mikebv

He is a available... Might even get a whole lap in before leaving... #technicaltrack...

You have seen the masterplan as well then.?

They possibly think.. "Wow, he has achieved a lot in his career hasn't he? Much more than me, might have a word with him to see if he can get me a team place in Poland"...

Beat me to it...

100% agree, but.. The tipping point has well passed.. A rudderless ship for decades, ran by collectively making things up on the spur of the moment, with zero clear direction of travel and standards governance, has driven thousands away who still passionately follow the sport via other various media, but dont attend their local tracks regularly.. Which is a shame given the on track entertainment which is as good as in, if not better, any era I have watched.. If all the surrounding negative issues matched the actual product, the sport would be flying, instead they undermine it appallingly..

Another of those things that does the sport so few favours if it is ever to be taken seriously... Lost a good rider? No problem. Borrow any of ours whenever you need them.. With the Polish rule changes, there must be a fair few who would ride over here now, on Nicki P's terms too I would think given he wouldnt have been cheap. (Even at 'mates' rates).. RR only should be the option as that would mean the Promoters get a shift on in getting another rider in..

Sounds like a lot of promotion was done, meaning, I presume, that the VFM of the actual "night out" didn't meet the expectations of those who did attend...? However, here is one example of many where tracks do (lots of) positive things in SILO rather than putting together a collective budget, and marketing themsleves nationally using professionals. . Having been in marketing "build it and they will come" is as weak a plan as asking your fanbase to "bring a friend", or using "it's a sport you can bring your family to" as a strap line.. One off gestures simply don't work as it takes around 4 weeks to change someone's habits... When I have done "mega offers" at store openings and handed out vouchers for them, the uptake is around just 11%. We calculate this through how many redemptions we have v how many we distribute.. Now, as we give out 50,000 or so of those vouchers, that 11% is 5500 customers, who we then give out more vouchers to over the first four weeks of the stores life. As we know that by the fifth week the vast majority will now have changed habits and will stay with us... The actual getting them there (often for free), is actually the "easy bit", the difficult bit is how you then engage them to come in over the next four weeks... And expecting a family to suddenly pay out circa £60 to £70 for a night out one week after trying something new for free is a pipe dream I would suggest.. Enticing them with more reduced cost visits over the next few weeks/months could work though as the kids in particular you would hope would get engaged... With so many people having an electronic footprint, target marketing has never been so easy, therefore those who attend but then stop, can be re targeted to see if they will visit again. .. Given we are dealing with such low numbers, many tracks only need 300 or so more punters per night to do "ok", as that would add 5000 or so to the season and around £100k of revenue.. It doesn't have to be the same 300 though, as target marketing could get some to attend only once or twice, but it is once or twice more than currently, and even at a reduced price, it is money the tracks don't currently get... If each track had a database of 3000 or so who "follow" the club then these are the people that tracks need to target as a priority, as they already are engaged... The 1200 to 1500 die hards are there every week, it's the ones who watch results from social media and their armchairs that they need in the stadiums. . With those who maybe know the sport, or have no clue of it, being the ones you nationally advertise to, and then "go out and seek and find", using a marketing budget to get them coming to the sport, hopefully very often, but even irregularly would be a very positive oucome..

There are truly dozens of ways to "get the message out there" to "ver kidz" but it appears not many want to do it... For example. My lads old grassroots football team had teams from U8 to U16 and several teama at many of the age groups... Just in Stockport where I live alone there must have been well over 2000 kids playing football each Saturday and Sunday morning, for several hundred teams.. A perfect time for clubs to appear with riders and bikes on parks and set themselves up on those parks that can have up to 10 matches going on at any given time, handing out car stickers, free tickets etc.. Loads of kids and loads of parents on hand, and the same happens every afternoon as well as morning... Each season the local kids leagues also run a trophy giving day where each age Group gets trophies. The younger ones all get one (there are no losers here), and the winners and runners up get trophies in the older leagues.. It would cost clubs very little to sponsor any of their local sporting leagues and their trophy giving day,, and get the league called after them.. Much, much less than they would be paying their heat leaders for just one match I would say.. In this modern era, if you have a decent smart phone, you have the chance to advertise yourself to millions... Lots of ways of getting others to hear about you if you had the inclination.. And it needn't cost the earth.

But apart from that... Whilst on, great to see the guest system working so well last night... Always personally been a big fan of it.. Good to read from those there that the racing was decent, given Leicester over the years hasn't always had great press when it comes to the entertainment level being discussed... The track work paying dividends it seems? Now.. Who rides Monmore well for the next time, (who doesn't ride for Wolves)? Hello! Is that you Bomber?

The UK have given up their protected night on Thursday.. They could have not done that, but they decided it was worthwhile.. All to bring in riders that every week, depending on the weather, may miss meetings over here.. The Poles who negotiated the deal must have been impressed by the way the BSPL drove such a hard bargain..

He didnt react as he headed towards the fence.. And picked up even more speed too as he went towards it.. The three of them certainly wrecked the air fence.. And the bikes look a bit second hand too.. Hopefully he is ok...

Many tracks will spend several hundred thousands of pounds on riders from Marxh to September.. Yet for all that huge outlay, many will not turn a profit and have to use the deep pockets of owners to remain in place.. The sport could I am sure utilise such a huge outlay of money much wiser by running events with big prize money less times a year? Maybe like Stock Cars do? At the old Kirky Lane track, more fans watched the Stox over a season than watched the Aces, yet did it running much lesser meetings... If you are going to willingly spend a few hundred grand, then surely at least you use it to promote big events, which resonate with the local public, media, and prick their interest.. The PCMM this year felt like 'an event', given the presentation and the crowd level.. The run of the mill domestic offerings appear much less of 'an event' in comparison to this kind of meeting, hence much less levels in attendance... Less could truly be more for Speedway's growth... Quality not Quantity...

When this was rolled out at the start of the season, my initial reaction was "How long before 'Thursday Night Speedway" becomes the norm in Poland?".. You can guarantee that the clubs and TV companies will be reviewing attendances and viewing figures very closely.. And, if both a success, then, very quickly, it will become part of their operating model...

Combined?....

Brady Kurtz rides tomorrow in Poland and not at Leicester for Belle Vue.. The UK give up Thursday as a protected race night.... The UK is already very much a 2nd rate nation when it comes to Speedway when up against Poland.. Poland even dictates when FIM meetings takes place such is their power... And, to be fair, with the money they pay out, they should dictate what happens and when, as without that money the riders wouldn't have the same income levels...

I wonder if they employ one of those security teams that seem to struggle to prevent fires happening in ex Speedway Grandstands...?

Agreed, but... They should just not run the meeting knowing riders will be missing... Plenty of Monday's and Thursday's between now and the end of September when all riders would be available.. A lack of a credible offering helps kill the sport in the UK..

I wonder why no major sponsors from outside the sport ever want to put their money into it.....

Number 5. Michael Mouse (guest)...

Don't know why TR gets such a raw deal on here... He will have spent countless hours and covered thousands of miles driving 45 minutes outwards from Swindon town centre and back, in all directions of the compass.. Selflessly and forensically looking at every single piece of land within that zone so he can build the Robins a new stadium.. He could though possibly save himself a lot of time and fuel by putting "Abbey Stadium" into the sat nav.. I believe there is a track already there at this location, and a new stadium is already being built on it I have heard.. Sounds like it could be just what the Robins need..

It would be good to not have what appears to have become an almost annual mid season concern about Birmingham.. The people running it certainly seem to be trying to make the sport viable in the UK's second city.. (Behind Manchester).. Best wishes to them and their endeavours... Let's hope they get the crowds their financial and emotional input deserves..

How many have viable businesses under the current operating model? If tracks were very profitable, running with 5000 crowds or so, and paid ten grand a night to landlords, then pretty much all those huge amount of tracks which have closed over the past decade would still be open... Well meaning fans with deep pockets prop the sport up at several tracks to keep them open,, the operating model and marketing plan of the sport doesnt do that...

WE NEEDED GUEST RIDERS!!! When will fans realise over here in the UK that there isnt an alternative... ? Forget what Poland do... They make it up as they go along by treating it like a proper team sport you can emotionally invest your time and money in... You cannot run a Speedway league without having loads of riders available to cherry pick from, meaning you are able to bring them in as ringers as and when you need them.. It is a fundamental reason as to why the sport is so hugely successful in the UK... Some people will never grasp this..

A wise move...? In charge of their own destiny... And not having their brand getting negatively impacted by the BSPL's brand reputation.. Maybe more should join them?

That's what happens usually each year.. I know it probably doesnt appear like that but the AGM should just ratify what has already been agreed prior to it being held.. And then, whilst there, the odd spanner gets thrown into the works...