British Speedway Crowds

[Team Man]

I was there too Norbold. In fact, I had a free pass for the season.

 

Another freeloder, no wonder they had to close again.

 

(only kidding)

 

I was there too that night....Had a seat just after the start line every week, till they closed again.

[TwoMinuteWarning]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the biggest crowd ever for a single speedway meeting was for the 1976 world final in Katowice, Poland with an an attendance of some 130,000.

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Biggest reported crowd was at Prague for an International 4TT in 1959, and again in 1961. The crowd was said to be capacity - 200,000.

 

Ove Fundin was riding for Sweden in the 1961 meeting, and I seem to remember that he was later reported in Speedway Star as saying that he reckoned there was "only" 150,000 there, as he could see quite a few gaps!

[Lejon]

West Ham also did a comeback in 1964 and stayed on in to the early seventies.

Anyone who has memories frm that time and the crowdlevels?

I think they opened in front of 15000 for a challengematch against Dons.

[TwoMinuteWarning]

West Ham also did a comeback in 1964 and stayed on in to the early seventies.

Anyone who has memories frm that time and the crowdlevels?

I think they opened in front of 15000 for a challengematch against Dons.

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The report I have of their opening meeting on 7 April 1964 aginst Wimbledon (Challenge) says the crowd was 12,000

 

Other reported crowds were

14 April 12,000 v Swindon (Easter Cup)

21 April 12,000 v Norwich (Easter Cup)

28 April 10,000 v Coventry (Britannia Shield)

5 May 12,000 v Belle Vue (Britannia Shield)

19 May 10,000 v Wimbledon (Britannia Shield)

 

But newspaper crowd figures for speedway are VERY unreliable!

[Lejon]

 

The report I have of their opening meeting on 7 April 1964 aginst Wimbledon (Challenge) says the crowd was 12,000

 

Other reported crowds were

14 April 12,000 v Swindon (Easter Cup)

21 April 12,000 v Norwich (Easter Cup)

28 April 10,000 v Coventry (Britannia Shield)

5 May 12,000 v Belle Vue (Britannia Shield)

19 May 10,000 v Wimbledon (Britannia Shield)

 

But newspaper crowd figures for speedway are VERY unreliable!

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Thanks a lot for the information TMW!

Did the stay on on that level the year after or did they drop ?

 

Regards Lejon

[Kevin Meynell]

The point I was making was why were tracks being forced to close when their attendences were well in excess of 5000 and yet today we have tracks open with attendances in the hundreds?

 

I seem to remember John Berry saying that he needed an average of 3,500 paying fans just to break even, so I guess revenue-per-customer was lower and/or operating costs were higher. Certainly tracks used to have full-time employees on the payroll, whereas now everything seems to be done on a part-time or voluntary basis.

 

There is no doubt that attending speedway has gone-up hugely in the past 30 years. Apparently Ipswich charged 5 shillings admission in 1969 which according to the Economic History Services website (http://eh.net/) represented around 0.00003% of an average person's income (GBP 855). In 2000, the average per capita income was GBP 16,207, so 0.00003% would translate to around GBP 4.86 today.

 

Of course, this doesn't take into account the fact that wages have increased above the rate of inflation and have significantly more purchasing power today. According to EPS's RPI calculator, something costing 5 shillings in 1969 would have cost GBP 2.53 in 2002.

 

It's therefore possible to conclude that tracks receive far more money per paying customer than they did in the past.

[Lejon]

The point I was making was why were tracks being forced to close when their attendences were well in excess of 5000 and yet today we have tracks open with attendances in the hundreds?

 

I seem to remember John Berry saying that he needed an average of 3,500 paying fans just to break even, so I guess revenue-per-customer was lower and/or operating costs were higher. Certainly tracks used to have full-time employees on the payroll, whereas now everything seems to be done on a part-time or voluntary basis.

 

There is no doubt that attending speedway has gone-up hugely in the past 30 years. Apparently Ipswich charged 5 shillings admission in 1969 which according to the Economic History Services website (http://eh.net/) represented around 0.00003% of an average person's income (GBP 855). In 2000, the average per capita income was GBP 16,207, so 0.00003% would translate to around GBP 4.86 today.

 

Of course, this doesn't take into account the fact that wages have increased above the rate of inflation and have significantly more purchasing power today. According to EPS's RPI calculator, something costing 5 shillings in 1969 would have cost GBP 2.53 in 2002.

 

It's therefore possible to conclude that tracks receive far more money per paying customer than they did in the past.

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Interesting view of this issue and what a collection of facts !!

 

Lejon