customhouseregular Posted October 14, 2015 Report Share Posted October 14, 2015 The Olympique used to have a "World Championship" class field worth braving a cold night for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cityrebel Posted October 14, 2015 Report Share Posted October 14, 2015 It has nothing to do with 'end of season mode' Crowds have been poor at Wolves all season this was just a continuation of what has become the norm. The Olympique used to be one of the best crowds of the season,the last chance to catch speedway before next march,interviews with the home riders and a firework display to boot.Sure in the 2nd week of October its never going to be tropical but the night was dry and clear,put a jacket on like the rest of us ,its never stopped people before.most people have got better things to spend their £20 on, and who can blame them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arnieg Posted October 14, 2015 Report Share Posted October 14, 2015 For an international perspective on attendances see: http://www.speedway-forum.co.uk/forums/index.php?showtopic=80529&p=2697139 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
New Science Posted October 14, 2015 Report Share Posted October 14, 2015 The Olympique used to have a "World Championship" class field worth braving a cold night for. 2009 Olympique line up : Klindt . Barker . Fishback . Lawson . Lindgren .Kerr . Skornicki . Larsen . Haines . Nicholls . Bridger . Procter . Wolbert .Ingalls .Woodward . Harris. Hardly any different in standard to this year. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iris123 Posted October 14, 2015 Report Share Posted October 14, 2015 2009 Olympique line up : Klindt . Barker . Fishback . Lawson . Lindgren .Kerr . Skornicki . Larsen . Haines . Nicholls . Bridger . Procter . Wolbert .Ingalls .Woodward . Harris. Hardly any different in standard to this year. The Olympique always seemed to have one or two riders that didn't ride in the UK who caused a bit of excitement.Think Wölbert would have been 1 in this line-up.That seemed to be missing this year from what I saw.Peter Karger is hardly a decent up and coming youngster,which tells a tale in itself Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
customhouseregular Posted October 14, 2015 Report Share Posted October 14, 2015 2009 Olympique line up : Klindt . Barker . Fishback . Lawson . Lindgren .Kerr . Skornicki . Larsen . Haines . Nicholls . Bridger . Procter . Wolbert .Ingalls .Woodward . Harris. Hardly any different in standard to this year. I was thinking of a different era...6 years ago is modern day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
New Science Posted October 14, 2015 Report Share Posted October 14, 2015 The Olympique always seemed to have one or two riders that didn't ride in the UK who caused a bit of excitement.Think Wölbert would have been 1 in this line-up.That seemed to be missing this year from what I saw.Peter Karger is hardly a decent up and coming youngster,which tells a tale in itself Joel Andersson is thou Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BWitcher Posted October 14, 2015 Report Share Posted October 14, 2015 (edited) I was thinking of a different era...6 years ago is modern day Yes, but the point New Science is making is that line up 6 years ago still pulled in a big crowd, even though it was lacking the names that used to ride in the event back in the day. Although of course... Wolves won the league that year so interest in the team was high at that time.. Edited October 14, 2015 by BWitcher Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
customhouseregular Posted October 14, 2015 Report Share Posted October 14, 2015 Fair point BW. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinMills Posted October 14, 2015 Report Share Posted October 14, 2015 think when (mainly older supporters) stop going, you end up NOT missing it, even though you still follow it. then when you see it on sky, you realise theres nothing to tempt you back..when you"ve witnessed quality "proper" 1-7 man teams you see the second rate "attraction" now on offer. I think its just as hard to tempt back the oldies, as it is to attract newbies! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemini Posted October 14, 2015 Report Share Posted October 14, 2015 And to think the Brandonapolis used to be a classic meeting. I don't think the 2013 one did it any favours. (My memory is not too good but I think that's the correct year, or it could have been 2012.) Did anyone get out of the place before midnight? Well, I managed it in the end after driving round the car park for 10 minutes trying to find an exit that wasn't blocked by cars. I finally had enough when Chris Harris crashed in the semi-final, but individual meetings have never really interested me anyway as I much prefer a league match. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The White Knight Posted October 15, 2015 Report Share Posted October 15, 2015 Not sure regionisation would even bring in additional crowds. I started to get bored of speedway towards the end of last season, so a new league set up would not have given me the wow factor again. I'm with a previous poster, there is no atmosphere these days, so perhaps a new style of presentation needs to makeup for that. I went to a twenty20 cricket match perhaps we need an equivalent. Have a home and away "current" 15 heat format league meeting, then have another competition with a completely different take on the sport. Have races pitched over two laps and/or have the races handicaped, make it four man teams or six, change the scoring, each club to hold a set of standard engines that get pulled from a box randomly by each rider before the meeting. Obviously not those suggestions, but radically different to what speedway is now. But keep the thrill and speed element. The league what is now the National League, was radical and quite exciting when it first appeared. It survived the test of time and has probably kept a lot of clubs open in troubled times. Perhaps speedway needs to do something radical again. Some very good ideas here for the younger element. Doesn't do it for me - but - I have had my time. Perhaps it really is time for the Sport to move in a different direction. As usal a good and well reasoned Post Deano. Which bot of my post is ageist? Or shallow even. Are you talking out of your a*se? :shock: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben91 Posted October 16, 2015 Report Share Posted October 16, 2015 Not sure regionisation would even bring in additional crowds. I started to get bored of speedway towards the end of last season, so a new league set up would not have given me the wow factor again. I'm with a previous poster, there is no atmosphere these days, so perhaps a new style of presentation needs to makeup for that. I went to a twenty20 cricket match perhaps we need an equivalent. Have a home and away "current" 15 heat format league meeting, then have another competition with a completely different take on the sport. Have races pitched over two laps and/or have the races handicaped, make it four man teams or six, change the scoring, each club to hold a set of standard engines that get pulled from a box randomly by each rider before the meeting. Obviously not those suggestions, but radically different to what speedway is now. But keep the thrill and speed element. The league what is now the National League, was radical and quite exciting when it first appeared. It survived the test of time and has probably kept a lot of clubs open in troubled times. Perhaps speedway needs to do something radical again. Speedway is Speedway, four riders, four laps. To implement anything like this would mean rule changes in every country that hosts the sport really, and why would the Poles change when the sport is doing well there? These ideas may work here as part of a meeting or an entertaining second half idea but ultimately they won't bring people through the gate. The sport just needs promoting, races over four laps are fine, they last long enough to be entertaining and not just a circular drag race, while they don't drag on and become boring. A beauty of Speedway which not many other motorsports have in my opinion is that you see the whole race in front of you when you are at the event, people pay stupid money to go to F1, Moto GP etc and just see the competitors whizz past them in the same spot 40-50 times. We have a great product being undersold basically. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
New Science Posted October 16, 2015 Report Share Posted October 16, 2015 (edited) Speedway is Speedway, four riders, four laps. To implement anything like this would mean rule changes in every country that hosts the sport really, and why would the Poles change when the sport is doing well there? These ideas may work here as part of a meeting or an entertaining second half idea but ultimately they won't bring people through the gate. The sport just needs promoting, races over four laps are fine, they last long enough to be entertaining and not just a circular drag race, while they don't drag on and become boring. A beauty of Speedway which not many other motorsports have in my opinion is that you see the whole race in front of you when you are at the event, people pay stupid money to go to F1, Moto GP etc and just see the competitors whizz past them in the same spot 40-50 times. We have a great product being undersold basically. Do you really believe it is a great product ? There are thousands of seasoned fans who used to go but now choose not to, not sure they would agree with you. Edited October 16, 2015 by New Science 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
customhouseregular Posted October 16, 2015 Report Share Posted October 16, 2015 We have what was once a great product and what once again could be a great product, but British league speedway is a shambles. (In my opinion of course ). 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skid Sprocket Posted October 16, 2015 Report Share Posted October 16, 2015 Speedway is Speedway, four riders, four laps. To implement anything like this would mean rule changes in every country that hosts the sport really, and why would the Poles change when the sport is doing well there? These ideas may work here as part of a meeting or an entertaining second half idea but ultimately they won't bring people through the gate. The sport just needs promoting, races over four laps are fine, they last long enough to be entertaining and not just a circular drag race, while they don't drag on and become boring. A beauty of Speedway which not many other motorsports have in my opinion is that you see the whole race in front of you when you are at the event, people pay stupid money to go to F1, Moto GP etc and just see the competitors whizz past them in the same spot 40-50 times. We have a great product being undersold basically. Agree with every word 100% Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattK Posted October 16, 2015 Report Share Posted October 16, 2015 We have what was once a great product and what once again could be a great product, but British league speedway is a shambles. (In my opinion of course ). I think the product, four blokes on bikes going round is circles, is fine (although the draft system has significantly diluted this in the EL), but you are right, the league structure and organisation in this country is an absolute shambles. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve roberts Posted October 16, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 16, 2015 I'd like to add something positive regarding modern day speedway but can't I'm afraid! Having followed the sport for thirty plus years but being out of the loop for the last twelve I have no enthusiasm in attending a meeting. It's not the sport I remember and with the AGM fast looming it will be another exercise whereby the promoters appear to be obsessed in just 'moving deck chairs around on the ill fated Titanic!' As I have previously stated that until an independent body takes control of the sport it will continue to spin forever downwards. John Berry spoke a lot of sense and how the sport could do with someone like him now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trees Posted October 16, 2015 Report Share Posted October 16, 2015 The racing hasn't changed that much Steve, still four guys going hell for leather for four laps, no brakes, no gears, inches from one another at times Still hurts like hell if the fall off, they still break bones or worse If you have lost your team it makes all the difference though, a lot of passion comes from supporting that team IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve roberts Posted October 16, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 16, 2015 Hi Trees! I remember corresponding with you years ago on the Oxford forum! Yes, moving to York has diminished my enthusiasm and when I rarely pick up a 'Speedway Star' I don't understand much of what I am reading...points scored, match points etc and all of the other weird changes that have apparently taken place since I last attended. It's a simple sport made very confusing by the daft rules implemented at each AGM. I always recall the late Bernard Crapper stating that he no longer understood the rule book after he withdrew from promoting at Oxford (and he used to know it inside out!) I realise the sport is desperately trying to entice new fans to the sport but in the words of John Berry 'it wasn't the fans who turned its back on speedway but that speedway turned its back on the fans!' My biggest criticism of the sport is that there is no longer any continuity and fans can no longer associate with their teams and its rider make up...a situation that existed in my time but has increased significantly over the years. Eight members of my family used to attend but gave up years ago which, I guess, is a sad reflection on where the sport is going? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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