Elite League 2014

[MattK]

Should be, but clearly fans don't want this type of meeting. The K O Cup just doesn't appeal to fans anymore.

 

 

What is the reason it doesn't appeal to fans though? I would say because it is poorly organised (large gaps between legs, clubs given bys etc.) and not promoted well.

[g13webb]

 

What is the reason it doesn't appeal to fans though? I would say because it is poorly organised (large gaps between legs, clubs given bys etc.) and not promoted well.

You could levy them arguments against the whole of the speedway season, Not just the KO Cup.

[MattK]

You could levy them arguments against the whole of the speedway season, Not just the KO Cup.

 

True and I think it does a long way to explaining why spectator numbers are down across the whole sport.

[New Science]

Right here is my go at a saviour plan for the elite league.

 

 

 

If regular team speedway is going to survive in this country then it has to stop driving away its hardcore fan base along with encouraging new fans to attend meetings. People think it’s all about getting new fans through the door and that is important. However look at the hardcore fan base, look at how it has diminished over the years, it’s quite frightening.

 

Promoters assume those kind of people will keep turning up and some will but an awful lot have drifted away. There are people who don’t go now who used to believe would go to speedway forever. Over the last couple of years I’ve kind of drifted away although I love the GPs and still pop down Monmore occasionally. However it’s not the same anymore. I think at this stage it may be a bit unrealistic to drastically improve things but an improvement or at least stopping the rot isn’t impossible. Every year we say the sport is in crisis but I think it’s in a big mess going into next year. Something has to be done.

 

Although it may be difficult we need to keep as much quality in the league as possible. This means quality throughout the team, not just two big hitters then a load of 3 pointers. People would also like more teams so how about an Elite League of 12 teams each with 1 top rider as a limit. We always talk about strengthening from the top but lets be realistic that isn’t going to happen. So why not strengthen from the bottom. A ban on 3 point riders in the elite league should help. If they have a 3 point average then they are premier league standard. Id try impose a minimum average of 4 on the league. if it can’t be done then start with 3.5. One thing that annoys me is Ward, Woffinden, Iversen etc being half a lap ahead of riders who struggle to turn the bike. There should be no place for that sort of stuff in the Elite.

 

The play offs seem to annoy the old school fans but provide good drama and crowds. My idea would be to not have the place offs. Instead id split the league after the first round of fixtures. So after you have raced everybody home and away once the top 5 should break off into Elite League A and the bottom 7 into Elite League B. Rather than having play offs you then ride home and away again against everyone in your new league. Therefore the winner of Elite League A would be champions. Effectively it’s a longer play off but in a league format. Similar idea to when you had A finals and B finals in the GPs. You could have an Elite League winner and a B league winner (from the bottom 7)

This would add up to 30 fixtures for teams who qualify for the A league and 36 fixtures for the B league.

 

Not too few but not loads of fixtures at the same time. This system would keep some of the play off drama but also ensure that the winner of the A league is the best team throughout the season. Id also cancel the tac ride rule and bring back the old school tactical sub. I don’t consider this a biggy but there should be something for the die hards and I think they would like to see double points cancelled.

You may think this is a complete pile of rubbish but its just an idea so don’t all shoot me down at once

Good post Mrwolfandrew I also attend Monmore,could you give a bit more detail as what you mean by "things are not the same anymore" if we could fix that we may get a few more back through the turnstiles like yourself

[Mike.Butler]

wit poole planning to track Holder and Ward again fat chance of 11 other teams getting genuine no. 1's...rider control for no.1's is what is needed badly

[SteveLyric2]

wit poole planning to track Holder and Ward again fat chance of 11 other teams getting genuine no. 1's...rider control for no.1's is what is needed badly

I don't believe they are planning to track both - at least not at the same time!! They might be hoping to, but it ain't gonna happen!!

[TesarRacing]

Poole still lost money last year, and I would be amazed if they haven't this year too. So Poole need more fans, the same as everyone else.

Although I don't doubt you are correct regarding profits and needing more supporters - the last filed accounts are Feb 2012 so 2012 season financial results are in the public domain yet.

[Cockney Rebel]

Right here is my go at a saviour plan for the elite league.

 

 

 

If regular team speedway is going to survive in this country then it has to stop driving away its hardcore fan base along with encouraging new fans to attend meetings. People think it’s all about getting new fans through the door and that is important. However look at the hardcore fan base, look at how it has diminished over the years, it’s quite frightening.

 

Promoters assume those kind of people will keep turning up and some will but an awful lot have drifted away. There are people who don’t go now who used to believe would go to speedway forever. Over the last couple of years I’ve kind of drifted away although I love the GPs and still pop down Monmore occasionally. However it’s not the same anymore. I think at this stage it may be a bit unrealistic to drastically improve things but an improvement or at least stopping the rot isn’t impossible. Every year we say the sport is in crisis but I think it’s in a big mess going into next year. Something has to be done.

 

Although it may be difficult we need to keep as much quality in the league as possible. This means quality throughout the team, not just two big hitters then a load of 3 pointers. People would also like more teams so how about an Elite League of 12 teams each with 1 top rider as a limit. We always talk about strengthening from the top but lets be realistic that isn’t going to happen. So why not strengthen from the bottom. A ban on 3 point riders in the elite league should help. If they have a 3 point average then they are premier league standard. Id try impose a minimum average of 4 on the league. if it can’t be done then start with 3.5. One thing that annoys me is Ward, Woffinden, Iversen etc being half a lap ahead of riders who struggle to turn the bike. There should be no place for that sort of stuff in the Elite.

 

The play offs seem to annoy the old school fans but provide good drama and crowds. My idea would be to not have the place offs. Instead id split the league after the first round of fixtures. So after you have raced everybody home and away once the top 5 should break off into Elite League A and the bottom 7 into Elite League B. Rather than having play offs you then ride home and away again against everyone in your new league. Therefore the winner of Elite League A would be champions. Effectively it’s a longer play off but in a league format. Similar idea to when you had A finals and B finals in the GPs. You could have an Elite League winner and a B league winner (from the bottom 7)

This would add up to 30 fixtures for teams who qualify for the A league and 36 fixtures for the B league.

 

Not too few but not loads of fixtures at the same time. This system would keep some of the play off drama but also ensure that the winner of the A league is the best team throughout the season. Id also cancel the tac ride rule and bring back the old school tactical sub. I don’t consider this a biggy but there should be something for the die hards and I think they would like to see double points cancelled.

You may think this is a complete pile of rubbish but its just an idea so don’t all shoot me down at once

Only just spotted this post, seems like a good idea. The only down side would be that some some supporters would think the teams who finished outside the top 5 would be competing for a best of the losers cup/trophy and not bother turning up, but personally I think it's a good idea.

Edited November 5, 2013 by Cockney Rebel

[Bluenose]

Right.......... here is my go on brit speedway next year.

 

1 13 heats per meeting

 

2 2 british riders to be named in each teams (*squad*) see 5

 

3 Taccy sub if 6 pts down,then double pts if 10 points down.(as used in the danish league)

 

4 Division 1 12 teams 22 fixtures each. Division 2 12 teams 22 fixtures each.

 

5 Each team gets to ride 1 home and 1 away match each week.

 

6 When a grand prix week,.......supplement fixtures with 3 leagues of 8 teams north/midlands/south. 14 fixtures per team.

( this will allow teams to contract gp riders for the main leagues only,) so squad system should be in place to fill area league fixtures..

 

7 KO cup in the form of 3 or 4 team matches,

 

8 Only 1 home and 1 away challenge match in March for riders to warm up.

 

9 play off change.//// Involve top 4 teams to last day of season.(example below)

 

 

Play offs league mode (points awarded as in league matches)

 

week 1 team who finishes 1st at home to 4th place team / team who finishes 2nd at home to team that finishes 3rd.

 

week 2 team who finishes 1st at home to 3rd place team / team who finishes 2nd at home to team that finishes 4th

 

week 3 team who finishes 1st at home to 2nd place team / team who finishes 3rd at home to team that finishes 4th

 

add all points up.WINNER TAKES ALL.

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[jimmy jimmy]

Why 13 heats? So we get even less speedway?

[SteveLyric2]

Why 13 heats? So we get even less speedway?

Just like 'the good old days'!!!????

[EnglishRoundabout]

How about a start Marshall that leaps around in chequered clothes? Yellow and black helmet covers?

[naffer]

How about bees number one in blue leathers and swindons in red .

[Canadian Star]

The sad reality is I have become so disillusioned with the sport I really come on here anymore.

Frankly I don't have any real idea as to how our sport can be saved.

All I know is it stills needs a new independent administration, such as should have happened years ago with the late John Berry.

The Sky/TV money belongs to the sport not to Bernie Russell, at least it should have done, sadly like Bernie Ecclestone, that money is now so tied up in the hands of one person, it is unlikely ever to return to its rightful owners.

The product has become so watered down, it is unsurprisingly no longer able to attract sufficient spectators to make it viable.

Speedway is only surviving in two scenarios. 1 where the promoter owns his stadium and retains all income from turnstiles catering parking and merchandise and has other activities to supplement income. Or 2 where the club is owned by a rich benefactor/ wealthy business owner who uses the sport as either a tax loss / or plaything - ie doesn't need to make a profit.

Thus very few Promoters are actually in a stand-alone situation, this unrealistic scenario presents itself is manifested at the AGM each year.

I love speedway racing and will continue to do so, we have a new English World Champion, lets hope somehow this might help in someway to keeping the sport alive in GB, sadly things don't look very promising

Edited November 10, 2013 by Canadian Star

[john birch]

Wouldn't be too surprised to see a 12 team league with say a 38 point limit. I'd get rid of all the GP riders with an exemption for English ones thus allowing Woffy to ride though i'm not sure why he'd wan't to do a 40 match schedule. Just one plea to the promoters - if we do have a 12 team league the temptation might be to have 6 teams in the playoffs. Fine but please use the Swedish formula and not the Premier League dogs breakfast elongated weather challenging borefest!!

[BuzzCagney]

How about a start Marshall that leaps around in chequered clothes? Yellow and black helmet covers?

And jumpers for goalposts

[TesarRacing]

The sad reality is I have become so disillusioned with the sport I really come on here anymore.

Frankly I don't have any real idea as to how our sport can be saved.

All I know is it stills needs a new independent administration, such as should have happened years ago with the late John Berry.

The Sky/TV money belongs to the sport not to Bernie Russell, at least it should have done, sadly like Bernie Ecclestone, that money is now so tied up in the hands of one person, it is unlikely ever to return to its rightful owners.

The product has become so watered down, it is unsurprisingly no longer able to attract sufficient spectators to make it viable.

Speedway is only surviving in two scenarios. 1 where the promoter owns his stadium and retains all income from turnstiles catering parking and merchandise and has other activities to supplement income. Or 2 where the club is owned by a rich benefactor/ wealthy business owner who uses the sport as either a tax loss / or plaything - ie doesn't need to make a profit.

Thus very few Promoters are actually in a stand-alone situation, this unrealistic scenario presents itself is manifested at the AGM each year.

I love speedway racing and will continue to do so, we have a new English World Champion, lets hope somehow this might help in someway to keeping the sport alive in GB, sadly things don't look very promising

Could have also happened 3 years ago but for self interest..........

[Blazeaway]

I would prefer less riders and more races, six man teams and eighteen heats.

[SteveLyric2]

Great article from the BSPA Vice Chair (Jon Cook) in the SS this week, including trying to find a way to keep the likes of Tai and Darcy - who increase attendances wherever they go - in the EL!!

[Hackett]

Chris Holder doesn't agree .......

 

“Obviously I want to do Britain – I live here and it’s easy to do it. But it all weighs on the rules and what happens this weekend.

 

“I don’t want to leave Poole. But I have got to be realistic too. I can’t take anymore meetings on for less money than what we already earn here. We earn way less here than what we do abroad. If we take anymore of a pay cut, we might as well ride in the Premier League.”