mikebv

Over half a million have watched the fight between Wright and Allen last season.. If every club had its own YT programme they would have had a link to these 500k people, via the YT algorithm... A decent phone and a lap top to edit what you film...

Great Post.... In my ex world of business we often, store to store, region to region, shared "best practice" and all, as one, benefitted from ideas that invariably came from people who were innovative... With the more pragmatic who didn't possess such a skill set, (like me), building on these ideas to ensure profitability and legal compliance... Before we launched this "New Way Of Working" into the Operating Model of the business.. Glasgow and Poole, in particular, seem to be able to engage people to watch their teams, therefore why not, nationally, make what they do part of the "Operating Model"?.. There may be others who also do "good things" individually that could work for others, eg social media sites, selling yourself to sponsors etc, etc.. The on track action is, in the main, decent to watch, it is very much the off track leadership and marketing which hold it back... There isn't an excuse though when some can demonstrate how they do it well...

100%... Everyone who follows Speedway, as close as everyone does on here, will want the venture to succeed, hugely.... That doesnt mean though that everyone becomes a "Happy Clapper" when discussing it... Let's be honest, some of those involved hardly have a fantastic record at promoting the sport at their own tracks do they? With many of them leading the sport to its current situation... Therefore, I think it is natural to have concerns as to how the launch will go.. And the longer the only message is "no news is good news", the longer the concerns will, quite naturally, grow.. PS. And if you are launching a brand new to the area business, "no news" (definitely, one million percent), isn't "good news" at all!!! Let's hope for the best for both Northampton and Buxton, as I, like many on here I am sure, look forward to visiting both this season...

You would (should) be doing a daily info Vlog covering... The daily track work being undertaken, with the before and after being filmed, the team building process, rider interviews, the kevlar making, the merchandise buying, the cost to go to watch a meeting, the first fixture date, your special opening offers, the track staff and presenters being mentioned (as they will be local people), etc etc etc... Using someone who is well known in Northampton to present it, and get it out daily on FB, YouTube etc... "Build it and they will come" only works in movies.. A constant drip, drip drip of information/hype is needed to build up to the opening night... You don't open a business, and expect to be successful, without at least a month long intensive marketing/teaser campaign to the local populace... Whether they use you immediately or not, they at least know about you so may therefore visit in the future... They open on the 30th of April so really need to go into overdrive from now...

It isn't really a professional sport (at ownership level in particular), though... More of a hobby than a pro sport for so many... Winning can even be detrimental to their plan as the costs can rise hugely, and close them down!!! We fans judge Speedway like proper professional sports, however these sports have professional marketeers, big sponsors, major media coverage, and an independent leadership team that are in position due to their personal skill sets and contacts, rather that just being an ex competitor in that specific sport... UK Speedway, has none of the above, hence it comes across as amateurish... Because, when it comes to marketing, promoting, administrating and managing optics, that is what it is..

The will be close on 200 guests used this season if previous recent years get similarly replicated, therefore, any "new people" will be more than well versed in the more "Mickey Mouse" aspects of the sport (in the UK), should they, (hopefully), become regulars... Someone guesting for NKI (should it happen), will be just "another guest" situation... Nothing more and nothing less...

Some riders get well over half a million a year riding Speedway... Therefore. So early in the season, on potentially weather impacted tracks, and riding against some vastly inferior riders on those type of tracks, I would suggest they probably err on the side of caution... And Poland are already doing "sparring matches"/team boot camps, so a clash of calender could also be an impact...

Does it really matter if NKI has or hasn't been "declared".. Just give them a guest facility.... They don't race till April 20th anyway, and the first two matches are away, and not till the 30th at home, so plenty of time to sort guests out..

198 Guests used last season in the top two leagues... With one less team in the top tier they are going to have to go some to beat it... My money is on them to do it though...

One million percent... More meetings will have guests this season, again, than not, for a plethora of avoidable reasons, therefore Northampton starting with them, and even running all season with them, for something out of their control, isn't going to make one jot of difference to the credibility of the sport.... And, it is imperative that Northampton are competitive... And, given the other promoters have put their team together, I am sure they will ensure it... Whichever way it has to happen...

That team would struggle in the Premiership...

Currently 17-43!!!! Are the home team at full strength as that team looks very poor...

Thank God we're back.... I almost had to start a conversation with the Missus!!!!

I can only presume it is to show those councils currently deciding on whether to give house building permission, on ex Speedway sites, that the sport isnt in steep decline and confidence is so high in its growth that a new track has opened... Those fighting the developers can point to both Northampton and Buxton as examples of people seeing a bright future... Personally, if they had a couple of hundred thousand to spend I would have used it to grow the businesses of the 14 current tracks through national marketing and special offers... An extra 500 at each would make a huge difference given the low starting point, and bring another 7,000 fans in to the sport.. Even if Northampton is a "success", there won't by anything like 7,000 there each meeting.... Fingers crossed it works, however, the optics of having your team compiled by your opponents doesn't sit well in a professional sport....

According to Mark Lemon in the Speedway Star, the promoters (who and how many not confirmed), and some "outside investors"... Attracting a fanbase to support a team put together by the owners and promoters of some/all (?) of your opponents in the same league could be a bit of a tough sell... If they don't do well some may not be "too surprised" given their opponents put the team together..

Are zee two Brutish Earmen stool hideeng in zee cupberrrrd, René....?

You may be... But the good people of Northampton aren't... (Because they haven't been told much about it yet)...

Well meaning unpaid amateurs doing their best... Allied to a number of promoters who are ex riders, and ex rider sponsors, all having zero skill set in event management and marketing... Pre 2000 you could get away with it, however, as the internet and social media came on board, and immediate scrutiny and feedback started to be the norm, you no longer can just present something in the way you did thirty or so years ago.. (And for some, 40 years and even further back).. People's expectations have risen, and they get influenced by the feedback of others... Do UK Speedway ever do market research? Do they have a "Trust Pilot" where comments can be left, and answers given to the feedback they get? I used to hold several sessions every 13 weeks with 30 customers at a time, and their feedback could be "brutal"... But, it did give my chance to explain why certain situations happen, and why I couldn't change them, but, more importantly, give me "Gold" feedback on things I could change, but hadn't seen many of these issues as a problem... Amazing how much listening, and being honest with your customers, can improve your business enormously...

100%.... If you cannot run it as a bona fide team sport, (which they obviously cannot), then, simply, don't... Instead, promote it (properly), as "Sports Entertainment".... Still a great night out if you can ignore all the current, an ongoing, nonsense infrastructure around it..... Spend less on riders and more on marketing the event if you cannot afford to do both...

Oh, you cynic... But. With your inside knowledge, and my years of following the sport, I can only assume you are very much probably right!.... On a separate note, Mark Lemon in his Speedway Star interview, mentioned how important to the "integrity and credibility of the sport" this sixth team is... Reading further, it apeears that there are several (all, who knows?), other BSP promoters actually running the show, with riders already spoken with, and team planning in an advanced stage... So... This means that promoters of teams in the same top tier competitions are compiling the Northampton team... The very same team that their own team(s), (already announced) will race against.. "Integrity and Credibility"??? Imagine a professional sport being ran that way, with spectators then being expected to take it seriously...?

From the main stand... B Block... You could see that some were unpainted, but some were painted blue, maybe official GKN pallets?.... (But don't quote me on that, they may just have been GKN copies).. I will win the 50/50 draw (if they do it), at the GP and confirm details when I am on the centre green and feedback to everyone..

I started off in Stockport in 1986, and then worked all over the UK, from the North of Scotland, to the South Coast of England, with Stockport again being on the list 18 years ago... Got to watch quite a bit of Speedway too on my travels...

The pallets were covered in some kind of artificial grass... When my lad mentioned them my OCD, hardened by 39 years in retail leadership, kicked in, and I started to analyse them closely.... Whereby, I noticed they were different colours... Those 39 years in the retail game, where first and lasting impressions count for so much, made me come to the conclusion that, for the next time, (the GP's?), the pallets should all be painted Gold, Silver and Bronze...

The "optics" are fundamentally important for any business... UK Speedway sadly is ran, in the main, by ex riders, and friends and sponsors of riders... With well meaning amateur Speedway enthusiasts working for free, alongside them, just so as they can be close to their heroes... Professional Event Management, and Professional Marketing, is a huge opportunity, however, as we know, their huge seven figures outlay will be to riders who are practically unknown to 80 million people... An amazing business plan... Which suggest these ex riders, and rider sponsors, are quite happy with their regular "Social Gatherings" where they meet up for a "Night at the Speedway"....

Literally, seven figures spent on riders, (who Average Joe Public will never have heard of), yet hardly anything on professional PR, Media output, and Event Management.... Absolutely crackers!!!!