British Speedway - It's a Mad World!!

After a farcical winter of clubs and committees throwing their toys out of their prams, the league champions not being able to defend their title and riders being left in the dark as to whether they have a club to ride for in their own country, it looks like an 11th hour compromise may just have saved our sport for another 12 months. Although the Peterborough and Coventry web sites have been "down" for a while and there has been no official announcement on the official BSPA site, Sky Sports and the SGP site have both revealed that Coventry and Peterborough will be riding in the 2011 Elite League. Not only that but Peterborough will have the spectacular Nicki Pedersen at No1. I don't know about you but I'm not holding my breath yet. In my opinion, speedway in the UK is run by a bunch of egotistical muppets who have lost their grip on reality... The only thing they have succeeded in doing is alienating fans by making a simple sport far too complicated. This saga ain't over yet by a long way yet, Take a look at the link on the Speedway GP site for the latest gossip from Nicki Pedersen himself.

The closed season has still thrown up some more surreal moments. We now have a situation where one of Englands top riders, Lee Richardson, has said that he doesn't want to ride for his country anymore, mainly because he can't afford it, fellow rider Scott Nicholls may also refuse to ride for similar reasons and the Team GB manager has stepped down because he was only being offered a contract for the duration of the Speedway World Cup. Apparently there is no funding available for any further involvement and his plans for coaching young British riders for the future are not cost effective either. At this rate I really can forsee a point when UK speedway will struggle on the international front and there will be no professional British riders at all... but who has the answers? certainly not me. Read more abouth these stories on the SGP website. Lee Richardson; GB Boss Quits; Scott Nicholls;   

Finally, you couldn't write a script for this alleged incident. There is a brief mention on the clubs website, which only alludes to this incident, but I heard a rumour that the Police were called to the Press and Practice day at Rye House Speedway in Hertfordshire after a fracas between the riders. Allegedly, the Rye House No1, Steve Boxhall was stabbed by one of his team mates and is now in hospital with serious arm injuries!!! Rumour or Truth? Bizarre or what? Can any of my readers enlighten me or pass comment on any of these stories - Can't wait for the new season to catch up on all the gossip, let alone the racing.