlement but whilst the BSPA are in for 6 figures it is nowhere near the sum that many of the tuners are trumpeting. Yet another opportunity missed by whoever you wish to hold responsible, Id like to think it could be revived and work.

    Ouch, that will still hurt the sport especially with no sky TV money next year.

  8. Posted

    SPOKE to someone today who had a conversation with a prominent promoter. He said that he was disappointed at what I wrote in SS and wondered why I was always putting British speedway down. It is in fine shape he said. What planet are some of these guys on?

    I would love to think you were having us on... however I know better from personal experience.

    • Like 1

  10. Posted

    Buster reckons Poland are relaxing their 3 team rule next year, the BSPA have been in negotiations this year, good news for our league!!!!

    Good news if the league has TV money to pay the points money required to get them to ride. If no TV money then what type of team would we build?

    • Like 1

  13. Posted

    Having just read this week's speedway star I have to give credit to Phil for encapsulating the problems the BSPA presently face.

     

    I have often criticised the publication for sitting on the fence but this article is in my opinion what is needed to highlight the issues in public and open up debate further which in turn will hopefully help the sport.

     

    I hope more articles will follow in the coming weeks.

    • Like 7

  14. Posted · Edited by jchapman

    I DO agree to a certain extent ... 10 of the 18 tracks had no TV money anyway. And, as previously stated, the theory behind the fixed race-nights has more to do with unscrambling some of the doubling up clashes than attracting any top riders here.

    Not correct that 10 clubs have had no money because last I knew they all got a share of the TV money all be it not as large?

     

    Also what is the point of unscrambling the problems with double up riders if clubs can not afford to employ top riders.So for example Swindon with no Doyle would be a championship team, so what would then be the difference between them and a championship team? Surely that would mean one league would make more sense.... However we know that can not work because we don't have access to enough riders right?

     

    I believe no one, including yourself and your publication, is taking a helicopter view of the problems ahead without Sky TV money and what really needs to be done to rebuild a sport which can thrive in the long term future.

    • Like 4

  15. Posted

    NINETY-nine per cent likely that there will be no TV money. The best the BSPA can hope for is that BT pay the production costs.

    This is surely going to be the key focus in this year's AGM. Talking about fixed race nights is irrelevant as British clubs will not be able to afford any top riders.

     

    I would imagine a cap of £70 per point will need to be introduced to try and reduce the risk of clubs going bust mid season. At £70 per point you then have to wonder how many riders will be willing to ride so I would not be surprised to see a shortage of riders.

     

    Do you agree that the sport has huge hurdles to overcome if their is no TV money or am I missing something?

    • Like 2

  16. Posted

    JC do you not think we need to wrestle the sport back from riders dictating direction?

     

    Understand they are important but they have to realise if they drive enough supporters and promoters away, there will be no speedway for their over inflated egos.

    I agree, however this problem did not exist a few years back so what has changed?

     

    In my opinion the BSPA have become to lenient and also failed to recognise that by trying to keep hold of top level riders at any cost has allowed this 'British speedway is crap' attitude to filter down to riders who should be respecting the clubs and appreciating the support they get from fans.

     

    Time has come to start again and build the sport with fresh views and a long term vision. For fans and riders to be a part of the club and not made to feel alienated by the promoters and easily cast aside when it no longer suits.

    Agree in principle - but didn't the BSPA (Buster and Rob Godfrey)hold a fans forum at the start of this season to get fan views?? One of the big problems with fan opinion is there is a huge mix of preferences ie if you put 30+ fans (1 from each club) plus a few that have stopped attending in a room you would likely get 30+ preferences as to the best way forward, including regional and divisional differences.

    Just because they held a forum does not mean they had the intention of listening and implementing any of the ideas.

     

    From what I can see it was just a PR exercise which has not been repeated since. The question time through social media was also nonsense as questions had to be submitted prior giving the people in charge a chance to pre select the ones they wanted to answer.

     

    Some season ticket holders at Lynn have recently been ignored on twitter because they asked why they were financial worse off this season then fans who did not have a season ticket and wether the club would reimburse them.

     

    'my ball my game' must surely spring to many peoples minds?

    • Like 10

  18. Posted

     

    I hope they do attract a Massive Sponsor and it is called the Doo Doo League ( or Top Poop Toilet Tissue League ) to reflect the mess speedway is in, in the UK. Can't wait for these two big articles in the SS. Some kind of Revelations?

    No revelations apart from CVS implying kings Lynn did not ask the referee to cancel the meeting in the double header. Also the speedway star saying the sport is in the biggest mess they have known since being in publication, which makes them worried about their own future and the price has gone up by 10p.

     

    I personally have a digital subscription and must say that I think it provides good VFM.

    • Like 2

  19. Posted

    When double headers have been held at Lynn before I am sure the club has given people cash back if they want to leave before the second meeting starts. I rang the AFA today to ask if this will happen this week, to be told it can't be done and it's not club policy. So instead of the club getting 34 pounds from my son and myself they will get nothing.

    You are correct, it was in the premier league days. I also allowed away fans to watch second meeting only at regular price but they could not enter stadium until first meeting had finished.

  21. Posted

    JC what would Maurie Littlechild make of this ? Something he built to now being destroyed week by week.

    Whilst I always wanted the club to succeed in his memory, I unfortunately never knew him personally so that question is particularly hard for me to answer.

     

    I have however asked his son Terry (my grandfather) and as you can imagine he is far from impressed and says Maury would be very disappointed. He was a true gentleman who treated fans, sponsors, riders, family and other promoters with the greatest of respect.

     

    Having known buster since he was a child he would also be surprised if he was/is to accept any accountability for the state the club is in.

    Is there really any riders who would come down just in case they are needed,personally nowadays i don't think so.Then you don't know which riders will get injured.So if for instance you did have D.King there as he only lives at Huntingdon and Jonasson gets injured,guess what he still couldn't replace him.It's not as easy as some people think to have riders there on standby.

    Been there, seen it and done it. It is definitely possible to make at least some preparations, but obviously they would not come for free.

  22. Posted

    Very difficult to offer advice out to a rider about being professional , when the sport is not being run in that manner either

    I don't agree, the sport is bigger than the UK and quite clearly others have succeeded by having professionals in their camp.

     

    On a personal level I don't believe my influence or success can be questioned at the club, and within the governing body I pushed harder than anyone to make improvements, such as the Super7even. However their is only so many times I was prepared to be stabbed in the back.

  23. Posted

    I can categorically confirm I am not becoming a co-promoter of the Club. I have never had any discussions with Lynn management re this at all. I am a friend of Buster and a Club fan. I only got involved in a small way with speedway when Buster asked me if Nicklas could stay a couple of nights back in 2013. On top of that I am retiring after Christmas and moving full time to live in France.

    I will still assist Nicklas going to see him race in Poland, Denmark and Sweden.

    Thank you for confirming and good luck with your retirement in France.

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