FEATURE: Crucial time for Cycle Speedway

The season may be just coming to a close, but some important dates which could help to shape the future of the sport are about to come over the horizon.

Three key meetings on consecutive weekends kick off at BC Headquarters next Saturday, when the Cycle Speedway Commission meets for the first time since March 1st when a “post-Coalville” discussion took place at Stuart Street to try and address mounting grass roots criticism of Cycle Speedway governance.

One of the most widely supported demands put forward at Coalville was the re-introduction of an annual meeting where club representatives could meet to discuss important issues. This was agreed by the CS Commission on March 1st – not as an AGM in the traditional sense as this does not fit the current BC governance arrangements, but a forum to consider meaningful concerns and issues. A date for this Cycle Speedway Conference has now been fixed for November 9th and the venue will be Gilberts Bar in Willenhall.

Sandwiched between the Commission meeting next Saturday and the Conference in 3 weeks time will be the end of season General meetings in each of the four regions where preparatory discussion for the “Conference” is likely to feature prominently. The following message was prepared by one of the Conference organisers, Graham Sutton and sent to each of the Regional Leagues:

The aim of the Conference will be to devise an “Action Plan” to revitalise the sport and take it forward and in so doing, address many of the problems our members currently face in maintaining viable clubs and the problems that we as a Commission face in maintaining a viable sport. A decline in participation levels and perceived enthusiasm in 2014 make it imperative that we act decisively and urgently.

Each region has been asked to nominate a spokesman to outline the primary concerns from their regions’ clubs and potential solutions using general headings such as:

– Competition structure and organisation
– Development, promotion and PR
– Governance, leadership and administration
– Finance

The Conference will only be of benefit to the sport if it is positive and forward looking and it will be encumbant on everyone to avoid negative, recriminatory and personality based content which could otherwise threaten the very future of our sport.

33/18 News will keep you updated with developments as and when we get them. We’d also like to offer our recent survey to those involved in the meetings, which offers an insight into the varied opinions on the sport. Download it HERE.