Trees Posted October 13, 2016 Report Share Posted October 13, 2016 It's OK for the likes of you and me to say about the quality of the racing etc being important, but we are the converted - we're talking about getting folk into the place in the first instance. At Sheffield we are quite lucky with facilities, but some of the terracing is 85 years old now and in some places it shows. As has been pointed out already, I know how many Clubs are at the mercy of landlords and can't really do anything, it's a bit of a vicious circle. One thing I would think of is stop marketing it as a "family sport". Many young people don't think somewhere their grandparents go is "cool". But people don't go to speedway to go to the loo they go to be entertained and that is THE most important ingredient to the night. Of course I am joshing about the loos but honestly bad loos never put me off and we had some awful loos at Lynn, mind you I do come from the era of outside loos at school with daddy longlegs all over the door arghhhhh lol The men on the mic are worth their weight in gold at a meeting, if every club had a good one it would help immensely. If every rider got it into their head that they are racing for their fans and the refs allowed the riders plenty of time to interact with the fans after each race, we'd be getting somewhere! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shale Searcher Posted October 14, 2016 Report Share Posted October 14, 2016 This is absolutely and totally correct! If a venue cannot even provide decent toilets, floodlights that don't pack up after 30 minutes, facilities that aren't ramshackle and on the point of collapse and make an attempt to generate some kind of atmosphere of excitement and fun, then it might as well give it up as a bad job. I occasionally consider asking friends to come along to the speedway but then I think about the non-functioning toilets, the dreadful food and the loudspeakers that don't work, and decide that it would be far too embarrassing! And as for making provision for disabled customers, when I raised this with the governing bodies, they said it wasn't their problem and gave me the home addresses of the promoters and told me to write to them about it! Ahh, we're talking about grass track, not speedway then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Thumper Posted October 14, 2016 Report Share Posted October 14, 2016 Ahh, we're talking about grass track, not speedway then? I have been to a couple of grass track meetings this year and the facilities were extremely good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigerblade Posted October 14, 2016 Report Share Posted October 14, 2016 But people don't go to speedway to go to the loo they go to be entertained and that is THE most important ingredient to the night. Of course I am joshing about the loos but honestly bad loos never put me off and we had some awful loos at Lynn, mind you I do come from the era of outside loos at school with daddy longlegs all over the door arghhhhh lol The men on the mic are worth their weight in gold at a meeting, if every club had a good one it would help immensely. If every rider got it into their head that they are racing for their fans and the refs allowed the riders plenty of time to interact with the fans after each race, we'd be getting somewhere! I agree entirely that people go to be entertained first and foremost. The thing is, in this day and age, they also want to be entertained in a venue that's somewhere towards half decent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sings4Speedway Posted October 14, 2016 Report Share Posted October 14, 2016 This is absolutely and totally correct! If a venue cannot even provide decent toilets, floodlights that don't pack up after 30 minutes, facilities that aren't ramshackle and on the point of collapse and make an attempt to generate some kind of atmosphere of excitement and fun, then it might as well give it up as a bad job. I occasionally consider asking friends to come along to the speedway but then I think about the non-functioning toilets, the dreadful food and the loudspeakers that don't work, and decide that it would be far too embarrassing! And as for making provision for disabled customers, when I raised this with the governing bodies, they said it wasn't their problem and gave me the home addresses of the promoters and told me to write to them about it! Ahh, we're talking about grass track, not speedway then? I believe he is talking about Stoke which is somewhere in between grasstrack & speedway/ I have been to a couple of grass track meetings this year and the facilities were extremely good! Agreed. Im not sure i have been to a grasstrack this season that hasn't had better facilities than many clubs including reasonable toliets, a working PA system and food that you would want to eat. As some may state it might no bother them individually if the sport is to continue the families, wives, partners etc need to buy into the idea and let it become a way of life. Much in the same way that i wouldn't attend drag racing regularly for example if they only served quorn salad, insisted you sit on small wooden stools and had to listen to nordic death metal between each race. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woz01 Posted October 14, 2016 Report Share Posted October 14, 2016 Speedway isn't the only sport where stadiums toilets are questionable. I've been to several football league grounds where the toilet facilities are shall we say, rank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sings4Speedway Posted October 14, 2016 Report Share Posted October 14, 2016 Speedway isn't the only sport where stadiums toilets are questionable. I've been to several football league grounds where the toilet facilities are shall we say, rank. Very true however unlike football speedway is on its knees and has to consider any option to retain visitors be they first timers or regular. What was your opinion regarding the likelihood of returning to said football grounds with the rank facilities? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skid Sprocket Posted November 7, 2016 Report Share Posted November 7, 2016 I have an idea that might encourage the younger generation to take an interest in the sport through a project in schools, colleges etc. To see if it would work within a school timetable/curiculum I am looking for a school teacher, lecturer etc who can advise on the inner workings of education today and so if you are that person or know of one please p.m. me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert72 Posted November 7, 2016 Report Share Posted November 7, 2016 Going on the title of the thread, it's clear most parents won't take there kids on school nights to watch speedway, also meetings drawn out is hard to take for the older fan but young newbies would soon be bored. I don't hear anything that will bring young fans to speedway in large numbers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skid Sprocket Posted November 7, 2016 Report Share Posted November 7, 2016 Going on the title of the thread, it's clear most parents won't take there kids on school nights to watch speedway, also meetings drawn out is hard to take for the older fan but young newbies would soon be bored. I don't hear anything that will bring young fans to speedway in large numbers. I understand what you are saying but if we don't try we will never know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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