£10 Sport?

[iris123]

Yes,going by figures for 2010 Lesznos crowd was half of the average back then and Bydgoszcz's crowd was 2,000 down,so 40% ish down on the 2010 average.Not good reading

[mickthemuppet]

Trouble with this argument is,it was all ok when the world final was held every year at Wembley.Then there was money to share out.Once the final was shared around then it was only held once every 4 or 5 years in Gb and then no longer at Wembley.The money wasn't quite the same was it?And if the BSPA was still running the British GP then it might just possibly be held at Coventry or Poole and there wouldn't be much money to share out either.And of course you wouldn't expect the Poles to share their money with everyone,so it would be a British Gp run by the BSPA..........oh yeah,loadsa money to share out i don't think

So why did the British promoters or British Speedway Control Board let other countries have the world final.. The world finals started unofficially as the "Star" Championship.in 1929 and then becoming the World Championships in 1936. World finals stayed at Wembley until 1962 where it went to Malmo in Sweden where the gate was only 30% of Wembley.

 

Indeed and to add to that petrol is so cheap in Poland as well.How do they do it?

Rather simple really . The average wage in GB is over three times that in Poland. On that basis £6 to £10 admission would work out £18 to £30. So overall Speedway is cheaper in UK than Poland.

Petrol costs 1.30 Euros a litre in Poland so that is about 10% cheaper than in UK.

[iris123]

So why did the British promoters or British Speedway Control Board let other countries have the world final.. The world finals started unofficially as the "Star" Championship.in 1929 and then becoming the World Championships in 1936. World finals stayed at Wembley until 1962 where it went to Malmo in Sweden where the gate was only 30% of Wembley.

I know the history.You tell me why they let it go.I thought you was making the argument that it was a good thing that they kept the money from the world final.If it was such a good thing why let it go?Or was it taken from them?

Rather simple really . The average wage in GB is over three times that in Poland. On that basis £6 to £10 admission would work out £18 to £30. So overall Speedway is cheaper in UK than Poland.

Petrol costs 1.30 Euros a litre in Poland so that is about 10% cheaper than in UK.

 

Think that is a woosh as i was being a little bit sarcastic.......

[uk_martin]

Between £6 and £10 in Poland and the stadiums are packed! - Sunday to the perfect day for an afternoon at speedway :-)

 

In a country where average earnings is £600-£800 per month, and where a pint of beer down the pub is £1, you need to do some relative comparisons to see that to a Pole, speedway is no less expensive than it is to us Brits.

[Guest]

So why did the British promoters or British Speedway Control Board let other countries have the world final.. The world finals started unofficially as the "Star" Championship.in 1929 and then becoming the World Championships in 1936. World finals stayed at Wembley until 1962 where it went to Malmo in Sweden where the gate was only 30% of Wembley.

 

It went from the UK because speedway became a truly recognised international sport. The UK governing body was affiliated to the FIM which controls international motorcycle sport. As such, the other nations took more control of the sport and this led to the world finals being allocated to other member countries.

Britain had no reason other than to comply with the championship being allocated to different countries. It could well have meant that our refusal to agree to tis would have led to the UK being "outlawed" by the FIM. That would have meant all foreign riders (including places like Australia, UK, New Zealand and South Africa) as well as the European countries) would have been banned from riding in Britain. Hence, it would have been impossible to stage a 'go it alone' world championship in the UK as there would have been no non-British riders available - an all-British world championship would have been a joke.

That's my basic view and I stand to be corrected on my opinion.

Edited June 25, 2013 by Guest

[Trees]

Between £6 and £10 in Poland and the stadiums are packed! - Sunday to the perfect day for an afternoon at speedway :-)

As Saturday nights used to be here!!! Sunday afternoons were popular here too!!

[iris123]

In a country where average earnings is £600-£800 per month, and where a pint of beer down the pub is £1, you need to do some relative comparisons to see that to a Pole, speedway is no less expensive than it is to us Brits.

Exactly.If things are so cheap in real terms why are so many Poles living elsewhere i ask myself.Never mind,lost count of how many times this comes up.Take something like the price of a ticket or a beer in isolation of the reality of living in a country is no argument

[Grand Central]

Exactly.If things are so cheap in real terms why are so many Poles living elsewhere i ask myself.Never mind,lost count of how many times this comes up.Take something like the price of a ticket or a beer in isolation of the reality of living in a country is no argument

 

Well said.

People keep making unrealistic comparsions just to make a point.

But just their point.

 

They compare chalk and cheese.

Then come up with the bright idea that a 'Chalk and Pickle' Sandwich might taste good.

 

In Poland.

Edited June 25, 2013 by Grand Central

[pandorum]

More like a 2 Bob sport when you see the way the sport has been governed this last few years.

The recent air fence edict will spell the death knell for a few PL clubs and the SKY money no longer available will take care of a couple of EL sides.

Instead of working together to put the sport into the public eye the back stabbing self centred bunch of idiots laughingly referred to as the 'Promoters' association will kill off the sport effectively by the end of this decade unless they take the drastic measures they should have taken a couple of years ago to get rid of most of the expensive foreign and GP so called stars and nurture some British talent.

 

Flying in riders to get zero points and putting themselves at the mercy of foreign leagues is insanity.

 

The crowd levels prove people don't go to see 'star' riders or the terraces would be filled.

A decent track, a bunch of riders who are about the same level and a sensible team building system that favours British and UK based foreigners can avert catastrophe.

No guests, R/R restricted to International duties, a sensible squad system based on possibly grading rather than averages and allow the grades to last several years to avoid stripping a successful team of their riders every year.

 

But what will happen......absolutely nothing.

[Chalkie]

'Tis my belief that Speedway should be a £10 sport.

 

To achieve this, however costs do need to be reduced. That is both the costs of running a team (so called promoters costs) and the cost of riding the bikes (engine tuning, equipment, flashy clothing, flash vans etc.)

 

One of the other key things which need to be done is to increase the supply of Speedway matches, because a basic rule of economics is supply and demand. If supply is limited then price will rise as the wealthy will pay more to have what the poor can't afford!

 

So, say I attend 14 home matches at £17, that's an expenditure of £238. Say there are 25 matches throughout a season at £10 each and I attend all of them. That's an income of £250. Not much of an increase I hear you say but at £10 a few (let's say for every die hard 2) ex-fans get interested again and in year 1 attend 5 matches perceived to be the best the season has to offer, e.g. Swindon v Poole; King's Lynn; Birmingham; Wolves and Lakeside in the current season.

 

Let's say there are 1000 die hards who each spend £250 in the season, that's an income of £250,000. But also, for every die hard you have 2 (another 2000) spending £10 on 5 matches (£100,000!) So now you have an income of £350,000 a year as opposed to 1000 X 14 X £17= £238,000!!! An increase in revenue of 47% on the basis of reducing the price and increasing the supply-both things which every fan would die for.

 

OK you may have to settle at PL standard for the main league but from what I have heard and seen of that it's a much more exciting product and you do tend to see all your team ride against all the opposition's teams each week. Give me consistency and continuity over what I am being dished up each three weeks at Swindon at the moment! In addition to seeing the promotion spending megabucks to fly in lacklustre Polish juniors to score Gr00000000m00000lski each time*

 

*Please refer to my earlier comment re costs, promoters!

[The White Knight]

'Tis my belief that Speedway should be a £10 sport.

 

To achieve this, however costs do need to be reduced. That is both the costs of running a team (so called promoters costs) and the cost of riding the bikes (engine tuning, equipment, flashy clothing, flash vans etc.)

 

One of the other key things which need to be done is to increase the supply of Speedway matches, because a basic rule of economics is supply and demand. If supply is limited then price will rise as the wealthy will pay more to have what the poor can't afford!

 

So, say I attend 14 home matches at £17, that's an expenditure of £238. Say there are 25 matches throughout a season at £10 each and I attend all of them. That's an income of £250. Not much of an increase I hear you say but at £10 a few (let's say for every die hard 2) ex-fans get interested again and in year 1 attend 5 matches perceived to be the best the season has to offer, e.g. Swindon v Poole; King's Lynn; Birmingham; Wolves and Lakeside in the current season.

 

Let's say there are 1000 die hards who each spend £250 in the season, that's an income of £250,000. But also, for every die hard you have 2 (another 2000) spending £10 on 5 matches (£100,000!) So now you have an income of £350,000 a year as opposed to 1000 X 14 X £17= £238,000!!! An increase in revenue of 47% on the basis of reducing the price and increasing the supply-both things which every fan would die for.

 

OK you may have to settle at PL standard for the main league but from what I have heard and seen of that it's a much more exciting product and you do tend to see all your team ride against all the opposition's teams each week. Give me consistency and continuity over what I am being dished up each three weeks at Swindon at the moment! In addition to seeing the promotion spending megabucks to fly in lacklustre Polish juniors to score Gr00000000m00000lski each time*

 

*Please refer to my earlier comment re costs, promoters!

 

Great Post.

 

The only problem I can see with your thinking is that you don't appear to have allowed for VAT. Now that takes the actual money from Tickets down by 20%. I reckon that if Prices were set at about £13 your numbers MIGHT stand a chance. (I am NOT an Accountant).

[Chalkie]

Great Post.

 

The only problem I can see with your thinking is that you don't appear to have allowed for VAT. Now that takes the actual money from Tickets down by 20%. I reckon that if Prices were set at about £13 your numbers MIGHT stand a chance. (I am NOT an Accountant).

But surely I am comparing like for like, i.e. there is currently VAT on the £17. The killer is that (with my imaginary figures) you get an increase in revenue of 47%-I'd take that if I were a so called promoter!

[The White Knight]

But surely I am comparing like for like, i.e. there is currently VAT on the £17. The killer is that (with my imaginary figures) you get an increase in revenue of 47%-I'd take that if I were a so called promoter!

 

Fair comment Chalkie.

 

I wasn't being funny with you. :)

[Chalkie]

 

 

Fair comment Chalkie.

 

I wasn't being funny with you. :)

DIdn't think you were, matey!

[mickthemuppet]

It went from the UK because speedway became a truly recognised international sport. The UK governing body was affiliated to the FIM which controls international motorcycle sport. As such, the other nations took more control of the sport and this led to the world finals being allocated to other member countries.

Britain had no reason other than to comply with the championship being allocated to different countries. It could well have meant that our refusal to agree to tis would have led to the UK being "outlawed" by the FIM. That would have meant all foreign riders (including places like Australia, UK, New Zealand and South Africa) as well as the European countries) would have been banned from riding in Britain. Hence, it would have been impossible to stage a 'go it alone' world championship in the UK as there would have been no non-British riders available - an all-British world championship would have been a joke.

That's my basic view and I stand to be corrected on my opinion.

Sorry but it was the UK that started the speedway World championships and as we were the strongest speedway country in Europe at the start on the 1960's we should have told the other countries the world championships stay here and you can get stuffed Look at the world's Darts competition . There are quite a lot of different nations competing but the final is always in England. Then move on to Snooker. I think the world final has been in England for the last 80 years.

As Uk speedway had the rights to Speedway World finals why did we give them up.?

[Guest]

Sorry but it was the UK that started the speedway World championships and as we were the strongest speedway country in Europe at the start on the 1960's we should have told the other countries the world championships stay here and you can get stuffed Look at the world's Darts competition . There are quite a lot of different nations competing but the final is always in England. Then move on to Snooker. I think the world final has been in England for the last 80 years.

As Uk speedway had the rights to Speedway World finals why did we give them up.?

 

OK. We told the rest of the world "get stuffed we are keeping the world championship.'

They react by - the associate members of the FIM - by saying OK but we ban riders from our member nations from competing in it.

That leaves this country with only English/British riders to compete in the event. Would that be a world championship - especially as the rest of the world would doubtless have run a world championship from the FIM member nations.

We had no alternative - the World Speedway Championship was an FIM-sanctioned event and they chose how the competition was run and where the final was to be staged.

The days of 'Little England' had come to an end.

[Grand Central]

OK. We told the rest of the world "get stuffed we are keeping the world championship.'

They react by - the associate members of the FIM - by saying OK but we ban riders from our member nations from competing in it.

That leaves this country with only English/British riders to compete in the event. Would that be a world championship - especially as the rest of the world would doubtless have run a world championship from the FIM member nations.

We had no alternative - the World Speedway Championship was an FIM-sanctioned event and they chose how the competition was run and where the final was to be staged.

The days of 'Little England' had come to an end.

 

You're quite right.

And you'd already given a very full explanation of the history.

 

But now, on top of Speedway's current woes, some of us are objecting to decisions made fifty years ago.

Almost as if by moaning today we could change the past.

Which is a bit rich even by this forum's standards.

 

I know Matt Smith is ending his stint as Dr Who.

But is this some strange audition for the role of the new Time Lord?

[PHILIPRISING]

UK Speedway (whatever you think that was) never had the rights to the World Championship, which have always been in the domain of the FIM. What Great Britain did have as a trump card for many years was Wembley Stadium, for so long a global icon and an historic home for speedway, both domestic and international.

[Guest]

UK Speedway (whatever you think that was) never had the rights to the World Championship, which have always been in the domain of the FIM. What Great Britain did have as a trump card for many years was Wembley Stadium, for so long a global icon and an historic home for speedway, both domestic and international.

 

Well said. That's a point I have been trying to get over. It neatly clarifies my thoughts on the matter.

What is a mystery is - "where does this all fit in with £10 to attend a speedway meeting?" The debate, more slightly, seems to have gone off course.

[Derwent]

It doesn't matter whether its a £10, £20 or £50 sport, what really matters is whether people perceive it as being value for money. If people think they are getting good value for the admission fee then they will come again, and that's true of any form of entertainment. Promoters often seem to miss the fundamental point that yes its a sport but ultimately they are in the entertainment industry and as such need to entertain people. Unless you're an absolute speedway-obsessed anorak of the Sid & Doris Bonkers variety then watching 15 processional heats is just not entertaining, and that is what is being served up quite frequently at many tracks.

 

You don't have to look any further than the Cardiff GP to see that VFM is the key - people will happily pay much more for a ticket for what is, after all, just another speedway meeting, because they believe that overall they are getting good value for their money and being entertained.