mikebv

UK rider, not Charlie... Certainly a lot of money getting paid out to compete in a sport that gets crowds that many non league football teams would be concerned about getting.. With their players only outlay being a decent pair of football boots costing £150 to £200... Pity the sports marketing budget isnt the same amount the clubs pay out in points money.. If it was, maybe a brighter future would be the outcome..

They normally take them back just after Xmas...

A good few years ago now, (2012 maybe), I got talking in the pits at a meeting with the major sponsor of a rider who was then riding as a "top rider" in both leagues, as he doubled up/down as a heat leader in both.. The rider in question had spent circa £30k the year before, only riding in the UK.. He also told me how much approximately the rider had earned which left me amazed given how few patrons are engaged enough to attend Speedway meetings... The figure quoted was "impressive" but realistically, upon reflection, was around the "normal expectant return" on such a huge level of investment in your "business", especially as you then have the usual day to day living costs to pay out of your "profit"... A level of investment which was described as "normal for his level of rider"... In a sport that attracts so relatively few through the doors you can clearly see why it struggles, with their "employees", quite naturally, wanting recompense to reflect their considerable outlay...

Cannot remember which forum contributor it is who sponsors riders but a fair while ago he mentioned that one NDL/Championship rider he sponsored was looking at £25k a season (minimum) in running costs... Wasnt a "big name" either...

He should get a decent lowering of his average too, as he hasnt ridden in the UK for a few years... With the GB reduction maybe he would be on something like 4.5?... Worth a punt on that in my humble opinion....

Why wait till September...? Sign Woffy and use guests all year long for him... "Unfortunatley Tai cannot be here tonight (again), due to (fill your own reason in), but instead we have been very lucky to book the services of Scott Nicholls, (again).. "We did try and book Bomber, (the other usual "go to" guest rider for all teams), but quickly realised that he was already riding for us"...

£1 below the total income left after all other running cost bills are paid .....

Has he announced Terry Betts as the 'rising star'?

Welcome to the Redcar thread - You may never leave..

A multi million pound indoor leisure facility planned? Sounds promising... A Speedway track with a roof, just what is needed... Maybe they will base it on the one Bradford had planned?.. "The Superdome" wasnt it?

Ricky Kling it is then....

FWIW as a neutral observer... I like watching Starke ride as he one of those riders who seem to give 100% in every race, and certainly at reserve would be "useful" to have... However, it is noticeable that it isnt often for first place that he is often "busting a gut" to get to, but more likely trying to go from third to second or last to third.. Both him and Heeps will end up riding in a position above their true level I would think through the season, (given their historical performances), which leaves very little 'wriggle room' for the team if anyone else doesnt ride to their designated position level in the team...

Even on "mates rates" I would imagine any top 10 rider will be looking at a minimum £100k for 20 matches.. Sweden will be offering less matches so maybe a few could be enticed over with that level of contract? They do though have a league sponsor so presumably bump up their payments using this money so maybe not a huge overall difference for riding less matches? So many top riders seem pleased to just run three times a week in Poland, Sweden and Denmark, and have four days off.. Presumably happy with their lot, with it being heavily funded by their Polish contract..

Easy mistake to make as both so similar...

The perfect scenario for a sport at this level, and ran like Speedway is.. And has been that way for many, many years.. Due to the way it is ran, winning a title gains very little reward of any distinction in regards to financial attainment, wider publicity, and kudos... And that isnt going to change anytime soon... So just ensure all tracks are supported to be viable and competitive and then, hopefully, as the sport gains stability, other tracks can be attracted as and when opportunity arises... With each of them being given support to hit the ground running... You can have "poor teams" in major sports as there will always be a 'Manchester United' or a 'New York Yankees' to keep the sport at the forefront of peoples awareness.. Teams whose own millions of followers will always keep the sponsors and media flooding in to follow it.. Speedway should just concentrate on building every teams' core supporter base by working together.. 18 teams all getting 500 more a week is 9000 extra punters following the sport.. No individual team will grow their business by anywhere near that number, even if going unbeaten all year...

I have it on good authority that getting more money didnt enter in to it... I believe it was solely down to him wishing to sample the different Covid regulations in Scotland..

Add in bringing over regularly the next global 'four point superstar' who would invariably go on to heat leader standard very quickly... What Matt Ford knew though was that if not challenging for honours then crowds dipped quite significantly, and sponsor's deals became less valued, hence speculated to accumulate, but with a fair degree of calculated 'certainty' of success given the teams he put together.. However he also realised that when the 'global brands' stopped riding over here he would be better served dropping down a division, being successful which provided 'decent crowds' and happy sponsors, and paying out top league riders 2nd Div pay scales, (and maybe a bit more?), but no longer paying out full Div One money... He has always ran Poole as a stand alone business which has had to make money and fair play to the guy for doing so.. You could argue that when you throw over a couple of hundred thousand of 'disposable cash' at your hobby, in such a tiny sport, it really isnt any sort of achievement even when you win something...

Not sending him a Christmas Card this year then ST?

Fantastic place to watch Speedway, either sat in your car or stood just a few feet from the action... So close in fact, I remember one meeting where Jason Garrity fell off and one of the track marshals came over and asked "Are you alright Jason?" To which came the reply from under the helmet in his best Mancunian.. "Course I am, just 'elp me get this f*#@&n' bike of ma f*#@&n' leg".... Loved going up there on a pleasant Sunday afternoon... Worth always taking a 'big coat' though just in case it wasn't quite so pleasant when you actually got there....

Could have, and should have for me, gone for Craig Cook... A balanced potential title winning septet if the other six mentioned previously were signed....

Hopefully me and the lad are going to take in four or five weekends in Poland next year, covering the Friday, Saturday and Sunday league meetings... Must admit, not sure if we should go now given I have had explained to me how good the Premiership is in comparison..... Just because all the Worlds best riders are riding over there, often in front of big crowds which generate a fantastic atmosphere, racing for titles that have some respectability, credibility, kudos and financial gain.. Doesn't necessarily mean it's better than what the UK offers up (ie none of the above), does it?

A different time now though.... Not as many options for riders these days... It would take some negotiations if anyone particularly doesn't want to move, but it definitely could work... They could follow a system similar to the draft system in the US, whereby if a player doesn't want to go where he gets picked then that team can negotiate with the one he does want to go to... With the end result always being that the team in need of improving always get either money or players off the team wanting him, thus they either have money to purchase better players, or have an improved team from the ones taken in exchange... The player too being happy he gets to play where he wants.. However, as I say, nowadays there isn't any 'elite' riders who should ever be able to dictate where they ride, and all seem desperate to double up to earn as much as they can, so maybe now is exactly the time to introduce some such a system? There are though other systems that could be used... Maybe it could be as simple as setting a 'top 3' maximum average within the overall team figure? The mean average of all the heat leaders combined from last year times three becomes the figure....? Or having a set figure based on averages that teams can only have two riders over that figure. Eg top two max 15 points...? Having more money to spend in such a minority sport shouldn't be such an advantage, neither should team building late be such a disadvantage... Many fans go along just to watch the speedway rather than care too much who wins on the night, given the way the sport is ran, therefore, you need these people to look at every fixture and think each is worth going to.. If they see a potential hammering against some weak septet then that is hardly likely to get them along to watch... And it only takes a couple of those type of meetings on the bounce for maybe a month to pass since they attended and that then becomes a threat as they get out of the attending habit... Speedway can't afford "weak teams" as those at the top don't get attendances large enough to carry it forward themselves..

The domestic sport in the 70's did as much marketing as it does today... (ie. Virtually nothing).. However, it didnt need to, as many of the riders mentioned got beamed into homes regularly during the summer months via one of only three TV channels.. (Well two really as BBC2 wasn't watched till Spike Milligan or Monty Python came on in the evening)... Nowadays, that marketing of your product is key, Gulf Oil and many other big name brands came on board on the back of England's and English riders' successes shown on the World Of Sport and, less often, Grandstand, in many Saturday afternoons.. The product itself doesnt even have to be great, just passable will do, however, if the marketing of it bites into the consciousness of the populace you are on to a winner... F1 is about watching 200mph mobile advertising boards which sit still at the start and end, and in the pits for tyre changes to maximise that advertisement... Their marketing and hype far outweight the actual entertainment value put on track, and their target market attracts upmarket brand sponsors who wish to sell to that market.. Contrived 'Mickey Mouse' rules prevail in most sports and F1 clearly is one of them, unfortunately UK Speedway has too many to hide away so they stand out and almost take over the narrative.. UK Speedway will pay out for 200 or so meetings next season at what?. Around £10k a night for 14 riders and the other costs of running the meeting? (Or maybe more than £10k a night?) However, if it is around £10k per meeting to run one, then that is circa £2 Million which is being spent collectively... A HUGE amount being shelled out considering the return on it through fan numbers and the lack of wider knowledge of it around the country.. The sport, given its "raw materials" should be much more well known and followed, however unfortunately with such a poor amount of marketing being done, it will never be..

1000% it is needed.. There are enough contrived rules anyway so one more (that is currently so desperately required), wont be an issue.. As, in the past, some riders may decide not to ride where allocated but I would suggest that there isnt an "Ole Olsen" level of rider anymore who could hold away... And all seem keen to ride as much as possible these days, including taking as many guest bookings as they can, so none would have too many issues getting a guaranteed seasons racing I would think.. Maximum pay rates would certainly help deliver this too, with a maximum meeting payment for every club being the same for all.. There is no point saving teams without fixing the underlying issues why they needed saving in the first place.. As all you do there is prolong the inevitable for "whoever" is next..

I am sure over the years plenty of riders have "loved" to be riding for certain teams.. Right up until the moment they get replaced by someone else in a decision taken by the owners to remove them from the team.. Riders are self employed so quite rightly go where the money is best.. Let's be honest, the way the sport is ran that "emotional attachment" is hard for fans to get, so you cannot expect riders to feel too "attached" to any given club.. Especially when they usually ride for a couple around Europe, two over here, and can guest for anyone who needs them if their average allows.. Loyalty goes both ways and clubs have the system they deserve due to the way they choose to run the sport. And what a coincidence it was when the Sky money ran out, and the Polish money rocketed, how many riders suddenly realised that they had too much of a racing schedule to remain riding over here as well... Riders (quite rightly), look after No1... If you are doing the same job then go who pays the most, especially in a career that could be ended in a split second..