Glen

Looking like the averages game will get the better of a few riders - no wonder the sport is in decline!

And ultimately Poland!

Read that the Polish league has just negotiated a new tv deal where all clubs will enjoy a share of something like $20 million US dollars per year!

Maybe one league in 2027 with foreign riders in the minority and becoming extinct!

You are judging these riders by their current reputation in a pretty tough Championship league. Might the meeting be entertaining as purely racing spectacle - isn’t that why people go?

Goes to show how Football has taken the lion share of people (and cash) attending live sport. It had the fan base, stadiums and investment to change the way people watch - seats. No longer perceived as a game watched by yobs and old men - families could attend in safety. Almost the reverse of what speedway was - a sport for the whole family - never any trouble even when 5,000 plus were at meetings. I can’t remember seeing a policeman either. Speedway as we used to know it hasn’t a hope to compete now - or ever could sadly.

I agree and we can look back with hindsight and say that it wasn’t a long term investment. I had 2 Elite tracks within an hours drive but chose to go to Rye House as I admired Len Silver and what he was trying to do for British speedway. Running 2 teams with investment in the juniors - I don’t recall many others doing that but then Len had other businesses to fall back on. I did venture to Lakeside a few times and can honestly say there was little difference in the racing - maybe Jason Crump winning every race by the length of the straight comes to mind.

I’m sure if Kurtz was being paid the same he wouldn’t worry about the standard - he might even enjoy it like Ivan Mauger did years ago.

Nope couldn’t do both so as riders were the product that’s where the money went in the main.

They paid them to come to the UK with wages that competed with Poland and Sweden.

I agree that mistakes were made in the past and in particular the Sky income. But had the then BSPA taken the view that investing in property rather than riders I’m sure there would have been an almighty outcry. So you can’t have it both ways .

Make the Dugards an offer they can’t refuse!

Totally agree - it would be good to ask promoters who were around 20 years ago (Elite league that is) what they think their legacy has been for the sport. Pretty sure you would get a reply of ‘ it was my business and I’ll run it to what the rules will allow’ Maybe a Sky tv deal was detrimental to the sport as it gave them lots of cash to do what they liked and provided nothing for the other 2 leagues.

It may be too early yet but haven’t heard of a rider saying ‘ I can’t afford to carry on unless there are 2 leagues’ .

A one league scenario with or without the current gp riders might make a difference to riders expectations. Would they carry additional equipment - servicing - wear and tear on that equipment that a double upper needed to compete in a higher standard league. I can also see the opposite as the standard will be dictated by who rides in one league - in effect one or two ‘top’ riders could dictate the outcome for whole league. I imagine this was considered in 1965 when similar situation existed where I think Barry Briggs was head and shoulders above everyone else.

The good times for some will come to an end and it is likely going to be a complete reset. Faced with no speedway and get a ‘proper’ job I wonder which one they will choose. Agreed older riders might look to their future more and decide it’s not for them but who’s to say they won’t give it a go and find a way to make it pay.

I don’t really understand that argument as the old Premier had riders who didn’t double up - maybe a few but nowhere near the current numbers. Some double uppers had over 60 meetings last season so their costs must be enormous.

And tell them footballers earned £10 a week and speedway riders £100 in those days!

If you go into the Speedway star app you can read the first few pages before it reduces in size. Peter’s article is on page 4. He admits it’s a radicle plan and would mean scrapping averages so to avoid riders being blocked out due to a decimal point. Concluding next week. To me it sounds doable with a lot of flexibility needed from riders and promoters and the likelyhood of less meeting for the double uppers.

But Joe is competent at Championship level isn’t he.

There are 2 names that come to mind - Ben Morley and Nathan Ablitt.

Thats a nonsense argument isn’t it ! Are you saying that Arron will be expected to a clubs number one ?

Peter Oaks in this weeks SS makes a good argument and puts forward a completely different league set up but maintaining 2 leagues of 7 clubs each.

That’s what the ‘Elite’ league of 2000 was all about with a Sky tv deal to back it up. The best riders were attracted (of course) because the cash was flowing. Teams became overwhelmingly non U.K. riders - I don’t think Poole had a British rider or maybe one. The then Premier league became the best most U.K. riders could expect - mostly because the standard was much higher at Elite clubs. It didn’t last of course - it would make me smile when promoters tried to do something about it (reduce team strengths - save money) and all people would say it was watering down the product. The system then can probably be responsible for the fact that Nichols Harris and the late Lee Richardson were our best riders for donkeys years with not a lot to challenge them.

Maybe those riders who want to make some sort of living out of the sport are securing this now rather than expect to be doubling up.