Little Thumper

nw42, it would be absolutely smashing if we could have lots of big meetings at our nice shiny National Speedway Stadium and other clubs would be really happy because they would all get a cut of the profits. Perhaps you would clarify a couple of points for me? Who exactly would determine how much everybody's share would be and who would make sure that everybody got exactly what they were entitled to? And what if I lived nowhere near Manchester but would like to see big meetings from time to time? Would I just have to resign myself to reading about it in Speedway Star?

Perhaps then, I will for this argument say that Manchester City Council has "supported" Belle Vue Arena/Speedway/NSS by building them a nice little stadium and allowing them to pay for it over a lengthy period. I am not aware of any other local authority in this country that would consider offering this level of support to a speedway business. Therefore, BVA/BVS/NSS could be said to enjoy a considerable advantage over it's competitors. If other venues are not allowed to have their fair share of the money-making events how can they generate the profits that they need to re-invest in their businesses in order to improve the facilities so as to attract more paying customers through the gate and at the same time, improve speedway's image. The National Speedway Stadium concept is valid if the venue is operated by the sport's national governing body and the profits and benefits from said operation are shared fairly amongst the smaller players in the organization. Just allowing a club who have managed to get their mitts on a large pile of dosh to call themselves the National anything is surely just a bit of a nonsense?

If Speedway GB Ltd was one business operating all the tracks then, yes, it would may sense to hold all the big meetings at your prime venue and spend some of the profits at your other tracks. But there is no Speedway GB Ltd. There are just a disparate bunch of small operators who are trying to put on meetings and earn enough money to keep their little businesses afloat. Why should one operator who has been fortunate enough to get a local council to subsidize their activities be allowed to snaffle all the money-making events and as a result further jeopardize the survival chances of all the small operators who do not enjoy the benefit of a several million pound loan from their council? I hope Belle Vue/NSS survives but it can't be at the expense of other speedway operations and they are going to have to make a rather better effort of it if they should be granted another go,

It doesn't really matter which drawer or cupboard the racing is coming out of. Every speedway track in the country is a stand-alone business and many (the majority) are struggling to keep their heads above water. I am not sure they would be tremendously pleased if all the meetings that can make any money are creamed off and given to any one venue irrespective of what it has chosen to call itself. And I think that the person who tried to tell them that this was how it was going to be would, more likely than not get whacked over the head with the whole set of bloody drawers!

Are they? So what stops are they pulling out?

I'm sure that all that (don't tell the tax man) dosh must be nice but I'd heard that it was the rock 'n' roll lifestyle and the groupies that was the big attraction.

Well, obviously a comedian. But Skid Sprocket doesn't like it!

These are very wise words, OFF. What I find amazing is that whilst the dream that is/was the National Speedway Stadium is crumbling to dust before our very eyes, the BSPA have their annual jamboree and this disaster doesn't feature much in their rosy summary of what has been achieved. They rattle on about re-branding and multiplying something or other by the number you first thought of and of a "very bright future" but surely one of the most important issues should have been how they intended to save the National Speedway Stadium and in so doing, protect what little remains of British speedway's reputation. Now either there is a very cunning plan which is being hatched and they are working on a need to know basis and clearly we supporters don't need to know or the men in charge are getting the instruments out of their violin cases and preparing to belt out a few tunes while standing round a burning conurbation. I can't say I'm brimming with confidence here but I need to be careful what I say otherwise I will get a verbal lashing for either being a moaner or for being a comedian!

I rather suspected that might be the case. It could well be Buxton and the Crawley Heathens then. Smashing.

I don't think we need to know about what you get up to behind closed doors. Fair enough. But what is up with 1st Division, 2nd Division, 3rd Division? I used to work at a place where initially the bods in the office who rang up mithering people for orders were called telesales operators. By the time I left, the same bods had been re-branded internal sales executives. Why people have to keep ponsing things up, I know not. As they always say, "You can't polish a turd".

As possibly our friend from BHS, Mr Green will find out, a company director may still be liable for any improprieties even though they have left the enterprise. I would think it more likely that Mr Gordon has left for more personal reasons.

I'll have a ticket for that one! Did he happen to say who these 1 or 2 will be?

I apologize to Skid Sprocket for having accepted foamfence's gracious and courteous apology, even though no apology was needed from my friend. I shall in future post in a serious manner and desist from any attempt to inject any form of humour into the serious and substantial topics which are discussed in this arena. I shall immediately hurry off and seek out the jokes and the like department to which the noble Skid Sprocket had referred me and should at any time I feel the need to lapse into a humorous frame of mind, I shall confine myself to the comedy room. Again, I apologize for interrupting the serious discussions that are undertaken in this place and I shall let Skid Sprocket engage in serious contemplation without frivolous interjections from myself. Your servant, Thumper :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: Sorry about this, Skid Sprocket but I am struggling to find the thread for jokes and the like to which you wish to banish me. I realize that you are probably busy thinking through very serious matters but if you could point me in the right direction, i would be your humble servant. I would be grateful if you would come to my assistance with some haste as I feel that a wave of humour is about to engulf me and I do not wish to further distract you from your serious thoughts.

In reality, what will actually decide who is promoted and relegated will be, as always, money. With the best will in the world, if your business model shows that altering your cost base by moving into another scenario means that you will be financially unviable, then you would have to be seriously mentally challenged to even consider it. Promotion and relegation might work in football where there are more clubs, more money and more spectators but we do not operate in that world. I suspect that promotion/relegation will prove to be just about as gimmicky as green helmet covers and changing the names of things for no understandable reason. Just my opinion, obviously.

Perhaps Hunty has had to pop down to Sussex to get some work done on his new track. People just don't realize how much work goes into getting a new track up and running. I mean, you wouldn't want anything to go wrong on the opening night, would you. You would look a right divvy! Crawley Heathens - Give it LARGE! :rofl: :rofl:

Your apology is graciously accepted, foamfence my friend.

I wasn't actually being serious!

MattK, thanks for that. Some interesting points jump out at me - the business plan was based on regular attendances of between 1800 and 2500. How did they arrive at this figure? Was some kind of market research carried out or did they just hazard a guess? - the involvement of the BSPA from the outset. I assume that the National Speedway Academy would be their responsibility and therefore they would be contributing in some way for the use of the venue facilities. Did the Academy get off the ground and what was the BSPA's commitment both financial and otherwise? You might have thought that learned and astute people from either Manchester City Council, Belle Vue Arena/Speedway or the BSPA would have seen that this might not work or was everybody just carried along on the crest of a wave and didn't want to be seen as a killjoy?

Oh yes, there was plenty of writing on the wall.........in the form of engraved bricks that speedway lovers from all over the world had handed over money for! I would imagine that the financial challenge was very clear virtually as soon as the tapes went up for the first time. You can only surmise that they kept the show going in the belief or hope that somebody or something would come along and bale them out in order to maintain some credibility in the brand that is British Speedway. For whatever reason, no help arrived and the promoters have been removed. To be continued............................

Possibly, possibly not.

I believe that the item states that a commercial loan was offered to the current promoters. A commercial loan would surely need to be backed by some form of security such as a tangible asset or a guarantor. Perhaps no guarantor was prepared to come forward at that particular time and the promoters decided against putting up an asset such as their homes as security. This is a sad tale and it is quite possible that more will be revealed in the fullness of time.

What is the secret of their success? Is it low costs or healthy revenues from gate receipts and sponsorship? Do they rent their stadium or do they own it?

Well you can cut out that kind of talk! I've seen promoters riding round in their fancy motors so they must be raking it in. And as for the riders.............in my day, a top rider would strap his speedway bike onto the back of the trusty Citroen estate, throw a few tools in the back and drive off to proudly represent their club wherever it might be. These days even National League riders are turning up in flashy vans and some even have more than one bike! I am led to believe that some of these people even have hangers-on who drive their fancy transporters and faff about with spanners for them. So, speedibee, it probably best if our illustrious leaders keep their hands on the bulk of this money because they might need it for an urgent re-branding exercise or to buy a large stock of green helmet covers. Be seeing you.

I'm not sure that the "Crawley Creepy" has much of a ring to it. But what with all this re-branding carry on perhaps it is the shape of things to come. Someone said that the yellow/black helmet colour is being done away with and replaced with GREEN! What's that all about? Before we know it, they will be making riders wear creepy green "M"s all over their kit and how ridiculous would that look?

PHILIPRISING, you are coming over as a little patronizing which I am sure is not your intention. Obviuously Humphrey Appleby has not fully grasped your reasoning and I feel sure that you would wish to elucidate for the benefit of HA and anyone else that is not fully up to speed with these matters. Thank you.