Helicopter View

[Grachan]

How about transport/Fuel to get there ? Not everyone lives on the doorstep of a Speedway track

Yes. You do need to pay fuel. Very true.

 

And car park. I forgot about car park. That's another £1.50 at Swindon these days.

 

I would probably go more often if it was cheaper but that's partly because I live 25 miles away from Swindon anyway so it's a bit of an effort to go, and years of experience has taught me not to bother leaving the house if there is even a slight hint of rain.

 

I don't think £17 is too expensive for a live sporting event, but I do think they should make more effort to make it worth the effort. So I want to see top quality riders and top quality presentation - and both are lacking these days.

Edited April 6, 2016 by grachan

[Gemini]

You don't have to buy a programme either. It's £17.

It is £18 at Leicester. I agree about not buying a programme though because I never do in spite of promoters going out of their way to make it as difficult as possible to find out the teams in riding order. In my case I'd rather turn up with a blank programme and fill it in when I get there so they still don't win.

[robert72]

You don't have to buy a programme either. It's £17.

You keep saying it's £17 when it's Not it's £18 get it right.

 

I always buy a programme it's part of going to a meeting to follow what's happening.

 

You must get your facts right about entrance prices.

[Grachan]

You keep saying it's £17 when it's Not it's £18 get it right.

 

I always buy a programme it's part of going to a meeting to follow what's happening.

 

You must get your facts right about entrance prices.

Swindon is £17. It depends where you go obviously. Where do you go? Leicester maybe? You should support a better side!

 

It's easy to make up a sheet to follow the scores. I used to do that all the time, but I get a programme now because my son likes to have one and fill it in.

 

It is £18 at Leicester. I agree about not buying a programme though because I never do in spite of promoters going out of their way to make it as difficult as possible to find out the teams in riding order. In my case I'd rather turn up with a blank programme and fill it in when I get there so they still don't win.

They definitely try to make you buy a programme. At Swindon they have a big score board, but it gives mainly race times and heat line-ups and results. It rarely gives the match score.

 

Match score should be on display at all times, like it is in Basketball and Ice Hockey. It makes it more of a "match" atmosphere.

 

Otherwise you just get 4 blokes going round a track on motorbikes - which some people on here think that is how it should be. But I personally don't.

[sparkafag]

Speedway is incredibly weighted in favour of buying a programme and does dictate the cost of match day experience, more so than most sports where a programme is just a magazine. It is all well and good saying just print of a sheet, most people aren’t going to go that hassle and thus you are adding to the cost, or disengaging people right away.

 

A free race card or score board (most teams don't have them) should be a given. If you then want to read about the team etc you should have the option to buy a weekly production IMO.

 

Another alternative would be an online score card that could be accessed via Twitter, Facebook etc during the meeting where fans could add comments re how they see the meeting going, albeit that would likely appeal to a minority in an average speedway crowd.

Edited April 6, 2016 by sparkafag

[Grachan]

Speedway is incredibly weighted in favour of buying a programme and does dictate the cost of match day experience, more so than most sports where a programme is just a magazine. It is all well and good saying just print of a sheet, most people aren’t going to go that hassle and thus you are adding to the cost, or disengaging people right away.

 

A free race card or score board (most teams don't have them) should be a given. If you then want to read about the team etc you should have the option to buy a weekly production IMO.

 

Another alternative would be an online score card that could be accessed via Twitter, Facebook etc during the meeting where fans could add comments re how they see the meeting going, albeit that would likely appeal to a minority in an average speedway crowd.

I agree. They should have a proper scoreboard up.

 

It's very difficult to keep track of the score without a scoresheet otherwise. I'm sure this is a ploy to make people buy a programme, but I don't approve of it.

 

As for the online scoreboard. There is one. It's called Speedway Updates.

[Najjer]

A big crowd comes out for something new or rare. Be that Nicki, Emil, Dudek or Zmarzlik. I'd also suggest that better quality riders do attract more fans as EL clubs do attract bigger crowds than PL teams.

 

But I also agree it's value for money. If it was simply good riders with the odd rare appearance you'd change £100 to watch EL speedway and pay the top guys what ever they want. For me the EL at £17 is pushing it, PL at £12 and NL at £8 if in honest. It truly amazes me that PL and NL tracks charge so much. Hell NL clubs are only paying £10 a point and home and away that's only 100 points. £1000 yet sole are changing £13 to get in! Promoters at some NL clubs must be raking it in!

 

Exactly - the costs to get in at Somerset is now £15, plus £1 to park and £2.50 if you want a programme. That's alot of money week in week out.

 

It's no wonder teams like Eastbourne, Mildenhall, Stoke etc etc dropped down to the NL and have stayed there ever since.

 

how much would the full page advert in SS cost every week, to promote the GP? does this ever increase the Cardiff crowd?

Anybody who pays £2.90 for that magazine is fully aware of Cardiff, so id suggest £3k plus on that would be wasted

 

Completely different. The example you've given is pitching a speedway event to speedway fans. Pitching speedway as a sport to Joe Bloggs off the street who has never been before is something completely different!

[sparkafag]

I agree. They should have a proper scoreboard up.

 

It's very difficult to keep track of the score without a scoresheet otherwise. I'm sure this is a ploy to make people buy a programme, but I don't approve of it.

 

As for the online scoreboard. There is one. It's called Speedway Updates.

 

True, it is a great service for a regular fan but probably not a new fan who has walked into the sport and only in their initial steps into the sport and probably doesn't know about it, nor is it going to be advertised openly at the track.

Edited April 6, 2016 by sparkafag

[Trees]

With all the money in football they can still charge 3 times more for a league game than speedway, doesn't make sense but the stadiums are full ....

[Star Lady]

With all the money in football they can still charge 3 times more for a league game than speedway, doesn't make sense but the stadiums are full ....

 

 

But are they all full? I have no idea but when I've glanced at the TV screen I've often seen half empty stands. I'd suggest the like of Man U etc are sell outs and probably promotion/relegation clashes near the end of the season (oops speedway dont have those tho do they ) but mid table nothing hangs on it matches, I would doubt are sell outs.

[semion]

With all the money in football they can still charge 3 times more for a league game than speedway, doesn't make sense but the stadiums are full ....

 

Have you been to Carrot Road of late Trees ? There are so many females now who go to watch and it is the whole day's experience from the moment you arrive in The City, the place is full of excitement on match day and it just builds. Bit Like Cardiff on Grand Prix day ( a one of per year) and is like that for every home game. It is little wonder that Premier League Grounds are packed week in week out.

Edited April 6, 2016 by semion

[Shale Searcher]

It's actually £106.45, to go speedway, I like to get a taxi there and back, that's £30, have a large kebab on the way, few pints at the track bar when I get there, a burger and chips trackside, I buy £20 worth of 50/50 tickets, a programme, a souvenir from track shop, and a couple more beers in the bar after, whilst I wait for my taxi!!!

 

Come on, speedway costs £17/£18 to watch, any of the other costs are mostly optional!!!!

Edited April 6, 2016 by Shale Searcher

[dump that clutch]

if you don't fancy buying a programme then download the app FiveOne.... only for EL, PL & NL meetings.

really good, keeps track of the meeting you follow. I tend to use this with a Sky meeting.

[Grachan]

It's actually £106.45, to go speedway, I like to get a taxi there and back, that's £30, have a large kebab on the way, few pints at the track bar when I get there, a burger and chips trackside, I buy £20 worth of 50/50 tickets, a programme, a souvenir from track shop, and a couple more beers in the bar after, whilst I wait for my taxi!!!

 

Come on, speedway costs £17/£18 to watch, any of the other costs are mostly optional!!!!

And don't forget you're only there for 15 minutes. The rest of the time you are in a coma.

[Humphrey Appleby]

With all the money in football they can still charge 3 times more for a league game than speedway, doesn't make sense but the stadiums are full ....

Football is a much more popular sport than speedway and also has a broader economic demographic. There is evidence though, that it's pricing itself out of the younger market, with the average age of fans getting higher and higher.

[semion]

Very much like Speedway in that respect then Humpy

[Trees]

Have you been to Carrot Road of late Trees ? There are so many females now who go to watch and it is the whole day's experience from the moment you arrive in The City, the place is full of excitement on match day and it just builds. Bit Like Cardiff on Grand Prix day ( a one of per year) and is like that for every home game. It is little wonder that Premgier League Grounds are packed week in week out.

A bit like Gorzow town when I went over last year for their local derby .....

[George Dodds]

spot on, quality line ups is what will get people back in stadiums, not watered down teams.

... but what is quality - the 14 highest averaged riders or two teams of equal ability?

Speedway's fundamental problem is that too few races feature two or more riders of equal ability. When they do the racing tends to be of as good a quality as it ever was.

[semion]

A bit like Gorzow town when I went over last year for their local derby .....

 

The you know and have the experience of what is the norm in other Countries. Do they get as many as 27,000 fans ? That is very impressive. What was the admission price Trees ?

[Trees]

The you know and have the experience of what is the norm in other Countries. Do they get as many as 27,000 fans ? That is very impressive. What was the admission price Trees ?

Not 27k no, 14k sellout and was £12 a head, double normal price ....

 

Of course, Sunday afternoon, within walkable distance of town centre, different kettle of fish to Thursday evening on the outskirts of Lynn a couple of miles from town centre boooooo

Edited April 6, 2016 by Trees