British Speedway AGM Statement

BRITISH Speedway chairman Alex Harkess has hailed a ‘positive and harmonious’ AGM of all Elite and Premier League clubs.

Harkess, who will enter his third successive year in the hotseat in 2012, has confirmed the same teams will come to the tapes for the Sky Sports Elite League and Premier League next March.

And in a management reshuffle Harkess is joined at the top table by Lakeside’s vastly experienced promoter Jon Cook as vice-chairman with Wolverhampton’s Chris Van Straaten also making a return to the committee. They’re joined by existing Premier League member George English of Newcastle and hugely respected Sheffield co-boss David Hoggart who makes his Management Committee debut.

Said Harkess: “It’s particularly pleasing in the current economic climate to see all of the clubs coming to the tapes in 2012, our AGM preparation in September and October proved invaluable and was without doubt the key to a settled and harmonious conference.

“The spirit of goodwill between our members is extremely positive and fills me with optimism for 2012.”

BSPA AGM SUMMARY:

Awards – voted by the Association of Speedway Referees on behalf of the SCB
EL Track of the year
1st Kings Lynn
2nd Wolverhampton
3rd Peterborough

PL Track of the year
1st Edinburgh
2nd Scunthorpe
3rd Sheffield

BSPA Officers 2012
Alex Harkess (Edinburgh) Chairman
Jon Cook (Lakeside) Vice Chairman
Chris Van Straaten (Wolverhampton) EL Member
George English (Newcastle) PL member
David Hoggart (Sheffield) PL Member
Matt Ford (Poole) EL Reserve Member
Rob Godfrey (Scunthorpe) PL Reserve Member

SRBF (Speedway Riders’ Benevolent Fund) Secretary: Paul Ackroyd
Team GB: Neil Middleditch (Team Manager)
Phil Morris, Neil Vatcher U21 Development Managers

There will be 10 clubs in the EL and 14 clubs in the PL, the same clubs as 2011.

ELITE LEAGUE:
Team building limit 41 points, league and KO Cup as 2011, Eastbourne and Kings Lynn will not compete in the KO Cup.

In the absence of any new entrants to the EL in 2012 the regulation that was introduced in 2011 to assist new entrants by limiting team building to 1 rider over 8pts is removed.

PREMIER LEAGUE:
Team building limit 42.5 points for 3 years
Competitions

Early season competition
2 groups each group winner to final

North – Edinburgh, Glasgow, Workington, Newcastle, Berwick, Redcar, Scunthorpe, Sheffield. Clubs will select opponents on a conference basis to give 5 home and 5 away fixtures.

South – Rye House, Plymouth, Somerset, Newport, Ipswich, Leicester. Clubs race 5 home and 5 away.

League –  1 Home 1 away with top 6 in the league to a play off system.  Play off final split into 1st and 2nd in the league who choose the other 2 clubs to join their group in turn for 2 home and 2 away, winner of each group to play off grand final home and away for league champions.

Next 6 (7-12 in the league) separate competitions – same format for league play off competition, last 2 in the league no participation in the play off competitions.
KO Cup as before

2 Byes to quarter final – Berwick and Sheffield.  Round 1 – Somerset v Ipswich, Edinburgh v Rye House, Plymouth v Glasgow, Workington v Scunthorpe, Newport v Leicester, Newcastle v Redcar.

Speedway GB Events:
British U21 Final – Dudley
British Championship Final – Wolverhampton
ELRC – Swindon
PLRC – Sheffield
PL Fours – Peterborough
PL Best Pairs – Somerset
EL Best Pairs – Shelved for 2012