oldace

Oh right, well that blows my point right out of the water then!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hence Man Utd get 70,000 crowds plus at upwards of £50.00 a ticket and Sunday League football gets a few dozen at FOC tickets. If Sidney was correct it would be the other way round

Within certain parameters it makes little difference. A riders will set his bike up with this in mind. Possibly somewhere between 8.5 - 9 stone as a minimum and 11 - 11.5 stone as an upper limit. Outside those parameters then a rider may well be hampered. We have of course seen successful riders from the other side of both those limits but not many.

Superb explanation Arthur

To be honest you are quite right. I am going back years with the assertion of C2DE types following speedway. That said though it is unlikely to have changed because the sport hasn't. Back in the 60s and 70s football was mainly C2DE demograpgh supported but I expect that is now not the case because to a large extent football has changed to attract more ABC1s.

I expect SKY, using the BARB statistics, do lots of research into the type of people who view different broadcasts. This information is vital when selling advertising. Speedway gets low numbers and they are "mainly" not all but mainly C2DE demographic. Despite the Jimmy guy getting his knickers in a twist it is in no way a slur to categorise people in this way

Have you had a bang on the head or have you just had 1 over the 8 last night Either way I haven't a clue what you are on about.

Well it's not just because i don't go anymore

It isn't an insult to label people into their demograhic. People seem to be insulted because I suggested speedway fans are mainly C2DE. OK so my explanation was tongue in cheek but the fact remains. Hence you wont see Mercedes Benz clamoring to advertise in an Elite League ad break but you may well be bombarded with discount sofas on easy HP type ads.

Morning and afternoon TV is watched by mostly C2DE demographic and ads are tailored accordingly (Ambulance chasing lawyers/DFS Sale type ads) Prime time evening viewing starts to attract the ABC1 type and ad space can be tailored to these and attract a good rate. Whether you like it or not there are few ABC1s likely to watch speedway and coupled with non spectacular viewing numbers doesn't make it the "must have" slot for advertisers

ABC1s Ian are the type of people who wear decent clothing, wouldn't be seen dead in a wulfsport top or any of the tat that seems to adorn most of the people who frequent speedway stadiums. They would not dream of taking a flask and sandwiches to a sporting event, most likely would not have a collection of programmes dating back 50 years and they don't smell All in all then they are not really speedway types!!!!!!!!

There are approx 25,000 to 30,000 active fans in the UK currently, allowing for the fact that some count in the numbers for more than 1 track. Even if everyone of these watched the SKY match it would hardly be the figures SKY were looking at. A casual channell hopper tunes in to see one man and his dog watching live and most probably carries on channel hopping. Now if he tunes in and sees a vibrant, well presented product in a jammed to the rafters stadium he may just stick with it, may even make a note of the next match or even elect to visit for himself. It creates a snowball effect in both TV viewers and at the track fans. Another problem for speedway though is the demograph of those who support it, very few (none) ABC1s to put in front of blue chip advertisers making it hard to justify a prime viewing slot

And yet most, if not all, on here seem to think all speedway's problems could be solved with the right marketing, you know, creating awareness, that kind of thing. If that is so then surely getting thrust into thousands of living rooms each week should have done the trick. Strangely you think that is now not really important, perhaps taking a bike to a school fete every now and again is better marketing and exposure. Used properly the 15 years on SKY could, and should, have been the catalyst to propel the sport forward, instead the promoters simply stuffed any extra cash into mercenary riders back pockets and carried on as before. Rest assured the loss of SKY will be a massive problem for speedway in this country

I didn't make a contribution but that didn't stop Tsunami dragging me into another of his mindless posts did it

I must admit Kev that by and large I don't respond to him now. Most folk on here see him for the fool he is and he is simply not worth wasting a second of my time on anymore. He does on occasions though make me smile with (as you point out) the complete irony of his posts. Unfortunately though he is so far up his own arse he cant see it

That is almost certainly the case

If I recall Gunter was the ref at the 1977 inter continental final and was about the only person in the White City Stadium who though John Davis was to blame for Ivan Maugers fall. That aside he was a well respected referee and my condolences go to his family and friends

Spot on Mike, it is what I have been posting on here for years. What promoters have failed to grasp is that an unhappy customer who complains is actually giving you a valuable opportunity. Most customers, however dissatisfied, will rarely complain, they will simply not use the establishment anymore, gone never to be seen or heard from again I am largely the same, if I eat a poor meal in a restaurant I never go again, I don't complain to the business owner either personally or via any social media. That is because I have no real affinity to those business' to care one way or another if they get their act together and stay in business or not. With Speedway, and Belle Vue in particular, I do care and would like the slide turned round, hence why I voice my concerns on here

Ah that one again is it. I take it these newbies loved the sport until this came up and have now vowed never to go again, like with guests, tactical rides or whatever argument the poster is trying to sell. Over the years I have introduced many people to the sport who have either liked it or otherwise but their enjoyment, or lack of was purely to do with what they saw on track and wasn;t in anyway connected to any rules or regs. Jeez just imagine having to explain an old world final. 81 for instance. Penhall is world champion and Carter isn't but Carter beat Penhall. Bet they would find it embarrassing and vow to never come again. Maybe they would go off and support Championship football were the team finishing 6th can be promoted at the expense of the team in 3rd

You really don't have a clue how the SGP is packaged for TV do you?

No Mike, they didn't come to the rescue at all. They bought a product that they felt suited their profile with a view to attracting more viewers and advertisers, and therefore generate more revenue than it costs, exactly as any business operates. Their was no element of riding in to save the day for which we should be eternally grateful. Speedway must be about the only business model were the customers feel gratitude for being able to hand over their hard earned each week. Every other business operates totally opposite in that a business appreciates each and every customer and does its darnedest to keep them and add others, the gratitude is usually from business to customer, not the other way round

I agree to an extent. When I was going to speedway I didn't care if the promoter made, or lost, a fortune. Likewise i didn't really care whether the riders made or lost money. I only cared that I was entertained to the value of the admission I paid. So while you may be right that we have no real right to know what a rider/promoter is earning they are quick enough to tell all and sundry when they are losing money and expecting the public to help bail them out. Surely transparency is a two way thing

Mike I was, still am very sceptical that this project will happen but rest assured no one will be more delighted if it does. Having followed the Aces for nigh on 50 years I will always have an affinity with them.

I suspect he meant "free with the SGP" in the context of pay for the SGP and the SWC is thrown in FOC. Whether that is true or not I have no idea.

Surprised Briggo has not launched his own plastic cover, mandatory of course