Friday 27 July 2012

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, and Royno Too

ITEM: What must have been the best kept secret in Norfolk broke this week, with the announcement that speedway might return to Norwich, after a gap of almost 50 years, next season.

The proposed stadium, within the confines of the Norfolk Showground, looks decent enough - though, as a fan of sub-300m tracks, the 360m oval seems enormous. Most importantly, built within the confines of the showground, it will have all the necessary infrastructure already in place, making it easy to get to by car or by public transport.

There are, of course, a number of hurdles to negotiate before bikes can take to the track in anger. Firstly, they have to secure planning permission from the local council, a step many a new track has found a bridge too far. There had been some criticism that they announced the project too early - the decision will not be made until October - but I disagree. The three month gap allows local support for the project to grow, and there is nothing like public pressure to make a councillor squirm. Of course, it also allows local opposition to gather forces, though in this case, with the Showground being an established sporting and entertainment venue, it seems only logistical arguments stand in the way.

Secondly, they have to gain BSPA approval, and this is where they may meet a little difficulty. The frontman for the project, though no longer a licensed director of the nascent company, is Steve Ribbons, who seems to have a few enemies at ACU House. He's been in this position before, with varying degrees of success, so knows the pitfalls of the process. I only hope the BSPA weigh up the potential gain of a new track, with solid facilities and a partnership with the Showground, over petty disputes.

Fundamental to their application to the BSPA could be the support - or opposition - of King's Lynn, the nearest established track to Norwich. The newcomers already seem to have staked a claim to the old Stars nickname, which King's Lynn appropriated after Norwich closed, and the Saddlebow Road outfit have already defended their trademark in a press release. The same missive also expressed concern that a good chunk of the King's Lynn fanbase travel from the Norwich area, and that a new track may impact on their crowds. Norwich is outside the "exclusion zone" within which promoters are allowed to protect their track from competition, but the support of the Stars would go a long way with th BSPA. Perhaps the Chapman's should look at the support given to - and competition attracted by - the return of Birmingham.

A new track in 2013 would be a huge bonus to a support which seems to stumble along, living hand to mouth. We lost Newport this year, and the new tracks at Bristol and Sittingbourne have gone very quiet. Whatever nickname they end up with, let's hope Norwich take to the track next spring - even if it is in the middle of nowhere!

ITEM: What is going on at Belle Vue? If you were trying to run a club into the ground you couldn't follow a better formula than Belle Vue's 2012 season: abandoned meetings in fine weather, another underperforming team put together (seemingly) on the cheap, and PR that lurches from admitting things aren't good to claiming everything's great.

This week they sacked their manager. Or he resigned. No-one's quite sure, though the latter seems to be the current story. It's very difficult to get sacked as a speedway manager, in any case (see Peter Adams), so if they had fired Lynch it would be a rare case of Belle Vue actually achieving something.

They also pulled out of hosting the 2013 SWC at their new stadium - a decision that seems to have been made for them by our masters BSI - because, well, there isn't one. The National Speedway Stadium (a blander name you'd struggle to find) was supposed to be ready by the end of this season. A visitor to the site on Monday reported no sign of building, nor any signs announcing building! Just a big expanse of grass. Yet this week's Speedway Star allows Belle Vue to peddle the line that it will be built and it will be great.

The sad thing is that people have paid real money for this fantasy stadium, in the form of pledging for bricks. Ordinary fans paying £50 a brick for something that appears no nearer happening than when it was first announced. I wonder if they'll get a refund?

And, besides the stadium, Belle Vue have some loyal fans that don't deserve what's happening to their great club. All very sad, and I'm not sure I have the answers to this one.

ITEM: Does doubling-up work? And who does it benefit? You could write a 3000 word essay on this one, but I won't detain you that long. I'd just like to put forward a couple of points that have been niggling at me.

Firstly, that - because it is doubling UP - the Premier League track gets first call on the riders' availability. I can see the obvious argument for this: that the double-upper is likely to be one of the PL track's top riders, and thus a drawing card. However, it can be counter-productive for the riders themselves, and certainly doesn't benefit the Elite League clubs. The EL, despite arguments to the contrary from PL fans, is the top league in this country, and should have first call on the best riders. There's no easy answer, though perhaps the rider should be at the disposal of their parent club: thus Adam Roynon would ride for Coventry in the event of a fixture clash with Workington, but Richie Worrall wound turn out for Newcastle if they rode the same day as Lakeside.

The second thought regards British riders. We're in the mire, international competition-wise, and something needs to be done. More rides abroad would certainly help, though logistically and financially this isn't always possible. More rides, full stop, is possible, however, and that can be achieved by allowing ALL British riders to double-up if they want to, and there's a PL club willing to pay them. It's something they do in Sweden, with a degree of success, and it would benefit both riders and clubs.

Lastly, and with a wider application than just doubling-up, is the conversion rate between the league's. This was changed, with some rancour, for the 2011 season and - unlike the "one over 8" rule - remained in place for 2012. It was designed, its architects claimed, to stop clubs cashing in on bargain signings from the lower divisions (those same architects being the ones who had gained most in the seasons leading up to the decision), yet has had an obvious side-effect. Yes, there were always going to be the Woffindens and Wards, who would make a mockery of their converted average, but equally there were the McGowans and Eklofs, who would never get near it. This has led to some double-up riders - and PL guests - being out of their depths, giving us two races in one, or the sight of a line rider trailing far behind the other three on his way to three zeros. A return to the old formula is needed, or the EL will continue to be as watered down as weak lemon drink.

ITEM: Adam Roynon was interviewed in the Speedway Star this week, about his battles back from a catalogue of injuries, including one which almost cost him his life.

He revealed that, at a time when it looked like he'd never ride again, he contacted former referee Paul Ackroyd, who now runs the Speedway Riders Benevolent Fund, with an eye on becoming a referee.

How refreshing to see a young lad so in love with our sport that, despite the fact it almost cost him his life, he was still willing to play an active part in it. He's not alone, of course - Garry Stead is still very keen to stay involved in the sport despite life-changing injuries (and I think he'd be perfect as co-manager at Coventry) - but for one so young it's amazing.

I love watching Adam race, and his humility and enthusiasm should be an example to young riders - and quite a few older ones!

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