Chadster Posted August 17, 2013 Report Share Posted August 17, 2013 .....is a phrase that's been in Speedway Star match reports a few times in recent weeks. Given the general level of gloom and despondency on the forum, I was surprised to read these comments. Are crowd levels recovering? Can it be linked to promotional activity (e.g. lowered admission at Birmingham) or is it a response to the first decent summer in years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattK Posted August 17, 2013 Report Share Posted August 17, 2013 In a word, no. There are bumper for this season. For example, Swindon's crowd at home to Wolves was bumper (over 1,500), compared to the crowds at the start of the season (less than 1,000), but still well down on crowds from just three or four seasons ago (regularly over 2,000). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 17, 2013 Report Share Posted August 17, 2013 (edited) .....is a phrase that's been in Speedway Star match reports a few times in recent weeks. Given the general level of gloom and despondency on the forum, I was surprised to read these comments. Are crowd levels recovering? Can it be linked to promotional activity (e.g. lowered admission at Birmingham) or is it a response to the first decent summer in years. In a word, no. There are bumper for this season. For example, Swindon's crowd at home to Wolves was bumper (over 1,500), compared to the crowds at the start of the season (less than 1,000), but still well down on crowds from just three or four seasons ago (regularly over 2,000). And to think that when New Cross closed (for the first time in 1953) it was because of poor attendances - I recall a figure of 7,000! Edited August 17, 2013 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdmc82 Posted August 17, 2013 Report Share Posted August 17, 2013 Coventry have had some great attendances (close to 3000) against Poole. Packed against Birmingham and recently against wolves Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LagutaRacingFan Posted August 17, 2013 Report Share Posted August 17, 2013 Peterborough have had some good crowds recently, Over 500 regularly. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Brown Posted August 17, 2013 Report Share Posted August 17, 2013 Coventry have had some great attendances (close to 3000) against Poole. Packed against Birmingham and recently against wolves 3000 at Coventry. Geez where have they all come from. Crowds were dire there in recent years weren't they Must the brilliant entrepreneurship of Mick Horton !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 17, 2013 Report Share Posted August 17, 2013 3000 at Coventry. Geez where have they all come from. Crowds were dire there in recent years weren't they Must the brilliant entrepreneurship of Mick Horton !! That was the 1953 size of the crowds at Liverpool when they decided to close. As mentioned previously, that same season at New Cross 7,000 wasn't enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trophykid Posted August 17, 2013 Report Share Posted August 17, 2013 To my estimations Plymouths attendances are exaggerated in this forum. Some say 2000, but I'd say less. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PHILIPRISING Posted August 18, 2013 Report Share Posted August 18, 2013 SOME decent weather obviously helps ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdmc82 Posted August 18, 2013 Report Share Posted August 18, 2013 3000 at Coventry. Geez where have they all come from. Crowds were dire there in recent years weren't they Must the brilliant entrepreneurship of Mick Horton !! Although he has his faults, I cant knock Horton for his promoting of the sport which he has done very well. This includes: Adverts before films at cinema Trips in to schools Partnerships with telegraph Promotion stands wherever poss: theatre, fairs, cov Blaze. Seems to be working. Add to that the lovely weather & the fact there has been so great racing at home. Hopefully it will continue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike.Butler Posted August 18, 2013 Report Share Posted August 18, 2013 if cars were parked bumper to bumper that would be another thing entirely Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattK Posted August 18, 2013 Report Share Posted August 18, 2013 SOME decent weather obviously helps ... Agreed. Coupled with a regular fixture list, rather than one week on, two weeks off, which seemed to be the norm at the beginning of the season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woz01 Posted August 18, 2013 Report Share Posted August 18, 2013 3000 at Coventry. Geez where have they all come from. Crowds were dire there in recent years weren't they Must the brilliant entrepreneurship of Mick Horton !! Crowds have been decent this season considering the season we have had. I would say crowds are usually around the 2,000 mark but the Poole match was 3,000+. As mentioned above Horton has done a lot to promote the club and the advert before movies at the cinema is a brilliant idea. We just have to get a decent team together for 2014! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad Potter 2 Posted August 18, 2013 Report Share Posted August 18, 2013 Crowds have been decent this season considering the season we have had. I would say crowds are usually around the 2,000 mark but the Poole match was 3,000+. As mentioned above Horton has done a lot to promote the club and the advert before movies at the cinema is a brilliant idea. We just have to get a decent team together for 2014! Gone are the days of having to park on the main A428 Rugby Rd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topaz325 Posted August 18, 2013 Report Share Posted August 18, 2013 I dont know where all the fans have gone from Worky, wehn the track re opened in 1999-to about 2003 the crowds were between 1500 and 2000....now a good crowd is 1000 but usually about 5-600. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 18, 2013 Report Share Posted August 18, 2013 Sadly, as I read all the previous messages in attendances with references to season-on-season I get the impression that in each there is a decline? Or am I wrong. In the mid-1950s I used to regularly visit the Southern Area League tracks at California (near Wokingham), Rye House and Eastbourne and these used to average about 2,500-3,000 for what was primarily "training track junior racing." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moxey63 Posted August 18, 2013 Report Share Posted August 18, 2013 (edited) Coventry have had some great attendances (close to 3000) against Poole. Packed against Birmingham and recently against wolves Must have been some promotional offer going on at the ice-cream van on the fourth turn. Such an interest is rare at modern-day speedway. Can't believe a crowd of 3,000 at Coventry speedway, not during matches I've watched. And we slag off Poole for fiddling with numbers. Edited August 18, 2013 by moxey63 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdmc82 Posted August 18, 2013 Report Share Posted August 18, 2013 Must have been some promotional offer going on at the ice-cream van on the fourth turn. Such an interest is rare at modern-day speedway. Can't believe a crowd of 3,000 at Coventry speedway, not during matches I've watched. And we slag off Poole for fiddling with numbers. You must not have attended this year if you havent noticed the large attendences 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsunami Posted August 18, 2013 Report Share Posted August 18, 2013 You must not have attended this year if you havent noticed the large attendences You have to remember that Moxey is a guy who does not go to speedway, watches it on TV only and would not go to his home track at BV, even if they gave him a free pass to get in. Hardly seems like a fan of speedway to me and many others, despite the fact he would have you believe he had the sport at heart. Folks like Moxey and Oldace bring nothing to the table in any discussion on the problems in speedway, both overshadowed by their own agendas. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manchesterpaul Posted August 18, 2013 Report Share Posted August 18, 2013 (edited) I'm always shocked to the core when i see the minsicule numbers that qualify as 'bumper' attendances for speedway these days. But in defence of the sport and those who quote the high five figure 'football type' attendances form the olden days, they are not comparable. There were few alternatives for entertainment in those days, certainly within the home. Nowadays most live sports attract less spectators than they used to the world over. Aside from the Premier League, football attendances are pitiful for those in the leagues below compared to the past, and that's a sport that is ingrained upon our consciousness from the day we are born with extreme media coverage night and day. Edited August 18, 2013 by manchesterpaul 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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