Post by speedway_history on Jan 3, 2009 20:39:31 GMT 1
1..Terry Russell has expressed his thoughts on promotion and relegation. Do you think this would work?
I really don't know what good that would do the sport. I know in Poland and Sweden it works but I feel it is a different scenario over here. If premier teams want to be in the elite they can apply but not many are forthcoming on that front, are they? How would they feel if they were forced to move up? I think that any club that moved up would have to be very financially sound to afford to pay the money that some top riders command.
2..Speaking from Poole's perspective, what changes, if any, would you like to see come from the AGM with regards to the points limit?
The points limit is always a tricky one. We are one of the few sports where you get penalised for being successful - look at Coventry. Built a fantastic team only to have the heart torn out of it (subject to new points limit) next season. Promoters who build successful teams must think why do we bother? You will always have better teams in any sport and people love to see them get beaten (look how much stick Poole got and we didn't win anything!!!) I know when Coventry or Swindon came to Poole the crowds were awesome and when Poole were doing well people came to see us get beaten. If it puts bums on seats it's got to be good. Don't try and drag other clubs down a level - get them to raise theirs to the higher club's level. Move forward not back.
3..There have been interviews with riders who would like to see us race on one night only in the UK. What do you think about that, and is it workable?
It works in Sweden and Poland. Over here? Who knows? It would ease the work load from the top boys and may entice some riders to try their hand in the UK if they didn't have to ride so many meetings. The schedule some of the guys keep is truly mind boggling, which is fine when things are going well, but have a couple of knocks - engines blow and things start to build up, then things get really hard for them. But the ones who may suffer would be the lower order riders who don't have Sweden or Poland to ride in and effectively would be taking a pay cut. A tricky one really.
4..What do you think (or hope) the future of British speedway is? Would you like to see sweeping changes, or do you think things are fine as they are?
I don't think there is a magic wand we can wave to make British speedway better. AMBITION is a key word and not just monetary gain. I have said it many times - riders just don't want to move up to the Elite for money reasons. Why would you if you were earning £400 a night in the premier scoring 12 or 13 points want to move to the elite and score 3 or 4 and earn £100 (not actual figures just an example)? I feel that we need to take the best riders from the elite and subsidise their wage to make it financially viable for them. I don't know if that money is readily available, just my personal take on the matter. Unless the Brits have the ambition we are going nowhere.
5..You must be keeping an eye on the young Brits to see who's coming through. Are there any in particular you think are showing something special?
Plenty of good riders about, but they must have the ambition (that word again!) I really don't want to name names as I will no doubt get slammed for missing someone out. But I feel thanks to the conference and premier leagues, which are a great training ground for them, that British speedway does have a future. We are a few years from being the force we once were, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
6..What's your opinion of the tactical rules? Should they stay or go?
Great when you're losing and it turns the match around, rubbish when you have built up a lead only to see it wiped out in one fell swoop (ask Reading last year!) Something brought in to help keep matches closer and I think it works.
7..What does a typical day at the WTC involve for you?
Normally the first thing I do is check the weather! Most of the work has been done on practise day - making sure the boys are all happy with set-ups, any problems they may have, or if they need anything.
We normally meet up mid morning (the boys sleep late,) have a stroll round town. Then we all have lunch together and talk about the track conditions, gearings, anything to try and get a little extra knowledge for them for during the meeting. In the afternoon most of them will go to the Hotel to just chill out. I normally go to the track mid afternoon to check with the mechanics if they have any problems or need anything and ask them how they felt practise went and how their particular rider felt after practise.
The guys turn up normally a couple of hours before the meeting just to run through things with the mechanics. We then normally have a chat about any last minute things they may have on their minds. We have the team manager's briefing to explain any rules and meet the referee, then it's track walk just to see how the track looks, and if they feel they have the right gearings on for the meeting.
I normally stand back while they warm up the bikes and chat with mechanics - that is there zone. After that just to wish them luck and as always ask them to give me their best shot. which they always do.
8..Is there a facility for the lads to practise, either before the WTC, or through the year in general in any country, and if there were would they take up the chance?
There are no actual facilities to practise as such, and particularly on the track where the WTC would be run, as I said: imagine if I asked Ole to practise at Vojens for the day!!
It would be possible in England but the riders all know the tracks inside out and have all the settings for gears, jets, timing, etc, and unless you really have something new to test you can often end up confusing yourself.
Same in Poland most of the boys ride over there so know all the set ups - or should! The practise sessions for the WTC are a joke. If you added up the total time the boys can actually be on the track it would be less than 5 minutes per rider. And 9 times out of 10 the track is completely different from practise than in the actual meeting.
I have suggested and been offered practise in England but its just a nightmare trying to get all the boys together all riding for different teams and in different countries, and going back to what I said they know all the set ups in the UK, which is the most crucial factor.
People criticised the boys in Poland. Put the Poles round Eastbourne, Lakeside, etc they would be pretty average, I can assure you.
9..What about riders just coming into the sport - there are training tracks, but I understand they have to book and pay for that themselves?
It is getting better with the conference but it is not a cheap sport to do, so unless you have good sponsors it is hard, as in any professional sport. Training tracks are not so abundant due to the geography of Great Britain, whereas in Scandinavia, Poland etc, they have such vast spaces and are able to have facilities available to them much easier. To train you always have had to pay. Training tracks have expenses to cover - it's a fact of life. It has always been the same. One of the most crucial factors in Speedway is the first 30 metres. We know the boys can ride the bikes. I feel that if any practise was necessary it would be a gating school. Imagine if Bomber could gate he would be untouchable!!
10..Would you like to continue in your role of manager of GB, and would having an assistant appeal to you?
Will pass on the last one at the moment!
I really don't know what good that would do the sport. I know in Poland and Sweden it works but I feel it is a different scenario over here. If premier teams want to be in the elite they can apply but not many are forthcoming on that front, are they? How would they feel if they were forced to move up? I think that any club that moved up would have to be very financially sound to afford to pay the money that some top riders command.
2..Speaking from Poole's perspective, what changes, if any, would you like to see come from the AGM with regards to the points limit?
The points limit is always a tricky one. We are one of the few sports where you get penalised for being successful - look at Coventry. Built a fantastic team only to have the heart torn out of it (subject to new points limit) next season. Promoters who build successful teams must think why do we bother? You will always have better teams in any sport and people love to see them get beaten (look how much stick Poole got and we didn't win anything!!!) I know when Coventry or Swindon came to Poole the crowds were awesome and when Poole were doing well people came to see us get beaten. If it puts bums on seats it's got to be good. Don't try and drag other clubs down a level - get them to raise theirs to the higher club's level. Move forward not back.
3..There have been interviews with riders who would like to see us race on one night only in the UK. What do you think about that, and is it workable?
It works in Sweden and Poland. Over here? Who knows? It would ease the work load from the top boys and may entice some riders to try their hand in the UK if they didn't have to ride so many meetings. The schedule some of the guys keep is truly mind boggling, which is fine when things are going well, but have a couple of knocks - engines blow and things start to build up, then things get really hard for them. But the ones who may suffer would be the lower order riders who don't have Sweden or Poland to ride in and effectively would be taking a pay cut. A tricky one really.
4..What do you think (or hope) the future of British speedway is? Would you like to see sweeping changes, or do you think things are fine as they are?
I don't think there is a magic wand we can wave to make British speedway better. AMBITION is a key word and not just monetary gain. I have said it many times - riders just don't want to move up to the Elite for money reasons. Why would you if you were earning £400 a night in the premier scoring 12 or 13 points want to move to the elite and score 3 or 4 and earn £100 (not actual figures just an example)? I feel that we need to take the best riders from the elite and subsidise their wage to make it financially viable for them. I don't know if that money is readily available, just my personal take on the matter. Unless the Brits have the ambition we are going nowhere.
5..You must be keeping an eye on the young Brits to see who's coming through. Are there any in particular you think are showing something special?
Plenty of good riders about, but they must have the ambition (that word again!) I really don't want to name names as I will no doubt get slammed for missing someone out. But I feel thanks to the conference and premier leagues, which are a great training ground for them, that British speedway does have a future. We are a few years from being the force we once were, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
6..What's your opinion of the tactical rules? Should they stay or go?
Great when you're losing and it turns the match around, rubbish when you have built up a lead only to see it wiped out in one fell swoop (ask Reading last year!) Something brought in to help keep matches closer and I think it works.
7..What does a typical day at the WTC involve for you?
Normally the first thing I do is check the weather! Most of the work has been done on practise day - making sure the boys are all happy with set-ups, any problems they may have, or if they need anything.
We normally meet up mid morning (the boys sleep late,) have a stroll round town. Then we all have lunch together and talk about the track conditions, gearings, anything to try and get a little extra knowledge for them for during the meeting. In the afternoon most of them will go to the Hotel to just chill out. I normally go to the track mid afternoon to check with the mechanics if they have any problems or need anything and ask them how they felt practise went and how their particular rider felt after practise.
The guys turn up normally a couple of hours before the meeting just to run through things with the mechanics. We then normally have a chat about any last minute things they may have on their minds. We have the team manager's briefing to explain any rules and meet the referee, then it's track walk just to see how the track looks, and if they feel they have the right gearings on for the meeting.
I normally stand back while they warm up the bikes and chat with mechanics - that is there zone. After that just to wish them luck and as always ask them to give me their best shot. which they always do.
8..Is there a facility for the lads to practise, either before the WTC, or through the year in general in any country, and if there were would they take up the chance?
There are no actual facilities to practise as such, and particularly on the track where the WTC would be run, as I said: imagine if I asked Ole to practise at Vojens for the day!!
It would be possible in England but the riders all know the tracks inside out and have all the settings for gears, jets, timing, etc, and unless you really have something new to test you can often end up confusing yourself.
Same in Poland most of the boys ride over there so know all the set ups - or should! The practise sessions for the WTC are a joke. If you added up the total time the boys can actually be on the track it would be less than 5 minutes per rider. And 9 times out of 10 the track is completely different from practise than in the actual meeting.
I have suggested and been offered practise in England but its just a nightmare trying to get all the boys together all riding for different teams and in different countries, and going back to what I said they know all the set ups in the UK, which is the most crucial factor.
People criticised the boys in Poland. Put the Poles round Eastbourne, Lakeside, etc they would be pretty average, I can assure you.
9..What about riders just coming into the sport - there are training tracks, but I understand they have to book and pay for that themselves?
It is getting better with the conference but it is not a cheap sport to do, so unless you have good sponsors it is hard, as in any professional sport. Training tracks are not so abundant due to the geography of Great Britain, whereas in Scandinavia, Poland etc, they have such vast spaces and are able to have facilities available to them much easier. To train you always have had to pay. Training tracks have expenses to cover - it's a fact of life. It has always been the same. One of the most crucial factors in Speedway is the first 30 metres. We know the boys can ride the bikes. I feel that if any practise was necessary it would be a gating school. Imagine if Bomber could gate he would be untouchable!!
10..Would you like to continue in your role of manager of GB, and would having an assistant appeal to you?
Will pass on the last one at the moment!