How Do Foreign Riders Afford To Race?

[The H Man 252]

 

Craig Cook and Ritchie Worrall are seen as two great hopes for the future of British Speedway, and the backbone of Belle Vue for years to come. That is great for Belle Vue.

If Cook and Worrall want to make it big in the sport, they should up sticks, move to Poland together, get on the circuit out there, live the rubbish or bust attitude and become a world great not a British speedway great.

When they reach the dizzy heights fit in the British speedway if they want, only if it will make them better.

This will turn off some Brit fans but ultimately it is the only way we will mix it at the top of world speedway.

 

If we get to that point and other youngsters follow suit the sports profile will lift and then the leagues will become attractive again to top riders.

 

 

Nice idea in principal but even if the likes of Cook, Worrall and any other developing British talent wanted to do that, would a Poland or Swedish team snap them up? I doubt it, as they seem content developing their own rather the British promoter who seems intent on signing a developing Swede, Pole, Aussie or Dane rather than investing in the development of home grown riders.

 

[Topcat 58]

Northside appears to be making a concerted effort to encourage and bring on talent even if it is at an early stage. Scunthorpe have for years made track time available. Yes there isn't enough and the costs just get greater. Second halfs should be encouraged,but too many promotions don't seem to give encouragement.

[Humphrey Appleby 13,960]

So a foreign rider is being hard done by to get by on £150 a week when they are set up within a few miles of their home track and not scoring while a British lad who lives at the other end of the country is OK to get by on nothing at all if he has a bad spell.

 

My point was that the 'guarantees' that have to be given to work permit riders are hardly generous, especially as they won't be able to take other employment unlike the local Brits. Furthermore, work permit riders have to have had a degree if success in order to qualify for a work permit in the first place.

 

I wouldn't disagree that trying to break into any speedway is difficult and requires lots of travelling for little reward. However, what other professional sport is any different?

[Mr Blobby 2,662]

Nice idea in principal but even if the likes of Cook, Worrall and any other developing British talent wanted to do that, would a Poland or Swedish team snap them up? I doubt it, as they seem content developing their own rather the British promoter who seems intent on signing a developing Swede, Pole, Aussie or Dane rather than investing in the development of home grown riders.

 

Cook had offers to go to Poland this year and said no but would welcome an offer for 2014.

[T.N.T. 355]

Maybe most foreign rders do have a different attitude towards their career in the sport and that shows in numerous riders that have graced the circuits over here during the years. However that's not the case in a number of riders and it is the foreign riders that don't have the skill and ability to make it anywhee near the top that are the main concern.

 

 

When you look at the Premier League for 2013, you have 16 foreign riders starting the season on an average below 6.00 and that's not including the numerous Australians. Many of these riders came over on an assessed average much higher than the figure they are going to start 2013 with, so despite proving they are not of the standard they should be, they are invited back year after year.

 

 

Meanwhile there are young British riders being funded by their parents struggling to make ends meet in the National League that could do just as good a job and have more chance of progressing to at least a 6+ rider in the PL in the next few years. Quite frankly I feel that the National League is still not thought of as a proper league and even when you look at the Speedway Star 2013 review, it goes Elite League, Premier League, GP's, Sweden, Czech Republic, Poland, Denmark, Russia and Germany before you come across the very good review of the National League.

 

 

Even reviews on Argentina, Austria, Belgium, France, Holland, Hungary, Latvia, Italy, Romania, Bulgaria, USA, Norway, Ukraine, South Africa, Slovakia, Finland, Estonia, Slovenia, Croatia and Canada are put before the NL review ....... Why ? ...... This may only be a small issue to many, but why the NL review shouldn't follow the PL review is to me a show of disrespect to the league where one day we hope this country will develop a rider or team that can take on the world as the did 25 years ago.

 

 

So what can be done to help these British riders out and hopefully give them more desire to develop in the sport. EASY ..... Give them more chances and spaces in the Premier League.

 

 

SOLUTION; When a rider comes over here on an assessed average, be it 5.00 or 7.00 or 8.00, they should stay on that figure until they reach that standard. If the fail to reach that average, then please let them back the following year to try again ..... but they must still carry that assessed average and if they miss any meeting only their REAL average is used to determine where R/R or a replacement fits in

 

Would PL teams still pay to fly over a German, Hungarian, Dane etc etc that will start as a heat leader when they have proved they cant do that job and only average virtually half of the figure they carry. Or would they turn to riders sitting and waiting in the National League dying to be given a chance to prove themselves and try and make a living so they can re pay the trust put in them by their parents.

 

 

Charles Wright 8.53, Adam McKinna 6.74 (Buxton). James Sargeant 7.87, Oliver Greenwood 6.57, Brendan Johnson 5.25 (Coventry), Dan Greenwood 5.90, Paul Starke 5.70 (Dudley), Byron Bekker 7.44 Ben Hopwood 6.16, Darryl Ritching 5.84 (IOW), Steve Boxall 11.38, Ben Morley 7.82, David Mason 7.32 (Kent), Darren Mallett 7.48, Tom Young 7.04 (Kings Lynn), Jon Armstrong 8.11, Dan Halsey 6.57 (Mildenhall), Lee Smart 9.50, Kyle Hughes 6.12, Luke Priest 5.67 (Stoke). ...... All sitting in the National League while foreign riders return onlow averages to fill a team spot I'm sure a few of these could do just as well.

 

 

 

I they are good enough, fine. But if they don't reach their assessed average ..... they keep it until they do !!

[Pinny 2,536]

How many if those riders have tried and failed pl on more than one occasion?! Your telling me the likes of brendan johnson are pl standard?! Lol!

 

The el and pl are fine as i said its far lower fown the production line where the issues are

[Fromafar 10,375]

The fact is that the NL is not producing riders that can hold a place in PL even with a 3pt average.(couple of exceptions but even they were not an instant hit, onlyBoxall did the transition right away then he lost the plot)I agree that foriegners should be held on their assessed average till they fullfill it.

[speedibee 3,091]

Reading all the different debates about how we need to develop British riders one thing always intrigues me and that is how do foreign riders afford to race.

 

You get young lads from the otherside of the world turn up on these shores and carve out a career, how do they survive?

 

Do they come armed with lots of savings or is there something more to it than that?

 

Is it just taken for granted that British lads can stand on there own two feet financially (after all it is there own country), would a promoter sort out lodgings for a British rider to enable him to be close to transport links?

 

Not sure if there is a right or wrong, its the promoters choice, just interested thats all because its something that has happened for years and years.

Good question and some interesting replies so far

[Mr Blobby 2,662]

 

 

Charles Wright 8.53, Adam McKinna 6.74 (Buxton). James Sargeant 7.87, Oliver Greenwood 6.57, Brendan Johnson 5.25 (Coventry), Dan Greenwood 5.90, Paul Starke 5.70 (Dudley), Byron Bekker 7.44 Ben Hopwood 6.16, Darryl Ritching 5.84 (IOW), Steve Boxall 11.38, Ben Morley 7.82, David Mason 7.32 (Kent), Darren Mallett 7.48, Tom Young 7.04 (Kings Lynn), Jon Armstrong 8.11, Dan Halsey 6.57 (Mildenhall), Lee Smart 9.50, Kyle Hughes 6.12, Luke Priest 5.67 (Stoke). ...... All sitting in the National League while foreign riders return onlow averages to fill a team spot I'm sure a few of these could do just as well.

 

 

Several of these riders have tried and failed at PL level and the rest of them if they where good enough would they not have a team place??

[Vince 9,458]

The point isn't whether any of those particular riders are able to hold onto a place if given a long enough run (although I believe that if given a long run some could) but if they aren't given the opportunity how many others will see that and walk away from the sport before ever reaching that level? Perhaps some will not even try the sport in the first place.

 

We often see that people want riders to come across from MX or other sports, they will only do so if they can see they are going to get chance to compete on a regular basis, they are used to being able to practice and / or race every weekend and sometimes midweek if they want to. Are they really going to give that up for a few NL meetings knowing that they probably won't be given the opportunity to move up and get frequent racing? get enough British kids on bikes and the chances of finding riders of a good standard increases pro rata.

[BWitcher 12,453]

Don't buy into this no opportunity. If they are good enough, they'll get a place. Didn't take a young lad like Stefan Nielsen long to find himself a team place... just one example. I agree it would make it easier if foreign riders had to keep their assessed average if they didn't hit it though.

[brewer 159]

Don't buy into this no opportunity. If they are good enough, they'll get a place. Didn't take a young lad like Stefan Nielsen long to find himself a team place... just one example. I agree it would make it easier if foreign riders had to keep their assessed average if they didn't hit it though.

 

actually somerset did announce they were after brady kurtz, but he does not get his British reduction (joke) until he is 17, so opted for stefan, who had strangely been overlooked by ipswich/scunny and possibly sheffield. if this hadnt happened stefan wouldnt be in the pl, i really hope he has a good season along with every other young brit.

Edited March 25, 2013 by brewer

[orion 7,615]

As normal on these subjects you get the normal " why don't we give all are PL places to Brits " as others have said if people are good enough there find there own way any how without any charity . The answer to me has always been quite clear get a system where more people get a chance to take up the sport at a early age .giving brits who are not and will never be good enough team places at PL and EL level is not the answer .

[brewer 159]

As normal on these subjects you get the normal " why don't we give all are PL places to Brits " as others have said if people are good enough there find there own way any how without any charity . The answer to me has always been quite clear get a system where more people get a chance to take up the sport at a early age .giving brits who are not and will never be good enough team places at PL and EL level is not the answer .

 

i do like and see a lot of sense in your post, but the word brits should read, any rider british or foreign,

[Pinny 2,536]

How many foreigners do you see retained for a second season after failing to average 3.00 in their first seasons though? A foreigner is usually given the boot if his average dips below 3.00... I remember mark jones at newport was struggling yet still averaging over 3 and people were calling for a young brit from the nl to take his place yet there were none out there that could of provided the scores he was posting even from reserve

 

The el and pl clubs are essentially businesses you cant expect them to employ sub standard brits .

 

If you take out every foreigner who has failed to hit 5.00/7.00 assessed figures and replace them with the list of riders tnt posted plus other young brits you will end up with a piss poor standard premier league and crowds will drop even further

 

The majority of these foreign boys who come have been riding at least a decade on all sorts of bikes not just speedway bikes, they are competiting against eachother week in week out from the age of about ten maybe even younger i recall kim nilsson was racing a speedway bike in sweden at the age of about 5. Thats just one example i know as a fact, its all well and good these club mascots at the age of 6 or 7 doing a few laps on their own before a meeting on a mini bike but what they should be doing is racing other kids there age on smaller tracks regular which leads to the point that a few mini circuits should be set up for these kids, until there is a production line of young kids ready for pl racing from the uk then the calls for the pl to be flooded with sub standard nl riders should stop