News from ICSF - Submitted by Dave Murphy - posted 24 October 2008

ADELAIDE 2009 - REVISED CALENDAR

The ICSF & South Australian Cycle Speedway Council wish to jointly announce the
following schedule:

2009 Test Match Series:
Thu 12 Feb: Ashes Test Match No 1 at Findon - Australia v GB (Senior & Junior) 
Sat 14 Feb: Ashes Test Match No 2 at LeFevre - Australia v GB (Senior & Junior)
Sun 15 Feb: Ashes Test Match No 3 at Salisbury - Australia v GB (Senior & Junior)
Tue 17 Feb: Test Match No 1 at Findon -  Poland v GB (Senior) also proposed Australia v GB (Junior Test 4)
Thu 19 Feb: Test Match No 2 at Salisbury - Poland v GB (Senior) also proposed Australia v GB (Junior Test 5)

2009 World Team Events:
Sat 21  Feb: World Team Cup Finals at Salisbury
Senior:  Australia/England/Poland/Ireland/Scotland/Wales
Junior:  Australia/England/USA
Sun 22 Feb: World Club Championships (all day) at LeFevre

2009 World Individual Championships: 
Sat 21 Feb:  Womens International Championship at Salisbury
Mon 23 Feb:  Junior Individual elimination heats  (Findon - LeFevre - Salisbury)
Tue 24 Feb:  Senior Individual elimination heats  (Findon - LeFevre - Salisbury)
Wed 25 Feb:  Senior Individual preliminary finals  (Findon - LeFevre - Salisbury)
Thu 26 Feb:  Junior Individual Semi-Finals  (Findon)
Fri 27 Feb:  World Veterans Championship (LeFevre or - TBC)
Sat 28 Feb:  World Individual Championships at Findon
Senior Semi-Finals; Junior  Final; Senior  Final

2009 World Pairs Championships:
Sun 1 Mar: World Best Pairs at Findon -
(Australia/Poland/England/Ireland/Scotland/Wales)
Sun 1 Mar: Farewell Evening at Findon

WORLD JUNIOR CLUB UNVEILED

Mick Harley has asked that I communicate that the World Club Championships in Adelaide 2009, is extended to entry from junior teams as well as senior.
The intention is to run a junior competition also, but the is a real need to ensure sufficient clubs are in a position to enter from Europe to join the Australian clubs
and Edenton from USA.

Club secretaries are asked to submit their club entry to the BCF before the September 29th deadline to ensure the ICSF and the Australian Council are able to
coordinate a programme of events for qualification etc.

ICSF MEETING MINUTES - RAWICZ POLAND on 26th JULY 2008         
Attendees:   Dave Murphy - ICSF General Secretary,  Mike Hack & Geoff Gamage - BCF, Darek Wychodil & Janusz Danek - Polish Federation plus Tomasz Wlodarczyk (co-opted
translator)  

AGENDA ITEMS

1.  Transfer blockade before World Club Championship in Australia (ref World Club Championships).
The BCF has proposed a block on all transfers before March 1st 2009, to prevent riders transferring to new team (just for World Club event) and then transferring
back to original team. 
The Polish Federation governs transfers as follows:  Riders sign a contract with a club at beginning of each year and these contracts have a minimum duration of 12
months - no rider can transfer or sign a contract with a different Polish club during the period of such a contract.
ICSF Decision: It was accepted that both methods are adequate controls to ensure that riders do not transfer between clubs for the World Club event and then revert
to original club for domestic league racing.
 
2.  Over 40 or over 39 age classification for World Veterans Individual - (this has never previously been written into ICSF rules)
BCF rules allow riders to compete while still 39 (i.e. during year of 40th birthday.  The Polish Federation were happy to adopt the BCF age qualification rules for ICSF 
World Veterans Championship. The Australian Council have voted that riders should have reached 40th birthday before January 1st for the year of competition (i.e. over 40)
ICSF Decision:  To seek input from the USA representative before confirmation on this ruling.
 
3.  Eligibility of riders for World & Euro club events - i.e. currently riders must compete for the club of the own nationality (so Polish rider in England cannot
compete for an English club).
Dave Murphy offered following proposal:  
If a rider is registered with one club only (in any country affiliated to the ICSF), then he/she will be eligible to race for that club in Euro & World Club events. 
However, if such a rider is registered with two clubs in two different countries, then he/she can only compete for the club of their home nationality in Euro & World
club championships. Eg:  If Lukasz Nowacki is registered for Leicester only - he may represent Leicester in Euro club championship. If Lukasz Nowacki is registered for Leicester & Bydgoszcz then he will only be
eligible to represent Bydgoszcz. 
Note:  This would not impact the riders eligibility to represent his country of birth International Team or Individual Championships
ICSF Decision:  This proposal was accepted in respect to eligibility for European Club Championships.  It was accepted that Australian Council agreement is required
for this rule to apply for World Club Championships also.   Dave Murphy will contact Australian Council and request their acceptance of this proposal.
It was also agreed that the Polish Federation and BCF will exchange details of any non-nationals who register with a club under their governance - (i.e. Poland will
advise BCF (and ICSF) of all British riders who register with Polish clubs and BCF will advise Poland (and ICSF) of all Polish riders registered with British clubs).
This process will allow each federation and the ICSF to monitor eligibility for International club events.
 
4.  On behalf of Australian Council, the ICSF asked for clarification from Euro Federations of:
How many riders will be travelling to Adelaide (i.e. those known to federation) ? 
How many clubs will enter the World Club Championship? 
How many Nations will compete in World Cup?
ICSF Decision:  It was stated that BCF has a closing date of Sept 29th for riders and clubs to submit their intention.  The Polish Federation agreed to implement the
same closing date for clubs and riders, allowing the Australian Council adequate time to assess the numbers and organise 2009 events.
Additional Discussion:  It was suggested, by Polish Federation, that the World Club Championships in Australia should be modified to 3 man teams (i.e. pairs racing with
a reserve). It was agreed that this option should be shelved, but could be revisited if all ICSF nations vote (unanimously)  to review the matter in the event of
insufficient number of 4-man team entries.
 
5.  Red/Yellow Cards:
The BCF proposed that the Red/Yellow Card disciplinary process (current implemented under BCF rules) should be adopted by the ICSF.
ICSF Decision:  
It was agreed with the Polish Federation that this process will be accepted for European ICSF events. It was agreed that the British Pound (or current exchange rate to local currency at
time of event) would apply to fines based on the following: 
Red Card     = £20 fine (inclusive of match ban) 
Yellow Card = £10 fine (2 yellow cards in the same meeting would also carry a match
ban)
It was agreed that this proposal should be offered to the Australian Council and USA representation with a request that Red/Yellow cards are adopted for World ICSF
events also.
 
6.  Referees assistants (i.e. corner referees with flag to assist referee)
It was noted that both Polish Federation and the BCF thought that this was a good idea for ICSF Individual and team finals, but that good ideas can only work if all
those involved want to make them work.   The Australian Council have clearly identified that they do not support the inclusion of such Referees assistants and
that this approach would not be welcome at the 2009 World Championships.
ICSF Decision:  It should be for the designated referee at any ICSF Team or Individual final to request that he/she is supported by two Referees assistants
(i.e. corner flag assistants). Then providing that two internationally approved referees are available and willing to cooperate, the referee may utilise this
facility.
 
7.  Polish request for BCF to provide reference to Polish Cycling Federation 
The Polish Federation made a request for BCF to provide a 'reference' for Polish Cycling Federation, thereby confirming the BCF's official recognition of cycle
speedway in Great Britain. This was because Polish Cycling does not currently recognise cycle speedway, in Poland, and the Polish Federation wanted to explore
possibilities of affiliation by way of such a reference.  Mike Hack agreed to take this request back to the BCF on behalf of the ICSF. 
 
These Minutes Recorded and provided by Dave Murphy on behalf of the ICSF.

Womens Event: