RobMcCaffery

There is a heck of a difference between the best twenty young British riders, whether under-23 or under-21 or any other arbitrary figure, and the top twenty National League riders, for what are pretty obvious reasons unless the Premier League has mysteriously ceased to exist. Yes, it's great to give protected team places to young British riders but only if it is the best that are included. Using the best is a talent-developing strategy, just using 20 NL riders is suspiciously close to just employing riders on the cheap and passing it off as some grand strategy. Funny how the BSPA wake up to promoting British talent once the financial drip-feed is under threat. If this was a properly though-out scheme to promote young British talent I'd support it completely. I really don't think it is. The comparison is made with Poland and Sweden. I would suggest that the riders involved in those countries are at a rather later stage of development than the NL. The progression of course should be NL-PL-EL. The fundamental failure of this scheme is the suspicion that that vital middle step is being omitted. I hope it works but really can't see how it's more than exploitation rather giving opportunities - as it has been every time I've seen it tried before. What we have here is instead of stripping cost out of the EL consistently through the riding order we're probably seeing second strings replaced by NL riders. On a different note we are told that a new TV deal is imminent - it would be interesting to see how much money is on the table....

They really do have to keep the reserves away from the heat leaders. No more teams relying on flying reserves to get an advantage. With that gone and with the traditional tactical substitute system not being mentioned just where are the opportunities for team managers to use tactics? They needed to cut cost but as usual it looks like they've come up with an unworkable compromise that'll have to be re-thought in a year's time. The reduction in cost needed to be spread through the teams to keep racing competitive. Difficult days and I don't think this is at all radical enough. The Premier League seem to have defended their product reasonably well though but I really fear for the EL now. Very sorry for Peterborough - that's the biggest disaster in there. Hopefully it's only a matter of time before a deal to run them in the PL is found.

This was an idea that Barry Klatt tried when he joined Ron Russell at Rye House. Yes, it was an entertaining alternative but ran into opposition from riders who were happy to do one clutch start and four laps but weren't prepared to run to four clutch starts over four laps. Like so much 'post-match/second half' action it was killed as much by rider attitude as spectator apathy. I'd say that when rider apathy was picked up on the terraces that was the killer for not only second halves, but individuals,challenge matches, pairs and four team tournaments - and even the KO Cup in the case of the Elite League, leaving the sport in the desperate situation of only being able to sell league matches. One very serious problem for speedway seems to be the shift from people going out for a night's speedway racing to people going just out to see their team win league points. It's not a shift from white to black though, there were always people who only went to see the team win and there are still people who go for the racing, where it stiill exists - I just feel the balance has shifted, much to the sport's cost.

Sadly not true. The satellites broadcast from 25,000 miles up so their signals tend to spread over quite large areas of Europe, although some have their 'beams' directed to focus on certain parts of Europe. There's a very large number of satellites up there, only a few of which are used by Sky and other UK-targetted broadcasters. Broadly speaking though, whatever signals reach the UK will reach France. However many, like Sky are encrypted so they can only be watched in certain countries for copyright reasons. Ex-pats get round this by getting boxes that are registered to addresses in the countries whose programmes they want to watch. The only channels that I can think of that broadcast in foreign languages that can also be listened to in English are Euronews and the international version of Eurosport. You could, with a Polish-registered box watch Polish speedway in the UK or France for example, but not with an English commentary. Unless there IS a station broadcasting to France carrying speedway David's options really are to get a box registered to a UK address and not let on where he actually is, or to simply enjoy Eurosport's coverage of the SEC. Bear in mind British Eurosport's coverage of the Grands Prix are for the UK-only version. It's a tangled web but one that the likes of Sky protect to stop foreign broadcasters competing with them in the UK and ROI by showing programming in English that they have paid the rights for exclusive coverage here.

David, unfortunately British Eurosport is also encrypted, like Sky, for viewing only in the UK and ROI. The French (international) version of Eurosport will only be showing the European Championships. Unfortunately none of the channels available on Freesat carry speedway. The only hope is for finding a French channel that carries speedway, the likeliest candidate being the pay-TV channel Canal+. It is one of those frustrations of international TV that if a sport hasn't sold TV rights to in your country you can't readily sign up with a foreign broadcaster that has such a deal. (There is though the option of taking out a different subscription and playing the game differently as many other ex-pats do but I didn't say that....).

I see that I am not allowed to comment on anything you say on the basis that it must be due to a personal dislike. Well, you are correct, I do have a very strong personal dislike due to the offensive way you have spoken to me on here. However, unlike yourself I based my comments on what you wrote, not as a cheap opportunity to score puerile points. You really are a very nasty piece of work. I really could not give a damn about your opinion of my work on Screen Sport since your comments are clearly based on personal venom, not reason. I make no great claims for what I did in speedway many years ago, but at least I got off my backside and did them unlike poisonous snipers like you. Yes it was amateurish, but on a budget of £1000 per hour what do you expect? At least we tried to help the sport, at considerable personal cost. It's 'supporters' like you who make it such a pleasure not to have any professional involvement in the sport now. 'Grow up'? I suggest you look in the mirror. One thing you can be sure of in speedway, no matter what you try to achieve there will always be someone like you to make you regret it. I remember you turning on me initially because I dared to criticise football. What a shocking crime! I also note John Hyam, hiding behind his rock as 'gustix' endorsed your posting. There is no greater discredit to your posting than to have that man's endorsement. I've tried to help this debate by offering points from my knowledge of television generally. As ever, you can rely on ignorant posters such as yourself to make you regret it. As for getting out to see meetings, I would love to but ill health has prevented me for most of this season. A very cheap shot from a very cheap person. Anyway, you like Sky. Great, now what has that got to do with the future of speedway on TV? Nothing, which is why I responded, but you obviously don't have the intelligence to understand that.

"If you look at GSI website it states that its properties include The International rights to the Elite League, along with others " Thanks, I was already well aware of that. I was referring to an apparent transfer of rights from the old Go Speed Company to Go Speed International.

The agreement could easily have been transferred from one legal entity to the other in the same way that a promoting company at a track can be replaced by another. Similar names and ownerships don't stop you having two legal entities and switching contracts from one to another. It's just speculation though unless you have access to privileged information. Putting a company into liquidation and transferring business to another with a similar name and ownership is a pretty commonplace matter. You might but it's the engineers at the stations who have the say.

Many of these clips may look good enough to the amateur eye but they may not meet the technical standards demanded by actual TV stations.

The situation seems to be that Premier will be free until 31.12.13 at which point a decision will be taken, based on the channel's performance, whether to absorb the costs and carry it on XL without extra charge like BT or to charge £7.99 a month, £2 less than via Sky or the online player. It's a case of 'watch and see'. Let's hope they will renew the contract for Swedish Speedway.

I can't see anyone here seriously blaming Sky for the current state of British Speedway. People do have concerns about Sky's influence on sport generally, especially in view of the Murdoch influence but that is a matter for media forums, not here. If you are happy with the service you pay for then fine - that's not the point at issue. What IS relevant is that if they're no longer prepared to carry the sport then we must look elsewhere. Sky is a hard-nosed business not a charity and if they don't want to renew the deal we must move on.

Regarding comments about gratitude to Sky, senior management has changed there and I doubt very much that sentiment is high on their priorities. The rise of the Grands Prix is as much about the role of Polish, Swedish and Danish TV stations who also take the BSI programme as Sky who showed precious little sentiment or loyalty by dumping coverage in 2013. It's about the next 15 years, not the past.

British Eurosport is included in most basic satellite and cable packages while BT at most is £15 a month. If you have Virgin's top level package both are included. If you are already paying Sky high prices it's a great deal extra to add these and Premier Sports. If you don't have Sky to pay it's not too bad. Premier's coverage is of course a version of Swedish pay-TV's programme and we miss out on all of the interviews and analysis. In any case although TV techniques and policies still fascinate me years after my own involvement in the case of Swedish Speedway like all other forms it's the racing that matters.

Based on what I have read here from Phil Rising whose credentials are pretty impressive, plus those of both flagrag and SGP who both would appear to know what they are talking about there has been no termination or withdrawal of rights in this case. Instead a fixed-term deal has expired and not yet been renewed with it suggested that the new contact at Sky was not prepared to meet with GSI over a renewal, although it seems that a meeting had now been arranged. So, ijn this case I would suggest that it IS a strong possibility that the deal will not be renewed or will be on reduced financial terms. My own observations are based not only on my own involement in such matters but also a continuing study ofr media matters over the best part of fifty years. I cannot claim to be right but I offer my thoughts in order to assist the debate. To suggest that comments on this thread are just being based on the usualo BSF uninformed speculation isn't very helpful. I want the sport on TV and am keen to help the debate on how it can be achieved. Of course we can all just bury our heads in the sand and lety opportunities pass us by then moan about the outcome. There are few certainties until a contract is signed. However there is one painful certainty if no agreement is found. Let's hope GSI succeed, with whichever broadcaster is interested. Personally, I'd love it to be BT, as I expect is pretty clear from my previous ramblings.

Delighted to hear both BT and British Eurosport are contenders, especially in the latter's case where until recently their policy has been mainly to show international sport. A change in this policy came with their deal to cover the British Basketball League, and also you would argue, the NFL. Clearly times are changing at what used to be, in effect the sports side of Eurovision, who do a little more than organise a song concert...... My earlier comment about BT related to it being unlikely they would take on the Swedish racing, at least without having the British product first. Either way I would be very surprised if ANY broadcaster would be interested in paying a million a year for coverage, as with the Sky deal currently expiring. Surely the wisest policy is to plan without TV revenue and any that arrives be seen as a bonus? But this is speedway.....

I expect the price must have been higher than the Swedish rights which I believe weren't brokered by GSI. I'm just surprised that Premier Sports went for the Swedish racing, even though apart from NHL ice hockey it does base its schedules on sports ignored by rivals. As BT are finding, despite the quality of action and presentation even foreign football has to work hard for an audience, let alone an obscure sport like ours.

You're omitting my personal weekly highlight - Swedish Speedway on Premier Sports on Tuesdays. Well-matched teams and proper tactical substitutions to keep the tactics interesting. Unlike Poand it's not all about hanging onto the bike. There is talk about Premier joining the Virgin Media package soon along with BT, making Sky Sports a rather overpriced service for those not obsessed with British football. Sky is still a huge success but the overpayment on football and F1 is having sharp effects and, British football aside other services are beginning to build good packages at far lower cost for those with wider sporting tastes. Can Sky survive with just British football? Probably, but it might be better if the smaller sports began to look elsewhere. I would be very surprised if any deal ever delivered the £5 million over five years that speedway enjoyed. I'd say the easy money flow's been turned-off for now and potentially for the long term.

Back in 1985 when I worked for the BSPA the percentage was 10 per cent of any sponsorship revenue. The matter of a TV deal was academic then with ITV having the main rights and Screen Sport having the NL cable rights. I would imagine the 'finder's fee' would have been the same.

I suck up to nobody but I will challenge people like you seeking to obsessively ram their twisted opinions down everybody else's throats. A typically moronic posting - paranoid and self-pitying. Get help.

Thanks to Tai for making the 2013 season memorable for one positive reason. How he saw off the trap in heat 5 was amazing. What a way to win a title! Congratulations to the first former Rocket to win a world title. As a result of matters on the domestic section of the site I expect to be receiving a ban - eventually enough is enough on both sides - so I'll just take this final chance to thank those on the International section for providing warm and intelligent company through the season. It's best if I shut up for a while. I've sa\id what I needed to say. Tai, I had the highest respect for your father - wonderful to see you honour his memory in the finest way. Isn't it funny how much better the Grands Prix have been on Eurosport ;-) Rob (Here's to seeing British Speedway on BT too!)

Someone has to stand up to you and Shovlar. You quote rules yet abuse the spirit of a forum constantly. Someone has to stand up to the pair of you and I am quite beyond caring about the consequences.

It does rather insult clowns, a profession with history and tradition - and bring pleasure to many. . Sadly the opposite applies in the case of the postings from Dorset that you refer to. Some come here to make postings to talk about the sport, try to make helpful suggestions and learn. Others just come to childishly provoke then see how many they can provoke into a response, then claim that they're 'reeling them in' as if that's some kind of achievement. The postings are selfish and pathetic, waste bandwidth and poison the chance of having a worthwhile discussion. If I was having a discussion in a pub and someone behaved like the latter do they'd soon find themselves outside the pub and firmly aware of their 'rights'. Some think postings like Shovlar's are clever. Pity them. I hope we get a great couple of meetings and if Poole win it's fair and square. Well, you can but hope....

Let's hope so. I've already seen one of that trio stain the sport twice over there this year.

Now someone always goes and spoils it by quoting the cretinous postings from Dorset. The only jealousy I've ever had in speedway was not having the privilege of a season ticket at Belle Vue to watch Peter Collins and Chris Morton turn our sport into "The Beautiful Game". Now I just see people making it "The squalid shambles."

I see Shovlar's responded. Now guess why I have no idea or desire to know what he said? I'll give him a couple of extra days to work that one out.