ITEM: The fragile truce between the Speedway Grand Prix (SGP) series and the European Championships (SEC) has been shattered, as - out of the blue - the FIM sent a letter to the organisers informing them that no permanent SGP competitors could also occupy a permanent place in the SEC. SGP riders are able, as a one-off, to take a wild card bookings for SEC events, and vice versa, but no rider can appear in all events of both competitions. As it stands, that affects Emil Sayfutdinov, Andreas Jonsson, Nicki Pedersen, but others already secure in an SGP berth may become embroiled in the situation.
This had seemed likely a few months ago, but then appeared to have been resolved, a tentative understanding on behalf of the FIM that they could not enforce such a ban in the face of European competition regulations resulting in the status quo being maintained. Whether or not the FIM have since received legal advice that backs up their tough stance, or just decided to chance their arm, isn't clear. OneSport, who organise the SEC on behalf of FIM-Europe (who, to complicate matters, aren't really a part of the FIM at all), have said that they will take legal action to prevent the decision being implemented, but in the face of a complicated, and possibly lengthy, legal battle, riders will possibly be forced to choose sides.
Emil Sayfutdinov, who had already sided with the SEC when the first clash occurred, reiterated that stance, claiming that the contract he signed to ride in the SGP series was null and void because at the time he signed it it didn't prohibit his entry into the SEC. With SGP penetration into Russia very shallow, and the majority of the Polish fans and sponsors also backing the European series, it made sense for Sayfutdinov to err on the side of locality. While this may prevent him becoming world champion in the short-term (therefore joining a list that includes Adrian Miedzinski's poor decision-making), he has time on his side for a resolution between the two competitions.
Tomasz Gollob, on the other hand, has already been world champion, and so his decision to drop out of the SGP series, despite being offered a series wild card, was more straightforward. He made the decision at the time of the first conflict, but seemed content enough with that decision to not reverse it when the times two sides (temporarily) made up. Now, however, he has also said he will not take up the offer of a wild card for the Bydgoszcz GP in protest, much to the chagrin of the local promoter. Andreas Jonsson, grateful recipient of what some consider an undeserved wild card for 2014, decided to dance with the one what brung him and stay loyal to the SGP. No-one cared.
Entering the SGP series is the only way a rider will become world champion, and that should be the ultimate aim of anyone who ever pulls on a steel shoe, even if they are quickly disavowed of it by reality and gravity, not usually in that order. Two things, however, have made the SGP a less-than-desirable prospect. Firstly, although it should, as a season-long campaign, ensure that the best rider becomes champion each year, it's as much at the whim of the fates as the old one-off finals ever were. Yes, we'll never get an Egon Muller or Jerzy Szczackiel lifting the trophy again, but neither can we truly, hand-on-heart, say that the best rider in any year will necessarily become world champion.
Secondly, the money that riders earn for winning the world title, in prize money at least (you'd expect a knock-on with sponsorship and increased earning power in domestic leagues), is shocking. In figures detailed in the latest issue of the Friends Of Speedway's quarterly publication, The Voice, Charles McKay revealed that Tai Woffinden took home just $75,000 for his efforts, less than third-placed Jarek Hampel and much less per GP than Emil Sayfutdinov. Worse still, riders are not paid expenses, and so that $75,000 also had to cover travel and accommodation for rider, crew, and equipment, as well as lost income from any Elite League meetings he may have missed due to SGP commitments. It's not inconceivable that Woffinden would have paid money to become world champion - a sorry state fr a professional sport.
The SEC, on the other hand, pays well compared to the SGP, and that's without also factoring in OneSport's other big money earner, the Best Pairs. Without the lure of the world title, and with a schedule further freed up for other lucrative open bookings, it wouldn't be too surprising to see others follow Sayfutdinov and Gollob and choose the SEC over the SGP before this fight is settled. Already Polish sponsors Nice and Fogo have withdrawn their backing from the SGP, and Nice have put that money into further backing the SEC, increasing the money for winning an individual round to $10,000 (as opposed to around $7000 for the SGP). There are also the usual noises from within Poland of staging league meetings opposite SGP rounds and really forcing the riders to choose where their money comes from...
Britain, as always, remains an impassioned and amused onlooker, wary of any further encroaching onto the domestic calendar (thus not backing the Best Pairs), but also not overtly throwing their load in with BSI - though, of course, if asked I'm sure they would reaffirm their commitment to the FIM as a loyal member of that organisation. Personally, as an outsider with a keen interest in troublemaking, this is all pretty hilarious stuff. I'm sure there are others more concerned than I, but for the moment it's fun to sit back and watch two wealthy companies fight a proxy war using two organisations reaching above their status in a series of poorly-translated press releases. Ding ding! Let's a good, dirty fight!
ITEM: In other international news, Freddie Lindgren became the latest rider to decide he no longer wanted to ride for his country, whilst also enjoying the benefits of an international license granted by that country. Lindgren is being all secretive about the reason for his falling out with SVEMO, saying, SVEMO knows "what they have to do to" to get him to reverse his decision, like a Swedish version of Kevin the teenager. Meanwhile, he'll still take the position offered to him, for no other reason than he was a Swede (and therefore, by the good graces of SVEMO), in the SGP series.
New Sweden team manager Stefan Andersson, who took over from Bo Wirebrand in the winter, at least has enough backbone to declare that if Lindgren doesn't want to represent Sweden in the Speedway World Cup then he won't be welcome in the Best Pairs competition organised by OneSport. And neither will he, should the situation be resolved between the SGP and the SEC, be able to take part in the latter series. Furthermore, and most damaging, Lindgren will not be able to take part in Grand Prix qualifying, meaning that if he once again fails to make the top eight in the SGP series he will once again have to rely on a handout from BSI.
I don't know what SVEMO have done to upset Lindgren, because he won't tell us, but even though I'm usually the first to point fingers at the BSPA, the FIM, and the like, I give short shrift to those who don't represent their country. Nothing grates on me more than a footballer announcing an international retirement - you play until you're no longer asked to - and the same is true of speedway. I was incredibly disappointed with Scott Nicholls's hissy fit last season, especially when we're not exactly blessed with international-level talent at the moment. The same can be said for the Swedes, and although Lindgren's (temporary?) retirement from international speedway strengthens us as rivals, I can't help but feel for the Swedish me.
And the fact that he'll quite willingly trade on his Swedish nationality to take part in the SGP makes it worse, like Darcy Ward skipping the Australian championships for a jolly to the USA but still expecting Motorcycling Australia to back his SP campaign (to rub salt into the wounds, he did find the time to return to Australia and injure himself in a muckabout...). If a rider no longer wants to be considered for his national side, that should be the end of their international career, period. No SGP, no SWC, no SEC, or anything else where the qualifying factor is their nationality.
Or Lindgren could go public with the reason for his woes - as Nicholls did - and we can judge him on that. You never know, there might be some sympathy ad it might just help others who could find themselves in his position.
ITEM: Last Sunday saw a rare break in the rain that's been persisting down these past few weeks, and it coincided with the annual Celebration of Speedway, held for the last few years at the Paradise Wildlife Park in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire. The park, owned and operated by former speedway rider Pete Sampson, is also home to the National Speedway Museum, and the sunny weather brought a great opportunity to visit the museum, take in the celebration, and stare at a few caged animals (incidentally, there have been Lions, Tigers, Cheetahs, Panthers, Pumas, and Cougars in speedway but a distinct lack of Leopards... why is that?).
The crowd at the Celebration could be politely said to be of the older generation, with a fair few London-based fans with no local track anymore. Their passion for the sport - or at least as it's presented through a nostalgic sheen - seems as strong as ever, and it was interesting to eavesdrop on a few conversations and find out that the BSPA/SCB/ACU/promoters (delete where applicable) have always been useless! Both Peterborough and Rye House, of the current sides, had stands (of varying quality) and there was a massive feeling of enjoyment permeating the air. With all proceeds going to the World Speedway Riders' Association (previously the Veteran Speedway Riders' Association), a fair sum must have been raised to fund their various activities, including grants to former riders in need of assistance, and I'm pleased to have played a small part in it.
The National Speedway Museum is a curious thing. Full of wonder for the long-time fan, and with enough curiosities for any of the newer breed with a keen eye on the history of the sport, but I do wonder if it's not entirely incomprehensible to those who know little or nothing of speedway. Still, it's a grand thing, compact and bijou in its current premises, but growing all the time. It did set me thinking, however, about how speedway ignores its history for the large part. None of the clubs I've visited have very much in the way of their own "museums", despite the glory years for many of them - and therefore something to celebrate - being a long way back. I've visited football clubs with average attendances in single figures that have more historical information and memorabilia than any speedway club, and it's a missed opportunity to remind people how great this sport once was - and can still be.
Each club should, if room can be found at their stadia, have a display of old team photographs, old stadium pictures, trophies and other ephemera, celebrating the fact that - for a good many of them - they've been here for over 80 years. In an ideal world we'd have statues outside of each stadium, featuring a key figure in that club's history (Charles Ochiltree at Coventry, Peter Craven at Belle Vue, Elizabeth Taylor - not that one - at Berwick, and so on), but with money tight for most of our clubs a single room would suffice. While we're a long way off Premier League football, and its stadium tours packed with curious locals and photo-snapping visitors from the Far East, we could do more to make people feel part of their club - proud of it even.
See what you can do. I'll talk to a few people at my club and see what we can work out. If you do the same we might be in a different position in a year's time, and the history of our sport might open up to all who walk through the gates, and not just a pleasant few hundred attending the Celebration each year.
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