Warsaw Gp Saturday 18th April

[PHILIPRISING 7,298]

 

Why just do it for the GPs? Transponder systems are not particularly expensive and available off the shelf, and would probably work out cheaper than bespoke starting gates over time. It therefore wouldn't be impractical to do away with starting gates at all meetings.

 

Riders would soon adjust. I remember all the fuss about the tape touching rules in the 80s, but most riders got the hang of it quite quickly.

DON'T think cost of transponders is an issue as far as GPs are concerned but certainly would be across domestic speedway. I'm no expert (perhaps you are) but who pays for the people to operate them? And as I say, riders not convinced that it would be right just to have them at GPs when they would be required to change their starting rituals of a lifetime.

 

Whilst the riders may be happy with the BSI's role in raising the profile of GP speedway I believe they are less than happy with the financial reward. BSI's last published accounts showed a net profit in excess of £2m after allowing for the deduction of staff and directors salaries. For someone with the time to act collectively for the riders there is perhaps a fairer share of the spoils to be distributed. Do you agree?

BSI are the main "Contractor" and as such they in my opinion liable. From your statement you appear to somewhat reluctantly accept this point. Can you please clarify?

You state, "Everything BSI handle and control themselves is almost invariably beyond reproach". I beg to differ. As one of the unfortunate people who paid to travel to Poland, my hand written letter received a non personal standard email response referencing PZM as liable. In your opinion is that good enough?

If the BSI have issues with the quality of the officials or control of the FIM they could consider breaking away and installing their own panel(s). Would you support such a move if it improved the quality of the panel(s)?

 

IT is the FIM who determine prize money but only this week all the permanent SGP riders received a fairly substantial 'bonus' payment from BSI. Of course everyone would like to see the riders earn more but right from the outset of the involvement of BSI, initially through John Postlethwaite, he said that he would provide the TV coverage on which they could build sponsorship deals which would probably not otherwise be available. Works for some, maybe not all.

 

BSI liable for what? Clearly the PZM were the organisers of the Warsaw event and it is they that are liable for any refunds, etc. BSI/IMG's lawyers would obviously not want them admitting liability for something which they consider they are not liable for.

 

Whether or not I would support a breakaway from the FIM is immaterial but it just wouldn't work unless all other forms of speedway did the same and that is never going to happen.

[The White Knight 9,039]

DON'T think cost of transponders is an issue as far as GPs are concerned but certainly would be across domestic speedway. I'm no expert (perhaps you are) but who pays for the people to operate them? And as I say, riders not convinced that it would be right just to have them at GPs when they would be required to change their starting rituals of a lifetime.

IT is the FIM who determine prize money but only this week all the permanent SGP riders received a fairly substantial 'bonus' payment from BSI. Of course everyone would like to see the riders earn more but right from the outset of the involvement of BSI, initially through John Postlethwaite, he said that he would provide the TV coverage on which they could build sponsorship deals which would probably not otherwise be available. Works for some, maybe not all.

 

BSI liable for what? Clearly the PZM were the organisers of the Warsaw event and it is they that are liable for any refunds, etc. BSI/IMG's lawyers would obviously not want them admitting liability for something which they consider they are not liable for.

 

Whether or not I would support a breakaway from the FIM is immaterial but it just wouldn't work unless all other forms of speedway did the same and that is never going to happen.

Speedway in general would be far better off breaking away from BSI and NOT the FIM.

[SCB 0]

DON'T think cost of transponders is an issue as far as GPs are concerned but certainly would be across domestic speedway. I'm no expert (perhaps you are) but who pays for the people to operate them? And as I say, riders not convinced that it would be right just to have them at GPs when they would be required to change their starting rituals of a lifetime.

I know speedway is not exactly up with modern times but really?! pay someone to operate them? turn them on, open the program on the laptop and away it goes! Honestly, they're not difficult to get working.

 

To start with they could be trailed simply as a tool to see if riders are jumping at the start and determine race result. If that trial goes well you could look at getting rid of the tapes and just using the lights at all levels of the sport - you don't need the transponders to get rid of the tapes TBH.

[BWitcher 12,453]

The riders had all got used to the green light starts surely?

Are you sure it wasn't the track, heat 8 it really starts to show up as rutty and dangerous. The riders were all riding gingerly through the bends trying to miss the ruts, they couldn't race properly. Troy's second fall was too far for some I think.

 

Now people are just making it up as they go along!

[The White Knight 9,039]

 

Now people are just making it up as they go along!

That, of course depends on which side of the argument you are on BW.

[Grand Central 2,654]

IT is the FIM who determine prize money but only this week all the permanent SGP riders received a fairly substantial 'bonus' payment from BSI. Of course everyone would like to see the riders earn more but right from the outset of the involvement of BSI, initially through John Postlethwaite, he said that he would provide the TV coverage on which they could build sponsorship deals which would probably not otherwise be available. Works for some, maybe not all.

 

 

What interesting timing for the 'brown envelopes' to be distributed.

 

That should ensure that the Tampere track is regarded as having NO 'safety concerns' for the Jury to worry about.

Whether the tapes work or not.

 

I am sure Phil will be able to reassure us completely about the absolute probity of this payment.

And to paraphrase Mandy Rice Davies "They would say that, wouldn't they?"

 

.

Edited May 11, 2015 by Grand Central

[HenryW 1,178]

DON'T think cost of transponders is an issue as far as GPs are concerned but certainly would be across domestic speedway. I'm no expert (perhaps you are) but who pays for the people to operate them? And as I say, riders not convinced that it would be right just to have them at GPs when they would be required to change their starting rituals of a lifetime.

What are the rituals that you are referring to there?

 

If it's riders being in the habit of looking to where the magnets are, as you suggested with the Jason Doyle story earlier, surely a green light could be placed on the inside and outside of the track where the starting gate normally is and it is a minimal change for them.

[Sotonian 610]

 

What interesting timing for the 'brown envelopes' to be distributed.

 

That should ensure that the Tampere track is regarded having NO 'safety concerns' for the Jury to worry about.

Whether the tapes work or not.

 

I am sure Phil will be able to reassure us completely about the absolute probity of this payment.

And to paraphrase Mandy Rice Davies "They would say that, wouldn't they?"

 

.

 

If it was possible to double-like a post then it would be this one!

[PHILIPRISING 7,298]

 

What interesting timing for the 'brown envelopes' to be distributed.

 

That should ensure that the Tampere track is regarded as having NO 'safety concerns' for the Jury to worry about.

Whether the tapes work or not.

 

I am sure Phil will be able to reassure us completely about the absolute probity of this payment.

And to paraphrase Mandy Rice Davies "They would say that, wouldn't they?"

 

.

FOR the past few years BSI have paid all the permanent riders a one-off payment around the start of the season ... nothing sinister about it.

What are the rituals that you are referring to there?

 

If it's riders being in the habit of looking to where the magnets are, as you suggested with the Jason Doyle story earlier, surely a green light could be placed on the inside and outside of the track where the starting gate normally is and it is a minimal change for them.

ONLY telling you what some riders are telling me... and there are still people who actually like the drama of the starting gate.

[Grand Central 2,654]

FOR the past few years BSI have paid all the permanent riders a one-off payment around the start of the season ... nothing sinister about it.

 

.

No nothing sinister at all.

 

And that is how it will be seen by all right minded people.

Including those who travelled to Warsaw expecting to see the riders complete the meeting.

 

They will be applauding this news loudly.

.

Edited May 11, 2015 by Grand Central

[Sotonian 610]

FOR the past few years BSI have paid all the permanent riders a one-off payment around the start of the season ... nothing sinister about it.

ONLY telling you what some riders are telling me... and there are still people who actually like the drama of the starting gate.

I can't recall ever hearing about it before though, what remarkable timing that it's been brought up now ;-)

 

Also, much of the drama of the starting gate & tapes disappeared with the tape-touching rule. Four riders sat stock-still at a set of tapes or on a white line waiting for a green light is largely a case of a six or two threes.

[PHILIPRISING 7,298]

EVER since BSI axed the super prize payment at the end of a SGP series (cannot remember the final year) they have paid the riders a sum of money at the start of each year. Nothing new ...

[iris123 20,994]

It is poor timing to be giving the riders a big bonus just after they forced a meeting to be abandoned for no real reason other than they couldn't be asked to start on a green light as the rules state.........be announcing a nice big pay rise for Ole now he has learnt another lesson about track building and Jim Lawrence/Phil Morris learnt a lesson about running a meeting fairly + efficiently.Everyone gets a pat on the back and a brown envelope and the fans are short changed.Nice

[Grand Central 2,654]

As PR moves go this is yet another corker for a company who - for some - can do no wrong.

 

Are Ed Milliband's team now working for BSI?

Can we expect their next public statement to chiseled in to a massive tablet of stone?

[PHILIPRISING 7,298]

WHY all the cynical comments? I only mentioned it (BSI do not and won't thank me for doing so as it is nothing they wish to make a song and dance about) in the context of what riders are paid in terms of prize money.

 

The timing, no difference this year to previous ones, is designed to help them with the cost of setting up for a SGP campaign. Probably no more than JohnTerry is paid every day or so but not insignificant by speedway terms.