In My View By Phil Rising

[IainB]

he came round but said he didnt want the chains as they were not gold couloured they were black , I said so what but no he wanted gold coloured one , they were brand new in a packet but he refused them , then I offered him 2 ex pipes , one was chrome but had a dent in or a plain one that had no dents and he chose the chrome one , I tried to help him but he knows best , needless to say he is still 2 years later he is in the amatuer scene

And I bet he came round in all his personalised clobber too. His jacket saying and cap saying "Unknown Speedway Rider Racing - USRR" with some flash logo printed all over it

 

Thanks for the reply

Edited September 22, 2017 by iainb

[martinmauger]

"The things you hear off some riders who cant even get a skid on is laughable, try to explain to a young wannabe that a jawa front wheel 10 years old with new bearings that costs £20 spins at exactly the same speed as an anodised sm pro wheel which costs £200, its like explaining algebra they switch off."

 

I've overheard so many identical conversations.

 

A thought occured to me, with all the guests and doubling & down up maybe speedway should run as Belle Vue did in the war: have a blank programme and just man meetings with whoever turns up. I was being semi sarcastic but, hang on. Actually....

[tigerowl]

This to me is the real crux of the matter.

 

Mediocre riders wanting to be full time professionals in a sport that is only attracting crowds that justify part time status and the promoters listening to the riders rather than the fans.

 

if the promoters continue down this route the crowds will continue to fall.

[Tsunami]

This to me is the real crux of the matter.

 

Mediocre riders wanting to be full time professionals in a sport that is only attracting crowds that justify part time status and the promoters listening to the riders rather than the fans.

 

if the promoters continue down this route the crowds will continue to fall.

On the other hand of course, is the realisation that if you don't get into the situation you will not get good riders, end up with a poor team which will be accused by fans of a 'team on the cheap', and end up having no crowd and losing speedway at the end of the season after finishing at the bottom of the league. You pays your money and take a chance.

Edited September 22, 2017 by Tsunami

[theblueboy]

On the other hand of course, is the realisation that if you don't get into the situation you will not get good riders, end up with a poor team which will be accused by fans of a 'team on the cheap', and end up having no crowd and losing speedway at the end of the season after finishing at the bottom of the league. You pays your money and take a chance.

To be honest, it's not the speedway issues that wind me up. I can't believe that it's taken promoters this long to arrange fixed nights. What has been the resistance to implementing a coherent plan to work within the Speedway world? It's set Speedway in this country back several years to the point we have lost our status. We have several riders doubling up to supplement their income and we have nights of 4/5 regular riders and guests. What goes on every year at the AGM because it appears you don't listen to your fans concerns and continually plough the same lonely furrow with an ever decreasing fan base.

 

The starting point has now been acieved. The next point is to ensure the teams run the same 7 riders week in week out, as much as injuries/participation in FIM sanctioned events will allow. Finally, sort out a deal with Sky/BT worthy of a professional sport that will cover the costs to ensure top riders can be tempted back. The deal currently in place is not worthy of the name. It can't be that difficult to ask for x2 or x3 the current deal. Both these organisations have money to burn. The people in charge of the rights have to go out and sell the sports properly.

 

I go to the ice hockey in Swindon. Not every week but 4 to 5 times a season. The dynamics of the two sports could not be more different. In the 10 years I have followed the ice hockey the weekly crowd has increased certainly two fold in the time and hundreds of young children are in attendance. I look at the speedway and you'll be lucky to see 40-50 children.

 

It's time for the promoters to walk the walk.They have talked the talk for far too long...

[bruno]

Just to pick up on this I did comment on Sunday how a lot of the riders in the British Junior Championship at Leicester were keeping the throttle open all the way round and not shutting off halfway along the straights like I've seen some of them do. Very impressive! Just gutted we had to leave after heat 7 in order to get back to the car park before the 4 hour limit was up as we were really enjoying watching them.

We're coming to the nlrc on Sunday and I thought Leicester had there own parking. I'm sure we've never had a problem on our visits before. Bit of a random question Gem but I don't suppose you know if they let motorbikes into the stadium to park securely do you? Might fancy a ride down

[SCB]

To ride in the NL, you have to have a 17 plate hire van, it's quite laughable really.

A reserve in the Championship thinks he's a full-time professional, and the Sport owes him a living, just a shame they actually believe it.

If ever the saying, bullrubbish baffles brains was meant for a Sport, then it's definitely Speedway.

It funny how speedway riders value themselves. In the real World most people go to college/school and then uni so don't earn a penny until they're 22 (other than part time work around studies) and they pay £9000 a year for 3 years too. Maybe speedway riders need something similar where they don't earn anything until a certain level - if by the time they're 22 they're not good enough to earn a living they either give up or ride for nothing. It's always confused me why the NL costs so much when it's a development league (before some bright spark chimes in, the leagues official name is, "The National Development League" so maybe like university, riders should be paying to ride in it? Obviously not directly but they should not be taking a wage from it.

 

Is speedway the only sport where at 16 you can be pretty pants, compete in front of 200 people and still take home a wage? Compete in front of 200 people in most other sports and you're charged an entry fee - thinking motorcross, autograss/bangers, sunday league football etc here.

[Gemini]

We're coming to the nlrc on Sunday and I thought Leicester had there own parking. I'm sure we've never had a problem on our visits before. Bit of a random question Gem but I don't suppose you know if they let motorbikes into the stadium to park securely do you? Might fancy a ride down

There is only room in the stadiums car park for 235 so it fills up very quickly and the rest have to park in the Shopping Centre. I just go straight there because it's normally full pretty early for league matches. I'm not sure about motorcycle parking but I doubt it could be left actually inside as there isn't room. I've seen motorbikes left in the car park and there is also usually a training school going on on Sunday's so people around. I think your best bet though is to get in touch with the stadium via the website to see if your motorbike could be left nearer where the riders park and disabled drivers. Sorry I can't be of more help. Hope you enjoy the meeting. Unfortunately I can't go as we have our big annual family get-together this Sunday.

Edit......Just checked and there is room for 15 motorcycles in the stadium car park but of course that is not inside but a little way down the hill. Contact details if you did want to telephone beforehand............

 

Telephone:

Stadium Office: 0116 235 8916

Mobile: 07484 915 573

Edited September 22, 2017 by Gemini

[bruno]

Thanks Gem much appreciated

[Vince]

It funny how speedway riders value themselves. In the real World most people go to college/school and then uni so don't earn a penny until they're 22 (other than part time work around studies) and they pay £9000 a year for 3 years too. Maybe speedway riders need something similar where they don't earn anything until a certain level - if by the time they're 22 they're not good enough to earn a living they either give up or ride for nothing. It's always confused me why the NL costs so much when it's a development league (before some bright spark chimes in, the leagues official name is, "The National Development League" so maybe like university, riders should be paying to ride in it? Obviously not directly but they should not be taking a wage from it.

 

Is speedway the only sport where at 16 you can be pretty pants, compete in front of 200 people and still take home a wage? Compete in front of 200 people in most other sports and you're charged an entry fee - thinking motorcross, autograss/bangers, sunday league football etc here.

 

The official wage for NL riders doesn't come near to covering all their costs so they are in effect paying to ride. The issue has always been that unlike the other sports you mention riders have to turn up on a weekday often hours from home to compete for a team. If they are 15 or 16 that means dad or whoever getting time off work, if they are older it means them getting their own time off (if they can find a job that will accommodate Speedway which is not easy at all these days).

 

Before Sam started Speedway there were 3 of us riding MX at local club level and I could afford to have good kit without too much difficulty. Just Sam riding NL Speedway caused us real financial hardship despite some good people helping him out a bit. We weren't spending money on tuners as I did the motors myself, his bikes weren't fitted with all the latest bling but just decent machinery and the signwriting on the van was paid for by the sponsor that wanted it on there. The van was also my everyday transport and no more expensive than the wifes car to run, the days of a bike rack are long gone given that you are expected to turn up with two bikes and racks are horribly insecure should you stop on the way to or from a meeting.

 

The travelling and the time are what costs so much money and a large number couldn't afford to ride if they weren't getting a wage to help with the costs.

 

There is a thriving amateur scene where riders can learn their trade and that is far more comparable to club MX or Sunday Football and those riders do indeed pay to ride.

[OveFundinFan]

Talking about earnings or paying to ride........I was very surprised to hear whilst watching free practice for the Moto GPs in Aragon yesterday that riders in Moto 2, the 600cc class, only aprox third get paid to ride, a third ride for nothing, and a third have to pay for a ride. These are the riders that this year are riding in 18 GP's around the world at top level (for their class) and only a third get paid. The costs to ride a bike even in GP 2 must be very high. GP 3, the 250 class, wasnt specifically detailed but whs run something similar. Its only when (if) they get to Moto GP that they may earn a return on their investment in Moto 1 & 2.

Of course in F1, some drivers pay for their drive. They have to find it from personal sponsorship or a VERY rich dad.

[IainB]

was interesting to read in this weeks SS that Lakeside are looking to come back into the top league next year. John Cook says his crowds are down by a half. Proving, I think, that lesser quality means fans stop going. I wonder if this lesson will be learnt once and for all and rules are changed to allow the top riders back into the BL?

[foamfence]

was interesting to read in this weeks SS that Lakeside are looking to come back into the top league next year. John Cook says his crowds are down by a half. Proving, I think, that lesser quality means fans stop going. I wonder if this lesson will be learnt once and for all and rules are changed to allow the top riders back into the BL?

What rules?

[The White Knight]

What rules?

YES!!!

 

I have been able to give you a 'Like' ff. :party: :party:

[RobMcCaffery]

It's not rules or race nights that keep the top riders out of British Speedway.

 

IT'S MONEY!

 

Perhaps those who are deluded enough to think that it's a simple thing to achieve could raid their piggy banks and make a contribution? No Monopoly game money accepted though.

[ch958]

crowds halved? Going from paying GP riders to NL I imagine their costs are less than half. A combined league would mean seeing at least one biggish name in every away team - by that I mean top div 2, average div 1 not GP riders

[IainB]

What rules?

the constant reduction in the points limit year on year squeezing the top riders out of the BL

[mikebv]

It's not rules or race nights that keep the top riders out of British Speedway.

 

IT'S MONEY!

 

Perhaps those who are deluded enough to think that it's a simple thing to achieve could raid their piggy banks and make a contribution? No Monopoly game money accepted though.

It's also match planning that keeps top riders out of British Speedway...

 

Last night both KO Cup Semis were scheduled knowing both Lindgren and Doyle would be missing..

 

Possibly THE two best riders in the world..

 

So much for them being the drawcard some Promoters seem to think they are to 'save the sport' when some of their colleagues deliberately plan meetings without them?!

 

Cannot be that big an influence on crowd levels then can they?

Edited September 23, 2017 by mikebv

[foamfence]

the constant reduction in the points limit year on year squeezing the top riders out of the BL

Do you mean like Doyle?

The 'top riders' want top money and a bit more freedom written into their Polish contracts in some cases.

[IainB]

Do you mean like Doyle?

The 'top riders' want top money and a bit more freedom written into their Polish contracts in some cases.

No, I mean like: Zmarzlik, Sundstrum, Pawlicki x2, Kolodziej, Zengota, Sayfutdinov, Kildemand, Hancock, N Pedersen, B Pedersen, Hampel, Protasiewicz, Woffinden, Janowski, Millik, Wozniak, MJJ, Walasek, Zagar, Michelsen, Lindback, Jonsson, Ljung, Korneliussen, Bech, Buczkowski, Bach, Madsen, Iversen, Davidsson, Miedzinski, Balinski, Miskowiak, Jedrzejak, Ulamek, Woryna, Smolinski... There's probably more, I've got bored of trying to spell them now!

 

All of these have at some point ridden in the BL and no longer do so. And there are also loads that have never ridden in the BL, we've never even seen them... Still we've always got Rob Shuttleworh to watch!