Speedway AGM

[dontforgetthefueltapsbruv]

3 hours ago, SteelShoe said:

This just reinforces the need for change to the cost structure of the sport. For example why should promoters be liable for supplying riders tyres fuel and oil ?  . Such things are hard to understand bearing in mind the attendances at many tracks.  

I wonder if the centre forward has to provide a ball and the goalkeeper the net in professional football

I know that Speedway is gradually continuously dumbing down but come on

[IainB]

3 minutes ago, dontforgetthefueltapsbruv said:

I wonder if the centre forward has to provide a ball and the goalkeeper the net in professional football

I know that Speedway is gradually continuously dumbing down but come on

Footballers are employees of the club though and not self employed. I do believe that riders becoming employees of clubs would eradicate a lot of the sports problems overnight... well never happen though

[Paul Johnson]

I thought sponsors pay for fuel oil and tyres? same as clutch plates

[mac101]

21 minutes ago, Paul Johnson said:

I thought sponsors pay for fuel oil and tyres? same as clutch plates

Usually the club supplies the tyres but riders bring their own fuel oil plates etc but most usually have a sponsorship deal for them 

[Neila]

40 minutes ago, Paul Johnson said:

I thought sponsors pay for fuel oil and tyres? same as clutch plates

Workington have a fans sponsorship available for riders fuel oil and tyres, you get your name in the program, couple of free tickets and a track walk etc.

Will be availability if anyone is interested, contact the club 😄

Edited Tuesday at 10:32 PM by Neila

[Heedthebaw]

2 hours ago, Neila said:

Think for the individual club streams a third goes to the stream provider, third to the club and a third goes to the BSPL that's on top of the provider buying a licence to film meetings. Don't know the financial parts for BSN 

100% wrong

[H20]

Might sound daft this but its the riders that are killing the sport, they are asking for so much point money knowing the crowds attending can not raise enough money to keep clubs sustainable. Yes its a dangerous sport and they deserve to be well paid but the way its heading there will be no speedway very soon for these same riders.

Yep I know its the promoters that agree to contracts but the sport is sadly not a full time job no more for the vast amount of riders. Years ago most the riders had other jobs nowadays they mainly are all full time riders needing full time money.

I remember when Workington first started back i think there was only Stoney with 2 bikes now every rider has two bikes and even the reserves class it as a full time job.

[Neila]

3 minutes ago, H20 said:

Might sound daft this but its the riders that are killing the sport, they are asking for so much point money knowing the crowds attending can not raise enough money to keep clubs sustainable. Yes its a dangerous sport and they deserve to be well paid but the way its heading there will be no speedway very soon for these same riders.

Yep I know its the promoters that agree to contracts but the sport is sadly not a full time job no more for the vast amount of riders. Years ago most the riders had other jobs nowadays they mainly are all full time riders needing full time money.

I remember when Workington first started back i think there was only Stoney with 2 bikes now every rider has two bikes and even the reserves class it as a full time job.

Unfortunately that's what has been allowed to happen, yes when you make it and ride for a few teams more bikes/ personal are required, but how many youngsters now believe that they can be/ are full time speedway riders scoring a couple of points at reserve. Think some riders need a job and ride speedway as a paid hobby 

[RoundTheBoards]

1 hour ago, Paul Johnson said:

I thought sponsors pay for fuel oil and tyres? same as clutch plates

Tyres are provided by the home club for both sets of riders.  They are marked for the specific meeting and handed out on the day so that no one can bring their own specially prepared tyre.

Fuel and oil are the responsibility of the rider to provide their own.  (Although they may have it in their deal that it's provided by the club or via a sponsor).

[crescent girl]

1 hour ago, RoundTheBoards said:

Tyres are provided by the home club for both sets of riders.  They are marked for the specific meeting and handed out on the day so that no one can bring their own specially prepared tyre.

Fuel and oil are the responsibility of the rider to provide their own.  (Although they may have it in their deal that it's provided by the club or via a sponsor).

Tyres have to be monitored, supplied from a common batch for each meeting, signed off by the referee.  

Although riders can supply their own fuel, most will buy from a track van.    At some meetings, the ACU/SCB will descend "out of the blue" and run tests on fuel during the meeting.  Usually, there will be weight tests run on bikes at the same time.

A bit like the drugs authority or Spanish Inquisition, these visits are unexpected.

Further. a rider's fuel is always liable to be tested if there's a complaint lodged.

[SteelShoe]

Silence is deafening from the AGM ?

[dontforgetthefueltapsbruv]

8 hours ago, Neila said:

Unfortunately that's what has been allowed to happen, yes when you make it and ride for a few teams more bikes/ personal are required, but how many youngsters now believe that they can be/ are full time speedway riders scoring a couple of points at reserve. Think some riders need a job and ride speedway as a paid hobby 

Or like Steve Worral you will walk away to concentrate on that job/business because Speedway is no longer worth it and the race to the bottom accelerates

There has to be an ambition and drive to make a top league sustainable or the sport in the UK will be over a a serious sport

Easier said than done yes, but rarely is something worthwhile easy

[Neila]

2 hours ago, SteelShoe said:

Silence is deafening from the AGM ?

@SteelShoe  so is yours  regarding the meet up and meal on Saturday 😁

[StevePark]

11 hours ago, H20 said:

Might sound daft this but its the riders that are killing the sport, they are asking for so much point money knowing the crowds attending can not raise enough money to keep clubs sustainable. Yes its a dangerous sport and they deserve to be well paid but the way its heading there will be no speedway very soon for these same riders.

 

Agreed, sort of. But the costs to that rider (for example engine tuning/repair) may also be an influence, so you could just as easily blame them, rather than putting it all directly at the riders door??

[mikebv]

23 minutes ago, StevePark said:

Agreed, sort of. But the costs to that rider (for example engine tuning/repair) may also be an influence, so you could just as easily blame them, rather than putting it all directly at the riders door??

And the Promoters who expect riders to have "decent kit", minimum two bikes, (often at a moments notice to guest), and then devalue their very own competitions by removing the credibility of them...

A vicious circle that just keeps going round and round..

[H20]

58 minutes ago, StevePark said:

Agreed, sort of. But the costs to that rider (for example engine tuning/repair) may also be an influence, so you could just as easily blame them, rather than putting it all directly at the riders door??

Yeah understand the costs involved to be competitive but most riders do not need two bikes. Massive vans to 

[SteelShoe]

2 hours ago, Neila said:

@SteelShoe  so is yours  regarding the meet up and meal on Saturday 😁

Still checking the diary 😃

[mac101]

54 minutes ago, H20 said:

Yeah understand the costs involved to be competitive but most riders do not need two bikes. Massive vans to 

If you crash and bend your bike or your engines blows up in your first race what do you do ?

[Neila]

2 hours ago, StevePark said:

Agreed, sort of. But the costs to that rider (for example engine tuning/repair) may also be an influence, so you could just as easily blame them, rather than putting it all directly at the riders door??

Didn't Godfrey and co buy a load of bikes to help ease the cost of speedway?? Wonder what happened to these 😝

[dontforgetthefueltapsbruv]

1 hour ago, H20 said:

Yeah understand the costs involved to be competitive but most riders do not need two bikes. Massive vans to 

You're right they are not needed if its a cost covered hobby or perhaps even low level semi professional 

Keep going as it is and it won't be long before that point is reached

Many competent riders will simply give it up leaving us struggling to even fill the dwindling number of teams we have now

When it's the odd track running once a month like the Grasstrack scene perhaps you will be satisfied...