remembertheracers Posted April 25, 2016 Report Share Posted April 25, 2016 Spending an hour or so looking at various threads it seems that attendance levels have tumbled this year. Tracks mentioned have included Scunthorpe, Swindon, Coventry, Rye House Raiders and on updates tonight Cradley/Wolverhampton. The Belle Vue debacle, Plymouth's problems and the weather have not helped but is the sport on the verge of imploding? Does anyone have good news to report? Are Glasgow getting their rewards for investment and real promoting? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinMills Posted April 25, 2016 Report Share Posted April 25, 2016 if you forward wind 10 yrs, its extremely unlikely domestic speedway will be around, unless theres a major upturn 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icicle Posted April 25, 2016 Report Share Posted April 25, 2016 Has been bleeding cold & wet so far...hope crowds increase as better (?) weather. Also please Promoters start PROMOTING,& Advertising this sport! If you don't know you won't go! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinMills Posted April 25, 2016 Report Share Posted April 25, 2016 the product isn't right..big empty spaces and no atmosphere will never entice youngsters, and us "oldies" who has seen the sport diluted with crazy mix n match teams are losing interest 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cityrebel Posted April 25, 2016 Report Share Posted April 25, 2016 I was at eastbourne on Saturday and rye house on Sunday. Both meetings had very poor crowds, I doubt if there was much more than 500 at both tracks combined. Freezing cold weather with a threat of rain is enough to put most people off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topsoil Posted April 25, 2016 Report Share Posted April 25, 2016 Can't confirm it 100% but I would say Berwick's crowds are up a bit so far from last season, despite having four cold, windy, damp Saturday nights. The new promoters who came on board in the winter have added a new enthusiasm and the club are reaching out to new fans, especially through social media. Also i have noticed a lot of new businesses have advertised in the programme and the hospitality lounge has been full three of the four weeks so far. And they have announced the training track nearby will be ready for use later this year. A small beacon of hope in the choppy seas of domestic speedway? 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fromafar Posted April 25, 2016 Report Share Posted April 25, 2016 The plain fact is the sport is not attracting new fans in any great numbers and the regulars are getting older and are easily put off with the way the sport is being Promoted by the people at the top IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Shovlar Posted April 25, 2016 Report Share Posted April 25, 2016 Pooles crowds have been very good this season. And the holiday season hasn't yet started. The plain fact is the sport is not attracting new fans in any great numbers and the regulars are getting older and are easily put off with the way the sport is being Promoted by the people at the top IMO. I seriously believe 95% of speedway fans don't give two hoots how the sport is run 'at the top'. All they want is some good hard racing. The negativity of this forum doesnt seem present trackside. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fromafar Posted April 25, 2016 Report Share Posted April 25, 2016 Can't confirm it 100% but I would say Berwick's crowds are up a bit so far from last season, despite having four cold, windy, damp Saturday nights. The new promoters who came on board in the winter have added a new enthusiasm and the club are reaching out to new fans, especially through social media. Also i have noticed a lot of new businesses have advertised in the programme and the hospitality lounge has been full three of the four weeks so far. And they have announced the training track nearby will be ready for use later this year. A small beacon of hope in the choppy seas of domestic speedway? Good news,although the fixtures have been against our nearest local tracks which might make a difference.Hopefully the crowds will hold up. Pooles crowds have been very good this season. And the holiday season hasn't yet started. I seriously believe 95% of speedway fans don't give two hoots how the sport is run 'at the top'. All they want is some good hard racing. The negativity of this forum doesnt seem present trackside. Maybe 95% of the fans that still attend the others have gave up long ago. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 25, 2016 Report Share Posted April 25, 2016 (edited) I was at eastbourne on Saturday and rye house on Sunday. Both meetings had very poor crowds, I doubt if there was much more than 500 at both tracks combined. Freezing cold weather with a threat of rain is enough to put most people off. I saw two variations on attendances for last week's reopening meeting at IoW. On Facebook, an attendee quoted it as "about 400" while a BSF assessment was given as 250, although this latter Poster later conceded he usually gave "low guesstimate attendances" and that there could have been more spectators at the meeting. The recent quoted attendance figures are a long way off the crowd for a 1946 Wembley v West Ham match when spectators were locked out and 85,000 fans were inside the stadium to watch the racing. Edited April 25, 2016 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemini Posted April 26, 2016 Report Share Posted April 26, 2016 Oh gawd. Another negative misery has made a reappearance. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eric i Posted April 26, 2016 Report Share Posted April 26, 2016 Good news,although the fixtures have been against our nearest local tracks which might make a difference.Hopefully the crowds will hold up. Maybe 95% of the fans that still attend the others have gave up long ago. I agree, anybody new to the sport who would like to understand all the rules would certainly be put off. Some promotions don't bother to explain the oddities of the rules to the fans, probably fearing it would be too complicated and hard to explain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinMills Posted April 26, 2016 Report Share Posted April 26, 2016 be interesting to know if any NEW fans are on this forum for their views? but I don't think there is.....I always said, until we get credibility like the grand prix, speedway is doomed. theres too many gimmicky rules with very little credibility, buster did say he would listen, but very few signs of it at present 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reviresco Posted April 26, 2016 Report Share Posted April 26, 2016 Geez, its the 26th April, the weather hasn't been favourable and most club's fixtures have been disjointed. Shall we give it until, say, June before we start making assumptions, eh? be interesting to know if any NEW fans are on this forum for their views? but I don't think there is.... How many 'new' fans would be aware of this forum? Oh gawd. Another negative misery has made a reappearance. That's what I was thinking, Gem, and it had been so pleasant without two of them posting, though they still couldn't stop themselves from hitting the 'Like' button, to remind us that they were still around. Guess we can expect nonsensical multiple threads to start appearing again soon? Posting about a 1946 crowd is really relevant to a thread about 2016 crowds ... not. Its only 70 years ago for pity's sake. Should be on the, in black and white only, 'Days of Yore' part of the forum. Don't know about fans being locked out, somebody needs to be locked up more like. Where do I find the 'Ignore' instruction? 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bezza Posted April 26, 2016 Report Share Posted April 26, 2016 Certainly, one of the problems is passing judgement after 6 weeks of the season, however British Speedway could do with following other countries when it come to starting the season. Mid March is just far too early.... for everyone!. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve roberts Posted April 26, 2016 Report Share Posted April 26, 2016 I activated a similar thread many months ago after meeting a Birmingham fan at my place of work. He tried to assure and/or convince me that attendances were on the up, generally, in speedway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post mikebv Posted April 26, 2016 Popular Post Report Share Posted April 26, 2016 (edited) Pooles crowds have been very good this season. And the holiday season hasn't yet started. I seriously believe 95% of speedway fans don't give two hoots how the sport is run 'at the top'. All they want is some good hard racing. The negativity of this forum doesnt seem present trackside. I bet 95% of BHS customers who still go through their doors are also never negative about them too... As were, I would imagine, 95% of Woolworths' customers who were loyal to them... Right up until their inevitable demise.... All due to a failure to change with the times and realise that their ever dwindling, ageing, customer base were not happy with what was being provided and no longer regarded parting with their cash with them as money well spent.. Sound familiar?😖 Edited April 26, 2016 by mikebv 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LunnasPerm Posted April 26, 2016 Report Share Posted April 26, 2016 It genuinely amazes me the volume of fans on here who respond to constructive criticism like an aggressive dog would if you attempted to steal it's bone. The saying "burying your head in the sand" doesn't even begin to cover it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 26, 2016 Report Share Posted April 26, 2016 (edited) I was at eastbourne on Saturday and rye house on Sunday. Both meetings had very poor crowds, I doubt if there was much more than 500 at both tracks combined. Freezing cold weather with a threat of rain is enough to put most people off. I saw two variations on attendances for last week's reopening meeting at IoW. On Facebook, an attendee quoted it as "about 400" while a BSF assessment was given as 250, although this latter Poster later conceded he usually gave "low guesstimate attendances" and that there could have been more spectators at the meeting. The recent quoted attendance figures are a long way off the crowd for a 1946 Wembley v West Ham match when spectators were locked out and 85,000 fans were inside the stadium to watch the racing. Geez, its the 26th April, the weather hasn't been favourable and most club's fixtures have been disjointed. Shall we give it until, say, June before we start making assumptions, eh? How many 'new' fans would be aware of this forum? That's what I was thinking, Gem, and it had been so pleasant without two of them posting, though they still couldn't stop themselves from hitting the 'Like' button, to remind us that they were still around. Guess we can expect nonsensical multiple threads to start appearing again soon? Posting about a 1946 crowd is really relevant to a thread about 2016 crowds ... not. Its only 70 years ago for pity's sake. Should be on the, in black and white only, 'Days of Yore' part of the forum. Don't know about fans being locked out, somebody needs to be locked up more like. Where do I find the 'Ignore' instruction? Further to my comment about a "lockout for fans at Wembley in 1946' that same season there was a similar happening at Wimbledon. Nowadays I suppose promoters have to lock the fans in - those few people who bother to attend a meeting that is! There's a big difference between 85,000 at Wembley in 1946 and a mentioned 400 at IoW seven days ago. Edited April 26, 2016 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Countershaftcounter Posted April 26, 2016 Report Share Posted April 26, 2016 eeeeeeh, back in my day we all had TB, everything were in black and white and dad would beat us every mornin', chop us oop and bury us in bottom of t'garden, then dance on our graves singing hallelujah. You tell the kids of today that and they won't believe you. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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