mikebv

Especially given its a "holiday resort" area too Lisa... Plenty of speedway fans currently within a couple of hours travel I would think that may fancy a trip that they wouldn't take if at home several hundred miles away... Personally don't use twitter but do use official websites as they should always be up to date and accurate... Looking at quite a few websites some appear a fair few weeks out of date... Making our way over this afternoon and looking forward to a good night's entertainment... Come on you Pirons, or is it Liates....?

Thanks Lisa... Need to update their website then... A BIG selling point is PATG and No Masks anymore I would think to many. .. And that goes for all tracks...

Exactly Ian... Hype can go a long way in getting an audience, even when it's 'economical with the truth'... I have always thought that each meeting should be regarded as "stand alone" and sold separately using various "high impact" promotional tools... Twenty or so meetings a year, using twenty or so definitive "pushes"... Let's be honest just an extra 500 at most tracks would be "game changing" and it doesn't need the same 500 each week, it could be 500 completely different people (although hopefully you would want to get some regulars)... Eg 2.5 million people live within the Gtr Manchester conurbation, all within 45 mins of a superbly appointed (and shaped) city centre track and modern stadium, with excellent motorway linkage.. Surely a high impact promotional strategy should get 500 a week extra to attend, even if just through curiosity based on the promotional activity?

Tried to find a tel number for them to ask the question if we could get a refund, as website didn't say, and given Speedway's penchant for "no refunds" I thought I would check... Five of us going was circa £150 with entrance and food so wasn't going to take a risk of "sorry mate"...

Cheers Steve, just been on the website and it says advance tickets, wear masks all the time etc within the code of conduct... Take it that's no longer the case given lockdown easing..?

I think the term 'promoter' doesn't always help them... They are in most cases just an owner of a speedway licence to run the sport.... Calling them 'promoters' bring connotations of someone actually going out and actively selling a product within the entertainment industry, or promoting sports built on hype like boxing.... So many of these owners simply have zero skill set in doing something similar. .. Maybe they should just drop the name.. No other sports teams have "promoters", instead have "owners", "chairpersons" and "CEO's"....

Going along to this tonight, as staying in Devon... Is it pay at the gate? Didn't go to Plymouth last night as had to book in advance and if it had been called off then rain off tickets no good when back in Manchester from this Saturday. .

Pro rata to earnings not a million miles away from the UK, so it isnt "cheap", which is what is sometimes perceived over here.. However you do obviously get the worlds best for that pro rata amount rather than what we get over here.. The big money comes via the TV deals as the TV companies have to actually tender for the contracts, due to the popularity of the sport, which pushes the price they pay up.. This blanket TV and media coverage then attracts the big money sponsors who want to be associated with well known "national sport brands" as well as well known "national sporting celebrities"... Bottom line is.. If the Polish Leagues ever allowed Tai Woffinden to guest for Bartosz Zmarzlik, and Wroclaw didnt qualify for the play offs on the back of it, all TV and big name sponsors would simply walk away, as would the wider sports fans' interest... Run the sport Mickey Mouse and you reap what you sow and no amount of free tickets given away will keep an audience, (and expect them to pay), who can't emotionally buy in to what should be team sport tribalism... Hence Poland dont make the mistakes the UK have made and continue to make ad Infinitum..

And set yourself up with the previous comment too.. You not only headed it in, you crossed it yourself too... Well played....

Agree on all aspects... Playing a blame game is never a good response as a leadership team... As you say, given the team they have they are going to take a few 'beastings' so no need to give out apologies.. And as most riders get paid based on performance, I am sure it wasn't down to lack of effort. Lack of ability maybe, but any team who get beat by a superior one can testify to that... If it needed mentioning then it should have been a simple "We are all extremely disappointed but are all equally committed to turn it round".. And as you say, if you go public as a professional entity, for heaven's sake, get your message out using the correct English language, as it can come across as amateurish, and brand damaging, when you don't..

If another 'Woffy' came along and rode in the main body of the team, but was still an RS (like Anders Rowe), and ran say a 7 point average as he was so good... Could he then guest as a replacement for a 4* rider? Presume so given it appears your average 'doesn't matter' as was shown when Rowe recently guested for Bates..

Great meeting... Great atmosphere.... Away fans going mental and riders celebrating just as mentally with them... There really is no comparison from what you have in the UK is there? Apart from Jack Holder was riding obviously,.. Its exactly the same sport, but it isn't really is it? "Proper Speedway Nige"...

And the "best part of £50" is needed by promoters for you to pay it three or four times a month.. Paying out £150 to £200 to watch no more than an hours Speedway in total simply isn't going to happen is it? The missed opportunity is that if they charged say £20 for a pair of adults they would much more likely get regular continuous visits, hence four matches equalling £80... Meaning more fans, resulting in more atmosphere, more money, and a far better overall impression of the sports popularity given the crowd numbers.... A virtuous circle that would help the sports future... When you pay out circa £50 for one visit then that will more than likely be your one visit per month or maybe even your one visit per season, given spending £50 you will have high expectations of what you should see for your money. And if it doesn't match it then you could be loath to pay it again.. Which means less fans so less atmosphere, less money, and an almost brand damaging impression of the sports popularity given the crowd numbers.. A vicious circle that can never hope to help the sports future. .

And add 5% for home meetings..

The World Champ...

And away fans too... All stood together, not scattered around the track.... Celebrating together... Adding to the atmosphere..

The sort of atmosphere that elevates the racing to far more than it actually is.... And means you will be desperate to attend the next match.... Those were the days eh?

Massive crowd in Gorzow...

Only problem with opening up the "other side" at several tracks is that the crowd would then look very sparse... Wouldnt generate much (any?) atmosphere either which standing together can at least help to improve..

Used to be great... But was always a bit narrow for such a big track.. The air fence narrowed it even further as the riders used to go as wide as they could up against the fence, especially on turn two... Now the inside just keeps the grip and there doesn't seem to be the drive wide that there used to be.. Similar to the match I went to against the Aces... Fast, but not much entertainment...

Bomber rolling back the years......

There's still time for them to replace it with indoor Kabaddi...

The joys of being allowed to DU... One injury means two teams are short of riders... Mind you.. Not always the case I suppose... Sometimes seemingly one injury only impacts one of the two teams involved but not the other, meaning a rider is unfit to ride for one of his teams, but perfectly ok to ride for the other one.. Double Upping... All very strange...

Must admit I have enjoyed the differing opinions on this thread.. Makes the forum what it should be.. Open and honest debate.. And having read so much of what has been said and discussed around what a nightmare Rob Grant found himself in, then I really hope the fans of Newcastle all turn out to support the club this weekend.. It would be great if all those 'flouting fans' who go now and again, but still closely follow the club, all made the deliberate effort to all attend this weekend.. Be a good boost for the Promotion I would think... NB. As an aside, I do think that the 'pay at the gate', 'stand where you want' message needs to pushed massively by all the tracks on their social media pages. Still lots of confusion out there from lots of people as to "the covid rules", so Speedway should be 100% hammering home that message..

Oh Gleb.... Glad he managed to get up from that..