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Letter In This Weeks Speedway Star


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I doubt if it's anything we don't know already. Even the long standing fans are getting cheesed off now and yes that does include me. :neutral:

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What's the giste of it ?

In a nutshell, as it is a long letter.

How the recent postponements at Poole should have been handled, the poor state of track surfaces and facilities at some tracks, not enough exciting racing, guest riders; the usual stuff that most fans are aware of. Plus how football changed after Hillsborough, Bradford and Heysel. Speedway needs major changes, otherwise it will die.

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I doubt if it's anything we don't know already. Even the long standing fans are getting cheesed off now and yes that does include me. :neutral:

No, Gem, nothing you don't know already. A load of moans that we can't do anything about, and simply looking for quick fix answers without looking at the sports wider and deeper problems.mfor example moaning about the facilities and toilets at some clubs (he mentioned Coventry by name), but completely missing the point that most clubs don't own their own stadiums so there is not much they can do about that, but at the same time, as sponsor of a foreign rider he mentioned nothing about the problem of excess foreign riders in the league at the expense of investment into development of young Brits.

 

He just basically articulated the problems people have been going on about on here for a long time, but offered no constructive suggestions beyond what has already been canvassed on here many times.

 

We are all getting fed up with it especially things like the cheating and inconsistent application of the rules, but things like cleaning up the toilets at Coventry and giving Swindons stadium a lick of paint (another bright idea he came up with) is just tickling the edge of the problem, which is hardly going to get people flooding back unless something is done to make the racing better and especially keep the momentum of the meetings going, instead of stop start tractor racing. If some of these fundamentals can be sorted people will be more inclined to put up with crappy stadiums which the speedway promoters can't do much about anyway.

Edited by E I Addio
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No, Gem, nothing you don't know already. A load of moans that we can't do anything about, and simply looking for quick fix answers without looking at the sports wider and deeper problems.mfor example moaning about the facilities and toilets at some clubs (he mentioned Coventry by name), but completely missing the point that most clubs don't own their own stadiums so there is not much they can do about that, but at the same time, as sponsor of a foreign rider he mentioned nothing about the problem of excess foreign riders in the league at the expense of investment into development of young Brits.

 

He just basically articulated the problems people have been going on about on here for a long time, but offered no constructive suggestions beyond what has already been canvassed on here many times.

 

We are all getting fed up with it especially things like the cheating and inconsistent application of the rules, but things like cleaning up the toilets at Coventry and giving Swindons stadium a lick of paint (another bright idea he came up with) is just tickling the edge of the problem, which is hardly going to get people flooding back unless something is done to make the racing better and especially keep the momentum of the meetings going, instead of stop start tractor racing. If some of these fundamentals can be sorted people will be more inclined to put up with crappy stadiums which the speedway promoters can't do much about anyway.

But some of us are not prepared to put up with "crappy" Rules...............................................................................

 

Personally I couldn't care less what the Stadium is like - it doesn't bother me one jot. All it needs is a decent Track as far as I am concerned.

Edited by The White Knight
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Have to say that stadium facilities do matter and should do if we are to attract a wider audience.

 

We live in the 21st century, yet the majority of UK speedway stadia are run down and embarrassing that I would never dream of taking my wife and kids along to.

 

When you see the likes of Torun it really shows how far the UK has fallen behind, which is a crying shame.

 

Without having facilities to attract and look after blue chip sponsors, how does the sport expect to gain the necessary investment/sponsorship to guarantee future growth?

 

Best of luck to Messrs Morton and Gordon up in Manchester. At last some forward planning!

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Read the article and have to agree it's nothing that everybody didn't already know. The difference is it came from somebody who it appears is new to the sport and it is interesting to get a view of the sport from an "outsider".

Unfortunately, I cannot see a whole lot being done about it. Too many promoters are hamstrung by the fact they are tenants.

 

Speedway has an enormous amount of work to do if it is ever going to catch up with other sports where the facilities for fans are far superior. And there are no easy solutions. I only hope there are enough promoters who have enough energy, enthusiasm and nous and pockets to take the sport forward.

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But some of us are not prepared to put up with "crappy" Rules...............................................................................

 

Personally I couldn't care less what the Stadium is like - it doesn't bother me one jot. All it needs is a decent Track as far as I am concerne

A decent track is irrelevant if you're not prepared to go because there are a couple of rules you don,t agree with !

Who will take the lead? Current promoters are interested only in their own businesses not unreasonably I suppose. independent body very badly needed.

Unless an independent body is prepared to come in and buy stadiums off greyhound companies and then refurbish them as single use speedway stadiums then nothing will change as far as facilities go.

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No, Gem, nothing you don't know already. A load of moans that we can't do anything about, and simply looking for quick fix answers without looking at the sports wider and deeper problems.mfor example moaning about the facilities and toilets at some clubs (he mentioned Coventry by name), but completely missing the point that most clubs don't own their own stadiums so there is not much they can do about that, but at the same time, as sponsor of a foreign rider he mentioned nothing about the problem of excess foreign riders in the league at the expense of investment into development of young Brits.

 

He just basically articulated the problems people have been going on about on here for a long time, but offered no constructive suggestions beyond what has already been canvassed on here many times.

 

We are all getting fed up with it especially things like the cheating and inconsistent application of the rules, but things like cleaning up the toilets at Coventry and giving Swindons stadium a lick of paint (another bright idea he came up with) is just tickling the edge of the problem, which is hardly going to get people flooding back unless something is done to make the racing better and especially keep the momentum of the meetings going, instead of stop start tractor racing. If some of these fundamentals can be sorted people will be more inclined to put up with crappy stadiums which the speedway promoters can't do much about anyway.

Spot on ..standard moaning about things you can't do much about and not giving any suggestions or how things could be better .. Sounds like he should join the forum :wink: .

 

Hardly a eye opener more like same old same old .

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A decent track is irrelevant if you're not prepared to go because there are a couple of rules you don,t agree with !

Unless an independent body is prepared to come in and buy stadiums off greyhound companies and then refurbish them as single use speedway stadiums then nothing will change as far as facilities go.

I could almost agree with you. Problem is they are pretty BIG Rules.

 

I know too that I am not the only one - but - the Promoters must know best. Long term Supporters (over Fifty years) like me don't count. WE have only been paying our money for years.

 

Their attempts to bring in new Rules to attract NEW Supporters hasn't exactly brought in NEW Supporters though has it? Hardly a stunning success. What it has done is alienate a lot of the old ones.

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Terrible attitude from some on here. Yes there the edge of the problem but they are still a problem and a reason why both newbies dont come back and oldies walk away. Ive tried to take several newbies every single one has commented on how run down or basic the so called stadiums were. Its part of the whole value for money argument. Its very hard to convince someone who has no connection to the sport to continue to pay £16 to stand in a dump. Have the clubs that dont own there stadiums enquired about a lick of paint etc??

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I used to have this attitude, that many of the remaining few speedway die hards retain, a "Don't Call My Sport, You're Living In The Past" blinkered firewall

 

Over time, the moaners appeared to start making sense, and you find your own feelings draw closer to theirs, not the ones who stand on the terraces, wearing their teams' bobby hat and scarf, and shut up shop when they hear the merest expression of criticism.

 

These are the slow learners, possibly that gullible, they need a friend or someone to accompany them to the cash machine, toffee counter or their medication review with the GP. The penny may never drop for them, and speedway will continue to pickpocket their baby minding money, raise prices every year to make up for the losses of those departed folk who finally saw the light.

 

One day, while stood alone with themselves on the terraces, they'll possibly have a "beam me up Scottie" moment, a "what am I doing here" sort of night, as they wait to see if the boys are prepared to race on a track that's not been touched for weeks, an ambulance to return, the umpteenth re-run of a certain heat. It'll come... just, unfortunately, some pennies are dropped from higher than mine.

 

Mind you, it took me 30 years. Then again, the penny may have dropped a long time before... I may not have even heard it strike the floor, or even looked for it.

Edited by moxey63
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Edited for double post

I could almost agree with you. Problem is they are pretty BIG Rules.

 

I know too that I am not the only one - but - the Promoters must know best. Long term Supporters (over Fifty years) like me don't count. WE have only been paying our money for years.

 

Their attempts to bring in new Rules to attract NEW Supporters hasn't exactly brought in NEW Supporters though has it? Hardly a stunning success. What it has done is alienate a lot of the old ones.

Again although we shouldn't be looking to alienate the older generation we shouldnt be looking to cater to them either. They are not the future of the sport. Edited by phillipsr
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Edited for double post

Again although we shouldn't be looking to alienate the older generation we shouldnt be looking to cater to them either. They are not the future of the sport.

No - you are quite right. We the 'old' Brigade are not the future of Speedway. We do/did turn up and pay our money every week though.

 

Had the Double Points, Play Off Rules been brought in and the crowds had grown massively I would have said - OK I am wrong but this new kind of Speedway is not for me. I would have wished the Sport well - and supported it from my armchair.

 

The truth is though that these new Rules have NOT resulted in any Crowd increase that I can see - in fact they are still dropping if I believe some of what I read on here. Ergo those Rules have NOT worked for the good of the Sport - they have just caused me and some others to give up.

 

Where is the future in that?

Edited by The White Knight
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