mikebv

I've mentioned about my local football team Stockport County. They went into non league and even dropped a league in that .. They were in the cart, non league, and two of the biggest football teams in the country on their doorstep, meaning local young fans would be more inclined to follow either of those teams.. So, they put together a Community Team.. And have said since that this team was the most important one put together.. School visits to the ground were organised and structured, both during match day and not.. And free tickets for kids and for their parents and guardians were distributed... However, they followed this up by more free tickets for the kids, and with heavily reduced admission for parents and guardians, plus discounted vouchers for merchandise.. Many kids therefore became regulars and, as they got used to going, wore the team colours, and mithered their parents and guardians to keep returning... Every club should have a "Community Team" whose role it is to get the brand out into the local area, be a force for good, and attract people to the club (especially U11 kids)... Hardly one player was known at County in their non league days, but the Community Team were known by a great many...

Cheers Tom, replied...

100%... And the vast majority of 80 million people have never heard of the sport, never mind any rider... What an opportunity for a reset... 5 rider teams, and play with the heat system so the disparate levels of ability, from one to five, race more against each other of the sane level.. Or six rider teams with both reserves very much "junior level"... Drop the level, drop the price... If a track does a "special" the crowds rise significantly, with those extra people being fans who no longer rgularly attend, but come back for one night only, thus suggesting twenty five quid per visit isn't seen as worth paying... But (insert price here), is....... Reduce costs, and invest the money in price reduction.. And start UK Speedway again, from scratch... But don't do the same thing you do now because it clearly isn't fit for purpose....

100% Emil had an impact... In his first season.. However, like anytime a rider absent for several years comes back, eg Tai, after a while, the novelty simply wears off.... The sport crucified itself over here in two specific areas when pretty much all the big names rode in the UK.. Financially, by pretty much giving them all the TV money... And, running many, many, guestfest meetings, due to these lads missing, down to their ever growing, individual commitments... Which, ultimately went a long way to destroying the credibility of what was on offer, which then, naturally, disillusioned thousands of fans who still haven't come back, but still follow the sport....

100%... The Aces are a perfect example where money could be saved and reinvested in price... My old company had a name for it... "Save to Invest"... Basically remove all non profit making sections of the business, and then use that money to lower the price points of products..... The Aces have two genuine world class riders, if neither were there, crowds "may" dip, but certainly not by much, if the standard was around tier two level... If one of the world class riders was there, crowds, would, I suggest, be the same as if both were... No rider has an "aura" like yesteryear where world class talent turning up was an "event", hence several hundred extra would rock up to watch... Therefore, one world class rider per team should be the target, (if they want to maintain the current level) (Which clearly isn't working, but I digress)... Two HL's, two SS"s, and two reserves being the set up of each team... That would free up several hundred thousand across the top league to invest in promoting the clubs and sport...

They could afford cheaper admission if they didn't pay around £200k for three heat leaders... Maybe have only two of them, run six rider teams, and use the money saved to have a budget of £75k or so, to target some "special offers" prices, on certain nights...

Is it Plymouth who have utilised local students to build their website and advertising? Young, creative thinkers and innovators, is exactly what the sport needs... And I would imagine, and hope, that their line of attack is a bit more than.. "0-60 faster than an F1 car"... "No brakes"... "It's a family sport".. Etc, etc, etc... All clichéd, unsuccessful, decades old, sound bites... Glasgow with the distribution of free tickets to existing fans to share around with family, friends, workmates etc is a great idea and seems to be working... Those who can actually promote and market Speedway do seem to do "quite well" even in today's world where so many are chasing disposable income..

All they need now are some riders and they've cracked it..

Far too old..... However, if they need a consultant I am quite reasonable cost wise nowadays as I am retired.... It is about awakening or re-engaging people to the existence of the sport... Fast, punchy, quick sound bites, a few controversial comments from riders, managers, fans, "this track is sh*t" etc, film the mechanics, pit staff, fans, reaction to races as they unfurl, and the end of the race, with a wrap up at the end advertising the next meeting and an invite to subscribe... Most tracks will have a college or uni nearby with media courses, where "young people", all wanting a career in audio/visual productions, could be brought in to do the filming, interviewing and editing.. And all potentially using the college/uni equipment with just a cost for expenses... "If you don't ask"... Polish TV do a very good magazine programme using similar techniques, where riders get asked two or three questions max pre meeting, races are filmed from the pits and usually all you see are long shots of first bends, and bikes whizzing past the pit crew who are on the fence, and then the bikes returning to the pits with the rider either shouting with joy, or swearing!! And then they show a few seconds of the mechanics working furiously on the bike ready for the next race whilst the rider points out what he wants.. All no more than 30 seconds spent on any moment.. Reflecting the attention span of most who watch visual media these days...

The custodians of this sport are truly unwaveringly poor at what they do aren't they? I don't know what the opposite of the "Midas Touch" is... But they always seem to have it.

United do... U16 - £190 (a tenner a match) 16/17 - £275 (under £15 a match) 18/20 - £413 (under £22 a match)... 21 and over pay adult prices, cheapest is £29 a match.. And that has risen with "Glazernomics".. Still good value though fo encourage the younger sections of society to attend...

Too formal, too long, too slow.... It should be 20min max, with the "bantz" between the lads as they arrive and get changed getting covered... The managers team talk and then several 5 second snippets of on track action covering the speed and closeness of the racing, with verbal and physical reactions from fans, Manager and team members as the racing happens.. With a voice over letting the viewer know of the score as the action progresses, and the names of those getting filmed, with the aim being you identify the riders, who, hopefully become recognised.. Throw in the odd 20 second soundbite from the manager, riders and a few fans, (young ones not fogey's).. "We are sh*t tonight", "He needs to sort himself out" etc, etc.. Music playing in the background . Then, post meeting quick sound bites from riders, management and fans... With an advert for the next meeting, with a request to like and subscribe... It isn't about listening to in depth interviews, and the racing snippets are just that, (quick), keeping the whole 15-20 mins short and snappy to meet the attention span of the demographic the sport so desperately needs to attract... There are dozens of examples on YT of how teams have been ultra successful in getting subscribers (and money), from their Vlogs... Speedway, given its lack of awareness from so many thousands of people in every town and city a team runs in, is perfect for such an inexpensive medium...

And Richard Lawson.... Edit. And obviously Scott if no TV duties come about...

Northampton could have seven different hand picked guests every week... Win the league and find a buyer!!!

Who will head up the venture? A promoter can't run two tracks can they? Presume they will need a figurehead? Chris Louis maybe???