4thbender

In 86 years of British speedway you can name nine ex-riders who made a reasonable fist of the vital role of team management? That's barely one per decade! (Which one of those would you nominate as the Matt Busby, Alex Ferguson or Bill Shankly of speedway?) My point is this: Joe Screen (bless his heart) has been master of the shale sport for twenty-five years; he's thrilled us all, climbed to the highest heights and seen off many pretenders to his throne. But when it comes to management, he's an APPRENTICE! I hope with all my heart that he wins the league in his first season and stays with Sheffield long enought to turn it into the legendary team of the twenty-first century...... but the jury's out.

Where's the evidence for this? I hate to pour cold water on the celebrations but regardless of your sport, the greatest performers make notoriously poor managers. I'd say the jury is out on Screeny as a manager. Come back at the end of his first season and then make a judgement about whether this was a good move or not. My guess is that Joe will still be too in touch with his instincts as a rider to fully assimilate the finer intricacies of man-management, team dynamics, off-track politics and polishing the egos of pit-stop prima donnas which his new role will demand. I wish Joe every success in his managerial career, but perhaps this is one chicken we shouldn't be counting until it's fully hatched. Nevertheless, it represents a bold move by the new promotion and demonstrates they're thinking big and are ready to take a punt on untried potential.

Given the assumption that team building is being held up pending a decision on Nick Morris by the BSPA General Council, can anyone provide a clue as to when the General Council meets? (It could be July for all I know!)

I'm with Elephantman on this.

Then it is the Polish authorities who are in breach of EU law. Good job the Polish Plumbers' Federation didn't take the same view, otherwise it would be impossible to get a washer replaced on the UK's taps!

Poles not accepted in PL racing? Doesn't that fly in the face of EU Freedom of Movement regulations? Free movement of workers is a fundamental principle of the Treaty enshrined in Article 45 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and developed by EU secondary legislation and the Case law of the Court of Justice. EU citizens are entitled to: look for a job in another EU country work there without needing a work permit reside there for that purpose stay there even after employment has finished enjoy equal treatment with nationals in access to employment, working conditions and all other social and tax advantages. Last time I checked Poland was still a member of the EU. If the PL has placed some sort of prohibition on Polish riders it will be thrown out of court at the first challenge.

Much as I've been entertained greatly at Owlerton by Richard, his away form has never met expectations, he misses meetings to make excursions on the continent to race in long track meetings and his fallout with the promotion last year virtually guaranteed that his goose is cooked as far as Sheffield is concerned. Pity really, I rather liked him.

How about newly-retired Doug Wyer?

In my very first season as a fan of the shale sport - 1966 - I remember Bob Paulson being hotly tipped (with sound justification) to be future championship material. In that same season he was involved in the crash at Cradley Heath that saw the tragic death of Ivor Hughes, and subsequently succombed to two shoulder injuries in quick succession, each one costing him several weeks on the sidelines. Although Bob went on to be a much-respected and loyal servant of Sheffield - ultimately becoming a cup-winning captain - he never fulfilled the promise of those early years. I think the 1966 season took a lot out of Bob in lots of different ways, but one of my abiding memories of speedway is of Bob beating Barry Briggs in four scintillating laps in a British semi-final at Owlerton. Sheer poetry!

Frank Varey - not only for being one of the world's most outrageously daring riders (el Diablo Rojo) but also for being the good and faithful servant of the sport he loved by promoting it far and wide, and for perfecting the art of preparing the perfect racing surface (a legacy which has set the standard which is still maintained to this day at Owlerton).