Match Programmes

[Vincent Blachshadow]

Whether or not it's a rip-off would depend on what's in the programme. Most are very home club orientated with their results, averages, a report from the last match or two, some blurb from promoters, team manager, a rider or two. Then some info on the opponents for that match. If it's from the previous match then the home team blurb is the same - nothing's altered, no changes in statistics, just a rain-off to report on - so if the insert provides the info on that day's opponents with the relevant race-card I can't see a problem. Again, whether or not that's acceptable is up to the individual but, not following a particular team, I don't go into one if the 'wrong' opponents feature on the front cover as long as I know why.

Where I do see a problem is if it's the programme from the match originally postponed two months back re-issued with just a race-card for the new day and no other additions. Outdated statistics, missing results, missing info for the three riders signed by the opposition since the postponement. To me, that's a rip-off.

Edited July 14, 2013 by Vincent Blackshadow

[MattK]

Producing ANOTHER Programme MAY be preferable, but it may also, over a Season end up closing your Track because of even MORE Financial problems than they have now. The Government 'Cuts' have not fully hit yet - that is without the ones planned over the next few years.

 

I believe that Promoters should do EVERYTHING and ANYTHING to keep the Sport going. If dishing out an old Programme helps with this - GREAT!! :approve:

 

Would you think its acceptable if you went to a restaurant and they served up day old food that they hadn't sold the previous day?

 

This is another example of promoters taking the piss out of their paying customers.

[The White Knight]

Would you think its acceptable if you went to a restaurant and they served up day old food that they hadn't sold the previous day?

 

This is another example of promoters taking the piss out of their paying customers.

 

THAT is ever so slightly different Matt and I suspect you know it. :sad:

[van wolfswinkel]

I like having a prog...but was peed-off on Thursday paying £2.50 for a Swindon-Wolves insert.

[oldace]

THAT is ever so slightly different Matt and I suspect you know it. :sad:

 

OK then, what about when you go to the newsagent for your Daily Mail. They hadn't sold many of yesterdays so it was on sale today with an insert for the TV page. You would be OK with that I take it.

 

All promoters are doing is ensuring less and less fans buy programmes. In business it is so easy to rip people off, you can con anyone and everyone

 

but only once they rarely come back a second time

[Vincent Blachshadow]

 

 

OK then, what about when you go to the newsagent for your Daily Mail. They hadn't sold many of yesterdays so it was on sale today with an insert for the TV page. You would be OK with that I take it.

 

All promoters are doing is ensuring less and less fans buy programmes. In business it is so easy to rip people off, you can con anyone and everyone

 

but only once they rarely come back a second time

 

But it's not a 'news'paper giving information which will be old news tomorrow. It's a 'match magazine' giving current info (which, in most cases, will remain 'current' until after the next match) and a few general details on that day's visitors. As long as the magazine is reissued for the next match and the 'today's visitors' pages are updated with an insert I really can't see the problem.

 

Maybe promoters should re-label them as match magazines, miss the opponents off of the front cover and give them a match number instead.

 

These cost money to print and I'm surprised that speedway fans would prefer it if postponed match programmes are dumped rather than re-issued asap. I don't know programme printing costs but I'd imagine a year as bad as last year would have cost each promoter thousands. The sport can really afford that, can't it!

Edited July 15, 2013 by Vincent Blackshadow

[The Voice Of Reason]

To be honest, I always buy a programme when I go to away meetings - although the information about my team within is pretty sparse, outdated, factually incorrect or even all three. Why do I buy them? Because I know it adds just a few bob more to that particular club's bottom line.

 

At the end off the day, I know how much these things cost to print - believe me, they aren't cheap! Scrapping/recycling them would be financial suicide.

 

Also, bear in mind, that when your club's commercial manager goes out pre-season to scoop up sponsorship from local businesses (which must be a nightmare job these days), their advert within a programme is an additional selling point. Company's like to know that their message is getting out there to local, potential customers.

 

That said, if I could just BUY a single page scoresheet at away meeting for, let's say 50p, then I probably would. The profit margin for the club would actually be higher.

 

Just an idea.

[Grand Central]

I think we all know why this is done

And how costly it would be to dump the useless programmes.

 

That is just common sense.

 

But no matter what.

When I get sold such a re-used programme.

I still get peed off.

 

It's just something extra to take the shine off a night at speedway.

And so often, the night wasn't that shiny to start with.

 

[SteveLyric2]

Not sure about some of the 'inserts' referred to above, but when its happened at Poole, the 'insert' as usually a 4-page (ie an A4 double sided) race card with race sponsors still included and updated info on the reverse eg Meeting sponsor profile; rider changes etc!! As has been said, promoters cannot afford to lose money on programmes/advertising especially if, like last year, there were many rain-offs.

[Racin Jason 72]

Ipswich have recently been selling the old programme which was rained off when the team returns but provide a up to date insert and reduce the cost of the programme to £2.

This seems a fair compromise as the promotion reduces their losses and the fans save a bit without feeling ripped off. You are also informed before you buy that it's a old prog with a insert so at least you can decide.

I think this should happen at all tracks

[lucifer sam]

Just have a £1 programme like Scunny. No-one ever complains about that, because it's value for money.

 

All the best

Rob

[SteveLyric2]

Just have a £1 programme like Scunny. No-one ever complains about that, because it's value for money.

 

All the best

Rob

Is Scunthorpe their own track or do they have to pay rent etc to a landlord?

[westhamboy66]

Marmande for the Long track GP....was expecting ten euros or something silly, when we got there there were boxes piled up, help yourself to a programme and a pen to fill the thing in. Ok it was full of adverts but it had a race card, points chart, competitors photos, up to date standings and list of officials all for nought. What more do you need, so the French resisted cashing in, perhaps its a culture thing i don't know but it winds me up to have to pay two quid for the rubbish Rye House programme every week and the tenna for the Cardiff prog is robbery. An official score card would probably cost five pence and would do a job

 

[Shale Shaker]

If the advertising space is sold efficiently, there should be no need to charge anything for a program.

[SCB]

How many pages in a programme? What % are adverts? You're basically paying to be advertised to. Bus as I've said before (and Parsloes won't accept it) but I can remember the result of 15 heats for a few hours, it's not hard. You know which riders are in each heat anyway so you just remember the order. Well you know the riders in a heat if you know the race format anyway.

 

All this, "the promoters need your money". Boo Hoo! Provide a decent, VFM produce and I'm willing to pay good money for anything - Im not one of these, "cheapest is best" people but speedway programmes are a rip off generally.

[mickthemuppet]

How many pages in a programme? What % are adverts? You're basically paying to be advertised to. Bus as I've said before (and Parsloes won't accept it) but I can remember the result of 15 heats for a few hours, it's not hard. You know which riders are in each heat anyway so you just remember the order. Well you know the riders in a heat if you know the race format anyway.

 

All this, "the promoters need your money". Boo Hoo! Provide a decent, VFM produce and I'm willing to pay good money for anything - Im not one of these, "cheapest is best" people but speedway programmes are a rip off generally.

Generally all programmes are a rip off.

I went recently to the Cricket match between England and Essex. It was £3.00 for a programme and £1.50 for an up to date score card.. This was for a match that was not even classified as a 1st class one. How much are FA Cup Final programmes .This years was £10.00.

[lucifer sam]

Is Scunthorpe their own track or do they have to pay rent etc to a landlord?

 

Rob Godfrey pays a peppercorn rent to the local council.

 

All the best

Rob

[SteveLyric2]

Rob Godfrey pays a peppercorn rent to the local council.

 

All the best

Rob

So can probably afford cheaper programmes unlike those clubs that have to pay a commercial rent and whose only source of income is through the turnstiles, programmes, advertising and any sponsorship!

[Catch Me If You Can]

Ipswich have recently been selling the old programme which was rained off when the team returns but provide a up to date insert and reduce the cost of the programme to £2.

This seems a fair compromise as the promotion reduces their losses and the fans save a bit without feeling ripped off. You are also informed before you buy that it's a old prog with a insert so at least you can decide.

I think this should happen at all tracks

Berwick programme looks ok in 2013

[Mr Ore]

Just have a £1 programme like Scunny. No-one ever complains about that, because it's value for money.

 

All the best

Rob

The Sheffield programme is exactly the same size as Scunny (Both need an A3 sheet of paper to produce each copy) but is free. Incredibly people still moan about it on here.

 

Hoddesdon Town FC, the nearest senior football club to Rye House produced a 116 page programme last year for £1.50. £1 for 8 pages is hardly VFM in comparison, or 16 for £2 a la Uncle Len whose club is on the doorstep.

 

As we seem to be doing self praise here, I'm drop dead gorgeous you know.