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Why So Few Brits


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Apart from when choosing the hopeless Stachyra ahead of the promising Howarth ...

 

Unfortunately I don't have any say in team matters. The question was originally bout Poole sponsors sponsoring a Brit at Poole not team selection.

Edited by Pirate Nick
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Can they?

 

I'd have thought that some track may make themselves available, but many, especially the bigger clubs wouldn't. How is this different from the UK and our availability of training tracks and other places to ride?

God you must be Nieve! i am sure most young uns would go anywhere for a ride in England.lBut now with the curfew i know blokes who have gone to practice/ test engines get to 10.02 and night over!
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They brought in foreign riders because Rye House (and Mildenhall) wanted to sign Danes, and the law dictated they were allowed to - the (then) NL had no choice.

 

Howevre, as mentioned above, that doesn't mean that teams have to sign riders from other EU countries - they just seem to have become the easier option because there's much less effort to bring in a pre-trained Dane than make the efort to train your own Brits.

 

I have long advocated the introduction of the rule to prevent non-Brit averages going below their initial Assessed average (also menetioned above) - on the basis that if non-brits can be given an assessed average, then they should be expected to attain it.

 

The other disaster regarding assessed averages was when the EL decided on a drastic cut in the overall Team Average, but then cut the starting 6.00 given to all non-Brits to 4.00, which allowed them to employ in just as many as they had before.

 

The huge overall issue, as has been the case since the Shawcross Report, is that thepromoters ru(i)n their own sport, and are basically unaccountable. The so-called Speedway (absolutely no) Control Bureau simply rubber-stamps the rule changes, without question. On top of that, the natural competitiveness of the promoters combined with their mutual distrust, means that they are always looking for ways to get one over on each other.

 

Lots of applicable metaphors - my favourites are:

 

The BSPA fiddles while the sport burns.

 

The BSPA's Lttle Emperors all admire each others New Clothes - but we can all see they are starkers.

 

 

 

The original question had two threads, the second of which was "Do you think British youngsters get a fair crack of the whip at Poole ?" - and the answer is clearly: No.

 

In most cases riders at Poole do get a fair crack of the whip. However if they don't perform the promotion is ruthless and rightly so in my opinion (how many fans on here screaming for team changes and nothing happening)?. This year I felt Kyle was hard done by but was more a victim of circumstances rather than form issues. I was disappointed he went but I'm certain he will be part of Poole's plans for the future.

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No solutions here...

I think you answered all your questions before you started to ask them. British speedway simply has no solutions to it's problems.

 

Many reasons spring to mind ... which I think could be a big factor the very large choice of other sports they can choose from in this country...the obvious soccer which is everywhere but also rugby and cricket for two examples that do not exist in Poland, Sweden and Denmark.

Check out the popularity of Ice Hockey, Handball, Basketball and Volleyball in those countries. They are as big over there as rugby and cricket are over here. Hells bells, the SWC track in Prague is even built next to a USA specification Baseball pitch (I was told that the Czech's do very well in international baseball competitions). There are other sports out there, we just don't open our minds to them, and in relative terms therefore, we are neither advantaged or disadvantaged from our continental rivals.

 

Where I think we go badly wrong is in this country's parenting. Look at these late night TV shows like Costa Del Crime, Sun, Sex and Suspicious Parents, Worlds Strictest Parents and all those other shows that highlight the dysfunctional generation of yoof that this country is raising. That's the batch that "our" riders come from. Look at Bridger, Barker, and now Cook, and petulance and immature attitudes seem inbred in them. I wonder how many of these were "too cool for skool" in their early teens? How many know a second language that will allow them to prosper in other speedway riding countries? If our 16-year-olds were as grown up and as responsible as human beings as the Aussies, Scandinavians and Poles, that would be a good start...and the sort of parenting and upbringing to bring them to that sort of state should cost NOTHING!

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Ok - maybe I think of him as Aussie :wink: Corrected it now - sorry - honest oversight! I would have put Swindon down for 4 but Nick Morris chose to ride for Australia - can't say I'm surprised with the performance of our SWC team managers!!

 

But born in Scunthorpe, cant be anymore British! :wink:

You are forgiven. :D

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But born in Scunthorpe, cant be anymore British! :wink:

You are forgiven. :D

 

Crump was born in Bristol but he's not British :wink:

 

I like Tai too (apart from his body art) so I don't know how I missed him off

Edited by Steve0
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Crump was born in Bristol but he's not British :wink:

 

I like Tai too (apart from his body art) so I don't know how I missed him off

 

By birth Crump IS British!

Like Tai, you CAN chose!

And yes, i am amazed you missed him off in the first place!

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would/could that interfere with the EWR

 

No they wouldn't affect the EWR as it was pointed out in my post. Forein riders still come in on assessed averages. This is never put under question and therefore accepted. There would be no conflict to say that rider keeps that average until he reaches that figure.

 

 

More riders progressing from NL to PL and more scope to improve in the PL should mean more British riders progressing into the Elite League and then into the National team.

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If our 16-year-olds were as grown up and as responsible as human beings as the Aussies, Scandinavians and Poles, that would be a good start...and the sort of parenting and upbringing to bring them to that sort of state should cost NOTHING!
Yeah, because Lindback and Ward are paragons of virtue right?
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So much that the NL team lasted one whole (Championship-winning) season.

 

2 seasons actually and thoroughly enjoyable they were too. Unfortunatly people just couldnt afford 2 meetings a week and it was losing money hand over fist. It might worth a go now that there are so few elite fixtures but I really don't think its a viable proposition unless you own your own stadium or have bottomless pockets.

Edited by Pirate Nick
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2 seasons actually and thoroughly enjoyable they were too. Unfortunatly people just couldnt afford 2 meetings a week and it was losing money hand over fist. It might worth a go now that there are so few elite fixtures but I really don't think its a viable proposition unless you own your own stadium or have bottomless pockets.

Yes, sorry, two seasons. Even so, I'd have thought that, given all the support there is in Poole for youngsters, that a second team would have proved a workable proposition, especially since the Wildcats closed down.

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Yes, sorry, two seasons. Even so, I'd have thought that, given all the support there is in Poole for youngsters, that a second team would have proved a workable proposition, especially since the Wildcats closed down.

 

Sadly not also bear in mind that the Wildcats were only getting 100 or so every week including holidaymakers. I dont think many of them have been making the trip up on a Wednesday. as I said I don't think its a viable proposition unless you own the stadium. bear in mind Poole only get the gate money, no car park or food and drink.

 

ps Don't half miss Weymouth, great little track.

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2 seasons actually and thoroughly enjoyable they were too. Unfortunatly people just couldnt afford 2 meetings a week and it was losing money hand over fist. It might worth a go now that there are so few elite fixtures but I really don't think its a viable proposition unless you own your own stadium or have bottomless pockets.

 

Very fair point to accept people at Poole couldn't afford 2 meetings a week when both the Elite & National Leagues were being run at Wimborne Road ... in fact, it's not just the money aspect of 2 meetings a week that people can't afford because too many of them probably found it harder than they expected to spare the time to attend twice a week.

 

Edinburgh/Armadale, Newcastle (both Premier & Conference 2002-03-04), Newport (several seasons), Stoke (when they were still in the Premier as well as the Conference), Sheffield and Swindon (remember, the Sprockets existed about a decade ago) all found it was really easy for supporters to be enthusiastic in advance about all the extra speedway that was going to be on offer to them.

 

But plenty of that enthusiasm didn't translate into supporters actually turning up, especially for the Conference/National action in dodgier weather, hence proving what any crowd-pulling sports team should remember about being realistic that their crowd will always look forward to next time instead of starting to feel it's a bit of a chore going to watch yet another meeting in too busy a schedule.

Edited by arthur cross
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Very fair point to accept people at Poole couldn't afford 2 meetings a week when both the Elite & National Leagues were being run at Wimborne Road ... in fact, it's not just the money aspect of 2 meetings a week that people can't afford because too many of them probably found it harder than they expected to spare the time to attend twice a week.

 

Edinburgh/Armadale, Newcastle (both Premier & Conference 2002-03-04), Newport (several seasons), Stoke (when they were still in the Premier as well as the Conference), Sheffield and Swindon (remember, the Sprockets existed about a decade ago) all found it was really easy for supporters to be enthusiastic in advance about all the extra speedway that was going to be on offer to them.

 

But plenty of that enthusiasm didn't translate into supporters actually turning up, especially for the Conference/National action in dodgier weather, hence proving what any crowd-pulling sports team should remember about being realistic that their crowd will always look forward to next time instead of starting to feel it's a bit of a chore going to watch yet another meeting in too busy a schedule.

 

Speedway is now reaping the "rewards" of not investing in the future. I can't think of any sport that expects their reserve/ minor league / training teams to run at a profit. If the higher leagues had manged their expenses at a sustainable level, the TV money would have enabled them to subsiidize the development of future stars.

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Very fair point to accept people at Poole couldn't afford 2 meetings a week when both the Elite & National Leagues were being run at Wimborne Road ... in fact, it's not just the money aspect of 2 meetings a week that people can't afford because too many of them probably found it harder than they expected to spare the time to attend twice a week.

 

Edinburgh/Armadale, Newcastle (both Premier & Conference 2002-03-04), Newport (several seasons), Stoke (when they were still in the Premier as well as the Conference), Sheffield and Swindon (remember, the Sprockets existed about a decade ago) all found it was really easy for supporters to be enthusiastic in advance about all the extra speedway that was going to be on offer to them.

 

But plenty of that enthusiasm didn't translate into supporters actually turning up, especially for the Conference/National action in dodgier weather, hence proving what any crowd-pulling sports team should remember about being realistic that their crowd will always look forward to next time instead of starting to feel it's a bit of a chore going to watch yet another meeting in too busy a schedule.

 

Hence the reason why we(Newcastle) combined the meetings and held them on Sunday afternoons from 2003. We copied Newport. who had found it more viable to them.

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By birth Crump IS British!

 

Not so. Children take the direct line from their parents - and I think you'll find his father (and grandfather come to that) were Australians. Phil Crump and Neil Street.

 

More Brits encouraged in the EL? I like this description on the Lakeside Hammers website that describes this week's visitors King's Lynn: "

The Stars will be led the Danish World Cup captain Niels Kristian Iversen and will also include Andzejs Lebedevs, who also competed in the recent World Cup for Latvia. Also included in the stars side are three other Danish riders, Lasse Bjerre, Mads Korneliussen and Nicklas Porsing, Australian Rory Schlein and former Hammer Richie Worrall.

Edited by Guest
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Not so. Children take the direct line from their parents - and I think you'll find his father (and grandfather come to that) were Australians. Phil Crump and Neil Street.

 

More Brits encouraged in the EL? I like this description on the Lakeside Hammers website that describes this week's visitors King's Lynn: "

 

The Stars will be led the Danish World Cup captain Niels Kristian Iversen and will also include Andzejs Lebedevs, who also competed in the recent World Cup for Latvia. Also included in the stars side are three other Danish riders, Lasse Bjerre, Mads Korneliussen and Nicklas Porsing, Australian Rory Schlein and former Hammer Richie Worrall.

 

I am British but my son was born in the US. He is automatically an American citizen but also qualifies for British citizenship through my wife and I. You have to fill in some paperwork to prove you are British and submit it. I want to say I submitted it to the British Embassy in Washington DC but I can't remember now. I assume the same would apply between Britain/Australia.

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Not so. Children take the direct line from their parents - and I think you'll find his father (and grandfather come to that) were Australians. Phil Crump and Neil Street.

 

 

I should have said from their MALE parent.

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