mikebv

You do have to laugh a little bit when you read the nonsense often written about GB kids as they come through.. I was lucky enough to watch Joe Screen make his debut and the subsequent next few years where as a 16 -19 year old he rode against, and often beat, the very best riders in the World, who at the time remember, all rode in Britain every week. . Joe went on to reach Number Six in the World. No mean achievement but not 'World Beating'.. Nowadays some 16 year old kid who can ride well in the NL and hold down a place at reserve or at best second string in the lowest ever standard Championship and Premiership is considered by some a potential world beater... The reality is somewhat different..

Steradent...☺

Best Wishes Starman...

The team doesn't look to be a great one but don't forget in Speedway, given the nature of the play offs... "it's not the team you start the season with but the one you finish it with" that really counts.. Who knows? Maybe the rules re 8pt riders change during the season and you could see Lindgren back replacing one of the middle order should the team average drop sufficiently to accomodate him? I think we as fans put too much focus and almost forensic dissection on the pre season team building when often it appears as nothing more than a tactical 'means to an end'..

Or have more riders vying for their position...? Far too easy to get a job for a season in Speedway regardless of performance due to not enough competition for places. . First though you would have to get rid of the situation where you know your average maybe too high to get you a job the following year, cannot blame riders for not scoring in the short term to ensure they earn in the long term..

The three league system should be aspirational... One rider riding at No1 in two seperate levels is ludicrous... NL should be for development for riders who are dreaming of becoming a Speedway rider and old hands wanting to keep having fun on a bike a couple of times a week. Payment? Expenses only covering maybe travel, and machine fuel... Championship should be semi pro, for riders too good for NL and now dreaming of making a full time living out of the Sport, and ex top division old hands who still want to earn money out of the sport but dont want to commit full time to it anymore. Income supplemented by a full or part time job or if wanting to move up the ladder then a sponsor supports them or simply 'tough it out to deliver their dream' like so many other Sports' competitors do.. Premiership should be for full time, international level riders (or max a rung or two below that level). Riders who truly are 'Professional Speedway Riders' travelling the globe for their money. Put five man teams in at Prem and Champ level like Denmark and six man teams at NL level.. Salary cap of £7000 a night at Prem level depending on position in team, £1800, £1600, £1400, £1200 £1000. £2500 a night at Champ level. £700, £600, £500, £400, £300... £600 a night max expenses paid between six riders in the NL meaning £100 each.. Ride twice a week and a good few quid to be earned at Prem and Champ level, with less riders per team meaning competition for places and cover for injuries instead of guests.. With the next rung on the ladder meaning more money... As it should be...

Spot on.... Far too many times those in this Country who run the Sport have tried to put a sticking plaster on every cut that has been inflicted on it... A thousand cuts later has left it without any more plasters... It should have forged it's own identity (at whatever level that would be) and moved forward together as one entity, United in a shared vision for the common good.. Instead it faffed about constantly fudging and changing rules to try and maintain an ever dwindling top level rider interest, which ultimately ended up increasing admission costs to pay for them. And to help accomodate them, delivered disjointed fixture lists full of zero credibilty 'Mickey Mouse' meetings which simply lost the fans' interest.. These same fudged rule changes were then disected year after year by the more astute Promoters who saw loophole after loophole and used this to their advantage to 'put one over' their rivals, meaning fans became frustrated and disillusioned by their actions... It will take something (or someone) very special to get the sport succesful again such is the nonsense that has been allowed to go on for the past 20 years or so as Poland and the GP's have taken off.. Maybe finally it has been realised that a 'halfway house, all things to all men' approach doesn't work and British Speedway will (eventually) have its own clearly mapped out business plan and operating model? Which every team buys into, realising that the collective has to succeed rather than one or two individual tracks? If so, better late than never... But the plan needs to be very, very good to make any difference..

Belle Vue, Birmingham, Bradford, Leicester, Wolverhampton, Coventry... So many tracks within towns or cities with a high ethnic, in particular Asian, populous in and around the tracks immediate catchment area.. Nothing seems to be done to attract this ever growing sector of the community to the Speedway on their doorstep... A huge opportunity I would suggest in targeting them, particularly as many of whom in this community have a culturally higher than average number of children...

Contempt for OAP's? I hope to retire in five years so why would I have contempt for them? As for expecting you to subsidise my lad, of course he is my responsibility and I pay for his attendance, but the point I was making was that Speedway would be far better letting all kids in for free and budgeting all adult prices accordingly to pay for this to happen.... No point cutting prices for your regulars (whatever their age) when you are not attracting enough new customers, and new customers who can get their kids in for free are much more likely to keep attending and become regulars.. If you reach 65 and haven't attended or are not a regular at Speedway I don't think saving £3 off admission will suddenly make you a 'die hard', whereas getting some teenager interested by letting them in for nothing may reap dividends later when they are adults... Logistically a teenager who becomes interested in Speedway could over the next sixty years spend a lot of money on the Sport.. That's the market Speedway needs to attract and incentivise..

If it's a "small gain" for the promotion then surely its a "small loss" to the person concerned.. £3 has been mentioned? If £3 makes the difference between going or not I would suggest those effected would be better off not going at all as its pretty much a 'breadline' existence they are experiencing... And if anyone suffering that 'lifestyle' is so passionate about their Speedway that they must attend every week then I am sure they will ensure they save their three quid elsewhere .. I think given the response from several OAP's it appears more about them having an unjustified 'sense of entitlement'... Just waiting for "I didn't fight jerry for this" to be included...😲

Course my lad is my responsibility.. However what isn't my responsibility is subsidising the concession fee for OAP's through my own admission fee, the level of which tracks will have set to deliver the overall projected return from all demographics..

My son is 14 years old... So obviously doesn't work... He has been watching the Aces regularly since he was 3 years old... How did the Aces reward him for his loyalty? They charged him £8 when he got to 12 years of age.. How does he pay this? He earns no money... However when he gets to 65 he will have hopefully had circa 45 years of earnings behind him to enable him to pay 'full whack' at the Speedway should he still be interested (and presuming the Sport still exists in Britain) Maybe for the future of the Sport under 16's (at least) should be free, subsidised by no concessions for grown men and women...?

When they become 'assets' do riders get a 'signing on fee'? If so, maybe not wanting to pay that back means they stay as an 'asset' for teams that they will never ride for?

The GP deal will be separate... Nothing to do with the BSPA...

And the fact that many of today's OAP's have more disposable income than most 18 - 25 year olds... From a business perspective completely the correct thing to do... It is often said how old the Speedway fan demographic is, therefore get them spending more not less... If they are your most loyal fans then they will still come.. I recently renewed my car insurance with a company that I have been with for over 30 years.. Wasn't happy with the quote so went online... Got the same cover for over £100 less... From the company I have been with for over 30 years..!! When I phoned them they told me that the offer they had made me was 'the best available at the time they had sent me the yearly reminder"... Their policy was and is (quite correctly) "he will pay anyway so no need to try and attract him in, let's focus our efforts on getting new customers".. I don't charge pensioners less than anyone else in my business so why does Speedway?

It must be hard to negotiate when you don't know what you can bring to the table. . 'IF' BT want GP riders then surely the BSPA knew that before the AGM yet then brought out this '9 pt' assessed average for those GP riders not riding over here last season, thus reducing the chances of getting these riders.. 'IF' they didn't know BT wanted GP riders then why make decisions at the AGM which may then hinder any subsequent TV negotiations without finding out first what BT wanted? Doesn't look very professional either way does it? Nor does the year on year 'drip fed' extras that come out of the AGM, ie those little caveats that don't get announced in the Press release but fundamentally impact its operating model. This years examples (so far) are the 9pt reassessed averages and the change to the 'two Brits' rule.. Again the way these things come out often appears unprofessional as people find out via 'talk ins' or third party publicly aired info by 'in the know' random individuals rather than official press releases... BT deal with proper professional Sports governing bodies on an almost daily basis I should imagine.. I would also imagine that their level of financial package for any Sport will also be reflective in some part by how they perceive the level of Professionalism of the organisation they are dealing with..

In the past few years the 'G' on the Computer being used would have worn out... In fact it might have been easier and quicker to instead put a 'C' next to any rider 'Contracted' to the teams....😉

The problem with a pairs format is that not every position gets contested... If you are in 2nd and 3rd you win so no need to race for victory.. Simply let the guy in front ride off and block the one behind.. In the SWC every single point has to be contested hence you get great racing in virtually every race even for third... The best racing of the year by miles..

Agree with the sentiments GRW, but unfortunately 'Beggers cannot be chooses'... You get to advertise yourself on TV and get paid for the privilege, even if its considered a meagre amount by those who feel they are worth more than that... British Speedway sadly now finds itself exactly where the last 20 years or so 'head in the sand' operating models and buisness plans have led it to be... This is a Sport don't forget that has to try and negotiate TV deals with an operating model not even ratified until an AGM! What sort of negotiation starting point is that with a potential client in business? What can you bring to the table when you basically have no details of what you can provide for your investors? Imagine dealing with British Speedway after being used to doing TV deals with the Premier League, Uefa, The RFU and the TCCB?. Amazed BT have offered so much.....😩

I think this post from PTA meant those who made the initial rule of only one rider over eight points cack themselves, hence they changed the rules for GP riders... Maybe they should invite Phil to the AGM next year to save time (and credibility)..😂😂

Interesting comments re marketing of the Sport (or lack of).... Each week next season three heat leaders from each team in the Prem will take around £4k to £5k per night in salaries.. 8 teams with 24 heat leaders means circa £40k in salaries paid out for one match each per week.. Three heat leaders who hardly anyone in the local conurbation would know even if all three rode naked down their street... Imagine if clubs collectively used some of that £40k a week to involve a successful national marketing company to drive people into the Stadiums up and down the country? Jason Doyle may not be there when people attracted by the marketing attend as maybe he is too expensive, but then again most attending won't know who Jason Doyle is anyway.... Big Names coming back will increase crowds? No chance... Swindon had THE WORLD CHAMP and still crowds were not great.. I might go once to the NSS to see Woffy as a novelty value but wouldn't bother the next time he came for the 'B' fixture, or indeed if he came again in the KO Cup, or even one of his probable Guest appearances, with the reason being I get to see him ride several times a year via t'internet, Premier and BT etc.. Lowering admission (as we see when tracks do it) is the only way to increase crowds significantly, the question then is how to keep them coming back... Bringing Big Names back can only increase admission costs, which as we know from year on year inflation busting increases doesn't increase crowds but has quite the opposite effect..

If nothing changes, and soon I would suggest, there will be less tracks for them to use that equipment on, less opportunities to earn money and therefore not much chance of breaking even... Something has to give.... For me, semi pro Speedway is the only way the Sport in this country can survive and prosper.. It's ironic that in the 'Halcyon days' of the sport in Britain, when crowds were at the biggest, the majority of riders were semi pro. Riders happy earning "more in one night riding Speedway than I do in a month in the factory"... Now when crowds are pretty dire at most tracks we have more full time pros than ever. Even at NL level!!? The equation simply doesn't work..

So Scott could guest last season in the Championship but cannot ride this season in the Championship? Ok.... That makes sense... Once again it is one of those needless 'let's add this on' rules that frustrate the Sport's followers and sees us looking at the sport in a negative way.... (And that never can be good for a business) Now, there may be a genuinely great reason why Scott cannot ride in the Championship with a converted Premiership average... However typically with the BSPA, you never get the rationale behind any ruling.... Start sharing the rationale for decisions made and maybe they would get a better hearing?

Rosco quoted in the Speedway Star... "We won the league, but had a hefty loss"... And yet teams are still built with seven riders? In most loss making businesses they cut the workforce to reduce payroll... In British Speedway they seem to want to keep the numbers up but save money by having have lesser quality... Difficult to achieve I would suspect when using a points limit as 'lesser riders' can all of a sudden have an average that increases their worth to the team, thus increasing their pay requests.... In years gone by how often did a 'four point superstar' get plucked from the various leagues around the world? These riders would invariably finish with a minimum six point plus average, and also invariably, would be paid well above 'reserve money' when riding at number six at the start of the season... Basic supply and demand rules apply... Have less places per team, thus more riders vying for those slots, and then you are in a much stronger position re how much you pay....

They could put flyers on car windscreens in and around the Midlands area, (under the windscreeen wipers so they dont blow away) with the Question "Would you go to Leicester to support Coventry's Speedway Team in the NL?" on them.... Have three boxes for the answer to the question.... First box is "Yes", Second box is "No" and the Third box is "Speedway?, is that still going? I used to go to Speedway, Bob Valentine was my favourite rider, I remember one night he... etc etc etc" They could also stick flyers to lamp posts like people do when they have lost a cat... Always try and avoid using any Social Media vote as a true representation though, unless of course it delivers the result you want to hear.... 😉😀