Guest Warleyone Posted June 14, 2004 Report Share Posted June 14, 2004 Well the Cardiff GP was my first speedway event – and what an event ! I’ve been to many sports events, but this surpassed every thing. We were totally hooked, and will be going to some league meetings. Some feed back from a novice though. 1. Given that this was one of the best sports I’ve been too, why does it get very poor coverage? Driving home, the result didn’t even get a mention on the radio, and only a brief sub page on Teletext. Perhaps speedway needs better promotion (and not just rely on sky TV) ? This event deserved a full house. 2. During the racing it was very difficult to identify the riders. I understood the bit about coloured helmets, but the numbers of the riders wasn’t easy to see off the big Sky TV screen. This made it a bit more difficult to follow in the later stages. Perhaps the rider’s numbers should be more prominently displayed in the stadium rather than just showing the live TV pictures. 3. The atmosphere was brilliant. However why not make the whole of the top tier “air horn” free (there was plenty of space). That way you could choose to avoid a blast in the ear ! I know there were some air horn free zones - but this wasn't obvious when I booked my tickets. 4. The program – This was far better and informative than other events I’ve been too. 5. The pre-race, interval and fire work display entertainment – Very good. 6. The racing – superb !!!! The evening ‘raced' by. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCB Posted June 14, 2004 Report Share Posted June 14, 2004 Glad you enjoyed your day, Cardiff is something special and it unlikely to be beat at another event anywhere in the world until next year, AT CARDIFF!!! so don't go to a meeting elsewhere expecting such a great atmosphere and so much noise, that doesn't mean it's not grat though. Some of the questions you ask have been asked by speedway fans for years now, the media seem to dislike us for some reason, it does not help that Sky Sports don't allow the BBC any coverage, or so I was told by a BBC Sport Wales employee a few years back. Sadly ALL speedways rights have been sold to Sky, who ever decided to do that should be shot. After a while rider identification is easier, you learn riders styles, lines and what there race suits look like. In Elite league meetings teams have race suits so you can at least tell which team has won, you're also closer to the action so get a better view of helmets/numbers. At Cardiff even the closest people are further away then the furthered people at some UK tracks. At somewhere like Exeter you can stand almost over the fence though I beleive most tracks have a 2 metre zone(or a dog track!) between the fence and the spectators. I was in the top tier, row 18, wich was pretty much the last used row apart form the odd person who went right up into the gods so we had the noise but didn't have some inconsiderate kid behind us with an airhorn. I have sat in the top(twice), middle and bottom tier and I found the bottom tier (where your basiclaly covered by the middle tier) to be so boring as there was very little noise or atmospehere down there. I don't think it helped that we sat next to newbies who were a little unsure and did not know who to cheer. You say you enjoyed the prgramme, the GP programmes are brilliant but go to a league meeting at some tracks and you'll wonder why you paid £1.50 or £2 for shuch a pile of rubbish. Some tracks have brillaint, informative well designed programmes. The last 2 points, thats why we love it Just out of intrest, where is your closest track? Do you know? If not I'm sure someone can point you in the right direction. Don't be put off by the lower league not having the GP guys riding, it's just as much fun and you get to watch soe of the up and comming youngsters who are generally a bit keener than some of the top guys in the higher leagues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeathenBaggie Posted June 14, 2004 Report Share Posted June 14, 2004 Glad you enjoyed it. Unfortunately, the national media have always had a downer on speedway yet 'smaller' spectator sports like tennis and darts(!) get hyped to the hilt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickmiller Posted June 14, 2004 Report Share Posted June 14, 2004 Does anyone think that the Speedway Star race card is easier to fill in because its all on one page? Did anyone get the time for the Final as I was to busy waving and didnt hear it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nevs Posted June 14, 2004 Report Share Posted June 14, 2004 Well the Cardiff GP was my first speedway event – and what an event ! Some feed back from a novice though. 1. Given that this was one of the best sports I’ve been too, why does it get very poor coverage? This event deserved a full house. The media see it as a minority sport-- You came along for the first time--welcome aboard the great sport--now go out,tell all your friends and drag one or two along next year. The sport IS on the up and its people like you that are helping to spread the word. One day the press will get the message--but we gotta get everyone and people like you to make them know they have to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCB Posted June 14, 2004 Report Share Posted June 14, 2004 I have just sat and watch BBC Wales news. BMX, it had a crowd of 20,000 people you know. Other stuff that did not attract 35,000+ people but did speedway get a mention? NO! No doubt the prmoters will claim next week "speedway is getting bigger". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjw ministerofport Posted June 14, 2004 Report Share Posted June 14, 2004 Glad you enjoyed the GP. I had someone who had never been to the speeway before and he thought it was great. About the BBC not covering speedway, i seem to remember that they did not want to know speedway until they had trouble with the cricket coverage and wanted to use speedway as a replacement sport. I think the speedway authority told them where to go. I may be wrong about this though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCB Posted June 14, 2004 Report Share Posted June 14, 2004 The last few years the BBC have mentioned the speedwya on the Friday and Monday. This year the speedway did not get a mention, the sport is going backwards not forwards with the media. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Evans Posted June 14, 2004 Report Share Posted June 14, 2004 Does anyone think that the Speedway Star race card is easier to fill in because its all on one page? I always take my speedway star and fill that in then fill in the Gp program nice and neatly when i get home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody-the-bee Posted June 14, 2004 Report Share Posted June 14, 2004 for the sport to truly move forward clubs need to promote league speedway more prominently. i've never seen an advert for coventry speedway at all. the most i've seen is a small write-up of the last result in my weekly local newspaper. if the sport is to attract more people, they need to let the people know the sport exists. i'll admit that 5 years ago i never knew what speedway was. it was only through a friend that i got into the sport. seems the only way to promote the sport, word of mouth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Warleyone Posted June 15, 2004 Report Share Posted June 15, 2004 Thanks every one for your kind comments. Its actually the first time that I felt I needed to post feedback on a sporting event ! Understand that Sky is important to the sport, but the aim should be to at least get a few seconds on a Radio sports report. Cricket has this constant battle to get attention, but watch the way the way that they try to promote Twenty20 this summer ! I originally come from Great Yarmouth, and I think they had speedway many years ago ??? This might upset some, but my wife has said it’s going to be either Wolverhampton, Coventry of Oxford as we now live in the Midlands. Not sure if these teams are any good - but thats a subject on another of the forums Take the point that every venue and event isn’t like Cardiff, but it was the racing that did it for us ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jemma Posted June 15, 2004 Report Share Posted June 15, 2004 This might upset some, but my wife has said it’s going to be either Wolverhampton, Coventry of Oxford as we now live in the Midlands. Not sure if these teams are any good - but thats a subject on another of the forums Well you'll be more than welcome if you come and join us at Oxford! I'm totally biased but I think we have a very entertaining side this year. But maybe you should just go along to all the tracks you mentioned and see where you like the best? How's that for diplomacy?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody-the-bee Posted June 15, 2004 Report Share Posted June 15, 2004 if you want to see a team win every week, go to coventry. it won't be the home side, but... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
full-throttle Posted June 15, 2004 Report Share Posted June 15, 2004 I originally come from Great Yarmouth, and I think they had speedway many years ago ??? This might upset some, but my wife has said it’s going to be either Wolverhampton, Coventry of Oxford as we now live in the Midlands. Not sure if these teams are any good - but thats a subject on another of the forums Take the point that every venue and event isn’t like Cardiff, but it was the racing that did it for us ! Warley, Monday night is Wolverhampton ELITE LEAGUE night, for directions click here alternatively Coventry occosionally have CONFERENCE LEAGUE racing on Monday night, click here Thursday night is Coventry ELITE LEAGUE Friday night is Oxfords chosen race night, where you can also watch ELITE LEAGUE racing, directions are here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Warleyone Posted June 15, 2004 Report Share Posted June 15, 2004 Hi Full Throttle Thanks for the info. If all goes to plan, we're going to try for this Monday night (21st) at Wolverhampton ! Again thanks everyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobtasker Posted June 15, 2004 Report Share Posted June 15, 2004 Hi Warleyone, & welcome! As has been mentioned, word of mouth is the main source of new fans, due to the general lack of advertising, so I was wondering: What made you make the good move & venture to the GP on Saturday? I'm pleased to see you were so pleasantly surprised by the spectacle. Was it a case of "let's try out this speedway thing" or "there's a big event - let's go see"? It's always been "noteworthy" to spot an advert out in the Land of The General Public, because it is such a rare event - even on Sky, i've never noticed the Cardiff GP trailer..... except during the speedway coverage! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Warleyone Posted June 15, 2004 Report Share Posted June 15, 2004 Hi Hope no one minds this thread continuing in the GP section… A complex answer to this one. Last June I was driving in my car, and there was a thirty second slot on BBC Radio 5 on the GP at Cardiff. The reporter enthused about the event (didn’t hear that type of report this year). A few months went by, and I visited my mum in Great Yarmouth. We were talking about the lack of sports to go and watch in that part of Norfolk. She said that when she was young she used to attend speedway in Yarmouth, and it was brilliant (sadly the speedway closed many years ago – so unless you’re into Greyhound racing, a little horseracing or non-league football there’s not a lot of sport to follow – speedway would be a superb sport for a holiday town like Yarmouth, they still do Hot Rod & Banger racing at Yarmouth Stadium.). Anyway I thought that if my mum loved the speedway and missed it, and the report on the Radio seemed so positive I’d have to give it a try. So I though a good way to check it out was to go to the GP first. I started to look for some tickets for this year’s GP. Did a search on the Internet and Ticketmaster had some ! (If it wasn’t for the internet I wouldn’t have known where to start - because I didn't see the event advertised). I took my wife and she loved it too. The great thing is that she is also eager to go again ! It wasn't just the atmosphere in the statdium, it was the actual racing ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joanne Posted June 15, 2004 Report Share Posted June 15, 2004 Brilliant story Warleyone. Have you thought about putting it in the paper? Glad you enjoyed it. You know the World Cup is in England in August. I don't know what part of the Midlands you come from but Stoke could be classed as the Midlands. They are in the Premier League and ride on a Saturday. Welcome to the mad world of being a speedway supporter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody-the-bee Posted June 15, 2004 Report Share Posted June 15, 2004 (edited) once again depending on where in the midlands there's peterborough not too far away. that one's for if you live in the east midlands though. the fans make the sport what it is. i remember at cardiff last year me and a few mates (bees fans) bumped into a gang of wolves fans. after a few drinks, we started to chat and have a little banter about the local rivalry. it was all good natured and very well mannered (they mustn't have been from wolverhampton itself then ) whereas if it was a football event something may have kicked off. there's no segregation at speedway grounds, you sit where you like and talk to whoever is next to you be they supporting the same team as you or not. of course you get the vast minority spoiling it for the majority but every sport has those people. Edited June 15, 2004 by woody-the-bee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Warleyone Posted June 15, 2004 Report Share Posted June 15, 2004 Thanks for the info. This could become a big problem ! I could see this becoming addictive as we visit Wolverhampton, Coventry, Stoke Peterborough, Oxford and who knows I'll have to check out if they still do speedway in Kings Lynn - could be a nice diversion when I next visit my mum in Yarmouth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.