Woofy's Thoughts About The Team G.b. Set-up

[arnieg 3,649]

OK, so if no or very little money is fed down to the grass roots training etc from the SCB...

There is no money from the SCB, it is an administrative body almost entirely funded by licence fees (for tracks, riders, officials).

 

If there is going to be any investment it will have to come from the promoters, and to be fair there has been some investment in the youth development programme (largely time on the part of Neil Vacher). There certainly seem to be more opportunities for youngsters to get track time than a decade ago. Ultimately the issue is funding, so it comes down to more sponsorship, bigger crowds or higher admission charges.

 

The single thing that will generate more British talent on track is getting more youngsters interested in taking up the sport, and the development of the British Youth Championships has been a positive step in that direction. But speedway is a niche sport that few people have heard of; and as long as that remains the case it will be difficult to get more youngsters involved.

[uk_martin 1,606]

How does Australia presuade such a large number of motorcycle enthusiasts that speedway is the way to earn a decent crust? It's miles away from any league structure, but you manage to find them in every league. Perhaps learning how they do it would be a start.

 

Speedway is a bit like mens tennis at the moment, not many competitiors, but we are fortunate enough to get a good one once in a while. A team of them is asking a lot!

 

Damned good points...just how do Australia produce so many good riders on a consistent basis without even any kind of league structure? How did the USA manage to produce the likes of Scott Autrey, Bruce Penhall, Bobby Schwartz, Lance King, Dennis Cigarless, the Moran brothers, etc etc, with barely more than a single 150m track at Costa Mesa to their name? How was it that a couple of years ago in Czech Republic, a team of kids from the suburbs of Daugavpils were able to wipe the floor with the best that Britain could offer?

 

it ain't all about building "Polishesque" tracks. There's more to it than that. Workington and Berwick are bigger than many Polish tracks. Sheffield's track is bigger than Gorzow. Kings Lynn is hardly small either. So having a big track is nothing new in Britain. It's what the riders do on them that matters.

 

Anyway, at least Tai Woofinden speaks more eloquently than Andy Monotone Murray.

Edited August 2, 2016 by uk martin

[The Master 88 10]

Introduce a squad system only 3 overseas riders allowed to race at any one time in elite league any none at reserve if they don't get enough points to stay in the team and they get dropped to res they go, and 2 in Premier and none in conference, And if 3 British riders ride in Poland then only 3 polish riders allowed in Britain, and so on in other countries, I bet they will soon start looking at taking on British riders, I am fed up of helping other countries produce and develop overseas riders, And how much money from British Sponsors' go into overseas riders funds, which helps them with better machinery, for Christ sake the Australian team are sponsored by a British Company, start to look after our own, every time we give a overseas rider a berth in our teams we give them another income and help them learn the trade, yet how many brits ride abroad, which limits there income so they have to ride in 2 leagues in this country.

we Have Ben Fund meetings have SWC team fund meetings. its only a idea,

[Fromafar 10,375]

Damned good points...just how do Australia produce so many good riders on a consistent basis without even any kind of league structure? How did the USA manage to produce the likes of Scott Autrey, Bruce Penhall, Bobby Schwartz, Lance King, Dennis Cigarless, the Moran brothers, etc etc, with barely more than a single 150m track at Costa Mesa to their name? How was it that a couple of years ago in Czech Republic, a team of kids from the suburbs of Daugavpils were able to wipe the floor with the best that Britain could offer?

 

it ain't all about building "Polishesque" tracks. There's more to it than that. Workington and Berwick are bigger than many Polish tracks. Sheffield's track is bigger than Gorzow. Kings Lynn is hardly small either. So having a big track is nothing new in Britain. It's what the riders do on them that matters.

 

Anyway, at least Tai Woofinden speaks more eloquently than Andy Monotone Murray.

These Countries have practice facilities that can be used every day .In GB there are very little opportunity to practice.Im sure there are many young riders that would practice a lot more if the facility was there.Poland be being a classic example of young talent coming through due to the facility to be able to practice most days.

[sparkafag 746]

I don’t think the issue is necessarily re how many foreign riders are currently in team places in British Speedway. As it stands there has never been a better chance for a Brit to be employed in a team, the ones that aren’t generally won’t be entering the conversation re Woffindens subject matter, so I don’t think it is “team place” related personally.

 

I would also question whether or not the PL is where riders “develop” as such, yes it is another step in their progression but the majority of riders who have progressed through the PL and went on to big things were quite developed by the time they ever reached PL Speedway, they were very good from a very young age. A decent case being Lambert and Woffinden it was accepted both would go on to bigger things and it was blatantly obvious from the first lap seeing them, just as it was Ward, Holder even riders like Batchelor to a lesser extent.

 

The riders who have “developed” in the PL generally have a pretty low ceiling IMO, Doyle apart, he is the general exception to the rule.

 

Britain’s biggest problem seems to be development from first getting on a bike to PL place, it is there where other countries are far advanced to Britain rather than the “PL structure” and if anything Team GB confirms that slightly - 3 members Lambert, Woffinden and Ellis all cut their teeth, or enhanced development outside the UK. It is in the early stages of development that “elite”/World Cup/GP riders are created IMO and there is possibly enough to validate that, there are very few home developed British protégés (in recent years) or riders who were earmarked for big things from an early age and delivered.

Edited August 2, 2016 by The Mockingjay

[Vincent Blachshadow 2,937]

Who pays the riders' expenses for this shindig, the event organisers or the riders' national body?

[Daniel Smith 5,666]

Who pays the riders' expenses for this shindig, the event organisers or the riders' national body?

 

Expenses are covered by the BSPA and as far as I'm aware, the BSPA do receive payments for SWC representation & fee's for UK GP's.

 

This is also why the British Final highest positioned none GP rider gets the Wildcard too

[Steve Shovlar 10,439]

What about government funding? Has it ever been applied for? The Sports Council gives tens of millions a year to football, the richest sport of them all. Millions to rugby, athletics, even two bob sports like archery and sycronised swimming.

 

Surely putting together a very good synopsis of what would be attained with the funding could put speedway in a position where a few hundred thousand could come our way?

[SCB 0]

What about government funding? Has it ever been applied for? The Sports Council gives tens of millions a year to football, the richest sport of them all. Millions to rugby, athletics, even two bob sports like archery and sycronised swimming.

 

Surely putting together a very good synopsis of what would be attained with the funding could put speedway in a position where a few hundred thousand could come our way?

Trying to get anything for motorsport is damn near impossible

[Trees 2,814]

 

Expenses are covered by the BSPA and as far as I'm aware, the BSPA do receive payments for SWC representation & fee's for UK GP's.

 

This is also why the British Final highest positioned none GP rider gets the Wildcard too

If the BSPA receive monies for SWC participation it can't be much because the Aussies wouldn't have had the begging bowl out? Edited August 2, 2016 by Trees

[uk_martin 1,606]

What about government funding? Has it ever been applied for? The Sports Council gives tens of millions a year to football, the richest sport of them all. Millions to rugby, athletics, even two bob sports like archery and sycronised swimming.

 

Surely putting together a very good synopsis of what would be attained with the funding could put speedway in a position where a few hundred thousand could come our way?

 

Ah, but is the government funding directed at the Professional game, or at the grass roots amateur incarnations? Ask the Sports Council to give some millions to Arsenal and I suspect you'll get a different response to asking them for money to fund a project for community football in a run-down inner-city area. Same will go for any other sport I suspect.

If the BSPA receive monies for SWC participation it can't be much because the Aussies wouldn't have had the begging bowl out?

 

Why should the BSPA receive money from the FIM/BSI beyond the expenses for the riders and their crews? Does any other National governing body get anything? In fact your comment about the Aussies and the fact that the Russian riders had to pay their own way seems to answer that one adequately.

 

Many FIM competitions that BSI are not involved in, such as the u21 championships require entrance fees, special liceses that have to be paid for and special insurance that the riders need to pay for. Just be grateful that the SWC sees money going the other way, presumably because of what BSI generate in TV revenues etc

[tellboy 3,662]

 

Ah, but is the government funding directed at the Professional game, or at the grass roots amateur incarnations? Ask the Sports Council to give some millions to Arsenal and I suspect you'll get a different response to asking them for money to fund a project for community football in a run-down inner-city area. Same will go for any other sport I suspect.

 

 

Well it would be a good start if they did fund speedway at grass roots level.

[uk_martin 1,606]

Well it would be a good start if they did fund speedway at grass roots level.

 

Feel free to put together a full business case for how speedway at grass roots level will be good for an all-inclusive community, how it will help health and well-being, how it will promote social and cultural understanding, and of course dont forget to show how it will help celebrate diversity and promote equality, and all the other "politicaly correct" things that politicians and their civil servants look for in a plan, and then head straight over to the Sports Council with it.

 

Now that we're Brexiting, the Government will soon have £350m extra a week to spend on stuff (it said so on the side of a bus) so how could you possibly fail?

[Deano 1,318]

 

Feel free to put together a full business case for how speedway at grass roots level will be good for an all-inclusive community, how it will help health and well-being, how it will promote social and cultural understanding, and of course dont forget to show how it will help celebrate diversity and promote equality, and all the other "politicaly correct" things that politicians and their civil servants look for in a plan, and then head straight over to the Sports Council with it.

 

Now that we're Brexiting, the Government will soon have £350m extra a week to spend on stuff (it said so on the side of a bus) so how could you possibly fail?

 

With double up riders everywhere there is no incentive for the government to invest as one more speedway rider doesn't increase the tax received. Perhaps getting kids off the streets and out of trouble or ex troublesome going nowhere in and out of prison society drop outs could help get funding?

[Gresham 928]

From what I can see, the biggest problem is actually starting out in speedway in this Country.

 

Compared to Moto X, speedway is much harder.

 

It's more specialised, and less accessible.

 

So many Moto x tracks in this country compared to speedway tracks you can train at.

 

How do Moto x get planning so easily compared to Speedway? Or is it not tried?

 

What's the actual cost to produce a training track on say some farmers field in the middle of nowhere?

 

Would the likes of Poland, Russia, Czech Republic, Australia, USA, France, Germany etc, have as many restrictions in place for people to practice on.

 

Was reading somewhere recently, that one family in Germany had built a speedway track for their kids to train on, that was on land at the back of their garden.