How Do We Attract A New Young Audience?

[stratton]

Agree. He was a poor England team manager on numerous occasions, alienating people rather than bringing them together. Great club promoter though.

Be interesting to know who these people WERE that he alienated? Berry was a strong individual and it is just what the sport needs now.Also not alot is spoken about how GOOD he was at man management, Mike Lee said he was superb helped him alot when he was younger.Ok he was not everyone's cup of tea,but certain people in speedway at the time were scared stiff that Berry would change things for the better for the WHOLE of the sport it never happened a big miss for me.

[Robert Lee]

Interesting debate, but yet another 6 pages of same old, same old. I think those of us who still go to speedway really like it the way it is, with a few tweaks. Unfortunately, to get a new audience you need radical changes to the sport, and probably you'd then lose the existing fan base. Personally, I don't like crowds, so if speedway became too popular, I'd probably give it a miss anyway!

 

It's all hypothetical anyway, as the dear old BSPA members are not going to do anything except plod along until the sport dies and they all retire.

[steve roberts]

Agree. He was a poor England team manager on numerous occasions, alienating people rather than bringing them together. Great club promoter though.

Not sure if I agree that he was a poor England Team Manager. Under his leadership England did win the World Team Cup in Poland during 1977. Okay they lost the title in Landshut in 1978 but that was hardly the fault of John Berry as the riders chosen to compete were probably the best at that time...just that they under performed on the day and the Danes rode above themselves. The 1979 Team qualifier at Reading, again, he chose the riders on form but were caught out by the weather and the inspired Kiwis that day. As regards 1985 he really had little hope as regards choosing a winning team for the Cup in Los Angeles because he had little to chose from quite frankly!

 

Like Len Silver, before and after him, a Team Manager can only do so much. It's really down to the riders to perform once on track and there's little a manager can do to avert that. John Berry hated the World Team Cup Formula...one rider per heat and I would agree. So difficult to pull points back if behind. He much preferred the Best Pairs and Team formulae.

 

I agree, however, that he would often cause animosity amongst certain riders and/or promoters.

 

PS Malcolm Simmons has gone on record to say that John Berry was the best England Team Manager that he rode under.

Edited December 24, 2015 by steve roberts

[Vince]

I firmly believe that if you want to attract the youngsters you have to completely change the image of the sport. Strangely although I am one who doesn't believe everything was better in the old days I do think their promotion was better. They used to promote Speedway as a daredevil sport, nowadays daredevil would change to extreme and the sport needs to be presented as mad, bad and dangerous. It's already plenty dangerous enough but people are too squeamish about crashes, nobody wants to see riders seriously hurt but crashes are an exciting part of the sport.

 

Mad and bad needs some work. The sport has been sanitised in an attempt to appear more 'professional' to corporate sponsors who have hardly been attracted to part with their millions. Look to the sponsors of extreme sports and they are looking for people who do crazy things and act a bit crazy and Speedway would fit the bill perfectly if riders were allowed to be their natural selves. There are all sorts riding Speedway but they do have to be a bit nuts but the authorities are forcing them to behave like choir boys. The fans have to take a fair amount of the blame for this as I think the authorities have been dishing out fines for every little misdemeanour in order to give them what they appear to want. Every little incident or hint of aggression is met with disgust by many fans, the same ones who ask where all the characters have gone and remember Fred chasing Bill with a shovel after trying to kick the door off the refs box with great fondness! Speedway is an aggressive sport and many of the riders are naturally fairly aggressive, accept there will be flare ups and the odd punch thrown and look at how the crowd come alive when it happens.

 

Mad? Tell everybody about the injuries riders get and how quickly they are racing again. For me this is the one thing people are amazed by if I try to explain about Speedway to them.

 

I think that you need something to keep people entertained between races and while tracks are being graded. A cycle Speedway track on the infield I have always thought would be ideal and quite possibly some of those lads would then get into the motorised version. Certainly if you want youngsters you need better music and more lively presentation but there is the real risk that will alienate the current fans.

 

There are literally thousands of kids under 16 riding off road motorcycles every weekend. A large proportion of those will hold race licences so why not get them involved by getting them in the pits now and again to warm bikes up and perhaps help with fuelling etc. They'll be a whole lot more aware and safer than many who already have pits access! Maybe some sort of loyalty card where every 10th visit merits an evening in the pits or the opportunity to watch from the infield.

 

Watching from the infield is something every fan should have the opportunity to do at sometime, it's like a different sport where you can see just how hard the riders are working. Perhaps some lucky admission tickets every week could be a way to do that.

 

BUT I am 54 years old and very likely have no clue what would get youngsters to Speedway, I would imagine the real way to know would be to start by asking them.

[The White Knight]

I firmly believe that if you want to attract the youngsters you have to completely change the image of the sport. Strangely although I am one who doesn't believe everything was better in the old days I do think their promotion was better. They used to promote Speedway as a daredevil sport, nowadays daredevil would change to extreme and the sport needs to be presented as mad, bad and dangerous. It's already plenty dangerous enough but people are too squeamish about crashes, nobody wants to see riders seriously hurt but crashes are an exciting part of the sport.

 

Mad and bad needs some work. The sport has been sanitised in an attempt to appear more 'professional' to corporate sponsors who have hardly been attracted to part with their millions. Look to the sponsors of extreme sports and they are looking for people who do crazy things and act a bit crazy and Speedway would fit the bill perfectly if riders were allowed to be their natural selves. There are all sorts riding Speedway but they do have to be a bit nuts but the authorities are forcing them to behave like choir boys. The fans have to take a fair amount of the blame for this as I think the authorities have been dishing out fines for every little misdemeanour in order to give them what they appear to want. Every little incident or hint of aggression is met with disgust by many fans, the same ones who ask where all the characters have gone and remember Fred chasing Bill with a shovel after trying to kick the door off the refs box with great fondness! Speedway is an aggressive sport and many of the riders are naturally fairly aggressive, accept there will be flare ups and the odd punch thrown and look at how the crowd come alive when it happens.

 

Mad? Tell everybody about the injuries riders get and how quickly they are racing again. For me this is the one thing people are amazed by if I try to explain about Speedway to them.

 

I think that you need something to keep people entertained between races and while tracks are being graded. A cycle Speedway track on the infield I have always thought would be ideal and quite possibly some of those lads would then get into the motorised version. Certainly if you want youngsters you need better music and more lively presentation but there is the real risk that will alienate the current fans.

 

There are literally thousands of kids under 16 riding off road motorcycles every weekend. A large proportion of those will hold race licences so why not get them involved by getting them in the pits now and again to warm bikes up and perhaps help with fuelling etc. They'll be a whole lot more aware and safer than many who already have pits access! Maybe some sort of loyalty card where every 10th visit merits an evening in the pits or the opportunity to watch from the infield.

 

Watching from the infield is something every fan should have the opportunity to do at sometime, it's like a different sport where you can see just how hard the riders are working. Perhaps some lucky admission tickets every week could be a way to do that.

 

BUT I am 54 years old and very likely have no clue what would get youngsters to Speedway, I would imagine the real way to know would be to start by asking them.

Once again Vince a very, very good Post with lots of good ideas.

 

I really do hope that some Promoters read your Post - it should give them plenty of food for thought.

 

WELL DONE!!!

[speedibee]

Looking at a more general level the sport needs professional marketing, but the eternal question is who can or will pay for it? I really can't see that the sport can work together on this, even if somehow the funds were to be found.

 

The sport needs external funding which it can only get from sponsorship since official funding bodies generally barely recognise it as a sport. Perhaps if the Sky money had been spent on this instead of being used to prop up unrealistic budgets at tracks the sport could have taken that vital step forward?

 

I read a lot of regional papers and it's notable how often that other sport that often shares our stadia, Stock Car Racing takes out significant, eye-catching advertising. Speedway, apparently cannot afford this, and I dare say if I were privy to the books of tracks (heaven forbid!) I'd see why they can't. It's a terribly sad situation; lack of unity, ideas and fundamentally, hard cash.

 

The sport needs hype, but modern hype, not the form that we've tried and failed with (myself included on a very minor scale). We're constantly informed of the 'great new craze to come out of the USA" and we really need this kind of marketing working for us. The sport is now obscure enough to be sold as a 'new' sport I'd suggest, but in a completely new way. We used the 'family sport' tag when football was almost crippled by hooliganism. They've cleaned up their act (or more significantly a large chunk of the media plays this down to protect its investment) and I'd suggest this approach has reached the end of its usefulness.

 

One of SCB's best moments here was to argue that the sport needed to be sold as a dangerous one - radical and almost something that your mother wouldn't approve of.

 

It needs to be seen as something edgy, almost forbidden - that to follow it is to rebel and be an individual - to make a mark.

 

Social media is vital - but not this forum which far too often does nothing at all to enhance the sport's image (cue howls of indignation form the self-serving and self-justifying 'mob' that dominates here now).

 

Going 'viral' is essential - attract attention. Despite my comments about advertising earlier I've always believed strongly in word-of-mouth. Now with social media the ability to spread the message this way, by personal recommendation. is stronger than ever.

 

Sadly for too many in authority in the sport the internet is a threat - it gives voice to malcontents and trouble-makers, as is so sadly often the case with with the BSF which really squanders its potential role as a healthy ideas generator. That's why I get so frustrated when I see this happen, it's such a waste of opportunity.

 

There are agencies that offer these services professionally. They create positive comments about the client all over the internet and especially in Facebook and similar products. They sell quantity of mentions. It's 'kick starting', and the amounts involved are quite substantial.

 

Without breaching client confidentiality I was helping to pay the bills for a major soft drink manufacturer earlier this year and the bills from the social media marketing firms were significant and revealing. Sadly they were also totally beyond the sport's current ability to pay.

 

People don't realise that comments about products or services don't always come from amateurs. Often what you read is the creation of a professional working for a client.

 

We need someone to do that for us. We need to sell the danger and risk, not just the lack of brakes, we need to sharpen our meeting running times and presentation (I've been as guilty as many others in my time). But there HAS to be racing and incident - F1 may get away without it but the marketing there is astronomical!

 

We need to make speedway attractive, exciting, but most of all entertaining. Without that you're just polishing the unmentionable....

 

All thoughts need to be on product improvement, starting with the things that don't cost too much - using the assets that we have, the riders and making them part of people's lives. We need people thinking and talking about Tai Woffinden without even necessarily knowing why.

 

Look at Guy Martin. He's all over Channel Four. I hear he's a biker. Get the point? He's being marketed professionally.

 

We need the money, but also the will. It's got to be about the action, racing, incident, controversy - make people want to see all of that and talk about it. The world turns on gossip thanks to social media. We need to be part of that conversation.

Speedway needs to change it's relationship with BSI as well , all british based riders should sign a contract with British speedway that if they opt out to join the GP circus .then Bsi pays a fee to British speedway for their services , get shut of Gospeed they serve no purpose whatsoever other than lining their own pockets ,

[The White Knight]

Speedway needs to change it's relationship with BSI as well , all british based riders should sign a contract with British speedway that if they opt out to join the GP circus .then Bsi pays a fee to British speedway for their services , get shut of Gospeed they serve no purpose whatsoever other than lining their own pockets ,

Great Post speedibee. :approve:

[New Science]

I'm pretty typical of most on this forum as I have my parents to thank for introducing me to speedway as a child.
I've posted this 3 times previously but I was hooked on speedway by the noise, the speed and the smell.

Fast forward 40 years most of the noise has mostly gone,you hardly ever get a whiff of the smell,with only the speed remaining.

With the noise also went the atmosphere,the sport lost its soul. I'm not surprised kids of today are bored at the speedway

because as a 44 year old adult I'm mostly bored too. Oh for the days of a rasping GM engine ,the smell of methanol,and a

crackling derby atmosphere.Sadly they are never too return,making the sport a bit of a busted flush.

Edited December 24, 2015 by New Science

[Stoke Potter]

The answer to this question is the same as the answer to all similar questions, Why don't more people go? etc, etc.

It's boring, most races are boring and processional.

Tracks are not conducive to close racing and passing, incorrect size and shape and generally poorly prepared, so you're lucky if you get 3 decent races per meeting.

Fix the tracks. Won't happen as it costs real money!

[Berrett]

MORE RACING

Grasstrack racing, run entirely by amateurs, manages to put on a 30 to 50 race programme lasting around three hours. Even if one race is not very exciting there is another one along almost instantly. This makes for an interesting and sometimes exciting, few hours of racing. Speedway needs more racing!

[Robert Lee]

MORE RACING

Grasstrack racing, run entirely by amateurs, manages to put on a 30 to 50 race programme lasting around three hours. Even if one race is not very exciting there is another one along almost instantly. This makes for an interesting and sometimes exciting, few hours of racing. Speedway needs more racing!

One way to get more races would be to have two separate matches on the same bill, with alternating races. This would also help alleviate the problem of dwindling track numbers.

 

For example, Cov & Leicester could share Leicester's venue, and they could ride against Wolves and KL respectively on the same night........

 

Just a thought.

[Alan_Jones]

MORE RACING

Grasstrack racing, run entirely by amateurs, manages to put on a 30 to 50 race programme lasting around three hours. Even if one race is not very exciting there is another one along almost instantly. This makes for an interesting and sometimes exciting, few hours of racing. Speedway needs more racing!

 

It's also typical of amateur and youth speedway meetings but, sadly, the further up the ladder you get, the less will there is to keep meetings moving.

[The White Knight]

I'm pretty typical of most on this forum as I have my parents to thank for introducing me to speedway as a child.

I've posted this 3 times previously but I was hooked on speedway by the noise, the speed and the smell.

Fast forward 40 years most of the noise has mostly gone,you hardly ever get a whiff of the smell,with only the speed remaining.

With the noise also went the atmosphere,the sport lost its soul. I'm not surprised kids of today are bored at the speedway

because as a 44 year old adult I'm mostly bored too. Oh for the days of a rasping GM engine ,the smell of methanol,and a

crackling derby atmosphere.Sadly they are never too return,making the sport a bit of a busted flush.

Or a JAP. :approve:

[moxey63]

More races? Sorry but there is only so many races even a speedway fan can stand in one sitting The 1979 Four Team Championship, two semis and final, was 48 races if I remember and wasn't repeated. Perhaps it is just me, but after so many heats I get fatigued and begin yawning.

 

]

Edited December 24, 2015 by moxey63

[The White Knight]

More races? Sorry but there is only so many races even a speedway fan can stand in one sitting The 1979 Four Team Championship, two semis and final, was 48 races if I remember and wasn't repeated. Perhaps it is just me, but after so many heats I get fatigued and begin yawning.

 

]

There wouldn't be anything wrong with Twenty Heats though would there?

 

Second Half for example.

[ColinMills]

saw moto cross, went on too long and got bored

[Trees]

We'll have to sing and chant like the Poles do, their matches attract plenty of teenagers, 20 and 30 somethings!!!!

[billybikespeedway]

Bring back the Smell and the noise, both seem to lacking these days

[speedibee]

Or a JAP. :approve:

never hear a rasping GM myself , but I have heard J.A.Ps and 2 valve Jawas with a nice rasp .

[billybikespeedway]

Back in 64 it was the smell and the sound ( yes JAP ) I was 13