Speedway Star - Point Of View

[Tsunami]

Thinking back to the Speedway Star special last Autumn, when they interviewed a promoter from each club prior to the AGM, it was astounding how many were complacent about the sports future. Two who stood out as particularly content with the product were Len Silver and Dave Hoggart (who comically felt the main thing wrong was the negativity of supporters).

I felt at the time the attitude of these guardians of the sport smacked of playing the fiddle whilst smoke filled the air and it seems the 2013 season is confirming my view that the sport domestically is floating down a creek of poo without a paddle.

The chance to bring in a much needed independent body and a simplified rule book was snubbed following the winter of discontent 2 years ago and the culture of promoters who have an over-riding ethos of self interest has continued to make the sport a laughing stock.

Poole is supposedly one of the best run clubs, but how many times this season have they missed out on their Wednesday evening fixture? The promotion seem keener on hunting out loopholes in the average rules the better to track a ttle winning outfit rather than provide regular action on a decent race track.

With Sky possibly slipping over the horizon, now is the time to grasp the nettle and chuck out the bathwater. The baby of the essential thrill of 4 riders, 4 laps needs to be kept, but get back to weekly, affordable Speedway. If the GP riders can't accomodate a full season, then so be it, costs will be lower.

An independent body in charge of a simplified rulebook. Less abuse of facilities for "injured" riders and instead of the "win at all costs" mentality attributed to Neil Middleditch in last weeks Star a final realisation that the sport is only as strong as its weaker member and that working and existing together is the only way for the sport to survive professionally in the UK.

 

To be fair salty, they are hardly going to be talking of doom and gloom, when looking for sponsors and maintaining the crowd. Not be the first, or the last, guardian of a sport, show, company, enterprise,etc, that is naturally going to talk the product up. That's life, especially in entertainment and sport.

[salty]

Can see your point, but have to disagree.

Len Silver "There isn't anything dramatically wrong with the way Speedway is run at the moment. There may be some minor changes that may be needed to the way things work, but, as far as I'm concerned, I think it is still a good sport that is generally well run"

Dave Hoggart " What we are dealing with is public perception and misapprehension that the sport is in serious trouble. There are a lot of people who think we have to make changes but I don't. Yes, it can survive without major surgery"

 

Allowing some leeway to talk up the product is understandable, but lets not forget this was a feature where other promoters felt able to be more forthright and realistic about the sports future. It was also almost exclusively going to be read by supporters of the sport.

 

Sorry mate but I've had enough of the - "head in the sand" everything's OK, we only need to do a bit of fine tuning - mentality. I reckon the domestic product hit an all time low the other Friday when in 3 Elite fixtures we had countless guests and 5 of the 6 teams running RR. Time for some root and branch surgery.

[Backless]

look at what cricket has done this evening with its 20/20 games...

 

a joined up country wide as well as local marketing plan, some thought around a complete entertainment package, reduced adult admission, kids in for a quid, noise, colour, a public address system that works (and all scheduled participants turning up )...

 

result?

 

full houses across the country.....

 

some great ideas for no real outlay have already been mentioned, but another zero cost one for me is when a team gets a five one (or even the winner of every race) should do a lap of honour so the fans can show appreciation, too many times you have a great race and all go straight back to the pits....

 

take every opportunity to keep the fans involved and part of the experience..

Not quite right - it may or may not have been the case tonight, but Sky have televised a few this week (what with not actually having much of anything else at the minute) and they've been played in front of "Speedway" crowds. Edited July 5, 2013 by Backless

[2ndBender]

The sport is on its' a***e, that's for sure, but then I think it always has been, and always will be. Even in the sixties, when we used to delude ourselves into thinking that it was 'the most popular sport in Britain after football' it was regarded, in general, by the majority of sports fans, as a minority sport. Even now, it's still just fifteen heats of (mostly) fairly processional busts of one-minute 'action', and for most sports fans, that's not enough. Only us die-hards will be satisfied. But then, it will always survive; just look at the late fifties.

[george.m]

On BSF we continually read about how speedway is a dying sport, dead on its feet, etc.

 

Could it be that it's actually a very successful sport nowadays?

 

OK, I've not gone nuts. But offering a different point of view.

 

People say it's dying, etc compared with crowds at football nowadays, or speedway's attendances of the past.

 

I'd argue this is unrealistic.

 

Speedway has always been a sport for the so called "working class". Back in the past they had less disposable income, and less other attractions to spend it on. Just think for a minute. Back in the '60s and 70s how many TV channels did we have? Three or it might even have been two. How many do we have now? And a night in front of the TV is just one of things speedway competes with today and look how its appeal has improved.

 

Newspapers nowadays sell less compared with the past, due to the internet. Does this make them unsuccessful, dying on their feet? No.

 

The only way to measure speedway's current success is to measure it against its potential.

Just like any other "product" in the world. Speedway has no divine right to be different.

 

Speedway is a niche sport, so do we expect 5,000 people to turn up to a meeting every week? Get real!

 

Perhaps speedway nowadays measured against its potential is a very successful sport.

Edited July 5, 2013 by george.m

[Tsunami]

Can see your point, but have to disagree.

Len Silver "There isn't anything dramatically wrong with the way Speedway is run at the moment. There may be some minor changes that may be needed to the way things work, but, as far as I'm concerned, I think it is still a good sport that is generally well run"

Dave Hoggart " What we are dealing with is public perception and misapprehension that the sport is in serious trouble. There are a lot of people who think we have to make changes but I don't. Yes, it can survive without major surgery"

 

Allowing some leeway to talk up the product is understandable, but lets not forget this was a feature where other promoters felt able to be more forthright and realistic about the sports future. It was also almost exclusively going to be read by supporters of the sport.

 

Sorry mate but I've had enough of the - "head in the sand" everything's OK, we only need to do a bit of fine tuning - mentality. I reckon the domestic product hit an all time low the other Friday when in 3 Elite fixtures we had countless guests and 5 of the 6 teams running RR. Time for some root and branch surgery.

 

Think you are being a bit too judgemental there. Nobody is saying that really. It might be hinted at outwardly, but it is not what's going on in private and behind closed doors. But surely you knew that and were prepared to allow for it happening.

 

On BSF we continually read about how speedway is a dying sport, dead on its feet, etc.

 

Could it be that it's actually a very successful sport nowadays?

 

OK, I've not gone nuts. But offering a different point of view.

 

People say it's dying, etc compared with crowds at football nowadays, or speedway's attendances of the past.

 

I'd argue this is unrealistic.

 

Speedway has always been a sport for the so called "working class". Back in the past they had less disposable income, and less other attractions to spend it on. Just think for a minute. Back in the '60s and 70s how many TV channels did we have? Three or it might even have been two. How many do we have now? And a night in front of the TV is just one of things speedway competes with today and look how its appeal has improved.

 

Newspapers nowadays sell less compared with the past, due to the internet. Does this make them unsuccessful, dying on their feet? No.

 

The only way to measure speedway's current success is to measure it against its potential.

Just like any other "product" in the world. Speedway has no divine right to be different.

 

Speedway is a niche sport, so do we expect 5,000 people to turn up to a meeting every week? Get real!

 

Perhaps speedway nowadays measured against its potential is a very successful sport.

 

Unlike Tennis, eh George.

[salty]

Think you are being a bit too judgemental there. Nobody is saying that really. It might be hinted at outwardly, but it is not what's going on in private and behind closed doors. But surely you knew that and were prepared to allow for it happening.

 

I understand it may well be happening now, but the lack of meaningful action at the last 2 AGM's suggests a lack of foresight as to the seriousness of the situation.

Too many seemed to blame the poor 2012 season on the shocking weather (with some justification).

 

Edit. Re your earlier point about promoters not wanting to talk doom and gloom about the sport for fear of turning off sponsors and wanting to "talk the product up". You must have missed the countless doom and gloom warnings from promoters telling us that things were "unsustainable" over the years. In fact within a couple of weeks of Dave Hoggart telling us everything was fine, his co-promoter was giving us dire warnings of the future of the sport at Owlerton.

Edited July 5, 2013 by salty

[tigerowl]

David tells us that the team is fine when we have been hammered at home by a five man Rye House!

[raymondbudd]

From an editorial perspective I think the piece is excellent. Much as I enjoy reading the speedway star, its these sorts of editorial pieces that I enjoy most. I don't have a team to follow anymore, but I do follow the sport. As such the team based news section has limited appeal and its the other items that have more interest.

 

I also agree entirely with the issues raised in the piece.

[moxey63]

Having read and digested Philip Rising's piece, I genuinely feel the sport needs a complete re-invention, taking parts of what served it so well throughout history and ditching aspects supports don't really like but put up with.

 

Oldace and I are one of the many who no longer attend. I stopped going to Belle Vue even when I was getting in for free, so much was I bored with what was on offer, and I don't just mean the racing. I continue to post on these website because I have loved the sport and still feel there is something there that keeps the flame burning.

 

I think part of me not attending anymore is out of frustration for the men who control the sport, the promoters, who really are on a par with New Labour, in that they have continued to mess the sport up, Labour being blamed for the state of the country.

 

New rules are brought in - the last one in last season's KOC, the match race farce - and fans have no say. Even from the outside looking in, I could see this was doomed to failure... and it took the KO Cup competition with it!

 

I could do one of those bullet-headed type of improvements sort of thing, a list of what will return speedway to greatness, but we all have our different thoughts.

 

It is tragic that the men in charge of pulling all the strings still control the sport and will always want what's best for their individual club, not the sport as a whole.

 

I haven't set foot in Belle Vue for six years. But I bet I will notice straight away that the crowd, already small back then, would have gotten smaller.

 

In fact, I bet business is better at most VHS video rental stores than it is at most speedway tracks.

 

But I don't think the penny has dropped.

Edited July 6, 2013 by moxey63

[The White Knight]

Having read and digested Philip Rising's piece, I genuinely feel the sport needs a complete re-invention, taking parts of what served it so well throughout history and ditching aspects supports don't really like but put up with.

 

Oldace and I are one of the many who no longer attend. I stopped going to Belle Vue even when I was getting in for free, so much was I bored with what was on offer, and I don't just mean the racing. I continue to post on these website because I have loved the sport and still feel there is something there that keeps the flame burning.

 

I think part of me not attending anymore is out of frustration for the men who control the sport, the promoters, who really are on a par with New Labour, in that they have continued to mess the sport up, Labour being blamed for the state of the country.

 

New rules are brought in - the last one in last season's KOC, the match race farce - and fans have no say. Even from the outside looking in, I could see this was doomed to failure... and it took the KO Cup competition with it!

 

I could do one of those bullet-headed type of improvements sort of thing, a list of what will return speedway to greatness, but we all have our different thoughts.

 

It is tragic that the men in charge of pulling all the strings still control the sport and will always want what's best for their individual club, not the sport as a whole.

 

I haven't set foot in Belle Vue for six years. But I bet I will notice straight away that the crowd, already small back then, would have gotten smaller.

 

In fact, I bet business is better at most VHS video rental stores than it is at most speedway tracks.

 

But I don't think the penny has dropped.

 

A truly SAD Post by moxey63.

 

The thing is that I can see where he is coming from. As for "taking parts of what served it (our Sport) so well throughout History" - I would say Four Riders hurtling around a Track is a very good starting point.

 

Re-invent and simplify Speedway back to the basics and you won't go far wrong.

 

DO NOTHING AND WE ARE FINISHED!!!

[ch958]

I'm all for back to basics and so should be the promoters because they could actually make some money!! In turn more people would want to open tracks.

 

For me we need a body, as independent as possible, to rule the game and have more or less absolute authority. Maybe 6 people, not currently involved with clubs - ex riders, ex refs, ex promoters, whoever. Not paid positions but maybe expenses.

[moxey63]

Watching a bit of tennis the other day, it came to my attention that most serious sports never, and don't need to, change the rules every week. I watched tennis 30 years ago and still know the rules from the time period, because they haven't changed.

I often got embarrassed on the terraces at Belle Vue, when someone asked me could a Golden Double be used now... and I said I wasn't sure. A fan of 30-odd years didn't know the exact rules for a sport he was watching.

 

I think speedway in this country needs a complete period of discovering the perfect set-up - heat formats, riders continuity with clubs for longer than the one season, short-termism of rules, how many machines riders should be able to enter the stadium with (perhaps even one, though allowed another as back up in case something happens to that one, but this must remain locked away). Perhaps this would begin to start cutting costs and halt the slide of finances that basically are leaking away from the sport

 

Speedway can’t be fixed by promoters – or even by fans that still attend. They think there is nothing wrong with the product! You need ex-fans' input. For example, feedback from satisfied fans is important… but how many fans are there on the terraces of 2013 British Speedway? There are more that have filtered away in the past 10 or 20 years that became disillusioned.

 

If I buy anything – say from ebay or Argos – I look for the negative comments on products sold. They carry the weight. In speedway, however, as OldAce and I have found, if you stop going and have good reasons why, you are criticised for your opinions and told to clear off somewhere else.

 

If I bought a Takeaway next week from my regular provider that I have used for years and, for example, there was a human hair in the fried rice, I would simply not go there again, even if I was offered a freebie. It wouldn’t bother some people – but that Takeaway owner wouldn’t know why the squeamish had stopped going. They’d have lost an order.

 

The thing is… a lot of old speedway fans have vanished and so aren’t around to give their opinions on why they stopped going. Ones - yes, like my buddy OldAce and I, are still here. We can see the product is still there but became frustrated by some of its aspects.

 

I have listened to people who are seeking employment, for example, and they are frustrated when they don’t even get a reply to their CV application. The jobseeker will often say they would like some sort of feedback from the potential employers, because they’d like to know what they are doing wrong in their applications.

 

Speedway just digs a huge hole and sticks its head right in it.

 

We need some brave decisions… and not opinions from speedway fans that say any speedway is better than non.

 

If I criticised Belle Vue on the Belle Vue forum, for example, I was enemy number one. But, since 2006 and my swansong, I have dipped into their website... and it's amazing how many people are criticising!

Edited July 7, 2013 by moxey63

[The Third Man]

What some fans dont appreciate is when they tell the fans who complain that there wont be any speedway if they dont support their local track is that these are the fans that couldnt care less.

 

they dont go anymore, so if the track closes they lose nothing.

 

the promoters and some supporters need to take their heads out of the sand and look for reasons why people dont go anymore, not telling the stop away fans that it is their fault their track is closing

Edited July 7, 2013 by The Third Man

[The White Knight]

What some fans dont appreciate is when they tell the fans who complain that there wont be any speedway if they dont support their local track is that these are the fans that couldnt care less.

 

they dont go anymore, so if the track closes they lose nothing.

 

the promoters and some supporters need to take their heads out of the sand and look for reasons why people dont go anymore, not telling the stop away fans that it is their fault their track is closing

 

Actually - THAT is a very fair point.

[moxey63]

There was one promoter who often told his locals to theri faces "If you don't like it, don't come again!" after they had complained about one thing or other.

Edited July 7, 2013 by moxey63

[SCB]

What some fans dont appreciate is when they tell the fans who complain that there wont be any speedway if they dont support their local track is that these are the fans that couldnt care less.

 

they dont go anymore, so if the track closes they lose nothing.

 

the promoters and some supporters need to take their heads out of the sand and look for reasons why people dont go anymore, not telling the stop away fans that it is their fault their track is closing

Exactly, always said this. It's a complete logic fail but then we're talking speedway promoters here so why expect anything better!

 

There was one promoter, about 20 years ago, who often told locals who had paid good money to watch increasingly regular sub-standard entertainment, but had a rare chance to complain to his face: "If you don't like it, don't come again!"

After being told I should stop slagging off Tim Stone/Newport Speedway behind his back on the Internet I took the opportunity to chat to him in the bar one day and introduce myself. His answer? "Don't come if you don't like it", my mum never gave the guy a penny of her money again while I started going less and less until I started going to Coventry every week instead.

[Halifaxtiger]

 

Would I have a clue what was going on? - No

 

 

Get racing like heat 15 at Owlerton on Thursday and I suspect that no-one would care what is going on. It was brilliant.

 

I find that there a huge number of people who are critical of the sport in its present form but few (if any) are able to come with something different. Speedway is all about 4 blokes on bikes without brakes and you can't change it that much. That's why its been the same for decades, not because the BSPA are a set of idiots.

 

I remain absolutely unconvinced, though, that every effort is made to attract and retain paying customers. Everything should be based upon what they want, not what anyone else wants.

 

As an example, there has been an enormous amount of criticism of Leicester's track over the last few years, yet the recent Somerset meeting showed that the problem certainly isn't the much maligned shape. You have to ask yourself why, if it was as good as reported, it hasn't been like that for the past 3 seasons.

[moxey63]

Yes, try to keep the present fans, by all means, but surely a pop artist's record company won't insist on trying to provide for the small number of fans that still buy his tired sounding tracks.

 

The small few that still do (buy the recordings) obviously don't feel there's anything wrong with the tunes he turns out. As long as they still stump up, despite their idol performing to ever decreasing audience levels, the few, who are able to sit anywhere they want in the arena, are content.

Edited July 7, 2013 by moxey63

[Halifaxtiger]

Exactly, always said this. It's a complete logic fail but then we're talking speedway promoters here so why expect anything better!

 

After being told I should stop slagging off Tim Stone/Newport Speedway behind his back on the Internet I took the opportunity to chat to him in the bar one day and introduce myself. His answer? "Don't come if you don't like it", my mum never gave the guy a penny of her money again while I started going less and less until I started going to Coventry every week instead.

 

The sport is rife with examples like that.

 

Two friends of mine refuse to go to one northern track after exactly the same response from the promoter.

 

Another friend of mine works all year round at one southern track. Being a bit of a handyman, he travelled every day to the track during the winter to do repairs and renovations, and all for nothing. When he asked for a couple of complimentaries for some friends who were coming to stay, he was refused. Needless to say, he doesn't do it any more.

 

One more friend was booted out of the pits at one southern track, despite the fact that there is a possibility that that track would not be in existence without his contribution.

 

Then there's one of our most prolific postyers, who no longer attends a northern track after he was roundly abused by the promoter.

 

The sheer ingratitiude and appallling customer care on occasion leaves me totally exasperated.

 

I should say that they are not all like that. King's Lynn's Dale Allitt and Sheffield's Dave Hoggart are two that I have found to be very approachable and reasonable (even if you are being critical) and I have a lot of time for Coventry's Laurence Rogers and Blayne Scroggins and Plymouth's Ashley Taylor.

Edited July 7, 2013 by Halifaxtiger