ITEM: The new National League adventure for Coventry took a step nearer its realisation this week with the announcement of the opening fixtures for the Storm, a home and away challenge series with Dudley Heathens.
The Heathens - auld enemies of the Bees from their Cradley Heath days - will be making their first appearance on Brandon shale since their reformation in 2010, and will provide a tough test for the Coventry youngsters. In a perfect world, the spoils would be shared, with two home wins and some great racing. The world is so often far from perfect - particularly in speedway - but you would hope that both teams would have enough to secure home wins in front of eager fans, and give the Storm fans a great start to the NL campaign.
It's a tester of a season for the Storm. Although Mick Horton has admitted that the primary reason for running a team in the National League is to create young, British assets, with the aim of an all-British Bees' teams within five years, the venture still has to pay for itself. With a breakeven fo (I imagine) somewhere around 400-500 fans - and with the Bees getting 1000-1500 regularly - it shouldn't be too difficult, but the previous third tier team at Brandon - the Cougars - did struggle for fans.
That was a different time, however, and there were mitigating circumstances. They often ran on a Tuesday and didn't enter the Conference League proper, so you'd hope that the Storm, running on the Bees' regular Friday night and in the thick of the action from the off, will do a little better.
I hope the Coventry fans get behind the Storm in enough numbers that it's a success. It's the best of all worlds - young, British talent wearing the fighting Bee, and speedway (just about) every Friday night from March to October. Let's get things off to good start on March 22nd, eh?
ITEM: Troy Batchelor didn't win many friends by arrogantly proclaiming himself "the real Aussie champion", especially when his contemporaries included former world champion Jason Crump, soon-to-be world champion Chris Holder, and world champion in waiting Darcy Ward. But today, at the Kurri Kurri track in New South Wales, he became the actual Aussie champion, winning the title, held over three rounds, by some distance from Dakota North in second.
Batchelor is one of speedway's marmite (vegemite, I guess) riders - you either love him or hate him, with most falling firmly in the latter camp, even fans of his own team - but he's had a strong six months to win the Elite League with Swindon, come close to qualifying for the Grand Prix series, and now win his first Australian title.
His critics will point out that neither Holder or Ward (or Rory Schlein) took part in the national championships this time around, but Batchelor still beat a strong field, with every rider having British league experience, and as the old adage goes, "you can only beat what's put in front of you."
Success won't change my opinion of Batchelor - he's one of the riders I most love to hate - but it's good to see any young sportsman making the most of their talent, even if they are an arrogant piece of work. Well done, Troy, enjoy being the real Aussie champion at last.
ITEM: While we're on the subject on Australians, regular readers will know that one of my bugbears is the lack of opportunities given to young British riders. In recent years this is largely because (particularly) Premier League sides are signing young Australians in their place, with the excuse that they've come halfway around the world and thus are more dedicated to succeeding.
While you can point to recent massive success stories, like Chris Holder and Darcy Ward (and to a lesser extent Sam Masters and Dakota North), there have also been some absolute disasters, proving that it's far from an exact science.
This season there are a brand new clutch of young Aussies winging their way over, assessed on 5-point averages, and occupying slots in (mostly) northern sides. Glasgow have gone with Harley Horwood & Joey Ringwood, Edinburgh with Max Fricke, Sheffield with Damien Koppe, and Scunthorpe with Ryan Douglas. Five new Australians who may either become valuable assets to their clubs, or join the long list of those taking away spots from young Brits.
Last season Glasgow brought over Mason Campton (who failed to make his assessed average and has been sent out on loan to Workington this year) and Jayden O'Malley (who averaged under 2 points a meeting). Rohan Tungate was a success story at Ipswich, and has secured an Elite League berth at Poole this season on the back of that, but Tom Armstrong only scored a point from 10 riders before injury cut short his stay at Scunthorpe. Meanwhile, James Holder, Todd Kurtz, Robert Ksieszak, Jake Anderson, Jade Mudgway, Robert Branford, Mark Jones, Cameron Heeps, and Micky Dyer all averaged below the 5.00 average that new Australians (at least those without British connections) are assessed at.
The attractions are obvious: these boys become assets of the club as soon as they complete the requisite number of meetings, and you may - may - unearth the new Chris Holder. But the law of averages is against it, and young British riders are being denied the opportunity to find out if they have what it takes because of it.
Clearly something has to change, but while those who stand to benefit from the lax entry requirements recently placed on Australian riders are making the rules, it's not likely that it will. Sad.
ITEM: Tuesday January 15th seems to becoming an increasingly important day in the recent history of British speedway. Not only is it the National League AGM, where Coventry and Kent should be ratified as bona fide members of the league, it's also a full meeting of the BSPA which should thrash out some of the issues that have blighted the off-season, particularly the asset system.
I'm not expecting a quick fix from the powers-that-be over the Iversen, Andersen, Batchelor & Barker situations, more a fudge that solves nothing but leaves the parties involved feeling a glimmer of satisfaction. The real battle is to come, and the asset system has to be overhauled or abandoned, otherwise we'll be in the same situation, year-on-year.
As far as the National League is concerned, there's a slight chance the league may swell its numbers further, and the third tier is badly crying out for a track north of Buxton. It's hard to see where that could come from, however, with most of the northern tracks sharing facilities with other sports and finding race nights restricted. This, again, is something the BSPA as a whole have to look at - the geographical picture of British speedway is very uneven.
Presuming things go according to plan, the next week should be full of news for speedway fans starved of serious developments for a few weeks now. It can't come fast enough - there's only so far gossip and rumour can take us, and a fuzzy picture can be inaccurately interpreted far too easily by those who just don't have the first idea about the situation (myself included, on occasion).
Or it could all carry on, with no side willing to give ground and we'll end up in the courts. Sound familiar?
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