WeymouthPirate Posted July 26, 2012 Report Share Posted July 26, 2012 Here's what i think: Two Divisions (Elite League & National League) - Race each team once at home, once away Elite League: - Racenight: Mondays Belle Vue Berwick Birmingham Coventry Eastbourne Kings Lynn Lakeside Leicester Peterborough Poole Swindon Wolverhampton National League: - Racenights: Fridays and Non GP Saturdays Buxton Dudley Edinburgh Glasgow Ipswich Isle of Wight Mildenhall Newcastle Plymouth Redcar Rye House Scunthorpe Sheffield Somerset Stoke Workington No Other Cup Competitions Squad System: Squads to be made up of 10 Riders, not built on a points limit. Squads composed of: 4 Heat Leaders - Riders with an Starting Average of 7.00+ 3 Second String - Riders with an Starting Average of 4.51-6.99 3 Reserves - Riders with an Starting Average of 3.00-4.50 Reserves must be British Meeting 1-7 to be made of 3 Heat Leaders, 2 Second String and 2 Reserves. All EL Reserves & 1 Second String May Double Up All NL Heat Leaders & 1 Second String May Double Up No Play Offs, Team that finishes top of the league, are league champions. Averages are given out at End of Every Season. EL Average = 50% NL Average (If Rider Only Races In One League) Riders may be replaced in squad at any time by any unsigned Rider in the same category. British Championships: Senior Top 64 Brits (Based on EL Average) Into 4 Quarter Finals at NL Tracks Top 8 From Each Into 2 Semis at EL Tracks Top 8 Into Final at EL Track (Or National Stadium if ever built) U21: Top 8 (EL Average) Seeded Straight Into Final at EL Track (Or National Stadium) Next 16 into Semi at NL Track. Top 8 into Final U19: Top 16 Into Final at EL Track (Or National Stadium) Youth: Remains The Same Other Competitions: EL Riders Championship - Highest Average Rider from Each Team + Next 4 In Averages EL Pairs - Two Highest Averaged Riders from each team EL Fours - 3 One off Qualifying Rounds of 4 Teams. Winners into One off Final + Best Runner Up NL Riders Championship - Highest Average Rider from Each Team NL Pairs - Two Highest Averaged Riders from each team NL Fours - 4 One off Qualifying Rounds of 4 Teams. Winners into One off Final Whats People Views? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keef Posted July 28, 2012 Report Share Posted July 28, 2012 (edited) Why Berwick and Leicester in top division? I would probably go for a 1st.Div. of about 18 clubs to include Leicester, Dudley, Sheffield, Newcastle, Glasgow, Somerset, Rye House,and hopefully Norwich or Bristol. 2nd.Div of about 16 clubs. Knockout cup competitions. Would give clubs around 20 home meetings per season. I remember the 18 club British League in the late 60s/70s heyday of the sport. Only met each other once home and away. Bring back Golden Helmet and second-half junior racing. Preference given to British riders. I like the play-off final, but the top team in the league should also be given a trophy, as in Rugby league. Edited July 28, 2012 by cockney robin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Backless Posted August 4, 2012 Report Share Posted August 4, 2012 Splendid stuff, well thought out & brilliantly structured. Apart from minor things like planning permission (Berwick for one), shifting Berwick into the Elite League works so fabulously 20 odd years ago I'm surprised no one has wanted to do it since. It saves all those pesky visiting supporters from Glasgow, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Redcar, Workington & Sheffield popping in to support their teams, spending cash & the like - just asking for trouble. Best done away with. One "local" derby against Belle Vue will be more than sufficient. I must admire the investment you're evidently prepared to make in persuading all the greyhound tracks that Fridays & some Saturdays should be given over to their tenants. The loacls will certainly be excited to see you turn up at Glasgow & Buxton to install lighting too (maybe your plan also includes converting Stoke from gas lighting to electricity too). One question: the top SIXTY FOUR Brits - does that include the old guys who turn out with JAPs & Jawas??? A TV contract for regular BBC1 coverage on Mondays Fridays & Saturdays (maybe hosted by Dale Winton?) & you've got it cracked. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevePark Posted August 6, 2012 Report Share Posted August 6, 2012 I'm afraid that changing rules/league formations etc. or anything internally will not make any difference at all as it will still be the same diehard supporters coming week after week, What speedway needs but won't get is mainstream tv again, remember World of Sport on a Saturday when speedway had household names ,how many people who don't go to speedway have heard of Greg Hancock or the recent British champion Scott Nicholls, yes you might say what about Sky tv and my answer will be that only people interested in speedway will be watching, there will be no floating viewers who think i'd like to go and see that somewhere although there can be no denying that Sky tv has probably kept alot of tracks afloat. Obviously i can't comment on all tracks but there seems little or no advertising for meetings ,years ago especially in Sheffield there was a poster on numerous buildings/shops in most areas,perhaps this is a thing of the past with the advent of computers but unfortunately the only people looking on the computer for speedway are once again diehard speedway supporters, Mainstream tv would hopefully bring speedway to the media again ,the recent unfortunate death of Lee Richardson an England top rider warranted a few poxy lines in the Daily Mirror and even bits of speedway news is usually 2/3 days out of date. So my changes would be Mainstream tv / advertising/ more newspaper coverage.or a lottery win p.s if you want to make one change get rid of the ridiculous double points ride and bring back the old 6 points behind tactical substitute. Mainstream TV are not interested as (as you have already pointed out with the Sky TV situation) only speedway followers will watch. TV stations won't show it as it is a 'minority sport' (like it or not) along with the likes of Ice Hockey and Basketball etc., and will therefore not attract many (extra) viewers. In fact you already said we won't get it! Advertising costs (a lot of) money. Something there is little of within the sport, due to the falling crowds etc. Newspapers aren't interested unless it sells copies. (see point 1). It's sad, but that is the position the sport (along with a whole host of other things) finds itself in at this moment in time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chewbacca Posted August 15, 2012 Report Share Posted August 15, 2012 Said it before Speedway needs to be promoted as an extreme sport and dangerous. The old hands may hate that but if you want a younger generation coming in, that's what will ensnare them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stratton Posted August 15, 2012 Report Share Posted August 15, 2012 Said it before Speedway needs to be promoted as an extreme sport and dangerous. The old hands may hate that but if you want a younger generation coming in, that's what will ensnare them. No in a nutshell, to prosper you need all age groups they are all as valuable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickthemuppet Posted August 15, 2012 Report Share Posted August 15, 2012 Here's what i think: Two Divisions (Elite League & National League) - Race each team once at home, once away Elite League: - Racenight: Mondays Belle Vue Berwick Birmingham Coventry Eastbourne Kings Lynn Lakeside Leicester Peterborough Poole Swindon Wolverhampton National League: - Racenights: Fridays and Non GP Saturdays Buxton Dudley Edinburgh Glasgow Ipswich Isle of Wight Mildenhall Newcastle Plymouth Redcar Rye House Scunthorpe Sheffield Somerset Stoke Workington No Other Cup Competitions Squad System: Squads to be made up of 10 Riders, not built on a points limit. Squads composed of: 4 Heat Leaders - Riders with an Starting Average of 7.00+ 3 Second String - Riders with an Starting Average of 4.51-6.99 3 Reserves - Riders with an Starting Average of 3.00-4.50 Reserves must be British Meeting 1-7 to be made of 3 Heat Leaders, 2 Second String and 2 Reserves. All EL Reserves & 1 Second String May Double Up All NL Heat Leaders & 1 Second String May Double Up No Play Offs, Team that finishes top of the league, are league champions. Averages are given out at End of Every Season. EL Average = 50% NL Average (If Rider Only Races In One League) Riders may be replaced in squad at any time by any unsigned Rider in the same category. British Championships: Senior Top 64 Brits (Based on EL Average) Into 4 Quarter Finals at NL Tracks Top 8 From Each Into 2 Semis at EL Tracks Top 8 Into Final at EL Track (Or National Stadium if ever built) U21: Top 8 (EL Average) Seeded Straight Into Final at EL Track (Or National Stadium) Next 16 into Semi at NL Track. Top 8 into Final U19: Top 16 Into Final at EL Track (Or National Stadium) Youth: Remains The Same Other Competitions: EL Riders Championship - Highest Average Rider from Each Team + Next 4 In Averages EL Pairs - Two Highest Averaged Riders from each team EL Fours - 3 One off Qualifying Rounds of 4 Teams. Winners into One off Final + Best Runner Up NL Riders Championship - Highest Average Rider from Each Team NL Pairs - Two Highest Averaged Riders from each team NL Fours - 4 One off Qualifying Rounds of 4 Teams. Winners into One off Final Whats People Views? Nice try but the Elite League would last about a month. Look at how many people are at Speedway meeting on a monday night when it is televised.. You would be lucky to get 700 people and you would only ever have an income every other week . Not very well thought out on the league issue with only 11 home matches in a season. The rest I quite like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keef Posted August 16, 2012 Report Share Posted August 16, 2012 The Elite League clubs should be looking at what my local club Swindon are doing. Reduced admission for a tenner this year brought in around 2000 for a Sky meet, and even thetelevised Poole clash in bad weather with full 17 quid entry attracted around 1700, with a programme voucher offering reduced admission for a tenner for the next home meeting, which attracted a best of season crowd of around 2500. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trees Posted August 20, 2012 Report Share Posted August 20, 2012 Really thought Buster would try the tenner entrance given that he owns the stadium, he went with a free prog only though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattK Posted August 20, 2012 Report Share Posted August 20, 2012 No in a nutshell, to prosper you need all age groups they are all as valuable. Really? Does Apple, the world's most valuable company need all age groups? Or Nike, BMW, Facebook - need I go on? The difference between these companies and speedway is that these companies know their target market and they go after them. Speedway doesn't know who it's target market is and therefore tries to be all things to all people - and fails. As Chewie says, at least if speedway went for an "extreme sport" angle it could target a specific group of people. I've long thought that speedway could do a lot worse than try to shake off it's family friendly image. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stratton Posted August 20, 2012 Report Share Posted August 20, 2012 How do kids go iin the first place Matt? usually with the Family .Your theory i don't think we would have a sport for very much longer in Britain your idea is total fantasy.At Swindon as you would of noticed it is of all age groups of course we want new fans it's not as easy to do.Most fans I think if they enjoy speedway from a young age stay with it as I have but to get new ones is very hard so look after the ones you have.! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattK Posted August 20, 2012 Report Share Posted August 20, 2012 You are right that Swindon's crowd does attract people of all ages, but you will also have noticed something else about Swindon's crowd over the years, it is constantly going down. You simply cannot appeal to every man. Successful businesses have recognised this and spend a lot of time and effort defining their target market, but speedway continues to aim in to dark. On the one hand it claims to be a "family" sport, but then you some clubs marketing it as an extreme sport. Speedway tries to attract young and trendy sponsors like Red Bull and Monster, but when youngsters come to meetings they are turned off by the 1970s style presentation and music. As Chewbacca said, you will upset some of the diehard supporters if you try to rebrand speedway, but the alternative is what we are seeing now, a slow and steady decline in numbers until the inevitable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stratton Posted August 21, 2012 Report Share Posted August 21, 2012 Matt you are right ,and maybe the sport is scared of change? I think your points are good and that is the way to go.But Speedway has it ever changed for the better? Why I am negative are my kids they both went when they were younger loved it got to aged 16 and now don't bother.They like speedway still know what's going on but they have loads of other things to do football girlfriends (ect). I think new fans from the age of 15/21 is nearly impossible which is worrying but you are right you have to try because old farts like me are not going to be around forever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keef Posted August 21, 2012 Report Share Posted August 21, 2012 (edited) You are right that Swindon's crowd does attract people of all ages, but you will also have noticed something else about Swindon's crowd over the years, it is constantly going down. You simply cannot appeal to every man. Successful businesses have recognised this and spend a lot of time and effort defining their target market, but speedway continues to aim in to dark. On the one hand it claims to be a "family" sport, but then you some clubs marketing it as an extreme sport. Speedway tries to attract young and trendy sponsors like Red Bull and Monster, but when youngsters come to meetings they are turned off by the 1970s style presentation and music. As Chewbacca said, you will upset some of the diehard supporters if you try to rebrand speedway, but the alternative is what we are seeing now, a slow and steady decline in numbers until the inevitable. I think the facilities are definitely 1970s, the addition of the air-fence has obscured the view as well(a vital must-have safety addition though),the music is pretty o.k. and up-to-date as my mate does it, just get some pink fluffy bog-roll in those notorious back-straight bogs and the crowds will coming flooding back! I think the cost and constantly changing line-ups of mainly foreign mercenaries puts a lot of people off going(certainly the biggest turn-off for my passengers). Hopefully a successful season this year will arrest the decline in attendances, which have gone up a tad after last year's disastrous campaign. Most kids wont have watched the sport on TV, as it's only available on Sky. Edited August 21, 2012 by cockney robin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mixy230 Posted August 22, 2012 Report Share Posted August 22, 2012 To get people in it does need a target audience! The trouble is we need the target audience to be everybody! (Traditionally I see Speedway supporters getting older & bloody older1 more blankets and bovril about than anything else! Perhaps the viewing areas should be split into several sections (Only an idea and would cost money) 1. Family viewing, family tickets, cheap kids drinks & food with a cheap act compere in that area (Whats a clown cost for the night?) 2. Trendy area, Red Bull stand, cider promo etc? different music (dj?) more of a party atmosphere (Invite cool companies "Nightclub/Bar) for free promo nights-every company wants a freebee!?!) (Cheap transfer from the family area for the teenagers) Rave whistles? air horns? get the party going! (They love the mud at festivals so a bit of mud doesnt put them off if the product is good & cool?!?!?!? Prize draw for a pit tour and free photo with a rider (will look great in the local paper!? Competitions to be a start line girl?!?!? with a free video of them prancing about on the start line?!?! 3. Traditional area, for us more traditional fans! pies, coffee, beer etc (Greggs love to give away freebies?!?! vouchers etc) Tickets could include a pie & a drink & programme? Go to a casino and they come and take your orders and bring the drinks / food back to you?!?! saves missing the action?!?!? who wants to go and queue?!? So many things with so little time to save what could be a great sport Oh for that big lottery win?!?!? The meetings need to be an occasion! and very few are! Peoples/promotors lethargy does sometimes make me mad! Nothing will happen unless they try to make things happen! If it doesnt work try something else! Rant over! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mixy230 Posted August 22, 2012 Report Share Posted August 22, 2012 Oh ! In the cool section as the lads are acting cool thinking its easy! Sell tickets for a "Training/coaching day" £25/£30 a go get some raw talent in, make it memorable (A few old bikes and a few ex-current riders) We might even find some talent????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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