mikebv

And it is sometimes very 'short term' indeed... An example being.... How many times have MC members been on the phone talking with promoters at the supposed 'tapes up' time because one of the teams (or sometimes both) have riders who should/shouldn't ride due to some rule or regulation that may (or may not) have been contravened...? With fans impatiently waiting in the cold and watching on, non plussed as to how such nonsense can be allowed to pervade, and just wanting the meeting to be given the go ahead to start.. A ludicrous way to run a supposed professional sport, yet must be seen as a perfectly 'normal' situation by those who put these things together, hence they have the process in place in the first place.. For me, they really do need saving from themselves, which can only be a step forward...

100% agree however, not going to ever happen I suspect.. It is beyond saving as a 'proper team sport' now I would say, given all the nonsense that goes on regulations wise.. When you have to have lots of supplementary rules for every rule that isnt clear, or open to interpretation, then you are probably on a loser before you even start, and when you then need an ultimate caveat of "ahhh, but you see, this is Speedway" to often ignore your very own rules, then you are definitely not going to succeed... The time for change was a long time ago, when people still attended in numbers but it didnt happen.. It's not like they didn't get enough feedback from either those in the stands, those who wrote letters to the various Speedway media outlets and, ultimately, the most telling piece of feedback of all, seeing their stadiums less full on an almost annual basis as people voted 'with their feet'... A truly possibly once in a lifetime opportunity to reset the sport with a clear five years or so plan was gifted to them via the pandemic with lots of 'downtime' to discuss the way forward at length, and in intricate detail, and they could have undertaken a huge amount of market research from fans (and ex fans), via all kinds of social media, (either in house or on public forums), to help build these plans.. Was this opportunity taken? Well what do we have after 9 months of no Speedway? We have individual tracks breaking out from the umbrella organisation and issuing their own adhoc press releases questioning what the (already agreed), points limit is to be next year.. And we are still waiting for riders to decide if they want to put Poland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, France etc etc as their priority before riding over here.. Not great really is it?

Didnt they get some 'bounce' off the demise of Lakeside too? Rye for me always seemed a well ran 'traditional 2nd Division' team that every now and then would unearth a 'gem' and they had a decent season on the back of it.. Mostly though I saw them as mid to lower table most years but always seeming to make money, and riders never ever mentioning payment issues.. A shame it was allowed to all go wrong..

But that has been the default position for the last few decades.... Why change such a 'winning forumla'..?

Indeed.. But, as has been said many times over the past months. We should have just 're-set' the sport over here when it became clear 2020 wasnt going to happen and planned in 2021 (and beyond), with clarity as to what standard each league would take and sorted out those teams accordingly.. There was even more need when Poland made their stipulations... To be still having statements coming out from tracks about which points limit will apply after you have had literally months to plan, prepare and even fine tune, is not good is it?

Jason Doyle said in the Speedway Star that money is dropping in Sweden and circa 14 to 18 matches over there isn't worth the same as around 35 over here... And that he expected some riders to choose here rather than there.. I would imagine Kildemand must ride in Denmark as isn't that part of their criteria for the authorisation of a Danish licence?

The old track at Kirky Lane too has a 'covenant' on it that the land must be used for sports... I presume anyone who buys a house on there must have to buy a dart board?

Must admit I did laugh out loud when I heard on the radio that betting companies may be banned from advertising around the pitch and on the shirts... Not a chance given the literally 100's of millions they pump in to the game and the amount of advertising slots they take up on sports radio and TV... But remember.. When the fun stops, stop...

Just as well as keeping the odd "GP star" on big money at certain tracks but not all has.... Typically a lack of leadership to go either one way or the other has led to the 'Speedway Answer' which is always a 'halfway house', or in other words the "Let's try to appease everyone and get to the end of this season, then we will sort it all out (again)" 'solution'..

Just the same as any other year then...?

They have held a Speedway meeting every year since 1928 and never closed even during WWII...

What so many on here who bemoan the guest system conveniently forget is that Speedway is the only team sport in the whole wide world that has injuries so therefore there is no alternative... Also due to doubling up, down, in, out, shake it all about, it means it becomes virtually impossible to plan in fixtures without riders needing to be in two places at once. We may have a vaccine for Covid 19 in less than 12 months but there cannot be a scientist alive clever enough who could deliver a fixture list which prevents clubs who have the same riders clashing... I am so grateful that a few years ago when Craig Cook signed for Glasgow half way through the season he had to miss an Aces match (who he rode for all that season) at Swindon, I think the week after signing for Glasgow.. Luckily we brought in Pooles Brady Kurtz and he top scored for the Aces in a very famous victory which virtually clinched our play off place which had been looking in danger... I will never forget the open top bus parade back in Manchester the following night as thousands thronged the streets to celebrate....

It would throw a spanner in the works if they did.. The TV money would be stretched in the top league for a kick off, which probably stops the idea in its tracks right there.. Add in the lack of potential heat leaders from overseas due to Brexit and Polabd and that too will stop another team moving up I would think, especially a team who could out pay some of the more established teams for the talent that is available.. If any team could do it though I would suggest Glasgow is the one, and the owners do seem to be very driven, and dont look like the kind of people who will accept others impacting their business negatively..

The bottom line is simple.. It doesnt matter what you are trying to sell if not enough people know you actually exist.. It could be the greatest product in the world that you have, but if you dont advertise that product, where it can be purchased from, and when it is regularly available to be purchased, you wont make any success of what you are doing.. Because it's simply just not possible to do so using that 'plan'... Getting a proper, professional national marketing campaign going, which highlights the sport and its teams, is the only way to get the cut through required if the sport wants to prosper and thrive.. The core product of the racing today is a product you can certainly 'sell' if enough people get to 'sample it' I would say.. The last "Golden Era" as Steve says was the 1970's which was very much delivered by a very successful 'England' team, a very regular slot on Saturday in a prime time TV slot when there were only 3 channels to watch, and a true "perfect for TV" superstar in Peter Collins to keep the watching millions amazed and enthralled at what could be done on a Speedway bike.. In short though, fundamentally, the message was out there of its existence and many would follow their local teams on the back of the international success and high profile meetings they watched on Saturdays during the summer.. Get something like that message out there again and, given its low starting base, even just 25000 or so more a week would more than 100% increase its income.. What an opportunity that really is when a great many of the 65 million population live around no more than an hour from a venue, and that track is often pretty much usually the "only one" within that travelling distance.. Opinions and arguments about stadiums, team strengths, rules and regulations, race nights etc etc etc and how they negatively impact the crowd levels, (no matter how valid), pale into insignificance against the impact generated by the very fact that literally millions live within an hour of a Speedway track and dont even know the sport exists.. Sort that as a priority and the size of the prize potentially is huge given the starting point..

2.5 million live in Grt Manchester conurbation and furthest away is around 45 mins.. If you head out towards Tameside into the peak district that's even more people to go at all within 45 mins.. And then head out past Rochdale into Huddersfield way and again many more thousands. (With a fair few who possibly would be ex Halifax and Bradford fans so have a knowledge of the sport).. Not far out of Bury are the mill towns too of Rawtenstall, Ramsbottom etc, all circa 45 mins away.. The NSS has excellent motorway links off the ring road from anywhere tens miles and more out of the city centre Manchester.. It is simply down to people not knowing about the sport in its generic form, and then on the back of that the Aces in more specific terms as a team who competes within the sport..

Jim Gannon's Blue and White Army. Stockport County have averaged over 3500 a game in the sixth level for a few seasons.. Now they are in the fifth tier and will easily beat that number.. Over 6000 for the play offs.. Strange how so many say the Aces struggle to get crowds because there is so much to do in Manchester, and Grt Manchester has so many other sports teams to compete with.. Stockport have been down in level seven and averaged over 2500... Only 20 mins from Edgeley Park to the NSS too... They do though have a fantastic community interaction as my lad knows well as he played with their youth set up from 8 years of age... Every evening (when all is normal), they are in schools in the local area training the kids, giving free tickets out, (if parent pays a fiver), and schools also provide ball boys for games, (again getting Mum or Dad or both along at a "special rate"!)

To be fair Ivan won his last world title over 40 years ago... Anyone under 45 or so most likely haven't heard of him, even if they have a vague knowledge of Speedway today... Of non Speedway followers I would suggest Tai Woffinden would get much more of a recognition from the general public than Ivan if they were asked to name a speedway rider..

Yet another thing that will end up in tiers.... I can though foresee some very tight regulation of "the rules" given the focus on Brexit from the many within Parliament who voted for it... Boris will need to ensure all those back bench MP's who dislike the EU immensely, are kept 'onside' not just for Brexit, but for the myriad of tough decisions that lie ahead that he has to make.. Therefore, it wouldn't surprise me to see 'zero tolerance' as the initial stance, with the plan being to free up employment positions for UK nationals, with even more focus than ever on this given the expected economic downturn and reduction in jobs available... The "rules" and there 'to the letter' implementation will certainly be under very close scrutiny....

Ahhh...... The old "catch all" caveat that is applied when all credibility, integrity, common sense and rationale has been totally ignored to implement some specific (up to this point 100% unheard of) "rule"...

When they finally realise that many outside their 'speedway bubble' dont take the comps they run seriously, they may then start to move on and concentrate their energies and money on what is actually important, and that is the collective growth of the sport.. Paying out hundreds of thousands each year to employees when very few potential customers in your area, never mind nationally, even know what you do, what you provide, or even know you exist, is simply crazy from a business perspective. Yet clubs do this year in year out and seem to then annually scratch their heads working out why it isnt delivering success, and then come up with other random ideas to solve their problems that in no way ever sort the main issue, but instead, sometimes even alienate their hard core customer base. If ever an entity required clear, independent leadership then Speedway in the UK fits that bill perfectly.. Even to just save it from itself..

The NSS looked great when it was full for the SWC a few years ago... In fact, stadiums look a hell of a lot better when full.... Speedway's stadiums look much worse given you see how many are in disrepair due simply to the lack of people hiding the issues... Fill them, which delivers a great atmosphere, and the lack of shiny new facilities wouldn't be an issue for a great many..

I do that in my Tesco. .

It is a bit like chalk and cheese discussing a multi billion pound backed sport like Football and what Speedway has, and as a regular in the 80's and early 90's many football grounds were dreadful.. Sadly it took tragedies such as Heysel, Hillsborough and Bradford to move forward the stadia in football, as "all seater" became the norm, and a pre requisite to gain entry into certain levels.. To do this many clubs received large grants to help make the changes. And then Pay TV companies started paying in billions which encouraged many more to invest for the future by upgrading their stadiums.. What Speedway could do though, given all their restrictions, is to improve the "look" of the stadiums similar to how the football clubs have done with empty stadiums during Covid.. Not a space in front of a camera has been missed to advertise, and Speedway, particularly when on TV, has lots of empty spaces which these "seat covers" could be used to display sponsors names and next match details etc.. Covering empty terracing, either seated or standing, with some branded advertising for the club for example, would add colour, improve the professional look of the place and improve "brand image" massively to the person watching at home.. I always think the NSS is perfect both down the back straight and the grandstand to move fans into sections (making it look fuller straight away) and giving "blocks" over to advertising covering the seats, and sections of the back straight.. There is loads of TV coverage of these areas in every single race which could also earn the track a few quid in extra revenue by allowing sponsors or even just local businesses to rent it for the night.. Like a lot of things, it doesnt always need much money throwing at something to make it look better and more appealing..

About 1 in 3000 people (at most), in the UK attend domestic Speedway each week nationally.. Imagine if they could get just 2 in every 3000? 100% increase in gates and revenue.. The Aces get around 1200 with the conurbation of Gtr Manchester having 2.5 million living within it, with the extremeties of it being around 45 mins away by car.. The attendance figures for domestic Speedway are pitiful really when you consider that the 'local track' is invariably the only one for miles and miles, and has a complete monopoly in that area, with no other teams competing for a fan's following like for example football has with lots of cities having more than one team.. Maybe one day the sport will wake up and properly invest in a true national, joined up, collective, marketing campaign, rather than many clubs doing their own thing on a pretty basic level locally.. 100's of Thousands of pounds are spent on paying 'employees' when hardly anyone knows your business even exists, and minimal seems to be invested in changing that lack of awareness.. A very strange business plan..

Adequately socially distanced I hope? It can be a bit tight for space in some houses, especially terraced...