mikebv

"For one night only" on several occasions....

It is simply yet another "sticking plaster" which gets used ad nauseum to either get a meeting on, or get a team to not disappear before the season ends... These "sticking plasters" have become more and more used in the past decade as the clear fundamental flaws in the plan for each season starts to naturally unravel.... This constant "making it up as you go along", speaks volumes as to how much even those who compete in the competition's don't take them too seriously... One of then will "win" at the end of the season, but it is clear that far more important than winning something with delivers such small publicity, kudos, and rewards, is that all make it to the end of the season... With "survival" taking on such importance, it is not a great position with which to try and grow your sport.... Birmingham would have been better off running Mondays in Div 2, using all those same contrived ad hoc rules as and when required, to put decent, competitive teams out when their riders were riding in a Div 1 match...

What we have is the best it can be Dean,... Far too many opportunities have been missed... As has been said, many times, if you went on Dragons Den with the UK's operating model and business plan, it would be laughed out of the room... Not enough employees to open your doors? Then borrow them from your competitors, and let them use yours... Employees cannot work certain nights? Then change your opening hours to suit them, don't worry that your customers may not be able to attend on those nights but would be happy to visit you on other nights in greater numbers... Employees wanting to only work six months of the year? Then make sure you charge your customers a pretty penny to be able to pay them enough so they get six months off. However. Even by charging your customers "top doller" for 15 mins entertainment, you still wont earn twelve months money by only opening six months of the year, but don't worry, because your competitor's are doing exactly the same thing... The race to the bottom is almost over for UK Speedway. Covid should have been the reset button, with new and radical ideas, but instead we had the "same old, same old" with the result being the "same old, same old" ever dwindling fan numbers and interest.. Let's see what radical ideas they come up with now Birmingham will be gone,? A "purple helmet" may be possibly quite appropriate...? F'naaar, F'naaar... Edit. Just realised the promotional and marketing plan hasn't been mentioned... "Bring a Friend" should be ground breaking enough, (but obviously don't tell them how much it is to get in till they are there)...

I must admit, it does wind me up when riders in the lead get passed down the back straight on the inside... And it happens so often... They all seem to ride up against the fence, but surely riding mid track, or even nearer the kerb must give better protection? If a rider passes you the long way round then fair enough, but surely you shouldn't make yourself a sitting duck by leaving a huge space from the kerb to be used.. If someone tries to get around you, you still have the fence to help you, let someone up the inside and he then has the fence to use...

Does Tatum watch the racing? Kurtz had it won on lap 3 when Madsen was clearly closing.... Ummmm errrr... Clueless....

I did too....

Big cutback for Brady.... Hug that inside line for one lap.....😎

Lambert needing a good couple of GP's at the NSS .. Certainly knows they way round....

The inside now a graveyard....😀

Those in charge have ruined a great product haven't they? Let's hope Fireman Phil and the rest get nowhere near the NSS track...

They have worked their magic on the starts haven't they? 😁

Nicki P should be the series Wildcard...😁

Only one rider passing... Head and Shoulders ahead of the rest.. Madsen bricking himself...

"Looking back at the highlights this evening"....? My Pizza arriving should have been included...

Standard Prague fare.....

And not being able to ride the track... Sems to be going sideways longer than the others....

Kurtz struggling to ride bend one... Every single lap....

It's a good job the beer is so good, and cheap, in Prague....😀

Been getting his old speed back over the last few meetings in Poland...

I care..... I am in Stockport...😀

Not on TNT tonight?

Might get some recent racing... The only time Prague has ever dished out entertainment is when the track has been wet...

The post was years were "boom" years given the public's desire for entertainment after the war... The late 60's and 70's, with the onset of major TV ownership, were though the years that elevated the sport with it's 'main sports' slot on ITV many times a season, providing the perfect advert for the domestic version of the sport to build their own business on.. When "England" started to lose regularly and their riders didn't challenge for the World Championship often, it then became a slow decline which has sped up significantly over the past two decades.. Personally, for me, a myriad of opportunities to change the operating model, to a fit for purpose one that reflects the modern digital era, have come and gone, and where we are now is pretty much "rock bottom" with so few teams, and so few "ideas people" involved who have the required skill set to sort out the clear and obvious issues.. I can still remember a KO Cup Final in 1973 against Reading at Hyde Rd where there were over 23,000 there.. I wouldn't imagine there will be 23,000 watching speedway in a week in the UK, if every track ran one meeting a week now.. That is the size of the decline and you will struggle to come back from that level of drop off...

What you got away with donkeys years ago you cannot do know... The internet would literally rdicule and destroy the sport should there ever be mainstream coverage now... Years ago you turned up and only then found the best rider scheduled was missing, and a decent rider from another team had been booked to replace him.... Now, you know three days out, and many then go on line to either take the pee as to how a team can actually improve themselves, or simply many just dont turn up to watch something which now becomes contrived.. Not great in selling the event.. The sport was clearly built on ITV coverage of England's success at international level, which then led to domestic interest by fans who formed part of the literally millions who tuned regularly in to watch given only 3 channels existed.. The domestic racing basically piggy backed off the ITV International coverage.. The decline of the sport can be directly linked to the early 80's when the Danes and USA started to beat England on ITV regularly... With the fans then attending tracks to watch dozens of journeymen Scandinavians, Yanks and Aussies, rather than "local lads" which had been the norm.. There is a reason Poland won't use guests and that is their leagues will have the same lack of credibility that the UK ones do, meaning fans, sponsors and TV would turn the backs on it... Guests are clearly here to stay given the lack of riders, and followers paying in to afford a squad system, but, by using such a system each season and expecting the sport to have any credibility, is like Usain Bolt choosing to have worn a running vest with 2 stone lead weights added to it, and him expecting to have been an Olympic Champion....

And that goes back to the fundamental issue of the admission price being set too hight just to pay competitors to be fully professional... The sport also charges an admission fee that it feel reflects it's standing amongst its peer sports... The truth is, it is miles away from even Ice Hockey attendance wise.. Asking a couple to pay out well over fifty quid to watch 15 mins of action is truly a major ask, and a definite hard sell, even for a marketing professional let alone someone with a zero skill set in marketing and event promotions.. And throw in that ludicrous operating model whereby, should you actually get hooked on the sport, you can spend many hundreds of pounds in a season, and your reward is to see your best rider helping someone else on an ad-hoc basis which can help prevent his own, (and your), team from resching the play offs.. Thanks for your money, roll on next season for more of the same..!!!!😁