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Eastbourne 2020


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5 minutes ago, Marshall07 said:

The "good" old days were very different. Bikes weren't as expensive, lower maintenance. If someone couldn't make it pay these days it just wouldn't be worth them riding

The majority of clubs can't afford to pay 'full time' riders anymore. Soon there won't be a shortage of riders, they'll be a shortage of tracks.

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19 minutes ago, mikebaker said:

Have tried the mobile number on Website. But just got a voicemail. Have booked 3 rooms in Lewes. Have till 14:00 on Thursday to cancel. Any clarification would be much appreciated.

Try an email asap to see if you get a response

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mikebaker ,

you have a couple of options.

My met office weather forecast app shows fine weather for Lewes this weekend, so if you havent been to Lewes before you could keep your room booking and treat it as a mini weekend break , and if the speedway is running , that's a bonus.

No interest in Lewes ......wait until tomorrow p.m and then get a refund on your accommodation  - otherwise I guess you are committed to a few hundred quid fror accommodation and meals. 

There's no meeting previews on the Eagles website nor any news as I write this 3pm Tuesday.

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2 minutes ago, old bob at herne bay said:

mikebaker ,

you have a couple of options.

My met office weather forecast app shows fine weather for Lewes this weekend, so if you havent been to Lewes before you could keep your room booking and treat it as a mini weekend break , and if the speedway is running , that's a bonus.

No interest in Lewes ......wait until tomorrow p.m and then get a refund on your accommodation  - otherwise I guess you are committed to a few hundred quid fror accommodation and meals. 

There's no meeting previews on the Eagles website nor any news as I write this 3pm Tuesday.

I have already emailed.  No response. Thanks for your reply. Heard loads of rumours that club is folding.

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32 minutes ago, M.D said:

He's got a point, you need more clubs in the top league and a watered down lower league with minimal doubling up..

trouble is, riders wouldn't make that pay in either league

 

20 minutes ago, cityrebel said:

They'll have to get a job, like riders used to do, in the good old days.

Honestly

What you need are promoters who can mange a budget; build your team to suit your income its not hard; Eastie have 3 very good heat leaders who don't come cheap and the rest of the team will be at a premium too... If you get on average 800 fans through the door its no good building a team that needs 1000 fans to pay for it (unless you promote and encourage the extra crowd through the doors)… Barcelona may get away with having 103% cost against income and get away with it but unless you get a benefactor/promoter who is prepared to inject the cash difference in the 800/1000 ratio in the required numbers the figures are not sustainable...

Its the nutters who are running the sport who are ruining it... Maybe the Isle of White have the right idea and kick the BSPL into touch to save costs and all it will need are a few teams to pull out of the BSPL to start a league built more on Armature guidelines... the BSPL will tinker round the edges push this ridiculous "Curry Star" "Rising Star" rating system next season to try and force more young (Cheaper) kids in at the bottom end to try and save money and its becoming an absolute joke...

First off do away with that "Top" league as there is nothing Premier about it; make Mondays and Thursdays the main race nights; and if any clubs cant or wont do those days and want to be in a lesser league stop the top 30 or so averaged riders from "Doubling Down" stop the bottom 30 riders with averages of less than 4 in the upper league or 6 in the second tier from doubling up and only allow the riders who are in the middle of those averages the opportunity to double up/down. This will ensure the strength and quality in the upper tier with clubs who can afford it and it will restrict the damage of high wage riders being utilised in the lower tier which will ensure evenly matched sides and stop promoters in this lower tier trying to chase the glory and bringing in riders that the crowds just will not sustain financially and "blowing their brains out"...

Cut a rider and go to six man teams possibly to save money? but at least make sure that the kids in the NDL or any rider for that matter has as a minimum an average of 6 that will convert to a 2 in the middle tier. Currently there is no disparity between the leagues and the teams in both leagues are becoming discernible from each other the championship is just a pseudo Premiership (or vice versa)… it is an absolute joke really and there is nothing else to describe what is going on... it needs to be as level a playing field as possible between teams if you want to see competitive racing and to be fair with the riders that are left in the UK that is becoming difficult as there aren't enough to go round to get a difference in/between the current leagues...

Regards
THJ

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9 minutes ago, TotallyHonestJohn said:

 

Honestly

What you need are promoters who can mange a budget; build your team to suit your income its not hard; Eastie have 3 very good heat leaders who don't come cheap and the rest of the team will be at a premium too... If you get on average 800 fans through the door its no good building a team that needs 1000 fans to pay for it (unless you promote and encourage the extra crowd through the doors)… Barcelona may get away with having 103% cost against income and get away with it but unless you get a benefactor/promoter who is prepared to inject the cash difference in the 800/1000 ratio in the required numbers the figures are not sustainable...

Its the nutters who are running the sport who are ruining it... Maybe the Isle of White have the right idea and kick the BSPL into touch to save costs and all it will need are a few teams to pull out of the BSPL to start a league built more on Armature guidelines... the BSPL will tinker round the edges push this ridiculous "Curry Star" "Rising Star" rating system next season to try and force more young (Cheaper) kids in at the bottom end to try and save money and its becoming an absolute joke...

First off do away with that "Top" league as there is nothing Premier about it; make Mondays and Thursdays the main race nights; and if any clubs cant or wont do those days and want to be in a lesser league stop the top 30 or so averaged riders from "Doubling Down" stop the bottom 30 riders with averages of less than 4 in the upper league or 6 in the second tier from doubling up and only allow the riders who are in the middle of those averages the opportunity to double up/down. This will ensure the strength and quality in the upper tier with clubs who can afford it and it will restrict the damage of high wage riders being utilised in the lower tier which will ensure evenly matched sides and stop promoters in this lower tier trying to chase the glory and bringing in riders that the crowds just will not sustain financially and "blowing their brains out"...

Cut a rider and go to six man teams possibly to save money? but at least make sure that the kids in the NDL or any rider for that matter has as a minimum an average of 6 that will convert to a 2 in the middle tier. Currently there is no disparity between the leagues and the teams in both leagues are becoming discernible from each other the championship is just a pseudo Premiership (or vice versa)… it is an absolute joke really and there is nothing else to describe what is going on... it needs to be as level a playing field as possible between teams if you want to see competitive racing and to be fair with the riders that are left in the UK that is becoming difficult as there aren't enough to go round to get a difference in/between the current leagues...

Regards
THJ

The promoters went into this season blind, with no idea on what their crowd levels would be. It's a recipe for disaster, setting a budget for the unknown!

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THJ  hits the nail on the head, the promotors are paying the riders unaffordable wages, financial packages, call it what you will. With Covid disrupting the sport for so long , there was an opportunity to regroup and re cast budgets for the benefit of the entire sport. Nope all guns blazing we launch back into the same sport with a greater cost base (PPE and segregation rules) and paying riders more than can be afforded.

The solution is simple, but almost impossible with the present bunch of "promoters" who are all hell bent on winning the "p.offs" at any costs.

There needs to be a gentlemen's agreement by promoters on the maximum pay for teams in  the respective leagues. its nigh on impossible for in my opinion they are not gentlemen) 

People shout  " they will circumvent the rules via sponsorship deals". I say as long as the club isn't paying out their  money  for the "sponsorship" deals" then let the riders take their chances with sponsorship.

No, they will cheat, bend and manipulate any rules agreed  - as has been proven over and over again. One example was back in the day of the 2nd division being kept for UK riders only, by gentlemens agreement. One club broke the rule threatening all sorts of legal action the floodgates opened and opportunities for young UK riders in the second tier dried up. There will always be one renegade who is willing ot flout any gentlemans agreement. . 

 

 

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10 minutes ago, cityrebel said:

The promoters went into this season blind, with no idea on what their crowd levels would be. It's a recipe for disaster, setting a budget for the unknown!

Agreed but did these promoters actually think they would get more fans in through the doors than pre-Covid... they had a good idea of crowd numbers before Covid hit and they know there average cost/return per supporter yet still they offer ridiculous guarantees and points money to riders that not as long as they have a hole in there backside would they be able to cover their costs furthermore there will have been an impact on sponsorship as companies took stock on how Covid had impacted their businesses... the whole thing is  a recipe for disaster... IMHO I think the BSPL have missed a chance to reset the whole sport or at least the opportunity to make some radical changes and what did we get "Rising Stars"

Regards
THJ

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Does anybody know roughly what the decent riders are being paid now? When I was involved in arranging a deal for a Scandinavian rider 10 years ago at Premier League level it was £40 a point with a £120 guarantee. On top of that his flights to and from were paid for plus mileage. A mechanic was provided by the club as well as a tyre. 

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1 hour ago, M.D said:

Hes got a point, you need more clubs in the top league and a watered down lower legue with minimal doubling up..

trouble is, riders wouldnt make that pay in either league

Riders such as Aaron Summers, Edward Kennett, Matthew Wethers, Simon Lambert, Ashley Morris and others manage by riding in just one league.  Riders need to realise that unless you are at the top, then speedway is not a full time living.   Back in the 1960's and 1970's when crowds were much higher, only the top riders were full time.

 

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5 minutes ago, shippy22 said:

Riders such as Aaron Summers, Edward Kennett, Matthew Wethers, Simon Lambert, Ashley Morris and others manage by riding in just one league.  Riders need to realise that unless you are at the top, then speedway is not a full time living.   Back in the 1960's and 1970's when crowds were much higher, only the top riders were full time.

 

think most of these riders have other jobs 

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This is bizarre we've all congregated on the Eastbourne thread having exactly the same discussions we've had on many other threads... It's like we're all in the hospital waiting room awaiting news on the patient!

 

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9 minutes ago, SuperSpeed said:

Rumours on Facebook via a sponsor that Lawson and Kennett have left, as has Ian Jordan (who allegedly owes thousands, both in rent and to the riders) and that an SCB investigation is underway.

Ian has just confirmed that he has not left and there will be a factual statement released tonight.

He has also stated that whilst there are known cash flow issues, everybody will be paid their money.

Lets wait for the statement, as he has also said that lots of the rumours are inaccurate.

Edited by Marky_Mark
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14 minutes ago, JamesHarris said:

Does anybody know roughly what the decent riders are being paid now? When I was involved in arranging a deal for a Scandinavian rider 10 years ago at Premier League level it was £40 a point with a £120 guarantee. On top of that his flights to and from were paid for plus mileage. A mechanic was provided by the club as well as a tyre. 

But how much of what a rider earns goes straight out of the sport to engine tuners etc. All of these Formula Ford riders are trying to maintain Formula 1 kit and the whole sport in this country suffers for it in more ways than one.

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6 minutes ago, Marky_Mark said:

Ian has just confirmed that he has not left and there will be a factual statement released tonight.

He has also stated that whilst there are known cash flow issues, everybody will be paid their money.

Lets wait for the statement, as he has also said that lots of the rumours are inaccurate.

First sign of something positive for a couple of days, fingers crossed Eastbourne can pull through.

(The rumoured stadium rent issue is odd to me and would only make sense if the landlords feel they can replace the speedway rent with something more profitable, surely an income stream is better than no income ?)

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