justobsessedwithspeedway

Chris116 I reside but a few miles from you, and like your goodself am very unhappy to see that Rye aren't racing next season. With the demise of Lakeside also (although not that much missed as I thought the place was a dump), Eastbourne is now the only viable option for me. If you are willing to share petrol costs I'm more than willing to pick a few meetings there next season and drive you. Somehow hopefully we can share e-mail details.

Has another famous club gone to the wall? Rye House was always a decent evening out, for me a 100 mile return drive, but a pint and a bite in the pub, sit by the river, then in to one of the friendliest clubs around. But that's dreaming. Speedway urgently needs reforming, otherwise it's going to die. And that's no empty threat. I had limited experience as one of the consortium at Wimbledon back in 1987, but we learnt a lot. Most of that was from John Berry. Who remembers back in 1986 when he offered his services to run speedway as a "front man", but he would have been in charge of it? The promoters then, as they would now, turned down his offer. With hindsight, he could have been the guy to have saved it. In football, individual chairman (call them promoters if you wish) run their clubs, but the principal is the FA, and there are some very powerful people running that. Many years back I had a long talk with Len Silver. Love him or loathe him (and I'm in the former camp) he knew his onions. Even almost 25 years ago he told me the sport was being run by "amateurs". Now, this ISN'T a dig at individual clubs or promoters, but it seems to me that the BSPA as a collective really have some outdated rules and regs, and seem content to let the sport drift. If memory serves me well, back in 1987 Wimbledon paid (in the then National League (2nd div)), £10 per point and £10 per start, but if I recall, these rates were laid down and agreed by ALL promoters under the auspices of the BSPA. As there were 78 points up for grabs in the league match, that was £780 that had to be found. We ran a 5-heat 2nd half with varying rates of pay per race but that pushed the riders total to around £1000 for the night. We paid the GRA £1750 per week for stadium rent, shale, staff, and the hire of the team (they retained the riders contracts). I cannot remember our programme printing costs, but lets call it around £250 (remember these are 1987 prices). Various sundries probably came to another £250 so each meeting would cost approximately £3250 to run. We charged £3.50 admission for adults and £2 for children, with a free programme, so we needed approximately gates of 1300 all in (adults and children) to break even. The opening night, of course, was well above that, but there were the inevitable dips with some gates of around 750-800, and some of 1500 for special events. I left the promotion before the season end, but we weren't making any profit, and fair play to the other members of the crew who soldiered on, and eventually made the fatal mistake of taking Wimbledon back to the BL Div 1. It lasted but 6 weeks before the inevitable happened. Now, I'm not preaching the gospel in any way shape or form, but as a fan of 54 years I think I know enough about speedway to know when it's being driven into the ground. Promoters need to promote. From what I can gather it seems that only Sheffield are taking responsbiltiy for this. At the end of the day, speedway doesn't need a "Speedway Star" - it needs a "Speedway Czar". Unless somebody comes along, shakes this sport up, and takes it by the scruff of the neck and is able to get the publicity it so richly deserves, within ten years it will be as relevant as extreme marbles.

My mate hates the chips at the Rye. He ballooned up to nearly 20 stone simply by eating them every week for five seasons. He goes football occasionally, and the chants of "YFB" resound round the stadium. It's all Uncle Len's fault!

I think the Rye management are doing their best, the problem for them is the BSPA, and certain other promoters. For starters, the fixed race nights have crucified the crowds there. Premiership last season on a Saturday was a great success. Very convenient for me who lives 80 miles away, to go on a Saturday and Bank Holidays. Wednesday is a terrible journey by train, returning home around midnight or later. Yes, the stadium needs further work, I stand by the tapes now as the wooden seats/stand is just too much for an old man to sit on. I don't want splinters in my buttocks nor can my back stand the low trajectory. It isn't just Rye House, but speedway itself that is the problem. Referees are complicit in ruining meetings by not helping slick presentation, and the FIM board need replacing forthwith, along with the stupid start rule. Touching the tapes and "rolling" was all part of the drama of the start years ago. Today everything is clinical. You can't even be "excluded" but must be "disqualified". I've never heard of such nonsense since Bernard Manning invented "climate change" (He didn't believe in it by the way and nor do I). Unless we do actually put the clock BACK - speedway will die on it's feet, quicker than it is now.