Pairs row continues

Promoter blasts riders

By Graeme Bailey   Last updated: 10th April 2008   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Pairs row continues

Pedersen hits back over pairs Fotospeedway.pl

I have no time for Elite League riders, they are all prima donnas

. Jonathan Chapman
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The Elite League Pairs will be re-staged at Swindon after it was postponed last weekend but the fall-out from the King's Lynn affair is still on-going.

The meeting at the Norfolk Arena was called off late on Saturday after the riders inspected the track - but that was to the huge disappointment of meeting promoter Jonathan Chapman, who has since resigned as the Super7even race director.

The Super7even is the seven national events covering British speedway and was rebranded as one package last year by Chapman.

But Chapman has stood down after growing increasingly agitated with what he sees as 'internal politics' although he had already decided to quit before the initial pairs event was postponed - which also infuriated him.

Anger

"I was very disheartened by a few of the 'superstars'," Chapman told the Speedway Star.

"We had the big screen there, had the camera on what was going on so the fans, for once, could see what was happening.

"They could see certain riders whingeing non-stop in the referee's face."

Chapman was happy to point the finger at Bjarne Pedersen - who won the pairs title with Jason Crump last year.

"I have no time for Elite League riders, they are all prima donnas - although Jason Crump is one exception in my eyes," added Chapman - who is also co-promoter at Premier League side King's Lynn.

"It [late postponements of major British events] is a major problem. Bjarne can be as upset as he likes, but I am upset with Bjarne.

"I think these guys will push their luck as far as they can with a referee. The ref clearly had enough because he was put under pressure by the riders including Bjarne and Leigh [Adams], when I think he should have been stronger with them."

King's Lynn chief Buster Chapman - Jonathan's father - insisted some of the riders were more than happy to take to the track.

"There was no reason why the meeting was called off, no reason whatsoever," Chapman told the Speedway Star.

"The referee was happy with the work we did on the track but the problem was there were four or five riders who just had the loudest voices.

"Jason Crump wanted to ride, Charlie Gjedde wanted to ride, and there were some others who were happy to ride. No problems at all, they have seen it a lot worse.

"But there were others who didn't want to do it."

Response

But Pedersen was quick to respond, insisting the track was too dangerous to ride.

"When we walked on the track it was like ice, so I can't understand why the promoter and the track staff were so angry the riders wanted it called off because it was too dangerous," insisted the Poole Pirates number one.

"The ref said conditions were too dangerous - even Troy Batchelor said the track was dangerous and would have been like ice, all the former King's Lynn riders were saying that."

The pairs meeting will now take place on Sunday June 29, the same weekend as another Super7even event - the Premier League Pairs, and also the British Grand Prix in Cardiff.

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