BWitcher

Awful post. Maybe you would feel more at home in North Korea or some such state. Overall, I don't mind Pearson, there are some things that irritate me (as all commentators do, that's natural) and he has made some condescending statements regarding fans in the past, but on the whole he is a speedway guy and does a reasonable job in his role (sometimes an excellent job). Viewers are fully within their rights to criticise if they wish to do so, some have valid points, others as you suggest are just spouting nonsense. For every poster that criticises Pearson, Tatum et al, there are others who praise them. Everyone is entitled to their say and as Humphrey says, it won't have any impact whatsoever on whether Sky continue, don't continue or who they employ.

Hi Arthur, I am not 100% on the details of your 1st question. I am however about to leave for Germany for a convention where they are performing and will be meeting with some members of the group. I will try and get some more accurate info on it. The group is quite large, this particular show had 8 performers, 1 director, 1 lighting assistant so a fair few to spread any profits around. Other shows can contain more performers. Surely the profits for each broadcast should go to the home team, or the teams involved in that particular match. Perhaps another idea if the livestream option isn't deemed viable would be for matches to be made available a day or two later. Most meetings are filmed these days, it doesn't take much to upload those meetings and make them available for viewing as a one-off or to subscribers.

ELRC I think it was. It was fine. Even a one camera production could be done fine. For years Wolves matches were filmed from next to the referees box. One camera and to be honest, you got a better view of the racing than on ANY sky meeting from Monmore.

Clearly you were at a different meeting to the rest of us. 'Most' of the Wolves team didn't struggle. 'Most' of them did their jobs. We got 7pts from the No1 position over 2 matches. That is all there is too it. A normal return from that position, Wolves would have won with some ease. You've been preaching for years to 'bring down the curtain' on Adam, every year he comes back and does his job.

I understand that, but the issue is the feedback has been ignored since day 1. Hence why its repeated over and over.

Guys this can EASILY be done and I doubt the costs would be anywhere near as high as you would be expecting. For some time now I have been a follower and backer of a musical/comedy group based in Chicago called Starkid. They made a Harry Potter parody musical whilst at college, put it on youtube for family/friends to view and it went viral garnering them fans around the world. Since then they've gone on to make many more shows, hardly making a penny along the way as due to the copyright issues etc they couldn't 'sell' the product. Now however, having produced some original stuff of their own they this past weekend for the first time broadcast one of their shows live. There were 3 cameras, all controlled by the director who could switch angles, zoom in, zoom out where appropriate. It was broadcast on www.gigity.tv. They essentially install permanent HD cameras into music venues. Fans paid $7 to watch the show and it was available to view for 3 days afterwards. The picture and sound quality was fine. Now, that exact method wouldn't be a perfect fit for Speedway but as Steve says the technology is there, there will certainly be companies about to provide the technology also. The point is, if a small group like Starkid can do it, then surely the BSPA can. Edited to add.. actually it was the 2nd show they did live, the first one was via www.stageit.com but it was a one camera production.

Which would render the playoffs pointless. Do they suffer because of the playoffs? Do Sweden and Poland struggle for crowds for league meetings? They operate play-offs too.... The real reasons why speedway struggles are documented on other threads, the play-offs would barely have an impact. Really? So a rider racing around a track with no brakes is 'nothing happening'. Ahh ok. You made up the comments to try and make your point, just admit it and move on.

You're claiming the 'same old feedback' shouldn't be listened too. That's ridiculous! The question should be asked is WHY we keep hearing the same old feedback. It isn't just from a few old timers who don't go but from regular fans who attended every week and now only go occasionally also. I totally utterly disagree with your end hypothesis too. I would ask if you love the sport, why do you sit by and accept the way it is run. Folk aren't making negative comments about 'speedway' per se, they are making negative comments about the inept way it is run, the poor presentation, the ever increasing cost, the ever increasing use of RR/guests/double uppers, the awful fixture list, the corrupt decisions. Many of those making negative comments do so because they love the sport and it angers them to see the way it is being run into the ground.

You're not grasping it at all HalifaxTiger. As Tsunami does you are dismissing the views of those that don't go. The very fact they are still on this forum, the very fact they still enjoy to watch the sport but don't go should ring massive alarm bells. What hope of attracting new fans and keeping them if those who love it aren't going? This isn't speculation or pie in the sky stuff, its reality. Fans have been drifting away from the sport for a long time and they are NOT being replaced. Quite clearly the current strategy is not working. You claim that real speedway die hards wouldn't walk away.. I'm sorry but they do and they have. I know of many, many fans who followed their team for years home and away and wouldn't have ever dreamed of not attending. Slowly they began to be worn down by the corrupt way the sport is run, the antiquated presentation etc. Eventually they reached a breaking point and stopped. I may live in Portugal, Tsunami claims my opinion is no longer valid, but I haven't yet reached that stage. I flew over to see Sam Ermolenko ride in the Joe Hughes Memorial meeting and for the playoffs, attended as many meets as I could when in England at other times of the year... each time I come there are less of the familiar faces who have attended the sport for years before.. and very very few new ones. It's the same old people, another year older, but less of them. THAT is a trend that simply cannot continue.

Well I can see the business side of it and from a 'sporting view', you cannot beat the play-offs. Drama, tension, great atmospheres. Its what sport is all about.

I agree, but that side wasn't a 38pts limit side so therefore not top heavy. In a 38pt limit Wolves should be looking a top 3 along the lines of Woffinden, Skornicki, Proctor.

Not prompted by yourself of course. They must do a lot of crying with laughter when watching sports.

No there wouldn't be a riot, as everyone would know the rules in advance.

Quite a bit more as that isn't a particularly top heavy side, its got strength in depth... not that it would fit under any pts limit for next season!

Thanks for this post, you have just confirmed how far out of touch you are. You relate to selling, which is my job and having won awards for National Salesperson of the year 4 years in a row for the worlds biggest company I would suggest that qualifies me as something of an expert in this area. To dismiss any feedback which you consistently do is quite simply madness. As others have said on this thread, it doesn't matter who the feedback is coming from and whether or not that person themselves is going to attend again (although the particular one you mentioned stated they attended this year, and gave the reasons WHY they don't attend more) the feedback is vital. For every 1 person giving you that feedback there are countless more who simply stop going and don't give you that feedback. Nobody is a lost customer, just because someone has stopped going now does not mean they won't return in the future. Do you think companies such as BT, Sky, Virgin, British Gas etc simply give up when you cancel your subscription with them? No they don't, they will continue to try and win you back. You stated the sport has to forget old timers and concentrate on moving with the times.. rather amusing as one of the BIGGEST criticisms of the sport is the very fact that it has NOT moved with the times. Giving you the benefit of the doubt on this I asked you to name some examples.. as we can see above you were unable to do so. As usual you try to turn it into something personal as you have no rational argument to fall back upon accusing people of being unable to debate etc. For there to be a debate that has to be two sides to the argument. Quite simply thus far you haven't put forward anything of any credence towards your side of the argument. There is no need to belittle you, you do that yourself. If you're unable to name any of the ways that the sport has been 'moving with the times' that speaks volumes. Finally, your argument about your business sense. Nothing in your witterings about league positions, who you signed or which riders you introduced has anything to do with proving your business sense. How big were your crowds in 2003 compared to 1997, how much money were you making each season? With your continued input are Newcastle packing out their matches each week or are they another team limping along from season to season relying on the same diehards, who if they dare to stop going and voice the reasons why, are dismissed as not mattering.

Blows my case? Your case is well and truly blown by the fact that the sport is in the mess it is. In fact, quite frankly you don't have a case. I know full well I have the ability to run a business and do so every day, a business on the up with triple the turnover it had when I first took a leading role in it 2 years ago. You tell us in business you move with the times, so tell me, what has the BSPA done to 'move with the times'. This is your chance now, an open forum for you to explain to us the great strides you believe the BSPA has taken to as you say 'move with the times'.

Here it is again, a perfect example of why the sport is in the mess it is. You have absolutely zero business sense and I mean ZERO. A paying customer has given feedback, feedback as to why he doesn't use the product more, you immediately dismiss it. And another pearl of wisdom! Can you imagine any decent business taking this attitude? "We're selling less than we used too, what shall we do to fix it?" "Ah, society has changed, get over it" Brilliant.

Unwittingly you have again added credence to the ineptness of the BSPA. Even kids can see it.

There wasn't any need for you say anymore Starman.. we know..

It's the sheep mentality.

Ah, I see we have a fan here who has no regard for the future of the sport.. now that's infantile. He also decides to go onto an EL thread to announce he is a PL fan.. now that's infantile. He's also a bit blind as there are many PL threads running with the same amounts of banter taking place when something controversial happens.

Is this all-ticket? Will it be possible to pay on the night, or is it a sell-out?

I have a friend who is a bank manager, so if I go rob his bank tomorrow and he says he's not fussed, its all good is it? What you are highlighting is PRECISELY the point people are making. The sport is run in a corrupt fashion. You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours (when it suits me).

I keep seeing stories like this.. funnily enough always involving a fan of one team attacking fans of another. I have never, ever in hundreds (maybe thousands) of speedway meetings attended heard fans 'continuing to cheer' when a rider is being attended to by paramedics. For starters a cheer is a short thing. Its an outburst at a moment of joy a "Yay" so to speak.. Even in football it dies down after a few seconds. You're expecting me to believe this 'cheer' was still going on when the rider was being treated? I suspect its just another exaggerated story in an attempt to make a point. You'll sometimes get the odd nutter who continues to shout some abuse if the said rider has done something unpopular on the night but that's a different thing entirely to cheering when a rider initially falls. Correct. What is staggering is the Star were quite happy to print accusations of cheating earlier in the season made by Barry Briggs sat on his armchair at home. We're still waiting for the promised follow up on that. Yet here, with the blatant fixing of the result that has taken place, they say nothing.