Where Is British Speedway Going.

[mc1874]

Most of us on this forum were probably brought up sitting at side of various speedway tracks. Going home with shale in the hair, with the ability to fill in a programme that those outside the sport would wince at!

 

I am in my late twenties and have been following the sport since the mid 80 s. I am a monarchs fan; but many a summer holiday was spent travelling around various UK tracks watching matches at every level. In recent years I have been less inclined to do this well due to a few things that frustrate the life out of me.

 

1. The elite league. How can we still call it that? Many of the top riders no longer ride on our shores. He fast track system this year has further diluted the product. I think getting bits in at premier league level would be better. I had the pleasure of seeing that great Ipswich side of Gollob, rickardson, Louis and nicholls. Me and my dad specifically travelled just to see that team. If I'm being honest there is no team in the top table I'd go out of my way to see. Many are almost similar to most premier league sides in terms of riders and quality.

If I went to Poland to watch a top level match; I see genuine top guys for literally a few quid. I get the bind promoters are in but I don't think we are drawing people to the sport if they can't see the majority of our gp boys.

 

2. The huge disparity at national league level. What us the purpose of this league? Is it to develop raw talent like Scunthorpe are doing or is it to win with the best team available even using guts who are of a certain age and never really set the heather on fire at premier league level. We are getting some massively one sided matches. But every Club is working with different agendas. Surely the essence of this league should be developing young brits to prepare to step up tk the next level. A clear pathway from league to league. Make it pay for guys to move up once they are too good for a league.

 

I could talk all day and I have many a moan, but these two are my biggest. I love this sport. But i fear in Britain we are losing supporters. Yes lower crowds mean tighter budgets. But surely lowering standards will also drive fans away. Teams getting smashed 70-20 dies nothing either. I also hope Scunthorpe s rookies are not too disheartened with their recent matches. We need all young talent staying j the sport

[ch958]

really difficult to answer but the one thing the game desperately desperately needs is a neutral body to steer things forward - the annual get togethers are no more than fudge and compromise sessions to appease individuals. We need a clear unified direction from such a group.

Again - same as you i could go on all day but my big bugbear is the cost to get in.

Edited May 4, 2014 by ch958

[foamfence]

Most of us on this forum were probably brought up sitting at side of various speedway tracks. Going home with shale in the hair, with the ability to fill in a programme that those outside the sport would wince at!

 

I am in my late twenties and have been following the sport since the mid 80 s. I am a monarchs fan; but many a summer holiday was spent travelling around various UK tracks watching matches at every level. In recent years I have been less inclined to do this well due to a few things that frustrate the life out of me.

 

1. The elite league. How can we still call it that? Many of the top riders no longer ride on our shores. He fast track system this year has further diluted the product. I think getting bits in at premier league level would be better. I had the pleasure of seeing that great Ipswich side of Gollob, rickardson, Louis and nicholls. Me and my dad specifically travelled just to see that team. If I'm being honest there is no team in the top table I'd go out of my way to see. Many are almost similar to most premier league sides in terms of riders and quality.

If I went to Poland to watch a top level match; I see genuine top guys for literally a few quid. I get the bind promoters are in but I don't think we are drawing people to the sport if they can't see the majority of our gp boys.

 

2. The huge disparity at national league level. What us the purpose of this league? Is it to develop raw talent like Scunthorpe are doing or is it to win with the best team available even using guts who are of a certain age and never really set the heather on fire at premier league level. We are getting some massively one sided matches. But every Club is working with different agendas. Surely the essence of this league should be developing young brits to prepare to step up tk the next level. A clear pathway from league to league. Make it pay for guys to move up once they are too good for a league.

 

I could talk all day and I have many a moan, but these two are my biggest. I love this sport. But i fear in Britain we are losing supporters. Yes lower crowds mean tighter budgets. But surely lowering standards will also drive fans away. Teams getting smashed 70-20 dies nothing either. I also hope Scunthorpe s rookies are not too disheartened with their recent matches. We need all young talent staying j the sport

I agree with your points about the NL. It IS meant to be a development league but Dudley/Cradley in particular have gone too far, they should either be in the PL or out. I disagree with your points about the Elite League, personally I would prefer one big league but if we keep the EL it still has to run within the available finances. I like the Draft, there are already three or four riders who look like future main body members. I too have watched teams packed with international stars but the racing was usually just as predictable if not more so, and big names alone don't attract me.

Other countries while starting from higher figures than us, are going the same way, this weeks Speedway Star had a report where most Swedish clubs are running at a loss. Even Poland is developing a reputation for late or missing payments, yet another rider there was featured this week after payment disputes with his former club (did you see the half empty stadium at the last GP). I don't know what the answers are (I'm not alone in that)but further bankrupting clubs isn't the answer, neither is gambling on riders who currently ask more per meeting than the clubs are paying to a full team.

[Vince]

The way I see it is that there are not a lot of problems with Speedway as a sport that extra income wouldn't resolve. Seems obvious but getting there is a different matter and tinkering with the rules or even doing away with the tactical rides and so on isn't going to bring a single newcomer through the gate. Having all the Worlds top riders may bring back a few people who have left the sport but yet again isn't going to bring newcomers flooding in, certainly not enough to cover the cost.

 

Where Speedway seems to be very poor is in generating income either through sponsorship or getting people through the gate. To do better at either is going to take a massive change in the way the sport is promoted as far as I can see.

 

The rose tinted glass brigade are going to love this bit! In the old days when crowds were huge the sport was promoted as mad, bad and dangerous. In my opinion that is the direction promotion needs to go now, there is massive interest both from youngsters and associated sponsors in extreme sport and Speedway has more right to that tag than most. The risk to riders health is already a big part of the sport it just needs the man on the street to be told how dangerous it is and I think interest will soon follow.

 

Tell people just how many injuries their local team have suffered in their careers, emphasise the fact that guests are unpopular but unavoidable because of the large amount of serious injuries. make a fuss when a rider is back on the bike in half the time most office workers would need to return to work from the same injury. Stop fining riders for having a spat, it's a hard sport and tempers will flare now and again, those spats are one of the things that stay in mind long after a mediocre meeting is over. Next time those riders are at your local track people will turn up to see if the feud continues (make sure it does!).

 

Most of all you need to get the message across to people who are unaware of the sport and then keep them entertained while they are at a meeting. Presentation needs to be lively and as exciting as possible, a bit of fisticuffs during a poor meeting wouldn't hurt anybody. Generally presentation needs bringing up to date in a loud and brash way that will undoubtedly upset some of the old timers.

 

Once you have the income you can move onto changing the sport by bringing the top riders back. Until then the cloth has to be cut to fit what you have. The current system with draft riders was roundly criticised when it was introduced but with a few meetings under the belt seems like it has been a good change and provided better racing throughout the meeting in many cases. It would help a lot if newcomers weren't advised how bad the rules are or how good it used to be, they don't really care and negativity will go a long way to making sure they never do.

 

Overall my opinion is that the sport is probably going as well as could be expected at the moment. Promoters are generally fans rather than businessmen (for good or bad it means they aren't bleeding the sport dry for their own gain) and want the sport to survive. However if it is ever going to improve rather than degenerate there needs to be some real changes in the way it is promoted to the outside world and then presented at meetings.

[MattK]

The rose tinted glass brigade are going to love this bit! In the old days when crowds were huge the sport was promoted as mad, bad and dangerous. In my opinion that is the direction promotion needs to go now, there is massive interest both from youngsters and associated sponsors in extreme sport and Speedway has more right to that tag than most. The risk to riders health is already a big part of the sport it just needs the man on the street to be told how dangerous it is and I think interest will soon follow.

 

I agree. "Family friendly" is a terrible marketing angle when they should be promoting the extreme nature of the sport.

[ColinMills]

never understood the family friendly tag.. the language is always pretty "unfriendly" at times

[Mike.Butler]

afraid its a niche sport with an ageing fan base.. We've been discussing minutiae and how to fix on here for years to no obvious effect i'm afraid..most just accept it and hope it will still exist by the time we expire ourselves...

Edited May 4, 2014 by Mike.Butler

[ColinMills]

afraid its a niche sport with an ageing fan base.. We've been discussing minutiae and how to fix on here for years to no obvious effect i'm afraid..most just accept it and hope it will still exist by the time we expire ourselves...

sadly you are right

[Haza]

The one single thing that has helped in speedway decline is the move away from weekend fixtures - as a Kings Lynn fan when I was first taken to Speedway so many clubs ran Saturday nights in the early 70s Lynn included as a kid I doubt if Lynn had then ran Wednesday as they do now i doubt I'd never gone to speedway . How many kids of today would or could go to speedway if meetings was more weekend based ? Also away support was would also be better who wants to travel to Belle Vue on a Monday ?

[Trees]

Pity we can't claim back Saturdays, let the bloody GPS run on Wednesday nights!

[StormMarketing]

I was going to say the following

 

1) Clubs don't own their own tracks

 

2) Facilities are Poor

 

3) Too many week-day meetings

 

4) Too Expensive

 

 

I think for the "good" of the sport to progress it shouldn't be about the number of GP riders, also If you take into consideration the PL there are not enough riders to go around without doubling up which in an Elite League you don't want to see....

 

One Solution would be to "Promote" an 3-Tier system with an 8-Club Elite League

 

For example Kings Lynn, Poole, Swindon, Coventry, Lakeside, Woolves, Belle Vue & Eastbourne....

 

Races Home and Away = 14 meetings, then after 14 meetings places 1-3-5-7 & 2-4-6-8 meeting Home and Away again bringing the total number of meetings to 20 meetings in a regular season.

 

The team finishing Top of the League Advances to the Play-Off Final, 2nd place directly into the Semi Final, 3rd & 4th directly into a 2 legged race off to race against 2nd in the league etc. so minimum number of meetings 22 to the team finishing Top, 26 to a team finishing 3rd/4th but getting into the final.

 

CATCH....

 

After 14 meetings when the new mini fixtures come out, the results between 1-3-5-7 and 2-4-6-8 also go into a "ghost" table, with the teams finishing Top meeting at a Neutral venue to race for the "Elite League Cup". It gives teams/fans something to race for over those mini fixtures...

 

Premier League North and South Leagues consisting of 8 teams per league

 

Same Format as Above....

 

Winners of the Play-Offs from North/South to gain promotion to the Elite League with two teams dropping down

 

Premier League Cup - all 16 teams into the same hat, two legged meetings until there is a final bit like FA Cup Football.

 

North/South will hopefully lead to more attendances as its less travel for supporters and less travel costs for riders etc.

 

 

No more Averages....

 

Have a "pool" of riders

 

Pool A - B - C - D

 

A - Teams can select one rider from each pool i.e. No.1 Heat Leader

 

B - Teams can select two riders from this category to action as 2nd/3rd Heat Leaders

 

C - Main Body riders non-reserve

 

D - Reserve/Development riders

[ch958]

Pity we can't claim back Saturdays, let the bloody GPS run on Wednesday nights!

 

 

or run on Saturdays and do without GP riders

[Trees]

Might come to that I guess if the gp series gets any bigger ..... prefer it to implode myself lol

[25yearfan]

I've been saying this for a number of years now - take away the over 50's who make up a large % of crowds and speedway crowds would be even more pitiful than they currently are.

 

When the current over 50's supporters slowly whittle away its hard to see where the crowds are going to come from.

 

Vinces ideas seem very good!

 

Although I like to see the Brits do well in it, personally I've got no interest in the media/commercial circus that is formula 1 racing. Its like standing beside any motorway watching vehicles pass by yet millions of people are interested in it. Speedway knocks spots of formula 1 as a racing spectacle, so all is not lost!

 

It needs independent leadership with no self interest at the heart of big decisions and interest from major Companies and speedway can become more popular once again!

[Hel'n'Back]

I mentioned to a new colleague at work that I went to speedway at Sheffield... and his reaction was that oh yes he went with a friend not so long ago but, even though he enjoyed the racing, there was an accident and it took ages for the ambulance to get to the stadium and had to wait around for ages before the match continued and, therefore, would not be going again! More ambulances needed/medical staff at meetings....

Edited May 4, 2014 by Hel'n'Back

[springdale]

Speedway meetings need to be run quicker too much hanging about on cold evenings for many people, on the other hand if you have the meeting over quickly no one is going to want to pay £15 or so for 1 hour ish of entertainment.

 

Reduce the price, run the meetings quicker and finally some rider interaction with the fans so many tracks do not seem to bother anymore.

Edited May 5, 2014 by springdale

[Paulco]

Speedway is just fighting a losing battle against changing times . In the sixties and seventies , there wasnt nearly as much competition for our time and money . Shops didnt open till dark o clock , there wasn't endless football matches and other sporting attractions available to watch on TV .

A wet Sunday afternoon in Glasgow , are you going to chance the speedway is on or are you going to sit at home with the feet up and enjoy a beer watching Arsenal v West Brom and Chelsea v Norwich . The die hards will always choose the speedway , but the die hards is an increasingly dwindling number

[ColinMills]

Speedway meetings need to be run quicker too much hanging about on cold evenings for many people, on the other hand if you have the meeting over quickly no one is going to want to pay £15 or so for 1 hour ish of entertainment.

 

Reduce the price, run the meetings quicker and finally some rider interaction with the fans so many tracks do not seem to bother anymore.

spot on.4hts at foxhall taken 1 hour..

[The White Knight]

Speedway is just fighting a losing battle against changing times . In the sixties and seventies , there wasnt nearly as much competition for our time and money . Shops didnt open till dark o clock , there wasn't endless football matches and other sporting attractions available to watch on TV .

A wet Sunday afternoon in Glasgow , are you going to chance the speedway is on or are you going to sit at home with the feet up and enjoy a beer watching Arsenal v West Brom and Chelsea v Norwich . The die hards will always choose the speedway , but the die hards is an increasingly dwindling number

Yes - and they are usually the 'Oldies'. :sad:

[Leicester Hunter]

 

run the meetings quicker

...And give youngsters some track time. They are, after all, the future of the sport.

Edited May 5, 2014 by Leicester Hunter