Testimonials

It is now over 30 years since I stood one summer Sunday afternoon on the packed terracing at the Halifax Shay Grounds for the Eric Boocock testimonial meeting.

Although testimonials were common in other sports such as cricket, football and rugby league, as a reward for long service to one club, usually 10 years, Eric was the first speedway rider to be awarded one. In the years that followed various other long serving riders such as Peter Collins, Alan Wilkinson, Arnie Haley, and Alan Grahame were granted testimonials as a reward for their service to their clubs.

In general I have no problem with riders holding testimonial meetings as a reward for their service to one club - but am I the only speedway fan becoming disillusioned with the testimonial system especially with the increasingly wide ranging definition of “10 years service” which has meant a proliferation of meetings in recent years – like buses none for ages than 3 in one season in the case of Stoke in 2006.

The dictionary definition of testimonial is “ something given or done as a expression of gratitude or appreciation” whilst the speedway regulations define it as “a meeting granted to a rider for 10 years continuous service” - earlier versions specified that it was continuous service to one track or promotion.

The wording of the speedway regulation definition explains why in recent years the majority of testimonials have been awarded to riders who have remained in the same ownership or in speedway terms being classed as a “rider asset” of a track for 10 years or where a promoter has moved tracks and taken all his company “assets” with him or been signed to one promoter for 10 years rather than the more traditional having ridden for one club for 10 years. In both cases this can mean that a rider may have only ridden for his parent track or promoter for one or two seasons out of the 10 continuous years having being loaned out for the other years with the parent track/promoter receiving a loan fee for each loan period. A nice earner for very little effort and of course the promoter can include the rider amongst his company assets if he decides to sell his promoting rights to a new promoter. Therefore a rider can have ridden for 5 or 6 teams during the 10 years in question, may have only been at the staging track for a season or two or in the case of a promoter relocating to a new track may never have ridden at his parent track which all in all seems to be stretching the ideal behind granting testimonials, as a reward for long and loyal service, to the extreme. In the case of the 3 testimonials planned for Stoke in 2006 the riders concerned had ridden for the Potters for a grand total of 8 seasons. Of course allowance must be made for riders which are forced by circumstances to have their testimonial at a track where they have no long term connection say when their original track closes, examples which spring to mind are Nigel Crabtree and Shawn Moran, and it’s quite right that when a track closes that a riders record of service passes on to his new employer.

Defenders of the status quo may well argue that there are mitigating circumstances for this apparent abuse of the testimonial system due mainly to how British speedway is run.

• Firstly the points’ limit has been a major factor by forcing promoters to made annual team changes. As most teams base their team building from the top down this has meant that it is the middle and lower order riders who are usually forced to move and so are unable to build up a record of continuous service to one team and these are the type of riders who deserve a testimonial the most.

• Secondly speedway is fairly unique amongst British professional sports in that the transfer system is almost non-existent, rather unwanted/unhappy riders are loaned out to other teams which has resulted in riders usually remaining an “asset” of the first British team, they signed a contact for. There are advantages to both the promoter and rider in this arrangement. The promoter has a nice steady source of income for very little effort and the rider can move from club to club in search of better deals whilst still being entitled to a testimonial after 10 years due to his “service” to his parent track/promoter.

So what are the alternatives to the status quo:

Award testimonials as per other sports, i.e. 10 years service to one team, with say a maximum of say 2- 3 years out on loan to take account of enforced moves due to the points limit as well the fact that riders need to serve they apprenticeship in lower leagues.

Award testimonials for service to British speedway as a whole rather than one team this will take account of riders who have moved from club to club, say after 15 years. Riders who have had a “traditional” 10-year testimonial would not be eligible for this form of testimonial.

Award testimonials to riders completing say 25-years in British speedway or those retiring after a long riding career.

Whilst not claiming that theses suggestions are fool proof I feel at least they are fairer to both riders and fans by awarding both the “one club” rider as well as the long, serving rider who has for varying reasons ridden for a number of clubs.

MCM

“The Voice” Issue No. 25 Summer 2007