mikebv

Much later as they get almost an extra day...

Shades of Eric, Ernie, and Andre 'Preview'... The ref said... "I am pressing all the right buttons, just not necessarily in the right order"..

Charlie Brown.. AKA Giuseppe Marzotto.. (Wonder what happened to him?)..

I am sure they will too.. But it does help them get to know potential riders, how professional they are, what their personalities are like etc.. Even if they extend to a 10 team top league there is still only a maximum 30 places available to overseas riders therefore knowing who is capable, and who isnt, will assist the ongoing succes of their brand.. With the young riders getting to sample what it is like to ride in a professional organisation which look after you well, but put huge expectations on you to succeed given the size of the prizes on offer..

Bomber was riding as normal, but this time for one of his own clubs?

Can't remember which thread it was in but the proposed pay rates were on there.. Considerably more than over here I seem to remember. The Poles are using the league to develop young talent of all nations so they have enough riders for the long term to keep their leagues the ones to be in, and therefore keep the massive sponsorships and TV coverage.. No doubt though they will still keep rules to protect Polish places in the septets.. Dont sit on their laurels the Poles.. Thinking everything will stay the same forever was a clear failing of the UK in the early 80's by reducing team spaces for British riders, and towards the end of the 90's as the GP's came along and they failed to react to them..

In 1977 though the promoters were paying most of the riders "good second job money", which was usually more than their main job... And most riders (the vast majority who were, just like today, 'non superstar" status), didnt expect to earn enough to have six months off each year... The majority classing themselves for example, as a "Wagon driver who rode Speedway" not "A Professional Speedway rider"... The sport as a collective takes in millions, and pays out millions.. "To achieve exactly what precisely?" would be a question worth asking themselves when they next meet..

Indeed, We have on the forum some within the "inner sanctum", who see at first hand some of those who run the sport "doing their best", hence they get very, very defensive... Unfortunately making excuses, justifying poor performance and condoning mistakes doesnt help, as you then become part of the issue yourself, rather than part of the solution.. Speedways greatest opportunity is to market itself as a collective, to sell "the sport" rather than any specific club, and make national team success the over riding priority.. Sadly, you still have some who see winning leagues that hardly anyone cares about, and will have minuscule impact to the sport collectively, as being "the priority".. These narrow minded people, who collude with those who run the sport that it has some relevance, get exactly the contrived nonsense of a sport that they deserve.. Cannot believe Poland doesnt follow the UK operating model to be honest given it works so well, definitely missing a trick the Poles aren't they? ...

Peter Collins et al "thrilling the nation" most Saturday afternoons on one of just three channels brought excitement and patriotic fervour.. And the domestic Speedway fed off the back of it.. (Big time)... Then in the early 80's we stopped the conveyor belt of British talent by training up the Yanks giving them plenty of spaces... Then we trained the Danes and gave them even more spaces.. Then we trained the (fill any nationally in), and we reduced the chances of GB riders even more.. And now we dont even have a Rising Star system in the bridging league that should be the middle one in a three tier system.. We never learn do we? Still.. I am sure whatever two teams win the top two leagues this year will make the national news headlines and earn millions for their success and have major sponsors beating down their door.....

The whole population of the UK, (minus the circa 0.021% of the population who attend now each week) would be my target audience.. Meaning 99.9+ % of an audience to aim at, many of which will live "close" to a track but wont have even heard of the sport.. And you only need 0.1% of the populace to attend to be "very successful" given such a "sea level" low base.. Imagine 70,000 fans per week.. Imagine selling something in heavily populated towns and cities that you have a total monopoly of for a radius of 25 miles or more... Zero competition for what you provide! "Manna from Heaven" to any decent business person I would suggest.. And I sincerely hope Poole win the league this year, get a full page in the "Dorchester Tribune" (or whatever it is called), opposite the local meat raffle results from "The Legion" and the "Sandbanks Dart and Crib League results, and you and the rest of the "in crowd" all go along and enjoy your buffet with the mayor.. Quiche I reckon with a fair selection of various savoury pastries, like those mini pasties and pork pies. Oh. And sausage rolls obviously.. No one else will in the country whether Speedway fans or not, will give a flying "rude word" by the way which pastries make up the buffet, nor will they give a flying "rude word" who won the league, (either of them).... Get yourself along to Cardiff my friend.. A proper experience, which is well marketed, priced competitively, and reflects the glamour, colour, danger and skill of the sport...

Start with running the competitions with credibility, as if you dont, you are just wasting your time and money, as enough prospective new followers of a team sport (and major sponsors and mainstream national media), will simply not be interested. And run those competitions on nights when you get your best crowd in, running when your customers want you to, not when your employees dictate to you they are available... And charge an admission fee that people see as reflecting the actual value for money they get, rather than an admission fee that is set to allow competitors in a tiny minority sport to work six months of the year and have six months off... If all you can afford to remain solvent, and have enough for further growth of your brand and sport is semi pro riders, then only use semi pro riders... In short, have a clear structured development plan for your brand, cut your cloth accordingly when it comes to outlay, and, most importantly, open your business for your customers, not your employees, and listen to what your customers tell you... Plenty more obviously but those are the rudimentary obvious starting points..

Speedway has three main issues which stifle its development and growth.. One. The operating model. Simply it is designed to give the owners something to spend their money on that they enjoy. There is no plan for growth nor development, hence putting out "any adhoc Speedway", regardless of credibility, integrity, or relevance, is the objective, rather than running the sport like other "respected, relevant and succesful" sports' do, with genuine "worth winning" Championships.. Secondly. A complete lack of capability (or maybe desire?) in marketing the sport nationally through a nationally recognised marketing company, instead we have tracks doing "their very best" locally, using well meaning amateurs, (although trying to sell the current operating model would be beyond even the best advertising agencies I would think).. And Thirdly. A lack of a consistently successful national team with which to live off the coat tails of. Ten to Fifteen years from now of GB winning individual and team events, including Test Matches, would paint a very different picture for the sport domestically than it does today. (Yet in the 2nd Div we dont even have Rising Stars which tells us all we need to know about how important growth and development of GB riders is to some).. The whole thing is fragmented and disjointed, and unless it every comes together under one voice leadership then it is never going to be successful.. Succesful sports have successful leaders in charge, making tough decisions for the greater good. Leaders who have contacts in the wider media, marketing and business world.. Should Speedway ever allow itself to have the same, then it has a chance.. If it chooses to persist in following its narrow minded, myopic operating model and business plan then it wont..

The final might not be ran till the next Jubilee...

Aren't those fixtures called "The Premiership" and "The Championship"?

He will be the first sportsman in history who finishes bottom and second botton in two leagues who also qualifies for winners and runners up medals in the same competitions... "How did you do this year Bomber?".. "Finished bottom".... "And first"... "And second".... "And third... "And fourth, and fifth and sixth as well"..

Truly baffles me Dean.. No point having teams in existence if you dont create rivalry.. I remember fondly the early to mid nineties when BV raced against Wolves.. A few hundred away fans at every meeting.. And plenty of (good natured) abuse between both sets of fans.. Add in "Sammy" swiping "Young Joseph's" leg away as they entered turn 3 and you had uproar.. Two things I could guarantee.. One. Both promotions would have loved looking at the fixture list and seeing as many of these matches planned in as was possible.. And two? Anyone visiting for the first time, or maybe had just started going a few times, would definitely have been back the week later.. Noisy, tribal followings... It is what makes a team sport successful, and delivers growth.. UK Speedway seems to be ran like a Group of Gentlemens Clubs with those who own them quite happy to have "somewhere to go" rather than worry about ever expanding...

I suppose if the Poles relax the rules you could get those 3rd/4th/5th level riders (who make up the majority of places in teams), being able to ride "all over" again to compensate... France, Italy, Germany, Denmark, Sweden could all "chip in" to dilute the impact of DU'ing being reduced? One league in the UK, Poland, and three or four of the above would deliver a fair few rides and plenty of money I would think.. Fixed nights would come into their own then too, as Div 1 over here would facilitate a rider to ride everywhere apart from Sweden on a Thursday.. Div 2 would have issues though as it would be their HL's now plying their trade around Europe again..

The point being made was that it "doesnt look good" when you see opposition managers laughing and joking with the opposition during a meeting,.. Regardless of the standard of the manager it shouldnt happen.. Riders too often do it every night and all it can do is give anyone watching the impression that "it mustn't really matter this"... Poland keeping teams (and fans), apart gives off the right message that "this means something".... Even both teams stood together watching from the same part of the pits is something that should change.. UK Speedway definitely suffers from not having "rivalries" which stir the emotions and therefore encourages attendance.. Watching team members and managers all getting on together during a meeting wont ever engender those rivalries.. I do understand though that for riders it might be a tad confusing at any given moment who is your team mate and who is your rival given it changes so often.. As an example. Splitting them in the pits would have many wondering "can I stand and speak with Bomber tonight or not, I couldn't last night, but could the night before, and I am pretty sure I can tomorrow?"

To be fair.. If there isnt a prospect of racing next season then riders would be daft increasing averages and possibly making themselves unemployed... Not their fault that such an inherently subjective, flawed and manipulative system is used to "make everyone equal".. Therefore. They need to look after themselves..

As I say, Discovery would need to have deep pockets.. If they are serious on their promises to make Speedway a bigger global brand, then a resurgence in the UK would be quite fundamental to it happening I would think.. Every place a Polish riding star takes is one less DU if nothing else... Losing the "3 club" rule will also free up a fair few 2nd and 3rd level riders too, which again will reduce the spaces to DU... As you say, attendances won't pay the increases, but Discovery might... And then maybe attendances will rise significantly off the back of it...?

Still continues agreed, but with an ever dwindling number of clubs almost annually... Eventually that can only end one way cant it? And "stiil continues" is sadly more towards to "still exists" than "still prospers"... Which should be the true measure of any entity... If the Polish riding superstars are allowed back that would provide more riders, and also generate a fair amount of interest.. Hopefully Discovery's deep pockets can help bankroll that level of rider back..

I am sure Bomber would give it a try.. And... You never know, maybe an air fence panel or three will need fixing, meaning he could possibly get there in time to ride in a few of the last five races or so... Tac Sub, Heats 13 and 15.... Be like Phil Collins on Live Aid Day.... Edit. (Not the Heathens' Phil Collins, the "other" one)...

And to be fair to even the most compliant and supportive of councils.. Seeing clubs close each season due to a lack of support for the sport can not fail to start to seep into their judgement making (maybe even getting mentioned by developers as persuasive leverage)... And a chance to get £60k a month tax, ad Infinitum, from 300 houses, not to mention several million pounds up front, most be extremely tempting.. Even more so when a recession bites and cuts to services are an inevitable consequence.. An elected representative has a choice to provide services to over several hundred thousand people, or keep providing an evening out for much less than just a couple of thousand of them.. If I was putting myself up for a public vote at election time, I know what I would do...

Has to be... . Given that structure has worked so brilliantly well to get the sport in the UK to where it is today..

Of course it is... It is total nonsense isnt it? But fans of the sport who attend each week, and collude with promoters pretending that it a real team sport, cannot really have it both ways... Great sport to watch but best not to take it seriously from a competitive team sport angle in the UK.. Just enjoy, what can be, a great spectacle and ignore the infrastructure around it... The crowd numbers at Oxford , after their long absence, certainly seems to suggest that they are happy with what they are watching, and having a track with numbers like that can only be good for the sport..