Sheffield 2013

[jenga]

and

i thought I was the greatest billshotter on the forums.

Edited November 22, 2012 by jenga

[Halifaxtiger]

Some interesting comments from the Promotion and the future of the club.

 

http://www.thestar.c...doubt-1-5155300

 

I am not surprised that they made a loss last season. Some of that, undoubtedly, was down to the effects of the weather.

 

However, it was clear almost from the start that supporters were deeply unhappy with the team line up and they were proved right. That's down to the promotion, and them alone.

 

As some accurately said, put a poor side out and increase the prices and you are asking for trouble.

[jenga]

yer beat me to it.

[tigerowl]

The promotion could not control the weather, but to call off fixtures 'because the forecast was bad' makes it less and less likely for people to travel when the weather looks even slightly dodgy.

 

I cannot think of one person, apart from the ones in the promotion, that thought the team was any good. The atmosphere in the Panorama Room for the pre season introduction of riders was one of complete apathy and the performances on the track did nothing to lift the gloom. From March onwards it was clear that the team was awful but the introduction of Chris Schramm to replace Klaus Jakobsen was the only change.

 

The club should never be under threat. It was thriving and doing well until the management took their eye off the ball and made some awful decisions.

 

However, we have been here before and the right signings can bring a renewal of enthusiasm.

 

An earlier poster asked why anyone would not want Ricky Wells back. My own opinion is that he seemed more interested in riding for Wolves than he was for Sheffield and to hear of him beating Darcy Ward one day and then seeing him trailing behind opposition second strings at Owlerton a few days later put me off him, he just didn't seem to care that much and I wasn't entertained by his riding at all. Just my opinion, and I totally respect differing views.

[Backless]

The promotion could not control the weather, but to call off fixtures 'because the forecast was bad' makes it less and less likely for people to travel when the weather looks even slightly dodgy.

 

 

 

 

What would you prefer? Carry on regardless, incur rental & staffing charges as well as rider travel expenses, get the punters there & when it rains send everyone home?

 

An early call off at least lets people get on with living their lives & they can come back next week.

Better that than let them waste time & money turning out for a meeting that gets called off - THAT is a good way of ensuring they don't come back the following week.

[tigerowl]

The weather forecasters are not accurate. The one way to ensure people do not travel is to call meetings off because it might rain. People get out of the habit of coming and find something else to do.

 

I've been going since 1974 and if it is hammering it down, or you get to the track and its clear that racing could not go on, then I've accepted it and gone back the following week. What I can't accept is a meeting called off because the forecast is bad.

 

Have a look back at the thread for the unstaged British Semi Final. This was called off due to prospective bad weather and it didn't rain. People were angry about it not being staged. THAT is a good way of ensuring they don't come back the following week.

Edited November 22, 2012 by tigerowl

[Stan Duppcomic]

The Star Article only says the club might be put up for sale if they have another bad season. that's not the club's future in doubt necessarily but the promotions. Interesting reading the comic today that David Hoggart said only 15 per cent were in favour of a switch to Sunday in the Facebook poll. From how I understand it, 51 people weren't bothered 15 people would go to more meetings if they were on Sunday and 63 people would go to less. RTFQ! I reckon that's nearly 50% who would go to less but then it's about the economic climate apparently.

 

Also there's some bright spark who reckons it costs him £40 to get in on a Thursday for his family of four then he spends another £30 while he's there. However he can go and watch Huddersfield Town for the same money! 4 people entrance plus £30 worth of drinks and food at a Championship football ground for £70 . Don't believe it! Bit of advice mate. If you think it's so expensive DON'T SPEND £30 when you're there!! I don't spend a bean in that stadium other than me entrance. Cheap night out.

[Backless]

Have a look at the thread for the PLRC when people stood around for an hour for no apparent reason. Full of comments about not being able to wait until the next time and they'd be bringing a friend.

[tigerowl]

Rain is a major problem in speedway and fans have to accept that. In other sports it is a big issue too - cricket and tennis to name a couple. My own opinion is that we are at the thin end of the wedge if promotions can call off meetings if it might rain. Look what happened at Glasgow the other season when Sheffield were there and it was called off early, only for riders and fans to turn up and find the track raceable.

 

I respect your view, but my own is that I was rather go to a meeting, find the weather is too bad and come home having accepted being beaten by the elements, rather than be at home watching TV when the racing has been called off due to an inaccurate weather forecast.

[spin king]

I don't think that the weather played any part in why the crowds were down, right from the first meeting the crowds were poor.

 

Tigerowl is correct in saying that the British Semi was called off due to an incorrect weather forecast and was called far to early, but to be fair the Sheffield Promotion are usually pretty good at getting that sort of thing right.

 

I think the problem was that the team was not good enough simple as, people looked at the team and could not take many positives if any and the only ones that were turning up week in week out were the diehard fans, the others voted with their feet.

[tigerowl]

You are certainly right about the team:

 

Shane Parker (legend and fantastic racer) replaced by Josef Franc

Ricky Ashworth (loyal servant and cracking heat leader) replaced by Richard Hall

Josh Auty (complete entertainment) replaced by Ricky Wells

Simon Lambert (crowd hero) replaced by Klaus Jakobsen

Ashley Birks (local lad and great prospect) replaced by Joe Haines

 

Five negative team moves (although I cannot fault Joe in the end) and more money to get into the stadium. It was always going to turn out the way it did.

 

Anyway, on a lighter note, I would love to see Steady back as number one, but not at the expense of Thursday race nights.

 

Other suggestions for our heat leader roles - Seb Alden would be a good shout as would Josh Grajzonek. Would also love to see riders like Ty Proctor, Adam Skornicki, Jordan Frampton, Sam Masters, Lasse Bjerre or Kozza Smith.

[Friddy75]

Doom and gloom again from me but I can't see us surviving after this season unless Machin sells up and someone else gives it a go.

 

To be fair the weather was terrible and we maybe lost a few punters because of it. But as spin king says the numbers were already down from the very first meeting.

 

Your always going to loose some supporters through the winter, only die hard fans will turn to the forums and check Facebook and the BSPA website to keep there interest going. Others will find something else to do to fill the void, some will continue with this, for others a few rain offs and a couple of poor meetings and there'll go back to what kept there winter nights going.

 

The price increase and the ridiculous rise in child prices( all under 16s should be free ) destroyed chances of new customers being interested and wiped out a lot of families chances of returning.

 

Add the poor team of last season and several fans voted with there feet.

 

The misconception that a good or even outstanding team will return the crowds back to the size of 2010 and before is quite far off.

 

Even if we signed Hancock, Holder and Ward it's only going to be fans who know who these riders already are that will be interested. It's not going to make the bloke across my street suddenly become interested in speedway. The die hard fans are still there and will be to the end.

 

Something needs to happen at the very top. New ways of promoting or some way to tempt new customers in there hundreds and at every track should be found otherwise we'll stay on this downward spirral.

 

My worry is after reading the speedway star last week, it wouldn't matter what ideas I or other supporters had they wouldn't be heard. And with so many self centred differences of opinions it really wouldn't matter.

 

Here's hoping our beloved team finds the answers and we can watch speedway and the Tigers for many seasons to come!!

[wjm]

From a purely nights out entertainment point of view, Sheffield should have Hall in their team every time IMO, I appreciate he has his limitations, and his away form is questionable at best.

 

But in order to attract fans, new or old, or even die hard fans, you need guys who will entertain.

 

Hall around Sheffield really is fantastic, just what you want to watch when you pay your money IMO.

 

While it is great to read what riders score at Glasgow, Newcastle or Plymouth etc, it fades into insignificance if you aren’t getting entertainment on your own track, this is something that could apply to many teams across the league in the PL, while their away performances differ on varying levels, guys like Complin, Tully, Hall, Garrity, Nelson going back David Mcallan even someone like Simon Walker or Scud Smith will attract more fans than a side scoring well on the road IMO.

 

I appreciate for fans that do travel these riders can be a massive frustration (part of the reason being “how can he be so good at home and so poor away?), but its easy to take they kind of riders for granted when it comes to “entertainment” which seems to be the buzz word in speedway just now.

[graz gp]

What about winning at home. That keeps the fans happy. You need to do quite well away from home to be succesful.

[Cue Ball]

 

Shane Parker - retired, had no choice in the matter

Josh Auty - didn't want to ride for Sheffield, had no choice in the matter

Simon Lambert (crowd hero) replaced by Klaus Jakobsen or replaced by Joe Haines depending on your view point

Ashley Birks - not our asset didn't want to ride for us, had no choice in the matter

 

 

I don't disagree that some good riders left, but not all down to the promotion.

 

I don't think that there was a rider (except Jakobsen) that I wouldn't have in next year's team, just not all of them together again:

 

Pepe - is what he is, dependable to be `ok` home or away, if he was 3rd in the averages and you knew he'd be at every meeting, you' have him back

Skidmore - decent second string with the ability to pull a meeting out of the top drawer every now and then

Sanchez - is what he is, dependable second string with the ability to pull a meeting out of the top drawer every now and then

Hall - entertainment, rides like a number 1 at home

Wells - towards the end of the season was arguably our best rider

Haines - don't think I need to comment

Schramm - an out and out racer, just needs decent equipment

 

[tiger1980]

Halls trouble is that he never seems dialed in on in his first ride(s), usually resulting in a heat advantage to the away team which last season put too much pressure on his team mates. Whilst his blasts from the back are exciting to watch, the team set up last season really needed a skipper who won the race on the first corner (aka Ricky A).

 

To me the preseason team management change was the main reason for the weak team, this season therefore we expect better!

[spin king]

More from Dave Hoggart,

 

http://www.thestar.co.uk/sport/speedway/sheffield-tigers-dave-hoggart-seeks-fan-views-1-5160438

 

He does read this read forum.

[thommo34]

Halls trouble is that he never seems dialed in on in his first ride(s), usually resulting in a heat advantage to the away team which last season put too much pressure on his team mates. Whilst his blasts from the back are exciting to watch, the team set up last season really needed a skipper who won the race on the first corner (aka Ricky A).

 

To me the preseason team management change was the main reason for the weak team, this season therefore we expect better!

 

This was also a big problem with Ricky Wells. Most weeks we saw Richard and Ricky come a poor last in their first races and then come good later. The problem with this is that we quite often seriously behind by the end of heat 4 and playing catch up. I have also felt that a successful team will always be capable of pulling out a good lead in those early heats whilst the opponents were learning the track.

I also felt that there should have been more experimentation with the team pairings last season.

Hopefully serious lessons will have been learnt.

[spin king]

This was also a big problem with Ricky Wells. Most weeks we saw Richard and Ricky come a poor last in their first races and then come good later. The problem with this is that we quite often seriously behind by the end of heat 4 and playing catch up. I have also felt that a successful team will always be capable of pulling out a good lead in those early heats whilst the opponents were learning the track.

I also felt that there should have been more experimentation with the team pairings last season.

Hopefully serious lessons will have been learnt.

Absolutely correct about the pairings of the team, Richard Hall rode at 4 all last season, and at home he was by long way our best rider at home yet he never feature in a heat 13 when we were coming up against some pretty formidable pairings.

 

At the start of the season we had Sanchez riding the number 5 spot which is like Chelsea asking John Terry to play a lone strikers role.

.

Edited November 23, 2012 by spin king

[tiger1980]

"Richard Hall rode at 4 all last season, and at home he was by long way our best rider at home yet he never feature in a heat 13 when we were coming up against some pretty formidable pairings."

 

Its a fair point spinny but Im pretty sure Ive read on here that it was his wish as captain to ride at 4.

 

Now you know as well a I do that 4 is out in the easier heat 14 rather than 13 and being in Heat 14 must make slightly more difficult to be selected for 15!