mikebv

Difficult times, beyond anything faced before, even WW2 didn't stop Speedway taking place... Therefore... Time to all come together and compromise if needed for the good of the sport as a whole, (it might actually only be one year of 'doing something different' after all?)... Every team that is left actually coming to the tapes, 'whenever' the season starts, has to be the objective, with every team having an opportunity to put out a competitive team being just as important.. From what you say, I can only presume there must be some involved in Speedway who are not aware of the pandemic yet? Or maybe some just simply didn't get the memo sent around 'working together'....

Wouldn't that be an obvious part of the BSPL's remit to inform all riders of Brexit implications? Or maybe even the ACU? Surely any umbrella organisation will know the regulations and share them with everyone registered?

In the Speedway Star of 2nd Jan it mentioned a Working For The Future Committee.. Mark Lemon, Chris Louis, Dale Allitt John Campbell, Stewart Dickson and Ben Duffill.. The brief being to deliver some forward looking blueprint for UK Speedway.. Wonder if it (or any part of it) has been used to reach decisions at the AGM? Some of the names on the committee are people who seem to have some modern ideas and understand change is needed...

I do sometimes wonder to myself what it would be like if a couple of BSPL members went on the Dragons Den with their operating model and business plan.. "We only can open our doors when our employees dictate to us when we can do so, because we share them with other similar businesses, some of which pay them much more than we can, so they get first call and our employees prioritise them" "We are in the entertainment industry but will open mainly during the week rather than at the key times for the entertainment industry. (weekends and bank holidays), to allow our employees to work in their other jobs".. "Our customers tell us we are too expensive to attend as regularly as they would like, but we need to charge so much because our employees expect us to pay them a certain amount of money to turn up, this results usually in a downturn in customers annually so we cover the cash shortfall by increasing prices to keep paying our employees the money they need".. "Our opening hours won't be consistent, but will be subject to constant change, and we may even go weeks without opening at all, with the key summer school holiday time in particular seeing several weeks of closure due to not being able to staff the business, as many of the staff are elsewhere" "We will use many overseas employees whose own personal agendas we constantly work around, rather than use mainly local people, they are admittedly more expensive in the main, and have less flexibility, but overall we think they are of a higher standard (possibly) than the local people who are available" The Dragons would be fighting over each other to invest wouldn't they?

I remember when I first saw Jason Crump race at the old dog bowl... He was truly incredible... He 'howled' into the tight turns at a speed not seen before, and one night smashed the track record by miles... As a long time fan of the sport, and someone who could therefore really appreciate the level of ability, I was truly in awe of what he could do and felt quite privileged to see him do this time and time again every week.. However.. If I had been there watching the racing as a potential new fan of the sport, Jason winning races by such huge distances wouldn't probably have motivated me to go back and repeat the experience, and as for anything else that happened in the races he won 'by miles' I wouldn't have a clue.. And after watching him do this time and time again it did eventually become 'quite boring' to be honest and you started to hope he would miss the gate and have to pass.. And also, even though one of the true 'all time greats' of the sport was in attendance every meeting, (racing against other top stars of the day), crowds dropped away annually... An entertainment industry needs to consistently entertain to be successful, and Speedway entertains through close racing where ideally (but not specifically) riders pass each other. And to do that is simply down to having all riders of a similar level racing against each other. As an example the Youth Championships served up great racing from Jordan Palin v The Thompson Twins in particular, easily on a par with anything else served up at any level. With the simple reason being their similar ability levels. It really doesn't need to cost promoters a fortune to provide great racing. It's the similar levels of the riders that's the key to entertaining racing, not the names on their kevlars..

100%... "Superstars" didn't start out as such and sadly are now out of reach for day to day UK Speedway, so now is the time to set about finding other "Superstars" and that doesn't have to mean global ones but could be a rider who gets a large following at his local track and becomes "a large fish in even a very small pond"... He would benefit locally through sponsorship, and the club would have a rider who locally gets known and can 'pull a crowd in"... The more GB riders the better, and the more chance GB will have to try and reach the best team in the world status, which has to be the No1 aim of the BSPL, well above all and any individual team success focus, as this attracts hardly any national attention at all, whereby consistent GB success would.. The promoters have a 'free pass' from supporters to try new innovative and radical things given the pandemic issues they face so let's hope they go for it.. Four (mainly GB) lads per race, all of a similar ability, racing on a well prepared track, on a day/night that provides the best crowd numbers for that track, and in competitions that are ran with credibility amd integrity, and all delivered at an admission price that reflects true value for money... Can it be done. .?

If everything in the world was 'normal' and Swindon came to the NSS on the same week they came the year before, but this time without Jason Doyle, I can virtually guarantee hardly a change in the numbers in attendance such is the way so many tracks now have 'regulars only' most weeks, and the lack of 'pull' of any rider.. If there was any difference (max 50 to 100 either way I would say) it would be down to either inclement weather if a drop, or down to it being a nice spring or summer evening if an increase.. And that's the reality, a nice spring or summer evening can bring more "extra than normal" fans in than any rider appearing can.. Another reality is that The Aces had Matej Zagar for many years at both tracks but if he went and knocked on the doors of every house within a mile radius of the stadium, hardly anyone answering the doors would know who he was, or what he did. .. Yet the Aces (and probably every other club), spent many years planning inconsistent fixture lists around the timetables of their No1 rider. And the Aces, again like others, used to visit tracks without their No1 and use guests instead, which did nothing but leave the competition they were competing for open to ridicule and the inevitable fall off in attendances... Sheffield would no doubt have got a 'dead cat bounce' with Nicki P for a few weeks but slowly home crowd levels would drop back as the novelty wore off and settle (at best I would suggest), around 100 to 150 more than the previous season without him, and when they ventured away the second visit wouldn't have matched the first visit for crowd numbers... A consistent fixture list, using weekends and all the Bank Holidays, and using riders who can commit to all dates, has to be the way forward, and if that means 'lesser riders' on show then so be it, but if it means more UK riders then so much the better.. Just provide a race format and team strengths, that have four riders of pretty equal ability in every heat and the racing will be close, regardless of the lack of 'GP' names in the programme...

Nail on the head Steve, all these things have eroded away and disappeared, and you can add Saturday tracks being reduced down often due to the many wide and varied FIM events that now take place... However.. To just accept that 'this is how it is' without any obviously needed fundamental, radical change of plan or ambition to change, has been criminal.. "Make do and mend, and keep making the best of a bad job" "Work around everyone else's priorities and put out any Speedway we can, regardless of its credibility" "Always accept the 'as is' without having, and working towards, a game changing 'to be'" "Fudge our way through, hope for the best, and having every track still 'alive' at the end of the season is our measure of success".. All the above could have been a 'mission statement' since the GP's started... I have said before on here, the BSB are an excellent organistion for the BSPL to look at.. A 'smaller' brother to the WSB competition who understand (and accept), that they will often be seen as a stepping stone for UK and Overseas riders, so ensure a constant stream of younger (mainly UK lads) come through by running events for them (including cost effective one make, entry level events), on their race weekends.. They run a very competitive series using UK and Overseas riders, with several 'coming back' from riding in WSB and MotoGP to see out their careers or taking the opportunity to 'try again' to make it back into the World arenas. They have also changed their operating model over the years to include differing races, ie less laps, more races etc to 'freshen up' their offer and keep their 'customers' interested.. In short, they "know their place" in the grand order of things, and build an operating model and business plan on the back of this... UK Speedway needs to do the same..

Those lads who want to better themselves should go to Poland and elsewhere if they see fit.. No issues at all with that.. However, if they want to ride in the UK then they will have a choice to be made.. In the eyes of so many Speedway is an entertainment over here, rather than serious competition, which means it should run when it can get its largest crowd in.. If that means racing on any day or night during the week then that is when each individual track should be given the right to run.. As long as every rider makes himself available for every meeting that the club wants to run, and when they want to run it, then all the riders can ride wherever they want... No disrespect intended, as I am only using him as an example as a GP rider, but Jason Doyle riding at Belle Vue on a Monday night wont bring a couple of hundred extra punters above the usual die hards in.. But a meeting on a Friday or Saturday night without him there, definitely could, given the amount of "non regulars" who still follow the sport but go only very occasionally... Belle Vue, as an example, seem to have around 1100-1200 who attend every/most meetings, yet can get 2500+ for Bank Holiday meetings. Which means there is an underlying fan base already there and all you need to do is get some of this extra 1300+ to attend more often. And I would 100% suggest getting them to attend more often at weekend is easier than getting them out on a Monday or a Thursday night.. The Aces have lost two riders from their initial 2020 team, Kildemand and Lidsey, however crowds wont be decimated by their absence, (again no disrespect as they are just examples), in fact I would be amazed if anyone decides not to go because they are not there, therefore the sport is pretty much down to its core, die hard support, so run it when you may get some "extra" in.. Bottom line is. Not enough punters = No Speedway. No Speedway = No Speedway Careers..

Given how positive all the information has been about the Eurosport contract you would hope that it is something along the lines of showing live Speedway, with or without crowds.. The inference has been that they are in it for the 'long haul' and want to see the Sport grow both here and abroad, so maybe they will have decided that they may as well take the plunge now, Covid or not... They are part of a truly huge organisation so may see funding the excercise worth doing to reap reawards in the coming years..? Let's hope so... There has been a real focus, from the comments made by several promoters, on making the top league 'clearly different' so maybe the reason has been to ensure that TV coverage can start as agreed in the contract...

Serious question Geoff.. Have you had the jab recently? If so, are these the side effects you've been demonstrating the past few days? If you have, and they are, I am not sure if I will have one now to be honest..

Not looking great, however... Some innovative, radical thoughts around meeting formats, team numbers, and how best to provide the UK lads with lots of racing to maximise earnings, and get lots of track time with which to improve, could still mean the season goes ahead... Promoters will be given a 'free pass' if their plan involves running on 'the best nights to get a crowd', and setting a 'reasonable' entrance fee to reflect what could be a heavily watered down product from the last few years'.... 'Any Speedway' will be seen as better than no Speedway by many, and supported by them too... The irony is that Speedway has always been a 'bit' contrived in the UK, so we as fans are used to 'making it up as you go along' regulations. Therefore, we will all be well used to any sort of 'happenings' as the season progresses and will, in the main I am sure, give it plenty of acceptance... Remember that this is a sport in the UK that as recent as 2018 decided that their flagship meeting could include two Swindon riders in a Final that involved Poole and Kings Lynn. And initially decided that they could 'swap sides' at 'half time' and both represent both teams!!! Not even a Covid impacted season, that sees lots of contrived rules to ensure it gets completed, could top that surely? But if it did, we as fans would accept it this following year I am sure..

So a "complete fixture list" would be OK, but one that wasn't would run at a loss? Confused.... Maybe they could run some 'open meetings' when (if) crowds are allowed in? Seems daft having tracks lie idle at a time when Speedway starved fans will be very interested in attending Speedway meetings..

I think our Fortnum and Mason range left these shores a long time ago.. Get what you say 100%, but if ever there was a unique time to make 'real change', it is now.. Speedway followers will never have so much understanding and goodwill towards the promoters, and will accept a fair amount of radical change I would think given the difficulties we all know they face.. Going back to the examples re running a business model, the bottom line is that if your product availability, or your employee availabilty, means you have inconsistent, customer confusing openng times, or even worse cant even open at all when your customers want you to, then you have serious issues to overcome if you want to be successful.. No point therefore self inflicting these problems.... Especially now..

Well said.. Basic Business Practice.. An example I can give where the UK's business plan was incredibly flawed was when the Aces had Matej Zagar.. The Slovenian Championships were ran over several Finals so Matej would miss several Aces meetings to attend.. (Coincidentally they seemed to always be meetings away from home, and usually on tracks he didnt like so they could bring a track specialist guest in!! Who mentioned credibility?) Anyway I digress.... If my shop sold Slovenian goods and I paid "top dollar" for them, but they were my best selling products, I would be pleased to carry on selling them as "it worked for me".. However, if my Slovenian suppliers told me that for several weeks of the year they were concentrating on other markets, and couldn't supply me, thus meaning I couldn't open my shop, thus pissing my customers off who subsequently went elsewhere, I would eventually have to face the facts that they had a far too unhealthy impact on my business, and source suppliers who could guarantee supply every single week.. Now, these products may be of inferior quality, but would still be 'pretty decent', and would be cheaper to purchase for me and therefore my customers. And may even be deemed better value for money overall with a better margin for me.. With obviously the biggest positive being that my customers could attend regularly due to being confident that (a) I was actually open and (b) that they could get what they wanted each time.. A Speedway meeting full of lads from the UK is as exciting as any other Speedway meeting using "international" riders.. The No1 aim of the BSPL, way, way above any other aims, has to be to make GB the best Speedway team in the World, as that is the one guaranteed way to increase the public profile of the Sport through wider media coverage.. Domestic Speedway can then subsequently feed off this awareness and reflect in its global success.. However to do this means UK riders getting scores of meetings to improve their capabilities, and the chances to earn the money needed to compete at the very top level.. Therefore, let's just create that opportunity for them...

Spot on.. In other words, a huge opportunity to reset the operating model and business plan, to where it should have been reset donkeys years ago, as soon as it became obvious that the increase in FIM events, better paying leagues, and national federations themselves, had started to dictate to the UK who could ride when and where, and ultimately meant the UK had lost control over their own destiny.. Many years too late it maybe for action, but the pandemic has given them a gift horse... Let's hope they dont just look at its mouth...

Spot on... The following season is affectively a free pass given to them from all the fans desperate to see some Speedway... They could have 'relaunched' the sport in the UK, with innovative, fresh, exciting, new ideas for the Sport in the UK.. Some which would work, some which wouldn't. . However, those that worked could then be built on for future success, and those that didn't replaced with other ideas... Going it alone was never more such a huge opportunity to be taken, becoming truly in charge of your own destiny, not being beholden to anyone other than their responsibility to FIM events.. Be interesting to see what innovative, fresh, exciting new ideas they have come up with with this huge opportunity for a reset and relaunch..

You always have the feeling at Speedway AGM's that even though 'The Success Of The Sport' is the only thing that they should focus on (and even more so currently), that "taking your bat and ball home" for some is never too far off the agenda.. Due to the Mickey Mouse rules they themsleves have implemented, it has pretty much devalued all their own competitions to not much more than a worthless' level, yet, for some, I would imagine, "winning" one of the Comps is still their overall objective, and "getting their way" at the AGM may just swing things in their favour to allow them to 'bask in the glory of victory' with a 'massed throng' of a few hundred people joining them... And all the while the Sport as a collective sinks lower and lower... Note to those in charge. . A great many fans of Speedway don't care who wins your Mickey Mouse structured Competitions... But a great many fans do care about the Sport they love...

Ring Ring, Ring Ring.... "Hello', Plymouth Speedway"... "Hi, Plymouth Speedway, it's the BSP, No! No! Don't put the phone down,! No! Please!"..... Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...... Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep........... Please replace the handset and try again...

Those three meetings when the lockdown restrictions were a lot lower than the current ones?

Used to be £10, in total, for me and my lad at the NSS to watch the Colts. . If anyone was sat next to me who didn't know about Speedway, they truly wouldn't have questioned the standard.. Brilliant racing. Brilliant value for money. And Brilliant to see the genuine, clear, body language, (delighted or devestated) reactions of the riders as they crossed the line, dependent on their finishing position.. I have thought for a good few years now that the NDL model is the way forward for the sport to grow.. Use it as the 2nd Division, with an "Elite" 8 team, 6 per team, top league which uses their own riders. . For many tracks, if an NDL team was their 'only ticket in town' to watch Speedway, I would suggest crowds wouldn't be too different from their current levels, and with costs so very much cheaper, it should mean potential admission cost reductions too.. "They" seem to get it right, so join them..

Don't you mean, "Wait a minute - wasn't he riding for Belle Vue, Sheffield, Somerset and Poole last week?"

'The Purple Helmet' Match races could be introduced... Sponsored by Viz.....

The 'Championship mix'? Will that be four double uppers/downers from the 'top league' and two double uppers from the NL, per team, I wonder...? With the 'top league' running pretty much the same, but replacing the NL riders with two riders who don't DU but ride overseas as well? That would keep the demarcation between the leagues that the 'top league' seem to desperately want.... Although no idea why this is given for the past several years a great many riders in every top league team ride outside the top league for lower league teams over here too... Not much difference in ability level when it's the same rider....

Given the ever changing position re 'air bridges' , I am amazed any business would recruit 'key employees' who may not be able to get to their place of work.... At any given moment, as we have seen, any country can prevent visitors coming in from any other countries, so to utilise riders who could very easily be 'stranded' overseas at literally a few hours notice seems ridiculous.. The riders who ride in Poland in particular will be instructed clearly not to leave the country should quarantining be enforced upon their return, and also if their own country (or next meeting destination country) is running at a high risk so likely to have the air bridge removed, they will be told they must not travel I would suggest.. And given that this will be their main contract financially I have no doubts all will obey..