Img - Future Grand Prix Locations

[Fingersfin]

Having listened to Plant Speedways interview with IMG it seems pretty obvious that Australia will be targeted for a return to the Speedway GP series.

 

The last Grand Prix in Oz was reasonably well supported with around 22000 there, although a lot of them were freebies if I remember correctly.

 

I know the local promoter lost a shed load, something to do with clean up costs I think!!

 

Anyway there are a fair few Aussies on this forum.

 

What would be your recipe for success for an Australian Grand Prix?

 

Date, location etc

 

Should a visit back to the Telstra stadium be attempted again? or should Melbourne be targeted with its love of all things sport.

 

How could it be made a success, free Bundy for all

 

It is a shame that the worlds best rider cannot be supported by his own.

Does Queensland have a suitable stadium, I can't think of one around the Gold Coast, but there must be one in Brisbane.

 

When I was in Oz the only place I saw speedway mentioned was in back country Victoria and at Surfers Paradise.

 

Which event attracted the biggest crowd during the winter Aussie title series?

 

Anyway starting to ramble........

[Subedei]

My guess is the GPs will implode under IMG. They'll come up against powerful vested interests. My guess is that they'll consider some sort of central contract situation where the top riders are contracted to them, rather than individual clubs and try to dictate where and when they'll ride. This will bring conflict with the powerful leagues such as Poland and Sweden.

[spiegal]

My guess is the GPs will implode under IMG. They'll come up against powerful vested interests. My guess is that they'll consider some sort of central contract situation where the top riders are contracted to them, rather than individual clubs and try to dictate where and when they'll ride. This will bring conflict with the powerful leagues such as Poland and Sweden.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

The only option for BRITISH SPEEDWAY is to go down the road of BSPA owing the riders contracts.

 

If ever there was a case for it, now is the time.

 

Let the GP riders go...half of them are gone already...level up all the major 20 clubs...all the Elite..half of the Premier..have a levelling out of averages and re vamp the whole league.

 

Let's face it teh GP riders don't give a flying **** about British Speedway, let them have Sweden/Poland and us ethe oppertunity to get as many British riders in a big league.

 

It would have so much benefit to the league strata, and enable the Brits to start where the Swedes/Poles were 10 years ago.

 

If you think that Elite League can go on as before then you are in for a very nasty shock.

[Subedei]

If you think that Elite League can go on as before then you are in for a very nasty shock.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I agree. British speedway is suffering a slow lingering death and only radical and painful surgery can save it. Look at Poland a few years ago, where the clubs were forced to look inwards for riders because of restrictions of foreign riders. All of a sudden new faces emerged, giving Poland the critical mass of riders required. Maybe the UK leagues need to go weaker to emerge stronger and healthier. It surely can't go on as it is.

[Diesel]

Let the GP riders go...half of them are gone already...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Lets ignore the facts for the sake of sensationalism, eh!?

[fatface]

This the BIG news in speedway at the moment and the silence on here is deafening. Congrats to BSI who have promoted the sport bloody well at top level IMO. This move can only be good for SGP and I can see us heading to the USA, Australia, Middle East maybe even Japan with the series in the coming years.

 

As for league racing in the UK, yes there is a danger it will get left behind. I did used to think that the best way would be to strip it of GP riders, but I've come round to the opinion that would devalue the product far too much and the EL would look a very poor cousin on SKY when compared to the GPs.

 

Instead Britain has to get a uniform race day. If it wasnt accepted before, then it must be accepted now. The GP is a series that is only going to grow and as it does, the demands on riders increases, British Speedway will feel the squeeze and more riders will quit the UK.

 

The speedway world doesn't revolve around Britain anymore, we cannot expect it to do so. The UK has to make the league more attractive to top riders by lessening its demands. That way, riders may actually start drifting back to Britain rather than away.

[Subedei]

The GP series will implode, that's why no one is too concerned.

[fatface]

The GP series will implode, that's why no one is too concerned.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Complete and utter tosh.

 

We've had people on this forum for a few years now saying that the world championships would never survive under BSI. Wrong. It has thrived. Now an even bigger company takes over with huge resources and you're still predicting its demise? Don't ever be a gambler mate.

[Subedei]

Yes, the audiences just get better and better each season. Except they don't. They've levelled off and only expanding to more and more venues allows people to say it's doing well. But the riders on which the GP series has been built are all heading towards the ends of their careers. The top eight in the GPs has been more or less static for years - the same old names, the same old faces. It's getting tired and old.

If IMG decide to expand into still more venues, the riders will not be able to accommodate these fixtures and the various leagues. But the leagues underwrite, to a large extent, the GPs, since they provide a steady income for the riders. Time will come when, perhaps, they have to choose the leagues or the GPs. If they choose the GPs, IMG will have to make it worth their while. Are they in the business of losing money?

[fatface]

Yup, heard that all before and still waiting for the implosion.

 

Can we have some figures on the total amount of people attending SGP year on year? I assume you'll be able to prove that less and less people are attending World Championships year-on-year.

 

Ditto for TV viewers...let's see that evidence of decline as well.

 

I'll bet IMG are dreading this depressing evidence you're about unveil...

[Guest Schumi]

Yup, heard that all before and still waiting for the implosion.

 

Can we have some figures on the total amount of people attending SGP year on year?  I assume you'll be able to prove that less and less people are attending World Championships year-on-year.

 

Ditto for TV viewers...let's see that evidence of decline as well.

 

I'll bet IMG are dreading this depressing evidence you're about unveil...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I was just going back looking for the attendance figures I thought had been posted a while ago when I came across this:

Must admit that it was a pricey old weekend. I'm off to Prague in September and early calculations are that it will be be a similar price to Cardiff, if not cheaper. If the racing is better in Prague - and chances are it will be - guess where my regular GP trip will be to?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

So I guess that was one less that year then?

 

Anyway, British GP attendance:

 

2001 = 31,000

2002 = 40,000

2003 = 36,676

2004 = 35,000

2005 = 38,460

2006 = 40,371

 

Depending on who you talk to and which source you use, but I think a link was posted a while ago with the foreign attendance figures and if I remember rightly they weren't so good.

Edited April 17, 2007 by Schumi

[AndyM]

My guess is the GPs will implode under IMG. They'll come up against powerful vested interests. My guess is that they'll consider some sort of central contract situation where the top riders are contracted to them, rather than individual clubs and try to dictate where and when they'll ride. This will bring conflict with the powerful leagues such as Poland and Sweden.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Then we'll finally get to the situation of two-tier speedway and the GP circus will finally have cut its own throat by cutting itself off from the roots. Mixed metaphor, but you get what I mean!

 

We've already proved that the BSPA is no match for vested interests of TV and GP - what makes you think the Polish and Swedish leagues will fare any better, Sube?

[Subedei]

Yup, heard that all before and still waiting for the implosion.

 

Can we have some figures on the total amount of people attending SGP year on year?  I assume you'll be able to prove that less and less people are attending World Championships year-on-year.

 

Ditto for TV viewers...let's see that evidence of decline as well.

 

I'll bet IMG are dreading this depressing evidence you're about unveil...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I'm afraid there's no hope for you, terminal delusion has set in.

[fatface]

Can we have some figures on the total amount of people attending SGP year on year?  I assume you'll be able to prove that less and less people are attending World Championships year-on-year.

 

Ditto for TV viewers...let's see that evidence of decline as well.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Can't believe I'm being quoted from four years ago!! I feel famous. Well, maybe infamous. Anyway, despite my misgivings in 2003 (i'm a customer, it's my right to moan!) I've been to Cardiff and one other GP every year since (Prague, Krsko, Daugavpils).

 

So, this sticky business of less people watching the World Championship. We've seen the figures from Cardiff. Interesting, but not the real crux of the matter. Let's see the total decline as asked for above. Here's a template for you:

 

2000 SGP total attendance:

2001 SGP total attendance:

2002 SGP total attendance:

2003 SGP total attendance:

2004 SGP total attendance:

2005 SGP total attendance:

2006 SGP total attendance:

Edited April 17, 2007 by falcace

[Subedei]

2000 SGP total attendance:

2001 SGP total attendance:

2002 SGP total attendance:

2003 SGP total attendance:

2004 SGP total attendance:

2005 SGP total attendance:

2006 SGP total attendance:

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Well, let me see, six GPs in 2000 and ten GPs in 2006? If there hasn't been a rise in attendance then BSI are doing worse than I could ever imagine.

[fatface]

I know the series being expanded is a terrible thing isn't it? Thousands more people watching our world championship in person and on television...awful, awful business. No evidence of the decline yet?

 

Hurry up, it might not be too late for IMG. The fools think they've bought a successful sporting product which has potential to grow. Quick, quick, show them the evidence that they've made a huge mistake...

[spiegal]

This has always been the opinion of the enthusiast rather than the realist.

 

Look at the attendance figures for British Speedway. Look at the dearth of British Riders.Look at the prices for 30 minutes racing, cos that is what you are getting at the moment.

 

Look at Rugby League,look at Cricket. They saw the problem, and rectified it.

 

The ONLY hope for British Speedway is to have a total rebuild. there is no other option. You cannot forever go down the road of trying to retain your existing public. That is the big mistake the BSPA made back in 1980.

 

Read John Berry's books.

 

The days of the bobble hat,woolly scarf and rattle are gone, and the stuck in the mud enthusiast has gone with it. I could tell you a very very interesting story about re-inventing a business, and basically speedway here in Uk must do it or die.

 

British Speedway must rebuild itslef or simply it will slither down into a demise the likes of which will be horribly rapid.

 

People are simply fed up with racing teh same teams 3 or 4 times each year. It needs a 20 team league with its own growth generation., to provide comparisons and genuine Team racing.

 

You make your own stars/heroes/teams within 3 years.

 

Who in their right mind supports a team full of Poles/Swedes/Danes/Americans etc who have no allegience whatsoever to their side.

 

Professional senior sportsmen including speedway Riders are like Hookers. Who ever pays them teh most they will love until the next, and bigger paymaster comes along.

 

Time for the purple coated specs to be replaced by genuine realism

[Subedei]

I know the series being expanded is a terrible thing isn't it?  Thousands more people watching our world championship in person and on television...awful, awful business.  No evidence of the decline yet?

 

Hurry up, it might not be too late for IMG. The fools think they've bought a successful sporting product which has potential to grow.  Quick, quick, show them the evidence that they've made a huge mistake...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Yes, your delusions are terminal. And why should I advise IMG of their folly?

[fatface]

I agree with a lot of what you say Spiegal. It's good to welcome someone into the debate who can disuss the issue rationally and with reason. British speedway does have big problems and does need an overhaul. It's shortcomings have become all the more obvious as the GP has risen to prominence.

 

We need to learn from the GPs and indeed the other leagues. As far as I can see, the Swedish and Polish leagues are successfully run. Regular race days, all the top riders and decent crowds.

 

Regular race days is linked to getting all the top riders back in the UK. There are a load of other things they could do to improve the sport. But just to pick one big one - stadiums. Some of the venues in Britain really are shockingly bad. People expect better in the 21st Century.

 

As an example, I occasionally go to Horse Racing. Now I'm not big on the sport in anyway, but the surroundings are comfortable, there is always a bit of extra entertainment and consequently a good atmosphere. Even if you don't have a massive interest in the sport, you can still have a good night out. There's not many British speedway stadiums you could say this of.

[NJT]

Top rider do not make a great meeting, just ask anyone who witnessed the Plymouth v USA Dream Team meeting lst week. Passing in every race, plenty of incident and a very enjoyable evening except for the injury to Adam.