In My View By Phil Rising

[steve roberts]

each weekend ,literally thousands go racing MX for nothing other than because they want to , not one of them gets paid , but they go out and take the same or even more risks as speedway riders , even some of the speedway riders who are always wanting more money ,will pay out of their speedway earnings to ride MX , you have to laugh ,

...remember one rider in particular who used to ride for Oxford wrecking his bike and the fans took a collection on his behalf to get him going again only to find out that he owned a jet ski and rode it for fun.

 

Question of priorities.

 

Went to a couple of local Grasstrack meetings relatively recently and got talking to one of the riders (he used to be a junior at Oxford) and he explained that the big difference between the sports is that as a competitor on the grass you have to pay a fee to take part and that there was rarely any financial gain to be had...riding for fun...although there are obviously still the risks involved.

Edited September 8, 2017 by steve roberts

[PHILIPRISING]

each weekend ,literally thousands go racing MX for nothing other than because they want to , not one of them gets paid , but they go out and take the same or even more risks as speedway riders , even some of the speedway riders who are always wanting more money ,will pay out of their speedway earnings to ride MX , you have to laugh ,

BUT for them it is a weekend hobby not a profession.. Make speedway a weekend sport and your argument would be more valid.

of course they are underpaid - of course they are. But if only 500 are watching what can you do??

I DID make that point. They cannot have what isn't there. But seems that many of this forum have little or no sympathy for riders in general and think that they are bleeding the sport dry. That isn't the case.

 

Exactly.

 

As has been true for the entire life of the sport.

But in far healthier times than these.

 

I presume Richard Clark and his team would regard themselves as underpaid.

And would certainly be able to get better money writing for more financially bouyant publications.

Maybe even as plumbers.

But they don't.

 

I imagine that The Star also has a large section of its writing done by unpaid people who have a day job elsewhere.

It makes sense in the current economic climate.

 

I say thank you to them. From the bottom of my heart.

But back to work on next weeks edition.

From a dwinding audience who will only pay £3

We cannot afford to pay anymore than we are doing.

 

In all walks of life. We are all in a similar position.

Speedway riders don't deserve anymore crocodile tears than anyone else.

Realities need to be faced and the riders need to understand that more than most.

FOR the record, everyone who contributes to Speedway Star, writers and photographers, gets paid. We get nothing for nothing and don't expect to.

[orion]

If there was a Barry Hearn type he'd need millions to buy all the stadiums.... speedway ain't no darts or snooker!

Like he buys all the stadiums where Speedway and Darts are played ?

each weekend ,literally thousands go racing MX for nothing other than because they want to , not one of them gets paid , but they go out and take the same or even more risks as speedway riders , even some of the speedway riders who are always wanting more money ,will pay out of their speedway earnings to ride MX , you have to laugh ,

What are the crowds like for these mx events and what do they pay to get in ?

[Grand Central]

BUT for them it is a weekend hobby not a profession.. Make speedway a weekend sport and your argument would be more valid.

I DID make that point. They cannot have what isn't there. But seems that many of this forum have little or no sympathy for riders in general and think that they are bleeding the sport dry. That isn't the case.

FOR the record, everyone who contributes to Speedway Star, writers and photographers, gets paid. We get nothing for nothing and don't expect to.

 

I am VERY happy to be corrected on that one small point.

 

But still only what you can afford.

[racers and royals]

Maybe to illustrate how often the DU`s are riding, maybe someone(Arnie you are the perfect man for the job) could list the meetings ridden in the uk( and maybe guest bookings taken as well) and list total points scored for a number of riders.

Off the top of my head people like S Worrall. Cook,King,Bates,Wells.Barker,Grajczonek,Wright, Lawson,Morris,Howarth etc etc

because these boys are not riding for £50 a point !!!!!!!

Edited September 8, 2017 by racers and royals

[steve roberts]

Liked the story when George Hunter was riding for Edinburgh he was also employed as an HGV driver.

 

Left his midland base in his lorry to drive to the docks at Immingham (Humber Estuary) then drove back home to collect his bike and then drive to Edinburgh to take part in that evening's fixture. What that equates in miles, never mind the commitment, is nobody's business!

[Grand Central]

Liked the story when George Hunter was riding for Edinburgh he was also employed as an HGV driver.

 

Left his midland base in his lorry to drive to the docks at Immingham (Humber Estuary) then drove back home to collect his bike and then drive to Edinburgh to take part in that evening's fixture. What that equates in miles, never mind the commitment, is nobody's business!

 

Yes.

 

And for everyone of those 'out of the ordinary feats'.

We all know of dozens more riders of the seventies, eighties and nineties.

Who did the mundane thing of juggling a day job with travelling to meetings all over the country week after week.

 

These lads, today, don't know the half of it.

 

I know Philip Rising does not believe that the riders are 'bleeding the sport dry'.

But their demands over the past few years and their 'wants' today.

Are leaving it looking pretty damned anaemic.

No matter what he says.

Edited September 8, 2017 by Grand Central

[THE DEAN MACHINE]

WE are not talking about the very top echelon here, but for the bread and butter guys speedway only pays the bills for about seven months a year.

im going to use Steve worrall here as an example, 50 meetings in the uk will be an income of around 40-60 grand depending on your deal , your expenses have to come out of that which are quite substantial , Steve points out he would need another job to make it pay but then goes on to say how he wants to get to the top but he isn't going to do that while he is working at McDonald's to subsidise his earnings but the point is his other job should riding on a Sunday in Poland , that's his way to the top and his earnings and the one league 18 teams on set days would be perfect for him to achieve that but strangely he can't seem to see it , on the other side you have the josh autys who are with no disrespect going to get to the top but still need to earn a living from uk speedway , can they not make it pay on 50 meetings ? Scott Nichols only rides for one club and he makes it pay ,riders deserve to millionaires but in the real world the sport is running on amatuer finances and as hard as it is to take is just isn't a job that is able to afford the earnings that riders want ,we have to cut our cloth accordingly , get the basics of the sport on a sound footing and when that is right sell it to the public , when the public come in big numbers the riders can expect big money again but until that happens riders have got to accept the real world of where we are , as with most of my posts I will be a popular as cold sick with the riders but I didn't put us where we are I'm just bringing the bad news

[Fromafar]

WE are not talking about the very top echelon here, but for the bread and butter guys speedway only pays the bills for about seven months a year.

Speedway is a sport ,if you can earn some extra money by being good at it fair enough,if not find a 9-5 job.There are not many Promoters raking in a fortune for running the sport.Most are men with money which the are willing to throw away till it runs out then depart the sport.I do appreciate their efforts to keep the sport alive but they have to stop paying out money they can't afford and cut their cloth accordingly and stay in the sport long term.These riders in Britain would be off like a shot if they though they could get better money abroad for their talent,but they ain't good enough so they are fleecing GB for what they can.

[PHILIPRISING]

im going to use Steve worrall here as an example, 50 meetings in the uk will be an income of around 40-60 grand depending on your deal , your expenses have to come out of that which are quite substantial , Steve points out he would need another job to make it pay but then goes on to say how he wants to get to the top but he isn't going to do that while he is working at McDonald's to subsidise his earnings but the point is his other job should riding on a Sunday in Poland , that's his way to the top and his earnings and the one league 18 teams on set days would be perfect for him to achieve that but strangely he can't seem to see it , on the other side you have the josh autys who are with no disrespect going to get to the top but still need to earn a living from uk speedway , can they not make it pay on 50 meetings ? Scott Nichols only rides for one club and he makes it pay ,riders deserve to millionaires but in the real world the sport is running on amatuer finances and as hard as it is to take is just isn't a job that is able to afford the earnings that riders want ,we have to cut our cloth accordingly , get the basics of the sport on a sound footing and when that is right sell it to the public , when the public come in big numbers the riders can expect big money again but until that happens riders have got to accept the real world of where we are , as with most of my posts I will be a popular as cold sick with the riders but I didn't put us where we are I'm just bringing the bad news

NOT sure you can say Scott Nicholls only rides for one club. How many guest bookings has he had. And, of late, he has doubled up with Peterborough.

 

Incidentally, not aware of the full details but I'm told he was prevented from riding for Peterborough at Workington on Saturday (averages) but allowed to race for the Panthers the following afternoon.

Speedway is a sport ,if you can earn some extra money by being good at it fair enough,if not find a 9-5 job.There are not many Promoters raking in a fortune for running the sport.Most are men with money which the are willing to throw away till it runs out then depart the sport.I do appreciate their efforts to keep the sport alive but they have to stop paying out money they can't afford and cut their cloth accordingly and stay in the sport long term.These riders in Britain would be off like a shot if they though they could get better money abroad for their talent,but they ain't good enough so they are fleecing GB for what they can.

FOR most riders it is a profession.

[Grand Central]

FOR most riders it is a profession.

 

Everyone should have a pipe dream.

[waytogo28]

Maybe to illustrate how often the DU`s are riding, maybe someone(Arnie you are the perfect man for the job) could list the meetings ridden in the uk( and maybe guest bookings taken as well) and list total points scored for a number of riders.

Off the top of my head people like S Worrall. Cook,King,Bates,Wells.Barker,Grajczonek,Wright, Lawson,Morris,Howarth etc etc

because these boys are not riding for £50 a point !!!!!!!

 

These riders and others on the D/U list are getting at least £100 a point plus travel expenses. Some are on £200 a point. They are doing well out of the sport but cannot believe that it will go on and on with 1,000 ( if lucky ) average crowds watching them. Just do the sums. Only a handful of promoters can carry on with sponsors putting substantial amounts in. 50% of tracks are likely not running a viable business.

[Fromafar]

NOT sure you can say Scott Nicholls only rides for one club. How many guest bookings has he had. And, of late, he has doubled up with Peterborough.

 

Incidentally, not aware of the full details but I'm told he was prevented from riding for Peterborough at Workington on Saturday (averages) but allowed to race for the Panthers the following afternoon.

FOR most riders it is a profession.

Like all professions some are good at their job work harder and longer hours and make more money.Its simple really if your not making enough money out the sport stop doing it.To much emphasis on the riders nowadays.There will be others come along and do the job IMO .

[PHILIPRISING]

 

Everyone should have a pipe dream.

DO you have a profession or a pipe dream?

[Sings4Speedway]

Its definitely time for clubs to make a stand and state this is what we can afford to pay who would like to sign? Not as it is at present with riders making the demands and clubs having to buckle to them.

Club A sets the rate for its number 1, heat leaders, second strings, reserves etc and as riders move up and down the positions the points money adjusts accordingly.

Yes there will be clubs that can afford to pay more & yes some riders will strop that they cannot afford to race on X monies BUT the club will remain financially viable & the riders will come creeping back when they haven't been signed anywhere else plus the mercenaries that don't we are better off without.

[Grand Central]

DO you have a profession or a pipe dream?

 

A job.

[THE DEAN MACHINE]

DO you have a profession or a pipe dream?

I had 2 , to be a speedway rider and own my own business, achieved both so now I'm trying to invent a time machine so as I can go back 25 years and be a speedway rider again But it's proving to be tough one to crack , I've watched all the "back to the future " films but all that happened when I drove my van down a street at 80mph in a thunder storm was I got a speeding ticket Edited September 8, 2017 by THE DEAN MACHINE

[PHILIPRISING]

 

A job.

And a degree in semantics

[Grand Central]

And a degree in semantics

 

Whilst I appreciate the humour in that reply.

I'm not so sure that the distinction is one of semantics alone.

 

I do not think that Speedway is a profession for MOST Speedway riders. Nor ever has been for many.

It certainly has not been seen as such for many of the years I have been attending.

For SOME it may have had the attributes of a profession.

But not for MOST.

 

For most it has been a job that has lasted for a few years. Often as a 'part timer',

And has been done alongside another form of occupation outside the sport, especially over the winter.

Most ex riders are later employed in careers and professions that have had a longevity far exceeding their few years they enjoyed being a rider.

 

To pretend that, today, when the Sport is in it's current state that the young riders have 'graduated' to a better place than their predecessors just tells us how deep seated our problems are and how difficult they will be to solve.

Edited September 8, 2017 by Grand Central

[bigcatdiary]

 

Incidentally, not aware of the full details but I'm told he was prevented from riding for Peterborough at Workington on Saturday (averages) but allowed to race for the Panthers the following afternoon.

FOR most riders it is a profession.

Correct, due to the 5% allowed ref home matches.