sparkafag Posted May 17, 2016 Author Report Share Posted May 17, 2016 (edited) I've been off work on the sick for over a month and over that time my opinion has changed. I've watch s#!+ loads of old clips on youtube & Pathé in that time & it all seems very much the same as it is today. So, when did speedway stop being as good as it use to be? It hasn't, I've got older and because of that the focus in life changes. Just a natural process. Crowds are smaller because people have found better things to do with their entrance fee's because they've simply become bored. Smaller crowds have made meetings more boring regardless of the racing. It's as simple as that That’s pretty much what this thread was pointed at. I take the point that it is opinions and entirely subjective but thus far there has been the suggestion put forward that the removal of tracks in London, the birth of the Grand Prix and the day guys started going backwards in the 80s is when speedway stopped being as good as it used to. If that were true that would mean Speedway wasn’t good during the era of guys like Gollob, Loram, Rickardson etc, riders who produced a level of entertainment and racing that would stand up to just about anything any one has produced , ever, and to top it all it was even aesthetically pleasing. The PL as a league in this country was still strong and great when it had riders like Stonehewar, Wilson and Collins racing in it, so it was still good 10 or so years ago and hasn’t deteriorated that much since then, if indeed it has at all The EL as a product has been watered down slightly over the last few years I admit, but to counter that this country has had a problem attracting the world’s best for absolutely years now starting with Rickardson picking and choosing and Gollob dropping out about 16 years ago, Penhall the best part of 40 years ago who decided Speedway wasn’t for him and you could even go as far back as the 70s when Britain went without the World Champion, varying reasons for riders missing out here I take that point, but exclusions from this country’s racing calendar none the less. I don’t doubt that during any of those eras you could have found grumbles and gripes re rule and reg 17.2.3 but when you elevate above those rules with time, for example now, looking back, you don’t think of them and thus only see it for what it should always be seen, a pretty good sport, you remember races more fondly not rule books. I would even go as far as to say that if a rider was guesting in a great meeting you don’t tend to think “pfft yuck crap meeting rider x was guesting and we had rider replacement” As a fan base speedway has spent that long moaning about how it isn’t as good as it used to be, that it has moaned its way through the days when it is good. Edited May 17, 2016 by The Mockingjay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BWitcher Posted May 17, 2016 Report Share Posted May 17, 2016 So many of the old brigade lament what has changed in speedway as the cause if the decline. Whereas in reality it is the failure to change - to effectively use the media, to modernise facilities , to provide modern between heats entertainment, to appreciate that a modern audience don't want to spend 2 and a half hours watching an event that should Take 90 minute etc. 100% spot on! Failure to change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Smith Posted May 17, 2016 Report Share Posted May 17, 2016 Precisely, which is what I explained at the start of this thread. ALL sports suffer the same churn of fans. I know many who were season ticket holders at football for years and now don't go anymore. The difference is those fans were replaced and that is where speedway has failed. That's where Speedway has failed massively It could be £30 per adult entrance, that's actually irrelevant. The problem starts with those adults having children & having to also pay for your kids to get in. The option then becomes "we need to find something else to do". Now, I don't believe speedway should be charging up to 16 years old & no more than about £7 for full time & work placement students (17+) Elite League: Adult £18 Concessions £12 Full time students (17+) £5 Work Placement Students (17+) £7 16 & Under £0 We need to start with the pricing structure of Speedway for the future 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gresham Posted May 17, 2016 Report Share Posted May 17, 2016 (edited) You wouldn’t mark your neck with a blow torch…you chuck a tantrum every time you are supposedly misquoted or misinterpreted and then proceed to post about people who only concentrate on strung out races…. A person who doesn’t even exist and a comment no one has even made. Are you for real? Who's chucking a tantrum? I'm giving an opinion like everyone else. Read through posts on the forum about related topics, and you will see many people say the racing is the same as it's always been. Everyone has different opinions, and reasons as to why the don't go anymore or why they find it not so entertaining. Ramming it down people's throats and telling people they are wrong, is ridiculous...as it's THEIR reason for not enjoying it so much as in the past. You can't tar the whole speedway fan base with the same brush. Everyone has different opinions and reasons. Someone on this thread mentioned they've watched old clips of racing and found it less entertaining...guess what...so do I, as it's not live. I find Speedway on the whole, boring to watch on TV...that's just me. I'd much rather watch sport live. Edited May 17, 2016 by Gresham Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Smith Posted May 17, 2016 Report Share Posted May 17, 2016 So many of the old brigade lament what has changed in speedway as the cause if the decline. Whereas in reality it is the failure to change - to effectively use the media, to modernise facilities , to provide modern between heats entertainment, to appreciate that a modern audience don't want to spend 2 and a half hours watching an event that should Take 90 minute etc. To a point speedway hasn't modernised enough but who are we to modernise too? When you look around today's stadiums I have no doubt 75% are over the age of 50. Speedway has no priorities to families. Some tracks do family tickets but these are restrictive i.e. 2 adults 2 children. What about single parents? What about a family that has 4 children? What about just 1 child? For me the priority for Speedway is modernising but this has to be modernising the pricing structure first and foremost. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BWitcher Posted May 17, 2016 Report Share Posted May 17, 2016 Are you for real? Who's chucking a tantrum? Read through posts on the forum about related topics, and you will see many people say the racing is the same as it's always been. You are. You do on every thread. Worst of all you have no consistency at all in what you post. You put me on ignore as you were too pig headed to accept that the racing is as it always has been for the most part. Yet here you are now wittering away saying the same thing. Have you ever head of paragraphs? Might want to try it. Otherwise your posts just end up looking silly. Like this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkafag Posted May 17, 2016 Author Report Share Posted May 17, 2016 Whenever there is a conversation about Speedway in the past compared to now, it seems people who say it's the same, only concentrate on the fact that riders were strung out, just as much as they are today in a majority of races. You can't tar the whole speedway fan base with the same brush. Nah, I know so don't.... And here comes another tantrum, rant, profanity etc and so on.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RPNY Posted May 17, 2016 Report Share Posted May 17, 2016 Getting back to the topic.. I went to Warsaw at the weekend and it was as good as Speedway has ever been. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crescent girl Posted May 17, 2016 Report Share Posted May 17, 2016 Nah, I know so don't.... And here comes another tantrum, rant, profanity etc and so on.... That's the stuff, Mockingjay, you tell 'em.... (does the name-change mean you've stopped smoking?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
customhouseregular Posted May 17, 2016 Report Share Posted May 17, 2016 On a purely personal level, speedway stopped being as good as it could be following Lokeren. Then once West Ham closed it's doors for good speedway became a 4 or 5 meetings a year treat instead of the sometimes 3 times a week must do. Sentiment aside, the Warsaw GP was as good a speedway meeting as could be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gresham Posted May 17, 2016 Report Share Posted May 17, 2016 You couldn't make it up... Quote... The Mockingjay, on 17 May 2016 - 11:35 AM, said: You wouldn’t mark your neck with a blow torch…you chuck a tantrum every time you are supposedly misquoted or misinterpreted and then proceed to post about people who only concentrate on strung out races…. A person who doesn’t even exist and a comment no one has even made. You are. You do on every thread. Worst of all you have no consistency at all in what you post. You put me on ignore as you were too pig headed to accept that the racing is as it always has been for the most part. Yet here you are now wittering away saying the same thing. Have you ever head of paragraphs? Might want to try it. Otherwise your posts just end up looking silly. Like this one. Witch likes M'jays post...then posts exactly what I alluded too... but according to M'jay, that person doesn't exist. Muppets...obviously on a wind up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkafag Posted May 17, 2016 Author Report Share Posted May 17, 2016 (edited) it seems people who say it's the same, only concentrate on the fact that riders were strung out, just as much as they are today Your exact words. Given how utterly precious this is to you, as you have stressed several times, I feel it is massively important to you that your own exact words are taken into account. Witch likes M'jays post...then posts exactly what I alluded too... but according to M'jay, that person doesn't exist. The post which you were supposedly alluding to (which by the way hadn’t even been posted at the time you alluded to it)…... was made by a poster who has made reference to several other reasons the sport isn’t what it was such as media coverage, the way it is priced and promoted, rather than, and these are your exact words, the exact things you typed “only concentrate on the fact riders were strung out as much as they are today” there is no such person. Edited May 17, 2016 by The Mockingjay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Smith Posted May 17, 2016 Report Share Posted May 17, 2016 Is this thread about point scoring with each other or what? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BWitcher Posted May 17, 2016 Report Share Posted May 17, 2016 Is this thread about point scoring with each other or what? No point scoring, just Gresham trolling another thread with the same nonsense. Shame, it's an interesting discussion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gresham Posted May 17, 2016 Report Share Posted May 17, 2016 Your exact words. Given how utterly precious this is to you, as you have stressed several times, I feel it is massively important to you that your own exact words are taken into account. The post which you were supposedly alluding to (which by the way hadn’t even been posted at the time you alluded to it)…... was made by a poster who has made reference to several other reasons the sport isn’t what it was such as media coverage, the way it is priced and promoted, rather than, and these are your exact words, the exact things you typed “only concentrate on the fact riders were strung out as much as they are today” there is no such person. Are you thick or what? Witch said... 'You put me on ignore as you were too pig headed to accept that the racing is as it always has been for the most part.' He actually said it... And I alluded to people like Witch who have said this on numerous threads. Read the damn posts properly you idiot. As in 'Alluded to on numerous threads not just this one'. Kinnel, talk about brain dead...got to be on a wind up, no one can be this thick...oh hang on...friends with Witch it all makes sense now haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkafag Posted May 17, 2016 Author Report Share Posted May 17, 2016 Are you thick or what? Witch said... 'You put me on ignore as you were too pig headed to accept that the racing is as it always has been for the most part.' He actually said it... And I alluded to people like Witch who have said this on numerous threads. Read the damn posts properly you idiot. As in 'Alluded to on numerous threads not just this one'. Kinnel, talk about brain dead...got to be on a wind up, no one can be this thick...oh hang on...friends with Witch it all makes sense now haha So about that tantrum... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gresham Posted May 17, 2016 Report Share Posted May 17, 2016 So about that tantrum... Not a tantrum...just pointing out you and Witch are complete tools...either on a wind up or just plain thick. Like Speedybee said...he's had Witch on ignore for years, yet he still keeps quoting him. Now he's doing it to me...complete bell ends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BWitcher Posted May 17, 2016 Report Share Posted May 17, 2016 Whilst the child picks his toys up, back on topic. As Screamer suggests the pricing structure needs to be looked at. Some clubs do offer free admission to Under 16's, this should become standard across the board. However... I do remember Wolverhampton having such a scheme and it becoming problematic as gangs of teens were coming along, not to watch the speedway, but generally be disruptive. The biggest challenge the sport faces is making it seem 'cool' to the younger generation. It needs to be marketed as the ultimate of extreme sports. Play up on the crashes, the danger... they are marketing tools. Forget the 'family sport' image.. it will remain a family sport, you just don't need to advertise it as such. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gresham Posted May 17, 2016 Report Share Posted May 17, 2016 The biggest problem this Sport has got, is anyone new looking for information, would find this forum and think 'feck that'...bunch of complete bell ends who just argue amongst themselves. As prominent people in the sport have said...the negativity shown on forums is doing this sport no good. Anyone new looking on here, would think Speedway was full of freaks and avoid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkafag Posted May 17, 2016 Author Report Share Posted May 17, 2016 Wow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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