Post by admin on Mar 1, 2023 15:48:20 GMT
FIM Speedway Grand Prix race director Phil Morris is ready to take Britain’s SGB Premiership to the next level after being named the league’s chief executive officer.
The Welshman will perform the role alongside his duties as Speedway GP race director and his new job will see him adjudicate on and work to simplify the sport’s rulebook, as well as improve how SGB Premiership events are run and presented.
Morris will also play an active role in the running of televised meetings – something he has vast experience of doing since taking over as Speedway GP race director in 2015.
While he will continue to oversee the smooth running of FIM Speedway events for the FIM, Morris is determined to set high standards for the SGB Premiership clubs. He said: “There are three words associated with this role that stand out for me: integrity, transparency and perception, and all of those are big things for me, which I feel need to be improved.
“I’m not here to lie to anyone and I’ve already made it clear that I’ve seen some events and incidents over the last few years that I believe we can improve on a lot – and I’m saying ‘we’ here because I’m now going to be part of it.
“I want to do my very best to try and lift levels across many different facets of the Premiership, from club officials and regulations to the visuality of the events we’re staging.
“Hopefully that will then filter down to all levels of speedway, so even though my job is Premiership CEO, it’s something which can benefit British Speedway as a whole.
“I’ve been very lucky to work at the highest level of the sport, so my eyes are probably quite focused on good quality levels of the product, and I’ve always said that speedway is a good product.
“We’ve just got to package it right and make sure other things are acceptable along the way, and I’m very much looking forward to getting started.”
British Speedway Promoters Ltd director Chris Louis is backing Morris to thrive in the role and insists he will enjoy the full support of SGB Premiership promoters as he pushes for improvements.
Louis said: “The Premiership CEO is a new role which we all agreed was very much needed and I think the timing is right, especially with what’s going on in the world of speedway.
“We want to enhance the professionalism and integrity of the league, as well as making it simple, transparent and fun for the fans to view and understand, and to improve the product and put British Speedway back at the top of the tree, where it did sit for many years.
“Phil is unquestionably the right man for the job. His grounding is in British Speedway, he loves British Speedway, and he also has one of the top positions in world speedway, which made him the perfect candidate.
“He will be tasked with making sure the rulebook is as simple and easy to follow as possible, both for those involved within the sport and also for the fans, and that it is absolutely understood and adhered to.
“Phil will also take an active role in televised meetings. He will be on-site and assist with the presentation of those meetings to make sure they are as fluid as possible and that the format is rigidly stuck to.
“The appointment has the full backing of the board of the BSPL, and we’d also like to thank the other people who showed an interest in the position and were part of the process.
“We see this as an evolving role which will develop as the year goes on, but fundamentally we’ve brought in a top man to lead the Premiership and I think it’s a hugely positive move.
“Phil has seen all sides of the sport as a rider and a manager. He has never stopped following British Speedway and he has the experience of what is probably for this sort of role, the top position in world speedway. We couldn’t have a better guy on board, and as a league we are delighted with the appointment.”
Morris takes great pride in being offered another high-profile position in the sport he grew up watching. He said: “When my parents, who were both speedway fans, took me to my first meetings, I could never have imagined I would end up where I am now.
“I’ve been a rider, I’ve represented my country at international level, I have been a team manager and represented my country doing that.
“Any success I have had has been based on hard work and effort and I will put the same level of energy into being Premiership CEO.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity to take British speedway at its highest level forward and an opportunity I want to seize with both hands.”
SGP 1/3/23
The Welshman will perform the role alongside his duties as Speedway GP race director and his new job will see him adjudicate on and work to simplify the sport’s rulebook, as well as improve how SGB Premiership events are run and presented.
Morris will also play an active role in the running of televised meetings – something he has vast experience of doing since taking over as Speedway GP race director in 2015.
While he will continue to oversee the smooth running of FIM Speedway events for the FIM, Morris is determined to set high standards for the SGB Premiership clubs. He said: “There are three words associated with this role that stand out for me: integrity, transparency and perception, and all of those are big things for me, which I feel need to be improved.
“I’m not here to lie to anyone and I’ve already made it clear that I’ve seen some events and incidents over the last few years that I believe we can improve on a lot – and I’m saying ‘we’ here because I’m now going to be part of it.
“I want to do my very best to try and lift levels across many different facets of the Premiership, from club officials and regulations to the visuality of the events we’re staging.
“Hopefully that will then filter down to all levels of speedway, so even though my job is Premiership CEO, it’s something which can benefit British Speedway as a whole.
“I’ve been very lucky to work at the highest level of the sport, so my eyes are probably quite focused on good quality levels of the product, and I’ve always said that speedway is a good product.
“We’ve just got to package it right and make sure other things are acceptable along the way, and I’m very much looking forward to getting started.”
British Speedway Promoters Ltd director Chris Louis is backing Morris to thrive in the role and insists he will enjoy the full support of SGB Premiership promoters as he pushes for improvements.
Louis said: “The Premiership CEO is a new role which we all agreed was very much needed and I think the timing is right, especially with what’s going on in the world of speedway.
“We want to enhance the professionalism and integrity of the league, as well as making it simple, transparent and fun for the fans to view and understand, and to improve the product and put British Speedway back at the top of the tree, where it did sit for many years.
“Phil is unquestionably the right man for the job. His grounding is in British Speedway, he loves British Speedway, and he also has one of the top positions in world speedway, which made him the perfect candidate.
“He will be tasked with making sure the rulebook is as simple and easy to follow as possible, both for those involved within the sport and also for the fans, and that it is absolutely understood and adhered to.
“Phil will also take an active role in televised meetings. He will be on-site and assist with the presentation of those meetings to make sure they are as fluid as possible and that the format is rigidly stuck to.
“The appointment has the full backing of the board of the BSPL, and we’d also like to thank the other people who showed an interest in the position and were part of the process.
“We see this as an evolving role which will develop as the year goes on, but fundamentally we’ve brought in a top man to lead the Premiership and I think it’s a hugely positive move.
“Phil has seen all sides of the sport as a rider and a manager. He has never stopped following British Speedway and he has the experience of what is probably for this sort of role, the top position in world speedway. We couldn’t have a better guy on board, and as a league we are delighted with the appointment.”
Morris takes great pride in being offered another high-profile position in the sport he grew up watching. He said: “When my parents, who were both speedway fans, took me to my first meetings, I could never have imagined I would end up where I am now.
“I’ve been a rider, I’ve represented my country at international level, I have been a team manager and represented my country doing that.
“Any success I have had has been based on hard work and effort and I will put the same level of energy into being Premiership CEO.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity to take British speedway at its highest level forward and an opportunity I want to seize with both hands.”
SGP 1/3/23