Open Email To Bspa

[Bradford Hawk]

New member, first (probably only) post.

 

I'm not in the habit of writing unnecessarily (to newspapers and so on) but I've recently written an open email to the BSPA - transcript below. I'm certain others will have similar experiences and more useful observations - why not drop 'em a line too?

 

office@speedwaygb.co

 

"Dear Sirs

You might have noticed that there are plenty of cranks associated with speedway? In some ways that’s a good thing but nevertheless I’d preface my letter by saying I’m reasonably well balanced, run a modestly profitable small business and am blessed with great friends and family so although I do have a few slates loose I’m writing despite those not because of them.

To assist with context I’d also summarise my credentials as a sporadic but keen speedway fan:

- 1970's (teenager) missed only 3 home meetings during 8 years at Hackney

- 1980's largely cold turkey (family and career)

- 1990's took my sons to Odsal, addicted again, similar obsessive attendance (plus very many away meetings following the Dukes) until closure;

- late 1990's to date, living on infrequent scraps across the north of England.

So I'm no expert, but I do "get" speedway - it's something inexplicable, an intangible air (those who also get it, as opposed to simply enjoy the racing, will know what I mean). My most recent exile has perhaps enabled me to see with clarity on my return changes that might have crept up unnoticed (less noticed?) on others.

I’ve been shocked above all that Britain no longer attracts the majority of speedway’s international superstars yet has fewer rising stars of its own - Tai Woffinden (or, at least his performance this year) is an exception. I wish I could suggest why this might be because those factors alone will affect crowd numbers and falling gate receipts seem likely to fuel a spiral of decline. However I’ve no explanation and merely observe that the GP-format world championship, the introduction of the Elite League and Sky Sports’ involvement have variously coincided with those changes – there may be no links, I don’t know.

Notwithstanding I can see that speedway is, in time-honoured tradition doing itself no good. Yes it’s over-complicated, it’s low-margin, weather-dependent and we live in testing times with huge competition for the leisure-pound. But although promoters invariably sacrifice so much of their business and personal lives and incur considerable expense to put on the spectacle, many appear to lack an understanding of basic customer care which might otherwise (at no cost) polish speedway’s image and increase rattling of the turnstiles.

Clearly my recent experience is limited but here are a few examples (nothing to be gained by naming tracks):

- Rain-offs can’t be helped but could be better managed; twice I’ve stood at stadiums this year where there have been no PA announcements whatsoever (not even music dedications) until after tapes-up time when the abandonment of the meeting was given. Poor business behaviour at best and would cost nothing to speak into the microphone – even train operating companies manage that courtesy.

- At the tracks concerned there was no announcement of re-admission arrangements, no mention in the programme or on tickets and fans were left to speculate or queue in the rain to enquire. Can you imagine that at, say, White Hart Lane? Or at Plough Lane for that matter?

- (Incidentally, why not allow rain-off tickets to be used at other tracks? Many casual visitors to speedway are holiday makers from outside the area who would not otherwise visit their nearest venue but might be tempted (and perhaps become regulars) if there were reciprocal arrangements across teams).

- At a play-off second leg there were no announcements of the first leg score, of what each team required in order to progress and enquiries of regular fans met with similarly ill-informed (but apologetic) comments concerning typical over-complication of scoring and so on.

- Separately, prior to that meeting I could find at no British Speedway website any description of how the play-offs are populated, how match / aggregate scoring works or whether standard league and match scoring applies. It might be there but it’s impenetrable in an age when the web makes such things universally available.

I’m speedway-friendly, what chance would a newcomer have?

One of speedway’s charms is that it’s accessible, unlike football and most other motor sport. But it doesn’t have to be so haphazard, so home-spun (I won’t say amateurish because of course amateurism often has the highest standards). A little thought could go a long way without additional expense – indeed might see better value from costs already incurred. I’m no expert at customer care but I do understand it, employ it in my profession and value it as a punter too. I don’t think I’m alone in those respects.

That’s it really. Just airing a few thoughts – they're tinkering round the edges but I can’t just stand by and watch something I love erode to nothing without at least offering two pennies worth.

My very best to you and to all involved with the sport."

[barrow boy]

Hi there Bradford Hawk. I see that 50 members have read this before me and not one has found it necessary to comment so I will. Most of what you say is valid and I agree that to call the way that speedway is run amateurish is wrong for your reasons stated. I would perhaps substitute Mickey Mouse. It seems however that the powers that be are considering implementing some changes for the better from what I have read and heard elsewhere so perhaps things will soon be a little less Mickey Mouseish in future.

 

Regards BB

[sussex bulldog]

Bradford Hawk that is an excellent post especially coming from your position.

 

I have thought for a long time that the main problems that fans complain about are the lack of communication and the lack of promotion, An up to date website with all the news and explanations of the rules would be a big step in the right direction.

[Mike.Butler]

Re presentation:

I'm afraid that a majority of announcers at tracks are instructed to (or actually do) exist in a bubble. They talk exclusively to home fans and do very little to promote the sport as a whole.

Whilst some give results from the past week, why not preview the week ahead and encourage fans to go to another track?

Do any actually prepare or do they just turn up and wing it?

They are the public face of the promotion and a personality + being informed/knowledgeable is a must.

Some employ a 2nd person on the centre green (good) to try and get crowd involved, but other tracks have just 'a voice' from a box...not good enough.

 

And whilst we're at it....Rider interviews ..almost always they cannot be heard over the mike...can't they practice beforehand?

[sussex bulldog]

Re presentation:

I'm afraid that a majority of announcers at tracks are instructed to (or actually do) exist in a bubble. They talk exclusively to home fans and do very little to promote the sport as a whole.

Whilst some give results from the past week, why not preview the week ahead and encourage fans to go to another track?

Do any actually prepare or do they just turn up and wing it?

They are the public face of the promotion and a personality + being informed/knowledgeable is a must.

Some employ a 2nd person on the centre green (good) to try and get crowd involved, but other tracks have just 'a voice' from a box...not good enough.

 

And whilst we're at it....Rider interviews ..almost always they cannot be heard over the mike...can't they practice beforehand?

 

 

 

I don't have any problems with the centre green presenter at Eastbourne. He is first class. What I mean by lack of communication is telling the fans what is going on and not keeping them continually in the dark.

Edited November 10, 2013 by sussex bulldog

[Mike.Butler]

agreed. he is the best..shame about the track!

[barrow boy]

I don't have any problems with the centre green presenter at Eastbourne. He is first class. What I mean by lack of communication is telling the fans what is going on and not keeping them continually in the dark.

Rob at Leicester provides quite a good information service.

[Screen machine]

I agree with many of the issues raised by Bradford Hawk, I too am a long term speedway fan, but since the closure of my club have no regular club to attend and simply survive off any scraps I can.

 

As I've already said I'm a keen fan and merely offer my opinion not to criticise, but to offer my thoughts on what in my opinion is causing the gradual (and dare I say it unstoppable) decline of our sport, and perhaps what could be done to slow or stop this decline.

 

Quite simply there are two main issues, the over complication of rules and scoring, and the total lack of communication to the fans (or worse still to new people attending)

 

On more than one occasion this year I attended a rained off meeting (again I shall not name the clubs), the fans were at no point kept informed of what was happening and what the likely result would be. Of course we a regular attendees can generally gauge ourselves whether a meeting is likely to be rained off, but what of new fans? It leaves a rather poor first impression of our sport, to offer no apology or explanation. Good communication costs nothing, and in these times where the leisure penny is a hard one to win surely this would go a long way not only to keeping the regulars faithful but also drawing in some new faces? Nearly every club/promoter stresses the importance of bringing in bigger crowds, but to do this must we not at least get the basics of professional presentation and communication right to stand any chance?

The solution to me would seem very simple, keep the crowd informed and tell them about the re-admission procedure in the event of a rained off meeting, this would go some way at the very least to minimising their frustrations!

 

As I've already said it's the over complication of scoring and rules that to me also seem to be a significant detriment to our sport. Ten years ago I had a almost text book understanding of the scoring and rules within our sport. Now as a non regular attendee my understanding is a little patchy to say the least! But this is perhaps a good thing, as it enables me to see things from a perspective of a new or first time attendee, as they too are likely to have a limited grasp of the rules. At a recent second leg play off meeting (again I won't mention specific clubs) there was no explanation of what was required by either side to progress to the next round. This too could also fall under the poor communication I've already mentioned.

The solution to me could be twofold, first (and perhaps a little complex to execute) would appear to be a fundamental overhaul of the rules and scoring system. I as keen fan am left a little confused by the current regulations to say the least, so what chance does a new-comer have?! Make the rules simpler and make them more easily accessible, surely with the medium of the internet this would not be hard to execute and communicate to the fans?

Secondly (and in my opinion less favourably) leave the rules and scoring as they are, but again keep the fans informed. Perhaps before the parade, a brief explanation of the significance of the meeting and the possible outcomes of it. Again it's merely professional presentation and good presentation costs nothing.

These two things would they not keep the current generation faithful and perhaps bring in some more faces?

 

I am aware my views may not be shared by everybody, but these are things to me that leave me frustrated and confused. I am not trying to criticise, merely to offer my thoughts on the problems within the sport I love so much and to arrest it's gradual decline!

 

Screen machine

[Arson fire]

Dear Bspa,

 

Stop treating me and my fellow fans as mugs and like sh!te on your shoe, then come asking us to donate to this and partake in that draw,and this raffle.

Without us, the club and sport is nothing, so how's about giving something back?? How's about listening to fans views?? How's about looking at ways to attract more fans?? How's about recognising that speedway is strangling itself with its pathetic rules and poxy pedantic closed shop ideology, how's about communicating with the fans and keeping them up to date, how's about making it a level playing field rather than the lop sided blatant cheating and Skullduggery that goes on....

The future is in your hands boys and girls, I trust all of the issues and problems will be raised and at the forthcoming conference and you will get my beloved sport back on the right track and look at the sport in general, first and foremost..before thinking what is best for you're individual club.

Work together, before the blood on your hands won't wash off....

 

Oh, and don't get too drunk

 

Yours faithfully

 

Di Sillusioned.

Edited November 12, 2013 by Arson fire

[BWitcher]

Why has the same person created two usernames to make effectively the same post? Or are we to believe that 'Bradford Hawk' and 'Screen Machine' are different people.

 

There's some reasonable points in there, however it serves no purpose by not naming the tracks.

 

As for 'not knowing what is needed' to progress in the playoffs? I'm very confused by this, you will need to explain more. If its a two-legged match (you mentioned 2nd leg) then you simply have to win by more than the other team did in the 1st leg... not entirely sure what is complicated about that. Perhaps it was in the PL playoffs where there is a group system (you don't make this clear)? Even then it's pretty irrelevant to speedways main problems.

 

If you attend a football match they don't announce before the match you need to win by 'this amount' to go through, or to finish in a certain place in the league.

[Screen machine]

BWitcher...in answer to your first question yes we are different people, although we are related, so perhaps it's only natural we share some similar concerns, and yes in hindsight I perhaps should have said as much, maybe my views are influenced by this who knows. To be honest this probably makes my first post a little less valuable, my mistake I apologise! Then again related or not I have my own mind, and as you can patently see I don't agree with everything said by Bradford Hawk.

 

The reason I do not name clubs is because the issues I raised (wrongly or rightly) are not unique to just one or two clubs in my experience. I do not wish to post anything that may come across as a directed attack at a specific person or club. My observations (admittedly based on limited experience) are merely a channel for me to voice my opinions, as you have yours, and rightly so with regard to both of us.

 

And yes I believe it was a premier league play off meeting, so thank you for providing some much needed clarification. This adds more weight to my concern, that speedway is too insular and too much is assumed to be known/understood. This to me is a key concern, that speedway can sometimes isolate new fans or less regular (but no less keen) fans such as myself.

 

Clearly people will disagree with things I have said and that is of course fine, it's their right to do so, all I have done is merely offer what I consider to be my own concerns (and as afore mentioned), perhaps these may be a little mis-guided. You say my concerns are irrelevant, which indeed they may be. From one fan to another (who are both clearly worried by the sports current state) I would be interested to hear what your views are? There might even be a common ground, who knows!

 

All the best

 

Screen machine x

[Bradford Hawk]

BWitcher:

- Perhaps the forum moderators will confirm that Screen Machine and my IP addresses differ (if you know somebody with high levels of patience they might be able to explain to you why this would indicate we're not the same person).

- I've not named the tracks because experience suggests other insecure or angry respondents who regularly attend those tracks might needlessly defend their otherwise good reputation, unhelpfully detracting from the primary points, not unlike your post.

- As to the area of your explicit confusion: 1) I'm sorry, yes it was a PL play-off so the mini-league status was wholly pertinent; 2) Irrespective, the first leg score was not mentioned at the meeting (the clue is in my post where I say "...there were no announcements of the first leg score") and it was available on no website of which I'm aware, similarly no up-to-date-mini-league; 3) Again, if you speak with someone less hard of intelligence they might confirm that upper- and secondary-tier football scores are typically more widely publicised than nearly all speedway results; 4) Despite which I must disagree - it is not uncommon for football stadium announcers to give a first leg score before a second leg, particularly where away goals are significant (doubtless Suffolk-based soccer teams have not recently been troubled by such details - perhaps a Norwich fan might assist you?).

- I agree, none of the few instances I cite are particularly relevant to speedway's main problems (again, the clues to my agreement may be found in my post). However, I don't pretend to have the answers to those problems (again, see my post) but if you do then I beg you, please share them with the BSPA. Rather, I was merely attempting to identify some examples of quick, inexpensive wins that might help in prolonging the life of the sport sufficient for solutions to be found.

 

Regards

 

Bradford Hawk

 

 

[Bradford Hawk]

I have to say, I entirely agree with Bradford Hawk's response to BWitcher.

 

Regards

 

Bradford Hawk... d'oh! OK, it's a fair cop!

[BWitcher]

BWitcher:

- Perhaps the forum moderators will confirm that Screen Machine and my IP addresses differ (if you know somebody with high levels of patience they might be able to explain to you why this would indicate we're not the same person).

- I've not named the tracks because experience suggests other insecure or angry respondents who regularly attend those tracks might needlessly defend their otherwise good reputation, unhelpfully detracting from the primary points, not unlike your post.

- As to the area of your explicit confusion: 1) I'm sorry, yes it was a PL play-off so the mini-league status was wholly pertinent; 2) Irrespective, the first leg score was not mentioned at the meeting (the clue is in my post where I say "...there were no announcements of the first leg score") and it was available on no website of which I'm aware, similarly no up-to-date-mini-league; 3) Again, if you speak with someone less hard of intelligence they might confirm that upper- and secondary-tier football scores are typically more widely publicised than nearly all speedway results; 4) Despite which I must disagree - it is not uncommon for football stadium announcers to give a first leg score before a second leg, particularly where away goals are significant (doubtless Suffolk-based soccer teams have not recently been troubled by such details - perhaps a Norwich fan might assist you?).

- I agree, none of the few instances I cite are particularly relevant to speedway's main problems (again, the clues to my agreement may be found in my post). However, I don't pretend to have the answers to those problems (again, see my post) but if you do then I beg you, please share them with the BSPA. Rather, I was merely attempting to identify some examples of quick, inexpensive wins that might help in prolonging the life of the sport sufficient for solutions to be found.

 

Regards

 

Bradford Hawk

 

 

I've attended hundreds of football matches, including many 2nd legs and never has the stadium announcer announced the 1st leg score before the game.

 

I also find it hard to believe that the 1st leg score could not be found on any internet site either. It would be on the BSPA official site, speedway updates to name just two.

 

As for your split-personality issue, its quite easy to have a different IP address.

 

As I said before, you make some decent points but ruin it somewhat by the 'double post'.

[Screen machine]

BWitcher,

 

I thought in my previous post I had made it explicit that Bradford Hawk and I are separate people, although we are related, and again as I've already said perhaps this prejudices my opinion on what's wrong with with our sport. So I shall dumb things down a little, we are two separate people who share some common perspectives. How I can prove this to you I do not know. If you wish to persist in your incorrect view that we are the same person then fine, clearly it pleases you to be incorrect.

 

I am keen to ask you why you keep drawing on the comparison of football, when clearly the two sports share little to nothing in common? My observations are based on MY problems with speedway, so to me it seems a little incongruous to keep citing football. Yes there is no back reference at a football match to a previous fixture, but this is due to the more advanced (I will not say competent) communication through the media of the previous results. This in MY experience is not the case with speedway, and I simply suggested this would go some way to improving the sports image. Again this is only in my opinion, clearly you don't agree so let's leave it there.

 

Again you seem more than able to criticise other opinions on what's wrong with the sport, which is of course fine, so I shall ask you again, rather than merely slating what others think, what do you think is wrong with the sport? Surely the whole point of this particular discussion thread is to discuss the way forward, not to pull apart other opinions (which can of course never be wrong)? We are all fans concerned about the ailing state of the sport, so let's share some ideas about what's wrong aye? This would be much more productive.

 

Please direct your response to me 'screen machine' and not 'Bradford Hawk' as it is me that anticipates a response as to your problems or ideas. I look forward to hearing what positive ideas you may have.

 

Screen machine x

[Bradford Hawk]

BWitcher

 

If you've time to burn you might ask yourself what anyone could hope to achieve by having dual posting identities or by misrepresenting the absence / presence of sports scores in any medium. If you do ask yourself then experience suggests you should expect unnecessarily argumentative responses given in a manner inappropriately confident in view of their mediocre content.

 

Something tells me you'll want the last word but then try to let it go, eh?

All the best

Bradford Hawk

[Robinh88]

Some good points raised....

 

Speedway is targeted at the average punter who attends a meeting.

What I've found at the track I attend mostly, while there are some very intelligent people who are in the know. A lot of fans just go for a night out or go because there friends. Some "fans" that go to Berwick haven't got a clue about the Sport or the bigger picture. As long as they see a home win and 15 heats failing that there is uproar

[Paul J Darby]

As old time avid fan since 1952 Woverhampton and Birmingham I only get Cardiff now for the GP, there is one thing that I find stupid and almost infantile that is the gardening at the tapes. My answer to this would be to restore the tarmac starting grid, the original concrete one would be better but that is not conducive to tempory tracks like Cardiff. I would think any one going to watch speedway for the first time must think this ritual is daft.

[Nobblytriers]

Another long time fan here.

I don't think that speedway is any worse than it used to be, it's probably better in some respects and it's certainly more visible to the general public with the amount that's on TV now. It may be that people now want more for their hard earned cash. Then again, there's more for us to do these days.

 

Stadiums do appear to run down, so that can be a turn off, but no matter what, toilet facilities should be clean and tidy and refreshments should be of a good standard and value for money.

 

The racing should be entertaining (goes without saying?) but speedway has got a name for itself as being 'first out of the gate wins' - I heard that sentence every time I mentioned speedway, and still do today. As fans, we know that it isn't true but how do you shake off that image? We've had some great racing on the TV lately but unless Joe Public can be bothered to tune in, then he will still have that negative opinion. We need incentives and publicity to get new people through the gate, and that when they come through, give them something that will make them want to come back.

 

Keep the races flowing, stop the riders going back to the pits at every opportunity. It's bad enough for the fans, what will a newcomer make of it? Rattle through the races, have a good 15 or 20 minute interval (with entertainment or pit chats?) and finish with some exciting racing.

 

We know we have a great sport, there's nothing like it, there really isn't. I think we need all of those involved in running and promoting this fabulous spectacle to get together and work towards getting the crowds back. Without the crowds, they won't have anything to promote.

 

PS, can we have more riders using castrol R please? Gorgeous!

[waytogo28]

What emerged from the latest BSPA conference was another stab in the dark, purely cosmetic changes that no-on outside the sport even noticed . By adding the tags of Premiership and Championship to what already exists, do promoters think that they will emulate the average attendances of football? Delusional sadly. By not listening to the opinions of fans ( as the BSPA seem determined to continue doing ) who require much crisper run meetings ( this at very little extra cost! ) more interesting content, fairer prepared tracks ( to give the away team a reasonable chance AND encourage passing ) the list of simple, cheap improvements is a long one! I prepared such a list ( with knowledgeable friends ) for my local promoter who could not even manage a one word acknowledgement ( eg "Thanks" ) and this was after requests in the programme for ideas! New fans will only be attracted if what they do come to sample is entertaining, well run and customer friendly. The BSPA need to be much more outward looking if the fan base is ever to be enlarged. Those attending now ( swiftly diminishing in numbers ) do not need to be wooed with new name tags for the sport they love. Every idea coming out of the recent conference has been tried before and has failed to convince the outside world that it is worth watching. Very much "the Emperor's new clothes". 2028 is unlikely to be a year of celebration for speedway.