What Does The Swedish League Have That The Uk Elite Does Not ?

[A ORLOV]

The Swedes and thd Poles aren't very good at football.

England and Scotland are not much better.

[Ghostwalker]

The Swedes and thd Poles aren't very good at football.

 

Sure we are, bronze in 1994 world cup and 2x gold this year in the men's Euro U21 and Women's Euro U19 (third win since 1999 and second win since 2012).

When was the last time England won a medal at football world cup?

 

 

Does anyone know admission prices in Sweden or Poland?

 

Guests, doubling up and double point races have also diluted the product. I know many riders double in Sweden but there are no fixture clashes/

 

As to the tracks most in Sweden and Poland do seem wider, hence more racing lines.

 

In Sweden, the admission price is 160-180SEK (£17-19).

---

I think that the picture of Swedish speedway in this thread isn't entirely correct. Both Sweden and Poland have issues. In Poland C-towa went bankrupt last year and this

year Zielona Gora is on the verge of bankruptcy with large debts. Then two teams fighting for promotion might not take the step up due to costs and/or other matters.

 

In Sweden most Elitserien teams/clubs also have a hard time financially, especially this season where many teams have had many rained off meetings which have costed the teams allot of money.

This season we only had 7 teams which meant that each team only had 6 home meetings in the series. For next season it will be 8 teams since Masarna is expected to step up from Allsvenskan

to Elitserien for next season. However allot of new rules have been decided about and the biggest difference is that the average cap have been lowered from 10,250 (41) to 9,500 (38).

 

Some of the biggest differences is the structure and organization of Swedish speedway which basically is the same as for all other sports in Sweden.

At the top you have Riksidrottsförbundet ->Svemo->League Association/clubs. Svemo is the governing body which handles everything that has to do with speedway, long track, grass/sand track and ice racing,

Clubs are not owned by a promoter but by themselves. According to RF rules, the parent club of a incorporated team have to own at least 51% of the shares.

Tracks are owned by the clubs or by the kommun. The only exception is Hagfors (Tallhult) which is privately owned.

 

Basically everything goes through Svemo, squad declarations (deadline is December 1st), lineup declarations (deadline is at 8/9pm two days before the meeting), licenses, rules, averages, live results...

Edited September 17, 2015 by Ghostwalker

[robert72]

 

Sure we are, bronze in 1994 world cup and 2x gold this year in the men's Euro U21 and Women's Euro U19 (third win since 1999 and second win since 2012).

When was the last time England won a medal at football world cup?

 

 

 

2 months ago when they Won a bronze medal in the World Cup

[Christopher Bcmma Cook]

I would love to run Speedway in the UK!!

 

There is so much potential with the sport but radical changes also come with it

 

Do you want to bring back GP riders with no guarantee that they would actually come, or do you go back to basics and actually try saving the sport on a lower-domestic level before enticing the GP riders - or do you have a seperate series altogether that attracts GP riders giving spectators the opportunity to see them ride on the UK scene ableit not in your usual league structure.

 

Speedway should be extremely appealing to more youngsters who want a career in motorsport, nothing however is done

 

look at motorcycling in terms of sports bikes, lots of "club level" racing and in the British Motostar and Superstock 600 races where you see 14-21+ year olds, they don't get any prize money, they get sponsorship but they also have a bike to pay for and running costs

 

At least with Speedway you get paid per point so it will off set cost + with sponsorship it is the better option

 

Obviously that form of sport is better advertised everyone wants to be the next Rossi but ultimately in the UK you make nothing, people pay £50k+ to get a ride in British Superbikes, even at World level you pay to ride... only those elite few make a career out of it

 

There should be numerous open days across the summer at tracks up and down the country - offering racers in these classes an opportunity to try Speedway and sell it to them and parents that its a cheaper alternative and more likely a successful one - could easily be one solution to the lack of UK riders

[TheReturn]

Lot's of reasons why Sweden is better, why the UK tracks could never compete etc, etc, etc, but very little talk 'ok lets do something about this'. Have the BSPA, clubs actually spoken to the top GP riders and asked the question what would attract them to the UK? Seems more and more that a one-off race night is the way to go to attract the big boys, in theory that would make it easier to negotiate better TV deals too.

 

The fans want the best riders in the UK, the TV companies would too so the promotors need to look at what's needed to make it happen and find solutions for the problems.

[Humphrey Appleby]

Do you want to bring back GP riders with no guarantee that they would actually come, or do you go back to basics and actually try saving the sport on a lower-domestic level before enticing the GP riders - or do you have a seperate series altogether that attracts GP riders giving spectators the opportunity to see them ride on the UK scene ableit not in your usual league structure.

GP riders would amazingly find the extra energy to ride in Britain if they were paid the daft amounts they are in Poland. However, virtually all the top riders used to ride in Britain until about 10 years ago, and attendances were on a continual downward spiral then. British speedway can't afford these riders and shouldn't even be attempting to afford them.

[Aces51]

GP riders would amazingly find the extra energy to ride in Britain if they were paid the daft amounts they are in Poland. However, virtually all the top riders used to ride in Britain until about 10 years ago, and attendances were on a continual downward spiral then. British speedway can't afford these riders and shouldn't even be attempting to afford them.

I agree about the downward spiral starting long before the top riders left. In my experience crowds started dropping in the 1980's and have continued to do so ever since. I don't think there was any dramatic drop when Crump left Belle Vue, by that time we were down to the hardcore. Although I have no figures my eyes tell me that overall, crowd levels at Kirky Lane have been fairly static over recent years but visits to other clubs tell me many are still losing fans.

 

The real problems are more with the lack of credibility, the ever increasing use of guests for reasons other than genuine injury, the tactical rule which, regardless of its fairness in comparison to the old rule, is seen as more appropriate to Its A Knockout, the lack of regular weekly meetings, the lack of publicity and major sponsors, the long term neglect of nurturing home grown talent,the lack of any real independent professional planning for the future and the self interest which prevents any hope of the progress required to return the sport to the mainstream.

Edited September 17, 2015 by Aces51

[TMW]

 

Sure we are, bronze in 1994 world cup and 2x gold this year in the men's Euro U21 and Women's Euro U19 (third win since 1999 and second win since 2012).

When was the last time England won a medal at football world cup?

 

 

 

In Sweden, the admission price is 160-180SEK (£17-19).

---

I think that the picture of Swedish speedway in this thread isn't entirely correct. Both Sweden and Poland have issues. In Poland C-towa went bankrupt last year and this

year Zielona Gora is on the verge of bankruptcy with large debts. Then two teams fighting for promotion might not take the step up due to costs and/or other matters.

 

In Sweden most Elitserien teams/clubs also have a hard time financially, especially this season where many teams have had many rained off meetings which have costed the teams allot of money.

This season we only had 7 teams which meant that each team only had 6 home meetings in the series. For next season it will be 8 teams since Masarna is expected to step up from Allsvenskan

to Elitserien for next season. However allot of new rules have been decided about and the biggest difference is that the average cap have been lowered from 10,250 (41) to 9,500 (38).

 

Some of the biggest differences is the structure and organization of Swedish speedway which basically is the same as for all other sports in Sweden.

At the top you have Riksidrottsförbundet ->Svemo->League Association/clubs. Svemo is the governing body which handles everything that has to do with speedway, long track, grass/sand track and ice racing,

Clubs are not owned by a promoter but by themselves. According to RF rules, the parent club of a incorporated team have to own at least 51% of the shares.

Tracks are owned by the clubs or by the kommun. The only exception is Hagfors (Tallhult) which is privately owned.

 

Basically everything goes through Svemo, squad declarations (deadline is December 1st), lineup declarations (deadline is at 8/9pm two days before the meeting), licenses, rules, averages, live results...

I haven't heard of Polish or swedish clubs. I bet you've heard of Chelsea & Man U.

 

Our Football PL is overhyped but very well promoted. The chinese walk around in Man U shirts.

 

We talk about £17 being expensive but I know people who have paid £50 to watch Chelsea v LCFC ......

 

Thanks for the grass isn't so greener insight into continental speedway

[Starman2006]

If you went to a pub in the uk and the toilets were half as bad as most speedway stadiums you'd report them to the local council. Basically our facilities are mostly stuck in the 1950's.

 

Not forgetting our "quirky" tracks, Eastbourne, Lakeside, Rye House, ( which in all honesty are rubbish and you'd be a fool to think otherwise).

 

So …… crap tracks, crap facilities, overpriced, under promoted and no money in it for the riders.

 

 

Not at Poole...

I would love to run Speedway in the UK!!

 

There is so much potential with the sport but radical changes also come with it

 

Do you want to bring back GP riders with no guarantee that they would actually come, or do you go back to basics and actually try saving the sport on a lower-domestic level before enticing the GP riders - or do you have a seperate series altogether that attracts GP riders giving spectators the opportunity to see them ride on the UK scene ableit not in your usual league structure.

 

Speedway should be extremely appealing to more youngsters who want a career in motorsport, nothing however is done

 

Give the BSPA a ring and see if you can take over. As for your bottom sentence, i would ask Neil Vatcher and Gerrald Richter the same question.

[van wolfswinkel]

Are the loos at our speedways really bad anymore, Not in my experience at EL clubs!

Yes, some of our tracks could do with better track grading equipment.

 

What we definitely need is promotions to promote and present positively.

You haven't visited the infamous Blunsdon back-straight bogs!

[cityrebel]

Good point this country is obsessed with football at the expense of many other sports incuding s/way

i totally agree with you. Both of my kids were keen speedway fans that have been to loads of tracks. Now they are heavily into football and never mention speedway. Who wants to stand in an empty stadium with poor facilities, watching a poor product that no one has heard of. I bet none of my kids mates know what speedway is.

[TMW]

i totally agree with you. Both of my kids were keen speedway fans that have been to loads of tracks. Now they are heavily into football and never mention speedway. Who wants to stand in an empty stadium with poor facilities, watching a poor product that no one has heard of. I bet none of my kids mates know what speedway is.

Good point. It's a topic you can't share and enjoy with friends as no one knows what you are talking about.

 

As a former tutor. Speedway could be so good for primary maths lessons

 

Team building

Average calculations

Program

League tables.

 

It is very complex mathematically.

 

Then youngsters wouldn't feel out in the cold. My son he's 25 now but frim the moment he could talk he was speedway through and through. My eldest 28 goes if he doesn't get a better offer and I've no idea what has caused the anomoli......although my eldest is more for road bikes and cars

Edited September 18, 2015 by TMW

[foamfence]

Ok, I understand that Poland has the capability to attract the best riders to compete in their leagues, but what is it that Sweden has over the UK elite. I look tonight at the play off in Sweden and the calibre of number 1, 3 & 5's plus some decent reserves too and realise how mugged off the speedway supporting fans of the UK are being treated. A serious issue that needs to be addressed. We got an almost certain "British" world champion again that chooses to ride outside of his "native" land. We got a 2nd in the titlle hunt who chooses to wear his U.S. colours anywhere but the UK, plus an ageing Danish star who lives "down the road" but avoids showing his face at a UK circuit. what is it so wrong with the UK speedway scene ? Money, taxes or earnings potential in general ? What needs to happen to bring them back ?

Would be good to understand the reasons from a decent riders point of view especially.

In Poland and Sweden you can have the same mechanics driving to all meetings, which are on fixed days and which pay more money and are on tracks that are more likely to be holding top meetings or resemble those tracks. You already know that so why keep asking it?

[SCB]

In Poland and Sweden you can have the same mechanics driving to all meetings, which are on fixed days and which pay more money and are on tracks that are more likely to be holding top meetings or resemble those tracks. You already know that so why keep asking it?

It's probably as quick and easy to drive between Poland and the UK as it is Poland and Sweden! We may be an island but it's 2015 now! Personally I don't fancy doing either though and I doubt if many riders do!

Edited September 18, 2015 by SCB

[BWitcher]

It really is amusing how people throw out the same old arguments 'money, money, money'.

 

Some of these GP riders race in the Danish League, the Czech league. They are most certainly not being paid mega bucks for those meetings.

 

It is 95% to do with convenience. If racing were on one night a week in the UK, most of the top riders would be here.

 

Speedway consistently hides behind pathetic excuses in the UK.. 'I only want to race on this night'. While the tail wags the dog, the sport will continue to flounder.

 

At top level it should a long time ago have been one night a week racing. Until it does that, the sport will NEVER recover.

[Electric6]

So the Elite league should run on a Monday night

 

Premier League should run Thurs-Sat

[TheReturn]

So the Elite league should run on a Monday night

 

Premier League should run Thurs-Sat

 

 

No reason the Premier League can not be 7-days a week still.

 

For the Elite League (joke name) if going one day a week is to attract the big names, I wonder if Wed or Thu night may be better. The problem with a Monday night is the GP boys would then have to race Sat (GP), Sun (Poland), Mon (UK) and Tue (Sweden).

[stevebrum]

For the Elite League (joke name)

 

And the Premier League is a joke name using the same logic.

[foamfence]

It's probably as quick and easy to drive between Poland and the UK as it is Poland and Sweden! We may be an island but it's 2015 now! Personally I don't fancy doing either though and I doubt if many riders do!

I didn't mention the riders doing it. So how come that so many riders use the excuse that they need extra everything to ride here. Are they all liars?

[Ghostwalker]

It's probably as quick and easy to drive between Poland and the UK as it is Poland and Sweden! We may be an island but it's 2015 now! Personally I don't fancy doing either though and I doubt if many riders do!

 

I think that most of the Polish riders arrives in Sweden via overnight ferry from Gdynia rather than driving via Germany and Denmark.

 

To get to UK they first have to drive through Germany and France before a short hop over the English channel