Jump to content
British Speedway Forum

Hackney Hawks


vog

Recommended Posts

That's fantastic value set by Plymouth for watching racing in the PL.

I sometimes go to Rye House so would be interested to know their detailed pricing for 2011, from some of the above comments it sounds like Len could be pricing himself out of the market in some cases but i hope that isnt the case, I like Len, he is speedway through and through and at an age where most are sitting back taking it easy he is out there grafting away getting his hands dirty and not forgetting he does an awful lot for the youngsters.

Lakeside are charging £12 for admission to Hawks stand alone meetings so i would think that is the buffer Len should be working too, it would make little sense surely for one track to charge different to see the same side, just an opinion but i don't get the impression the Hawks will be lacking support when they are racing at Lakeside, quite the opposite in fact and i am looking forward to seeing them race just as much as i am the Hammers in the Elite or whats left of it, bottom line is i hope for the riders sake both venues can attract healthy crowds for their meetings because these guys are the future and without them speedway does not have a future in this country.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 261
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Why?

 

The fact that a concession rate at an EL meeting is cheaper than a concession rate at an NL meeting is a serious issue. Goods and services aren't that much cheaper in the North - in fact they can be more expensive. I'm a southerner living in the north so I do have the experience of knowing the relevance of such issues. It's often a fallacy that things are cheaper in the north than the south - and my pension is the same here as it would be if I was living back in the South.

 

Hmm, in that case perhaps you'd like to reflect on this. Ticket prices at Leyton Orient FC (in League One: ie the 'third division') are the same as they are for the majority of Premiership games at Wigan Athletic... :neutral:

And this disparity has long been the case in football..

Orient don't 'compete' for customers with Wigan so the comparison has no real basis.

 

And unless you have the particular working and extra-marital circumstances of a JCookie ( :D ) nor does the implied comparison between a pensioner's lot when attending Hyde Rd. or watching the Hawks at Rye House!! :rolleyes:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am looking forward to watching the Hackney Hawks at Lakeside.

 

The double header at Easter should be good.

 

I wonder if the opposition for the Hawks will be Mildenhall on that day ?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am looking forward to watching the Hackney Hawks at Lakeside.

 

The double header at Easter should be good.

 

I wonder if the opposition for the Hawks will be Mildenhall on that day ?

Hmmmm... We may make the trip over for this for my first taste of Elite League speedway

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hmmmm... We may make the trip over for this for my first taste of Elite League speedway

 

Look forward to seeing you but wrap up warm and bring chairs. The Arena-Essex Raceway is the most spectator-unfriendly stadium in the country (Jon Cook's words not mine) with a nice cold wind blowing off the Thames but good value at £17.50 for a full-priced ticket to see both meetings.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's fantastic value set by Plymouth for watching racing in the PL.

I sometimes go to Rye House so would be interested to know their detailed pricing for 2011, from some of the above comments it sounds like Len could be pricing himself out of the market in some cases but i hope that isnt the case, I like Len, he is speedway through and through and at an age where most are sitting back taking it easy he is out there grafting away getting his hands dirty and not forgetting he does an awful lot for the youngsters.

Lakeside are charging £12 for admission to Hawks stand alone meetings so i would think that is the buffer Len should be working too, it would make little sense surely for one track to charge different to see the same side, just an opinion but i don't get the impression the Hawks will be lacking support when they are racing at Lakeside, quite the opposite in fact and i am looking forward to seeing them race just as much as i am the Hammers in the Elite or whats left of it, bottom line is i hope for the riders sake both venues can attract healthy crowds for their meetings because these guys are the future and without them speedway does not have a future in this country.

 

The 2011 pricing for Rye House is:-

 

Admission Prices 2011

Adults £16

Seniors £14

Children (over 11, under 16) £5

Children under 11 FREE

Programme £2

 

National League Admission Prices (Hackney Hawks):

 

Adults and Seniors £12

Children (over 11, under 16) £5

Children under 11 FREE

Single sheet programme included in admission price

 

Not only is this the highest priced admission overall in the PL it is more than most in the EL.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Look forward to seeing you but wrap up warm and bring chairs. The Arena-Essex Raceway is the most spectator-unfriendly stadium in the country (Jon Cook's words not mine) with a nice cold wind blowing off the Thames but good value at £17.50 for a full-priced ticket to see both meetings.

 

Do I take it then 'Tocha' that you're not anticipating that you'll be dancing to the Royal Teens in your short shorts on Good Friday afternoon then Tocha? :P:wink:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Most clubs admit to making a loss last year whereas, I believe Uncle Len said he made a small profit on most meetings, correct me if I'm wrong on this, how much profit we don't know. If by lowering addmission prices he mad a loss how would that make sense if he doesn't think enough extra people will come through the turnstyles to make up for the reduced admission price maybe it's a gamble he's not prepared to take. On the subject of concessions I am disabled and holder of a Blue Badge I always used to pay full price a until one day the young ladyon thegate at the time started dancing about if front of the car I asked what she was looking for and showed her my badge after that I was only chargced the same entrance fee as a child. A great help as I was unemployed. After that the only time I was charged full price was at Chris Neath's testimonial and I was offered the reduced price but as it was all for Chris I paid the full whack. So if you are disabled or have a disabled person in your party it might be worth inquiring I know it's not advertised but just ask.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the info Tocha

Does seem a bit strange Rye charging £18 all in for PL action when you can get EL meetings at Lakeside for 50p more. (at least to start with)

Hawks £12 inc basic program is pretty fair though imo and not having to pay extra for a full program is good cost saving, of course at Lakeside we have the added advantage of getting those meetings half price if your a season ticket holder.

However i am fortunate to be single with no dependants so my situation will be much different to others with families having to watch the pennies and i fully understand that for many this season it's going to be about making choices and cutting cloth accordingly.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wigan is a rugby town though and they struggle to get decent crowds. A comparison with Man Utd, Man City, Bolton etc would be more useful.

 

Come off it - you are clearly having a laugh!!

Though - even though it's going back a long way - in the 1980s I can tell you that a ticket a Crystal Palace in the third division WAS more expensive than one at Old Trafford in the First. :rolleyes:

There has ALWAYS been a difference between prices for sport up north and in London & the south east. Face it, the comparison with Hyde Rd. prices is spurious at best..!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Come off it - you are clearly having a laugh!!

 

:unsure:

 

So you don't think that one can compare Belle Vue/Rye NL with Man City/Leyton Orient in terms of pricing?

 

Even taking into consideration your NL bias (and childish Man Utd issues, but thats another story) how on earth can you say that the NL prices at Rye are justified by the track's location? At a time when people are generally skint Lennie has made watching the Hawks extortionate. The proof of the pudding will be bums on seats I guess, can't see there being too many.

 

And after using Wigan (a rugby town) as your first example, you have to delve back twenty odd years for your second one. And you accuse others of being spurious :D

 

Dear me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

:unsure:

 

So you don't think that one can compare Belle Vue/Rye NL with Man City/Leyton Orient in terms of pricing?

 

Even taking into consideration your NL bias (and childish Man Utd issues, but thats another story) how on earth can you say that the NL prices at Rye are justified by the track's location? At a time when people are generally skint Lennie has made watching the Hawks extortionate. The proof of the pudding will be bums on seats I guess, can't see there being too many.

 

And after using Wigan (a rugby town) as your first example, you have to delve back twenty odd years for your second one. And you accuse others of being spurious

 

Dear me.

 

It's not about time it's about geography.. The comparison made - specifically - was it will be cheaper for a pensioner to watch EL racing at Belle Vue than a pensioner to watch NL racing at Rye House.

This is clearly a VERY obscure point...

 

It's actually extremely difficult to check prices for top football clubs as ticket sales are so often restricted.

Got two tickets (as I'm a member) for Arsenal against Man United on May 1st the other day...: over £90 EACH... :shock: That's the daft reality of big time football among the biggest clubs..

Makes it look small change watching the Hawks.. :rolleyes:

 

On which subject (which this is...), this is IMHO an enterprise well worth backing. If people DON'T want to (and Shadders spent the whole of this time last year telling us how he also wouldn't be watching the Cobras! :blink: ), then don't. But trying to undermine the project by making an undue fuss about a fractionally higher than others admission price isn't on IMHO... :neutral:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On which subject (which this is...), this is IMHO an enterprise well worth backing. If people DON'T want to (and Shadders spent the whole of this time last year telling us how he also wouldn't be watching the Cobras! :blink: ), then don't. But trying to undermine the project by making an undue fuss about a fractionally higher than others admission price isn't on IMHO... :neutral:

 

But its not undue fuss. Would be interesting if Uncle Len came out and explained his lack of consideration for concessions.

 

I can't understand why you don't see the importance of this point when people like yourself, Mimmo, Halifax Tiger etc often mention the generally small crowds that the third division races in front of. This pricing policy hardly helps.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You cant blame Uncle Lennie for trying something different. The Cobra's must have been costing him money. So to re-invent The Hawks is a gamble worth taking. It has worked so well for Dudley, If Silver gets 50% of their crowd level at £12 a pop, he is going to be one happy boy. Plus if those going to watch The Hawks are people coming back into the Sport, then its a win win situation. I guess he doesnt have to worry to much about the old Cobra fans, as there wasnt enough of them to make it pay. Out with old and in with the new. What has the guy got to lose ?

Edited by semion
Link to comment
Share on other sites

i just think this is silver/cook trying to cash in on the name hackney , they have seen what has happened with dudley and think its a way to make money , but you have to live in the black country to understand dudleys success, they have both been without a track for nearly the same time but they are worlds apart in fan base , there are 2 issues in the black country area which get major newspaper coverage ,one is the proposed mosque and the other is a track for cradley/dudley ,its been like that for years ,not just in the sports sections either, im not knocking hackney and i hope it succeeds ,but i just feel that some promoters are running short of ideas to make money and will exploit any idea they can , if it attracts old fans back then great and i hope it is the start of some way to get hackney back in hackney but i dont think thats what this venture is about , also i feel £12 is to expensive for NL racing ,speedway in general has got to take a couple of steps back and start to get people goin to watch speedway again and charging them alot of money isnt the way to do it especially in the current climate when money is tight for a lot of people ,

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I doubt that there is any site in the UK with more current potential for new sporting endeavours to be launched than the lower Lea Valley: ie effectively the Olympic Park and immediately surrounding area. There's even the actual prospect of sports arenas being avaiable for reuse in less than two years' time.

 

The former Hackney track occupied this very same section of land. So though clearly the revived Hawks of 2011 are going to be riding a 'nomadic' existence at Rye House and Lakeside (both with close links BTW, to the 'Hackney heritage'), there is IMHO just as much chance of this initiative leading to a new track as there is for Dudley to find a new home for the Heathens.

And by that I mean I'm optimistic about both...

 

So I do NOT see this as merely a marketing exercise with no ambitions to see a track actually return to east London. I see it - and I know Jon Cook does too and I'd assume 'Uncle' Len - as a definite first step in making that a reality...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i just think this is silver/cook trying to cash in on the name hackney , they have seen what has happened with dudley and think its a way to make money , but you have to live in the black country to understand dudleys success, they have both been without a track for nearly the same time but they are worlds apart in fan base , there are 2 issues in the black country area which get major newspaper coverage ,one is the proposed mosque and the other is a track for cradley/dudley ,its been like that for years ,not just in the sports sections either, im not knocking hackney and i hope it succeeds ,but i just feel that some promoters are running short of ideas to make money and will exploit any idea they can , if it attracts old fans back then great and i hope it is the start of some way to get hackney back in hackney but i dont think thats what this venture is about , also i feel £12 is to expensive for NL racing ,speedway in general has got to take a couple of steps back and start to get people goin to watch speedway again and charging them alot of money isnt the way to do it especially in the current climate when money is tight for a lot of people ,

 

Quite right and the last thing Len would want is a track opening up in East London.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To get new people to go and watch Speedway need two things, a good team and good racing, if you dont have that people will get bored, when Plymouth first started my son use to go with me to the meetings, half way into the season he stoped going, he got bored with such one sided meetings, new people to the sport will stop going if you get one sided meeting, or they will pick the meeting they go to, then what you are left with are the dye hard speedway fans that will go no matter what the score is, so the people that say out with the old and in with the new will have to wait and see if they got it right, in my opinion if you get to many one sided meetings people new to the sport will quickly get bored with it, and leave or pick their meetings.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.




×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. Privacy Policy