IainB

Time to bring back Fred Truman's Indoor League, Speedway would fit in quite nicely 😁

With Speedway's focus seeming to be switching towards betting, could it go the same way as Greyhounds i.e. daytime meetings ran in front of minimal crowds for a far eastern sports betting markets?

I can't take the credit, I just asked ai the question and even that doesn't know actual speedway attendances, so I'd think a fair amount of estimation has been done. Ps. I also asked it how much it costs to stage a speedway meeting, for your other topic, the emergency services are currently on their way to all Google data centres on the planet, as they're currently going up in smoke 🔥🚒😂

You are absolutely correct. Upon reviewing the most recent data for the 2023/24 season, placing Greyhound racing in the "1–1.2 million" bracket is likely too generous for the current climate. The sport has seen a sharp decline since its pre-pandemic figure of ~1.9 million (2019). It has almost certainly been overtaken by Ice Hockey in terms of actual paying spectators. Here is the corrected breakdown of why that figure was too high and where it actually sits: 1. The "Ghost Meeting" Factor While Greyhound racing still has a high volume of events (daily meetings), the vast majority are now held in the daytime specifically for online/shop betting markets, often with negligible or zero physical attendance. * Correction: The "real" spectator number (people actively buying tickets for a night out) is likely now below 1 million. * Trend: Major track closures (e.g., Crayford, Peterborough, Belle Vue) have further reduced capacity. 2. Ice Hockey has officially overtaken it The Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) released confirmed figures for the 2023/24 season, reporting 1.25 million total spectators. * Significance: This officially cements Ice Hockey as the UK’s biggest indoor sport and places it firmly ahead of Greyhound racing. * Average Attendance: The EIHL average is now approx. 3,600 per game (with teams like Sheffield Steelers averaging nearly 8,000), whereas average Greyhound attendance per meeting has dropped significantly. Corrected Top 10 Ranking With this adjustment, the "Chasing Pack" changes order: 6. Rugby League (~1.5m - 2m) 7. Ice Hockey (~1.25m) (Up from 8) 8. Greyhound Racing (<1m) (Down from 7) 9. Tennis (~700k) 10. Basketball (Rising fast, though total aggregate numbers are lower due to venue size). You were right to flag that—Ice Hockey is now the clear #7 sport in the UK by attendance.

Based on the most recent attendance figures from 2023 and 2024 (including data from industry analysts Two Circles, government reports, and governing bodies), here are the top attended sports in the UK. The "Big 5" Spectator Sports These five sports generate the vast majority of all ticket sales in the UK, with football being the undisputed king. 1. Football (Men's) * Annual Attendance: ~55 Million+ * Context: The Premier League alone draws nearly 15 million fans. When combined with the EFL (Championship, League 1, League 2), Scottish Premiership, and cups, it dwarfs all other sports combined. * Trend: Consistently breaking records; Premier League occupancy is at ~97%. 2. Horse Racing * Annual Attendance: ~4.8 Million * Context: Historically the UK's second-biggest sport. While numbers have dipped slightly from pre-pandemic highs (approx 6m), major festivals like Cheltenham (250k+), Royal Ascot (300k), and the Grand National still drive massive crowds. 3. Rugby Union * Annual Attendance: ~4 - 5 Million * Context: Driven by the Gallagher Premiership, the United Rugby Championship (Welsh/Scottish teams), and huge international crowds at Twickenham (82k capacity) and the Principality Stadium (74k) for the Six Nations. 4. Cricket * Annual Attendance: ~2.5 - 3 Million * Context: A mix of International Tests (The Ashes are huge), The Hundred (which has boosted numbers significantly), the T20 Blast, and County Championship matches. Lord’s and The Oval regularly sell out summer fixtures. 5. Women’s Football * Annual Attendance: ~2.1 Million (2024 Estimate) * Context: The fastest-growing spectator sport in the UK. According to recent reports, it has now overtaken Rugby League and other traditional sports to break into the top 5, driven by the WSL and Lionesses' success. The "Chasing Pack" (Over 1 Million) 6. Rugby League * Annual Attendance: ~1.5 - 2 Million * Context: Concentrated heavily in the North of England. The Super League draws ~1.5m annually, with the Championship and Challenge Cup adding to the total. 7. Ice Hockey * Annual Attendance: ~1.25 Million * Context: Often cited as the UK’s biggest indoor sport. The Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) set a new record in the 2023/24 season, with teams like Sheffield Steelers and Nottingham Panthers drawing large weekly crowds. 8. Greyhound Racing * Annual Attendance: ~1 - 1.2 Million * Context: Has seen a significant decline from its mid-20th-century peak, but the frequency of meetings (daily events at tracks like Romford, Hove, and Monmore) keeps the aggregate attendance numbers high. Major Event & Rising Sports (Top 10-20) Rankings in this section fluctuate based on annual events (e.g., if the UK hosts a World Cup or Commonwealth Games). 9. Tennis * Key Driver: Wimbledon (~530,000 attendees over two weeks). * Total: ~700k (including Queen’s Club, Eastbourne, and Davis Cup events). 10. Motorsport (Formula 1 & Bikes) * Key Driver: The British Grand Prix at Silverstone (~480,000 weekend attendance). * Total: ~1 Million (including MotoGP, British Superbikes, and BTCC). 11. Golf * Key Driver: The Open Championship (~250,000+). * Total: ~400k - 500k (including the PGA Championship at Wentworth and the Scottish Open). 12. Darts * Key Driver: The PDC World Championship (Ally Pally) and Premier League. * Total: ~350k+. The Premier League tour fills large arenas weekly for 4 months. 13. American Football (NFL) * Key Driver: The NFL London Games. * Total: ~250k - 300k. The 3 annual games at Wembley/Tottenham sell out instantly (80k+ per game). 14. Basketball * Key Driver: Super League Basketball (formerly BBL). * Total: ~200k+. Growing fast in urban centers, with high participation converting slowly to viewership. 15. Boxing * Key Driver: Stadium fights (e.g., Joshua/Fury bouts at Wembley/Tottenham). * Total: Variable. A massive stadium year can hit ~250k; a quiet year ~150k. 16. Speedway * Key Driver: The British Speedway Premiership. * Total: ~200k. Declining but retains a loyal following at tracks like Belle Vue (Manchester) and Ipswich. 17. Snooker * Key Driver: World Championship (The Crucible). * Total: ~100k (Limited by small venue capacities despite huge TV figures). 18. Netball * Key Driver: Netball Super League (NSL). * Trend: Rapid growth. The 2024 final drew a record ~8,500 crowd. 19. Athletics * Key Driver: Diamond League (London Stadium). * Total: ~80k - 100k annually. 20. MMA (UFC/Cage Warriors) * Key Driver: UFC London events. * Total: ~30k - 50k (Limited by few events, but always immediate sell-outs).

... or the sports CEO stepping in and re-arranging play off fixtures for commercial (betting) reasons 😂

I don't know, he'd obviously be in close contact with the existing owners, not so sure about any new prospective owners, maybe it's an indication that it's not looking good for any imminent sale of the Witches 🤷‍♂️

Point your boss to the "What will 2026 UK speedway bring?" topic thread and I'm sure they'll understand... they may even give you compassionate leave! 😂

You get 11 meetings at Plymouth... they must be expecting a bit of a cup run 😂

They did, not sure it flopped, but as with so many things in Speedway it just wasn't nurtured and grown, they kind of said here you are bookies you now have the privilege of being involved in Speedway now it's up to you... instead of working with them to really make something of it.

In 2024, during the General Election campaign, Davies placed a bet of £8,000 against himself to lose his seat and subsequently became embroiled in the 2024 United Kingdom general election betting scandal

Look at the effect it's had though, it's sent F1 stratospheric, especially in the US who now have 3 sell out GP's and it's doubled their tv audience... and probably more importantly attracted a younger demographic worldwide. The estimated budget was between $5m & $10m, that was for a 20+ race series worldwide though and probably included some kind of rights payment. WBD could probably have done it a lot cheaper being the rights holders. Meanwhile we have a 6 x World Champion and the only thing we know about him is he's "big happy" after each GP he wins 😂

It's a familiar smell at Sheffield, especially once the pie and mushy peas have worked their way through their fans digestive systems! 😷

Didn't WBD say they were going to do something similar when they announced their "new era"?

Apparently they have a growth plan! 😂

Breaking News: There's no news

Sir Philip Green would have been better!

About bloomin time, hopefully a BSN season pass won't be far behind... as it looks like that's about the only British Speedway I'm likely to see next season, with a perfectly good facility not 1 and a half miles up the road from me!

See you down there! Plymouth do seem to be leading the way with their initiatives 👍🏻

I'd agree, but... there's not one CL team that has announced season ticket sales yet despite them merrily announcing signings as if it's completely business as usual and there's nothing to see here. Which leads me to suspect that everything could change at a moments notice.

I don't blame him because as it stands at the moment there is no top tier Speedway in the UK in 2026

I saw this the other day from 1933 and the remarkable thing is how much of the presentation has not changed since then:

From Cardiff to Foxhole, via Manchester, in 2 years that's quite some decline

Only if Luke Becker gets the wild card 😁🇺🇸

... meanwhile in North Lincolnshire