Elite League Draft Riders

[Kester]

 

I wasn't particularly pointing at you, more backing you because posters still keep banging on with their own ideas and some are saying its some kind of secret agenda but clearly cards were on the table before the AGM as to the over-riding. objective.

 

Yes a business plan to increase attendances is needed but nobody on here or elsewhere has come up with one. If Rick Frost invested the thick end of a million quid in Peterboro on and off track and still finished up with an average gate of 700 then obviously there is no easy answer.

 

We certainly do need to increase attendances in the long term but a short term measure is needed between now and next season is needed to stop clubs going under.

 

One of the major, if not the major problem last season was not enough meetings and even regular fans were getting out of the speedway habit. That has now ben addressed. IMO the jury is still out on the rest of the package. We will have to see how it goes but people forget that half the time last season we were seeing the likes of Ales Dryml getting lost at the back of the field so some NL races might be tolerable, especially the better lads.

 

I am not over the moon with it all but unless anyone comes up with a viable alternative its the only show in town just now.

 

Can't argue with that. Personally, I think if you view the reserves as a 'meeting within a meeting' it could be potentially quite interesting. As you say (and I'm paraphrasing we'll have to suck it and see.

[Crazy robin]

 

Can't argue with that. Personally, I think if you view the reserves as a 'meeting within a meeting' it could be potentially quite interesting. As you say (and I'm paraphrasing we'll have to suck it and see.

A meeting within a meeting where the top 5 easily out score their opponents but the meeting is decided by a reserve who shouldn't have been there in the first place having a field day.

 

Yes it has happened in the past but that was teams choice on how to use their points limit & now it seems more unfair than ever.

 

Do you honestly think Kings Lynn would've gone with 3 big hitters if they didn't have protected reserves?.

 

Not a dig at Kings Lynn either as they've backed the young lads in the National League.

 

No rider who had a Premier League average over 5 should've been allowed in the draft.

 

People are hiding behind fans stopped going because they lost the habit as there was so few meetings.

 

The ones I know stopped going because at £17 plus extras it was to expensive & that was before sticking the draft riders in.

 

Yes something needed to be done but the usual clubs seem to always benefit.

Edited December 17, 2013 by Crazy robin

[stratton]

Quite agree sidney. Much better to pay foreigners money we don't have, go bust and them everyone will be saying "why didn't we concentrate on our own kids".

Being a Swindon fan, I know you have had a bit to say about your locals such as Ashby and Kilby.

Well, don't give kids rides and you will definitely never see their sort again. And that WILL be END OF.

Those days are gone,i am not nieve anough to believe that local riders will be produced again anytime soon.My point really is most people no this change is a sham not a well thought idea slashing costs no more no real thought about the riders in a way S... or bust for most of them. Edited December 17, 2013 by sidney

[Tsunami]

Those days are gone,i am not nieve anough to believe that local riders will be produced again anytime soon.My point really is most people no this change is a sham not a well thought idea slashing costs no more no real thought about the riders in a way S... or bust for most of them.

So you would suggest, like lemmings, Speedway should have continued on the same path, change nothing and just accepted it's loss. Not too much thought in that reply sidney.

[E I Addio]

Not really true just as many good and bad speedway meetings at all levels ...the pl sky meetings are cherry picked hence why they are decent .

 

Plenty of people have come up with plans ..less teams bigger points limits stop trying to keep the likes of Eastie in the league ..this is the only show in town talk is not true

 

Bigger points limits ? We had a points limit of 42.5 in 2013 and several clubs were suffering massive losses. How high do you have to raise the points limit to stop massive losses? How much do you have to spend on foreign riders to build a team to 45 ?

 

I take your point about Eastie, but what about Brum who had well publicised money problems, or Swindon and BV who had trouble paying riders ? Where do you draw the line?

 

We certainly need all clubs to put a few hundred on the gate at least but whatever you do attendances are only going to come back gradually at best. Something has to be done in the short term to stop these big losses.

 

All this should have been sorted out in 2010 but it wasn't. Nothing we can do about that now , and no point in crying over spilt milk,we have to go with what we have.

[Crump99]

I love this we are where we are chat and it's too late to do anything about previous cock ups but those who did have come up with a cracking plan to put it right so let's all embrace it. If only life was that simple and punters that dim.

[500cc]

I do think as a sport the price point for tickets is too high for what in truth aren't great facilities at the tracks.

 

At some point the costs of the sport itself must be trimmed back. We need to get back to for men racing on equal (and not expensive) machinery. I'm not at all against all riders making a good living, but I'd rather the money stayed within the sport rather than the Formula One approach of investing fortunes in the machinery.

[orion]

We certainly need all clubs to put a few hundred on the gate at least but whatever you do attendances are only going to come back gradually at best. Something has to be done in the short term to stop these big losses.

Nothing has been done to stop big losses thou ...for some reason people think that this will save money but the crowd loss will make it even worse ....Speedway has to come up with plans that bring more fans in but yet again it comes up with rules that take more away ... Speedway biggest problem that it always trying to keep the weak alive and in turn that drags the others down .

[Grachan]

Some people say £17 is expensive. Some say it's good value.

 

I watched an old clip from Press and Practice day in 1980 today. Admission to Swindon Speedway was £1.50. A season ticket was £40.

 

So I put those values in here: http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-1633409/Historic-inflation-calculator-value-money-changed-1900.html

 

Today £1.50 is £5.46.

 

Not sure what point I'm making. But it does show that Speedway is more expensive in real terms these days.

 

I think the NL reserves thing and incredibly low points limit will just mean lower crowds yet again.

 

Let's face it, we're now talking about 3 point riders coming in a second strings! It's ludicrous really.

[TesarRacing]

Some people say £17 is expensive. Some say it's good value.

 

I watched an old clip from Press and Practice day in 1980 today. Admission to Swindon Speedway was £1.50. A season ticket was £40.

 

So I put those values in here: http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-1633409/Historic-inflation-calculator-value-money-changed-1900.html

 

Today £1.50 is £5.46.

 

Not sure what point I'm making. But it does show that Speedway is more expensive in real terms these days.

 

I think the NL reserves thing and incredibly low points limit will just mean lower crowds yet again.

 

Let's face it, we're now talking about 3 point riders coming in a second strings! It's ludicrous really.

Interesting, so admission prices are 3 times higher now than in the 70's. I bet rider wages for heat leaders and machines and equipment are much more than 3 times the costs of the 70's.

[waiheke1]

I'd imagine most sports tickets would have gone up threefold in real terms ovrr the same prriod. I think it is the quality of the entertsinment - whole package not purely the sport- against cusomer expectation and alternative choices and how well this is matketed, which is key.

[stratton]

So you would suggest, like lemmings, Speedway should have continued on the same path, change nothing and just accepted it's loss. Not too much thought in that reply sidney.

Do you think by cutting back on some of the top riders would of been a start?to be honest at this moment in time the sport cannot afford them.Yet they have brought this rule in for cost cutting measures only, is the supporter expected to pay the same money for a inferior product?Would say bringing in a rule for say PL clubs to have two Brits at reserve make more sense? that could of worked with maybe the most talented eventually moving up into the EL in the future.

[Tsunami]

Do you think by cutting back on some of the top riders would of been a start?to be honest at this moment in time the sport cannot afford them.Yet they have brought this rule in for cost cutting measures only, is the supporter expected to pay the same money for a inferior product?Would say bringing in a rule for say PL clubs to have two Brits at reserve make more sense? that could of worked with maybe the most talented eventually moving up into the EL in the future.

sidney. If they had stopped bringing back the top riders, the likes of you and orion and others would only have said they were diluting the product that we pay for.

Do something for the future, they are wrong.

Leave it as it is, bust and obviously wrong.

 

What would you do ? Any sensible suggestions ?

So we try to reverse this trend and you still moan.

Good job some folks just get on with the job that has to be done, and ignore some others.

 

 

Sorry, what have the PL done?

 

 

 

 

You said the PL had tried to "to reverse this trend and you (me) still moan.". So what has the PL done to reverse the trend of foreignors taking up reserve spots in their teams?

 

 

 

 

Point me to the post where I said that, you can't.

 

SCB, Still waiting for YOU to point out where I said anything about the PL. Give in, you can't.

[pandorum]

Not really true just as many good and bad speedway meetings at all levels ...the pl sky meetings are cherry picked hence why they are decent .

 

 

Yes but that surely begs the question why was the same not applied to the EL meetings.

Some of the dross on show was even an embarrassment to speedway fans so christ knows what non fans thought of it

[Vince]

I reckon the sport is already pretty much down to it's core support so crowds will not drop by a noticeable amount.

 

Given that the heat format is going to change to allow the draft riders to race each other and the second strings that means that there should, in theory, be more competitive racing throughout a meeting which can only be good. Personally I would rather see slightly slower riders racing against each other and more races where the heat leaders are against each other than watch heat leaders romp away from reserves.

 

If (and I admit it's a big if) the promoters get behind the spirit of the new system and give it several years then just maybe it will end up with more British riders throughout the leagues. That will make a proper cost reduction exercise, quite likely bring back more support and have kids wanting to ride Speedway again because they have a realistic chance of getting somewhere.

 

There is no chance that every Speedway meeting will be good, there never was, I saw some terrible meetings in the 60's, 70's and 80's, probably a higher percentage than I have done since the millennium. That's sport, there are terrible matches, games, races or whatever in every genuine sport. If you expect guaranteed excitement then a guaranteed result is the only answer, wrestling might be the way to go if that's what you want.

 

No doubt at all that this is a cost cutting exercise and there will be flaws but I am still really hopeful that it might be the best thing that's happened to benefit Speedway in my, far too long, lifetime.

[SCB]

SCB, Still waiting for YOU to point out where I said anything about the PL. Give in, you can't.

I quoted it for you. I have again below.

 

Tell that to the Pl clubs who have (have) Danes, Aussies and Argentinians, Czechs and pretty much anyone with a bike in reserve in recent years. Maybe if it'll save money having Brits Glasgow might like to try signing a few for a change for a start.

 

So we try to reverse this trend and you still moan.

Good job some folks just get on with the job that has to be done, and ignore some others.

 

[Gemini]

Yes but that surely begs the question why was the same not applied to the EL meetings.

Some of the dross on show was even an embarrassment to speedway fans so christ knows what non fans thought of it

Indeed, but that was probably due to Sky's love-in with Poole and choosing them every other week.

[Tsunami]

 

I quoted it for you. I have again below.

 

 

 

Are you being intentionally stupid.

 

Where did I say anything about the PL doing anything.

[pandorum]

I reckon the sport is already pretty much down to it's core support so crowds will not drop by a noticeable amount.

Yes but when you have to survive on a paltry crowd of 700 pretty much any drop would be noticed.

Is that the sports plan, to survive at EL level on what it's got and pray that the cost saving excercise will not discourage customers from cherry picking meetings or simply finding something better to do on speedway night.

A sport that is already too expensive is now offerring less for the same or more as we do not know the new price structure for 2014 although it's a safe bet prices will not go down.

 

With the weather and SKY coverage to contend with how many diehards will brave the elements for such a pricey night out.

Speedway can't take it's 'core support' for granted as this 'core support' was once a hell of a lot more.

 

The sport needs to offer a good night but seems to be incapable of doing that anymore.

Presentation is important as well as a smooth run meeting on a decent surface, weather permitting.

The sport needs to buck it's ideas up NOW or it will see even those few diehards at a track drain away.

 

Promoting a good product on TV will help the sport but does the sport have the will to work together to showcase a decent product on SKY.

This new plan to blood new Brit talent needs to be a template for the next 20 years but how long before the cracks begin to form and become bloody great chasms as the kids who are bailing out the top league get dumped.

 

2014 is a critical year for the sport but if the sport just goes on as if nothing is wrong then it desrves all it gets.

Edited December 18, 2013 by pandorum

[Vince]

Perhaps the revised format will provide closer racing and a better product for TV. After all any newcomers watching won't be interested in who is riding but how good the racing is.

 

Speedway very often still provides a terrific night out, where else can you see sportsmen take the risks those boys do week after week? It can be a fairly expensive night out but that has as much to do with things like petrol prices which are out of the sports control as the admission price which is reasonable in my opinion.

 

There are things that could and should be improved but you seem to completely avoid any of the positives, it's still about 4 blokes going balls out same as it ever was and at it's best can be a fantastic spectacle. I get the impression that if there were 10 passes in every race you would complain that there was too much to see. You fell out of love with Speedway but I am not sure why that means you have to try and make everybody else do the same.

 

It's a sport, sometimes it's good, sometimes bad but now and again it's fantastic and for many of us that chance makes it all worthwhile.