g13webb

God you talk such utter crap... No doubt Matt Ford, the man you place on a mantel, is so ashamed of the association you have bestowed with him

My sentiments exactly. I've preached long and hard for the rules to be set in stone, so that every year Riders, Fans and Promoter all knew what is expected. We have this scenario of them and us, and we being the enemy. The fact that the BSPA won't release minutes of their meetings indicate they have so much to hide. and do so en group with the secrecy of it all. . Common sense issues, like riders GSA, should be in place way before the AGM, the fact it wasn't, shows the hideous way the sport is run. You can't make decisions like 1 over 8 rule without knowing the about the number of riders it will effect. That's so amateurism. Your comment about Professional Organisation is so right . Most of us has been asking for that for years.... NB. My first visit to Waterden Road, Hackney was 1968 at the age of 20, Jimmy McMillan, Charlie Monk rode for Hackney . We lost 40-38 with Simmo getting 12 and Bettsy 11... The rest didn't do much.... Them 'Good Ole Days' ....

I'll except your views of a seasoned speedway supporter. You are probably too young to remember when rider control governed team strength. There will always be winners and losers, but the aim of the sport is to be competitive. This is where 'Rider Control' came in We at Lynn won very little, but we were always competitive and most matches were close and exciting. Nobody enjoys winning or losing heavily each week, so having equal teams is important. Now the sport is governed by suspect averages, different racing formats, out of date assessment. Where once every promoter picked a team for the whole season, now its all change as soon as the Promoter thinks fit. Crowds used to come and connect with their riders, but that has also gone. So lets ask yourself one question. Did Ford sign Woryna because he was a good, young, quality, talented rider. Or did he sign him because of his low average. I think we know it was because of the later....... Ford assumed he was getting quality rider on the wrong GSA, and that can't be correct if the sport is to be the winner..

Quite obviously a Poole supporter. You say Ford was shrewd signing Woryna, I say devious hoping to pull a fast one. One of the biggest turn-off in our sport are ringers, and the unfairness it creates, and in that sense Ford is more guilty than most. The issue here is if you want to sign a good rider you do so on a correct and proper average, and let the competition take place on the track, and not by out of date assessments.

Nobody moans about the BSPA more than I , and yes I believe the situation that exists in this country is totally down to the BSPA. for not seeing the sport as their first priority. Too many promoters are so short sighted in only looking after No1. Only recently we saw clubs voting for their self indulgence rather than the benefit of the sport. With this short sightedness, is it little wonder the sport is in such bad health. The massive financial input from TV was used by the Promoters as a safeguard against running meetings at a lost, and therefore hid the obvious conclusions that we were fighting above our weight. Fans and Promoters alike buried their head in the sand believing everything was rosy, but the more sensible ones knew the day of reckoning, would be when the TV money stopped. At last the BSPA at the AGM have realised we need a new beginning. No I don't agree with every decision made, but at last we have some direction. What a pity it wasn't done when the TV money was first offered. We could now be reaping the benefits had it been invested properly....

So you keep saying. There are so many people in this country living above their means, but you still don't seem to grasp the concept that these top riders demand big bucks. In an ideal world when crowds would be flocking to attend the meetings, at an affordable price, probably we could afford these star riders. But until then we need to live within our means...... The sport has become too expensive to ride or to support as it used to be. Swindon won the league last year but still operated at a loss.. There must have been many more struggling to keep their heads above water., and you keep moaning about top riders....

Well I for one think its a great idea. What these riders achieved years ago is of no importance, its the standard they are today that matters. All the four riders you mentioned are all of similar ability so in my book should be of a similar score......

In all do respect, it is not the fault of the BSPA why the top riders don't ride here, it is all down to finance. We have to accept we cannot afford the demands these top riders require, and cut our material to suit what we can afford.....

Two wrongs don't make a right. Any respect I had for the BSPA went long ago. If and when they treat the Fans, and the public with the openness and transparency we deserve, then probably I will feel differently. But until then I will blame them for all the problems associated with this sport...

Like you 'STEVEHOLS54' the BSPA don't fill me with a lot of confidence either.. So many years they come up with these new rules, not having thought out all of the consequences . Like you say Re-accessing riders averages should have been done way before an AGM, so when this '1over8' rule was levied all the members would all have known what the implications were.... No doubt teams want the opportunity to pick up a Woffy, or a Zagar, or a Pawlicki, or even a Lebedev on a ridiculous low average thinking it would be great. but they couldn't be more wrong. We want all teams to be treated the same and as wonderful it would be to see quality riders in our teams, it has to be done on a fair markings that represents their ability and not because of some ancient ruling... Seeing teams take advantage rigged averages, is the biggest turn off of all .....

To be fair to all those riders who supported our leagues last year, all riders who didn't ride in 2017, should have their average re-accessed in keeping with the easier format that exists at present. Failing to do that would be totally wrong and show a poor regard those who did achieved decent scores,,.,,

Taking on board the facts from JC it would seem unpractical to employ any big earner, until such time when running speedway becomes more sustainable... No way could anybody expect a company come on board to sponsor a rider when the sport its portrayed as bad as ours....

Doyle didn'rt get to be World Champion by taking notice of the likes of Holder and Batchelor. He is own man... and will do what he sees as right....

Come on, now your not being very proactive are we. ?? All them riders missing out because of this '1over8' rule will be allowed to guest if and when required. Surely you can see this as just another way to manipulate the rules to those who see fit....

All these references from assessments made in the past is complete 'pie in the sky' logic. Bearing in mind our league is probably the weakest it's ever been, and the format used is far easier now for riders to score more, any references used in the past is well out of context. All riders competing in the SGP, have to be regarding as the best in the world, and therefore anything less than accessed 9 would be an injustice. Those who are riding in the top Polish and Swedish leagues are also regarded as quality riders where an accessed 8 would be an accurate assessment of what they would bring to a team.... I've got no problems with teams signing quality riders, but for them to be allowed, using a unrealistic average, is insulting the integrity of the sport and fans... There is not a bigger turn off for fans than seeing some teams getting preferential treatment.....

Surely that should have been done , before they made that rule about '1 over 8'. Talk about shutting the door after the horse had bolted......

Disappointed the way the future has unfolded. Like others have said, I also thought he was like a breath of fresh air. He had this air of recklessness that I liked. But that was along time ago. All too often he flattered to deceive and inevitably he performed poorly. When we needed him to score more, all we got was excuses. No, unfortunately, he will not be missed. Each time I saw him riding around in that wonderful sponsored sporty Mercedes, I thought, how lucky he was, to live an exciting existence by apply such little effort. Its a good job he doesn't have to work for a living. He may be a lovely lad, but he has a lot to learn...

Please, I would have thought that was obvious. There are far better riders than Morris, who could come in on a crocked average and replace him. The reason Morris's average to so high was because he rode last year in a weak league. Riders such as Woffy, Zagar, PK, all better than Morris, still have a relative lower score because they didn't ride. Allowing them to compete on them old scores would be insult to the riders who did ride last year.......

If the BSPA were to allow any team now to field JD/PK or JD/MZ or JD/TW it would be total madness, But it would sure highlight the stupidity of that '1 over 8' rule....

So are we being blackmailed by Ipswich ? , who are dictating their preferences.... Surely the question here is why teams like Ipswich and Sheffield prefer to be a big fish in a little pond rather than compete with the best available. If the championship is so sought after, why not run the Premiership on the similar lines. The last thing the sport wants is to have 2 separate entities, each competing for their own importance. We argue the sport is not taken seriously, yet we continue to fuel the ideas that project this image. There is talk of a 5 yr plan but surely the first priority is to run the sport on a progressive structure. You cant allow teams to dictate their existence, It's like allowing Arsenal to compete in the 2nd division. We experienced this at Lynn and most of the success gained always had that hollow feel attached to it, knowing we were only playing in a small pond.... When those fixed race night were first mentioned, it was thought Thursday was a far better option than Wednesday's because of them clashing with Danish league. Now it seems the whole programme has had to be adjusted, because of 2 teams refused to comply.... This sport will never move forward, until all the teams are of one unanimous body...

Reading the SS, it appears Fat Maud was the instigator of having Wednesdays as a fixed race night, instead of Thursdays, and every team voted to comply. That's all except Swindon. They have been given permission to run half their meetings on Thursdays, but it was also suggested we will run Thursdays in 2018.... So in affect these fixed race nights are ' Do as you Like' I wonder , if we had the chance to sign Niels, but it meant moving our race night to Thursdays, so not to clash with the Danish league, would we be given the same compassion as Swindon. ???

I was told that the sponsorship was connected to the signing of Holder. No Holder, No 'Truck R Us'

If there was a grading system, there would be no need for riders averages. Riders would be graded by opinions of the representative committee. based on their performances. I have no conclusion as to what would be a league winning team. all I know is that in a league of eight team there would be one winner, decided the same way as the other 7 places. What it would do is illuminate teams bringing in top SGP riders for the season's climax, masquerading around on a 7 average, on the pretence that was their apparent average, years back....

Most supporters have a valid reference of each rider and can associate them within the team frame work. Imagine we have 5 grades: Grade 5 - SGP & Top notch riders ; Grade 4 - Decent heat leaders ie. Teams 1's & 2's ; Grade 3 - Lower heat leader / top second strings; Grade 2 - Lesser second strings/ top reserves; Grade 1 - Reserves / New riders Each riders to be graded by a representative committee made up from most teams; Most riders would fall into 2 categories, allowing the each riders to be graded accordingly. Team strength set at say 20. and leave teams to make their own choice. This would illuminate false averages, do away with Ringers, meaning everyone would sing from the same hymn sheet

I don't know what all the fuss about the 8 point rule. It not as if that will be the biggest issue of the coming season. I have always thought the way the averages work is as dated and manipulative as it can get. How riders, who haven't raced here last year, can retain the old CMA is ridiculous. When our format changes each year the riders degree of difficulty varied each season..... Now its far easier for HL to score their points than it was when they rode against other HL more often. For someone who is a SGP rider should be graded as such. In fact grading riders would be a far fairer way in achieving equality in teams, then the 8 point rule would be irrelevant.