Mike Hack: “Aiming to Win British Club Championship”

Regional, Speedway Pro — By Admin on January 20, 2012 1:00 pm

Mike Hack is the award winning development officer of Manchester club Astley & Tyldesley. In Mike’s first interview with SP we uncover thoughts on the new Elite League, what drives the club and beliefs on riders switching clubs.

SP: Mike, first of all thanks for taking the time to talk to SP. The new season is closing in, can you tell us of any developments over the close season at Astley & Tyldesley?
MH: To be honest, we’ve deliberately set out to have a quiet winter at the club, having made plenty of improvements to facilities over the past two years, as well as promoting two British Finals. So apart from the annual winter maintenance jobs, nothing to report.

SP: How do you see the club competing this year in terms of individual and team competition?
MH: We’ve entered a team in the Northern Combination League this year, along with all the various “enter on the day” grand prix series and one day tournaments that we always compete in. We’ve had a good record over the years of riders winning individual events, but not at the traditional team league events. So, that will be a priority for us this year, to develop a team to be competitive in a traditional league.

SP: With a complete overhaul of national competition do you feel that lower league and regional racing has taken a back seat in the eyes of the CS Commission?
MH: No, not at all. The new Elite and Premier League competitions actually take up fewer Sundays than under the previous Premier League competition. Four additional Sundays are now available in the season for regional racing and development initiatives, it’s up to people to use those dates effectively.

SP: Has the formation of the new National and Elite League competitions made it difficult to keep hold of riding talent? Are any of your riders currently looking to compete in higher divisions?
MH: Riders have always changed clubs in my time in the sport. The facility of riders being able to race in a higher competition on a secondary licence definitely helps clubs who are not in the higher tier to retain their riders as first claim. The biggest problem is the British Team Championship, whereby only first claim riders can race for their team. That’s the competition which favours the “big clubs” at the expense of the “small” clubs. This was identified by the old Cycle Speedway Council as long ago as twenty years ago, as playing a major part in causing clubs to fold. However, no change was forthcoming, as change proposals were voted out by the membership at the AGM. Time will tell what effect the new structure has on clubs, but riders can race in a higher tier without leaving their first claim club.

SP: As a club where do you stand on allowing riders to compete in higher divisions?
MH: We always strive to provide racing to satisfy the demands of our riders. For the ones who we can’t satisfy, such as a senior rider in a predominately junior squad, we welcome those riders racing at a standard of competition that is commensurate with their abilities and ambitions. To this end, we have allowed riders to race in higher competition on a secondary licence, whilst remaining with the club as a first claim rider.

SP: You co-founded Astley & Tyldesley over two decades ago – how does it feel to be still developing great young talent?
MH: It’s very satisfying to see a rider who has started with the club and stayed loyal to the club standing on a podium at a British Final, wearing the winner’s jersey. We’ve had quite a few of those going back to 1995! I think that any coach in any sport will tell you that developing home grown success is the most satisfying achievement, whether they get to wear a winner’s jersey or not.

SP: Over the 22 years you’ve spent at the club, what has been your highest point?
MH: We’ve had a few – promoting British Finals in 1996 and 2010, winning the U-16 British Team Cup in 1997, promoting the World Cup in 2003, gaining Clubmark accreditation in 2005, seeing the club develop its facilities to the level they are now, winning the Wigan Borough Sports Club of the Year 2011.

SP: …and your lowest?
MH: When we’ve had to pull out of senior league racing, in 1996 and 2009, as a result of riders leaving the club and displaying no regard for the effect on the club and the other clubs in the league.

SP: In terms of competition, have priorities at the club now shifted?
MH: Our current membership is predominately a junior one, so our immediate focus is on junior racing, as we always strive to provide competition suitable for our membership. Longer term, we are looking to make a return to senior level racing, as we did in 2003 after six years of racing at a junior level.

SP: How close do you feel you are you to achieving your overall aims of developing a leading cycle speedway club?
MH: In many aspects we are already there – in terms of facilities, organisation, links with the local community, competitions, activities, membership numbers. However, the obvious omission is on track success at league and senior level. That will complete our development as a club when we achieve that over a sustained period.

SP: …and finally, what are your aims for 2012?
MH: To bring through more youngsters, successfully re-establish a team in the Northern Combination League and win a one day British Club Championship event.

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