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AlanF

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Posts posted by AlanF

  1. Posted

    Clearly no way the tracks are ever going to be happy with printing a generic race card as it will obviously take away revenue.

     

    One possible application would be for Speedway Star to have a race card for the following week's Sky meeting.

     

    Still not sure it would be viable but may be of interest to a large number of Star readers without taking income away from tracks.

  5. Posted

    Jens Rasmussen lived in Whittlesey, near Peterborough, when he rode in England.

     

    Correct and the actual reasoning given at the time was that he had lived in the UK for 5 years and was married to an English girl. If it had stopped with Jens then no problem. Unfortunately, once the crack appeared the floodgates opened.

    We ought to be able to do that - now that we are getting out of the European Union.

     

    Nothing to do with the EU and everything to do with promoters short term self interest. There is no EU regulation forcing anybody to sign these riders.

  6. Posted

    I'm from the U.S. . . . so, all I really know about Speedway is watching Speedway GP. So, I'm trying to get a grasp of the status/level of Speedway as compared to other sports (for my understanding - US related). Over here in the states, we don't have the leagues like you folks do in G.B./EU.

     

    We have a community that keeps the sport of speedway alive over on the west coast . . . but, that's about it.

     

    I'm wondering about income level - I s'pose . . .

     

    So, are Speedway racers (and, I guess, the tracks/organizations) more similar to - on the same level as:

    1) Professional top line sports (National Football League, National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball, NASCAR)

    2) Professional lower level sports (US Soccer, Womens National Basketball Association, Supercross)

    3) Minor league professional sports (major league baseball farm teams, arena football)

    4) US Flat track Pro racers (90%+ of these "Pro" riders still have regular full time jobs, except for maybe the top 3 or 4)

    5) AMA regional MX pro racers (race for a couple hundred $$ per event, then go to work 9-5 during the week)

    6) Local stock car racers (basically an expensive hobby - LOL)

     

     

    Sorry if this has been asked before . . .

     

     

     

    HB

     

    As a Brit living in the US, I will take a stab at this. It's not that easy as salaries in US sports vary wildly within one team. In the major sports a star player may be earnings 30 or 40 times what a rookie or bench player is earning.

     

     

    • Top handful of riders in the world, mid level MLS but definitely not a designated player
    • Lower EL and higher order PL about WNBA
    • Bottom order PL and NL minor league baseball but without the signing bonus
    • Nobody would be in the same stratosphere as the major US sports (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL)

    That is the trouble.US sports are a bit of a mystery to a lot of us over the pond.But for example today in the paper was a list of the top payed German sportsmen and 2 o the top 4 were NBA basketball players,one of whom i had never even heard of.The other 2 were Formula 1 drivers and then a load of football players.But if the 2 NBA players were earning more than the top footballers then you can be sure that speedway riders aren't in that sort of league

     

    Dennis Schroeder plays for my local NBA team, the Atlanta Hawks. Signed a new contract this week. 4 years $70 million. He was born in Braunschweig.

    • Like 1

  7. Posted

    I have long thought that many of the problems in UK speedway began with the decision to allow Jens Rasmussen and Peter Shroek to sign for Rye House. That decision opened the floodgates to average foreigners and air fares resulting in increased costs, fewer spots for British riders and an inconsistent fixture list as so many riders are unavailable due to other commitments. I think it is worth exploring that the Premier League should only be open to riders prepared to base themselves in the UK and not riding in any overseas leagues. May need to get there slowly over 3 years bit I think it could resolve a lot of problems.

    • Like 4

  8. Posted

     

    Correct.

     

    If Harris didn't ride in the GP, or withdrew from the meeting in progress without permission, he would be suspended from the dates outlined in the rule.

    Not saying you are wrong but try explaining that to the casual fan on Coventry. "Remember that meeting we went to last week. Well we actually lost even though we won, because Chris Harris pulled out of a ride in the GP last night."

  10. Posted

     

    Again, you've made up your own theory.

     

    It is quite clear. There is only one thing he is ineligible from that is the FIM Grand Prix World Speedway Championship.

     

    There is no mention of rounds.

     

    It is the Championship he is ineligible. It couldn't be any clearer.

     

     

    Furthermore, he shall be considered as ineligible for the FIM Speedway Grand Prix World Championship for the remainder of the season.

     

    It's about as clear as mud. Try to strip him of the title based on that phrase and you may as well bend over and take the shafting that the court will give you. For the record, I think what he did was despicable and i wish the rule was clearer so that they could strip him of the title.

  11. Posted

    As ever with Speedway the rule is badly written. When I read it my immediate interpretation is that he would be ineligible to ride in any remaining rounds in 2016. I don't think its intent is to strip the rider of what they already have or strip him of the Championship. The fact that it is open to interpretation could land you in the courts, and I would wager that Monster has deeper pockets than BSI.

  12. Posted · Edited by AlanF

    I Followed speedway between 1972 and 2004.

     

    My Dad went to Oxford's first meeting (1949) and finished in 2004. I am happy that he is no longer with us to see the current plight of Cowley Stadium!

    Almost identical. Went to Oxford from 1974 until relocating to USA in 2000. My dad continued to go right up until they closed. Also went to White City every week when the Rebels relocated there. I believe that was 1976-1978.

  13. Posted

     

    The liquidators will put the business into the hands of someone with inherent knowledge of the business unless there is another speedway person involved in doing it.. but frankly PL is not the way any person with sense will go and if they do either they have a lot of money they are willing to loose or will quit after a season or maybe two..

    /quote]

     

    I may be wrong but I believe the role of the liquidator is to get as much money as possible for the creditors. They will sell it to whoever offers the most money.

  15. Posted · Edited by AlanF

     

    Here is my radical idea for 2017, and it presumes we remain with an Elite League of 8 and a PL of 13.

     

    All teams are built to PL standards, or a slightly higher number if the PL teams are comfortable with it. Each Elite League team nominates one "designated" rider in addition. For example, Wolves may nominate Tai Woffinden etc.

     

    All teams in both divisions ride all other teams in both leagues, home and away. This gives 20 home and 20 away meetings.

     

    For each meeting between two EL teams, the teams may replace any rider from their team with their designated rider. So again using Wolves as an example, versus Poole they would replace Clegg with Woffinden.

     

    This system would allow the spectators to get their weekly speedway fix, and allow the riders who want to keep busy 40 league meetings a year. It would also allow the "superstars" to ride a 14 meeting season which would allow more of them to commit to the UK.

     

    I don't know how practical it is, but I think it is an interesting concept. I also think that this format would bring a workable promotion and relegation system closer.

  16. Posted · Edited by AlanF

    I'm sure Poole haven't broken any rules but this is ridiculous. By the very nature of the sport most riders will be carrying some sort of injury by this time of year and could get signed off. What is the point of a transfer deadline if you can replace an injured rider. That loophole needs closing ASAP. Riding in the playoffs without riding in even one league meeting is way outside the spirit of the rules.

     

    Congratulations to Poole for once again finding the loophole and driving a double decker bus through it.

  17. Posted

    Gundersen was mentored by olsen. Nielsen by Mauger.

    I know I am being pedantic, but if I recall correctly Nielsen was already arguably the best rider in the world when Mauger got involved. His work with Nielsen was more psychological in how to deal with the pressure of the actual world final itself.

    • Like 2

  18. Posted

    Here is my radical idea for 2017, and it presumes we remain with an Elite League of 8 and a PL of 13.

     

    All teams are built to PL standards, or a slightly higher number if the PL teams are comfortable with it. Each Elite League team nominates one "designated" rider in addition. For example, Wolves may nominate Tai Woffinden etc.

     

    All teams in both divisions ride all other teams in both leagues, home and away. This gives 20 home and 20 away meetings.

     

    For each meeting between two EL teams, the teams may replace any rider from their team with their designated rider. So again using Wolves as an example, versus Poole they would replace Clegg with Woffinden.

     

    This system would allow the spectators to get their weekly speedway fix, and allow the riders who want to keep busy 40 league meetings a year. It would also allow the "superstars" to ride a 14 meeting season which would allow more of them to commit to the UK.

     

    I don't know how practical it is, but I think it is an interesting concept. I also think that this format would bring a workable promotion and relegation system closer.

  19. Posted

    Posted this in the wrong topic.

     

    On the wider issue of the decline of the USA, I think there are several reasons.

     

    1. America may be a huge country but Speedway only really takes place in California. So, in a country of 300m people, only 40 million of them even have a small chance of coming across speedway. That includes potential riders. To the beat of my knowledge, in 16 years I have never been within 1000 miles of a speedway meeting.

     

    2. Unles there is an obscure channel that I do not receive, there is zero TV coverage. If I want to watch a Grand Prix or World Cup I either have to find a stream or watch it on you tube a couple of days later. I have worked on the East Coast for 16 years and in have never met anybody who knows who Greg Hancock is.

     

    3. The US is in the Northern hemisphere, therefore the season is the same as the UK. Unlike in Australia, the U.K. based riders do not come back and ride the domestic season and give the youngsters somebody to try and emulate.

     

    4. Most US sports have a highly structured development path from a young age through high school, college and into the pros, with coaching from some of the best coaches in the world.

    Speedway does not have that. Speedway does not benefit from the incredible amount of funding that goes into youth sports

     

    There are others on this forum who

    No doubt are closer to it than I am who may show that I am completely wrong, but that is the way that I see it.

     

    It seems that any US revival will be around an unnaturally talented kid who becomes a star in California, encouraging others to take it up before he goes over to Europe.

    • Like 1

  20. Posted · Edited by AlanF

    On the Greg Hancock issue I think that Greg and the AMA are insulting our intelligence. Saying you are looking to the future and then including Billy Janeiro and Ryan Fisher is nonsense. It is obvious that the young Americans would have learned more from watching how Greg goes about his business in the pits than they would from Billy or Ryan. At least be honest about why he wasn't there.

    • Like 3

  25. Posted · Edited by AlanF

     

    I take on board all that you say Halifaxtiger but at the end of the day the Mildenhall v Cradley cancellation really affected nobody. Just annoyed some people - a big difference.

    You raise another matter in regard to David Hemsley and Leicester - I have no views on that having no knowledge of what transpired. At the end of the day, however, if David Hemsley refuses/declines to pay the fine there is little the speedway authorities can do as I see it other than a suspension until it is paid.

    Indeed, I would suggest that if you wish to stimulate comment in that matter you will get a better response from the BSF section where Leicester speedway matters are discussed than in the BSF National League section. Or has it been raised there?- I vert rarely visit the PL section in this group.

    People have posted in this topic that they made the journey only to find out it was off when they got there. I would say they were affected. The riders who didn'tbget a pay day were affected as well. The onus shouldn't be in the fan to have to check Facebook or the BSF before leaving home on a day where there were no weather issues. No wonder people stay at home. The small and suspended fine just shows the importance (lack of) that the authorities place on the supporters.

     

    In would think that David Hemsley is delighted with this decision. It can only help him in his appeal against the huge fine imposed on him.

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