Well it`s that time of year again as the British Elite League
Speedway revs up for a new season as we head into the 16th Elite season since
the formation of the Elite League from the old British League championship.
This season has already come under controversy as it’s the first time there
will be only 1 trophy up for grabs as Promoters ridiculously decided on
scrapping the prestigious Knockout Cup as some sides weren`t bothered or
thought it was waste of time, But the fans however see it as the Speedway s
answer to the FA CUP.
The most passionate supporter
of Speedway will tell you it`s going to be one the best seasons ever and
exciting all this year and unmissable and all the other usual propaganda spewed
out towards the masses and also towards the people who haven`t seen the sport
to entice them into it and watch it at their local track and help their club
out with the fans coming through the turnstiles. However if you’re a harden
speedway fan and know the sport and how it is run and has been for many, many years
then you know this season will be like any other season has been for the last
13 years or so.
The early days of the Elite
League was thought of as the one of the best leagues in the world arguably the
Best in the world back in 1997 at its beginnings, As the riders you had then
were well known to the Speedway fanatics such as: Gary Havelock, Joe Screen,
Jason Lyons, Sam Ermolenko, Mikael & Peter Karlsson, Ryan Sullivan,
Martin Dugard, Chris Louis, Craig Boyce, Greg Hancock, Leigh Adams and Hans Nielsen.
These were fantastic riders that were worth paying money to see then as the
years went on younger riders that came up from the Premier league and from
aboard made the Elite League so watchable. World championship riders from the
Grand Prix coming to England to race with the likes of Tomasz Gollob, Tony
Rickardsson, Jason Crump, Nicki Pedersen and British youngsters to in Scott
Nicholls and the Late Lee Richardson as well.
Arguably the decline in top
riders coming to the UK nowadays is that Poland pays big and I mean BIG MONEY
for riders in their Extrasliga as riders get paid 3 or 4x more in Poland than
they do in England and as there are 4 leagues in Europe in which a majority of
the riders ride in all 4 of the leagues (Polish, Swedish, British and Danish
leagues) riders now pick and choose whether they want to be jet setting around Europe
for possibly 8 months in rare cases. Poland nowadays is considered the best
league in the world due to having nearly EVERY Grand Prix rider in that league
and get sell out crowds and is a kin to football as the fans are extremely
passionate too there.
Sweden is looked at as the 2nd
best as they have lot of the Grand Prix riders in their sides too as both
Sweden and Poland have a 1 or 2 Foreign rider rule in place, Which means every
side is allowed to have more than 2 foreign riders ( not being from Poland or
Sweden ) in their sides. But teams have found way round it riding on a Polish
or Swedish licence meaning they can cut corners, But the racing in both is
fantastic. Denmark is the arguably 3rd or 4th choice league depending on your preference;
they have very young sides in that league and not many riders from outside of
Denmark. I`ll be honest it`s very hard to find places that show the Danish
league but from clips from the internet the racing is good there too.
Britain is looked upon as a
"has-been" league to the rest of the Europe, As what was once looked
at as league to copy and follow in the footsteps of as these other leagues
caught up and then re- invented themselves and turned their sides competitions
and brand of speedway into must watch TV in their own countries. In the UK
however the current board of speedway or BSPA (British speedway promoters
association) lacks any forward thinking and is massively behind the times in ideas
or promoting the sport and trying to bring it as close as they can back to its
heyday like in the 70`s when places like Perry Barr at Birmingham, Plough Lane
at Wimbledon, Blackbird road in Leicester and of course nearer to home the
Legendary Hyde Road stadium at Belle Vue. These were all full up stadiums with
riders entertaining the fans with great racing riders like: Peter Collins,
Malcolm Simmonds, Chris Morton, Kenny Carter, Ole Olsen, Barry Briggs, Ivan
Mauger, Dave Jessop, Ove Fundin, Erik Gundersen, Martin Ashby and Bruce
Penhall.
Today British league still has
riders that can captivate an audience but the league is very very stale and the
powers that be have ruined the sport with certain decisions they`ve made along
with promoters that have at times turned the matches you watch on sky
television into their own mini reality show as they want to be on camera
constantly. Compare our coverage to Polish and Swedish league, it`s all fluid
and the commentators only go mad when a really truly fabulous pass happens and
they are mainly reserved. Sky coverage the commentary side is appalling, 2
commentators shouting at the top of their voice as one makes a mistake and the
other passes him weakly "FAN-TAS-TIC RIDE!!!!!" no it isn`t it`s a
mistake capitalised on.
Week upon week we have the same
terrible sayings thrown out every week, and the live games on TV you can
guarantee who is on the most. The other 3 leagues have a variety of match ups
and you never seen the same side 3 within weeks. British coverage is mainly
Poole v Coventry, Coventry v Poole, Wolves v Coventry, Wolves v Poole always
the same 3 sides on constantly and were forced to watch tracks where there is
hardly any passing and SKY will talk it up and say great meeting again. And you
have to shake your head in disbelief at some things. And of course they bring
the old chestnut out when they venture to Manchester every time.
"Overcast, gloomy, dull, rainy" or not used to sunshine in
these parts! This coming from one presenter who is from Birmingham and statically
gets more rain than Manchester.
And when Belle Vue was only
match on due to Birmingham or Wolves called off for waterlogged tracks they
came to Manchester when it was sunshine and had to have a dig at the only
Northern club in the league passed the M6 "It`s not raining for
once". These are supposed to be professional presenters yet they are as
bad as the people who run the sport. As the BSPA who run the sport have been
accused by many fans of not growing the sports but only looking after their
clubs best interests as the 2 main leagues in Britain. Elite & Premier are
run by 3 people each within their own leagues. Edinburgh Monarchs promoter is
the head of the Premier league and they have won the title in recent years, and
if that’s not coincidence the ELITE is run by Poole Pirates Promoter and they
have won the title nearly every season since he took charge.
A lot of rules bend has gone on
with manipulating the rules and riders getting certain treatment so they can
move and also the riders have been accused of not trying hard enough so they
can ride for certain teams the next season or get sacked and then move to the
team they want to go the most. Why fans are driven away from the once proud
sport to always replicating the scandal with the "Italian football
scores" in 2006.
Fans have been crying out for
ex riders or an independent body to come in and shake things up. But the
current bunch that preside over this association said publicly "There was
no need for chance as British speedway was doing in a great state"...yes a
GREAT terrible state. Fans on the terraces I’ve spoke with have all no trust in
the people who run the sport and call them certain names that isn`t broadcast
able. But the fans are expected to thing everything is rosy and it certainly
isn`t at all.
So we are currently watching a
sport that in its current state dying a slow painful death with people who
aren`t seeing the bigger picture, as there is no facilities or motivation for
youngsters coming up to get involved in speedway and a National program that is
massively behind the main speedway nations and with the rising newcomers from
Russia gathering speed then Britain will soon find themselves falling to the
way side. But as were told "the future in Britain is in great hands" whose
hands are these as they not showing any signs of progression in youth
development or international status. Great Britain has been thrashed in Under
21 tournaments and in Individual meetings they hardly score as they have no
experience or people to guide them.
Changes for the best would be a
Independent body to guard over dodgy ground and also limit the amount of
Foreign riders in the league or up the level of British riders to 3 in a side
so they gain experience by facing better riders and get a chance at the top
level instead of 3 matches and never used again and bring a rider from aboard
to take the place of a rider that could be given to a home-grown one.
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