Post by admin on Aug 30, 2008 20:02:59 GMT 1
Well, we’ve interviewed riders, we’ve interviewed promoters, we’ve interviewed managers and we’ve interviewed an annoying fellow called Shawn C Brown. And now we’re going to interview another annoying fellow, the one and only “mouth of the South” Steve Shovlar.
So, let’s get started:
1..Let’s start at the beginning, what attracted you to speedway and what keeps you coming back through the turnstiles?
Funnily enough the reason I went to my first speedway meeting is because my mate went. I used to live about a mile from Swindon speedway and my mate Gareth, who still goes every week to Blunsdon with his son, told me about a girl with large bazookas that stood by the starting gate. I had no interest in the speedway, but a girl with very big breasts interested a 13 year old very much. Hormone overdrive and all that. So I went along. I never saw the girl in question, but thought the speedway OK. Like many long term fans, it took quite a few weeks of going to get me hooked. Being a youngster, the thought of paying to get in was alien to me, so we used to sneak in over the fence at the back of the fourth bend once the gates opened. Never got caught!
Back then in 1972 the racing was completely different to today, and so was the Blunsdon track which made great racing. Martin Ashby was a hero of mine and still is. I guess he was viewed at the time the same as Leigh Adams is today. I went to Swindon from the middle of 1972 until I moved to Bournemouth early in 1977. Then I was lost to the sport. I had too many things going on in my life and the local speedway meant nothing to me. Clubs and women were far more important! Between 1977 and 1986 I went to one speedway meeting, the test match between England and the USA at Wimborne Road in 1982. Packed and enjoyable, and the only time I saw Penhall ride, though I honestly can't recall it at all. I know I was there and England won, but that's it.
What got me back was the sound of the racing. I moved to Bournemouth/Poole border at Bransksome in 1986, and when the wind blew in the right direction I could hear the speedway from my back garden. I thought to myself that I would go the following week, and went along. Must have been late summer, and I can't remember who I saw Poole against, but Poole at the time were called the Wildcats and rode Tuesdays. I watched as a neutral and cheered on the away team, as neutrals tend to do. Martin Yeates, Dave Biles and Kevin Smith were the heat leaders. I saw every home meeting for the rest of the 1986 season. The following year I was an ever present at home, and a neutral for most of the season. Swindon were in the top flight and Poole National League, so no clash. The trouble is, after moving to the town, and watching the team every week, and no clash in the league, you tend to form an allience and that's what eventually happened. IN 1989 I started going to a few away meetings, and we won the league. The following year 1990, we again swept all before us and I was almost an ever present home and away. The bug had well and truly bitten. Since 1990, you can say I have probably missed less than a handful of home fixtures. Very sad. What keeps me coming back through the turnstiles? I just love the sport. There are a few things I don't like, but overall it's part of who I am and always will be.
2..During your time supporting the Pirates there’ve been highs and lows, what are your best and worst memories of supporting the Pirates?
Difficult question.So many to think about. Lows? Hard to think of any from a while back. Easier to remember the more recent events. A painful one was losing to Coventry at home a couple of seasons ago when Lindback got outfoxed by Nicholls on the final bend. That hurt. Losing at Kings Lynn in 1999 in the last meeting of the season to let Peterbrorough win it by one point. Ouch. Losing away from home in a last heat decider is always painful, but that's the same for everyone who follows their club on their travels. The highs. There are many.Winning back to back titles in 89 and 90. Winning in 94 (I was an ever present) romping it in 2003 and 2004. The 2003 KO Cup final at Coventry has to go down in the memory for both sets of fans as a joyful and painful meeting. We were dead and buried in horrible conditions. A deep wet track and the drizzle never stopped. We were being slaughtered and had little to defend from the first leg (4 points). A few Poole fans had even left the stadium after heat 7, we were so far adrift. But we came back and won it in the final heat. Utter joy. There were Coventry fans around me in tears. When Loram won the World Title I was there, being an ever present at every GP that year. What a fantstic night. He was staying at hotel in Bydgoszcz and we had him up on our shoulders around the bar. Wicked!
3..I have many happy memories of watching the Poole Pirates racing at Berwick’s Berrington Lough track during their years in the old National League, did you enjoy the “National League years” and did you visit the cruel, crazy town?
Only went there once and we got absolutely stuffed. The meeting will be remembered for one thing. Jon Gould, a lanky streak of bacon, with very little track craft it must be said, somehow managed to clear the fence with his bike in tow. How no one was injured I will never know!
4..Many Poole supporters seemed to view the 2007 team as a “stop gap” measure ahead of an all-conquering team in 2008, but the 38.85 limit seems to have put paid to that, yet you haven’t been especially critical of the 38.85 limit, why?
Well I didn't want it. I wanted 42.5 and am on record as saying so a few times. But I am not a promoter. I don't put my money where my mouth is and put myself in a position where my daughters inheretence is at risk by becoming one. The reason I haven't gone on and on and on and on like some on the BSF, moaning and groaning and whining ad infinitum is because what is the point? It's not going to make one iota of difference! Some fans have threatened to give the Elite League a miss because of the low limit, and are going to watch Prmier League racing instead. I can't fathom that one out at all. If they think the EL is weak, wait until the sample PL on a weekly basis. Their argument is flawed.
NO one wanted 38.85. Its too low and by the end of 2008 we will see riders on false averages.
However, something had to be done. In all my years of following speedway, 2007 was a particularly bad year for the sport, with the haves and have nots. Something needed to be done, and the promoters have been pretty brave in lowering the points limit to a level where the top clubs have had to give up one or two of their top men. It HAD to be done for the good of the sport. Poole lose Crump, Coventry lose Nicholls, Swindon lose Richardson. These riders have got fixed up and compared to last season, where we had some terribly weak teams, 2008 is so far looking like there will be no one will be tailed off at the bottom of the league. So the 38.85 limit has done its job, even though its a terribly watered down EL next year.
5..Imagine you’re Matt Ford building a team, would you have sacrificed Jason Crump (as Ford has), Bjarne Pedersen, or both and built a more solid team around a top two of, say, Krzysztof Kasprzak and Davey Watt?
No I think Matt got it spot on. Crump did a good job in his season at Poole, but didn't have the same rapore with the fans as Bjarne, who is part of the Poole family. Don't get me wrong Crump was popular in his year with us, but with a 38.85 limit, we had to lose one of the top two, and Crump was always likely to be the one to go. Other than he was probably a lot more expensive to have in the team (I am guessing) his average was also over a point more, and when it comes down to it, every fraction of a point is vital in building a championship winning side. With a weaker EL, Bjarne is likely to be up around a 10 point average, so we won't miss Crump really. Bjarne rarely has a duff meeting, so it was important to keep him. KK is a younger rider but dreadful at really small tracks like Wolves, Eastbourne and Belle Vue. We need a number one who can score at most places.
6..I understand a number of promoters, including Poole’s Matt Ford, would like to see the average reduction for British riders binned, do you have any views on this?
I tend to agree with that. I don't see why its relevant. But instead of giving British riders a 2.5% reduction, I would like to see the reserves of all teams be British youngsters, who stay there all season regardless of how they get on. If they hit a streak of form, they stay at reserve. It will help bring the youngsters on and put at least a dozen more British riders in the EL. Obviously there would have to be some type of grading but I don't see why it can't be looked at. They have something similar in Poland.
7..I’ve been one of the more out-spoken critics of Neil Middleditch being retained as team manager of Great Britain and you’re one of his great defenders; why do you think I’m wrong and you’re right?
I honestly don't think Middlo has done anything wrong to warrant being ousted. The GB team is not going to win the WTC at the moment. There are not enough quality British riders at Middlo's disposal to get there. Unlike a football manager, a speedway manager has to do his talking before, make sure everyone is singing from the same hymn sheet, and give pep talks. It's up the riders to make sure they have the right gearing through to the right frame of mind. Being a Poole fan I see on a weekly basis how Middlo works and I know he does the best he can with the tools he has available. Very occassionally I disagree with a tactic he has made, but isn't that the same with fans in any sport? The riders all totally respect him and I remember overhearing Ryan Sullivan praising Middlo to another rider and saying how he got the best out of him that night. Who ever comes in to replace Middlo will have the same riders to work with and the results will be no better. The fact Middlo managed to get Team GB to the finals of the WTC with a patched up, injury ravaged teams shows his skill at the job.
8..I often wonder what effect the retirement of certain key riders will have on the GPs, now among your favourite riders Tony Rickardsson has retired and Antonio Lindback is having personal problems and isn’t in the GPs, so will you still maintain your enthusiasm for the GPs?
My enthusiasm for the GPs has wained terribly since Trick retired. I used to look forward to them, and go to several a year. Now I only go to Cardiff although I am still an ever present. But I don't have anyone to cheer on and that makes a big difference to me. I cheer on the Brits even though they are normally out of their depth (except this year at Cardiff) and give Bjarne a cheer, though he isn't the same rider in the GPs as he is for Poole. I need a guy to cheer on who rides for Poole and is in the GPs. If only Holder was a Brit!
9..As a follow-up question, who do you think will be world champion in 2008 and who’ll be his main challengers?
You don't have to look any further than Nicki Pedersen. I think he will walk it again, regardless of the fact that he is not riding in the UK. His setup, mental approach and ability is just head and shoulders over everyone else. Expect Crump and Adams to challenge, and Gollob to win a Polish GP, but Pedersen will have it sewn up with a couple of rounds to spare.
10..And finally, what, in your opinion, is the biggest problem facing British speedway at the minute and how do you think that problem should be resolved?
What a huge question. Well as always its getting stability in clubs. More people need to come through the gate to give that stability. Its not going to happen if a promoter turns up 2 hours before the gates open on race day, and there needs to be a PR/Press Officer at every club who is always available to pump even trivial information to the local press. Another problem is lack of coverage in the national papers and national TV. That isn't going to change easily. Chris Harris could sweep to victory in every GP, Cardiff could be sold out an hour after tickets go onsale, and he would be lucky to get a mention on Sports Personality Of The Year.There's a ton which can be done but it would fill many pages!
Well, my thanks to young Shovlar for taking the time to answer the questions and giving us some interesting answers.
Note:
I was at the Berwick versus Poole meeting mention by young Shovlar in Question 3 and he's being a little unfair to Poole. The fixture was the second leg of a KO Cup tie and Poole performed very well against the odds. They lost both Alun Rossiter and Tom Knudsen (the poor Dane did get injured in the Jon Gould pile up in, I think, Ht 2) in the early stages, but thanks to an inspired performance from Craig Boyce held on and won on aggregate.
So, let’s get started:
1..Let’s start at the beginning, what attracted you to speedway and what keeps you coming back through the turnstiles?
Funnily enough the reason I went to my first speedway meeting is because my mate went. I used to live about a mile from Swindon speedway and my mate Gareth, who still goes every week to Blunsdon with his son, told me about a girl with large bazookas that stood by the starting gate. I had no interest in the speedway, but a girl with very big breasts interested a 13 year old very much. Hormone overdrive and all that. So I went along. I never saw the girl in question, but thought the speedway OK. Like many long term fans, it took quite a few weeks of going to get me hooked. Being a youngster, the thought of paying to get in was alien to me, so we used to sneak in over the fence at the back of the fourth bend once the gates opened. Never got caught!
Back then in 1972 the racing was completely different to today, and so was the Blunsdon track which made great racing. Martin Ashby was a hero of mine and still is. I guess he was viewed at the time the same as Leigh Adams is today. I went to Swindon from the middle of 1972 until I moved to Bournemouth early in 1977. Then I was lost to the sport. I had too many things going on in my life and the local speedway meant nothing to me. Clubs and women were far more important! Between 1977 and 1986 I went to one speedway meeting, the test match between England and the USA at Wimborne Road in 1982. Packed and enjoyable, and the only time I saw Penhall ride, though I honestly can't recall it at all. I know I was there and England won, but that's it.
What got me back was the sound of the racing. I moved to Bournemouth/Poole border at Bransksome in 1986, and when the wind blew in the right direction I could hear the speedway from my back garden. I thought to myself that I would go the following week, and went along. Must have been late summer, and I can't remember who I saw Poole against, but Poole at the time were called the Wildcats and rode Tuesdays. I watched as a neutral and cheered on the away team, as neutrals tend to do. Martin Yeates, Dave Biles and Kevin Smith were the heat leaders. I saw every home meeting for the rest of the 1986 season. The following year I was an ever present at home, and a neutral for most of the season. Swindon were in the top flight and Poole National League, so no clash. The trouble is, after moving to the town, and watching the team every week, and no clash in the league, you tend to form an allience and that's what eventually happened. IN 1989 I started going to a few away meetings, and we won the league. The following year 1990, we again swept all before us and I was almost an ever present home and away. The bug had well and truly bitten. Since 1990, you can say I have probably missed less than a handful of home fixtures. Very sad. What keeps me coming back through the turnstiles? I just love the sport. There are a few things I don't like, but overall it's part of who I am and always will be.
2..During your time supporting the Pirates there’ve been highs and lows, what are your best and worst memories of supporting the Pirates?
Difficult question.So many to think about. Lows? Hard to think of any from a while back. Easier to remember the more recent events. A painful one was losing to Coventry at home a couple of seasons ago when Lindback got outfoxed by Nicholls on the final bend. That hurt. Losing at Kings Lynn in 1999 in the last meeting of the season to let Peterbrorough win it by one point. Ouch. Losing away from home in a last heat decider is always painful, but that's the same for everyone who follows their club on their travels. The highs. There are many.Winning back to back titles in 89 and 90. Winning in 94 (I was an ever present) romping it in 2003 and 2004. The 2003 KO Cup final at Coventry has to go down in the memory for both sets of fans as a joyful and painful meeting. We were dead and buried in horrible conditions. A deep wet track and the drizzle never stopped. We were being slaughtered and had little to defend from the first leg (4 points). A few Poole fans had even left the stadium after heat 7, we were so far adrift. But we came back and won it in the final heat. Utter joy. There were Coventry fans around me in tears. When Loram won the World Title I was there, being an ever present at every GP that year. What a fantstic night. He was staying at hotel in Bydgoszcz and we had him up on our shoulders around the bar. Wicked!
3..I have many happy memories of watching the Poole Pirates racing at Berwick’s Berrington Lough track during their years in the old National League, did you enjoy the “National League years” and did you visit the cruel, crazy town?
Only went there once and we got absolutely stuffed. The meeting will be remembered for one thing. Jon Gould, a lanky streak of bacon, with very little track craft it must be said, somehow managed to clear the fence with his bike in tow. How no one was injured I will never know!
4..Many Poole supporters seemed to view the 2007 team as a “stop gap” measure ahead of an all-conquering team in 2008, but the 38.85 limit seems to have put paid to that, yet you haven’t been especially critical of the 38.85 limit, why?
Well I didn't want it. I wanted 42.5 and am on record as saying so a few times. But I am not a promoter. I don't put my money where my mouth is and put myself in a position where my daughters inheretence is at risk by becoming one. The reason I haven't gone on and on and on and on like some on the BSF, moaning and groaning and whining ad infinitum is because what is the point? It's not going to make one iota of difference! Some fans have threatened to give the Elite League a miss because of the low limit, and are going to watch Prmier League racing instead. I can't fathom that one out at all. If they think the EL is weak, wait until the sample PL on a weekly basis. Their argument is flawed.
NO one wanted 38.85. Its too low and by the end of 2008 we will see riders on false averages.
However, something had to be done. In all my years of following speedway, 2007 was a particularly bad year for the sport, with the haves and have nots. Something needed to be done, and the promoters have been pretty brave in lowering the points limit to a level where the top clubs have had to give up one or two of their top men. It HAD to be done for the good of the sport. Poole lose Crump, Coventry lose Nicholls, Swindon lose Richardson. These riders have got fixed up and compared to last season, where we had some terribly weak teams, 2008 is so far looking like there will be no one will be tailed off at the bottom of the league. So the 38.85 limit has done its job, even though its a terribly watered down EL next year.
5..Imagine you’re Matt Ford building a team, would you have sacrificed Jason Crump (as Ford has), Bjarne Pedersen, or both and built a more solid team around a top two of, say, Krzysztof Kasprzak and Davey Watt?
No I think Matt got it spot on. Crump did a good job in his season at Poole, but didn't have the same rapore with the fans as Bjarne, who is part of the Poole family. Don't get me wrong Crump was popular in his year with us, but with a 38.85 limit, we had to lose one of the top two, and Crump was always likely to be the one to go. Other than he was probably a lot more expensive to have in the team (I am guessing) his average was also over a point more, and when it comes down to it, every fraction of a point is vital in building a championship winning side. With a weaker EL, Bjarne is likely to be up around a 10 point average, so we won't miss Crump really. Bjarne rarely has a duff meeting, so it was important to keep him. KK is a younger rider but dreadful at really small tracks like Wolves, Eastbourne and Belle Vue. We need a number one who can score at most places.
6..I understand a number of promoters, including Poole’s Matt Ford, would like to see the average reduction for British riders binned, do you have any views on this?
I tend to agree with that. I don't see why its relevant. But instead of giving British riders a 2.5% reduction, I would like to see the reserves of all teams be British youngsters, who stay there all season regardless of how they get on. If they hit a streak of form, they stay at reserve. It will help bring the youngsters on and put at least a dozen more British riders in the EL. Obviously there would have to be some type of grading but I don't see why it can't be looked at. They have something similar in Poland.
7..I’ve been one of the more out-spoken critics of Neil Middleditch being retained as team manager of Great Britain and you’re one of his great defenders; why do you think I’m wrong and you’re right?
I honestly don't think Middlo has done anything wrong to warrant being ousted. The GB team is not going to win the WTC at the moment. There are not enough quality British riders at Middlo's disposal to get there. Unlike a football manager, a speedway manager has to do his talking before, make sure everyone is singing from the same hymn sheet, and give pep talks. It's up the riders to make sure they have the right gearing through to the right frame of mind. Being a Poole fan I see on a weekly basis how Middlo works and I know he does the best he can with the tools he has available. Very occassionally I disagree with a tactic he has made, but isn't that the same with fans in any sport? The riders all totally respect him and I remember overhearing Ryan Sullivan praising Middlo to another rider and saying how he got the best out of him that night. Who ever comes in to replace Middlo will have the same riders to work with and the results will be no better. The fact Middlo managed to get Team GB to the finals of the WTC with a patched up, injury ravaged teams shows his skill at the job.
8..I often wonder what effect the retirement of certain key riders will have on the GPs, now among your favourite riders Tony Rickardsson has retired and Antonio Lindback is having personal problems and isn’t in the GPs, so will you still maintain your enthusiasm for the GPs?
My enthusiasm for the GPs has wained terribly since Trick retired. I used to look forward to them, and go to several a year. Now I only go to Cardiff although I am still an ever present. But I don't have anyone to cheer on and that makes a big difference to me. I cheer on the Brits even though they are normally out of their depth (except this year at Cardiff) and give Bjarne a cheer, though he isn't the same rider in the GPs as he is for Poole. I need a guy to cheer on who rides for Poole and is in the GPs. If only Holder was a Brit!
9..As a follow-up question, who do you think will be world champion in 2008 and who’ll be his main challengers?
You don't have to look any further than Nicki Pedersen. I think he will walk it again, regardless of the fact that he is not riding in the UK. His setup, mental approach and ability is just head and shoulders over everyone else. Expect Crump and Adams to challenge, and Gollob to win a Polish GP, but Pedersen will have it sewn up with a couple of rounds to spare.
10..And finally, what, in your opinion, is the biggest problem facing British speedway at the minute and how do you think that problem should be resolved?
What a huge question. Well as always its getting stability in clubs. More people need to come through the gate to give that stability. Its not going to happen if a promoter turns up 2 hours before the gates open on race day, and there needs to be a PR/Press Officer at every club who is always available to pump even trivial information to the local press. Another problem is lack of coverage in the national papers and national TV. That isn't going to change easily. Chris Harris could sweep to victory in every GP, Cardiff could be sold out an hour after tickets go onsale, and he would be lucky to get a mention on Sports Personality Of The Year.There's a ton which can be done but it would fill many pages!
Well, my thanks to young Shovlar for taking the time to answer the questions and giving us some interesting answers.
Note:
I was at the Berwick versus Poole meeting mention by young Shovlar in Question 3 and he's being a little unfair to Poole. The fixture was the second leg of a KO Cup tie and Poole performed very well against the odds. They lost both Alun Rossiter and Tom Knudsen (the poor Dane did get injured in the Jon Gould pile up in, I think, Ht 2) in the early stages, but thanks to an inspired performance from Craig Boyce held on and won on aggregate.