Attendances For British Gp

[Sheephead]

I was thinking about the amount of people that attend the british gp and despite the figures going up every year since it started I wondered how much further it can actually go , will we ever have near capacity at cardiff or are we begining to reach our peak?

I would be interested to know other peoples views on the subject?

[iris123]

Your assumption is wrong.Peaked a while back.GP attendances

[Sheephead]

Your assumption is wrong.Peaked a while back.GP attendances

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Iris I stand corrected

 

So looks like we have reached the maximum and are on the decline all ready

[Subedei]

Iris I stand corrected

 

So looks like we have reached the maximum and are on the decline all ready

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Does that surprise you? It doesn't surprise me. Increasingly, people only ever talk to me about the "atmosphere" and the social side of the fixture. That's hardly surprising, since the product on track is appalling.

[2ndBender]

I've said many times, on this forum and elsewhere, two things need to happen before the Cardiff attendance increases; 1) we need a real racetrack, 2) we need a British winner. Neither is likely to happen in the near future.

[Guest Schumi]

So looks like we have reached the maximum and are on the decline all ready

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I wouldn't say we're on the decline, in fact those figures don't seem too shabby to me. It's the most watched GP in the world for goodness sake.

 

2ndBender: whilst I agree with what you say, I also think the lack of hotel rooms in the area for Cardiff weekend plays some small part here. I know of people who can get tickets for the GP but don't have anywhere to stay, so won't go. I suppose the fact that some people are willing to make long journeys, camp out in tents for the weekend, or even make the long trek home the same night goes to show how popular Cardiff is, though I do agree with Subedei that it's getting to be more of a social thing than for the actual racing itself.

[AndyM]

Considering the World Final in the old days used to fill the old Wembley, I find it sad that we have gaps in the Millennium Stadium for what should be the biggest occasion in our domestic calendar. We should be filling it to the rafters! Maybe that's a combination of TV, the logistics of getting to Cardiff and the fact that with the GP circus it's not quite as special any more.

[sjw ministerofport]

The difference is that Cardiff is one of the the rounds of the World champioship, and not a one off final.

[Bezza]

Has BSI thought of staging the Cardiff event in the afternoon, so people cant still get home at a decent time on the same day. Thus, eliminating the need to stay over..

 

With a 3pm start. I reckon you would see anywhere between 50-60,000 for the Cardiff GP.

 

Just a thought....

 

Bez

[Diesel]

I also think the lack of hotel rooms in the area for Cardiff weekend plays some small part here.

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There are going to be a lot of extra hotel rooms appearing in Newport over the next few years, hopefully this will go some way to alleviating the problem.

[Hazzman]

Has BSI thought of staging the Cardiff event in the afternoon, so people cant still get home at a decent time on the same day. Thus, eliminating the need to stay over..

 

With a 3pm start. I reckon you would see anywhere between 50-60,000 for the Cardiff GP.

 

Just a thought....

 

Bez

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It would work against it. For starters, I would have to get ready with 17 other people at 6 am. And then would get back home between 10pm-midnight.

[iris123]

At 6am!!! You can get from London to Scotland in about 5/6 hours.You should be able to get to Cardiff in under 6 hours from anywhere in England surely

[Starman2006]

Personally i feel its down to expence. Hotel cost rising every year, ticket

prices, rising every year, travelling costs, rising every year.put food and drinks for the weekend on top. small wonder the attendances will drop!. The product has to be there, otherwise people will

vote with there feet, sooner or later. Its the same in any sport!.

Edited February 6, 2007 by Starman2006

[Mad Mitch]

Has BSI thought of staging the Cardiff event in the afternoon, so people cant still get home at a decent time on the same day. Thus, eliminating the need to stay over..

 

With a 3pm start. I reckon you would see anywhere between 50-60,000 for the Cardiff GP.

 

Just a thought....

 

Bez

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This is a fine suggestion if the aim is to entertain as many speedway fans as possible in the stadium.

It should be noted that the paymasters for SGP events are SKY TV & they decide Kick off times to suit armchair subscribers to their service.

I cant see them approving 3pm sat for the BSGP ?

 

If they were to get the FA cup final at new Wembley they,d probably have it 7.35 pm on a tuesday. Only joking

Edited February 6, 2007 by Mad Mitch

[AndyM]

The difference is that Cardiff is one of the the rounds of the World champioship, and not a one off final. 

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Yes, as you will have noted from my comments about the GP circus. Fact remains that speedway is in a pretty parlous state when we can't fill the stadium for the biggest occasion in the UK calendar, particularly allowing for all the foreign fans that come flooding into Cardiff. If I were running the event, I would be looking for ways to fill the seats even if that did reduce the number of couch potatoes in the process. Even so, Sky will want to sell all the seats to milk the atmosphere for their audience.

[heathen76]

Despite the often dodgy nature of a temp track,cardiff is seen by most(including the riders) as the jewel in the crown of the GP calendar--so why is it round 3/4??? surely(and i admit that stadium availability must come into play) cardiff should be the final round,where you actually get to see the world champ crowned!(would undoubetdly add to the attendance-even more so if a brit was still in contention,sadly unlikely) I cant beleive BSI havent thought about this,eventhough we would be talking sept/oct it seems the obvious move to fill the place,to me!!

[SPEEDY69]

Moving the start time would have little effect in my opinion. Many people will stil look to stay over, so they can have a drink and a GP 'weekend'. The next day is Sunday so if you like travelling there and back you will have the pleasure of empty roads once you clear Cardiff for the return journey and only a small number of people work on the Sunday. I like the timing as we don't have to rise too early on the Saturday to get there, can soak up the atmosphere in the city beforehand and travel back on the Sunday. It will always be quite expensive whenever it's held but the Hotel situation is deplorable as they rip-off people because they know they can get away with inflammatory prices. The number of block booked rooms by the organiser/sponsors doesn't help the paying fans at all!

[Gemini]

Personally i feel its down to expence. Hotel cost rising every year, ticket

prices, rising every year, travelling costs, rising every year.put food and drinks for the weekend on top. small wonder the attendances will drop!. The product has to be there, otherwise people will

vote with there feet, sooner or later. Its the same in any sport!.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes...but....rather than stopping altogether surely it's best to try to cut down on the expense? It's not really necessary to stay overnight in a hotel as most, if not all tracks, run coaches to Cardiff - even Leicester send one and we haven't held Speedway for 24 years. It still means you can be in Cardiff for the afternoon so don't miss any of the atmosphere.

Buy early and get the cheaper tickets - no-one has to spend £60.

Pack up some sandwiches and a bottle of pop etc., and give up excessive drinking throughout the day which must cost a bomb. (Not aimed at anyone in particular.)

It's also possible to find cheaper B/B's if you book early enough. The one we have always stayed at since 2001 was charging £35 per night bed & breakfast last year which I don't think was too expensive.

[Hazzman]

At 6am!!! You can get from London to Scotland in about 5/6 hours.You should be able to get to Cardiff in under 6 hours from anywhere in England surely

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Someone who we go with doesnt like heights, we have to long way through Wales. I exggerated but I don't think it's feasible.

 

We do what Gem's placed on the thread.

[Diesel]

Someone who we go with doesnt like heights, we have to long way through Wales. I exggerated but I don't think it's feasible.

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What is the long way?? And from where?