Hamish McRaker

I'm trusting you to have reproduced Mr Hemsley's words with complete accuracy here.......that is based on your use of the quotation marks. Anyway,reading between those lines, there certainly do seem to be some large storm clouds gathering. In fact it sounds like stormy weather may well have already broken out between the Leicester promotion and the BSPA management committee. There is probably far more going-on than meets the eye. Your point re what would Mr Hemsley do, in the event of the "changes" (whatever they are) not being accepted and implemented, is a pertinent one indeed! Could the "changes" include having an independent professional management of the BSPA, where vested interests could not prevail? I think this sounds like a time-bomb ticking away.

Well the only solution to that, would seem to be for the BSPA to try and re-negotiate the current legally-binding agreement they entered into in 2009. David Cameron got any free time?

.....including by the number of exclusions incurred by their riders!

As far as i know, the agreement with GSI made back in 2009 which included the terms and conditions which are now causing the Coventry management so much angst, doesn't have a formal review date so presumably its just run since then without being amended. So anyone who has become a promoter since 2009, becomes automatically bound up to those terms and conditions. I'm not a Coventry expert, so don't know when Mick Horton became the promoter......would he have been around in 2009?

Have the promoters, by signing away such power to GSI in the first place, allowed themselves to be put over a barrel? Seriously, would a promoter decide to cancel a meeting over 48 hours beforehand unless its completely open and shut case? Either the promoters decided (and have been proved correct) that it was financially worth it, to sign away so much power to a third party back in 2009, or they were wrong/eejits/conned.....(delete as appropriate).

But helpful for deciding which match/es to spend time and money going to watch?

They have that power because the promoters gave it to them in 2009! And its legally bound

From what i've been reading, it seems as though Sky/GSI (and not the promoter) are have sole right to postpone a meeting, up until when it starts, then the responsibility transfers to the SCB official (who some would argue, is a puppet of GSI). Sky is not the bogeyman, but it just seems that the balance of the relationship between BSPA/GSI/Sky such as it has been struck in formal terms, is out of kilter, with too much tilt towards GSI and Sky when it comes to decisions on postponement prior to the scheduled start time. Does this balance need to be corrected, via some sensible discussions between the parties? -yes it appears to be so. What was witnessed last night was hugely detrimental to the reputation of speedway and probably Sky Sport too, at a time when that damage can't be afforded. The parties need to work out a better, and workable balance of power as an urgent priority.

GoSpeed sort the deal with Sky don't they. I don't think promoters are involved but could be wrong So GoSpeed are basically middlemen, are they? Acting on behalf of the promoters? And the promoters give them a completely free hand? Even more incredible!

So, what are the exact terms of the agreement between Sky Sport and the Elite League? It sounds like it gives Sky complete control over whether or not a match goes ahead or is called off (before the start time anyway), and over how the track is prepared. How incredible! Did the promoters really agree to such terms? If they did, well they have no cause to protest when this sort of thing happens. I don't know how long the current agreement has left to run, but it looks like the promoters should grow a set of balls in any future negotiations and not give so much control to Sky Sports. Its all very well for Mick Horton to bemoan his ill fortune, but surely he should know full well what could happen under the terms of the agreement, something which he surely would have been a party to?

Agree with you. Far too much post-race chumminess these days and the sponsor-based "kinship" stuff has added to this. Rivalry should be genuine and at times fierce.

The UK can no longer afford to operate the current Elite League. And it is no longer a practical proposition. There still needs to be more than one level of league, but in the present times, the UK is far more suited to the top level being approximately the level of the current PL. And if the higher-priced riders don't like that, then tough, we should have the balls to say goodbye and we will go with something that is more suitable. That should put an end to issues about race nights. If any of the current EL clubs don't like that, and think it would be a backwards step, then they should look at forming a european super league or something like that.

So has any action been taken against the referee, who from the opinions of many could have done more to nip the problem in the bud (maybe he was more concerned about getting 10 heats completed)? And what about the management of the teams involved (especially Cradley) for their overall responsibility? Scot-free? That carpet at BSPA/ACU HQ must be getting pretty lumpy, with everything that it's had swept under it. Needs a bit of blood spilling over it perhaps!! But what do i know........bugger all

From the sound of things, the situation would have been better handled by a ref like Dave "chuck em out" Robinson.

The Cradley club seems to have a "win at all costs" mentality which includes building a ridiculously strong squad and wishing to trample (not literally) over all of their opposition. This has not been good for the sport at NL level. So it is hardly surprising when such attitude feeds through to the behaviour of its riders. Greaves and Phillips should be "looking forward" to long bans, and perhaps Sarjeant needs disciplinary action against him also. But maybe the management of Cradley should also hang their heads in shame for creating the climate whereby these actions by their riders came about, and the club should be banned from all matches until the end of the season.

Predictions for this season could be thrown into disarray when new averages take effect and teams make changes to their declared teams. Whoever can fit Nick Morris into their re-jigged team, could move rapidly from also-rans to hot favourites. Let us hope and pray that he doesn't have to replace a long-term injured number one. So, which team is most likely to be welcoming Mr Morris into its 1-7, around June time?

Bearing in mind that I'm a bit "remote" as far as being smack up to date with things is concerned, I'm wondering if theres been any news about Joe Screen's future involvement with speedway following his retirement as a rider? He seems to come across to me, as someone of great potential value to the development of young british riders.

Alex Edberg!!

Sheffield has already declared Stead and Roynon. With Morris added, would leave only about 16 points between 4 riders. Could be done I suppose, would then need to wait for Roynons 7.8 average to drop (and possibly Stead's too) before making further change.

In two words - Air Fences!

So will this formula,when agreed on, also be adopted by the PL? With gathering uncertainties over the ability of 2013 NL teams to operate in 2014, young british riders will also need guaranteed places at 6 and 7 in the PL across all teams to protect them from being bounced out of the team due to pressure created by under-performance of the top 5 riders.(e.g. Branford, Sarjeant). Surely it makes sense for the EL format to be in place at both leagues/levels, to create a proper progession structure? As for the match format, we currently have 3 heats, which are either reserves only or reserves+second string. (2,7,14). Will the new format add further heat(s) of this type? If so, will admission prices be adjusted accordingly?

Cheers WK - sounds daft to have a separate AGM for NL but must be some rationale!

What I suspect (and hope), is they have had to state the reserves should be "NL riders" to avoid getting into trouble with EU Employment Laws. The definition of "NL rider" will, I expect, be a wide one, and include any rider who has ever ridden in NL, BUT with exclusions based on age limit and established PL average (eg. under 24 and not having a PL average of over 7.50). Hopefully this will widen the potential field a bit. Any British rider who is,say, over 24 and has earned a PL average over 7.50 would be expected to occupy a 1-5 EL team place. The problems are going to be for some NL/lower PL level guys being unable to combine midweek racing dates with work; and what are the doubling-up (and even trebling-up) rules going to be? Unless the EL-bound guys can ride PL too, that will just result in the PL being too full of lower-grade foreigners again. Also, the AGM statement was notable for the asbsence (unless I missed something) of statements about the NL. How many will be running? I'd also expect that one or two tracks suppposedly running in 2014 per the AGM statement, don't actually operate.

Simple new structure for 2014.. "Top league" - 2 teams; Poole and Poole. No team points limit. Ride against each other every week for the whole season. Playoff final is guaranteed Poole v Poole. Sky cover all matches, which will be much cheaper for them, as they can just instal basic facilities and leave them there. Just need a nickname for the "other" Poole team. "Second tier" - all tracks (except Poole) with airfences. No riders doubling-up with Poole allowed. Minimum number of British riders in each team. Maintain current team points limit. "Third tier" - any other track, running outside the jurisdiction of FIM/SCB, "the dark side" - a "Pirate" league (not to be confused with Poole) largely amateur but payments can be made at promoters discretion, no team points limit, strictly unofficial, many riders using false identities to avoid lifetime bans from the other leagues, and any payment strictly in cash and handed over in an unlit car park.

Yes,quite right, people who figure out which buttons to push in order to get results are indeed clever. It is down to those who "take the bait" to learn and not get caught out again.