Sgp/bsi And Sec/one Sport It Is War Now

[Pirate Nick 1,801]

Rumours now circulating that SEC are going to court for compo, should be interesting

[THE DEAN MACHINE 4,755]

The riders should just stick together and ride ,get woffy in aswell then the FIM will have to back down . It makes me laugh that BSI pay the FIM so much every year and they believe that gives them absolute power but in the process they screw over bread and butter league racing and dont pay to conpensate it. I guess BSI are now feeling like the bspa (sad day when i stick up for that lot) Its tough at top

[manchesterpaul 447]

Some very good points made by NIcki Pedersen in a large article in this weeks Speedway Star. Like most fans and riders he wants riders to be able to race in both competitions.

The riders should just stick together and ride ,get woffy in aswell then the FIM will have to back down .

 

An excerpt from a news story in Sportowefakty tonight and is now just starting to filter into the media elsewhere too.

 

The content of the letter sent to the FIM Europe:

We, as riders who have already received an invitation to take part in Speedway European Championships in 2014, we declare that we will insist that we were allowed to take part in the competition, despite the fact that we are also regular participants FIM Speedway Grand Prix.

We consider a ban on anyone to participate in the continental championships, as a very bad decision, which reduces the popularity of our sport and wasted opportunity that was created to promote it, mainly because of television, reaching 71 countries. We believe that this decision is a limitation of our freedom.

According to EU law, freedom of contract is one of the fundamental rights and not accept a situation where we are limited in such an artificial and unfair manner.

As experienced speedway riders who put a lot of work to build the image of a world speedway, we expect more respect and comity on the part of managers of global and European speedway.

We look forward to a fair solution to this situation and the immediate response from the board of the FIM-Europe.

Signed:

Tomasz Gollob

Andreas Jonsson

Nicki Pedersen

Emil Sajfutdinow

Edited November 8, 2013 by manchesterpaul

[TheReturn 1,724]

Same heat format (apart from we have one semi instead of two), "every point counts" (i.e. same as GP), lots of the same riders. The only big difference is in prestige - the World Championsip has plenty of history, whereas the SEC has none.

 

I agree I find it pointless - why have a second Grand Prix competition? Why not do something different? Such as a PROPER World Cup (i.e. two teams in each meeting).

 

The SEC is just pointless. Who cares who is European Champion?

 

All the best

Rob

Agreed. I watch a meeting this season and it did nothing for me as a viewer, it did not have the same prestige or interest as the SGP.

[Ghostwalker 1,859]

Agreed. I watch a meeting this season and it did nothing for me as a viewer, it did not have the same prestige or interest as the SGP.

 

It says more about you two then the Championship.

 

I don't find it pointless at all, on the contrary I find it very interesting and refreshing.

 

The SGP have become too much of a changeless series, the same riders year after year at the (mostly) same tracks in almost the same order.

Which is why I think its a very good thing with BSI/SGP getting some competition form a "challenger" which means that BSI/SGP

have to improve their product if they want to stay on top. That is how competition work,

 

Imo we shall see in 2014 which series provides the best excitement and racing. I am not so sure that it will be SGP.

Let the series co-exist without any restrictions and it will sort it self out if the interest isn't high enough for one or the other.

[waiheke1 4,295]

Surely the issue for bsi is that if they have to pay him "x" and fIm only pay riderssay half of x.

If sec onlyv have to pay fim a fraction of x, then they can potentially afford to pay the riders a lot more than what they get in the gp series because of the absence of "fim tax."

the risk to bsi is if riders then start prioritising sec over gps.

 

Ideally id like to see sec as an old style knockout championship, or as a gp qualifying series. Either I think would produce top racing, good fields and complement , rather than compete with, the gps .

[BWitcher 12,453]

 

It says more about you two then the Championship.

 

I don't find it pointless at all, on the contrary I find it very interesting and refreshing.

 

The SGP have become too much of a changeless series, the same riders year after year at the (mostly) same tracks in almost the same order.

Which is why I think its a very good thing with BSI/SGP getting some competition form a "challenger" which means that BSI/SGP

have to improve their product if they want to stay on top. That is how competition work,

 

Imo we shall see in 2014 which series provides the best excitement and racing. I am not so sure that it will be SGP.

Let the series co-exist without any restrictions and it will sort it self out if the interest isn't high enough for one or the other.

That's because more often than not (with some exceptions) they are the best riders.

 

Not quite sure why everyone is so pro sec/one sport. Their actions over the Woffinden affair showed how unprofessional they are.

[Humphrey Appleby 13,960]

Surely the issue for bsi is that if they have to pay him "x" and fIm only pay riderssay half of x.

If sec onlyv have to pay fim a fraction of x, then they can potentially afford to pay the riders a lot more than what they get in the gp series because of the absence of "fim tax."

 

AFAIK, the FIM pay out the SGP prize money, presumably out of the rights fee they receive from BSI. However, I think they still keep a large slice for themselves.

 

Both the FIM and BSI could afford to pay the riders more. It's surprising that the riders haven't banded together and demanded a bigger cut of the profits as happens in other sports.

[Trees 2,814]

How much do BSI rely on Poland for their income, less now than they did through sponsorship and tv rights?

[manchesterpaul 447]

Apologies for simply losing track as to who is who and who does what regards the SGP but......what role - if they still do have one - do IMG have with the tournament?

 

Only i notice that their sale has been scythed down to a mere five bidders and is being pushed to be completed by the end of the year. Would a change of management/company likely have any potential effect on speedway once current contracts run out? As i say haven't a clue right now what the contracts are concerning, possibly TV rights holders or just general promotion of the series?????

Edited November 12, 2013 by manchesterpaul

[Tsunami 10,219]

 

It says more about you two then the Championship.

 

I don't find it pointless at all, on the contrary I find it very interesting and refreshing.

 

The SGP have become too much of a changeless series, the same riders year after year at the (mostly) same tracks in almost the same order.

Which is why I think its a very good thing with BSI/SGP getting some competition form a "challenger" which means that BSI/SGP

have to improve their product if they want to stay on top. That is how competition work,

 

Imo we shall see in 2014 which series provides the best excitement and racing. I am not so sure that it will be SGP.

Let the series co-exist without any restrictions and it will sort it self out if the interest isn't high enough for one or the other.

So ban the SPG riders and make up a field of 'wannabies' who would be different from the SGP riders. It wouldn't be the same riders then, but an opportunity to stake their claim to be wildcards based on the individual performances of the riders. Nowt wrong with that.

[BWitcher 12,453]

So ban the SPG riders and make up a field of 'wannabies' who would be different from the SGP riders. It wouldn't be the same riders then, but an opportunity to stake their claim to be wildcards based on the individual performances of the riders. Nowt wrong with that.

Exactly.. kind of a conflicting argument put forward by Ghostwalker.

[Humphrey Appleby 13,960]

Apologies for simply losing track as to who is who and who does what regards the SGP but......what role - if they still do have one - do IMG have with the tournament?

IMG's UK subsidiary owns BSI, actually through another holding company (BSI Holdings). Presumably this is because the long-term SGP contract with the FIM was originally with BSI before it was taken over by IMG(UK).

Edited November 12, 2013 by Humphrey Appleby

[Vince 9,458]

^{I love the SGP and think that at times it has provided the best racing I have seen in over 40 years of watching, however perhaps the more sensible route for riders would be to pull out of the GP until they are paid a rate befitting a World Championship.}

 

^{Of course it won't happen as there will always be somebody willing to take a devalued World Championship. But the amateur way that motorcycle sport is run by some of the self interested parties at both International and national level needs to be challenged. There are some great people trying their best within the FIM and ACU but they are beating their heads against a brick wall.}

Edited November 12, 2013 by Vince

[manchesterpaul 447]

IMG's UK subsidiary owns BSI, actually through another holding company (BSI Holdings). Presumably this is because the long-term SGP contract with the FIM was originally with BSI before it was taken over by IMG(UK).

 

Thank you.