Byker Biker

Unfortunately there is a statutory duty of care and despite disclaimers, statutory rights cannot be waived. I did mention it's complex and trust me it is. I had the displeasure to act as an independent consultant to a firm of solicitors representing a "rider" who was injured on a non licensed Speedway Training Track, the claim had merit because the track was unlicensed and operated outside the rules of any recognised federation and that the operators having chosen to operate a "training event" outside the protection of the off road regulations were culpable and had a duty of care for the welfare of the participant and a due responsibility to manage, coach and instruct in such a way that he remained safe at all times. This was purely because there were no rules in place for either the Plaintiff or Defendant to rely on. Again this was complex but without motive I was able to convince the Barrister that the "rider" (trainee in their words) had not followed the instructions he was given at the safety briefing, I was able to find other participants who had recorded footage of the safety briefing and this rider "behaving" in a different way to the other riders in the same session. The barrister agreed that even though the case would probably succeed any award would be diminished by the contributory negligence of the rider. As the Solicitors were on a punt they asked the rider to meet their costs before taking further action, you can guess the rest - gone away. Hopefully the gentleman's collarbone and broken arm have fully healed.

It's really complex but basically to hold competitions off road events have to be exempt from the road traffic acts/regulations. This can only be achieved if the events are run under the regulations of a recognised organisation with the appropriate affiliations, the link below may help a little. http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1995/1371/made

I think he's struggling to get the Tip-pex off his screen!

Please don't knock this initiative folks it's not that long ago that Plymouth didn't have a Speedway Team and of course it's an even shorter period since it's continuation was threatened. Whatever it takes to secure the sport for Plymouth and it's lovely supporters has to be welcomed and embraced. Well done this is an opportunity to be taken and made the most of, which all the other clubs at death's door would welcome.

It's embedded in a policy called the Planning Framework which is a Government Policy issuing guidelines to local Planning Committees, the next one comes into play late January 2019 and is for all new planning applications. My understanding is that applications made and granted prior to this will be under the previous guidelines issued in 2012 so the new guidelines cannot be used retrospectively - it's a bit like the SCB Regulations they'll make their mind up at the time!

Oh right, we're all fluffed then not just Birmingham!

Do bear in mind that the law on noise pollution changes after 11pm, there were a number of examples at Mildenhall where the complainants claimed motor sport activity on the moto cross course behind the main stadium had exceeded this and in one instance between midnight and 1 am. Allegedly some car meetings over ran beyond 11pm too, I clearly recall Peter Thorogood not being able to get onto the track some Saturdays until the early hours and worked through the night to prepare a Speedway surface.

No, it's ok don't worry about smelling...

Hi G13webb, it's Robin Brucking Fundle here - just thought I'd give you a call to let you know the team. You're right we don't need the EDP or Speedway Star to attract new customers or inform those who aren't on Social Media we'll just let you know then you can do all the hard work for us. You'll probably find the EDP won't support us anymore unless you can give them an edge, do let me know how you get on spreading the news and for all those people who rely on the EDP and SS for information, well they can go duck themselves with an attitude like some have on here (attacking the post not the poster - allegedly!)

Robin Brucking Fundle has put together a media release schedule and sent it out demanding prime media space reserved for the announcements on specific dates, his master plan is under way!

The team is done and dusted stop worrying

It is as you well know

When it's finished will the first turn be open again????

Some of us were quite pedantic when we made these points about; Colin Horton at Peterborough, Allen Trump and Avtar at Coventry, Alan Philips at Birmingham, Aaron Lanney at Oxford, Brian whathisface and Waggy at Kings Lynn, John Postledick at Reading, Gary Patchett at Swindon, Bengt over the Barmaid at Plymouth and many others who threw fortunes at riders to win a league, there are plenty more who had the egostistical pleasure of owning a Speedway Club.

Re-Run have the Lakeside home and away at Workington Grand Final meetings

This one's not a dig Paul the simple truth is that at least 2 of the 2019 team had concluded deals elsewhere only to be re-approached by Glasgow, that's how it is but the raising of the ante has made it very difficult for some other clubs to offer affordable terms. One of last seasons septet has been asking for the sort of eye watering deal he was on at Glasgow and the figures are just stunning but again that's how it is. Six figure losses are not sustainable but fortunately your club owners have the financial footing to withstand that. Take a look at your closest competitors; Edinburgh has been propped up every year by a consortium and has no security of tenure, Berwick hanging on by it's fingertips, Newcastle nothing but hope to hang on to, Redcar we'll do our best and give it one last shot and Workington looking for a miracle in reality. Don't get me wrong this isn't Glasgow's fault it is the state the sport is in but after all the meetings, talks and threats of change we are still in the same situation with wallets only a fraction of the size of egos, walking away from some of those rider deals may have just sent a message out that it can't go on. Regardless of the politics losing a club mid season is hugely damaging, the stigma spreads like a cancer; Rye House, Newport on the eve, Hull and Birmingham have all left a stain on the local business community which makes it nigh on impossible to draw sponsorship if there is a re-opening. Credit to Birmingham, they're fighting back but 2019 could see more clubs go to the wall mid season or just as sad fail to make the tapes in April.

Now Glasgow have burned the rest of British Speedway with inflated costs just concentrate on who you're gonna race when they're all closed down.

Don't build you're hopes up he struggles to find anywhere North of Scotch Corner

Interesting? I spent a day with the late Mark McCormack and we talked about tennis, the Sony rankings and other sports which he had "taken over" as a lawyer he was able to draw up player and media contracts, as an agent he could double, treble and multiply more players incomes as his representation was international. The rankings in particular allowed players all over the world to be benchmarked and of course maintain the ambition to move up. This of course created more matched international competition and in turn more international media interest, particularly television. For those who have never heard of Mark he was the founder and chairman of IMG - the International Media Group who coincidentally own BSI Speedway. Google him, his has a fascinating life story. Mark was a strategist who had medium and long term goals and whilst Barry Hearn is hugely successful the buck wouldn't turn fast enough or big enough for him to invest in British Speedway. If you look at the tv rolling credits at the end of many tv sports broadcasts you will see "An IMG Production" regardless of continent or country. The interesting element for me is the global company already has Speedway in it's portfolio and the riders certainly don't dictate yet everyone's perception is that Barry Hearn could save Speedway with his "take no truck, in your face" style (It's not unusual for Barry to Bollock household names big style) and I think we're past that to the point where nobody inside the sport gives a sh!t any more. The egos are bigger than the sport and until those egos exit we're stuffed, the money clubs are chucking it all over riders again and the skint clubs are doing the same ffs! Wait until the "we'll have to go national League" Bears announce their full team and what about; the fastest trapping, tape breaking second string nailed on with a great deal at a near local club but within 48 hours welches for a 500 mile round trip North of The Border and Mr Midlands based Maori nailed on for a 40 mile round trip at a local Midlands club only to swap that for a 500 mile round trip a couple of days later! I do believe that control and discipline set off on the slippery slope when the ACU/RAC removed the traditional Control Board replacing it with a Bureau and then changing the format of the committee to include BSPA members allowing club/personal interest into that forum too. In the past if you got a letter inviting you to the RAC Club in Pall Mall to discuss your behaviour you absolutely crapped yourself all the way there and carried embarrassment and shame all the way back, today even the FIM doesn't stir up those emotions it seems there's no mutual respect at all.

Wrong, it maintains continuity of media interest through the close season and then they don't abandon your club or relegate you to the village fete page when the season starts.

Not sure which team you're talking about but the description fits every meeting I have seen for years!

It's easy for me, the closest we had to sustainable and entertaining Speedway five to ten years ago was the then Premier League now this has changed today to the National League. It can survive without tinkering or surgery but the other leagues clearly can't and to plunder it with lower team building averages and whatever else is to come renders it far too vulnerable for my liking. If it was a true development league it would be sacrosanct .

If the Masons have a survival plan they'll stay put, all leagues are still funding 7 riders and 90+ points a home meeting and until that is addressed a reduction in points limit will only take the top two leagues back a year or two. The hemorrhaging will continue and next Winter will see more clubs wanting to be in the NL as the top two leagues will look at merging again forcing the weakest to look at the lower level to survive. I cannot for the life of me understand why they didn't take 1 rider out of each team and 12 points out of each meeting in the top two leagues. Less meetings still makes for losses and in my opinion is not as sustainable as 6 man teams and 13 heats, sporadic fixtures will lead to sporadic attendances unless the fixture lists are cast in stone with no opportunities to move or postpone apart from the referees decisions. So no sun offs, electrical faults on the morning of race day, no flooded tracks or "beyond our control" cancellations particularly as riders stuck in airport lounges tend to Tweet the world to declare their predicament.

If you look at the medium term plan to increase the conversion rates and the natural aspirations of riders to move up creating a situation where there is no safe haven (not a good choice of words) in the NL then the reliance on overseas riders will diminish. It's not my plan but it has been mooted before when the then PL was the well paid hiding place for many riders capable of doing a job in the then EL. The compromise then was to protect their PL averages for 2 years so that if they didn't make it at the higher level they could resume where they left off in the lower league. That didn't work either and it gave some riders a taste of big money which escalated their demands to come back in the lower league. What you have to remember with the BSPA is that the Architects are rarely the Labourers

So they can staff the top 2 leagues and fingers to the NL, the first serious attempt was to try and stop NL clubs having their own assets on the basis that these youngsters would like to progress and inevitably ride in the higher leagues, paying a fixed formula training fee to NL clubs was a compromise until some "development payments" were made to some NL clubs before some of these kids had turned a wheel. The senior clubs were investing in an "option" to secure the youngster in the fullness of time.