mikebv

just read the piece in speedway star xtra. Excellent, objective comment from Philip Rising... my concern sadly is that in Philip's comments, nothing is new, as all is blindingly obvious and has been put into print thousands of times over the past ten to fifteen years or so by fans the length and breadth of the country.. however, when I say 'blindingly obvious' it seems to have only been so by an ever decreasing fan base themselves and not the people who have driven speedway down a cul de sac the wrong way for what seems like forever. let's be honest, even as recent as the start of the season in an edition of the speedway star, one promoter deemed everything as rosy in the garden and wondered why fans knocked what was on offer each week !, truly, truly mind blowing.. perversely though, maybe the sport is so knackered now that even the most blind of promoters are seeing the true picture of the dire situation that exists and 'one or two' may even be considering that 'the recession', 'the olympics', 'the world cup', 'the euros', 'wimbledon', the boat race', 'climate change' etc etc etc are not the reasons fans have deserted the sport in droves over the years and maybe, just maybe, 'one or two' may feel that they too have had a 'small part' to play in the sports demise in this country? sadly, given the evidence of their track record, I do fear that those who run the sport haven't got the capability, or foresight, to do something anywhere near radical enough to completely change the sports direction and fortunes, such is the frankly amateurish way the sport 'governs itself'.. without an independent, strong, leadership team who have a clear vision for success (and more importantly can deliver it over a set period of time) then the sport in this country is I would suggest for want of a better phrase irrevocably 'donald ducked'... that would be a great shame, however you do reap what you sow, and the head in the sand/make it up as you go along/survival of the weakest/stick your fingers in your ears, close your eyes and go "laaa laaa I cant hear you" mentality which has prevailed for so long is certainly delivering the only outcome it could.... maybe they will listen to you Philip? God knows the fans that are left have tried!!

Brilliant idea!!! After every winning race, the guest rider could do a lap of honour, and when he gets back to the tapes the starting marshal could 'clothes line' him and try to remove his helmet and mask , but he would only get as far as exposing his chin before the announcer calls '2 minutes' and 'kendo' escapes as the starting marshal is distracted; .. Imagine the frenzy in the crowd that would create... it'd pack 'em in I tell ya, pack 'em in... NB - If anyone from the BSPA is reading this, I am not being serious... (honestly, don't do this)

I think it would have been on if so many on here hadn't kept posting 'poor' weather updates.. You almost 'willed' it to rain if you ask me.... Shame on you.... Your fault this, your fault....

often wondered why the EL promoters dont just make the league a 'one make league' and buy all bikes themselves then employ one mechanic per team to look after all of them... you could then pay a rider a lower points money as they wouldnt have any costs themselves other than their safety kit, they simply turn up and ride.. go down to six man teams to save a wage, buy the bikes as a 'job lot' to get best prices and then sell them off each year to PL/NL/newbie riders to recoup a fair proportion of your initial outlay to re invest on the next years purchases... make plenty of rules around what can and cannot be done to the machinery (they are good at making rules), get rid of dirt deflectors and other 'non essentials', ensure proper policing and I am sure watching riders performing on bog standard kit would mean closer racing, with talent winning over those who currently have more machinery investment? many motorsports now run 'one make' championships with clear rules around what can be done to improve performance (even F1 has rules around what can be modified to reduce costs) therefore surely in EL speedway it is worth a go?.. if as you show deano, the costs have gone out of control then something has to be done and that something needs to be radical, not another 'variation on a theme' that promoters seem to just come up with..

just got a copy of 'speedway now' july 1991 from a car boot sale.. there is an advert in it for a tri nation test match at poole, - england, aussie and sweden.. admission 4.50... what would it be today to watch a test match? based on the 16.50 I pay to watch the EL about 20 quid?? if so that would be an increase of just under 350 percent in a little over 20 years... if the admission had matched the inflation rate since 1991 then todays admission should be 8.60*!! wonder if that effects attendance figures? (* figs from the Historical UK Inflation and price conversion website)..

well it's obviously to leave everything 'as is' .. as it is working so well for the credibility of the sport isnt it?

to save loads of people coming on I'll fill in the counter argument "ahhhh, but this is speedway"... not a very good one really though is it?? ...

arlll wash me fookin' speedyweh for that, ar wood, und neva aft ter bray me missus fet ter go neetha.. I go back 40 odd years watching the sport 'off and on' and have to say that taking the rose tinted specs off, a lot of what I watched even in 'the good old days' was processional racing with my team BV, in particular at hyde rd, hammering most teams by 20 point margins.. The difference from then to now is when we got yet another 5-1 the crowd level, and therefore subsequent noise level, created an 'atmosphere' that was far greater than the sum of what entertainment value we had watched.., Thus it became a self fulfilling prophecy in that the crowd were involved (as you were stood with thousands you were not inhibited to join in), more away fans were there so more banter took place and therefore regardless of result, you had had a 'good night' and would return the week later... Therefore the equation isnt so much about ten pound speedway but what price level will fill the stadium to bring back that elusive crowd level and 'lost atmosphere'.. The debate about whether cheaper entrance could be afforded could be counted with how much could you charge for sponsorship/season tickets/bar take/prorammes etc if you had 5000 attending every week and how much extra revenue would the increased local (national?) media interest bring in? Always wondered why promoters dont budget their seasons costs with one less meeting's income and let the 'world' in for free to kick start their season, a full house would persuade far more to return the week after I would venture as it would maybe give them the impression the sport was a success and they had been 'missing out'... One thing is for sure, the sport at its current admission levels is unsustainable in its current guise, as its ever dwindling fan base, eroding almost weekly, is testament to.. .

used to attend sheffield in the early nineties, even though a bv fan, as the racing was fantastic.. in the main we used to think it was due to the great track shape.. one week they held an individual meeting with many EL world class riders..... Hans Neilsen I seem to remember went thru the card with a fifteen max and the racing was garbage with most races being won by thirty metres or so.. the track was the same, it was the calibre of rider that meant races were processional on any track, get 14 riders of similar ability and you have more chance of close racing.. throw in a great race track and you have everything you need for a proper nights entertainment...

great meeting, well done to all the riders... if you could pay a tenner every week to watch speedway like this then people would attend in much greater numbers i am sure.. as for those who bemoaned roscos' commentary, my remote has a 'mute' button, see if yours has too, they are quite common I believe, might help your enjoyment more next time..... well done the mon arrrrkkks.... and cookie in particular, shoe in for the SWC surely?

craig could qualify for a league winners medal for about 8 teams so far!!!!! total joke really isnt it?.... sorry, I forgot... aaahhhh, but this is speedway...

doesnt matter what emil thinks.... these riders are going for a world title and as such they are so committed that sometimes they literally need to be saved from themselves.. you know more than most how these lads have nothing more than tunnel vision ie the world title is everything.., the track was a total disgrace and freddie's crash in particular when the bike just 'stops' is often the most dangerous as the rider has simply no time to react or brace/defend himself.. very, very lucky tonight to see no major injuries.. (if as we do in our blase way class broken bones as minor) still the viewing figures were good..

well done the organisers for providing a dreadful and dangerous track........ very, very lucky freddie then.. and nki.... a disgrace to be honest to let these lads risk their neck on such a 'p' poor surface

nicholls a 'natural' at this pundit lark... 10 out of 10... far more intense work than on sky as just dual 'talking heads' tonight with no other guests.... and sophie shows a few others how to interview speedway riders properly in the pits..... eurosport should keep them and use this way of working at every gp...

I do think one of the major issues the sport has is the widely differing expectations of fan and promoter... Most fans want a winning team AND entertainment... Most promoters in the main seem to see a winning team (at home at any rate) as being the ONLY objective.. You only have to look at the average manipulations and the 'win at all cost' mentality within the sport to see that most tracks' owners are 'in it to win it' and that is probably why they get frustrated when they deliver at the very least an upper mid table team yet they still get grief.. (they are don't forget competing for a 'supposedly' professional sports' championship) As many have said not going inevitably will lead to no speedway, however that is looking more and more like the final conclusion when the void between what the fans expect by way of an overall value for money entertainment package, and what the promoters believe we should accept (and be grateful for) is growing year by year...

that'll be again then...? ffs, there are one or two 'precious' folk down leicester way isn't there?? guess what, most tracks have a 'bit rubbish' racing compared to what we the fans perceive to be 'great'.. most races at most tracks allow you to fill your programme in after the second bend on the first lap... been that way for donkeys years... leicester have a speedway team, their fans can choose not to support it (as is their right), however ultimately that means it will close.. and that means IF they find a buyer to take it on they will still have the same track unless 'someone' pays out shedloads to change it (good luck with that in the present economic climate) .. the chance to build a 'somerset' or a 'scunthorpe' wasnt taken at the outset, therefore just accept it as the way it is.... processional racing is available most nights of the week around the country if you ever get 'bored'...

just tell 'em "well you see, speedway's different..." they'll hear it enough times over the season to get used to it... best of luck to the new venture..

agreed.. maybe somebody within the bspa could actually see that this 'kid' is a true talent... he can gate, race and more importantly pass with the best of them... a lot of potential within this kid to promote the sport to the facebook, twatter generation... I wont hold my breath that anyone within the bspa could spot the opportunity for both them and him...

over 20 matches bv must be paying nearly as much (if not more) than 75k a year now in rent... for that they get nothing in return... might as well pay the same and get car parking, bar and restaurant take as well as being able to 'let out' the facility to a third party and pocket the money..., a great day for the aces and the sport in general...

speedway has just launched its 2013 season with the usual 'bumper' easter crowds... yet I bet hardly any track had any plan to carry out market research as to who these people are that come 'once a year' and why they then drift away.. as you say, there should be names, addresses, emails taken and then followed up with special offers to get these people back into the 'habit' of attending speedway, even football does 'next four matches' tickets at discount so why doesnt speedway? cannot believe that the amount of season tickets sold makes a huge difference given the low number so why not do quarter season/half season tickets? those in the 'bumper crowd' are by definition of being there 'speedway fans' so the market you need is there... it just needs to be attracted back more regularly using a proper marketing plan ....

you are 100% correct.... look at the crowds at the darts comps... great hype and promotion from barry hearn has taken the sport to a new level, simply the sport hasnt changed but the way it is sold has... speedway truly is the ultimate extreme sport, with many participants 18 - 25, therefore it should be followed manically by the 'monster/red bull' generation yet the stadiums are still 'full' of 40+ somethings. with hardly a teenager in sight... not down to the sport that, simply to its marketing...

same thing happened at BV tonight... didnt need a tractor to pull a grader , they could have used a brush to 'tidy up' the dust... bottom line of course though is deep tracks simply cannot be handled by the majority of riders, this may be due to ability or modern machinery, (or maybe both?) either way, not having circuits that you need throttle control on which by definition increase opportunities for mistakes, does lead to pretty much 'first out of the gate' wins, which then leads to a lack of spectator response meaning a flat atmosphere....

as money obviously needed to be saved through cost cutting measures.. why didn't the pl teams just work out the average amount of bonus points attained for a '3-3' per meeting over say the past three years, (and the average cost per meeting) and then just remove this amount from their payroll budget for the seven riders at the start of the year? the promoters save the cash and all seven riders have had the impact rather than the odd individual who runs the third place behind his partner (and you prevent all the negative impact to the team spirit that this rule can bring))

always felt the mail was more open to a bit of 'irreverence' regarding the sport when it came to letters and the editorial... seemed to give the 'true fan' the voice rather than worry about what the promoters would say/think... the star in the last six months or so have/are coming around to publishing the 'voice of the people'... lets hope it continues....

its a numbers game in many ways.... it seems foreign riders have more commitment and desire but in many ways we are only taking about those who 'make it'.. promoters take on a foreign rider for a team place time and time again with a huge amount failing, only to be replaced by yet another foreigner... in reality most are no better or worse than a brit counterpart but are recommended by someone who rides with them in poland. sweden denmark etc therefore the promoter takes a punt... the speedway world is full of 5 to 6.5 point men 'journeymen' who use the speedway 'revolving door'... as a fan, from an entertainment point of view watching a brit 'journeyman' or a foreign one is much of muchness.. the difference for me is that in the bigger picture the more brits in the teams means more track time and hopefully more benefits for the sport domestically