It Must Have Been This Bad Before.....mustn't It?

[lucifer sam]

The number of league teams peaked at 38 in 1978, after that there was a steady decline until it reached 21 in 1993.

 

Then the formation of BL3 (subsequently Academy, conference and now National league) pushed that up to 27 in 1994.

 

There are currently 28 league teams (if we exclude Plymouth) riding at 27 tracks (Cradley accounting for the difference).

 

The most notable recent trend is the increase in the National League - now with 8 stand alone teams (a record high?). Compare that with 1998 when there were just five teams in the league (four stand-alone: Buxton, Mildenhall, St Austell and Skegness who quickly transferred to King's Lynn; and Newport's junior team).

 

Arnie, the Amateur League had 13 teams in 1997, but I think many of them were second teams; indeed there were four 'shared' teams, with two tracks sharing the home fixtures (Reading/Swindon were one of them, if I recall correctly). The CL had 13 teams in 2003 and 2004, but without looking it up, I'm not sure how many were standalone.

 

But yes, with the addition of the likes of Eastbourne and Birmingham, the NL has never been stronger. And, if not a record, then 8 standalone teams is the most for a while.

 

It is a pointer that this level of speedway in Britain could be the way it survives and prospers. You can't pay out what you haven't got - Plymouth are the most recent example of this going wrong. I just hope that, somehow, the Devils can continue.

 

All the best

Rob

Edited March 23, 2016 by lucifer sam

[Tsunami]

Yeah I read Bowdens general sweeping PL points money rates and knowing what some riders are on in that league both at reserve and heat leaders positions I thought 'what a load of bo11ox'. Maybe Barker as the Golden child did manage to get £100 quid a point but that is quite a rare case.

Yes, I think the circumstances were quite unique to Plymouth and Barker. They had to get a big name that was prepared to go to Plymouth every week. Obviously a lot of riders would not consider it for excess travel reasons, so i think Plymouth were almost forced to pay that to sign a 'local' lad and hope that would encourage a lot more local fans. Similar in some ways to the signing of say Parker and Screen at Glasgow, although not obviously Scots.

[Humphrey Appleby]

Maybe less teams with the inevitable less team places could provide higher rider supply than demand and help clubs with what they have to pay out whilst providing more quality riders per team?

Less actually may mean more with regards to Speedway?

No, demand begets supply. Reduce the opportunities and not only fewer people will bother to become riders, but there will be fewer places where people will even be exposed to the sport let alone be able to take it up.

How many non-league sides pay a player £1200 per match!!

I've certainly heard of non-league players on that a week in the higher echelons. Then again, some non-league teams will be getting somewhat more than 450 fans.

[mickthemuppet]

I think you'll find it was 1957, but to be fair there were a few tracks also operating in the Southern Area League. The late fifties were the nadir with the onslaught of TV, the entertainment tax and the ending of rationing of food, clothing and petrol which meant people had freedom to spend on essentials rather than sport. All sports suffered with our own's volatility (a polite word for the take the money and run approach by many contemporary promoters) meaning it was hit hard.

 

Remember, much rationing carried through to the mid fifties. Spending patterns changed hugely in the second half of the decade

Not quite true really as clothes rationing finished in 1949. Although meat was still rationed until 1954 there was so much about that most butchers never bothered with the coupons so in the end the government too it off the ration. The main killers for Speedway was the Entertainment Tax and also the closing of Wembley to Speedway

[Halifaxtiger]

A ray of light in a bad week for speedway : a brilliant meeting at Scunthorpe on Sunday. Cracking racing, a brilliant last heat decider and all finished in 90 minutes.

 

That's how its done..................and if Rob Godfrey can do it, why can't others ?

[RobMcCaffery]

Not quite true really as clothes rationing finished in 1949. Although meat was still rationed until 1954 there was so much about that most butchers never bothered with the coupons so in the end the government too it off the ration. The main killers for Speedway was the Entertainment Tax and also the closing of Wembley to Speedway

It would help if people read posts properly before correcting them (and liking the resulting posts Tsunami).

 

I did state that Entertainment Tax was a huge factor, along with the rise of TV. The comments about the gradual withdrawal of rationing were supplementary but it is acknowledged that spending during the 1950s changed as rationing was PROGRESSIVELY withdrawn.

 

(I use caps because it seems some people struggle to see emphasis without such crude aids).

 

The withdrawal of rationing was a continuing process just as with the decline in speedway. Taking economic sectors such as entertainment and public transport this is a recognised academic correlation: as people's freedom to spend grew so their choices on what they spent their money on changed. The immediate post war period saw huge spending on sport and entertainment, plus on public transport to enjoy both. What we would consider to be essentials were restricted by rationing meaning that there was often a fair bit of cash that could only be spent on fun.

 

By the late fifties when all rationing had ended. Cars and unrationed petrol were being bought, TV was emerging and public transport, cinema and the theatre were in a nosedive.

 

Evidently from what you are saying speedway was unaffected by this, being only affected by a tax and the demise of a major venue. It must have been the only sport to achieve that!

 

The loss of Wembley was a symptom of the malaise, not the cause. Their domination of the sport was also hugely damaging, something that people might reflect on as Poole cruise unopposed through another season.

 

As ever, it's far too complex for facile, easy answers, much as readers of the Daily Mail think it is ;-)

 

Yes, Entertainment Tax had a crippling effect but there were many others conspiring against the sport in the late fifties, one other being the short-sightedness of promoters (and ex-promoters) which we have still yet to conquer.

 

Anyway, time to put the Economic History degree back in the dusty cupboard where it belongs ;-)

Edited March 23, 2016 by rmc

[GWC]

A ray of light in a bad week for speedway : a brilliant meeting at Scunthorpe on Sunday. Cracking racing, a brilliant last heat decider and all finished in 90 minutes.

 

That's how its done..................and if Rob Godfrey can do it, why can't others ?

Rob Godfrey was all for closing Scunthorpe for the very same reason Plymouth have shut - dwindling crowd

 

Let's hope it the numbers have improved

[Jonny the spud]

 

Whilst there may not be many PL riders on £100 a point there are others who are turning down those offers looking for more.

The NL has riders on £50 a point and not all of them heat leaders.

Ultimately the riders can ask for whatever they like its the promoters responsibility to work out if they can afford it and offer deals accordingly.

The rich clubs already have first pick so that wouldn't change but if the majority of teams were offering £50 per point for example there will be some who say i can't afford to run for that and retire and yes there may be a few more NL standard riders in the PL for a couple of years but at least the clubs will be sustainable and still in existence.

NL riders on £50 a point ? Adam Ellis ( one of last years top NL boys) wasn't even on that…. !

[Long Eye]

I'm not so sure , You only have to look at the money you see arriving at a Pl meeting to see how much is being paid , how many riders have 4 £500 helemts a brand new van 2 bikes , the latest phone ipad and gadgets , most of them have a house and no job , they ain't having all that off £200 a night

I am because I have seen a couple of contracts and riders I have worked for have also discussed their deals with me.

[Sings4Speedway]

NL riders on £50 a point ? Adam Ellis ( one of last years top NL boys) wasn't even on that…. !

That was last year plus Adam shouldn't have been far off that? This year the prices are up again. Obviously those paying the higher money are expecting higher results and therefore there will be higher pressure on the riders.