moxey63

I stopped going to speedway, simply because of a continuation of niggles along the years. I personally don’t feel the sport is believable anymore due to silly rules, riders dashing all over the place to race for other clubs at home and abroad and a certain lack of continuity with clubs and the men who turn out for them. I know a lot of short termism is down to points limits, but I remember the days when team photographs weren’t outdated after one match, as of now, and you knew that your riders gave all for your team, and rules were just about as simple as they needed to be. Different points for teams winning by certain margins... it is too much hassle to keep up with. I can’t be bothered keeping tabs on that sort of thing. It doesn’t add anything to the overall excitement of the product. It is a cheap way out of getting the racing more exciting, like the pathetic Golden Double ridded us of the Tac Sub rule. Speedway is too far fetched now, when all that most fans wish for is a bit of decent racing and stability. I can’t justify the chilly terrace stand of a couple of hours pretending that riders are committed to the team to warrant me being there. The lack of actual real racing in the league (especially the Elite) is down to riders doing too much. I want riders to be loyal, not skipping in and out of airport lounges so they can race for another club. Would you begin to question it, say, if your misses had as many lovers as speedway riders had clubs… whether it was you she loved most of the four men she was dating? Would you question, the first time she had an off night with you but was a different person with her Tuesday-night date 24 hours later. I want riders, when they have had a bad match for my team, to ride back into form for my team and not buzz off somewhere else and suddenly look a different rider.

Yes, try to keep the present fans, by all means, but surely a pop artist's record company won't insist on trying to provide for the small number of fans that still buy his tired sounding tracks. The small few that still do (buy the recordings) obviously don't feel there's anything wrong with the tunes he turns out. As long as they still stump up, despite their idol performing to ever decreasing audience levels, the few, who are able to sit anywhere they want in the arena, are content.

There was one promoter who often told his locals to theri faces "If you don't like it, don't come again!" after they had complained about one thing or other.

Watching a bit of tennis the other day, it came to my attention that most serious sports never, and don't need to, change the rules every week. I watched tennis 30 years ago and still know the rules from the time period, because they haven't changed. I often got embarrassed on the terraces at Belle Vue, when someone asked me could a Golden Double be used now... and I said I wasn't sure. A fan of 30-odd years didn't know the exact rules for a sport he was watching. I think speedway in this country needs a complete period of discovering the perfect set-up - heat formats, riders continuity with clubs for longer than the one season, short-termism of rules, how many machines riders should be able to enter the stadium with (perhaps even one, though allowed another as back up in case something happens to that one, but this must remain locked away). Perhaps this would begin to start cutting costs and halt the slide of finances that basically are leaking away from the sport Speedway can’t be fixed by promoters – or even by fans that still attend. They think there is nothing wrong with the product! You need ex-fans' input. For example, feedback from satisfied fans is important… but how many fans are there on the terraces of 2013 British Speedway? There are more that have filtered away in the past 10 or 20 years that became disillusioned. If I buy anything – say from ebay or Argos – I look for the negative comments on products sold. They carry the weight. In speedway, however, as OldAce and I have found, if you stop going and have good reasons why, you are criticised for your opinions and told to clear off somewhere else. If I bought a Takeaway next week from my regular provider that I have used for years and, for example, there was a human hair in the fried rice, I would simply not go there again, even if I was offered a freebie. It wouldn’t bother some people – but that Takeaway owner wouldn’t know why the squeamish had stopped going. They’d have lost an order. The thing is… a lot of old speedway fans have vanished and so aren’t around to give their opinions on why they stopped going. Ones - yes, like my buddy OldAce and I, are still here. We can see the product is still there but became frustrated by some of its aspects. I have listened to people who are seeking employment, for example, and they are frustrated when they don’t even get a reply to their CV application. The jobseeker will often say they would like some sort of feedback from the potential employers, because they’d like to know what they are doing wrong in their applications. Speedway just digs a huge hole and sticks its head right in it. We need some brave decisions… and not opinions from speedway fans that say any speedway is better than non. If I criticised Belle Vue on the Belle Vue forum, for example, I was enemy number one. But, since 2006 and my swansong, I have dipped into their website... and it's amazing how many people are criticising!

Having read and digested Philip Rising's piece, I genuinely feel the sport needs a complete re-invention, taking parts of what served it so well throughout history and ditching aspects supports don't really like but put up with. Oldace and I are one of the many who no longer attend. I stopped going to Belle Vue even when I was getting in for free, so much was I bored with what was on offer, and I don't just mean the racing. I continue to post on these website because I have loved the sport and still feel there is something there that keeps the flame burning. I think part of me not attending anymore is out of frustration for the men who control the sport, the promoters, who really are on a par with New Labour, in that they have continued to mess the sport up, Labour being blamed for the state of the country. New rules are brought in - the last one in last season's KOC, the match race farce - and fans have no say. Even from the outside looking in, I could see this was doomed to failure... and it took the KO Cup competition with it! I could do one of those bullet-headed type of improvements sort of thing, a list of what will return speedway to greatness, but we all have our different thoughts. It is tragic that the men in charge of pulling all the strings still control the sport and will always want what's best for their individual club, not the sport as a whole. I haven't set foot in Belle Vue for six years. But I bet I will notice straight away that the crowd, already small back then, would have gotten smaller. In fact, I bet business is better at most VHS video rental stores than it is at most speedway tracks. But I don't think the penny has dropped.

At least at Belle Vue, when I used to attend, there was always something to keep me occupied between heats... I could nip off home for a brew and a kip, and still get back in time for the next race. Seriously, though, I feel speedway overall is looking tired... even SKY seem to be happy relying on whatever fans are tuning in. And as Matt mentions, you need something to read during the speedway... and watching at home is less enjoyable... now the Teletext service is gone.

Tigerowl is right in what he says... most tracks rely on the regulars and aren't interested in sprucing up an awful spectacle. The bring a friend slogan is pointless, especially when I have no friends and, even if I did, I don't attend speedway anymore. Speedway leaves me cold sometimes. For example, I used to feel cringe-tastic when riders were forced to line up at the tapes and then suffer the embarrassment of a few claps and cheers during introductions. You could see in their facial expressions they would rather be anywhere else. Rider intros are ok at stadium-filled events lie GPs or World Cups, but a little of the impact goes when it's just one or two claps from your average league gate, or when the low crowd is introduced to the riders one by one.

Regards people watching speedway on the box and not attending local tracks, perhaps maybe a case of speedway overkill, in that it's on SKY, the internet, Eurosport etc. There is only so much you can stomach and I for one feel a live match on Tv once a week is now the diet of many supporters who used to regularly attend 10 years ago. Perhaps less on TV will mean more on the terraces.

Spanish, you ask... Does Liquorish Klingberg count?

Seems, with the amount of clubs losing money each seasn, promoters still aren't charging what they need to break even. When they put up admission, it causes another couple of fans or so to stay away, and so the next season entrance fee rises, causing another handful of fans stay away - either through financial stress or unwiling to pay the extra. Not that it's all down to admission costs, a lot is to do with the entertainment value. Some matches I've withnessed I would not give five bob to watch.

Encourage people to attend more regularly via discount vouchers or similar, say, a certain reduction for every fifth meeting you attend. Top Supermarkets do promotions, so they must work or they simply want to repay valued customers. Away support increases the atmosphere at tracks, so slash away support admission, which would help potential travellers with fuel costs etc many promoters will not touch promotions, because they feel the fans will turn up anyway... so why lose money. As I mentioned previously, a cost that could really be cut from a night's entertainment is the programme... it only need to be a race card, say about 50p worth. Too many clubs nowadays feel the important part of their entire product is a nice glossy magazine that only the biggest of football clubs should produce. I know clubs survive on profits from programmes, but if a fan buying a programme, which he can’t afford, makes him stop attending, then it is negative. Speedway without a programme is not fun, and another three quid or something on top of your admission is asking too much sometimes.

Yeah, a tenner's about right, and perhaps start reducing the cost of a programme. In this day and age, of readily available stories off the internet, the news in a programme is more out of date than ever it was. Surely a basic scorecard is all that's needed.

After many years telling people, that speedway is growing poorer value for money than the year before, and in turn being told to go and watch something else and not post any more comments on these forums, I proudly state “I Told You.” For those that can’t tell the difference, last night’s match between Somerset and Edinburgh is what will keep present fans, introduce new ones, and even see old moxey try and peep a look at his nearest stadium. There was no need for the Golden Clown ploy; every rider seemed hell bent on spilling blood as if it were a GP on a Saturday evening. Well done lads, can’t wait for the next Premier League match. However, I suppose I’ll have to sit through two hours tonight asking myself if yesterday eve was just a blip. One final word – last night, and the danger of speedway providing such entertainment, well, that’s why old-time fans like OldAce and me still stay in touch. We know there’s something there, and we both feel vindicated after having seen the events of last night – the best speedway match I’ve seen in a long time.

Amateur Hour, a 1974 ditty performed by Sparks

After tonight's exciting (never thought I'd live to say that again about a domestic speedway match) Somerset-Edinburgh set-to, surely SKY should be giving more money for PL than for the EL dross they buy. Tonight proved what I've been saying for ages, speedway is still exciting... but it's got to have men willing to want to race and not just ride. Perhaps PL boys aren't tired racing around the globe for various tams in various countries and have a freshness and hunger to race. My belief in the sport has been woken up. Thanks Somerset and Ediburgh. Let's see more lower league(s) activity and less of the so-called star riders.

Thank you for all your hard work, Matt... just glad your interest is still there on doing this project. Look forward to any of your work coming available, which speedway requires and should have by rights had someone compiling records from day one, as any professional sport needs. Thank you Matt. Sure I won't be the last to say this.

Without focusing too much on Europsort's obvious weaknesses, what says this about allowing a "guest" in an international event? My interest began moving off the sofa as soon as I noticed that. On the other hand, perhaps Team GB will have a better chance of some silverware if guests are permitted.

For 14 years SKY have given us live speedway coverage. Let them make one mistake and the speedway perfectionists are onto it in a dash. But... no, no, no. A terrible attempt by Eurosport to throw together a night’s live speedway... and, in this day and age an’ all, there is some people actually defending their ineptitude. Please, Eurosport, if that is the best you can do, stay clear away. The channel has not improved much in 20 years, if any, which is similar in duration that the Pairs competition has been away. Let us hope it is another 20 years before they discover it again. People praising Eurosport must be frightened that speedway won’t be on their screens next season and are desperate for this amateurish network to scoop it up. Some of their trailers and adverts are good though; just I feel that’s blown the budget.

Got up and left the coverage after 20 minutes. The only bad thing I can say about Eurosport is that they are covering this tripe and should show more adverts. What is their excuse for starting late - and are they going to apologise for starting at all.

How time flies. Can remember hearing the news the following day, a Saturday, as I planned spending my first week's wages as a 16 year-old. I recall Vic had just been riding into form - think he scored double figures in the meeting of his death - and it really saddened me to hear of his passing. When a speedway rider dies, and I hate sounding sickly, it is like losing a family member or friend. like they are one of your fraternity. Even as a 50 year-old codger, hearing recent deaths - Lee Richardson, Matej Ferjan, has the same feeling on me as it did when Gary Peterson was my first experience of death in the sport in October 1975.

Why no Britain? Maybe because we would be shown up big style, and no body wants to be shown up. Gee, it'll be like watching Eurovision all over again (sorry, Whiteknight, didn't read your post before including this - but it's funny) Least whoever represented us would be able to blame it on invading Iraq. Just don't invite anyone to partake in our British Championship - now that'd really make our boys look like chumps.

Current attenders scoff when ex speedway fans tell of why they no longer attend, the current fans then whinge about spending almost 20 nicker on a dismal night's entertainment in which there are more bodies on the centregreen than on the terraces. Who has more sense: the likes of moxey63 who has stopped going or people who stubbornly continiue to back a dead horse at £20 a time?

Same here, White Knight, I can't wait but do understand it's a long process, getting everything correct and in order before Matt produces either the 60s or 70s. Just hope I'm not dead before they do come out.

I'll tell you a little secret... perhaps speedway "promoters" think it's a waste of time and effort "promoting." Afterall, they have already won you over, so why else would they bother. Perhaps they believe money spent on advertising wouldn't bring in new customers, or not enough to cover ad costs. Speedway promoters, and I use the term lightly, they are relying on you being there again next week. You will be, won't you? More effort is put into advertising the local school's carboot day than is into this sport.

A bit like Hide and Seek; you don't call "COMING... READY OR NOT" until you've counted your final digit, otherwise that wouldn't look good and could cause tantrums with anyone who's hiding and still, for example, has most of his body (it could be a she) still on show, depending on the vastness of the person's body, of course. Or is that me, just being picky.