PHILIPRISING Posted January 28, 2016 Report Share Posted January 28, 2016 POLISH league matches being televised on a Friday night this season is already beginning to have an impact on Elite League clubs in the UK. I heard today of one rider who originally was thought to be absent from his English club on just two occasions but that has already risen to seven. Polish meetings, by far the most lucrative, hold sway. This will undoubtedly only be the tip of the iceberg. It was my understanding that when the International Speedway Leagues committee was established at the FIM, with Britain's Alex Harkess as its Chairman, that this sort of thing would be avoided. Riders would be compelled to ride for whichever team required them on its established race night. In other words, riders contracted to, for example, Coventry and Lakeside would have to give priority to those teams on a Friday even if their Polish clubs arranged fixtures for the same nights. That, apparently, has gone out of the window with the Poles effectively riding rough shod over the rest. Sweden and Denmark, with their Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday race-nights, remain largely unaffected so are unlikely to kick up a fuss. It's Britain who are having sand kicked in their faces. Again ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racers and royals Posted January 28, 2016 Report Share Posted January 28, 2016 (edited) POLISH league matches being televised on a Friday night this season is already beginning to have an impact on Elite League clubs in the UK. I heard today of one rider who originally was thought to be absent from his English club on just two occasions but that has already risen to seven. Polish meetings, by far the most lucrative, hold sway. This will undoubtedly only be the tip of the iceberg. It was my understanding that when the International Speedway Leagues committee was established at the FIM, with Britain's Alex Harkess as its Chairman, that this sort of thing would be avoided. Riders would be compelled to ride for whichever team required them on its established race night. In other words, riders contracted to, for example, Coventry and Lakeside would have to give priority to those teams on a Friday even if their Polish clubs arranged fixtures for the same nights. That, apparently, has gone out of the window with the Poles effectively riding rough shod over the rest. Sweden and Denmark, with their Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday race-nights, remain largely unaffected so are unlikely to kick up a fuss. It's Britain who are having sand kicked in their faces. Again ... Whilst any extending from the norm of Polish league matches being exclusively on Sunday`s to now 7 Friday`s and 2 Saturday`s cannot be welcomed -Friday`s alone cannot be blamed solely for the un-named rider missing matches. this is the list of clubs riding on Friday`s Leszno 3, Torun 2, Gorzow 2 Rybnik 2 Grudziadz 2 Zielona Gora 2 and Tarnow 1 -Wroclaw not featured on Friday`s. I admit not easy -but fixture clashes with the UK could be probably lessened by a bit of tweaking to the UK fixtures. Edited January 28, 2016 by racers and royals Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arnieg Posted January 28, 2016 Report Share Posted January 28, 2016 What about Denmark a much greater percentage of their matches (40%) are on Fridays. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uk_martin Posted January 28, 2016 Report Share Posted January 28, 2016 (edited) ...It's Britain who are having sand kicked in their faces. Again ... Aww di-di-dums. What a shame. There's a country doing what's best for itself and not looking out for Blighty's best interests. Well, isn't that a crime? The British authorities kick sand into OneSport & FIM Europe's face over what it views to be "Mickey Mouse" tournaments like the SEC and then expects the Polish authorities to cut their own financial throats to do what's best for the BSPA. What a joke. And how entirely predictable, and preventable had the BSPA ever have bothered to get their heads out of their backsides a few years ago. The BSPA/SCB are magnanimous enough about Poland having Sundays to itself, but it wants the other days to have the Union Jack planted firmly in the diary against them, do they? Grow up and get serious. Britain no longers rules the waves in world speedway and has to stop sulking about it. And if Alex Harkness wants to be taken seriously, he should start by paying his train fares. In all honesty how many riders will all this ballyhoo be affecting? I'd have thought that the NICE League being run on Wednesdays in July would have more of an impact as there may be more riders at that level competing in the British Leagues. Edited January 28, 2016 by uk martin 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Humphrey Appleby Posted January 30, 2016 Report Share Posted January 30, 2016 (edited) POLISH league matches being televised on a Friday night this season is already beginning to have an impact on Elite League clubs in the UK. Or is that that the SGP is getting worried that Poland might start affecting their plans? I don't recall you expressing much concern when riders were going absent for GP practice in the past. I heard today of one rider who originally was thought to be absent from his English club on just two occasions but that has already risen to seven. Polish meetings, by far the most lucrative, hold sway. This will undoubtedly only be the tip of the iceberg. It was my understanding that when the International Speedway Leagues committee was established at the FIM, with Britain's Alex Harkess as its Chairman, that this sort of thing would be avoided. Riders would be compelled to ride for whichever team required them on its established race night. You know as well I as do that Polish teams always get their own way because they pay the piper. All this says though, is that Britain should run at an affordable level with riders committed to every meeting. Edited January 30, 2016 by Humphrey Appleby 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spiegal Posted January 30, 2016 Report Share Posted January 30, 2016 Or is that that the SGP is getting worried that Poland might start affecting their plans? I don't recall you expressing much concern when riders were going absent for GP practice in the past. You know as well I as do that Polish teams always get their own way because they pay the piper. All this says though, is that Britain should run at an affordable level with riders committed to every meeting. I am getting slightly concerned....the latter of teh 2 statements I absolutely agree with....am I feeling ill ????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trees Posted January 30, 2016 Report Share Posted January 30, 2016 Or is that that the SGP is getting worried that Poland might start affecting their plans? I don't recall you expressing much concern when riders were going absent for GP practice in the past. Ain't that the truth!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PHILIPRISING Posted January 30, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2016 TRACKS with GP riders know from November when their riders will be missing on Fridays and can plan accordingly... the change in race-night for Polish teams is only just starting to take affect and, of course, won't be on GP weekends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bagpuss Posted January 30, 2016 Report Share Posted January 30, 2016 (edited) It would be nice to think that there could be some kind of international calendar for each rider so that as soon as they are committed to a particular fixture on a certain date it can be logged with the FIM and set in stone, not really fair for any country to mess about with its fixtures and then expect riders to back out of prior commitments . That said the sooner the EL rides on set race nights the better. Edited January 30, 2016 by Gordon Bennett Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PHILIPRISING Posted January 30, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2016 It would be nice to think that there could be some kind of international for each rider so that as soon as they are committed to a particular fixture on a certain date it can be logged with the FIM and set in stone, not really fair for any country to mess about with its fixtures and then expect riders to back out of prior commitments . That said the sooner the EL rides on set race nights the better. THAT was supposed to be one of the tasks of the International Speedway League at the FIM ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trees Posted January 30, 2016 Report Share Posted January 30, 2016 TRACKS with GP riders know from November when their riders will be missing on Fridays and can plan accordingly... the change in race-night for Polish teams is only just starting to take affect and, of course, won't be on GP weekends.Yeah the leagues have to wait until those GP fixtures are out before their fixture planning I dare say! Our league has to go to one\two nights a week to stand a bloody chance. The whole thing pees me off ..... Grumpy from Norfolk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan_Jones Posted January 30, 2016 Report Share Posted January 30, 2016 It would be nice to think that there could be some kind of international for each rider so that as soon as they are committed to a particular fixture on a certain date it can be logged with the FIM and set in stone, not really fair for any country to mess about with its fixtures and then expect riders to back out of prior commitments . That said the sooner the EL rides on set race nights the better. The FIM's International Speedway League Calendar has been there for a couple of years to do that with Alex Harkess chairing the group that administers it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foamfence Posted January 31, 2016 Report Share Posted January 31, 2016 The biggest kicking for UK speedway, might well be the use of even more guests as riders are allowed to go absent to accommodate these changes, if that should prove to be the case they should only be replaceable by a junior, as an incentive to clubs to sign riders who are actually available. Could this herald the future scrapping of the EL? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
screm Posted January 31, 2016 Report Share Posted January 31, 2016 The biggest kicking for UK speedway, might well be the use of even more guests as riders are allowed to go absent to accommodate these changes, if that should prove to be the case they should only be replaceable by a junior, as an incentive to clubs to sign riders who are actually available. Could this herald the future scrapping of the EL? Surely if a rider chooses to ride in a league match in Poland, his EL would have to go with a NL rider as cover. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bagpuss Posted January 31, 2016 Report Share Posted January 31, 2016 If a rider has already committed to riding in an EL fixture and then decides to ride elsewhere on that date in an event in which he isn't representing his country in an individual or team capacity then he should be sacked immediately. Time to start playing hardball with those who don't take our league seriously. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostwalker Posted January 31, 2016 Report Share Posted January 31, 2016 POLISH league matches being televised on a Friday night this season is already beginning to have an impact on Elite League clubs in the UK. You mean BEL getting a taste of it's own medicine? Why should BEL have exclusive right to "every" day of week? Why should BEL but not Poland and/or Denmark have the right to Fridays? As it currently is the BEL is just as a big "issue" to the others leagues as they are to BEL since BEL have a meeting almost every day of the week. Try to find an available night for a postponed Elitserien meeting and you'll see that it's "impossible" to find a race night were both teams have all riders available since they are occupied with racing in BEL and Denmark which means that teams usually are somewhat depleted when the postponed meetings are re-run. So this is just another case of British speedway expecting every league or series to adjust to/revolve around them. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bagpuss Posted January 31, 2016 Report Share Posted January 31, 2016 You are right, the EL needs to commit to particular race night(s) for a variety of reasons. But as it stands IF a rider commits to a British club and its fixtures they shouldn't go back on them for other fixtures which may have been moved / rearranged in other countries. And the same works in reverse. It should be about not going back on what has been agreed, a man's word should be just that. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trees Posted January 31, 2016 Report Share Posted January 31, 2016 You are right, the EL needs to commit to particular race night(s) for a variety of reasons. But as it stands IF a rider commits to a British club and its fixtures they shouldn't go back on them for other fixtures which may have been moved / rearranged in other countries. And the same works in reverse. It should be about not going back on what has been agreed, a man's word should be just that. They aren't gonna risk getting the sack from Poland for us and we have to put up with it and help out our teams who have probs, we need them more than Poland no doubt! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foamfence Posted January 31, 2016 Report Share Posted January 31, 2016 Surely if a rider chooses to ride in a league match in Poland, his EL would have to go with a NL rider as cover. Well a 3 pointer, whether he be NL or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveLyric2 Posted January 31, 2016 Report Share Posted January 31, 2016 I think this is simply the Polish clubs/media flexing their muscles (and getting in first!) on hearing that the BSPA might be moving to Friday as its nominated EL single race day!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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