ch958 Posted May 30, 2015 Report Share Posted May 30, 2015 The last thing the speedway needs is the fans making decisions on its future. You only have to see the lack of consensus on here about anything, far less some of the crazy ideas that get suggested. It's pretty obvious what's wrong with the sport - a poorly presented and overpriced product held in rundown stadia, no consistency in teams from week-to-week far less year-to-year, daft overcomplicated rules, and then those daft overcomplicated rules not even being applied consistently. Plus there's a changing population and economic demographic, people having less predictable working times, and more choice of entertainment. How you address these issues is the bigger question, and answers are unlikely to come from the few hardcore fans that still go. It's the ones who don't go that need to be asked. actually your post illustrates that there is some concensus: presentation, pricing, etc etc - just as you say above yes its a bigger question how to address these things but its not exactly rocket science and if there was more direction rather than individual interests it should be possible the very very first thing any such direction should address is costs. Its the same in any business - you live or die by cost control. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryn Posted May 30, 2015 Report Share Posted May 30, 2015 Take your rose-coloured glasses off Williams. You have your head firmly up .. sorry, in the sand. Another childish personal remark from someone who hides behind an on-line name! Sadly such postings are becoming more and more prevalent on the BSF nowadays! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iris123 Posted May 30, 2015 Report Share Posted May 30, 2015 (edited) A couple of specific details in my case Firstly,like Humph say's work and private life have made it more difficult to attend speedway.5 years ago I worked north of Hamburg.It was relatively easy after work to jump in the car and head off to Denmark for a meeting.Then we moved south of Hamburg.That meant at least another hour on the journey and that made it very tight to get to meetings on time.But they are doing lots of work on the Autobahn,so a lot of time I would have little chance of making it.Add to that the changes which made the DSL less attractive for me.Before I could see Nicki and Puk in a team against two other good heatleaders and the whole thing was less predictable,but obviously for the promoter more expensive.Now Nicki comes u against the other top rider more and generally one rider is better than the other and wins his head to heads 9 times out of 10.So even if I have the chance I am less likely to take it. Then my girlfriend is no speedway fan.I have taken her to a few meetings and she just doesn't like the experience of boring racing and dirty toilets etc.So a lot of the time I chose something that we can both enjoy Then as recently at my local track the line-up is just poor.Norden have come back into the Bundesliga,but straight away go for a cheap team.They lined up against Brokstedt with two riders who have hardly done a decent lap in the past 5 years or so.Henning Loof and Marcel Limburger!!!! I could understand giving one a chance in a Bundesliga meeting,but not 2 at the same time.I straight away thought it would be a weak team and so it turned out.No way would I spend time and money watching such teams You could add to that some of the rules as I don't like seeing a team take advantage of jokers and I loved it when Nicki took the piss in the SWC and of course booed like hell when the authorities tr to stop such things.Imo they are out of touch,not Nicki Edited May 30, 2015 by iris123 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Voice Of Reason Posted May 30, 2015 Report Share Posted May 30, 2015 You cannot argue against the value, nor the logic, of what Jon Cook is suggesting. Communication is key in all aspects of life. However, I think that there is enough feedback already upon this (and club) forums to be getting on with. At the end of the day, we can communicate for eternity; but it's already abundantly clear where the major problems lie with modern-day speedway. This thread alone contains the majority of concerns. What is needed is ACTION. Stop the talking and actually focus now upon delivering some significant changes to try and take this sport forward. Otherwise communication will not be deemed valuable - it will simply be deemed utterly pointless. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IAN2 Posted May 30, 2015 Report Share Posted May 30, 2015 Sadly Mr Cook is all talk, says all the right things and does nothing, should have been in Politics. The sport is on its knee's and falling away fast, especially the non ' Elite League' which is a total waste of time and the sooner it goes the better. The ' Cook Report' states very little and leaves many more questions than answers and now I fear a total new start for the sport is the only solution. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattK Posted May 30, 2015 Report Share Posted May 30, 2015 Look at the club's website! And apologise to Jon Cook perhaps? Lakeside have one of the best web sites, but there still doesn't seem to be any feature that allows for a two-way communication with the promoters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moxey63 Posted May 30, 2015 Report Share Posted May 30, 2015 (edited) If speedway fans can't have a say on what is wrong with the sport, how are clubs going to mend what they are doing wrong? John Perrin, Belle Vue promoter for two decades, used to tell fans "If you don't like it, don't come," when fans had the face to complain to him personally. Fans stopped coming. If fans don't moan, and just stop attending, clubs are unaware. Speedway seems so out of time right now. No one is really sure who is their rider, the season is set up with meaningless matches that are designed for the end-of-season Grand Finale of the Play-Offs. It may help increase the coffers for those that make the last two, but what has it done to gates throughout the season? You know, just by the whiff of it, that some clubs are decreasing their scores, so they can pull out a plum signing at the exact moment... It is like the wrestling lark, when you know the guy getting laid-into will come good. Speedway seems to have gone the way of those cheap Channel 5 programme, more there for a novelty kick than anything really serious. But, sadly, the way it's going... the only ending I can see, is a CH5 programme called Speedway Riders On Benefits. You can't sell a sport like speedway on majority of meaningless matches that are kick abouts for two end of season bashes. Edited May 30, 2015 by moxey63 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heathen chemistry Posted May 30, 2015 Report Share Posted May 30, 2015 promoters are the problem! promoters decide the rules , promoters bend the rules , promoters use the rules to there own teams advantage to the detriment of the sport, independant ruling body is needed, 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ch958 Posted May 30, 2015 Report Share Posted May 30, 2015 promoters are the problem! promoters decide the rules , promoters bend the rules , promoters use the rules to there own teams advantage to the detriment of the sport, independant ruling body is needed, A STRONG independent body is needed - one with the cojones to upset individual promoters for the greater good 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spanner47 Posted May 30, 2015 Report Share Posted May 30, 2015 Sadly, here we go again. We know the sport is dying, but those with a vested interest just plod along hoping for the best. What other sport in the World can you still get away with cheating? It would be so simple to stop these rolling starts, but nothing has ever been done. Obviously that's just one of many things wrong with the sport, but others have mentioned those. I consider myself to be a keen follower, next few weeks I'll be at Veenoord, Riga, Diedenbergen and Sibiu, but apart from popping up the road to Foxhall, I certainly don't bother with any other Speedway in this Country anymore, and even that is trying my patience these days. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattK Posted May 30, 2015 Report Share Posted May 30, 2015 Re the guest situation, somehow a better fixture list needs to be sorted, I guess they use some sort of computer programme which doesn't really cut the mustard! I would definitely approach SCB about the programme he has written. There are so many issues that could be dealt with better, most definitely the promoters need to listen and read. It's not about using a computer programme, it's about taking the right meetings into account. Belle Vue had two riders missing last night due to World U21 commitments. Clearly World U21 meetings weren't taken into account when producing the fixtures because Lakeside hadn't had a home meeting for three weeks and Belle Vue had no other Friday fixtures in May so there were plenty of opportunities to hold this meeting when riders were available. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Falcon Hammer Posted May 30, 2015 Report Share Posted May 30, 2015 It's not about using a computer programme, it's about taking the right meetings into account. Belle Vue had two riders missing last night due to World U21 commitments. Clearly World U21 meetings weren't taken into account when producing the fixtures because Lakeside hadn't had a home meeting for three weeks and Belle Vue had no other Friday fixtures in May so there were plenty of opportunities to hold this meeting when riders were available. No meeting for the last couple of weeks due to the SGP. Definitely needed a meeting last night, else massive gap in fixtures Impossible to predict who's going to be in the U-21's, turned out Nielsen & Fricke were selected! Stead in original declaration would've been present Only Cook was originally going to miss this meeting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattK Posted May 30, 2015 Report Share Posted May 30, 2015 No meeting for the last couple of weeks due to the SGP. Definitely needed a meeting last night, else massive gap in fixtures Impossible to predict who's going to be in the U-21's, turned out Nielsen & Fricke were selected! Stead in original declaration would've been present Only Cook was originally going to miss this meeting Fricke won the Aus U21s, so it wouldn't take a massive leap to realise he'd be in the World U21 qualifiers. As for Lakeside having no meetings due to the GPs, that's fair enough, but is an away team with four guests really going to bring in the crowds? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moxey63 Posted May 30, 2015 Report Share Posted May 30, 2015 (edited) Young people get their information from their mobile phones: ALL speedway clubs should remember this. Have you seen the average age of the speedway support? Perhaps the sport hasn't lost popularity, as many suggest, perhaps fans have all popped their clogs. Edited May 30, 2015 by moxey63 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCB Posted May 30, 2015 Report Share Posted May 30, 2015 Have you seen the average age of the speedway support? Perhaps the sport hasn't lost popularity, as many suggest, perhaps fans have all popped their clogs.Exactly that. The sports panders to the oldies. It plays old music, it's lets old people in for less, the presenters are meetings are generally in their 50s or 60s. Everything is about how things used to be done. The sport needs a kick up the arse to modernise itself - it doesn't need rules for that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salty Posted May 30, 2015 Report Share Posted May 30, 2015 Would have a lot more sympathy for Cook's views if he was a newcomer to the sport, rather than someone who has been at the centre of the BSPA's decision making process for the past few years. Last night's meeting at Lakeside a good example of what a shambles the sport has become. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenga Posted May 30, 2015 Report Share Posted May 30, 2015 one of the best topics ever to hit this website. the horse has gone, so lets put the bolt in ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grand Central Posted May 30, 2015 Report Share Posted May 30, 2015 (edited) Actually Jon Cook must be as thick as two short planks. To 'reveal' that fans at the public meeting had expressed a wish for more frequent meetings. When he is the promoter of a club that is only able to put on one farcical challenge match, masquerading as a League fixture, in a five week span. And the guy heeds to be told that by others ! And to have the report trailed and anticipated as some sort of Gettysburg address.Give me strength He is as culpable as all the other promoters in all the ills and yet he is portraying himself as some sort of evangelist for change. Me thinks Jon lives in Cook-Koo land. . Edited May 30, 2015 by Grand Central 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedwaysliders Posted May 30, 2015 Report Share Posted May 30, 2015 (edited) IN the lakeside programme there is a list of email addresses for each person who works at the club,which is a great idea but ive sent emails suggesting things in the past and only mr sexton has taken the trouble to reply.Jon cook NO replies!!.Ive emailed Jon a number of times with varoius suggestions one being a 13 Heat format,but also have a second half of the meeting that counts towards league points,ie a series of match races or another 4 heats that will keep the fans involved again right to the end if LEAGUE POINTS are again advailable in the second half of the meeting.It might be a crazy idea on my part but to have no feedback from mr cook is very frustrating. I have to say Mark sexton is very good with fans on varoius points ,but when it comes to league racing and people who might be able to change things like mr cook you get nothing back,thats why i think the latest reach out to fans after all these years is aload of rubbish. Edited May 30, 2015 by speedwaysliders Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moxey63 Posted May 30, 2015 Report Share Posted May 30, 2015 (edited) Exactly that. The sports panders to the oldies. It plays old music, it's lets old people in for less, the presenters are meetings are generally in their 50s or 60s. Everything is about how things used to be done. The sport needs a kick up the arse to modernise itself - it doesn't need rules for that! It does need modernising... but then you force alienating the oldies, folk that have grown tired of much of rhat it offers already. By all means, try to encourage the younger brigade through... but I expect not to be stampeded down in the rush. Edited May 30, 2015 by moxey63 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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