AGM November 2018

[The Little Un]

19 hours ago, dhr said:

I also said that I said that was over 300 points and I doubt very much i scored that many points, I’m quite sure someone on here will figure out exactly what I scored 

You should have pointed out that £900 a week includes Points, Starts and Travelling money. Also you should have pointed out how much it costs you to race in two meetings per week. I am sure that once all those things are taken into account and after taxes you can take at least half off of that £900 a week. I have been watching almost all of your career and remember a fresh faced lad who came down to race at Iwade for the fun of it.  You have no need to defend what you earn; how many of the fans here would tell you how much they earn each year?

[foamfence]

24 minutes ago, The Little Un said:

You should have pointed out that £900 a week includes Points, Starts and Travelling money. Also you should have pointed out how much it costs you to race in two meetings per week. I am sure that once all those things are taken into account and after taxes you can take at least half off of that £900 a week. I have been watching almost all of your career and remember a fresh faced lad who came down to race at Iwade for the fun of it.  You have no need to defend what you earn; how many of the fans here would tell you how much they earn each year?

He did point out those things and the costs were considerably more than half.

[The Little Un]

Just now, foamfence said:

He did point out those things and the costs were considerably more than half.

I was pretty sure they were.

 

[stevebrum]

On 10/23/2018 at 9:00 AM, Grachan said:

And the rest.

Truth is, if people have zero interest in something they aren't even going to go if it's free.

Very true. 

On 11/9/2018 at 7:09 AM, Pirates Of Poole said:

Interesting the final set of averages have not been put up on the BSPA website, normally this is put up the end of October. Is this because plans afoot will mean averages will be changing? 

I looked 2 days ago and assumed they would be there as well. Either waiting for ratification at the AGM or being held back for some other motive in the planning.

[Stoke Potter]

1 hour ago, THE DEAN MACHINE said:

There is also the jawa with a 2 valve head that was used at a meeting in Torun a few weeks back, they got some of the riders to ride them , lindback was one rider, they perform and react very well with the only noticeable difference being they loose revs of the start line but talking to a rider that rode them he said they were fun to ride, as pig headed as polish speedway seems to the rest of the world they are open to ideas and give them a decent try 

Is the idea that they will be easier to handle Dean?

[THE DEAN MACHINE]

21 minutes ago, Stoke Potter said:

Is the idea that they will be easier to handle Dean?

Yes but you will also cut the revs as you wouldn’t be able to get the same power and also the obvious thing is 2 less valves, springs and guides so you save £150 straight away 

[martinmauger]

5 hours ago, phillwhitewasmad said:

Anlas tyre currently £49 +vat

mitas tyres currently £36.50 +vat 

Ah, clears that up then thought of different brands after posting.  The one I have in my wardrobe (don't ask, nothing wrong with a speedway tyre in one's wardrobe) think is a Mitas, cost around 30 notes about 6 years ago....

[Chadster]

My impression of the one big league set up in the 90s was that it didn't work because a significant number of top flight promoters were not convinced it was the way forward and really wanted to retain the two league system. It was different in 1965. The top league had struggled through 1964 with 7 teams (sounds familiar!) and when it was clear Norwich were closing down they had nowhere to go other than amalgamation.

[MARK246]

5 hours ago, THE DEAN MACHINE said:

On a jawa yes but no reason why GM couldn’t make a 2 valve head for their engine 

6 years ago there were some two valve GMs in ice racing a Finnish rider I know still has his.

[TonyMac]

A basic shortage of quality riders (among other things) has led to the ridiculous over-use of guests and doubling-up.

So wouldn't reducing teams from 7 to 6 riders help to ease the above two problems and at the same time reduce the promoters' wage overheads? If not in league matches, then at least adopt it for one of the other competitions.

Or why not run a KO Cup using four-man teams, to achieve further wage reductions?

Obviously, a tweak of the race format would be necessary but six-man teams were used in the 60s.

Or am I being too simplistic?

[steve roberts]

4 hours ago, tmc said:

A basic shortage of quality riders (among other things) has led to the ridiculous over-use of guests and doubling-up.

So wouldn't reducing teams from 7 to 6 riders help to ease the above two problems and at the same time reduce the promoters' wage overheads? If not in league matches, then at least adopt it for one of the other competitions.

Or why not run a KO Cup using four-man teams, to achieve further wage reductions?

Obviously, a tweak of the race format would be necessary but six-man teams were used in the 60s.

Or am I being too simplistic?

If I recall six-man teams were also implemented during 1997 (?) when the home team were numbered 1-6 and the away team 7-12 to help simplyfy identification.

[Trees]

14 hours ago, Byker Biker said:

British promoters pioneered it! The Poles are working with Marcel Gerhardt so the project isn't dead yet.

Oh the Gerhard engine..... 

[Arch Stanton]

33 minutes ago, steve roberts said:

If I recall six-man teams were also implemented during 1997 (?) 

98. A season I’ll never forget as an Ipswich fan

[Daniel Smith]

Just a thought, should the Premiership be the only "professional" league?

What I mean by that is that the Championship becomes a 2nd arm to the National League and has a 'Paid Point Salary Cap' of say £40-£50. But unlike the NL the Championship allows the inclusion of foreign rider's.

Any rider's that are contracted to the Polish Liga 1, Ekstraliga, Swedish Elitserien, Dansk Metal League and German Bundesliga cannot ride in the Championship unless they have a current Premiership average less than 4.00

[Piotr Pyszny]

15 hours ago, The Little Un said:

You have no need to defend what you earn; how many of the fans here would tell you how much they earn each year?

Followers of all sports - not just speedway - have an interest in what participants earn because, to a greater or lesser degree, their admission fee helps cover the wage bill. It's hardly the same in less extraordinary walks of life.

[dontforgetthefueltapsbruv]

2 hours ago, Daniel Smith said:

Just a thought, should the Premiership be the only "professional" league?

What I mean by that is that the Championship becomes a 2nd arm to the National League and has a 'Paid Point Salary Cap' of say £40-£50. But unlike the NL the Championship allows the inclusion of foreign rider's.

Any rider's that are contracted to the Polish Liga 1, Ekstraliga, Swedish Elitserien, Dansk Metal League and German Bundesliga cannot ride in the Championship unless they have a current Premiership average less than 4.00

Non Brits currently come in on a min 4 and cannot drop below 4 so that would have to change for that to be an option

Personally I wouldnt allow any rider under 4 in the Premiership anyway.....

That said I tend to agree with the principle of recreating the gap between leagues

Ideally 2nd tier heat leaders should only be reserves/lower second string in the top league

[Big Al]

So the circumstances which compel many riders, especially British ones, to ride for two clubs in the UK has come about due to a combination of their needing to try and make riding speedway "pay" or at least cover the costs. One club does not provide a sufficient number of fixtures, and income from riding for a club in Poland has either been shut down or is too unreliable. So there has been the development of a dependence on this situation with no simple way out, other than to retire or to earn income in another way. So doubling up within the UK it can't really be abolished instantly, it has got to be done in a planned way and over a period of several seasons, with the plan being stuck to by all. The costs seem to be absolutely crazy and they will be the demise of speedway as we know it. Reading Chris Harris' perspective one question which crossed my mind was "what does he do from November to March"? Indeed the same could apply for any speedway rider. In Harris's case it's hard to believe that he wouldn't be able to find paid work over that period. It might even help him to stay fit and start the season better! 

[Tsunami]

4 hours ago, Arch Stanton said:

98. A season I’ll never forget as an Ipswich fan

It was introduced in 97, that was my first year as Promoter.

[topaz325]

Some very poignant views from referee Graham Flint in the latest SS magazine on the future of the sport.

He openly admits that the rule book is too complex and needs re written by a working party so it is ready for the 2020 season, even he needs to constantly read it to keep up with all the rule changes.

Startling facts, average of 30 minutes of tractor racing per meeting, no plan in place if the Championship Shield final had it ended in a draw (only days to the end of the season).

What is required is consistency of rules across the Leagues if not in the whole of the sport then at least in British Speedway.

A two minute clock at all tracks so that everyone (riders, fans, officials) know that the two minute time allowance has started.

Some hard hitting facts that all is not well in the sport but some problems could be sorted relatively easily.

[foamfence]

2 hours ago, Big Al said:

So the circumstances which compel many riders, especially British ones, to ride for two clubs in the UK has come about due to a combination of their needing to try and make riding speedway "pay" or at least cover the costs. One club does not provide a sufficient number of fixtures, and income from riding for a club in Poland has either been shut down or is too unreliable. So there has been the development of a dependence on this situation with no simple way out, other than to retire or to earn income in another way. So doubling up within the UK it can't really be abolished instantly, it has got to be done in a planned way and over a period of several seasons, with the plan being stuck to by all. The costs seem to be absolutely crazy and they will be the demise of speedway as we know it. Reading Chris Harris' perspective one question which crossed my mind was "what does he do from November to March"? Indeed the same could apply for any speedway rider. In Harris's case it's hard to believe that he wouldn't be able to find paid work over that period. It might even help him to stay fit and start the season better! 

Harris isn't short of money, his wife bought him a brand new Jaguar last month. What you read in Speedway Star is mostly people pushing their own interests no matter what the consequences.

 

Edited November 11, 2018 by foamfence