BluPanther Posted March 13, 2013 Report Share Posted March 13, 2013 I struggle with the term family sport even though I use it, but I don't really know what we mean by it. What do you mean by family sport? Its a sport where you can sit or stand with opposing fans without fear of getting thumped, and subjected to filthy language. We dont need escorting to the ground by police and dont fear for our childrens safety from violence. Speedway supporters should be proud of that fact, they are top notch fans in my book. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCOTLAND1314 Posted March 13, 2013 Report Share Posted March 13, 2013 Not wishing to put words into TWK's mouth, but my take on 'family sport', is you can safely take all the family to a speedway meeting, i.e. wife, children, grandchildren. Whereas some other sports are perhaps not that suitable, e.g. football. I wouldn't like to see betting at speedway, I agree with TWK, not suitable for children. Also, many fans are strapped for cash and betting would add to that pressure, in my opinion. If I had the chance though, I would like to see Japan's version of speedway, auto racing I think, which is centred around betting. Its a sport where you can sit or stand with opposing fans without fear of getting thumped, and subjected to filthy language. We dont need escorting to the ground by police and dont fear for our childrens safety from violence. Speedway supporters should be proud of that fact, they are top notch fans in my book. After reading those replies I think the term 'family sport' when used to describe speedway means 'it's not football'. Because football does attract wives, kids and other family members. In fact in my experience it attracts proportionately more kids and wives than speedway. I have heard bad language and seen a bit of fighting at speedway in the UK. And if you went to Poland you'd see bus loads of away fans being bused into an away pen and out again. Plus many fans that attend speedway also attend football amongst other sports. I just think speedway is no more a family sport than any other. Betting exists at many other sports grounds at which kids attend and it doesn't appear to cause them any problems in my experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCB Posted March 13, 2013 Report Share Posted March 13, 2013 I am NOT in favour of Betting at Speedway Meetings. I do not think that a Betting environment is a good place to bring Children. We pride ourselves on being a 'FAMILY SPORT' so for me this would not be a goer. and that's the problem. It's not a family sport. It's an extreme sport that is ideal for betting at. There's two angles that can be used right there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billybikespeedway Posted March 13, 2013 Report Share Posted March 13, 2013 (edited) Speedway must be one of the few businesses where the people who run it take no notice of what their customers want. You have a winning team and it's dismantled the following season to get below the team average, we hate the tactical double points, guest riders etc etc etc I could go on and on. Totally Agree a Team that Wins the league Should be allowed to Stay together, Should the promoter want To , Should the promoter Wish to Change his Team ,he should be Able to Build on the average that the team achived the year before Edited March 13, 2013 by billybikespeedway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deano Posted March 13, 2013 Report Share Posted March 13, 2013 The Tata Chairman said to Jaguar designers, "you build and design a car for your current customer base, a customer base which is getting smaller as they are all dying." Jaguar heeded this advice and look how their sales have grown. Speedway should do the same. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCB Posted March 13, 2013 Report Share Posted March 13, 2013 Totally Agree a Team that Wins the league Should be allowed to Stay together, Should the promoter want To , Should the promoter Wish to Change his Team ,he should be Able to Build on the average that the team achived the year before yeah so that team dominates, scores 65 at home every week while the team bottom of the league struggles for 30 at home every week. Both will go bust because they're scoring too many points to afford them on their crowds or nobody is going to watch them lose. The points limit is one of the best things about speedways rules. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluPanther Posted March 13, 2013 Report Share Posted March 13, 2013 This thread is about attracting youngsters, i fail to see how betting has got anything to do with that. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billybikespeedway Posted March 13, 2013 Report Share Posted March 13, 2013 yeah so that team dominates, scores 65 at home every week while the team bottom of the league struggles for 30 at home every week. Both will go bust because they're scoring too many points to afford them on their crowds or nobody is going to watch them lose. The points limit is one of the best things about speedways rules. So you Win The League And rider "A " Has to go due to the points Limit Despite His Enormous fan following at that Track ,Is that encouraging Fan loyalty, or Continuaty in the Team Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCOTLAND1314 Posted March 13, 2013 Report Share Posted March 13, 2013 This thread is about attracting youngsters, i fail to see how betting has got anything to do with that. I guess it comes down to the interpretation of 'younger' fans. I indicated younger fans would be 13 to 19. I know that when I was 18 plus there were lots of my mates that enjoyed a flutter and would go to the dog racing in order to partake of a decent night's entertainment and a flutter. Perhaps indirectly the adult that may have to take the kid along to the speedway could be encouraged to attend by the prospect of a flutter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrewrunagall Posted March 13, 2013 Report Share Posted March 13, 2013 I'm not saying that I would have all the answers (I'm 29 years old, so I still have a somewhat understanding of what kids want to see these days), but following what Nikko and SCOTLAND1314 were sort of talking about previously, maybe "apps" for mobile devices for individual teams and possibly even individual riders would be a way forward to reach younger fans, there are apps out there already which basically link to the BSPA's news site, of which I use myself (Speedway News and Snowfunk Speedway) and they keep me up to date, I even have a Nicki Pedersen app (I'm not a fan, but just an example) on my phone which tracks Nicki's scores from all the other leagues that he rides in. And here's another idea which isn't too far out of reach, Speedway in video games, I know it costs a lot for licences for them to be released on consoles like the PlayStation (I'm thinking if maybe the company who makes the SGP games for PC could help), but if they take the risk, they might reach out to the kids, it'll get them more involved, give them an understanding of the rules in detail and before you know it, they'll be saying "oh, I know who that rider is as I saw him in that game". It worked for Colin McRae and the World Rally Championship. Think about it, rallying, a rather traditional sport which got the video game treatment and now there's drivers like Ken Block who kids do recognise, the same could happen for Speedway if it they give it a chance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluPanther Posted March 13, 2013 Report Share Posted March 13, 2013 I guess it comes down to the interpretation of 'younger' fans. I indicated younger fans would be 13 to 19. I know that when I was 18 plus there were lots of my mates that enjoyed a flutter and would go to the dog racing in order to partake of a decent night's entertainment and a flutter. Perhaps indirectly the adult that may have to take the kid along to the speedway could be encouraged to attend by the prospect of a flutter. Only if you believe encouraging a teenager to gamble, which some would say is a road to ruin. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCOTLAND1314 Posted March 13, 2013 Report Share Posted March 13, 2013 Only if you believe encouraging a teenager to gamble, which some would say is a road to ruin. And by the same token we'll be due to remove all our pubs and burger vans from stadia shortly. Nothing wrong with all of the above taken in moderation like I currently do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluPanther Posted March 13, 2013 Report Share Posted March 13, 2013 And by the same token we'll be due to remove all our pubs and burger vans from stadia shortly. Nothing wrong with all of the above taken in moderation like I currently do. Good luck to you, its your money...until the bookie takes it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gatwick Rocket Posted March 13, 2013 Report Share Posted March 13, 2013 I think this is a great topic to get people commenting on, and it is interesting to read the different views. If I recall what got me hooked on speedway as a kid it was (in no particular order) getting rider autographs, the adrenalin rush of the races, drinking a bottle of coke through a straw and when I was a bit older filling in the programme and following the progress of my team and the riders I had become accustomed to. If I think about what would get my kids interested today it would probably involve interaction via a screen, something to kill the dead minutes between races and probably more sideshow entertainment. I definitely agree with the comments about the absence of advertising and media attention. I wonder why clubs don't provide reports to local media to publish. I would also like to see an end to the time spent on gardening at the start of each race. Maybe a countdown to when the green light comes on so the riders know they have to be ready to race. The referee still has discretion when tapes go up so riders can't learn the timing and anticipate the start. Thinking about reducing the time between races would it be feasible to chunk the meeting into four quarters covering heats 1-4, 5-8, 9-12 and 13-15, with no delay between in races within each quarter and a mini-break between quarters? More momentum might be built up in each quarter, and each quarter could be viewed as its own segment of the entire meeting. I realise this might be a problem for riders taking two on the trot but knowing there is no extra time allowed might influence how managers choose to use their riders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCOTLAND1314 Posted March 13, 2013 Report Share Posted March 13, 2013 Good luck to you, its your money...until the bookie takes it I suppose what I'm trying to illustrate is that there could well be a benefit to speedway by allowing betting at tracks as it may attract more younger fans (after all they've got easy enough access to betting as it stands) directly or indirectly, as in the same way a bar at the stadium may attract a few younger fans, currently. I don't think speedway should turn down any reasonable opportunity to attract more fans young or old. Personally I think the sport is slowly killing itself and has been for as long as I can remember. It needs a complete re-vamp not just in the way it tries to attract the younger fan. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCB Posted March 13, 2013 Report Share Posted March 13, 2013 Good luck to you, its your money...until the bookie takes it Right? And? Do you say to the guy in a nightclub, "If your money, until the night club promoter takes it"? Or the person going to the cinema, "Its your money, until it goes into some hollywood celebs next wage"? Nothing in life is free, to some of us a small flutter, even if we lose is good fun and better than a night at the cinema or out getting pissed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deano Posted March 13, 2013 Report Share Posted March 13, 2013 (edited) I wonder why clubs don't provide reports to local media to publish. Clubs do. The press officer will send a match report or news to the local media sports editors, who through discretion either dump or print it. That is the big problem. That's how speedway tries to get into the papers....... for free. It would probably be of greater benefit to hire advertising space. Again... that costs money... You get what you pay for and I think speedway always goes for the free or budget variety. You have to strike a balance somehow and cheap/free isn't always the best. Edited March 13, 2013 by Deano Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluPanther Posted March 13, 2013 Report Share Posted March 13, 2013 (edited) Right? And? Do you say to the guy in a nightclub, "If your money, until the night club promoter takes it"? Or the person going to the cinema, "Its your money, until it goes into some hollywood celebs next wage"? Nothing in life is free, to some of us a small flutter, even if we lose is good fun and better than a night at the cinema or out getting pissed. Whatever floats your boat...good luck with your small flutter Youngsters are into the digital age, times have changed. Speedway action is 15mins spread over 2plus hours. Kids find that boring these days i'm afraid. Edited March 13, 2013 by blupanther Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCOTLAND1314 Posted March 13, 2013 Report Share Posted March 13, 2013 I think this is a great topic to get people commenting on, and it is interesting to read the different views. If I recall what got me hooked on speedway as a kid it was (in no particular order) getting rider autographs, the adrenalin rush of the races, drinking a bottle of coke through a straw and when I was a bit older filling in the programme and following the progress of my team and the riders I had become accustomed to. If I think about what would get my kids interested today it would probably involve interaction via a screen, something to kill the dead minutes between races and probably more sideshow entertainment. I definitely agree with the comments about the absence of advertising and media attention. I wonder why clubs don't provide reports to local media to publish. I would also like to see an end to the time spent on gardening at the start of each race. Maybe a countdown to when the green light comes on so the riders know they have to be ready to race. The referee still has discretion when tapes go up so riders can't learn the timing and anticipate the start. Thinking about reducing the time between races would it be feasible to chunk the meeting into four quarters covering heats 1-4, 5-8, 9-12 and 13-15, with no delay between in races within each quarter and a mini-break between quarters? More momentum might be built up in each quarter, and each quarter could be viewed as its own segment of the entire meeting. I realise this might be a problem for riders taking two on the trot but knowing there is no extra time allowed might influence how managers choose to use their riders. I loved the roar of the bike, the visit to the pits, the smell, following my favourite rider (fortunately he stayed with the club for a while), completing the programme, the cheering of the crowd. Nowadays the bike's are quieter, the pits can't be easily viewed (at most of the tracks I go to), favourite rider moves on pretty quickly, crowd is not as noisy... but I can still fill in my programme ;-) Just a thought could the club do an 'online' interactive programme? With the younger fan filling it in on their phone (or similar). With it having links to other speedway information/action for those quieter moments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2ndbendbeerhut Posted March 13, 2013 Report Share Posted March 13, 2013 Team suits all round are a must. What other TEAM sport doesn't have the team members in a 'kit'? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
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.