Gelsenkirken Refunds

[richsimpson]

Am I the only person who finds it ironic that IMG are still advertising tickets for the Gelsenkirchen GP on the Speedway GP Website?!?!

 

http://www.speedwayworld.tv/german2008/

 

Not really, thats not the main page. go to the m,ain site its advertising the Final GP 2008 but if you go to the german2008 page it does!, same with Cardiff2008.

[janey2]

not only did we have a cancelled meeting then to top the weekend off a treat our plane was cancelled, unlike no information at the stadium ryan air sorted us out a flight from frankfurt only a 4 hour coach trip from dusseldorf lol! But on the plus side still had a brill weekend met loads of people and actually felt quite jolly after a few vodkas.

[sjw ministerofport]

With the risk of being battered verbally or otherwise, we love the social side of the GP's and like Janey2 we had a great weekend.

[andy_dugmore]

Less chance, not no chance, unfortunately.

 

Like I said, though, I do sympathise and if I was in the same boat I'd be very peed off, too.

 

can any one confirm what's to people who have already got their cardiff ticket and can not go to the other two GP's? Are they just leaving me out? if you have any email addresses so i can contact them that'll be great

[sjw ministerofport]

Hi Andy, if you go onto Speedway World TV and click on corperate you get a contact box for e-mails. I have tried them twice without a reply, usually they answere but not this time yet.

[Trees]

Nothing wrong with bsi, the problem is ole olsen. The man has no shame and in his own mind is always right. If he were my employee he would of been sacked.

Problem for bsi is he has his fingers in to many pies. Pity its not and electric socket

He's their employee so the buck stops with them surely?

 

Hancock made it quite clear on Saturday, I did just catch the second semi and the final on Sunday morning, gord knows why really, that things are going on behind the scenes in the Gps. Obviously the riders are not happy about the German call off and the restaging at Bydgoszcz, Gollob's speedway training track, when it was their position within the FIM World Speedway Championship at stake on an unfair playground ...................... I'm guessing they aren't happy about the GP in aus either if they aren't getting enough wages to pay them to travel out there. Things for the FIM to sort out obviously ...............

[Jeff.]

He's their employee so the buck stops with them surely?

 

Hancock made it quite clear on Saturday, I did just catch the second semi and the final on Sunday morning, gord knows why really, that things are going on behind the scenes in the Gps. Obviously the riders are not happy about the German call off and the restaging at Bydgoszcz, Gollob's speedway training track, when it was their position within the FIM World Speedway Championship at stake on an unfair playground ...................... I'm guessing they aren't happy about the GP in aus either if they aren't getting enough wages to pay them to travel out there. Things for the FIM to sort out obviously ...............

 

As an aside I had to laugh today when I read that Exeters new track looks dodgy, shame for the 5 or 6 hundred fans that would have attended. Still it puts off the inevitable "save our speedway" campaign that will no doubt happen in a couple of years time when the track is failing as most are.

 

I presume you have no problem with that opinion or is the right to gloat at misfortune reserved for you and your anti GP cronies, who all incidentally seem never to miss a GP despite their so called dislike of them.

 

[Humphrey Appleby]

I presume you have no problem with that opinion or is the right to gloat at misfortune reserved for you and your anti GP cronies

 

It's an entirely different thing, and your unbridalled praise of all things BSI in the face of the Gelsenkirchen does you no credit. I have no problem with anyone enjoying the SGP, or believing that it's the future, but equally others are entitled to point out things that are not rosy in the SGP garden. Personally, I've never thought BSI has done that great a job with the series, and only looks good because the rest of speedway is such a shambles. People have come to expect low standards from speedway the over the years, which is apparently why they're prepared to make apologies for a rained off indoor GP, which would be laughed at in any sport.

 

All this aside, when all the local tracks have gone (yes, the ones only getting 500-600 people), and the last 16 riders have retired (and let's face it, most of them are well into their 30s now), where will the great BSI get its riders from then? When only one meeting is staged in a handful of countries (or possibly only Poland by then) per year, will you consider the sport has progressed?

Edited October 21, 2008 by Humphrey Appleby

[Jeff.]

It's an entirely different thing, and your unbridalled praise of all things BSI in the face of the Gelsenkirchen does you no credit. I have no problem with anyone enjoying the SGP, or believing that it's the future, but equally others are entitled to point out things that are not rosy in the SGP garden. Personally, I've never thought BSI has done that great a job with the series, and only looks good because the rest of speedway is such a shambles. People have come to expect low standards from the over the years, which is apparently why they're prepared to make apologies for a rained off indoor GP, which would be laughed at in any sport.

 

All this aside, when all the local tracks have gone (yes, the ones only getting 500-600 people), and the last 16 riders have retired (and let's face it, most of them are well into their 30s now), where will the great BSI get its riders from then? When only one meeting is staged in a handful of countries (or possibly only Poland by then) per year, will you consider the sport has progressed?

 

But at this moment in time the urgent need to bend is with the British Elite League, not with BSI.

 

British promoters have for many years attempted to combat the problem of falling crowds by simply putting up admission for the remainder, rather than look at the reasons fans were deserting in the first place, ultimately, when the threshold of value for money is exeeded by more and more fans there will be no way out for the sport in this country. We are perilously close to, if not actually past that point now.

 

If British Promoters got their house in order and worked in harmony with the GP, initially by adopting Mondays & Thursdays as race days, actually promote the sport, use the 3 hours of free prime time advertising they get every other Saturday, set admission at a level where fans would attend, implement a points limit that allowed for year on year strengthening rather than continual weakening, maybe the fans would come back.

 

As you say in the long term both the GP and Elite League probably depend on each other for survival

 

 

 

 

 

[Humphrey Appleby]

But at this moment in time the urgent need to bend is with the British Elite League, not with BSI.

 

No-one would deny that British speedway (and speedway in general) has not been the architect of much of its own downfall, but many of the problems were caused by the SGP. In particular, the loss of the most lucrative racedays.

 

If the SGP was the biggest payer, or even provided a filter down effect in money or interest (as test cricket does), then I don't think there could be any objection to that. However, why should British speedway be the one to give up its race days to an organisation that has been able to leverage the arcane structure of the FIM, and the powers historically delegated to it?

 

Of course, it's too late to argue about such fine points now the SGP has been established for years. The clowns running the BSPA should have put a stop to it years ago when the SGP needed their riders, or at very least insisted on a better deal out of it all.

 

when the threshold of value for money is exeeded by more and more fans there will be no way out for the sport in this country. We are perilously close to, if not actually past that point now.

 

I wouldn't disagree that top flight speedway in Britain is now probably doomed, but the SGP will never be speedway as I knew it.

 

initially by adopting Mondays & Thursdays as race days

 

I don't think that would help, because the Swedish Elite League falls in between. If you're going to settle for a couple of days, they need to be adjacent to each other (e.g. Wednesday and Thursday) so that riders only have to turn-up once a week. In the long-run though, I think the British speedway needs to largely forget the travelling troupe of riders that it can't afford anyway, and just focus on using UK-based riders even if that means BPL or BCL standard.

 

use the 3 hours of free prime time advertising they get every other Saturday, set admission at a level where fans would attend

 

I don't think the SGP has any affect at all on domestic attendances. Plenty of people know about speedway, as either they or their parents once went, but who just don't see it as being part of their lives anymore. The basic issue is that it's just become too expensive, and not worth taking a punt on anymore.

 

implement a points limit that allowed for year on year strengthening rather than continual weakening, maybe the fans would come back.

 

There are ways of doing it, but fundamentally British speedway can't afford to strengthen at the moment. Neither do I think it has much to do with attendances anyway - the fact that some BPL tracks do better than BEL tracks is surely evidence of that. If people are able to watch regular speedway between line-ups that are much the same from week-to-week, and at a reasonable price, I think that's actually more important than the inclusion of so-called stars who no-one outside of the diehards has heard of anyway.

[Christine Hawes]

If British Promoters got their house in order and worked in harmony with the GP, initially by adopting Mondays & Thursdays as race days,

 

 

Not so easy as most tracks aren't owned by speedway promoters and have to rely on landlords letting them rent the track on certain nights.

[Trees]

use the 3 hours of free prime time advertising they get every other Saturday

So you're saying that the GP promoters would let the BSPA advertise british speedway during the GPs, in that case get the SKY lot to read out the fixtures for the coming week, good idea!

I presume you have no problem with that opinion or is the right to gloat at misfortune reserved for you and your anti GP cronies, who all incidentally seem never to miss a GP despite their so called dislike of them.

My problem with the GP series is the fact that I don't think a private promoting company should own the rights to it. Yes I would personally like IMG/BSI to fail so that the promoters in the speedway countries could, hopefully, run a series of GPs, not bloody 11 though, and gain through the tv revenue etc for the good of speedway in their particular countries! I know very well the FIM sold the rights and they are the real culprits, blithering idiots!

 

All league fans MUST want their league speedway to carry on, it's essential for the future of the sport and realise the need to get in as much revenue as poss so what the hell are they supporting this private company who are taking so much from the sport and giving nothing back for?!

Edited October 21, 2008 by Trees

[Jeff.]

So you're saying that the GP promoters would let the BSPA advertise british speedway during the GPs, in that case get the SKY lot to read out the fixtures for the coming week, good idea!

 

But you don't really think that was what I said do you, if you do then it's not worth trying to explain

 

[Humphrey Appleby]

Yes I would personally like IMG/BSI to fail

 

I actually wouldn't mind if they did a decent job. If they had turned the SGP into a popular global full-time series along the lines of the MotoGP, then I don't think people could really complain.

 

However, after more than 10 years it's still an effectively subsidised series, running in mostly the same old stadiums in front of mostly low crowds. It's great success has been to get on television, but again, so does karting down at the local track, or vicars rallying old bangers around Ireland (as I watched last night ). With the plethora of airspace to fill these days, I suspect almost anyone could have got the sport on television these days, and it's hardly like Sky pay that much compared to rugby and cricket.

 

Believe or not though, I'm not even totally critical that BSI haven't really advanced the series. It's a relatively expensive sport to stage, has little relation with real-world motoring, has always had transient popular appeal, and a limited geographical interest base. Perhaps it simply isn't possible to do with it what the organisers of the MotoGP or World Rally Championship did? I suspect Postlethwaite ended up realising that which is why he sold out to IMG.

 

Having said this, I think for an organisation of around 10 full-time employees which only have a handful of events to organise each year, to not only stuff up the organisation of a GP, but also to ignore the paying punters in such a manner, is pretty a poor show.

Edited October 21, 2008 by Humphrey Appleby

[Jeff.]

I actually wouldn't mind if they did a decent job. If they had turned the SGP into a popular global full-time series along the lines of the MotoGP, then I don't think people could really complain.

 

But that is unrealistic Kev, Moto GP has a foothold all round the world, speedway doesnt

 

 

However, after more than 10 years it's still an effectively subsidised series, running in mostly the same old stadiums in front of mostly low crowds. It's great success has been to get on television, but again, so does karting down at the local track, or vicars rallying old bangers around Ireland (as I watched last night ). With the plethora of airspace to fill these days, I suspect almost anyone could have got the sport on television these days, and it's hardly like Sky pay that much compared to rugby and cricket.

 

By and large SKY just need things to fill the space between the ads, and with its naturally stop start format speedway lends itself beautifully

 

Believe or not though, I'm not even totally critical that BSI haven't really advanced the series. It's a relatively expensive sport to stage, has little relation with real-world motoring, has always had transient popular appeal, and a limited geographical interest base. Perhaps it simply isn't possible to do with it what the organisers of the MotoGP or World Rally Championship did? I suspect Postlethwaite ended up realising that which is why he sold out to IMG.

 

I agree, the GP has very limited potential for further growth, but that doesn't take away from the fact that the growth so far has been fairly good if only for Cardiff & PARKEN, add in some other less succesfull stagings in new venues I don't think they have done a bad job

 

Having said this, I think for an organisation of around 10 full-time employees which only have a handful of events to organise each year, to not only stuff up the organisation of a GP, but also to ignore the paying punters in such a manner, is pretty a poor show.

 

Well of course Germany was an undeniable cock up but it is a bit unfair to say they have ignored the punters, wheels have been put in place to give everyone a 200% refund on their ticket costs, and yes I know this in no way compensates for travel etc, but it is probabvly all that can be done in the circumstances

 

[The Know]

So you're saying that the GP promoters would let the BSPA advertise british speedway during the GPs, in that case get the SKY lot to read out the fixtures for the coming week, good idea!

 

My problem with the GP series is the fact that I don't think a private promoting company should own the rights to it. Yes I would personally like IMG/BSI to fail so that the promoters in the speedway countries could, hopefully, run a series of GPs, not bloody 11 though, and gain through the tv revenue etc for the good of speedway in their particular countries! I know very well the FIM sold the rights and they are the real culprits, blithering idiots!

 

All league fans MUST want their league speedway to carry on, it's essential for the future of the sport and realise the need to get in as much revenue as poss so what the hell are they supporting this private company who are taking so much from the sport and giving nothing back for?!

You really havnt got a clue have you

[Trees]

You really havnt got a clue have you

Probably not, what are you saying then, that BSI/IMG don't make any money out of the GPs?

[Jeff.]

Probably not, what are you saying then, that BSI/IMG don't make any money out of the GPs?

 

No, they are a registered charity who only bought the rights to a failing product as a service to British Speedway. Like most business' they don't seek to make a single penny from their activities.!!!!!!!!!!

 

Like "the know" said, you really haven't got a clue have you

[Humphrey Appleby]

Like most business' they don't seek to make a single penny from their activities.

 

Although one does wonder how much they do make these days? I haven't seen their stated profits for a while, but they did appear to be experiencing diminishing returns at the point they moved offshore to Gibraltar.

 

[Trees]

Like most business' they don't seek to make a single penny from their activities.!!!!!!!!!!

Well of course not, silly me, perhaps I should have put it another way, is nobody paid for their services at BSI/IMG