mikebv

They surely won't run any other meetings that night would they?

Every team should run its own matchday Vlog... 20 mins max and put it on YouTube... The Sunday League and Non League teams (who also earn a fair few quid from their YT channels), started out with just a decent iPhone and a laptop to edit their programmes... A few snippets of racing with rider and fan reactions, showing riders arriving, track walk, in meeting and post meeting reflections , etc etc is what should be covered, with making the riders known being the ultimate aim, and the chance to advertise your next meeting... Most clubs doing this would get a large proportion of the total generic UK Speedway fanbase viewing this, including many overseas followers, as well as many fans of the sport who are not regulars, which could add up to a fair few thousand of subscribers... And for very little cost...

Was it Buster who someone quoted as saying that promoters would have to "put their hands in their pockets" for a sixth team?...

One of the better ones...

£15 and All kids free was for the Colts.. Men and Motors was the local channel with around 652 viewers... There hasnt been an advert on local radio for around 20 years that I have heard.. The MEN don't cover Speedway anymore but the Tameside "Whatever" does.. Tremendous reach in Tameside... Not seen 100's of kids from any school on an organised visit once, but do remember "Junior Vue" which seemed to be quite popular in the 90's, maybe that could get started sgain? Never seen any billboards used other than for GPs and SON... Never seen any bikes in city centre Manchester... And as for flyers, fairs, etc, etc etc, its 2026... TV watching is the lowest it has ever been so going out on local TV news won't make much (any) difference... One of the Sunday League teams I mentioned who got over 1000 watching them has their own YouTube Vlog which has over 5000 subscribers... Another Sunday League team has a YouTube Vlog with over 152,000 subscribers, and got 4,000 to a Sunday League final a couple of years ago.. An easy, cheap, 2026, way for Speedway Clubs to promote themselves, with riders' personalities being shown... My local football team Stockport County, when in their non league days, did pretty much what it looks like the Aces has tried, but they did it with a "County in the Community" team dedicated to visiting schools, organising visits to the ground, both on match days and not, and then doing follow ups with the schools to keep that communication going... And doing things like painting local eyesores, organising litter picks etc, making a difference to the local community, but, more importantly, showing fhe local community they still existed... They gave out thousands of free tickets to schools and community projects, as they may as well fill the empty seats and spaces in the terraces, (and earn more in the food and drink outlets), but ensured it wasnt a one off and followed up with the attendees to encourage more repeat visits.. They also dropped ticket prices from their league two days as they knew crowds would drop if they didn't... They reduced their wage bill, so reduced fhe admission fee.. Speedway would benefit hugely from that I would think, would one less HL and SS make any difference to the spectacle? And then use that money to drop prices... Running the Aces for £20, on a Saturday, with all kids in for free, would deliver a much larger crowd than paying £27, and whatever a kids fee is in the grandstand, on a Monday night... Dan and Brady wouldn't be there but fhe DU'ers would, so a decent level.. There is still a reasonable following for Speedway, as the play offs often show, its just getting these numbers to attend regularly being the challenge.. Laying out not far off £30, and on a Monday night, won't meet that challenge...

Dan and Brady who? That would be the question from 99.9% of the 2.75 million who live within 45 mins of Manchester.. That's how well Belle Vue market them... However, even the "Best Supported Clubs" run with a pretty poor levels of punters in real terms... An average of 1500 or so isn't being "successful" really is it? My lad will play in front of many more than that several tines a season, at step six of football, and last week at Hyde Utd, two Amateur Sunday League teams played out a final in front of over 1000 spectators.. I am always amazed when teams do a "special" and reduce admission, or even let fans in for free, and then the promoters are quoted as saying "We did this and the week after the crowd was back to normal"... Of course it was... Clearly by definition of the increase in crowd for the "special" it shows there is a strong market of ex attendees out there who still follow sport, but don't turn up due to the normal price point... Laying out six figure salaries to riders who, whether there or not have little impact to crowd numbers, will mean you can never drop admission charges to a level that may regularly attract more of those who turn up for a "special"...

They must have been cheap as they certainly went unnoticed themselves... Not a good look for a marketing company... The sponsors are key and the clubs should engage them to use the money for local marketing and not just to fund "Superstars One and Two"... One Superstar should be the plan for every team with that rider being the focal point of the marketing.... Clubs spend a truly huge amount on riders for a sport with so few followers, so maybe a redirection of sone of this money could help it grow?

To be successful in promotions and marketing, you need to have a certain skill set, and a workable budget... UK Speedway has never bothered with bringing in professionals under that remit... Instead, going it alone and doing what they think is best has been the plan... However, you can have the world's best product, but if not enough people know what you sell, or even who you are, then the plan isn't going to work.. Paying out for two GP riders at one and five must cost circa £7k a night, and maybe more? So circa £14k for the home and away matches needs to be paid out, using admission income and/or sponsorship... I would suggest paying for just ONE GP rider and using that other £7k, each home meeting, to market your GP Star, the rest of the team, and getting your name known locally, would bring far greater rewards...

I think the actual raceway, and the level of racing, is very much down the priority list for the BSP... Just getting a new track gives them a working example of the sport not being in terminal decline, as many seem to point out, especially developers wanting to build on land that currently has a track... A new track can be used to show the sport is still moving forward, and very much alive.... And it also provides potentially seven more DU places for riders who need two jobs, and helps the 2nd tier promoters, who desperately need these riders to have two jobs, otherwise they would have a much weaker product to sell... I would move those big yellow tractor tyres though...

Those losing money are obviously quite content to do so... An affordable hobby... Hence, they return each season, and keep doing the same things, as, for them, (and the riders), it all works well...

Don't need one... Got my cushioned seat... Surrounded by people smelling of Werthers Originals... And Lemon Steradent...

Well, that's made my mind up... An effing bargain.... Where's me rattle and tartan blanket, and matching flask...

Just had an email to renew my season ticket at United for £35 a match... Hmmmm.. £35 to watch around 65 mins of Premier League football, which is authentic, has jeapordy, has consequence, prizes worth winning, and no Mickey Mouse operating model, or £30, (or "just" £25 in the pauper seats), to watch 15 mins of Premiership Speedway without any of the attributes a team sport requires... Decisions, Decisions...

You get a cushioned seat... #jealousb*stards....

Because they know that the attendance potential to afford, (and justify), any large increase in costs, simply isn't out there to make it viable... Riders are happy, (hence they don't stop and do something else), and Promoters are happy to share costs to pay these riders, and run their sport at the level each of them want to...

The answer indeed appears an obvious one.... However, they simply don't have the money to improve the standard, nor market the sport... Although I should say they do have money (a quite considerable sum will be spent), but they choose to spend all of it on riders rather than promotion and marketing.... The sport is now down to how many attendees? 20,000 average (at most), at the 14 clubs across the country, collectively, last year? That is too far off the radar of the general public now to ever deliver an "Elite" offering, given the considersble costs involved of doing so... The sport is basically set up for a few World Class riders to live over here, and top up their Polish earnings with a circa high five figure/low six figure package, and then let "experienced average riders" earn two salaries, which, combined will be a very decent sum. And, at the lower end of teams, give young UK lads and overseas young lads an opportunity to see if fhey can go further up the ladder.. With the Promoters being happy to run at the level all are, as they know "speculating to accumulate" won't provide much "accumulation" given the (lack of), rewards on offer... It is really only the fans that would suggest the sport is "broken", and make suggestions to improve it.... I very much doubt the Promoters, (who are all obviously quite content with their lot, hence nothing changes), think there are any issues at all...

A different version... Like the UK used to do before it came a free for all... I can see then using the current UK model next year if Poland get their way...

100%, I agree. . Utopia... But a pipe dream.. Crowds of 1400 wouldn't support an "Elite" level as the riders to make it "Elite" would need to be paid enough NOT to DU... And the second tier "developers" simply wouldn't want to sell to their fans a "lesser product" with no DU riders in their Heat Leader positions anymore, and their fans simply wouldn't pay £20+ to watch a lesser standard than they have been used to.. The current operating model has gone on for far too long now to ever be unravelled, and, to be honest, I doubt there is any enthusiasm at all to do so, from any of the promoters... Why? Because all can pick and choose what they want to do, and, with the current model, all teams get subsidised by others through sharing rider costs, therefore, all are content with what they have and deliver... If Poland next season do insist on "one extra league only" then DU'ing could even become a real advantage in getting riders. As, instead of less than 20 meetings in Sweden and Denmark, "journeymen" foreign riders could have circa 40 over here.. It is only the fans, (mainly the tens of thousands of ex fans who still closely follow the sport), I would suggest, who want changes to be made, and see potential in the sport should it ever get ran with authenticity, jeapordy, consequence and reward for success.. With the many "wear the club shop die hards", who attend each week, happilly colluding with the Promoters that the sport is a bona fide team sport, with the other section of regulars, being quite content in just watching the racing with no particular emotional attachment to the outcome.. Promoters know that they will never be able to deliver "Utopia" without a huge influx of cash from a major sponsor or/and a massive TV deal, as attendances won't ever be high enough to deliver it.. Therefore they are quite content to carry on with what we have, as it ticks a lot of boxes for them to remain as Promoters...

Saved the second tier too... Those five or six riders which Northampton will use, who DU, will now get the other part of their two part salary covered.. The only reason for two tiers of racing existing is so the majority of riders can DU, and clubs can therefore share the costs of this majority of riders... There simply isn't any other reason for two tiers of Speedway in the UK.... There is no promotion or relegation due to no aspirational, organic growth being possible due to crowd numbers at the majority of UK tracks, and there are no higher rewards for winning either league.. Northampton have been "parachuted" in to the top tier, just to ensure the operating model and business plan keeps going.. No one knows if crowds will be on average (like they are at most tracks (with the odd outlier), "tier one level" (1200/1400), or "tier two level", (600/800) however, it is just vital they go into tier one as some riders would have missed out on a DU place.... It surely must be one league of fifteen teams next year? Five rider teams if needed... That would actually then look like a "Championship" worth winning and give a good geographical spread across the nation to promote the sport as a "National" one... And look more secure, and relevant, from the view of any potential track developers, with safety in numbers, and collective resistance, being possible...

Iainb??? (I agree).!!!!

Well meaning amateurs.... They will happily lay out a good seven figures to riders each season, as a collective, who no one outside the UK Speedway bubble will know who they are .. Yet "Jack S**t" to a modern day marketing team who may stimulate interest.... Ridiculously daft.....

And then give £10,000 of that to someone who will bring them back over the next day, to get another £40,000... Kerching!!!

It is all a bit typically "UK Speedwayish" isn't it?. I would think it is a really important event for the sport in the UK, hence the desire to make it happen... Those tracks trying to come back can now point to Northampton, and use it as an example of the sport not being in "terminal decline" as developers around the country have suggested when requesting planning permission.. It obviously also ensures both leagues can keep going as doubling up can still share rider costs... Let's hope it's a success, keeping in going will certainly change the optics somewhat as to the current downward spiral of closures... Buxton and Northampton, two "new" tracks for 2026.... Over to the UK Speedway's Director of Marketing and Media, and their team, to go into overdrive to let the wider sporting world know about them!!!

Newspaper and Magazine sales dropped around 80% in my stores over the last decade... My stores would get four cages worth on a Saturday and Sunday, and take two people well over an hour to put in the supplements, and now barely three quarters of a cage arrives . The demographic of those still buying them almost mirror exactly the demographic of those who attend Speedway in the UK regularly... There are literally dozens of examples of amatuer sports teams doing their own coverage, vlogs, with several getting tens of thousands of followers on YouTube etc... An ideal low cost opportunity for Speedway teams to do the same...