TMX Says: Big fishes in little ponds...
By TMX Archives on 29th Jun 16
Im a huge fan of the AMCA system and although its not quite what it used to be although nothing ever is to us rose-spectacle-wearing old giffers its still going strong. In fact, the amateur affiliations flagship series the AMCA championship is probably stronger now than its ever been which is actually causing me some concern.
I love the fact that the presentation of it all is way more professional than ever before and the series retains on-the-day qualifying to ensure the fastest 40 line-up in each points-paying moto. That's all great – my bigger concern is the number of former ‘professionals' who are lining up to contest the series.
Looking through the results from round four at Hawkstone Park on Sunday and you soon stumble across a familiar name or 15! Yeah, there are those that have made it there the AMCA way but equally there are a stack who've moved up out of the schoolboy ranks, taken on the might of the Maxxis – a couple have even won motos at the highest level and others competed in GPs – and then given up that dream and chosen to take part in the UK's #1 amateur championship instead.
While it's not the way I'd choose to go about things I can't really knock any of these riders that do – I mean, if they'd rather be a big fish in a small pond then that's fine with me but I can't quite help but feel that we're failing them as a sport somehow.
In a perfect world I'd like to see a more traditionally tiered system that has people of similar standards up against each other. If we use British football as an example, Wikipedia tells me that from the real grassroots Sunday league stuff through to the Premiership there are 20 levels – more in areas of dense (I think they mean high and not stupid) population.
Now as far as I can tell there's nothing stopping a Premier League player from showing off his skills in the Aldershot and District division but it never happens. In the real world that's mostly down to financial reward of course but I'd like to think that it was a competitive nature that drove that player on to be his best.
The thing that makes that system work is the fact that there's only one FA but with about a bazillion motocross federations – ACU, AMCA, MCF, ORMS, ORPA, BSMA etc – pulling every which way there's always gonna be an issue when it comes to filtering off-road talent in a similar way. And with licensing moneys split so far and wide there's never gonna be the finances to facilitate such a thing anyway...
Of course, if riders continue to vote with their feet and the Maxxis midpack runners – well, those who don't compete in both championships already – continue to seek pastures new then the quandary might sort itself out. That'd leave a huge hole behind the grand prix elite but would that even bother the ACU? I mean, they don't seem all that bothered about servicing the sport at centre and club level...
I suppose the whole thing could even go full circle and if those Maxxis riders who pursued a fresh career in the AMCA are displaced by incoming talent then they might find themselves having to turn ‘pro' in order to find a ride again. It might just happen...
