EDITORIAL

CONGRATULATIONS BRITISH CYCLING – posted 2 March 2014

Congratulations to British Cycling!

How good it is to see the principal outcomes from yesterday’s Commission meeting posted on BC’s website within a couple of hours of the meeting finishing.

Clearly on the first day of the new season, the wheels are turning rapidly both on and off the track.  Given the recent disquiet, not only is it pleasing to learn that it was a most constructive meeting, it's equally reassuring to see that the chairman and administrator have taken on board the comments about improving direct communication with the cycle speedway membership.  

Good too to see that one of the sport’s most experienced officials has been asked to head up a work group looking at the governance of the sport.  Former Commissioner John Whiting will lead the newly formed team which will look at such things as the Commission’s role, duties and responsibilities.  Following on from the outcomes of this work group, progress in areas such as Development (Club and Sport) and Coaching can then be better considered.

Heading work group - Northern official John Whiting

The Commission’s intention to hold club conference in the Autumn, and annually thereafter, to allow cycle speedway members to have a greater input into the running of the sport will also be seen as a welcomed development.

The principal outcomes can be viewed on http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/cyclespeedway/article/cysst-Cycle-Speedway-Newsletter-0

WELCOME NEWS – posted 27 February 2014

Today’s news that British Cycling is launching a cycle speedway news webpage is very welcome indeed.

The Newsletter page was originally introduced a few years ago, thanks to the enlightened leadership of former Cycle Speedway Commission chairman Colin Docker who saw the need for the sport’s governing body’s website to be a one-stop-shop for all things cycle speedway.

Sadly the Newsletter page fell out of favour.  No issues were published at all last year but now, not only has the page been re-instated but it will be improved and enhanced.  The new page will publish all the latest cycle speedway news and will incorporate a Questions and Answer section where members can pose questions and the Commission will reply.

The timing of today’s announcement could not come at a better time.  Seen as the first building block in new chairman’s Graham Elliott’s visionary plan to re-energise the sport, the exciting development comes on the eve of Saturday’s ‘summit meeting’ when some of the most influential names in the sport come together at Manchester velodrome to discuss the sport’s future.

If you haven’t viewed the new site yet, click on

http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/cyclespeedway/article/cysst-Cycle-Speedway-Newsletter-0 and add it to your favourites.

HOW ARE WE DOING? – posted 16 February 2014

Is cycle speedway enjoying a mini boom or are our numbers steadily declining?

That’s the big question as cycle speedway enthusiasts eagerly await publication of the 2013 membership statistics from British Cycling.

It will be interesting to see if the big upsurge in activity in the North and Scotland will compensate for the anticipated downturn in the Midlands and South East where clubs like Colchester, Spixworth and Stoke are struggling and Sandwell recently closed its doors for good.

While some clubs are clearly in difficulties, others like Astley and Tyldesley have increased their membership to a record high of 75 members making it the fourth highest number of under-18 new recruits of all the cycling clubs in the UK.

Other clubs like Ipswich, Sheffield and Poole are also expected to record high returns, thanks mainly to their successful clubnights and Saturday morning taster sessions for kids.

Traditionally published at the turn of the New Year, the last figures issued by British Cycling just over twelve months ago showed that cycle speedway had a total cycle speedway membership stood at 964 of which 373 were seniors, 171 youths, 60 juniors and 360 under-12s.  In effect under-12s accounted for close on 40% of the entire cycle speedway membership.  The average size of a club, in terms of registered members is 31.

With some clubs clearly enjoying a mini-boom and officials hoping that number will soar through the one thousand ceiling, the 2013 figures are eagerly awaited.

A NEW BEGINNING – posted 4 February 2014

Today’s email from Commission chairman, Graham Elliott, to club secretaries signals a new beginning for cycle speedway.

Perhaps the chairman’s approach is best summed up in his own words “We all want cycle speedway to succeed and pretty much everyone I have spoken to is of the belief that the best vehicle for doing that is as part of British Cycling. So let’s try to make that happen.”

That positive message is already being backed up by sensible decisions by the Commission, not least in managing and financing the Elite League.  It is encouraging too that the vexed question of rider levies, particularly for the under-16s, is subject to ongoing discussion at BC headquarters in Manchester.

If the sport is to flourish again, we need a fresh approach from both sides and a clear understanding of how both British Cycling and cycle speedway see the relationship working in a practical way.

We need to re-energise interest in the sport. It would be naive to think that the days when teams operated in virtually every major town and city will return.  Times have changed. Yet interest and participation in cycling, is high.  We just need to capitalise on that interest.

At the end of the day it's a simple sport - four people on bikes on a track racing for the fun of it. We were reminded of that at a recent meeting by the no-nonsense comments of one enthusiastic parent, yet at times that gets overlooked. 

Spokesman too will be keen to play its part and embrace the new beginning.  After all, to quote Graham Elliott “We all want the sport to succeed.”

WONDERFUL NEWS – posted 18 January 2014

What wonderful news to hear that a new cycle speedway track is to be built at Queen Anne High School in Dunfermline.

We have watched the project develop through our pages on Spokesman but how fantastic it is to see it secure the funding which will enable the dream to become reality.

How reassuring it is too, that despite the current economic climate and the cuts imposed on local government, charitable trusts and other public bodies, that Sportscotland, the Fife Environmental Trust and the Carnegie Trust have sufficient confidence in cycle speedway as a sport and PT teacher Craig Masson and his colleagues at Queen Anne, that they are prepared to invest close on £50,000 to provide the new facility

Even more encouraging is the fact that some 100 youngsters are already participating in the sport in an inter-schools league featuring Queen Anne, Balwearie, Madras College, Glenwood, Viewforth and Inverkeithing High.  Those numbers can only increase once the new facility is up and running.

Our congratulations and thanks must go to everyone associated with this exciting project which could herald a blue-print for the future, in particular Craig Masson for his vision and Gavin Kennedy and his small band of helpers who have worked tirelessly in setting up and supporting the inter-schools league.

Not only will this provide a much needed third centre for Scotland but hopefully it will kick-start a resurgence north of the border and see cycle speedway in Scotland go from strength to strength.

SUPERB WEEKEND AT THE INDOOR - posted 7 January 2014

The indoor championships at Coventry Connexion provided two wonderful days of thrill-a-minute cycle speedway.

Congratulations go not only to all the riders who bravely, some would say foolhardily, took part in the tournaments and provided the spectators with some unbelievably exciting racing but also to the organisers and army of volunteers who made it happen.

The amount of time and planning that goes into these events cannot be underestimated.  The organising committee deserve the highest praise, not only for taking the championships on in the first place when it looked as if it won’t happen this year, but by staging a superb event that ran like clockwork.

Although they would be the first to admit it was a team event, principal organisers Roger Ellis, Dave Jewkes. Joe McLaughlin and Steve Mullinder (pictured above) deserve special praise and a huge thank you!

And British Cycling played their part.  The national governing body has taken some justifiable criticism in recent weeks, especially after the Team GB kit fiasco, but to their credit BC recognised the danger indoor racing presents and funded the hire of the air fence at a cost rumoured to be in the region of £1,500.

And what a bonus that was!  Not only did it provide greater protection to competitors and public alike but it certainly enhanced the promotion, making it look altogether more professional.  It also had two unexpected spin offs.  The fence seemed to give riders more confidence.  As a result the racing was simply unbelievable, at times frightening and occasionally suicidal.  The crashes were truly spectacular!  It also obviated the need to reposition the old-style wooded barriers after every crash which meant fewer interruptions to the race programme.

Ok there were also some downsides, not least that spectactors couldn’t sit down to watch the racing as their view was obstructed by the four foot air fence.  Also the track could have been longer which would have enhanced racing even further.  Two sections were removed compared to the Eccles circuit meaning riders could only get in three pedal revolutions before reaching the next bend.

Still these observations should not detract from what was an enjoyable and highly entertaining weekend.  The Commission now have a tough decision to make – to return to Coventry Connexion next year or to move the promotion to the Sir Chris Hoy velodrome in Glasgow.  I know which one gets my vote!!!

ANOTHER AMAZING YEAR FOR TEAM SPOKESMAN – posted 2 January 2014

What another amazing year it has been for Team Spokesman.

For the sixth year running, we have seen annual visitor numbers soar to an all-time high.  We expected this year’s figures to plateau or even slip back a little but nothing could be further from the truth.

Remarkably 434,980 visits were made to the site in 2013, compared to 373,351 in 2012 – up an unbelievable 16 percent on the year as more cycle speedway devotees than ever, regulars and newcomers, old and young click Spokesman-Online on a daily basis.

The remarkable growth of cycle speedway’s favourite website is reflected by these statistics:

2008  124,808 visits

2009  212,839 visits

2010  255,392 visits

2011  319,752 visits

2012  373,351 visits

2013  434,980 visits

We have said it before but it’s worth saying it again.  Spokesman really is a team effort.

Without the generous support of Wosskow Brown Solicitors who have backed us from day one, through to youngsters who wants to sell their bikes so they can buy a new one, from our wonderful contributors who regularly send in club and match reports, to the those who voice their opinions (my thoughts only!) on Viewpoint, the photographers who bring our pages to life, our anonymous ‘suppliers’ who keep us posted on all things cycle speedway – and last but certainly not least, every single reader.

Thank you all for your magnificent support.

Have a happy and healthy 2014.