MASTERS HOLD UP

NEWS Saturday 16th March 2013, 11:00am

by Steven Dixon

  Edinburgh Monarchs

Sam Masters should be in the UK by now enjoying our lovely spring weather and making final preparations for the 2013 season but he’s not, he’s stuck in Australia trying to unravel problems with his visa.

Sam meets all the criteria for entry to the UK. He’s an established rider in this country with an average to prove he is of suitable ability. He is the current New South Wales champion, which is way beyond the requirements of another criteria. He has all the necessary qualifications to gain entry to this country but the UK Embassy in Australia has other ideas.

Work permits are no longer issued to allow speedway riders to come to this country. Instead they are issued with certificates of sponsorship to race here. This is a points based set up with the worker gaining points under various criteria such as ability to speak English, having sufficient money to live on in this country and various other items. The maximum score that anyone can attain in this test is 100 and Sam had the perfect score of 100. UK here we come everyone thought but instead of his passport arriving with the necessary visa stamp a letter of refusal arrived instead with an obscure reason given.

It now transpires that there has been a change in rules during the winter that no one in British Speedway was aware of and, for that matter, few in the UK Embassy in Australia were aware of. However, one staff member in the office in Manila in the Philipines, where the visas are issued from, seemed to be more clued up than most.

An appeal has been launched by Sam as he and officials at the Scotwaste Monarchs believe that the rules do not apply to him. That is supported by the fact that other Aussie riders, in the same situation as Sam, have had their visas issued and are already racing in this country.

Sam and the Scotwaste Monarchs remain confident that he will be in the team this season but with every day that passes his ability to get here for the Press Launch in six days time diminishes.

The appeal was launched some days ago but UK Embassy officials are unable to say when it will be dealt with.

The clock is ticking.