mikebv

Breaking News... Just heard that it is a "computer generated system" that's being used to release the tapes... Nigel just finally mentioned it... After many GP's.... The things you find out... "Smashing".. As someone may possibly say..

What has happened to Madsen?

Does anyone know what starting system is being used this year? I, for one, am really interested in finding out but it seems the commentators dont want to mention it...

The only way for me to meet the demands of the riders, have a credible league, and have enough riders, is five man teams in the top league.. 12 teams, 60 riders, all getting six rides a night.. Home and Away twice, meaning 44 matches, which equal 264 rides to make your money.. No make weights, all 4 points and over riders, and a clear demarcation in structure from the 2nd Division which would be similar to the NL that was in place pre Covid.. With the IOW, that's 8 teams in the 2nd Division, maybe seven riders per team to ensure plenty of team spaces for developing riders.. Professionals in Division One and Semi Pros/Developing riders in Division Two. Maybe Sweden and Denmark will open up more past Covid and more riders will not require so many UK rides as currently, due to it being their only option...? If so then more chance of some clear demarcation between leagues surely? Which can only bring that much required credibility..

I would suggest that this view is the No1 reason for so many "drifting away" from the sport as a paying customer.. With these tens of thousands though still keeping a high level of interest in the sport via the TV.. There can be no doubt that the current "Team" operating model doesnt encourage enough to attend and, ridiculously, seems to actively discourage plenty more from paying out their hard earned.. A great night out can still be had at the Speedway, given the exciting, raw material of the racing that is at the disposal of those who run it.... Seems crackers therefore that they keep flogging a clearly not fit for purpose plan, which ultimitely undermines their No1 key selling point which is four riders racing each other..

And even if "all you had" were holiday makers, the very fact you go out and promote EVERY MEETING as a stand alone event would mean they would come... It almost seems as if the attitude down there is "Promote this meeting as if it is our last"... And that is EXACTLY the missing opportunity for so many clubs.. You only have to see how hard all clubs promote "make or break" meetings to see the huge opportunity that exists if they did this EVERY week.. Surely they can see by the increase in crowds when "in crisis", (the majority of whom are their own 'non regulars' answering the call), that they should continue to market and promote themselves every day of the season in exactly the same way..? It truly wouldn't matter what your were "selling" in the IOW as the promotion mechanics you use would prick the interest of anyone within earshot, (and you certainly shout loud enough to make plenty hear I would suggest)... Whether in a "seaside resort" or not is truly irrelevant, as its "the locals" who will always be the "bread and butter" you budget for to cover the "basic running costs" I would imagine as they are not transient... "Motorbike dirt track racing actually takes place in many town and city centres"... That should be a "Wow Factor" alone when you think about it, and if promoted properly, should at least mean (if nothing else) some curiosity from those living around it.. A wise old coach once told me, as a young 16 year old kid who was lucky enough to play football at a decent level, to celebrate every goal you score as if it was your last, regardless of how many you have already scored that game or season, and regardless of whether you are hammering the opposition... "Because Michael, one day it actually will be your last ever goal"... And guess what, he was right!! Maybe some promotions should have that same attitude as given the run rate of tracks lost over the last decade, that last meeting may not be too far away for a fair few... More power to your respective elbows down there Barry, Chris and all your team...

I do think so much could be done so simply, and more importantly maybe, cheaply.. As I mentioned before. Literally thousands walk through town and city centres daily where Speedway tracks exist. Therefore. Now lockdown is over . Why not do a display in the local town centre at the weekend before a match? Hook up a few TV's to show highlights, car stickers, posters and pen giveaways, riders with bikes on hand, selfie opportunities etc.. (A "fanzone' if you will)... Give out a couple of free tickets to all the shops within the town centre if they put up a poster in their window for you. (Like a circus does when it comes to town). (No clown comments at the back please).. Have people handing out leaflets with money off vouchers, and not just one but several so they may return, as one visit might not make them 'a fan' but several may.. If savvy enough you will know by speaking with them who attends and those who dont so can target those who dont attend with the vouchers and just do some giveaways to those who do.. A family ticket for £20 with "as many kids as you want to bring" would get a fair few interested I would think. Families who would be considering the cinema, bowling etc might think £20 "not a bad price," for an evening out admission, before the usual food and drink costs that they will inevitably incur.. Give out say five of these vouchers in total and see if five visits means further visits down the road, as the kids take to it.. To control it you hand out one voucher at the fan zone then another voucher at the track when they attend and use the one given, and mark each one given out in turn to see how many they have had, (and also used as this would be an indicator of whether the mechanic has been successful).. Let's be honest, there may be a chance some regulars who attend end up getting in for a bargain, but most people you hand vouchers to wont have been anywhere near a Speedway track, so it's no loss to the tracks selling these tickets at a reduced price as these people dont attend now.. And councils are desperate to get people back into town and city centres so now is the perfect time to approach them for permission to do a "fanzone".. Maybe weekly, maybe fortnightly, maybe just one a month.... A Speedway club is the only one for miles given the way the Promoters set up licenses so it really should, at the very least, be recognised as in existence by the vast majority of the locals... And if you can get them to know about you, then you have at least a chance that some will go along and see what you have to offer..

The Aces have 2.5 MILLION people all living within 45 mins drive of it.. And have excellent rail, bus and motorway links.. And they also have a truly state of the art, modern arena with excellent facilities and a fantastic racing circuit... And are a 5 min drive from one of the UK"s most popular visitor destination cities.. A city which has one of the largest migrant student populations in Europe living there during term times.. With literally dozens of major chain, and budget hotels within the confines of the city centre.. A city centre that during the day (even in Covid times), will have tens of thousands of people walking through it using the many "street vendors" that frequent the area, and also congregate in various "open spaces" to eat lunch or just take time to relax.. Tens of thousands of people who will be handed leaflets by teams of people advertising various food and drink outlets with money saving vouchers... You also can break Gtr Manchester into satellite towns, areas, and another city, (Salford), with Stockport, Oldham, Rochdale, Tameside, Stretford, Wythenshawe, Sale and Altrincham, all within close proximity.. With Bolton and Wigan around 40 mins drive away, and St Helen's the same.. All major towns that could be targeted individually, as well as a huge city centre at the hub of Grt Manchester that sees weekly footfall in the very high hundreds of thousands.. The Aces seem to get around 1400 (ish), of these 2.5M people that all live in Grt Manchester, and have a total monopoly in being allowed to run the sport for around a 35 mile radius.. No other Speedway teams to follow for 2.5M people.. Just the Aces.. What are they doing to promote the sport? Given the tiny, tiny % of their potential market who attend? Not enough maybe? Or, (if they are promoting it), the wrong promotion of it possibly?

The fundamental issue is that if you decided to 'invent' a team sport, and Speedway was the outcome of your invention, would any one run it in any way shape or form as it is ran (in the UK), today. ? Of course not... If you went on Dragons Den, or went to the bank for a start up loan, with your business plan and operating model, you would be laughed out of the respective rooms... Yet 19 Promoters, you can only presume, must see what they do as totally 'fit for purpose' in the 24/7, multi media, 'wow factor' led world of 2021.... To be allowed to 're-invent' itself there would firstly have to be an acknowledgement from these 19 leaders of the sport that what we have today isn't delivering what a product with such "strong raw materials' should.. And we know that isn't going to happen any time soon.... Best wishes to the IOW this evening, who decided that the current "offering" wasn't for them. and have gone away, been innovative, and are "loud and proud" about how they market and promote their business and (most importantly) the actual sport... As they realise the sport itself underpins, and holds together, all the other attractions they present....

Sadly, you cant even expect great racing at the NSS from what I have seen and read this season... The outside doesnt seem to have developed at all through the meetings I have seen.. Most passing is on the first lap, first bends, as the rider off gate four flies around the other three and uses that wider radius used to clear off into the distance.. Dan Bewley made almost zero ground on Jordan Palin the other night after spending a couple of laps getting into second... The kerb of bend 4 seems to be the passing place most used with the riders cutting the apex there and then using straight line speed to race their opponent down to turn one underneath them...

The counter argument is that by not showing any matches it meant that myself, my lad, and a fair few others around the country I would think, attended the meetings themselves in person.. If any match had been on TV I would have watched it, regardless of which teams were shown, and so would a fair few more I would suggest..

Heat 11 by Evian Water... Thirty quid a bottle...

A true race to the bottom isnt it Amazing such an operating and business model could ever be dreamt up, never mind actually implemented.. And then get implemented again... And again.. And again.. Ad infinitum... As you say.. Mental...

Or a Witch. .. Or a Star... Or a Tiger. ... Or a Wolf.... Only an Ace missing tonight from (quite ironically) a full house...

Maybe more individuals could get involved running one off meetings? Why is it that only the BSPL should have the authority to run "UK Speedway"...? There are plenty of weeks when stadiums lie idle so couldn't "someone else" rent them and put on an event during some of those weeks? Similar to what the IOW are doing under another organisation? Landlords get more rent, riders get to earn more money, and Speedway (Shalesport?) fans get to see racing under a variety of guises.. As has been said, track cycling have many a combination of races that Speedway (Shalesport) could use... And a few handicap races never go amiss when properly planned.... I have watched Speedway in the United States and it is truly an 'event' where the town it takes place in is acutely aware of when it takes place (due to "proper local promotional work") and many of that town turn up to watch a mixture of ages compete from 'kids' to 'seniors', a mixture of scratch and handicap racing, and a mixture of types of bikes/sidecars being used.. All presented by someone on the centre green and in the stand, who are very comfortable at presenting and keeping the crowds interest during the gaps between races... Gaps that are deliberately kept to a minimum to ensure the momentum of the event remains high. One race finishes, then a lap of honour, and before the lap of honour ends the next bikes are out of the pits.. Team Speedway here in the UK has been around since around 1930 with barely a radical change (except handicap racing for a few years) in those ensuing 91 years... It's tired, it's contrived, it's not got any real meaning, nor has it any kudos, publicity or financial rewards for any of the clubs winning any of the competitions... So why keep carrying on flogging a dying horse? Even if "something different" doesn't work, it will only match what we have now as that doesn't work either.. What's that oft used definition of insanity? Doing exactly the same thing over and over and over again, and each time you do it, expecting a completely different result...? Maybe it needs putting on a very large car park banner at the next AGM venue, so all those attending can see it as they drive in...

No jest at all.. The BSP's made it crystal clear that the NDL is now "back to its roots" as a development league only.. My lad has been lucky enough to be in a League One Football development squad for the past two years and results simply "didnt matter"... The measure of success of any development leagues are the number of competitors who make it to a higher level.. My lads team "won" the league both years but after every game there was never any discussion win or lose, no celebration and no autopsy.. At the next training session two hours were spent reviewing the video on things they did well and things to improve on. As for the top two leagues 90% of the riders race in both as they need to, to make it feasible, hence neither of those leagues have any real credibility on the back of this operating model.. And added to that dont forget is that every single rider, including the very best rider riding in both leagues, can ride for every team in those leagues on an adhoc basis, as and when required, meaning even less authenticity to the leagues.. Speedway is set up in the UK for the lads to ride as many times as they can during the season, to pay for their large outgoings, and can still be a very entertaining night out given the (even in the UK) serious talent on show, however you cant take it seriously from a "proper sport" perspective.. As for Mildenhall? They decided to stay within the "development league" as was their right to do so as it must have suited their business plan... However, that still doesnt mean the league is any more than a training ground for talent, which is what the BSP's wanted so tracks could run "second teams" at a cost level that they could afford... Let's hope giving as many lads the opportunity to learn their craft (without pressure), pays dividends..

Moto GP is in a different stratosphere to Speedway.... It has a world wide following, particularly strong in the bike buying market of Asia.... As Poland proves, run the sport 'properly' and big business will engage with it, fans will follow it in numbers, and TV companies will pay plenty for the rights to cover it, out bidding each other to do so.. Run it like the BSP's do and they simply can only ever get what they have got.... No amazing secret to its malaise, no puzzling lack of success driven by its operating model... It simply cannot be any other way.... Maybe instead of reinventing itself it should just concentrate on undoing all the nonsense it allows to pervade which drives fans away annually? I am sure many thousands who no longer regularly go are still out there as 'followers' of the sport and plenty of them could be enticed back if they saw a 'proper team sport' being presented weekly in front of them...

Peter Collins, Mark Loram, Jason Crump, Alan Wilkinson, Tai Woffinden...

Wow... A problem for Grudziadz then..... With a must win match to come...

I believe he calls you something similar.... Depending on which one of you he is talking to obviously.....

Wow... Sounds great.... Next season probably now I take it..? Those Hungarian stars will pack 'em in I am sure....

And the beauty is you can both book a table for one...

He needs to be careful... Too much racing might impact his Sheffield scoring potential.. ..

Speedway does (or maybe has) actually "punch/punched above its weight" when it comes to TV viewers since Sky started covering the domestic competitions.. 40,000 or so as a lower end of the viewing audience suggests many still follow the sport, but simply don't see the "live" product as worth attending.. 40,000 is possibly double an average weekly "live" following in the UK? Cardiff also shows how many "followers" the sport has with circa 45,000 there each year, with the vast majority UK based.. And it isn't the same circa 45,000 either as many dont attend every single year, yet the crowd levels remain pretty constant, suggesting that there are plenty more followers of the sport out there in total, with, I presume, many being "ex regulars" to domestic Speedway.. Obviously there will be those who attend simply because of the size of the event and their partner, family etc are going, however it does show how many know about Speedway.. It's just getting them to attend a local speedway meeting every week, or even semi regularly, remains the biggest issue to overcome...

By "protecting" the RS the danger is you will build "flat track bullies" who get used to beating their peer group only, and also some teams will end up with riders well in advance of the average RS rider, so getting all the advantages of having him ride in protected heats.. Wasnt that why the last "system" tried failed? Jordan Palin the other night showed a simple fact.. If you are good enough then you will compete, if you are not good enough then you wont... That is sport.. The perfect obvious stepping stone scenario would be to only run the RS system in the 2nd Division, but as 90% of all 1st Division riders ride in it, many will be found just as wanting in that league too if not of the required capability.. However, again, that is sport.. And the aim of the RS scheme isn't dont forget to make "World Class Superstars", but it is in place to make "decent riders" who can hold down team places in the top two leagues, thus meaning less reliance on "journeymen foreign" riders, especially post Brexit..