Tai Woffinden Misses Next Years El

[Pinny]

 

Think the suggestion is aimed at ALL the top guys that dip out season after season.

Unless you think an EL is Elite without the top guys in.

Your the one whos persistently said the elite is the elite league despite many saying the pl isnt far off its standard.... Haha.

[Guest]

Promoters can agree on anything they like - but it won't happen because they don't own their stadia and therefore cannot dictate to their landlords!!

 

A valid point mentioned here by others many times - sadly is just does not seem to sink in with many readers. Many stadiums have other events to cater for - hence no chance of Elite League ever being with all matches on the same night of the week.

[B.V 72]

FACT 1. I have suggested back to back race nights not a singular race night.

FACT 2. All existing EL stadiums could be made avaialble on either a Thursday or Friday. some on one night only others on both nights.

 

SUGGESTION. Maybe iin the near future, those speedway promotions who can't provide stadiums in support of a back to back approach need to consider if they should continue to belong in the EL as their inability to secure appropriate facilities prevent UK EL speedway moving with the times.

Your suggestion seems to contradict your fact 2.

 

We are down to 8 Elite league clubs now.How many more do you want to lose.

[bigcatdiary]

Ok lets look at it another way. why is it that all GP riders ride in Poland & Sweden or DK but they do not ride in the UK (all of them) OK so maybe the other leagues pay more (why cant the UK do the same? - reason poor promotion = poor crowds = lack of money)

 

The other main reason - Too much travel to complete fixtures in UK. solution, promoters need to agree on two back to back days when tracks can have back to back meetings if they continue to insist on one home meeting each during most weeks of the season.

 

Promoters need to make the prospect for top speedway in the UK appealing to both fans and riders - then they will get the right quanity of both attending the meetings to make EL speedway worthy of the name

I am pretty sure that the Danish riders have to ride Danish League to be able to compete in the Danish Championships and get entry in the WC events, is Woffinden still eligible/able to ride in the British Championship in 2015

[Trees]

I am pretty sure that the Danish riders have to ride Danish League to be able to compete in the Danish Championships and get entry in the WC events, is Woffinden still eligible/able to ride in the British Championship in 2015

Why would he want to?

[westhamboy66]

As a fan of Tai it pains me to say it but for me he joins a long list of riders like Hancock,Crump, Pedersen, Hampel, Holder, etc etc the list is a long one. These are all riders who are driven by greed and have no thought whatsover for British Speedway and who have each kicked British Speedway in the teeth while it's going down. Each of them have used the sport for their own ends whether it's getting in a bit of early season practice that's not available in Sweden or Poland or to come and a few meetings as Hancock did for Poole. To be brutally honest they are no better than mercenaries.

That's fine it's a short career and they go where the money takes them but they have taken an enormous amount of money over the years and I honestly feel they owe the British League something. Instead they get adoring fans wishing them well whilst the sport here goes under at senior level.

How ironic that some of the guilty ones in the past come back as soon as they are a little over the hill.

Yes the sport is run by a bunch of clowns over here but the top riders must also take some of the blame with their selfish attitudes.

Come Cardiff time I will be supporting the riders who support British Speedway and if that means cheering a Darcy Ward win (assuming he is allowed to ride) then so be it. As for Tai he'll be back, the grass is rarely greener on the other side

[Steve0]

As a fan of Tai it pains me to say it but for me he joins a long list of riders like Hancock,Crump, Pedersen, Hampel, Holder, etc etc the list is a long one. These are all riders who are driven by greed and have no thought whatsover for British Speedway and who have each kicked British Speedway in the teeth while it's going down. Each of them have used the sport for their own ends whether it's getting in a bit of early season practice that's not available in Sweden or Poland or to come and a few meetings as Hancock did for Poole. To be brutally honest they are no better than mercenaries.

That's fine it's a short career and they go where the money takes them but they have taken an enormous amount of money over the years and I honestly feel they owe the British League something. Instead they get adoring fans wishing them well whilst the sport here goes under at senior level.

How ironic that some of the guilty ones in the past come back as soon as they are a little over the hill.

Yes the sport is run by a bunch of clowns over here but the top riders must also take some of the blame with their selfish attitudes.

Come Cardiff time I will be supporting the riders who support British Speedway and if that means cheering a Darcy Ward win (assuming he is allowed to ride) then so be it. As for Tai he'll be back, the grass is rarely greener on the other side

I have to disagree with most of what you have written. These riders owe British Speedway NOTHING . Like most of us would, they go where the money is but more than that, they try and get a better work/life balance for themselves and their families. Riding in the UK means riding many different nights of the week and this is just not convenient for the modern day top riders. You expect them to have some sort of loyalty to British Speedway - when in reality it has to work both ways. Like all of us the only loyalty needed is to your work contract and all of these expire at the end of a season for speedway riders.

 

My view of British Speedway is for them to get themselves sorted out as, in the hands of the BSPA, the sport is dying on its backside and they seem incapable of sorting it out. So the blame lies with the BSPA and not with the riders! Do you think the top riders in the world want to be in a team made up from FTRs where a lot of them last season weren't even good enough for the NL?

Edited November 30, 2014 by Steve0

[1 valve]

Your suggestion seems to contradict your fact 2.

 

We are down to 8 Elite league clubs now.How many more do you want to lose.

Actually, I would like to increase the number to 10 as a minimum.

 

Howver, you are correct my suggestion does appear to be a contradiction to fact 2, I was refering to the possible issue that a team might not be prepared to move from an existing race night (say Wednesday) to a Friday if that was one of the back to back nights (Thursday Friday).

[Gavan]

Cant believe the flak Tai is getting though its from the usual band of people.

 

Has rode over here for numerous years and has promoted the sport over here tirelessly.

 

I for one dont blame him for cutting his scheduale down and if its the country that pays him the least so be it.

 

How many of the top top riders ride over here? Not the top3 in the world thats for sure.

 

Cant remember to many fans saying 'good riddance ' to Holder when he didnt ride here.

 

What about Hancock? A genuine nice guy who did a couple of months to earn some money over here but no intention of staying permanantly? Far worse than what Tai is doing.

 

Those of you saying he is now Aussie need to grow up a bit quite pathetic.

[phillipsr]

I have to disagree with most of what you have written. These riders owe British Speedway NOTHING . Like most of us would, they go where the money is but more than that, they try and get a better work/life balance for themselves and their families. Riding in the UK means riding many different nights of the week and this is just not convenient for the modern day top riders. You expect them to have some sort of loyalty to British Speedway - when in reality it has to work both ways. Like all of us the only loyalty needed is to your work contract and all of these expire at the end of a season for speedway riders.

 

My view of British Speedway is for them to get themselves sorted out as, in the hands of the BSPA, the sport is dying on its backside and they seem incapable of sorting it out. So the blame lies with the BSPA and not with the riders! Do you think the top riders in the world want to be in a team made up from FTRs where a lot of them last season weren't even good enough for the NL?

This is spot on IMO

[E I Addio]

FACT 1. I have suggested back to back race nights not a singular race night.

FACT 2. All existing EL stadiums could be made avaialble on either a Thursday or Friday. some on one night only others on both nights.

.

Do you have any firm evidence to support your contention that all existing EL stadiums could be made available on a Thursday or Friday? Have you spoken to any stadium owners ? Unless you can state positively that the stadium owners can make the venues available then the comment remains an assumption, not a fact. If the point is to be taken seriously you cannot just wave these potential hurdles away as if they don't exist. How would you deal with the clash with Danish League fixtures for example?

 

However, the thread topic is specifically about Tai Woffinden. According to his Speedway Star interview Tai is not advocating back to back race nights, he wants a single race night, but more than that he specifically wants the single race night to be Monday so even your idea of back to back race nights would not get him back on that basis.

Actually, I would like to increase the number to 10 as a minimum.

).

How would you increase the number of EL clubs tp 10? Peterborough , Birmingham and Eastbourne have gone. Who is going to replace them? No PL club wants to come up and it's even touch and go whether Boro can survive in the PL.

 

It's difficult to see any arrangement that would get Tai back to the EL in 2015.

[SteveLyric2]

Do you have any firm evidence to support your contention that all existing EL stadiums could be made available on a Thursday or Friday? Have you spoken to any stadium owners ? Unless you can state positively that the stadium owners can make the venues available then the comment remains an assumption, not a fact. If the point is to be taken seriously you cannot just wave these potential hurdles away as if they don't exist. How would you deal with the clash with Danish League fixtures for example?

 

However, the thread topic is specifically about Tai Woffinden. According to his Speedway Star interview Tai is not advocating back to back race nights, he wants a single race night, but more than that he specifically wants the single race night to be Monday so even your idea of back to back race nights would not get him back on that basis.

 

How would you increase the number of EL clubs tp 10? Peterborough , Birmingham and Eastbourne have gone. Who is going to replace them? No PL club wants to come up and it's even touch and go whether Boro can survive in the PL.

 

It's difficult to see any arrangement that would get Tai back to the EL in 2015.

Not getting paid what he's been promised in either Poland or Sweden might convince him??!!!

Edited November 30, 2014 by Skidder1

[arnieg]

I am pretty sure that the Danish riders have to ride Danish League to be able to compete in the Danish Championships and get entry in the WC events, is Woffinden still eligible/able to ride in the British Championship in 2015

Are you sure?

 

I don't think Kenny Bjerre rode in the Danish Superliga last year, but he rode in GP qualifying rounds on a Danish licence and was seeded to Danish Championship final.

[weatherwatcher]

If they can't get the former world champion to ride over here and he is British and has by the sounds of things had enough of the EL. Then the promoter have no chance at all to get the worlds top riders to even bother coming over here to ride in tired old dog tracks, not knowing from one week to the next which night they are riding on.

Things have got to alter and alter fast, or the EL will end up as just an extention of the PL with all of the same people riding in both leagues, much the same as it is now I am afraid.

We no longer have an EL as there are very few big names now left riding in it. Time to make one big North South League.

[1 valve]

Do you have any firm evidence to support your contention that all existing EL stadiums could be made available on a Thursday or Friday? Have you spoken to any stadium owners ? Unless you can state positively that the stadium owners can make the venues available then the comment remains an assumption, not a fact. If the point is to be taken seriously you cannot just wave these potential hurdles away as if they don't exist. How would you deal with the clash with Danish League fixtures for example?

 

However, the thread topic is specifically about Tai Woffinden. According to his Speedway Star interview Tai is not advocating back to back race nights, he wants a single race night, but more than that he specifically wants the single race night to be Monday so even your idea of back to back race nights would not get him back on that basis.

 

How would you increase the number of EL clubs tp 10? Peterborough , Birmingham and Eastbourne have gone. Who is going to replace them? No PL club wants to come up and it's even touch and go whether Boro can survive in the PL.

 

It's difficult to see any arrangement that would get Tai back to the EL in 2015.

quick answers.

1. Yes - and if you think about it, which track could not be made available on either a Thursday or a Friday.

2. Yes - stadium owners and promoters - but guess what? some dont want to change because it means changing their race night.

3. I said I would like 10...achieved over time by better promotion of the sport on a united planning for the future basis.

4. Tai prefers/wants one race night, agreed but I think we know clubs need meetings to be more regular than one every two weeks hence my suggestion of back to back nights.

 

BTW I like the idea of one meeting per week and all it would take is for the home team/promoter to meet the cost of both teams and its possible.

 

I fear the problem with EL promters (who actually I admire for giving it a go) is that they dont quite realise that "doing what you have always done only gets you what you have always got" ....and they have got a slippy slope to tp class speedway obliveon. And I find that quite sad and avoidable.

Edited November 30, 2014 by 1 valve

[E I Addio]

quick answers.

1. Yes - and if you think about it, which track could not be made available on either a Thursday or a Friday.

2. Yes - stadium owners and promoters - but guess what? some dont want to change because it means changing their race night.

3. I said I would like 10...achieved over time by better promotion of the sport on a united planning for the future basis.

4. Tai prefers/wants one race night, agreed but I think we know clubs need meetings to be more regular than one every two weeks hence my suggestion of back to back nights.

 

BTW I like the idea of one meeting per week and all it would take is for the home team/promoter to meet the cost of both teams and its possible.

 

I fear the problem with EL promters (who actually I admire for giving it a go) is that they dont quite realise that "doing what you have always done only gets you what you have always got" ....and they have got a slippy slope to tp class speedway obliveon. And I find that quite sad and avoidable.

So the next question then is who are these promoters that won't you say won't change (I.e.names)?

 

The reason I ask is that is that I keep reading about clubs that want a Friday race night but can't get one. Belle Vue for example apparently want to change to Friday but it won't happen until they get the new stadium. Rick Frost wanted Friday in Peterboros EL days but it didn't happen in the ELor PL. Lakeside, Coventryand Swindon are already Thursday or zfridaytracks, so if what you say is corect those refusing to change must be some or all out of Wolves, Poole, Lynn, and Leicester so which ones are they?

 

Even if there was a change to Thurs/Fri meetings what happens on GP weekends and what happens about clashes with the Danish League and lower Swedish league ?

 

The only reason Lakeside got AJ back is because we will now have a fixture list that concentrates on non-GP weeks .even if we could get over all the hurdles and have regular Thurs /fri meetings it seems likely that AJ would not be one of the continental riders here and probably non of the others unless you still had fortnightly meetings during the GP season, so I still don't see how Thurs /Fri would get GP riders back in numbers.

Edited November 30, 2014 by E I Addio

[SteveLyric2]

So the next question then is who are these promoters that won't you say won't change (I.e.names)?

 

The reason I ask is that is that I keep reading about clubs that want a Friday race night but can't get one. Belle Vue for example apparently want to change to Friday but it won't happen until they get the new stadium. Rick Frost wanted Friday in Peterboros EL days but it didn't happen in the ELor PL. Lakeside, Coventryand Swindon are already Thursday or zfridaytracks, so if what you say is corect those refusing to change must be some or all out of Wolves, Poole, Lynn, and Leicester so which ones are they?

 

Even if there was a change to Thurs/Fri meetings what happens on GP weekends and what happens about clashes with the Danish League and lower Swedish league ?

 

The only reason Lakeside got AJ back is because we will now have a fixture list that concentrates on non-GP weeks .even if we could get over all the hurdles and have regular Thurs /fri meetings it seems likely that AJ would not be one of the continental riders here and probably non of the others unless you still had fortnightly meetings during the GP season, so I still don't see how Thurs /Fri would get GP riders back in numbers.

The only reason Lakeside got AJ back rather than Coventry - according to Mick Horton - is because its closer to Stanstead!!

[E I Addio]

The only reason Lakeside got AJ back rather than Coventry - according to Mick Horton - is because its closer to Stanstead!!

 

 

Yeah, but in Horton speak that's probably a euphemism for "Lakeside got AJ back rather than Coventry because he knows he'll get paid on time there"

[orion]

Cant believe the flak Tai is getting though its from the usual band of people.

 

Has rode over here for numerous years and has promoted the sport over here tirelessly.

 

I for one dont blame him for cutting his scheduale down and if its the country that pays him the least so be it.

 

How many of the top top riders ride over here? Not the top3 in the world thats for sure.

 

Cant remember to many fans saying 'good riddance ' to Holder when he didnt ride here.

 

What about Hancock? A genuine nice guy who did a couple of months to earn some money over here but no intention of staying permanantly? Far worse than what Tai is doing.

 

Those of you saying he is now Aussie need to grow up a bit quite pathetic.

Not really he just used the system and the flag .. I never seen him as a brit and if the truth is told nor does he when he quits speedway he already said he's going live in qz etc ....Not sure how putting next to zero effort last year in the uk was promoting the sport .

[stevebrum]

Not really he just used the system and the flag .. I never seen him as a brit and if the truth is told nor does he when he quits speedway he already said he's going live in qz etc ....Not sure how putting next to zero effort last year in the uk was promoting the sport .

 

 

Tut tut.

So all the promotion and raising money in the UK for charity isn't pro British??

 

Haven't seen one other world champ do as much promotion and fund raising (which gains publicity for the sport) as Tai.

For that alone our BRIT should have much respect.

 

Just to add, id rather he did/does his fund raising outside of the Speedway season because it is the EL and Wolves that suffered because of this extra pressure.