mikebv

Ben Barker said it was a fiver per race... And Charles Wright said the best quote he got was £1200 a month for personal cover... The "old" insurance got the riders around £900 per month, without any minimum stay in hospital... The main issie appears to be that the cover might be "fine" for "hobby riders" in Speedway and other disciplines, but those who earn their living riding Speedway can significantly be out of pocket with no income...

I will this season, like last, attend more meetings overseas than in the UK... Why? Because I love watching Speedway... But love watching it more when (pardon the pun), something is "riding" on the outcome.. If the UK could deliver the same level of jeopardy, consequence and prestige in victory that other countries, and organisations do, then I would attend more in the UK... The sport now is very much followed by the die hards who will happily go along and collude with their promoters that the meeting is relevant and great to attend... Sadly, many, many more thousands than those who currently still go, don't agree with that outlook and have drifted away from attending regularly, but, crucially, haven't lost touch and still follow the sport... Given little is spent on attracting "newbies", through national marketing, getting those who still follow the sport back attending regularly really is the key to success... I am amazed no market research gets done so as to ascertain the thoughts of the regular fans and those who have lapsed... ie Why do you go? Why don't you go? Etc. etc.. There are dozens of fans Facebook pages that have current regulars and non regulars on them, which could be perfect to use .. When any business receives feedback, both good and bad, it can then make changes to the top reasons why the bad feedback was provided.. UK Speedway would benefit enormously from this...

There's not enough bandwidth for the forum to cover that off!... The three 3rd tier meetings in Poland last week had crowds over 3,500 with 5,000 the highest.. Germany had nearly 5,000 for their international meeting on the 5th of April.. Vastervik in Sweden averaged over 4,200 last season with the league just under a 3,000 average.. As you say, "where are we going wrong?"..

As I say, it can still be a great night out... If you go for the racing and not take the team sport angle too seriously.. If they could harness the racing into a "proper team sport" operating model, (like other countries do), then that would truly be a game changer for many who no longer regularly attend, and may also then generate some sponsorship interest from "outside" the sport.. Tom Brennan will be up against the Aces this Monday and has so far this season ridden for fhe Aces as many times as he has for hs own team... That is the kind of thing that makes it more "sports entertainment"....

100%..... Spot on...

I won't... It's not a bona fide sporting contest, because, simply, clearly, it cannot be using the operating model.. However, collude with the promoters that it has some relevance and prestige, and enjoy... As I say, it can still be a cracking night out, watching the racing...

Two of your HL's scored nine off eight rides... Never blame a reserve for any defeat with those numbers.....

Then blame the top five who allowed that to happen....

To be fair .. A reserve scoring nil doesnt influence a meeting more than a No1, scoring five..

If we are honest... It's not really is it?... More like "Sports Entertainment"... Which can still be a decent night out.. As for Scott? A fantastic rider and career, and also very good in front of a camera.. Hope he enjoys, safely, what (maybe} his last season.. He owes the sport nothing...

It's what Jeopardy and Consequence brings to a sporting occasion... The Wroclaw fans, management, and team, will be ecstatic... The Gorzow fans, management, and team, will be gutted.. But the fans of both teams in attendance would have walked away thinking "What a great meeting and atmosphere".. If only we had something even half the same over here... Hope springs eternal!!!

"One track Kowalski" coming of age tonight... Come on the Wroclaw Aces ...😁

The young lad has rode great tonight....

That's the difference between UK fans watching and Polish fans of the two teams... We, over here, measure Speedway in "Entertainment Value" ie the racing is the main reason we go, given win or lose, there isn't any major reward, or prestige .. The fans of both teams there in the stadium, or watching at home, won't give a monkeys as to how good, or not, the racing may be, all they will want is the win!!!

They won't want the track with grip as Kurtz and Bewley would love it...

Maybe some within the Echo Chamber are actually now seeing what we the fans have seen for a long, long time, and, maybe, they realise, finally, that the writing is on the wall if they don't adapt, modernise, and change? This close season, maybe, has been the huge wake up call some needed? Some who had previously refused to acknowledge the clear issues by sticking heads firmly in sands, given the sport delivered what they personally wanted out of it . Including journalists who maybe have just gone along with the "there is no other way" narrative peddled, for too long, given many will be "mates" with some of the promoters, and know what they do and how much money they put in.. Speedway desperately needs critical thinkers, who can come in with a fresh pair of eyes and look clinically at the operating model and business plan, without being influenced by historical decisions and close relationships...

It is noticeable that there is a subtle shift in their coverage of "issues".. Some of those who maybe were influenced too much by being in the "Speedway Bubble Echo Chamber", for a long time, are now, constructively, challenging what is taking place... Hopefully it means some cut through, and improvements to the leadership of the sport...

I'm definitely going along now.... Are you the UK Speedway Marketing Director?....

What do you mean? This is pretty good for a meeting so far this season... The thread was put up the day before rather than just a few hours before!!!

Indeed... There is a certain "grey area" when it comes to riders being self employed/employees of clubs, however, there is a valid question to be asked whether this change is a change in the "Terms and Conditions of Employment" for the riders... Given insurance will be a fundamental prerequisite for riding you would presume... And, Customs and Practice, for many, many years, was the riders paid about a fiver per race to be covered, with the cover being "X,Y,Z".... Such a fundamental change to a contract, in the "normal business world" would have seen written communication of the changes to those impacted, with all the "As is" and "To be" details of the changes outlined...

One word.. Leadership....

And he is quite "scathing" in his comments around the "PR" and "Lack of leadership" on the issue... The Speedway Star is certainly delivering some quality publications, consistently....

Interesting comments from Charles Wright in the Speedway Star... He said he wouldn't have ridden if he had known that the insurance coverage had changed.. Basically he gets nothing given he wasnt in hospital for three nights as per the new policy... He revealed that personal insurance would cost him £1200 a month which would mean no point in riding... The BEN Fund is helping both him and the two Danish lads currently injured, given they had no UK insurance cover, as they don't ride on ACU licenses... Any changes to Retail and Employment Laws were emailed to me, almost daily given slight changes are often, when I worked, so as to ensure I didn't leave the company facing any tribunals or litigation for decisions I made... Such a fundamental change to the riders should have been a huge, direct, prioritised communication to them individually, you would have thought...

Who the hell does this fella think he is? Transparency, and Accountability, indeed.... He will be seeking Credibility and Integrity next.... Then, before you know it, he will be after meetings being ran with Jeopardy and Consequences, which could even end up givng the competitions Prestige and some larger financial backing... A slippery slope, this.....

Agreed, but if I was earning a five figure sum every weekend out in Poland, and picking up a lot less than that, on tracks that are not always the best either due to the actual material used, weather or just capability of track curators/equipment for them to use, then, even subconsciously, I am sure discretion will be the better part of valor...