mikebv

The biggest frustration for all the fans, I would think, who, most of them, could clearly see that the path being followed was inevitably going to implode.. Fudge. Fudge. Make do and Mend. Pander to individuals. Have a plan. Change the plan. Have another plan. Change the other plan. Hope everyone gets to October. Ensure the riders get prioritised in front of the fans. And then. Rinse and Repeat every November... Surely now. Those running the sport will wake up and smell that coffee... Maybe make Chris Louis the CEO? He knows what he is doing ..

So... It's either one league or a five team top tier? Louis said he wouldn't countenance either... Should be quite easy to find a buyer for such a well ran club I would think... I wonder what is actually up for sale these days... Air fence? Starting gate? Tractors? Goodwill? Anything else?

Great work!!!!

Me too... Glad I didn't go to bed around 530am though... Like I almost did!!!!

And that is one of its major flaws... It isn't really a "professional sport" at all is it? It is in reality a bit of a contrived "sports entertainment" that "makes do and mends" continually to hopefully reach the finishing line each season with all competitors still in tact, and also, hopefully, able to go again the following season... And the "governing body" is "themselves" with each of them wanting different things from running a Speedway Team... Some pay their mortgages and live their lives from what they generate, whilst some are quite happy to have an expensive hobby and, as long as losses are within their expectations and affordability, are quite happy to carry on throwing their own, and compliant sponsors', money at it.. With all quite happy to put "any Speedway" out, regardless of whether it is a credible offering or not, or even if the fans actually want you to race on some of the chosen nights...... It has very much become something set up for the riders to remain "professional" rather than something that, in the wider world of sports, can be taken too seriously... With no one really "in charge", for the last "forever" we ultimately arrived where we are today.. As was always going to happen...

When I worked, I ran Supermarkets and, often, they were the biggest employers and most visited shops in the various towns across Scotland and England that I worked in... None of them with less than 30,000 customers per week... Therefore, one of the first things I did when moving into a new store was join the various FB and Twitter accounts covering "the town", as invariably, many on the Socials were my customers.. With my stores often being mentioned and, as we all know, online feedback is heavily critical rather than good... However. It was vital for me to improve each store as the feedback was databased, therefore, accurate... Even perception is truth in the eyes of the person complaining...... With leadership you need a very thick skin, however, never take feedback personally, and act upon it, (if you can)... Unsolicited feedback can be like "Gold" as one person being peed off could mean 100's... One piece of info I got was on FB and it was about young lads doing a car cruise on my/council joint owned car park every Friday night into Saturday morning.. Drifiting and music blaring etc.... I got hold of the Police and VOSA, and worked with them to have a presence the following Friday with tax, insurance, licences, tyres, etc etc all being checked... Never again did we see the cars... And, (for a very, very short time), I was a hero!!!! It soon stopped... Sadly, with the BSP there doesn't seem to be anyone in the structure where "the buck stops"... And a rudderless ship will only end up eventually crashing...

We know who you are.!!!....

Another excellent Speedway Star this week... Covering the current malaise in detail with a thought provoking piece by Paul Burbridge, and also Peter Oakes making a suggestion for two leagues of seven, but of the same level, and with promotion and relegation involved.. Reading both pieces it looks like they must "lurk" on here... Which does give hope that at least some insiders within the "Speedway Bubble Echo Chamber" do see opportunities that are not same old/same old, rinse and repeat ad infinitum... For anyone wanting details, it costs £3.60, and is available on subscription for less, and digital for less... And is a cracking publication considering it covers such a poorly led sport... NB. There is also an interview with Richard Coleman of Mayfield Sports re possible GP expansion outside Europe... I am amazed he found the time to do it!!!!

To be fair, it was ever thus... Self-employed workers being "assets" springs to mind as one of the biggest challenges that could have been made down the years .. With these self employed people getting banned for withholding their services when not being paid, being particularly something that would get slaughtered... No asset system anymore obviously...

If they do get bought out by Paramount, (and you would have to think their value drops hugely with losing this contract), Paramount would get a bargain.. Possibly part of Paramount's thinking when they bid so much?

But that would only leave just over 10 for the fourteen teams to use.... Impossible to run one league.... It will kill Speedway.... Lights touchpaper... And steps back to a safe distance... 5 4 3 2 1... Incoming!!!

Interesting they have gone for sports watched mainly by those in the AB socio-economic groups... More disposable income maybe? Presume more "high end" advertisers come on board too...

The CEO will be getting hold of Darren Fletcher at this early hour, to give 'Arry a bell... "Get hold of him Darren quickly, I only hope it isn't too late and Prime, Paramount and Sky have all nipped in with offers to them"... "And do you know anyone in the Kabaddi hierarchy? Just in case"....

Football? Is that still going ..😝

Tracks which ride Monday and Thursday don't have to if they feel another night is better. But. It would mean the "superstars" could still ride... But at a Championship Team Average.. When they ride Away then, hopefully, all their riders will be there, however, if they are not then just use Guests... Literally Dozens get used now for the myriad of fixture clashes, so it won't make any difference at all to the credibility of what is being delivered, so you might as well build the system in to support the league structure.. And, as previously mentioned, if a GP star was potentially visiting you then that current Championship team would try everything, fixture date wise, to get him there... Ride at home on the best night for your business, and ensure your home fixtures get all your riders there..

She was. .

Well, to be fair... Doing the same thing each season after season hasn't done it any harm so far has it?..

Of course, it can be a great night out... I can see myself taking in a couple of weekends in Scotland/North England to watch a Friday/Saturday "Northern Tour" with the Aces. And a weekend in Plymouth in summer is always worth a visit.. The operating model is knackered. Self inflicted knackered... So they need to do something different... Four Superstars in a race can be strung out by almost a straight. Four "Paul Starkes and Jack Smiths" can be in a race strung out by almost a straight... The bottom line is... Four "Paul Starkes or Jack Smiths" will be a damn sight more affordable for the sport, than four "Superstars" and be as well known to the hundreds of thousands of potential punters living less than 30 mins away from almost all the tracks in the UK.. Drastic times, means drastic answers... Five rider teams, racing in any days except Tuesday and Sunday and you might just keep the sport going... Keep doing the same old/same old, and, as the evidence shows over the last decade or so, it definitely won't keep going... Apart from the Ipswich v Belle Vue Home and Away 12 times each, "Elite League" obviously.. Plus the Cup Final between the two... Should be a cracker...

Of course CL teams can ride on Mondays and Thursday's... Away from home... They ride on their current normal night at Home. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday will be the nights of rider clashes with Denmark and Poland, so they just need to do the best they can to avoid as many riders missing as is possible.. I can guarantee though that a Friday night track would do their utmost to get Brady Kurtz, Jason Doyle, Max Fricke, Jack Holder or Dan Bewley there, but, if they are needed in Poland, and that is the only night you can plan in the fixture, then just use a Guest/RR The same with the Thursday and Saturday tracks, ideally any rider visiting who rides in Poland's 2nd or 3rd tier is riding Sunday, however, again, if no chance of arranging the meeting for him to be there, then simply use a Guest/RR.... As long as the home ream ensure esch meeting is planned for them to be at "full strength" their crowds should hold up...

And?

I think most on here seem to want one league, so plenty of variety of visiting teams, ran at current Championship level,, either with or without "World Stars", and done on nights that you can generate the best crowd levels for your business... It seems the fans of just one team want to keep the current operating model...

You should hear how much those skate sharpeners earn!!!

As with any averaging the devil is in the detail... Just like Ipswich and Birmingham, the Steelers and the Storm as a long way apart in attendances and salaries.. However, 27 home matches with an average of 3600 paying around £23 to £25, overall, brings a lot of money into the coffers of the sport.. And none pay out £3k to £5k per match for the 54 they play... They do seem to be well ran though to be fair, even with a lack of mainstream media coverage, and don't seem to have to go through "desperate measures" each season, nor end up owing their players "big money"...

Or they get a job outside Speedway? Like the majority of riders used to do.... Or they get another team place riding in Poland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany or France?

I think pretty much everyone on here recognises that it is very much a collective. . And pretty much everyone on here also seem to recognise that the top league is an unsustainable, unfit for purpose, busted flush, that not enough people want to support financially by attending in enough numbers, and not enough teams want to join for those very reasons... The time has come, (it actually came around two decades ago) for less full time professionals and more semi pro riders.... One job outside of speedway, should they not want to go overseas once or twice a week, and one job in Speedway.. How it "used to be" before Doubling Up and Guestfests became the operating model so riders could become full time professionals with plenty of meetings.. I always think if is quite telling how that when the sport was popular, the promoters were mainly businessmen and entrepreneur's who did "all sorts" to get a crowd in, and didn't do a deal unless they benefited too... Nowadays many promoters are ex riders, and I just wonder whether some are too close to the riders, and have too much of an affinity to them...