Humphrey Appleby Posted October 5, 2015 Report Share Posted October 5, 2015 Humphrey where do you recommend the GPs are staged then? Without fully knowing the costs of running at particular venues, how much money BSI want/need to extract from the hosts, and a number of other factors such as stadium availability and sponsor/television requirements, it's almost impossible for the casual observer to suggest the best approach. In a perfect world I think you'd want to run most of the rounds in general purpose stadia in bigger cities, but clearly that's not currently sustainable cost wise, and there remains a big question mark over the quality of temporary tracks. So I think the SGP can realistically only run 3 or 4 'prestige' venues with the rest held at regular speedway circuits. However, they should be held at reasonably well appointed speedway stadia and not in what are effectively fields in the middle of nowhere. Nor do I see anything to be gained by hosting GPs in non-speedway venues in provincial towns if they're completely non-conducive to putting in a decent track. I do actually support trying to take the odd GP to places like Australia, but it should absolutely be where there's some sort of speedway scene already. In conclusion then, I don't fundamentally have any issue with the mix of venues that BSI are using, although some lame ducks (e.g. Tampere and Riga) have certainly crept in through lack of proper oversight and no doubt some greed as well. Similarly, Warsaw could have been a magnificent development, but that was stuffed-up through the sheer incompetence of the organisers. What I actually rail against is the parroted fiction that the SGP has been this wonderful success story. Some sort of new dawn was promised 15 years ago, and whilst I'd agree Cardiff has been a reasonable success, there's never been more than 3 or 4 of 'big city' venues in any one season and none of them other than Cardiff have ultimately lasted. This does suggest there's not just a case of 'build it and they will come' even in speedway strongholds. Personally, I do think speedway is a hard sell these days, and it's also an expensive sport to stage with middling crowds. In reality though, the SGP is not any further forward than the old World Championship was 25 years ago in terms of attendances, and only marginally better in terms of being held in one or two venues which simply didn't exist in the old era. For all the hype, does it actually make any difference to the amount of money coming into the sport or the numbers of fans who follow the sport? AND it is about the riders, without whom there would be no SGPs in stadiums big or small. I have little doubt that riders would love to ride in big stadia in front of packed audiences, but I'm sure they'd also like to ride on billiard smooth surfaces, have a working set of tapes, and earn a million pounds into the bargain. I'd also like to earn a million pounds a year, but I'm afraid it's just not going to happen... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RPNY Posted October 5, 2015 Report Share Posted October 5, 2015 (edited) Valid points but not really any solutions or positive ideas on how to move forward. Plus I have never once heard BSI rant and rave or even comment for that matter that the SGP has been this "wonderful success story." They are always upbeat and try to sell any new venue they are headed to but would you expect anything else? Next year I'd like to see 5 'prestige' venues and 5 held at regular speedway tracks. If they can nail Warsaw (that will need some serious PR work) Cardiff, Stockholm, Horsens and Melbourne that would be pretty dam good for riders and fans alike. I do think it is unfair that Poland gets 3 GPs but I guess it comes done to money at the end of the day. Plus Torun and Gorzow are belting tracks. Would personally like to Warsaw, Prague, Mallila, Gorzow, Cardiff, Horsens, Stockholm, Krsko, Torun, Melbourne next year. Latvia, Finland, Italy, pointless having GPs there at the moment IMO. Edited October 5, 2015 by PNYC 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinMills Posted October 5, 2015 Report Share Posted October 5, 2015 always found it unfair 3 polish rounds, but they do have some stunning venues, and 10x better than any indoor rubbish 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triple.H. Posted October 5, 2015 Report Share Posted October 5, 2015 Had a fab time in Torun, NP was staying at sam Hotel, got him to sign a early Newcastle photo for me. What a lovely professional guy, nothing was to much trouble, total respect for the guy.Nicki Pedersen is totally professional and a very nice bloke. I've had plenty of digs at him on this forum over the years but once the meeting is on he's in the zone and that's his focus. The vast majority of fans will rue the day he retires from the series or from all speedway as the guys box office. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Humphrey Appleby Posted October 5, 2015 Report Share Posted October 5, 2015 Valid points but not really any solutions or positive ideas on how to move forward. As I said, without full access to financial and logistical information, it's not possible to advance any meaningful solutions. BSI are also looking to maximise their revenue from hosting fees, which likely rules out a number of suitable and even better tracks from the equation even if it might otherwise be financially viable to run a GP there. Plus I have never once heard BSI rant and rave or even comment for that matter that They have shills to do that. They are always upbeat and try to sell any new venue they are headed to but would you expect anything else? Do they? I think many have pointed out that other than Cardiff, local promotion of GPs is pretty poor to non existent. Okay, Philippe will come on here and big up the merits of venue X or Y, despite it being apparent to everyone else that the track is the wrong shape, is totally undeveloped, or is in the middle of a field. But then just as quickly make all manner of excuses when it all goes pear shaped, and move on the next one hoping that it'll all be forgotten in a week or two... Next year I'd like to see 5 'prestige' venues and 5 held at regular speedway tracks. We can all have our wish lists, but it comes back to the first point. Latvia, Finland, Italy, pointless having GPs there at the moment IMO. I think a couple of GPs in smaller speedway countries is fair enough, and Latvia is as deserving as most. There's a small but apparently thriving speedway scene there, and Daugavpils is a decent enough stadium even if in a provincial town, but certainly no more provincial than Krsko. Riga could potentially have been an even better venue, but was another one stuffed up by BSI incompetence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trees Posted October 5, 2015 Report Share Posted October 5, 2015 A grippy Bydgoszcz would be great, Peterborough with some temp stands would be great, Lynn with the temp stand would be great 😉 All would provide me with good TV viewing 😆 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
customhouseregular Posted October 5, 2015 Report Share Posted October 5, 2015 Hopefully the new BV ...my son might even take me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RPNY Posted October 5, 2015 Report Share Posted October 5, 2015 Do they? I think many have pointed out that other than Cardiff, local promotion of GPs is pretty poor to non existent. Whenever I've been to a GP abroad I've seen it well advertised in the local town. Billboards, bus stops etc. Don't know if it's been in Papers/TV/Radio but if I had to bet I'd say yes. Okay, Philippe will come on here and big up the merits of venue X or Y, despite it being apparent to everyone else that the track is the wrong shape, is totally undeveloped, or is in the middle of a field. But then just as quickly make all manner of excuses when it all goes pear shaped, and move on the next one hoping that it'll all be forgotten in a week or two... Sometimes on here Phil defends stuff which I will not necessarily agree with and I can see why certain people get annoyed. But he is far from a BSI yes man. He's been fairly scathing in his own article in the SS about tracks, venues, riders, organization in the past. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BWitcher Posted October 5, 2015 Report Share Posted October 5, 2015 Surely it's about what thousands of paying supporters want rather than sixteen riders, unless they wish to pay to race? And they clearly prefer the big venues!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iris123 Posted October 6, 2015 Report Share Posted October 6, 2015 (edited) Whenever I've been to a GP abroad I've seen it well advertised in the local town. Billboards, bus stops etc. Don't know if it's been in Papers/TV/Radio but if I had to bet I'd say yes. . Hmmm,the only place I could say had plenty of ads was Prague.Copenhagen I didn't see anything and in Vojens I saw a couple of posters in the town itself,but nothing outside on the roads or towns approaching and Gelsenkirchen/Dortmund was also free of any ads. Guess it might be left to the local promoter as it doesn't seem to be a BSI/IMG forte.IMG have taken over the running of the Rallycross World Championships.One of the main tracks is just outside Hamburg(Buxtehude) and do you know what,i never knew that the IMG run and Monster Energy sponsored meetings had taken place.Saw nothing advertising the weekend,even though I might well have gone if I had seen anything,and saw bo results either.Nothing on the streets,nothing in the papers and nothing on tv.But strangely we do get regular updates about Buxtehude womens handball team............. Edited October 6, 2015 by iris123 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted October 6, 2015 Report Share Posted October 6, 2015 Greg Hancock showed some fight in the GP and made a very tough move in Ht10 on TJH. Some very brave riding through the meeting by Pedersen and Iversen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waspman Posted October 8, 2015 Report Share Posted October 8, 2015 Someone on the newport forum said that all they got was music and talk from the pits while this gp was on tv? No sound from studio or Nigel etc any idea's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topaz325 Posted October 12, 2015 Report Share Posted October 12, 2015 Great decision by the ref to pull back AJ when he made a great gate!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PHILIPRISING Posted October 12, 2015 Report Share Posted October 12, 2015 Great decision by the ref to pull back AJ when he made a great gate!! AT lease he (Krister Gardell) later admitted his mistake. Spoke to Tony Steele about this ... as long as a rider hasn't moved before the tapes start to rise and doesn't touch them he shouldn't be excluded. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fromafar Posted October 12, 2015 Report Share Posted October 12, 2015 AT lease he (Krister Gardell) later admitted his mistake. Spoke to Tony Steele about this ... as long as a rider hasn't moved before the tapes start to rise and doesn't touch them he shouldn't be excluded.A lot of referees need to go to Specsavers then!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCB Posted October 12, 2015 Report Share Posted October 12, 2015 AT lease he (Krister Gardell) later admitted his mistake. Spoke to Tony Steele about this ... as long as a rider hasn't moved before the tapes start to rise and doesn't touch them he shouldn't be excluded. Most referees need to learn the rules, internationally and in British league racing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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