Speedtiger

Or going the other way round!!

The clueless Godfrey has a proven track record for overseeing the failure of British speedway over the past few years and clearly doesn’t possess the business acumen to run the proverbial booze up in a brewery, he is incompetent and way out of his depth. As for ‘central independent’ control, whatever that means, of the sport has been talked about for years and will not happen. The Club promoters won’t agree to that, there view is it’s there money and they want to have there say and that will not change. Speedway has been heading to financial disaster for many years and the Covid19 crisis will prove to be the final straw. Realistically and sadly many other sports and businesses, far stronger and more prominent than speedway, will not survive the effect of this crisis, the serious challenges and financial impact we will all face in the future will be enormous.

Ok, then clubs should come clean and put out options rather than just ignore the situation and not respond to requests which clearly is the case with a number of clubs. You literally can not speak or contact anyone at the clubs to get information or a refund.

I bought 4 tickets for a concert that had to be postponed until later in the year and the promotion refunded my ticket money the next day. Speedway clubs who are notoriously poor with refunds, should do the same now because they will not earn any sympathy by screwing the customer. The virus situation for us all is tricky but BSPA or SCB should put out a statement about this immediately as ignoring requests for refunds or withholding money with no reasonable explanation about there plans is wrong.

That is fine but if clubs do go bust, and the way things are looking in many other areas of uk business, they will, then you will lose out...as has been said £500 is a lot of money. Clubs should do the right thing and pay the season ticket money back now, no question about it.

Well if that is the case and I take your word for it, then more fool them. It is little wonder then the sport is in the terminal mess it’s in and that was before the Covid19 crisis. Ignore your customer’s at your peril.

I was speaking with someone yesterday who works for a large national company and she was saying they are planning on social distancing measures being in place for the next 12 months. The main issue is the situation is unprecedented and non of us know what the future holds and when things will get to what will be a new normal and precisely what that normal will be.

Spot on mike, and that’s why we are where we are! It’s a pity that promotors don’t go on this web site and listen to there customers!

Fair point but it’s the fans (customers) who pay to keep things going and it’s a very poor business that ignores the customer. The proof is there for all to see...Speedway is bust and that was the case before the virus crisis!

Ok, that’s all well and good saying that but he should explain exactly what he’s “working so hard” on what are future plans and let fans judge if he’s doing a “good job”. As I said history shows he is incompetent and way out of his depth and hasn’t done much to promote British Speedway.

Well it was a ‘statement’ although it didn’t really tell us anything and yes the situation is difficult but I suspect that is because nothing has been done or planned. The lack of information and leadership by the BSPA chairman & co isn’t unexpected as historically Godfrey and Chapman have proved they haven't got a clue.

No they are all in No1 genius Chapman’s lock up!

The geniuses at the BSPA... they know what’s what about engines!

Highly intelligent and eloquent made points there Jim...you certainly can spot an idiot.

Brilliant issue...if only speedway was run as well as the SS the sport would be in a far better shape.

QUITE CLEARLY DESPERATE....many many people are desperate but don’t go out and rob your neighbours. Your tone and rationale is amazingly stupid, how you can try to equate riders finding things tough with this type of thuggish behaviour is astonishing,

....so you go out and rob people at knife point....you really are mad to equate it....in an odd sort of way!

Didn’t the BSPA buy lots of engines a bit back, maybe they have some left over that will be going cheap?

Very good film, well done. Glasgow deserve credit for what they have done at the stadium and club. Sad bit is it’s astonishing at how much they put in the club and how much they are losing. No a great business!

Nice idea...full of ambition, will it happen? Not a chance!

Agree WTG Sadly there’s no way speedway or many other events will take place this year but careful you will be accused of being a doom and gloom merchant. The big issue is when the Covid19 infection rate significantly drops off and the government look to easing the lockdown, which is clearly still weeks if not months away, allowing sports to resume will be very low on the agenda as the country’s health experts will not want large gatherings of people closely grouped together for fear of a second outbreak. Ok speedway only attracts a very small number of supporters but I believe social distancing and limits on crowds will be with us, in some form, for a considerable time to come.

The big issue is when the Covid19 infection rate significantly drops off and the government look to easing the lockdown, which is clearly still weeks if not months away, allowing sports to resume will be very low on the agenda as the country’s health experts will not want large gatherings of people closely grouped together for fear of a second outbreak. Ok speedway only attracts a very small number of supporters but I believe social distancing and limits on crowds will be with us, in some form, for a considerable time to come.

Fair point and well said Brian, if it weren’t for the older supporters it’s a fact there’d be know one there. You 1st point, im told it’s the Bv club that’s made a huge operating losses and city council have also lost a lots of money as not being paid any rent. But they paid £9m to build the stadium.

Agree with you I’m a regular attender at BV and the track racing etc are the best in U.K. by a mile But think you are wrong about ‘break even’ as I were told by an insider that they have lost 100’s of thousands pounds. And that was before this virus crisis. How clubs can survive this disaster is looking increasingly difficult.

Good points. Agree, the fundamental problem with speedway is the people that run it, they have run the sport so badly..that’s why it’s in terminal decline. Speedway is not a ‘fashionable’ sport and Promoters have not moved with the times and modernised the sport for new and demanding fans who have lots of other leisure-time options available and want more for their hard earned cash than 15 minutes of entertainment in substandard run down stadia. I really hope, but I’m not convinced, that when this pandemic crisis is over and if, and it’s a big if, the sport can be salvaged from the wreckage, that anything will fundamentally change for the better.