mikebv

A major contributory factor to the current situation is that so many promoters and owners are either ex sponsors of riders, or ex riders... Hence, they come from within the Speedway Bubble... Therefore, they just see the nonsense that pervades as either "perfectly normal" or accept that "there is no other way" as that is all they have been used to... This then becomes custom and practice, and no one then sees the harm it is doing to the sport long term... New ideas, new pairs of eyes, and a new operating model, all coming into the sport, is long, long overdue..

As it could be "Poland and Sweden and one more", now, maybe home and away twice to give double the matches that Denmark offer?...

Same thoughts .. Although the two U21 riders would now mean at least six in the top tier teams I would think..

100%, and that will be the objective of Richard Coleman and the rest of the top tier.. Make it a "serious sport"... Hopefully there are enough who want to run it as such... For the rest then the current last several years of 100's of adhoc septets turning up will be fine... But you don't try and sell that division to the TV or potential major sponsors.. It will interesting to see how they make their intended clear demarcation between the leagues...

To be fair to him... A few months ago, when interviewed in the Speedway Star, he said he was completely non plussed as to how, and why, Edinburgh's Basketball team got double, and more, the crowds the Monarchs got.. Who wants to tell him??.

I agree, but UK Speedway is, at best, tenuously, a competitive sport.. Hence Richard Coleman, (and others before him), have seen both the obvious flaws in the cunning plan, but also the (actually unique), raw emotion and excitement the actual on track product can bring... Sorting the off track infrastructure will be key, (as he knows), to any significant growth as running a business like you did in the 70's simply doesn't work anymore if you want investment from companies who are modern and advanced in their thinking... The brand image of the brands you link with nowadays is as important as your own, as any negative publicity for them can damage your reputation too... "Guilt by association" being the key.. UK Speedways image, and the optics of its leadership team, will, i would suggest, 100% have prevented sponsorship from companies wanting to come on board over the past decade and more.. A modern thinking, fit for purpose, dynamic board of directors is just a fundamental basic given nowadays in business...

The "Hobbyists" won't be interested as what they want from their Speedway isn't what those who run the sport "professionaly" want... That has been a major issue for the sport for a fair old time given more "Hobbyists" have existed than those paying mortgages off the back of their Speedway teams' income.. The ideal world will be a top tier, ran like a team sport should be ran, with decent TV coverage, and commercial revenue via TV coverage and sponsorship.. And a 2nd tier, which, as now, can amble along making things up as it goes along to put out "any kind of Speedway" on the nights they want to do so.. Poole and Glasgow are, to many, the most obvious choices to move up, however, both could be happy with their current lot and content to stay where they are, (ie in a pretty much no risk position)... Oxford, possibly, are a team who could step back up again, but this time with support to build a competitive team, and, hopefully, some TV revenue to assist them, with the bonus being a seven way split of the cash, rather than an eight way split.. Although, if they did go into tier one, I would suspect they would drop tier two.. The Risk v Reward, for tier two teams to move up, has to move the dial (significantly), from its current position I would think... Get that done and tier one can start to take shape and be somewhere to aspire too..

The difference a few years ago was quoted as £150k to put together a competitive top tier team, as opposed to a second tier one.... Dan T's VLog covered off points money in both leagues, and No6's in the top tier were on not too far off No1's points money in the second.. With RS's on money akin to second strings/third Heat Leaders in the Championship.. Add a couple of top GP level riders, to be competitive, into the mix, and there is a considerable difference in expense... An expense that would need an increase in admission fees, with much less of a guarantee of success which Poole currently seem to have... A potential losing team, with severely increased costs, plus increased admission for the fans, doesn't sound like a business plan anyone with a modicum of a business brain would seek to follow.. And the Fords seem to have more than a modicum of a business brain...

The "Poole Business Model" is based on success... Probably more than at any other track... Spending another £100k (and maybe more), to not be guaranteed (unlike pretty much now), at least, a top two finish, would be a big question mark for them.. At Poole it appears that the success of their business is about winning, with little regard as to the level who you are beating... Losing against Belle Vue, Ipswich, Sheffield etc, whilst watching genuine World Class talent, won't be a crowd puller for them based on their current model.. If it aint broken don't fix it must come to mind for their promoters... Unless, of course, those tier one promoters deliver their division as clearly the place to be for financial reward, and prestige.. A hell of a big leap needed for that though isn't there?..

The frustration for most of us followers being that all that he is saying is pretty much "bleedin' obvious" .. Hence, particularly on here, the points he makes have been highlighted, and/or suggested, for well over a decade.. Over a decade which has seen a complete consistent regression for the UK version of the sport, led by people simply putting their heads in the sand, doing exactly the same thing each year, but, (I can only imagine), expecting a suddenly completely different positive result!! Madness. And has resulted in many thousand who still closely follow the sport, but not regularly attending... I've said many times, you don't need to do any "magic marketing", (if you don't have the money or skill set), you just need to re-engage those who still keep a keen interest.. And there are many more than 300 of those at every track!! His ideas for the GP at Ipswich should be interesting, especially given so much land around the stadium.. Camp sites? Music? Bars? Maybe?... There might even be riders selling merchandise without the ridiculous costs they get charged...

Because they know you need that tribal emotional attachment to your team, if you want a team sport to be successful... Injuries happen, and bad luck happens, in all sports... Jeopardy and consequence being fundamental to any successful sport.. Bringing in guests would see fans, sponsors, and TV all disappear rapidly...

Blimey, just seen the scoreline.. ...

My maths were a little out!!! The cost at the NSS was said to be circa £250k - £300k.. Hence two nights would seem to be a must to help cover that cost and, more importantly, make money... A 4,500 or so capacity would need a fair few quid entrance fee to make enough money to make all the work worthwhile..

I think Richard must come on here… Best of luck to him... Others have gone before with pretty much exactly the same observations and plans... Hopefully this fella gets the cut through needed...

The rights holders make their money by charging the tracks a hosting fee.. I saw the list once a few years ago and it did change from venue to venue, but all were six figures... Cardiff was ran by the series owners themselves as it was the biggest money earner at that time.. It also has been said that temporary seating works out roughly at £1k per seat, which therefore can be very expensive to install...

Putting his money where his mouth is... Makes perfect sense, given he runs Speedway at Ipswich and runs the GP series... Hopefully he gets the track to deliver several racing lines as the GP lads don't make too many mistakes when in front.... But plenty of tracks on the GP circuit deliver poor racing and people still watch.. I presume the NSS and June 12 are entwined currently, however one night, with no extra seating, could be a tough profit maker, and admission charges for 4,500 or so would have to be on the very high side... Plus many hotels in and around Manchester are already showing fully booked with Oasis being in town.. Maybe the NSS could negotiate a much reduced fee to run it?.. It could be possible if no one else wants to run one I would suggest... Does Glasgow hold over 4,000? If so, maybe they may want to join the GP circus?... At least if the GP doesn't get ran at the NSS then the Aces attendances should not be impacted like they have the last two years for those meetings leading up to it, and just after... A new GP venue is always something to gain some interest, so best of luck to the venture...

As is often said... The size of the crowd makes the atmosphere.... Which then ensures memories of the event are good ones... A very ordinary event can live long in the memory when you were part of something with great audience numbers and participation .. Baffling why so many promoters don't seem to understand that and make kids their target market, and let them in for free... Hopefully there will be a knock on early next season and crowds will see more yearly growth... Such a small town should have some kind of "civic event" if (when) they win the cup, that would bring some great publicity.

Motorways and Dual Carriageways?... You been to Ipswich from the North of the country? And it won't be 3 hours when you get stuck behind Farmer Palmer in his tractor on the "dual carriageway", or sat there stopped, for a herd of 100 cows to cross over the "dual carriageway" as their grazing field is on the opposite side to the milking barn.. I remember when Manchester got the GP's and all the negative comments about the lack of bars, restaurants and hotels when compared to Cardiff... I presume Ipswich must be very similar to Cardiff given I haven't read anything negative about it yet... Is the track in the city centre like Cardiff, or just 5 mine outside like the NSS is?.. Or will the "dual carriageways" be busy..?..

And Belle Vue... #aceslegend....

He certainly isn't like Woffy.. A rider who never swore when being interviewed, and dedicated his whole career to riding over here season in, season out, as he won his World Titles.. Oh! Wait a minute...

What's Instagram? I follow UK Speedway...

Love the lad, but, he didn't help himself this year ... Rode some daft outside lines when if riding the kerb, which he easily can do, wouldn't have got him passed.... Still, proper balls out rider though, so always great to watch..

Fair play, got the Kevlar's made too...😁

Robert Lambert. . Aces Legend ...😁😎

Get in there!!! Well done Robert!!!!!