Popular Post IainB Posted September 5, 2014 Popular Post Report Share Posted September 5, 2014 Alex Harkess, when are you going to step up and do something for British Speedway and step down! As chairman of British Speedway you have presided over the continual decline of the sport over the last number of years to the point last night where we had a Wolverhampton team riding at Swindon consisting of no Wolverhampton riders and a 5 man Coventry team tracked consisting of 3 Coventry riders! We are now at a point in this country where league racing is unsustainable, there are just not enough riders available to run 3 leagues with riders doubling and in some cases tripling up with countless fixture clashes. We have the new Fast Track system in place, which at the start of the year seemed like a great idea to bring on the youth of British Speedway, but as the season as gone on this has turned into a farce, with the inevitable injuries that have occurred you now have 27 year old veterans on this list. The season started off on a farcical note with the ELRC and the subsequent promise of inquiries etc, but to my knowledge there was no punishment dished out, the list goes on, far too many for me to list here but just browsing through the forums on the pages and pages of things that should just not be happening in a so called professionally run sport. And what do we ever hear from Alex Harkess? What is his strategy for the improvement of the sport? Is there a plan? Where is the leadership? When is somebody going to take some responsibility? 18 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skidder1 Posted September 5, 2014 Report Share Posted September 5, 2014 At least he's a PL promoter at the helm - its the nearest you'll get to 'impartial' as far as the EL is concerned!! I like him - but agree he doesn't seem to get the support he deserves. Its too much for just one person to sort out!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agrotron Posted September 5, 2014 Report Share Posted September 5, 2014 Yeah get out Harkess Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pandorum Posted September 5, 2014 Report Share Posted September 5, 2014 And what do we ever hear from Alex Harkess? What is his strategy for the improvement of the sport? Is there a plan? Where is the leadership? When is somebody going to take some responsibility? Did all the previous incumbents have to fulfil these criteria? Why pick on him he is no better or worse than anyone else who has had that job. I can't recall any plan to improve speedway and have never seen any leadership from those in charge. It's like the Who song. Meet the new boss same as the old boss. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
screm Posted September 5, 2014 Report Share Posted September 5, 2014 Ok Harkess goes, what then, who takes over that would make that much of an improvement. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gee jay Posted September 5, 2014 Report Share Posted September 5, 2014 he's certainly out of touch with the majority of fans and riders , you only have to look at the stance over the new european meetings but he must be echoing what the promoters are thinking so him resigning wouldn't make any difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheReturn Posted September 5, 2014 Report Share Posted September 5, 2014 Alex Harkess, when are you going to step up and do something for British Speedway and step down! As chairman of British Speedway you have presided over the continual decline of the sport over the last number of years to the point last night where we had a Wolverhampton team riding at Swindon consisting of no Wolverhampton riders and a 5 man Coventry team tracked consisting of 3 Coventry riders! We are now at a point in this country where league racing is unsustainable, there are just not enough riders available to run 3 leagues with riders doubling and in some cases tripling up with countless fixture clashes. We have the new Fast Track system in place, which at the start of the year seemed like a great idea to bring on the youth of British Speedway, but as the season as gone on this has turned into a farce, with the inevitable injuries that have occurred you now have 27 year old veterans on this list. The season started off on a farcical note with the ELRC and the subsequent promise of inquiries etc, but to my knowledge there was no punishment dished out, the list goes on, far too many for me to list here but just browsing through the forums on the pages and pages of things that should just not be happening in a so called professionally run sport. And what do we ever hear from Alex Harkess? What is his strategy for the improvement of the sport? Is there a plan? Where is the leadership? When is somebody going to take some responsibility? Seems very personal that post. But one question, who is the person to bring leadership? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arson fire Posted September 5, 2014 Report Share Posted September 5, 2014 Ok Harkess goes, what then, who takes over that would make that much of an improvement.i propose Starman 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulco Posted September 5, 2014 Report Share Posted September 5, 2014 Aye give the job to Matt Ford ............................................then sit back and enjoy the fireworks 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
screm Posted September 5, 2014 Report Share Posted September 5, 2014 i propose Starman There is only one person capable of solving the task of sorting out British Speedway, he is the standard setter on the Berwick threads. The one, the only Bigeddiechek. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THE DEAN MACHINE Posted September 5, 2014 Report Share Posted September 5, 2014 What will replacing one man achieve? .speedways problems go far deeper than replacing one man. The whole sport needs to change ,the bikes ,the pay,the rules, the riders. Start with 4 riders racing over 4 laps and work upwards. .when any rule is proposed ask the question will it bring fans through the turnstiles?. If not dont do it. The thing about it is we have one of the breathtaking and exciting forms of entertainment in the world to start with. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IainB Posted September 5, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 5, 2014 At least he's a PL promoter at the helm - its the nearest you'll get to 'impartial' as far as the EL is concerned!! I like him - but agree he doesn't seem to get the support he deserves. Its too much for just one person to sort out!! This is not league specific, the problem runs throughout the whole sport, all 3 leagues and individual competitions Did all the previous incumbents have to fulfil these criteria? Doesn't matter what's gone now, they should have done. It's the future we should be thinking about, or there might not be one Why pick on him he is no better or worse than anyone else who has had that job. Because he's the man in post I can't recall any plan to improve speedway and have never seen any leadership from those in charge. So let's start now Ok Harkess goes, what then, who takes over that would make that much of an improvement. OK let's give up Seems very personal that post.It's personal because he's the man in post 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The White Knight Posted September 5, 2014 Report Share Posted September 5, 2014 (edited) What will replacing one man achieve? .speedways problems go far deeper than replacing one man. The whole sport needs to change ,the bikes ,the pay,the rules, the riders. Start with 4 riders racing over 4 laps and work upwards. .when any rule is proposed ask the question will it bring fans through the turnstiles?. If not dont do it. The thing about it is we have one of the breathtaking and exciting forms of entertainment in the world to start with. Good Post Dean. You are right - the Sport needs a huge top down overhaul. There are lots of things to love about Speedway but sadly there is a terrible lot wrong with it too. You have listed a number of them in your Post. Speedway will never be as good as it once was for all the reasons you say - but - another couple of reasons may be the loss of the Smell and to an extent the Noise as well. Neither of these things the Sport can do anything about given the Legal situation these days regarding the Environment. It is amazing how many folk that no longer attend Speedway say - I used to love the smell (so did I) and the noise. I reckon that those factors will not have helped the Sport either. Regarding Mr. Harkess - he is probably doing as good a job as he can in the circumstances - ie: the people he has to deal with - as anyone else could do. I see nobody,sadly, at the very top of the Sport who seems capable of taking Speedway by the scruff of the neck and really sorting it out. THAT is what it needs. I am certainly not sure any of the current top people could do any better. Speedway also needs to do something to restore it's credibility as well. Edited September 5, 2014 by The White Knight 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chadster Posted September 6, 2014 Report Share Posted September 6, 2014 Alex Harkness can't be blamed for the rain, which has so disrupted fixtures, for the injuries which have so depleted teams, or for foreign riders deciding not to honour UK commitments. If these problems which we've seen last week recur next season, then he most certainly deserves blame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
george.m Posted September 6, 2014 Report Share Posted September 6, 2014 Ok Harkess goes, what then, who takes over that would make that much of an improvement. Who would want the job? Chances are someone EL with a vested interest. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starman2006 Posted September 6, 2014 Report Share Posted September 6, 2014 (edited) i propose Starman Yeh lovely, happy to oblige. I'l propose Matt Ford as my righthand man!! Ive always said, you should have somebody to run the EL, and somebody to take charge of the PL affairs.. But with also a top ex rider who is totally impartial to Sanction the proposals of both leagues, so it is done properly and professionally. Edited September 6, 2014 by Starman2006 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seymour Dix Posted September 6, 2014 Report Share Posted September 6, 2014 What is not in doubt is that Speedway is a spectacular exciting sport, it just needs to be managed properly. Maybe what is needed is someone maybe not associated with the sport, to stand back look at the structure , the riules etc of British Speedway in depth , grab it by the scuff of the neck and say ' this is what has to done ' 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevePark Posted September 6, 2014 Report Share Posted September 6, 2014 Why blame Alex Harkess? All he is is the Chairman of the BSPA Committee. If you are going to blame anyone, you can't just blame one individual, you have to blame all the others too. Being independently governed might be the way to go, but, I fear, they (whoever they may be) would still be full of self interest, that's if you can find someone in the first place. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arson fire Posted September 6, 2014 Report Share Posted September 6, 2014 Why blame Alex Harkess? All he is is the Chairman of the BSPA Committee. If you are going to blame anyone, you can't just blame one individual, you have to blame all the others too. Being independently governed might be the way to go, but, I fear, they (whoever they may be) would still be full of self interest, that's if you can find someone in the first place. He is the figure head that's why.... And I assume very instrumental in the goings on and direction of the managment commitee?? Of whom it's obvious some have more say than others....Least you recognise ' they' are full of self interest. Be interesting to know who decides things like blocking certain team changes with in the rules, granting a facility for one team but denying for another in re arranged matches, deciding for eg Brady Kurtz was a 3 then a 5... When he should have been a 7??.... The Dennis Anderson farce of Poole getting him on a 4 point average ... The list goes on. Harkess pulled stunts like burger gate, so it just goes to show how stupid the sport he is figure head of is really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starman2006 Posted September 6, 2014 Report Share Posted September 6, 2014 He is the figure head that's why.... And I assume very instrumental in the goings on and direction of the managment commitee?? Of whom it's obvious some have more say than others.... Least you recognise ' they' are full of self interest. Be interesting to know who decides things like blocking certain team changes with in the rules, granting a facility for one team but denying for another in re arranged matches, deciding for eg Brady Kurtz was a 3 then a 5... When he should have been a 7??.... The Dennis Anderson farce of Poole getting him on a 4 point average ... The list goes on. Harkess pulled stunts like burger gate, so it just goes to show how stupid the sport he is figure head of is really. Ah i wondered when it would start. Nothing like bringing Poole and Somerset into the argument.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.