Conference League Travelling Costs

[Robbo]

Was talking to Steve Mallet on Sunday at Newport who is main sponsors of Craig Watson & Frank Smart,His son Nicky Mallet rides for the junior team the Newport Mavericks and he told me the promoter only pays 5p a mile towards travelling costs :? .The Mallet family are quite wealthy so it is ok for them but what about other riders who are not as well off??,surely the promoters could pay a bit more than 5p which would help young riders stay in the sport instead of quitting and letting talents go to waste.

 

Anyone agree??

 

Robbo

[Phil]

Some promoters only pay one way as well.

 

If you score points 15 it can just about cover your travel both ways and sometimes a tyre.

 

Hence FAST!

[Team Man]

he told me the promoter only pays 5p a mile towards travelling costs :? .

Robbo

 

The governing body set the rates, but yes I agree it shoud be more,the cost per gallon (5 ltr) of fuel costs just the same as it does for top riders, who are earning well over the top.

 

When some clubs are struggling to cover costs, you can't blame them for paying the minnimum.

 

Pay rates need sorting all round, maybe this winter, but don't put money on it.

[Jeff.]

But why should they actually get anything at all. For instance people travel the country all the time playing snooker, pool, darts etc for no money or expenses, club players I'm talking about, basically chasing a dream of turning pro or just enjoying a hobby. Just buying a cue does not give some one a right to earn money from it, and the danger factor or the cost is irrelevant, it is the path they choose to pursue. By the same token just buying a bike does not give a rider the right to make a living, or even cover his costs. Most peoples hobbies cost them money. As it is conference league is a glorified training league which probably costs the staging promoter money and the riders should either be prepared to fund their own hobby or quit. It is nice when they get a bit of sponsorship or some pay for riding in a meeting but it shoul not be expected.

[Team Man]

But why should they actually get anything at all. For instance people travel the country all the time playing snooker, pool, darts etc for no money or expenses, club players I'm talking about, basically chasing a dream of turning pro or just enjoying a hobby. Just buying a cue does not give some one a right to earn money from it, and the danger factor or the cost is irrelevant, it is the path they choose to pursue. By the same token just buying a bike does not give a rider the right to make a living, or even cover his costs. Most peoples hobbies cost them money. As it is conference league is a glorified training league which probably costs the staging promoter money and the riders should either be prepared to fund their own hobby or quit. It is nice when they get a bit of sponsorship or some pay for riding in a meeting but it shoul not be expected.

 

By your reasoning then NO rider should be paid at all,no one asked Tony Rickardson or any rider for that matter to take up the Sport, so you must see them all as amatuer's doing it for love....

 

Is that how you see it ???

[Jeff.]

No not at all. Rickardsson and all the top Elite League riders are in theory earning money for their employers, the same as any employee would and can reasonably command the going rate for the job. A conference rider doesn't yet fall into that category. Compare players at Manchester United getting 60K a week, that does not entitle Sunday League players to earn money from the game.

[Team Man]

Hi Jeff

 

I understand what you are getting at, but if we were never to pay these riders anything we would stifle the influx of new riders coming through , this is precisely why the Conference League was set up so we could help riders along with payment instead of riders doing 2nd halves at there own expense and falling by the wayside..... I hope this clarifys the point.

[Jeff.]

Absolutely agree team man, I am all for encouraging junior riders. Please don't get the impression I am anti conference league, nothing could be further from the truth. I am just stating the fact that anyones pay is largely governed by their worth to their employer and how much employing them is likely to make that employer. In the case of junior riders the answer is probably very little. As these riders get better they may get a Premier League place where hopefully more people are willing to pay to watch them race and they then start to be more suitably rewarded.

[Phil]

fact that anyones pay is largely governed by their worth to their employer and how much employing them is likely to make that employer.  

In the case of junior riders the answer is probably very little. As these riders get better they may get a Premier League place where

 

£10,000 for a the sale of a junior Premier League assets is not a bad earning to the promoter in my eyes but on the other hand some promoters do run CL meetings at a large loss.

[Team Man]

Absolutely agree team man, I am all for encouraging junior riders. Please don't get the impression I am anti conference league, nothing could be further from the truth. I am just stating the fact that anyones pay is largely governed by their worth to their employer and how much employing them is likely to make that employer. In the case of junior riders the answer is probably very little. As these riders get better they may get a Premier League place where hopefully more people are willing to pay to watch them race and they then start to be more suitably rewarded.

 

My point is unless we pay them to help them along they won't get the chance of a PL place,when I was running Conference I lost money but I had to pay riders, you cant ask a rider to go all the way down to St Austell for instance at their own expense,its bad enough for the money they get, I know going down there cost me a packet in more ways than one.

 

And if you don't put on a show you cant expect to get people to pay to watch, its a viscous circle.

[Vince]

I understand what Jeff is saying but don't think that you can group football, snooker, darts etc with Speedway. The participants in any of those sports usually compete in local leagues and any of them probably only spend a couple of hundred pounds to follow their sport for a year. Presumably the majority of Conference riders intend to go on to higher things within the sport and therefore would need top quality equipment to be competetive and attract attention. My beer mat maths suggest that for a rider to be competitive at Conference level would take between £10,000 and £15,000 per year. That is to have 2 bikes, a reliable van, riding gear and spares and also allows a few quid for engine rebuilds and crash damage. This is based on only 20 meetings per year so could easily be higher. Over the same amount of meetings a 7 point rider rider can earn £700 points money and roughly £120 expenses. That still represents a massive commitment by the rider.

I would suggest that the promoters can't be making much, if any money on Conference matches so to keep riders in the sport the costs need to be reduced. So what about:

1. Only one bike/ Engine per rider to be registered at the start of the season. This would have 2 benefits in that it would reduce the initial outlay and maintenance costs and would also force riders to learn how to get the best out of an engine for the track and conditions rather than just use the other bike. I would suggest that at this level they only be allowed to use standard bikes but it would be impossible to police.

2. All bikes and/or engines to be at least one year old, again to reduce costs.

3. North and South leagues to reduce travel costs and time off school or work.

4. All riders get their first years racing licence free. It doesn't save a fortune but it would show some interest in new blood by the ACU/ BSPA.

From a personal point of view having a son who is considering going from Motocross to Speedway it is a far more expensive sport in which to be competitive, with bikes needing to be modified to be really competitive and a great deal of travelling. Most forms of motorsport have one make, minimal cost race series to bring new talent along and I can't see why Speedway couldn't evolve something similar. For sure the sport must be losing a lot of talent to other, cheaper sports.

[Lioness]

My tuppence worth is that Jeff seems to think of CL racing in the way I think of second half racing.

To me, CL racing isn't the sunday league equivalent to Manchester Utd, CL is the Darlington equivalent to Man Utd and Darlo players get paid accordingly......

Second halves are the Sunday league equivalent imo

[Guest Smiggs]

if promoters aren't able to afford the costs they shouldn't have to pay, it is up to the governing body, elite, and premier league clubs to plough money into development of riders.

 

If a rider is an asset to a club in the pl or el then they should be paid extra by that promotion to ride in the cl its in the best interests of all parties.

 

The governing body should setup a fund to develop new riders.

 

Has anyone at the sport looked at lottery or government funding? Alot of other sports which previously weren't able to afford to be proffessional like rowing (its popular once every 4 years o/ ) are now because of this type of funding.

 

Leaving the funding down to private individuals who also have to break even is just silly organisations such as FAST are a step in the right direction but a more centrally orientated approach from the promotors and so on would work wonders for the development of riders.

[Team Man]

if promoters aren't able to afford the costs they shouldn't have to pay, it is up to the governing body, elite, and premier league clubs to plough money into development of riders.

 

If a rider is an asset to a club in the pl or el then they should be paid extra by that promotion to ride in the cl its in the best interests of all parties.

 

The governing body should setup a fund to develop new riders.

 

Has anyone at the sport looked at lottery or government funding? Alot of other sports which previously weren't able to afford to be proffessional like rowing (its popular once every 4 years o/ ) are now because of this type of funding.

 

Leaving the funding down to private individuals who also have to break even is just silly organisations such as FAST are a step in the right direction but a more centrally orientated approach from the promotors and so on would work wonders for the development of riders.

 

 

Hi "Smiggs"

 

What is topsy turvy is that a Conference League Promoter cannot own riders, he can find a young promising rider,bring him on untill he's doing well,he turns 16, the PL can then use him in matches,and the Conference Promoter gets nothing for the use of that rider,he's at risk of injury whilst in the PL, and then can't ride for the conference promoter.

 

Indeed at 16 the Rider can be signed by a PL/EL team and the CL Promoter gets nothing!!!!!! I'm talking of course about stand alone Conference Teams, and its because of these teams that the sport is growing.

 

As for Lottery funding, it has been applied for in some cases, but you mentioned Rowing in particular, you only have to look at the people in that sport and others like it, and then look at the the people dealing with Lottery Funding and there you have the answer!!!!!!