Surfin’ the Shale (Edition No.19 August 2004)

Looking around the forum sites of late there doesn’t seem to be too much interesting comment on the present state of the sport. For me “the sport”, after all that’s how I have always thought of it, is at the very edge of its credibility. We have witnessed on at least two occasions situations where riders and team managers have blatantly concocted the outcome of races to benefit from the tactical rider rules. One has to ask have there been incidents that have not been so obvious. Those we know of have brought widespread condemnation but what of those we are unaware of. There is certainly doubt in a lot of supporter’s minds.

With these incidents in mind and the recent introduction of betting into the sport I recently wrote the following letter to the Speedway Star :

“I know speedway has often been accused of shooting itself in the foot, so much so that I often wonder how it remains standing. However this season it seems to have gone one better and hit the self-destruct button. I don't think there were many if any supporters in favour of the new tactical rider rules and now following the farce in the Eastbourne v Poole match we have the debacle that was heat 13 in the Stoke v Glasgow match. A heat that will no doubt be talked about for some time and unfortunately I could believe my eyes when I saw what happened.   

A ruling in any sport that rewards under-achievement is fatally flawed. And lets not forget you can now bet on this sport of ours over a mobile phone ! This is dangerous stuff. Whatever promoters riders or mangers may say to defend their actions I can tell you now in tabloid speak it is "race-fixing". At a time when we are trying to court the press the actions that were witnessed at Loomer Road on Saturday night would get Speedway in the papers for all the wrong reasons. I remember what the "Sunday People" did for the sport in the eighties - those allegations were largely about moves and tactics that speedway supporters have come to accept and at that time there was "strictly no betting allowed ". 

Supporters pay to watch riders trying to win races and ultimately it is they who are being short changed.  

Some hard decisions have to be made. If betting is to continue, pit areas have to be made secure. Mobile phones and any other means of communication with the outside world have to be banned. The tactical rider rules, if we are going to have any at all should go back to the old tactical substitute ruling, while not perfect it seems to have worked for the last 20 years or so.  

Betting has added a new dimension to the sport and there comes with it a weighty responsibility to ensure fair play. Anything short of that and we are lost.

This mess has to be sorted out now, it will not wait until the close season.

Phil (Slider) Hayward

"The Voice"

As readers of the Star will know they chose not to publish it. Possibly because of the inference that there could be such goings on or maybe because of the reference to the Sunday People race fixing allegations of the early 80’s.

In my view if we are to allow betting the sport has to be squeaky clean. The supporters should have no doubt that when a rider comes to the line he intends to do his best to win the race. While the powers that be may feel that they have done enough to placate the supporters it isn’t just us they have to convince. If the sport is to grow in popularity then they have to convince a wider public that races are not just staged with the result already decided in the pits.

The unfortunate thing is that the Sunday People allegations concerned “fixes” only about a serious as we have recently witnessed, situations where riders chose to finish in a certain position to determine their position in the next round of a competition etc. We have seen this in the Grand Prix and other competitions and to some extent die-hard supporters have accepted it. However the expose in the People certainly seemed to have an affect on crowds. It has often been quoted as the reason “World of Sport” stopped screening matches, which seems a bit of an anomaly when you consider they used to regularly screen professional wrestling !

I think this is where the problem lies. Speedway has an identity crisis. It wants to be considered as a serious sport but still does not appear to be able or willing to shake off its side show entertainment type image. This is born out by the tactical rider regulations, just another way to attempt to get closer results and in theory more entertainment.

If the BSPA is happy that Speedway is to be in grouped alongside wrestling and dog racing as a good night out with friends then we have no problem. If however they are expecting to be grouped along side other serious motor and team sports they have a lot of work to do.

Slider