mikebv

I agree, however, getting more away fans in will automatically mean better atmosphere, which, in turn, will encourage more home fans to visit more regularly... The play offs show the reach of the respective clubs as their crowds sometimes double, and more... The reason? They actually looks like they have something riding on them (pardon the pun).. The challenge is to make every meeting "an event" which stands alone to engage people to attend .. The support is out there, as many, many meetings show.. It's just the lack of any real jeopardy or consequence, that keep people away until the back end of the season, and then any momentum is lost as the season ends . I mentioned the Wolves matches of the 90's earlier. I never missed them, nor did many others who, like me, didn't attend every week.. It's a virtuous circle, get a decent crowd, then you generate atmosphere, generate atmosphere and you generate further decent crowds, with word of mouth hopefully increasing them further . I also never missed Nicki P riding at Belle Vue. A perfect pantomime villian... And also what was noticeable when Nicki P visited was the larger then usual crowd to see him race against Jason Crump... The blueprint is there, and has been used successfully, they just need to start to use it again, but using a 2026 fit for purpose version of it .. A minimum of 50 or so, vocal away fans at every track would be a good start in generating some much needed atmosphere... A real opportunity for promoters...

Two 10 - 5's???..😁

You need away fans there in decent numbers to make it happen... Something promoters don't seem to appreciate..

The key words being "proper event".... Not something more akin to a social gathering, and that includes many of the riders too...

I still remember "The War Of The Roses" meetings against Sheffield as kid.. Brilliant racing? No idea, can't remember, but what I do remember is the several hundred Tiger fans in attendance making for a tremendous atmosphere.. Wolves in the early 90's too always brought many away fans to Kirky Lane, and we the same to Monmore... Was the racing brilliant? Again, don't remember, but the events themselves were... The lower number of tracks, and the constant sharing of riders, has diluted rivalries to almost nothing these days, with a decent away fan following now being a rare thing at most meetings.. The Scottish Derby is often mentioned as being "fierce".. So "fierce" in fact that Edinburgh's best rider guested for Glasgow a few weeks ago.. That cannot do the sport any good if you want to build up some rivalries that actually engage fans.. I've said before, let away fans in for free, or a very nominal fee, and provide them with a section of their own for them to sit or stand in.. Travel costs are high these days, streaming is available too, so let then in for nothing and, hopefully, some atmosphere can get generated that ensures more regular visits from more of the home fans going forward, and, who knows, word may get round that a night at the Speedway is "a good night out"...

It was "Guest" room!!! 😁 Baddam Tish!!!

Indeed, lucky for everyone his average dropped enough to replace Jack both home and away...

I attend few domestic meetings, but do attend the play off finals that the Aces are in.. Why?.. Not because I see the winning of a UK Team Speedway title has any major relevance in its current guise, but the finals do provide some atmosphere which you associate with a team sport... In short, they are something worth attending if you like live sport... 400 or so Aces fans at Sheffield, stood on turns three and four, a few years ago, meant a superb night of watching sport, with the racing only being "OK" at best... Standing with 200 or so at Leicester a couple of years ago on the first turn also made the evening a great spectacle... Plenty of banter between rival fans, plenty of pee taking of the opposition managers, and riders, and no malice in sight... If UK Speedway had that many away fans at EVERY meeting then it would be in a hugely more successful position..... Your Team. Your Riders... Win, lose or draw, that is how a team sport should be if you want people to emotionally engage with it... Glad the Aces got Sheffield as several hundred will descend on Owlerton next week... Should be a great atmosphere...

When "engine room" riders in Poland can earn £800+, per point, in Polamd's second tier, you can see why getting even that level of, (non GB and Aussie rider), over here is a big challenge...

Birmingham were always a club with a high number of "colour wearers"... I think an elderly demographic is the underlying key.. If you attend football now it is mainly kids and the middle aged and above who wear club colours... With many of those circa 16 - 40 not wanting to be seen dead in a replica top... A decent money earner for the clubs though I would think..

Apologies....

They wear the club shop!!! They wear the club sho-o-op!!!.. Those Belle Vue supporters... They wear the club shop!!!

He also has a "proper job" too, doesn't he?... Maybe that has gone well this year and so is focusing more on that..? Still a decent season income wise I would think, plenty of bonus points, and an OK season in tier one, regardless of not always getting to the track early!! Plus some Danish meetings...

Probably to do with the restrictions on the number of leagues that riders can race in?.. It would potentially mean that there won't be any Denmark for those UK based riders with Polish contracts (even if it goes to Sweden as well as Poland +1), as UK lads would need to ride here, and Aussies who have a working visa for here need to ride here too.. That would mean potentially Wednesday night becomes a night without any clashes... Could it bring Poole and Oxford up?...

It goes back to "Hobbyists" v "Professionals".. Some clubs organically sit in certain leagues, however, there are not enough (currently), "professionals", hence some clubs will sit in a tier above their level to ensure enough clubs to run two leagues.. "Make do and mend Speedway" has been allowed to become the default method, (given it is a lot cheaper).. Hopefully with "new blood" in the sport, a defined growth path, with clear, incremental steps of improvement, will see the two leagues become seperated with the top tier being an aspirational level, which makes money...

Just ask them the score halfway through a play off final...😁 They'll definitely know there own individual score....😉

All your comments, and others, will be the ones that Richard Coleman will, I am sure, want to either stop or improve, as applicable... With some clear regulations around team set ups, meeting presentation and centre green standards, mechanics in club colours, track preparation etc.. As I say, there is a blueprint to follow in either Sweden or Denmark, who are more aligned to the UK in their attendances, and TV coverage, than Poland is.. One professional league, with scrutiny and discipline, with clear demarcation from the second tier who can just carry on running a more "social sport"... Sharing each others riders, meaning they can keep running fixtures whenever they like...

The FIM put out their calendar in advance and then UK Speedway plan in fixtures knowing 100% that there will be a clash for their riders.... Hardly the FIM's fault... And, as well, tracks go several weeks without a fixture on nights with no FIM meetings that would impact them... UK Promoters even plan in meetings on the nights of UK Championship qualifiers.. The issue is a lot closer to home than the FIM...

Do you mean running the sport like other leagues do?.. The blueprint is there to be used, Poland, Denmark, and Sweden use it without issues.... Denmark and Sweden do focus massively on their top tier, and ensure that the top league is the league that sells their Speedway to sponsors and investors.. That is where UK Speedway needs to be... One "professional league" and one "semi pro league", with the top league being ran properly, and profitably, with credibility and also becoming an aspirational entity to join.. Interesting how Richard Coleman used the term "investors" in his interview, as "sponsors" are invariably fans from already inside the Speedway Bubble, who don't grow the sport organically, and are quite happy to use their support to offset other main businesses costs... Investors are what is desperately needed, and to get them, they will need to believe that the operating model and business plan going forward will deliver something for their investment...

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...