Attendances

[Trees]

Surely they could bring that heavenly smell back again :-D

[barncooseboy]

I think a branded poster with a band left across the bottom to print the local track location would be a good idea, i would go further and ask the guy who does Spedeworths posters to design it HOWEVER posting them is a different matter. Company owned shops/garages will not allow third party advertising on their premises so it has to be self owned and operated business, which keeps you out of most town centres. Some tourist information centres now charge to display information, can be £100 per month, driving around to distribute posters, its good going to do more than 10 a day.Cultivating local papers to get sports page editorial is vital, as long as you dont have a spokesman whose glass is permanently half empty and has been told to be positive but is mostly negative. Advertising and promotion can be a nightmare, dont think setting fire to the promoters hat will bring many through the gate these days.

[steve roberts]

Some years ago, whilst still living in Oxford, I did some 'promotional' talks at various schools (Primary level) on behalf of the promoter who was then installed at Cowley. However It wasn't particular well thought thru' as I had very little to show the children (a bike would have been useful!) and I took in some videos but it wasn't particularly successful in my opinion. Not very professional in approach and an opportunity lost.

 

I have my own views why speedway has 'lost its way' but they've been well documented time and again on various forums. What the sport desperately needs is an Independent body to shake it up and the sport lost an ideal opportunity when John Berry offered his services (late eighties) but immediately stood aside as he soon realised he wouldn't have got the necessary support from within...and the sport has stumbled along since!

[crazysue]

Can only speak for myself,my parents took me to speedway as a child,I hooked was by the noise,the smell and the speed.Nowadays there is little noise,hardly any smell with only the speed remaining.The number of kids at speedway seems to have dramatically reduced and the ones that are there look bored,if we can't hook kids to be the long term fans of the future the sport will die in Britain.

 

At one point, all 3 of mine used to come to speedway with me, the two older ones were well and truly hooked on the sport (youngest was never that bothered)...until they hit 16.

 

It was at that age that they had to start paying adult rate, despite still being in full time compulsory education (they turned 16 at the beginning of the school year). They could not take advantage of the student rate as they were not old enough to receive a student card (have to be in 6th form) and because they were in their last GCSE year, a part time job didn't pay enough or was difficult to have due to required after school attendance/events for their courses (middle son mainly).

 

Eldest son went from never missing a meeting to going to 4 meetings in the last 6 years, middle son hasn't been back at all in the last 2 years. Their lives have moved on in the mean time and although eldest is now better able to afford to go infrequently, that break from going when they turned 16 put the kibosh on their passion.

 

10 years ago our little group numbered 5, this season on a lot of occasions, I was Billy no mates.

 

Weirdly, youngest son came to Cardiff with me this year (alongside eldest), he absolutely loved it and wants to go again...but only to a GP, not a normal speedway meeting. He loved the noise, the presentation, the excitement of the crowd and was swept along by it all and this is a child (oops, young adult, he is almost 18 now) who hates crowds and noise usually. When I asked him why, he said it was more exciting, more organised, felt more special.

 

I don't know what the answer is unfortunately to increase crowds at general league meetings, cost is an issue for some (as it was for 2 of my boys), for others it is the presentation and feel (youngest), still others it is the stadiums, the constant tinkering of the rules etc.

[oldace]

Surely they could bring that heavenly smell back again :-D

 

 

That smell was simply burned Castrol R40 oil. As no one uses castor oils anymore and the total loss systems are obsolete then I am afraid you will never get that smell again.

[raymondbudd]

Regards the main point if attendances are on the decline (general consensus), then the sport is currently in serious trouble. General laws of economics mean that at some point the sport will no longer be viable to run. Its really a case of knowing where along the line the sport is, of which only time will tell.

 

I'd suggest that most promoters know this and are getting as much out of BEL as they can whilst its still there (GoSpeed?). After all very few are realistically putting anything towards the long term viability.

 

Although the success of the national league is something to note, I'd be very interested to see how much profit can be generated per annum at this level. Its not by accident that experienced promotions (Eastbourne/ Birmingham) operate at this level. I'd even go as far as to suggest that any crowd uplift at such clubs would be negligible should the move to EL happen. As such given the massive hike in operating costs, why would anybody do it.

 

Of course I could be talking tosh. However whilst I'm fortunate and have had the opportunity in the past to seriously invest in clubs, I for one will continue to give it a very wide berth and live with the consequences should my judgement be incorrect!

[BluPanther]

If you are comparing back 10 or more years then , crowds are definitely down..... but this is true in many sports other than top level sport..

 

Poland's crowds are nowhere near what they used to be.... but theyare stil considerably better than in Britain.

 

What is important is how do we get the crowds back ?

You can't, it will never happen. Youngsters have little or no interest in Speedway, the digital age has affected many sports. I would be surprised if there is a UK domestic speedway league in 20 years time..

[SteveLyric2]

Wow, posters and leaflets for the 20th century!!? But we're well into the 21st!!

 

I agree that the sport needs some expertise in deciding what it wants to be - a lovely family sport or high-octane thrills and spills - and a re-brand?

 

Once that is decided then a concerted effort to connect with potential (and existing) fans via all forms of social electronic media should be made regularly and consistently.

 

One big issue for me is the variation in facilities across the country which leads to a variation in the perception and value of the 'package'. Unfortunately the facilities/stadia aren't always in the control of Speedway's promoters. That has to be accepted and the product in that facility packaged to suit. If that means different admission prices at different tracks and/or only those tracks with decent facilities and finances operating at the highest level (whatever that might be) then so be it.

 

Fans - whether new or old - want to be entertained, they more often then not want a winning team, but the bottom line is they want a good-value night out, with everything that might entail at their individual local track.

[DutchGrasstrack]

 

The main reasons people don't go to speedway are.

 

[..]

 

5. wulfsport jackets

 

[..]

 

LOL +1

 

Although I have to admit that me and my little bro used these pathetic jackets as a little game during the long breaks in Germany yesterday... tried to spot as many people with these jackets

[RobMcCaffery]

Regards the main point if attendances are on the decline (general consensus), then the sport is currently in serious trouble. General laws of economics mean that at some point the sport will no longer be viable to run. Its really a case of knowing where along the line the sport is, of which only time will tell.

 

I'd suggest that most promoters know this and are getting as much out of BEL as they can whilst its still there (GoSpeed?). After all very few are realistically putting anything towards the long term viability.

 

Although the success of the national league is something to note, I'd be very interested to see how much profit can be generated per annum at this level. Its not by accident that experienced promotions (Eastbourne/ Birmingham) operate at this level. I'd even go as far as to suggest that any crowd uplift at such clubs would be negligible should the move to EL happen. As such given the massive hike in operating costs, why would anybody do it.

 

Of course I could be talking tosh. However whilst I'm fortunate and have had the opportunity in the past to seriously invest in clubs, I for one will continue to give it a very wide berth and live with the consequences should my judgement be incorrect!

I'd suggest that that point of viability is long gone for most and that most 'promoters' are more accurately described as 'sponsors'.

 

I hope that both Birmingham and Eastbourne have found that you don't need 'names' and their costs (tuners, flights, fancy vans, face-blowers, professional mechanics, endless spare engines and bikes) to run successful speedway. It would be good to hear from people involved at both what their views are of their first season shorn of these crippling costs. Is it still speedway for them and are they enjoying what they see?

 

Attendances aren't good enough or we'd see a proper EL season that ran for more than 14 meetings and finished in October for most and not August!

 

I suspect that many are finding out that while speedway might practically not be a £10 sport it certainly isn't an £18 one.

Edited October 12, 2015 by rmc

[SCB]

 

I disagree that the rulebook would put off the average speedway fan.

 

The main reasons people don't go to speedway are.

 

1. poor promotion

 

2. a percieved lack of value for money

 

3. long drawn out meetings, 15 heats should take no longer than 75-90 minutes. (injuries and rain delays permitting)

 

4. run down stadia and poor facilities

 

5. wulfsport jackets

 

6. poor promotion

 

 

It's not the nit picking geeks that spunk their pants over every tiny rule break or bending (sorry SCB) that speedwaay promotions should be looking to attract anyway. The whole sport needs a massive rebranding as an adrenaline fuelled night out, let's do away with the image of weirdos in denim jackets covered in sew on badges ffs.

 

Have a look at how the Americans promote Costa Mesa and you will see that the UK promoters are light years behind. Yes the racing may not be amazing but it's the whole package which people keep coming back for. The perception of value for money is the key.

Agree with that. Even the bit about the rules. Some people cry "the rule are complicated" and "rewrite the rulebook". It won't make any more people attend - the most complicated rulebook in sport is F1 and look how many people watch that!

 

Speedway fails because promoters thing 15 races spread over 2.5 hours with some old guy chatting to himself between the songs on "80s hits" and "now 23" is entertainment.

[sparkafag]

The pitch of the product in contrast to the competitors is completely off when it comes to Speedway.

 

You watch darts and see guys like Phil Taylor coming out surrounded by women, flash lights, young guys, young women, older guys and older women all of them going mental while having a laugh and a pint and it just doesn’t sit right with what should happen around someone like Taylor but it works because it is a product.

 

You watch people like Chris Holder being presented on a pickup truck while a scratchy version of Let Me Entertain You Plays, not many people care, it doesn’t get people going.

 

Try swapping the way both competitors are presented around, you would drag Darts back to the 80s and Speedway into the now.

 

There are sports and moments in sport that don’t require manufactured atmosphere…eg playing music for sides coming out when 80,000 are in attendance at a Cup Final probably isn’t that important because fans are hyped enough, but in the modern era of overhype some events do seem pretty low key and need a manufactured atmosphere to start the flame, and there is nothing wrong with that, speedway hasn’t ever really embraced that IMO, the presentation should be fast paced, races fired out in blocks of 3 then a short 5 min break unless an event happens and then it should be allowed to breathe, but you shouldn’t have people standing dwelling on things for 10 minutes between races.

 

If fans are only in a stadium for 60/70 mins that is perfectly fine, if anything it should be encouraged, pushed through, if fans want to leave at that stage, they can, go to the bar, meet the riders, go home, get the family away from the place early, or hang about and watch kids training, that’s fine.. give people that option, don't decide for them they are in a stadium for 2 hours +

 

The same rules re the sport will always apply, irrespective of RR, guests, stadia etc it is 4 guys on a bike going around a track, if that’s on point, you can make people forget what is around them pretty quickly, draw attention to that big track thing and away from the crap stadia and the random rules, the stadiums are crap, sure, so don't have people standing in them for hours looking at them studying what it is that's crap about them

 

If you do that you naturally create a buzz, you typically then don’t need posters etc, the sport receives about 20 hours advertising a week as it is “promotion and know how” aren’t the problem, ultimately posters etc are a wasted investment when the product is as bad as it is.

 

It is ignorant to assume people don’t know about speedway, most do, but they think it’s crap, that’s typically why they don’t attend….make it worth peoples while to attend and they will that’s what “promotion” of the sport is required.

 

I am pretty shocked that so few promoters have ventured away from what is a dated way to present the sport, you would think you would see clubs try something different now and then, out of curiosity if nothing else, I mean what is the worst that could happen…crowds could drop and people would loose interest….

Edited October 12, 2015 by sparkafag

[Fromafar]

The pitch of the product in contrast to the competitors is completely off when it comes to Speedway.

 

You watch darts and see guys like Phil Taylor coming out surrounded by women, flash lights, young guys, young women, older guys and older women all of them going mental while having a laugh and a pint and it just doesn’t sit right with what should happen around someone like Taylor but it works because it is a product.

 

You watch people like Chris Holder being presented on a pickup truck while a scratchy version of Let Me Entertain You Plays, not many people care, it doesn’t get people going.

 

Try swapping the way both competitors are presented around, you would drag Darts back to the 80s and Speedway into the now.

 

There are sports and moments in sport that don’t require manufactured atmosphere…eg playing music for sides coming out when 80,000 are in attendance at a Cup Final probably isn’t that important because fans are hyped enough, but in the modern era of overhype some events do seem pretty low key and need a manufactured atmosphere to start the flame, and there is nothing wrong with that, speedway hasn’t ever really embraced that IMO, the presentation should be fast paced, races fired out in blocks of 3 then a short 5 min break unless an event happens and then it should be allowed to breathe, but you shouldn’t have people standing dwelling on things for 10 minutes between races.

 

If fans are only in a stadium for 60/70 mins that is perfectly fine, if anything it should be encouraged, pushed through, if fans want to leave at that stage, they can, go to the bar, meet the riders, go home, get the family away from the place early, or hang about and watch kids training, that’s fine.. give people that option, don't decide for them they are in a stadium for 2 hours +

 

The same rules re the sport will always apply, irrespective of RR, guests, stadia etc it is 4 guys on a bike going around a track, if that’s on point, you can make people forget what is around them pretty quickly, draw attention to that big track thing and away from the crap stadia and the random rules, the stadiums are crap, sure, so don't have people standing in them for hours looking at them studying what it is that's crap about them

 

If you do that you naturally create a buzz, you typically then don’t need posters etc, the sport receives about 20 hours advertising a week as it is “promotion and know how” aren’t the problem, ultimately posters etc are a wasted investment when the product is as bad as it is.

 

It is ignorant to assume people don’t know about speedway, most do, but they think it’s crap, that’s typically why they don’t attend….make it worth peoples while to attend and they will that’s what “promotion” of the sport is required.

 

I am pretty shocked that so few promoters have ventured away from what is a dated way to present the sport, you would think you would see clubs try something different now and then, out of curiosity if nothing else, I mean what is the worst that could happen…crowds could drop and people would loose interest….

The NewGlasgow Promotion deserve a lot of credit for their 'effort to present the sport this season a little bit for everybody attending.Great atmosphere in the stadium these days.

[AndyK86]

The main problem for speedway is the lack of value for money and that even annoys us who go regular so there is no way of convincing newbies.

 

You don't mind the obvious delay for a crash where ambulance is needed and air fence needs to be repaired but fans need to be updated constantly, way to often your just stood around waiting with next to no information, meetings go on for far to long and another reason for this is heats getting restarted over and over again for riders guessing, if nobody touches the tapes then let them go simple as that because the delays are hurting the sport more than a rider getting jump on his rivals.

 

We need to restructure the whole league system, I would merge the Elite & Premier and turn it into a north/south split ! The teams in same region would face each other home and away twice and face each of the teams in other region once either home or away, the season after if say Sheffield in north travelled to Somerset in south region then Somerset would be the visitors the year after and at the end of it all the north and south top team would get a trophy for winning their region and then would face each other for the overall title, similar to the NFL set up.

 

More schemes need to be set up for the kids to get them excited to want to come back week after but don't ignore adults, I would suggest all promoters check out an ice hockey game, I go to Sheffield Steelers in winter months when there is no speedway and amount of newbies I witness and young kids are desperate to return, the players make themselves available for signings & photos and toss the puck to kids when make there way to changing room.

 

Just more effort needs to be done all round and not just advertising but making the evening a special one for everyone.

Mascot on interval to fire t-shirts into crowd or flags, riders available before every meeting between 18:15 & 18:45 for signatures and photos.

 

Also remove all tactical subs, reserve switches and double points, just all riders having 4 rides and see which team is best ! Have a number 8 to cover any rider been took out of meeting due to injury or illness.

[Ben91]

North/South divide? No, no, no. People get bored of the same thing, I don't want to see Kent, Lakeside, Ipswich, Peterborough and Kings Lynn taking it in turns to come to Rye once every 5 weeks and I don't want to be limited to only getting to see my team race at local tracks except on rare occasions. It's more fun travelling to Scotland for a weekend watching Rye on tour than it will ever be going to watch us race a local team. People don't want to see the same visiting riders every few weeks, I don't have any affinity to Rohan Tungate and Cameron Heeps,I don't want to see them at Rye 5/6 times a year.

[AndyK86]

North/South divide? No, no, no. People get bored of the same thing, I don't want to see Kent, Lakeside, Ipswich, Peterborough and Kings Lynn taking it in turns to come to Rye once every 5 weeks and I don't want to be limited to only getting to see my team race at local tracks except on rare occasions. It's more fun travelling to Scotland for a weekend watching Rye on tour than it will ever be going to watch us race a local team. People don't want to see the same visiting riders every few weeks, I don't have any affinity to Rohan Tungate and Cameron Heeps,I don't want to see them at Rye 5/6 times a year.

Did you not read it fully, you will not be seeing same teams and riders every few weeks at your track !

 

If you used all current elite and premier plus 2 like Birmingham & Eastbourne moving up then that would be 24 teams so 12 in both north and south, you face teams in your region twice home and away and you would face each team from other region once either home or away and if you went to there track one year, they would come to to your track year after.

 

You would still get variety but also a better league system for teams and hopefully cut costs for travelling fans/riders etc

 

 

And if people are scared of change then keep things as they are and lets all watch speedway die a slow and painful death because clearly things as they stand are not working.

Edited October 12, 2015 by whoswinnin86

[The White Knight]

 

 

That smell was simply burned Castrol R40 oil. As no one uses castor oils anymore and the total loss systems are obsolete then I am afraid you will never get that smell again.

Spot on Oldace.

 

Really sad though isn't it? :sad:

[Gemini]

.......whoswinnin86............. You don't mind the obvious delay for a crash where ambulance is needed and air fence needs to be repaired but fans need to be updated constantly, way to often your just stood around waiting with next to no information, meetings go on for far to long and another reason for this is heats getting restarted over and over again for riders guessing, if nobody touches the tapes then let them go simple as that because the delays are hurting the sport more than a rider getting jump on his rivals.

 

The thing that annoys me the most!

Edited October 12, 2015 by Gemini

[cityrebel]

The thing that annoys me the most!

the thing that annoys most of us the most!

[Chadster]

The first thing is for the racing to be as good as possible so the track has to be consistently well prepared. Then the presentation of the meeting is important. The meeting I attended at Sheffield this season I was quite impressed with the show they tried to put on but at Belle Vue the presentation was lethargic. is there necessarily a tension between presenting the sport as a family occasion and as an extreme sport. It's surely possible to appeal to more than one market?