How Would You Improve Presentation?

[The White Knight]

 

I don't think there's anything wrong with birthday shout outs either. When my son was little he could take his pick which rider he'd like to do a lap of the track with at a Leicester v Coventry meeting. Why on earth he picked Ole Olsen I don't know. The lad had no taste back then.

Let's just hope his taste has improved over the years.

Edited March 18, 2014 by The White Knight

[oldtimer]

I don't think there is anything wrong with a birthday shout out..if it's mingled in with good presentation then it's a good way of making fans feel involved, especially kids....I know young kids used to come down and have a slow lap with their favourite rider on his bike sometimes and it made their day and probably kept a fan coming, and therefore a family for a long time

 

I think Bradford under the Hams probably made the best effort on race day...you could argue that Terry Hardaker wasn't the best man to do it but they did decorate the centre green with boards with all the team names on, they had a proper parade with full introductions, they had interviews from the pits after every race..and you could actually here them ! ...I think they even had the riders chose a theme song to play for them after a race win...they did make an effort...but even that couldn't really keep the crowds at a great level, although I think they made a mistake in ditching locally based riders who had an affinity with the crowd for world superstars, Tatum,Nilsen etc who produced the goods but dashed off after a meeting and had no affinity with the crowd who were used to Havelock, Wilson, Thorp, Smith etc .....

I think that that is one of the problems with speedway now...yes promotion and presentation is important but fans like to have an affinity with riders and too many riders now ride somewhere for a season and then somewhere else next season and then nowhere at all....teams change too much and riders aren't loyal to a team anymore and differing points limits and team strengths also hinder that as well.......fans will respond to a settled team I think, but those days seem to have gone

What, you could actually hear them with the tractors going past?

[Anzum]

Darude -Sandstorm by far the best music to play just before a heat starts. Will be asking for a reduction in admission price if this disappears of the Blunsdon music. Always liked Ace of Spades before heat 13 but then it has started to be used elsewhere in the meeting or not at all.

[Triple.H.]

Put the phone back at the startline for all those chats with the ref

 

on those odd occasions we have inclement weather every rider does a couple of laps on their own which will shift the "dirt" around and also give them a feel for the track.

Edited March 18, 2014 by Triple.H.

[Gemini]

Let's just hope his taste has improved over the years.

Afraid it's got worse as he thinks Speedway would be okay if each race was just one lap not four as once the riders are past the first bend there are no passes and it's boring. Where have I gone wrong?

[Conkers in Gravy]

Music, cheerleaders, fly-pasts by the Red Arrows. . . they're all a matter of individual taste and depend on the budget available to each promotion. What would really improve the presentation of a speedway meeting is more speedway, more often.

 

The pits at a meeting is a pretty busy place so promoters, officials and riders have little idea of how boring it gets on the terraces waiting for the next race to roll round. (And I know promoters should get out among the fans more, but they rarely do). They need to be told, politely and often, until the penny drops. Drop an e-mail to your promoter, tweet your favourite riders. There's no excuse for providing just 15 races in two hours, promoters and riders have to realise the sport is on it's backside and they have to provide more entertainment. Music (of any kind), a bloke from hospital radio asking stupid questions and a group of 14-year-old startline girls are no substitute for racing.

 

Most tracks can rattle through a meeting in quick time when rain is threatening, so I'd be in favour of a four-minute warning to be sounded by the referee as soon as the riders are off the track from the previous heat which would move the meeting along a bit. I'd also like to see an independent body set up to monitor the way meetings are conducted and to check on the condition of tracks, but that's just my silly fantasy.

Edited March 20, 2014 by Conkers in Gravy

[Boobs]

I'd also like to see an independent body set up to monitor the way meetings are conducted and to check on the condition of tracks, but that's just my silly fantasy.

I think the referee performs both these duties. They send in pretty full reports after every meeting, covering a variety of other points, too.

[The White Knight]

I think the referee performs both these duties. They send in pretty full reports after every meeting, covering a variety of other points, too.

....................... so do you looking at your Avatar. :rofl:

[moxey63]

Not bothered about any pre-meeting entertainment, inbetween heat attractions or somebody coming round at the interval with icecreams.

 

Why don't we just get back to decent speedway, concrete rules and knowing who's racing for which team, not like it's the war years... when promoters used whoever turned up.

 

Never met a man that went to speedway just for the pre-match entertainment... or because a particular ditty was played every time a rider with a nickname that matched the record's title was played.

 

To resort to any other attraction than decent staged speedway, well, it's like trying to disguise the taste of burnt chips by a dollop of tomatoe sauce on top.

Edited March 20, 2014 by moxey63

[Tsunami]

Not bothered about any pre-meeting entertainment, inbetween heat attractions or somebody coming round at the interval with icecreams.

 

Why don't we just get back to decent speedway, concrete rules and knowing who's racing for which team, not like it's the war years... when promoters used whoever turned up.

 

Never met a man that went to speedway just for the pre-match entertainment... or because a particular ditty was played every time a rider with a nickname that matched the record's title was played.

 

To resort to any other attraction than decent staged speedway, well, it's like trying to disguise the taste of burnt chips by a dollop of tomatoe sauce on top.

Nobody is saying that except you, but you have to entertain the crowd in the quiet parts of the meeting. With the likes of you, you do and you're dammed, you don't do and your still dammed. Enjoy the TV.

[Anzum]

My teenage son and I started going to Swindon May 2012. It was half term and we decided to do something new. He is now hooked on Speedway. The main reason is Kildemand. When we first went he was a 3 pt something reserve beating riders with much higher averages. There was also the factor that everything seemed on the edge with him, whereas Hans was going just as quick if not quicker but it appeared all under control. That is why we have come back every meeting. But the music and some of the less than professional presentation added to it. The Simon Stead the "Man in Red" who spent more of the meeting in blue was also part of the conversations going home in the car.

 

We have taken some of my son's mates to matches. They all love the speedway but the endless waits and lack of information of what is happening leaves them not impressed. Some went to last years first leg of the play off semi final and that took too long.

 

So I would speed up the meetings, try to increase the personalities of the riders. Why not have a bit of banter/sledging between the riders or promoters before the meeting and in the local paper the day before. I think someone like Nicki Pedersen adds a bit of character to the sport. We already have a pantomime villian in Mr Ford and Hans is always good for a quote or two.

 

I would have winners theme song played after each heat.

 

Then the issue is what to do with the time saved by the reduction in time between heats. A second half meeting would be best but what about having a local band play. Speedway needs younger fans and this might get them through the door. The traditional speedway fan wouldn't have to stay if they didn't want to.

 

Good racing is the priority and that is what the diehard fan wants. But speedway needs to attract new fans. Today it is all about continual entertainment and personality as well as talent.

[ruffdiamond]

My teenage son and I started going to Swindon May 2012. It was half term and we decided to do something new. He is now hooked on Speedway. The main reason is Kildemand. When we first went he was a 3 pt something reserve beating riders with much higher averages. There was also the factor that everything seemed on the edge with him, whereas Hans was going just as quick if not quicker but it appeared all under control. That is why we have come back every meeting. But the music and some of the less than professional presentation added to it. The Simon Stead the "Man in Red" who spent more of the meeting in blue was also part of the conversations going home in the car.

 

We have taken some of my son's mates to matches. They all love the speedway but the endless waits and lack of information of what is happening leaves them not impressed. Some went to last years first leg of the play off semi final and that took too long.

 

So I would speed up the meetings, try to increase the personalities of the riders. Why not have a bit of banter/sledging between the riders or promoters before the meeting and in the local paper the day before. I think someone like Nicki Pedersen adds a bit of character to the sport. We already have a pantomime villian in Mr Ford and Hans is always good for a quote or two.

 

I would have winners theme song played after each heat.

 

Then the issue is what to do with the time saved by the reduction in time between heats. A second half meeting would be best but what about having a local band play. Speedway needs younger fans and this might get them through the door. The traditional speedway fan wouldn't have to stay if they didn't want to.

 

Good racing is the priority and that is what the diehard fan wants. But speedway needs to attract new fans. Today it is all about continual entertainment and personality as well as talent.

 

 

My teenage son and I started going to Swindon May 2012. It was half term and we decided to do something new. He is now hooked on Speedway. The main reason is Kildemand. When we first went he was a 3 pt something reserve beating riders with much higher averages. There was also the factor that everything seemed on the edge with him, whereas Hans was going just as quick if not quicker but it appeared all under control. That is why we have come back every meeting. But the music and some of the less than professional presentation added to it. The Simon Stead the "Man in Red" who spent more of the meeting in blue was also part of the conversations going home in the car.

 

We have taken some of my son's mates to matches. They all love the speedway but the endless waits and lack of information of what is happening leaves them not impressed. Some went to last years first leg of the play off semi final and that took too long.

 

So I would speed up the meetings, try to increase the personalities of the riders. Why not have a bit of banter/sledging between the riders or promoters before the meeting and in the local paper the day before. I think someone like Nicki Pedersen adds a bit of character to the sport. We already have a pantomime villian in Mr Ford and Hans is always good for a quote or two.

 

I would have winners theme song played after each heat.

 

Then the issue is what to do with the time saved by the reduction in time between heats. A second half meeting would be best but what about having a local band play. Speedway needs younger fans and this might get them through the door. The traditional speedway fan wouldn't have to stay if they didn't want to.

 

Good racing is the priority and that is what the diehard fan wants. But speedway needs to attract new fans. Today it is all about continual entertainment and personality as well as talent.

but it's not doing that,,,

if your in a town with a big football club,,, and your child says they are into speedway at school or whatever, they'd be outcast and not cool, which puts them under 'peer' pressure,,, then all they'll want to do is stay at home on the x-box, or watch the telly and enter into the world of 'I'm a celebrity, turn me into a kick-ass zombie',,, and just shout down when they want fed or a drink, lol,,,

[Anzum]

We are lucky in that we live in gloucester and he goes to school in Cheltenham. He does say he supports Swindon and Aston Villa. He has got mates to go to the speedway and they think the racing is cool. What they can't understand why 15 races taken nearly 2 hours to run, the riders mumble into a mike and occasionally do a lap of honour.

 

So I agree Speedway is not attracting new fans but suggested some options to overcome some of the feedback I have had from possible new fans.

[The Pedaler]

I would prefer not to have things that reduce it to the level of a circus.

 

Hasn't Barry Hearne (the darling of many here on BSF) turned Professional Darts into a circus? Hasn't WWF turned Wrestling into a circus? And yet, these events pull in the crowds despite being far more expensive to attend. Maybe there's a lesson in there somewhere.

 

Theme nights for spectators

Music & presenters to include crowd interaction

 

Good ideas

 

 

Cheaper airhorns, speedway is about noise

 

Might as well close some tracks down straight away then. Birmingham has air horns specifically forbidden in the Planning Permission.

 

Get the fans to bring a football / Polish speedway style singing crowd (I'd so be into this)

 

Take a good look around you. Don't you think that the average speedway fan in Great Britain is a good 20-years past all that kind of thing?

 

 

Buy some new CDs.

 

CD's of what exactly? Rap Crap and Hip Hop? Heavy Metal? Reggae? Bangra? Every genre of music will have its fans and it's haters of other genres. You are NEVER going to please everyone, least of all the majority of speedway fans who want nothing more than a medley of Glenn Miller and the odd dash of Andy Williams and Val Doonigan.

[Trees]

I like banter about the riders so your presenter MUST have good knowledge of the sport so they can come out with a quip or two!

I Want to hear what riders have to say so an interview or two is good!

I like feedback at the end of the meeting so a word or two with the riders on the parade truck is good as long as they don't have their backs turned to the fans on the way round!!

Haha just read this posting, bumptious or what!

Edited March 21, 2014 by Trees

[Daniel Smith]

Cheaper airhorns, speedway is about noise

Might as well close some tracks down straight away then. Birmingham has air horns specifically forbidden in the Planning Permission.

Obviously there are limitations regarding some clubs but it's down to them to come up with idea. Just because some clubs can't have airhorns doesn't mean the rest of the sport should follow suit

 

Get the fans to bring a football / Polish speedway style singing crowd (I'd so be into this)

 

 

Take a good look around you. Don't you think that the average speedway fan in Great Britain is a good 20-years past all that kind of thing?

And that alone is a major problem. We need the teens & early 20's to come in. The only way to do that is to make sure it's enjoyable. I don't care what anyone says, the racing alone will never achieve that. We need to create a whole package from 7pm to 10pm, no gaps / dead spots.

 

CD's of what exactly? Rap Crap and Hip Hop? Heavy Metal? Reggae? Bangra? Every genre of music will have its fans and it's haters of other genres. You are NEVER going to please everyone, least of all the majority of speedway fans who want nothing more than a medley of Glenn Miller and the odd dash of Andy Williams and Val Doonigan.

Does every genre need to be covered? I don't think so. When you look at most people, especially the older generation they generally just have a good old chin wag during breaks. For me, music is for the younger generation to enjoy. Again, keeping them interested with filling gaps. With the music, before and after races it has to be up beat high tempo stuff. Once the 2 mins is hit there should be classic tense music. At King's Lynn they've done this occasionally and it does bring people's focus back to race time.

[Nobblytriers]

Prepare tracks for passing, whatever that may be - some say more dirt, some say less.

 

Allow all riders to have four laps practice to help set up their bikes for the conditions so that they're ready to race from heat 1, maybe make it a sort of early 2nd half, four pre-main event races?

 

The pit gate stays shut until after the race is finished unless medical attention is required. No more back to the pits for tape infringements.

 

I can't think of any reasons, other than track grading or a rider having two races on the trot, as to why, as soon as the riders are leaving the track from one heat, the others should be out on the way to the tapes for the next.

 

Try and ensure that the supporters are catered for, ok food and drink, clean toilets, good vantage points for watching, good tanoy system, relevant information as the meeting progresses.

 

 

Just a thought, there's a few remarks regarding the sound of speedway and the restrictions imposed by planning rules. At tracks where these restrictions aren't in force, how about running a meeting or three without the new silencers, or better still, take them off completely! I started going to Blackbird Road at a time when they rode without silencers, and the noise, together with that smell we all love but don't enough of these days, certainly made an impression on me.

Edited March 21, 2014 by nobblytriers

[Vince]

The pits at a meeting is a pretty busy place so promoters, officials and riders have little idea of how boring it gets on the terraces waiting for the next race to roll round. (And I know promoters should get out among the fans more, but they rarely do). They need to be told, politely and often, until the penny drops. Drop an e-mail to your promoter, tweet your favourite riders. There's no excuse for providing just 15 races in two hours, promoters and riders have to realise the sport is on it's backside and they have to provide more entertainment.

 

The idea of pits being busy places is one I hadn't thought of. It's very true that while meetings are often run at a snails pace from a spectators point of view equally often things are hectic throughout the same meeting in the pits. I've been guilty of getting others to deliberately slow a meeting down in order to get a bike repaired without any thought of the spectator experience as will every rider and mechanic at times.

 

I guess the only real answer to that is for Ref's to be less tolerant of delays but I'm sure I would be the first in line to criticise them if a rider from my team failed to make the gate when 'another few seconds' would have made the difference. That few seconds could be minutes but it depends on which side is struggling :-)

[StevePark]

The idea of pits being busy places is one I hadn't thought of. It's very true that while meetings are often run at a snails pace from a spectators point of view equally often things are hectic throughout the same meeting in the pits. I've been guilty of getting others to deliberately slow a meeting down in order to get a bike repaired without any thought of the spectator experience as will every rider and mechanic at times.

 

I guess the only real answer to that is for Ref's to be less tolerant of delays but I'm sure I would be the first in line to criticise them if a rider from my team failed to make the gate when 'another few seconds' would have made the difference. That few seconds could be minutes but it depends on which side is struggling :-)

 

And how many times have we seen a tractor 'breakdown' so that repairs can be made to a bike?

 

Some promoters are aware if meetings are 'dragging on,' but some appear to be oblivious to it (my memories of how long a Stoke meeting would last when they were in the PL spring instantly to mind! I don't know if this is still the case now they are NL).

 

We need all promoters to be singing from the same Hymn sheet, as it were, maybe a fine if a meeting runs longer than a specified time (like the slow over rate in cricket), would cut down on over long meetings? Barring major incidents, I can't see why a meeting can't last less than 2 hours.

[Grachan]

The music should be up tempo modern dance music. It keeps an atmosphere going, and even the older generation can be seen tapping their feet and swaying from side to side with their hands in their anorak pockets when it's on.

 

And, as someone else said, for heaven's sake put the phone to the ref back by the start line and get rid of this rubbish that only a team manager can talk to the ref. If one of the opposition is excluded he should be running across the centre green, arguing with the ref in full view of the crowd, and getting booed by the opposition supporters. Goes without saying.