Belle Vue V King's Lynn Wed 24th Aug

[foreverblue]

Well obviously you could but I wouldn't want to leave my car unattended by the side of the road on a side street off Hyde Road.

No fair point!

[SUPERACE]

Steve wind your neck in the crowd was over a 1000 at least last night stop this 200 nonsense, i dont care how you watched heat 15, i was there. The back straight was very busy and always has more fans than the home straight. Poole have great crowds but they dont have much to compete against, can you imagine if poole football played in the champions league on the same night?

 

As for the meeting itself the racing was excellent and Kings Lynn were deserved winners and deserved the 4 point win. Not sure why Belle Vue were so bad im hoping it was just complacency. As for the race for top spot i think the Aces have to win all remaining home matches and possibly pick up a point away at poole.

 

Monday is key, lose to poole and we wont finish top.

[mikebv]

Saw the crowd myself watching heat 15. Place looked almosr deserted. If there were 1000 there most left before then last race.

 

Yes you have to market the product. Poole was packed last night against no hopers Leicester. Guess Ford knows how to market a meeting.

He does Steve, however last night was very much aimed I would say at the local dignitaries in attendance...

 

Reading between the lines re the stadium usage going forwards I would suggest it was a good time to send a message out to the local community what an important part of the local area the Poole Pirates are..

 

And of course having hundreds of kids making loads of noise with their free 'der ders' in attendance will also focus minds on the benefits to the town of the Speedway being there..

 

I do have to say that I sometimes wonder what Matt would have done with the NSS..

 

Certainly a policy alone of 'build it and they will come' (as seems to be the BV promotions way) would not have been Ford's way I am sure..

[bellevueace]

To be fair Belle Vue have always had the competition of United, City, Salford RL, and numerous other lower league teams to compete with when we were at Hyde Road. The crowds there for speedway were like many other tracks in those days excellent but there again the product was far better than the dysfunctional EL that we have today. Our promotion could learn from the nearby velodrome, another modern purpose built stadium but that is far better promoted. A night out at the cycling is always a sell out, its reasonable to get in, the food/drink is more fairly priced and you can also take in your own if need be, good racing and a fast moving programme of around 3-31/2 hours so you actually feel you've had value for money. Rider availability throught the night for the kids and no gestapo spoiling the enjoyment for people. If we can start to also produce speedway riders for GB at a fraction of what is coming through cyclings stars of the future programme that would be a big boost for the sport. It would be a travesty if having delivered a magnificent stadium/track a lack of promoting meant the club failed to capitalize on this chance of a bright new start. I get what Steves saying but perhaps a better example than Poole would be whats Happening up at Glasgow, another major city with alternate attractions that is going from strength to strength thanks to the canny business acumen of the Faccena brothers.

[Starman2006]

He does Steve, however last night was very much aimed I would say at the local dignitaries in attendance...

 

Reading between the lines re the stadium usage going forwards I would suggest it was a good time to send a message out to the local community what an important part of the local area the Poole Pirates are..

 

And of course having hundreds of kids making loads of noise with their free 'der ders' in attendance will also focus minds on the benefits to the town of the Speedway being there..

 

I do have to say that I sometimes wonder what Matt would have done with the NSS..

 

Certainly a policy alone of 'build it and they will come' (as seems to be the BV promotions way) would not have been Ford's way I am sure..

Matt would have made a total success of it, im very sure... But then again, it cannot be a whole lot of fun in your case being governed by the council..

[foreverblue]

I should add that the only time I've ever had a car stolen was on Redgate Lane while I was at speedway, mk2 Cortina 1600E my first car, got it back with no engine.

You were doing well to afford one of those. Nice car in it's day.

[Shale Searcher]

Promotors don't think ahead in my opinion, it's all now, now, me, me, and now, now..

 

They don't generally think about next week, let alone next year and beyond!

 

How many of the BSPA promoters do it full-time? I bet there's not many, if any?? They mostly have other interests outside the speedway fraternity, and cannot devote as much time, money into speedway as they would like...

 

So, why don't promotors hire in someone full time to run it for them? Well, again it's down to money..

 

If a promotor, hired someone in to run there club a a business, they would need to pay them, and they would want paying well, but chicken/egg rules in speedway..

 

If someone came into a club, that could generate £100,000 in sponsoreship, build a succesful team, and generated regular crowds of around over 3,500 Inc a minimum of 2,900 full paying adults every week, he would probably want a min of 35k + car + expenses, would that be unreasonable as a minimum??

 

Just wondered.......

 

What do you reckon someone should gain out of what is a full time position?

 

Obviously you have the off season to take into account, but just what could be achieved if clubs were ran in this sort of vein?

Edited August 25, 2016 by Shale Searcher

[B.V 72]

To be fair Belle Vue have always had the competition of United, City, Salford RL, and numerous other lower league teams to compete with when we were at Hyde Road. The crowds there for speedway were like many other tracks in those days excellent but there again the product was far better than the dysfunctional EL that we have today. Our promotion could learn from the nearby velodrome, another modern purpose built stadium but that is far better promoted. A night out at the cycling is always a sell out, its reasonable to get in, the food/drink is more fairly priced and you can also take in your own if need be, good racing and a fast moving programme of around 3-31/2 hours so you actually feel you've had value for money. Rider availability throught the night for the kids and no gestapo spoiling the enjoyment for people. If we can start to also produce speedway riders for GB at a fraction of what is coming through cyclings stars of the future programme that would be a big boost for the sport. It would be a travesty if having delivered a magnificent stadium/track a lack of promoting meant the club failed to capitalize on this chance of a bright new start. I get what Steves saying but perhaps a better example than Poole would be whats Happening up at Glasgow, another major city with alternate attractions that is going from strength to strength thanks to the canny business acumen of the Faccena brothers.

To be fair back then i could easily afford go to both speedway and football and have a good few nights in the pub now i can' i have to pick and choose.Leasure seems to cost a lot lot more these days.At the moment i choose speedway above all others but the way it is going i may just turn to drink.

[sparkafag]

Someone hired to run the club as a business, develop the business, build the team and promote with the proviso of 100k worth of sponsorship and a MINIMUM 2,900 paying adults a week.

 

Sounds closer to a CEO of which the average wage is £98k a year before throwing in commission and expenses…..even as someone who isn’t running a club that sounds an absurdly excessive wage for what isn’t a guaranteed return.

Edited August 25, 2016 by The Mockingjay

[Shale Searcher]

£250 although I did spend £200 on a respray.

 

Have you been reading about Stockport County?

 

I don't know what the brief was regarding sponsorship but they employed a 'ceo' who met the attendance criteria and was reportedly paid the figure you suggested.

 

I think he went to port vale on a similar deal?

No, not read that, just a bit of a common sense way to make speedway a bit more of a business, and not a hobby or charity.... (Although, you don't see poor charity bosses)

 

Speedway has become overly reliant on volunteers and doners.....

 

Makes it difficult when jobs need doing that need professional personnel, they get paid, as they should, but it can upset volunteers...

Edited August 25, 2016 by Shale Searcher

[poole keith]

didnt expect the aces to wobble until the final,is there a cure or treatment for premature wobbling???

[KEITH M]

What difference does it make what size the crowd is ? ... What is this obsession in the Elite League of the size of other clubs crowds... I have been following speedway 37 year now and prob seen over 1500 meetings live and not once have I went to see how big the crowd was.... nor will I have any intention of doing so in the future ... I go to watch 4 riders race and it makes no difference whether it's in front of 10, 100, 1000 or 10,000 I don't go to watch the fans..... Nearly every meeting on sky has someone commenting on here about the size of the crowd!!! Why?? What difference does it make to non fans of that home club?

Edited August 25, 2016 by KEITH M

[colin wood]

Maybe crowds are down due to the shambles Elite League speedway is now.Nearly every match has riders missing some for no other reason that they can't be bothered.Jonsson upset stomach Zagar neck burn Iverson too busy ,the list is endless.Then we get complete miss matches like Poole last night not exactly riveting entertainment is it.The racing at the NSS has been great this year but to get the crowd level up the overall product needs sorting out.The play offs are going to be decided by which club can sign riders for maybe 2 matches another farce which is why speedway isn't taken seriously imo

[ouch]

When a clubs comes up for sale any current promoter would make a financial decision on the likelyhood to make a success out of it. Fords assessment of his own ability to run Belle Vue successfully is indicated by the fact he didn't jump at this diamond in the big city and stuck with his seaside town club.

 

There were numerous issues at the velodrome during its infancy.

 

The Glasgow promotion are an embodiment of the phrase, if you want to make a million in (speedway) start with two million.

[Little Thumper]

When a clubs comes up for sale any current promoter would make a financial decision on the likelyhood to make a success out of it. Fords assessment of his own ability to run Belle Vue successfully is indicated by the fact he didn't jump at this diamond in the big city and stuck with his seaside town club.

 

There were numerous issues at the velodrome during its infancy.

 

The Glasgow promotion are an embodiment of the phrase, if you want to make a million in (speedway) start with two million.

 

Were there?

Remind me what they were.

The velodrome has always been well promoted and well-utilized.

The Revolution series started there and packed the place out from the outset.

The place is in use 7 days a week from morning till all hours.

I've ridden there at 10 o'clock at night!

 

And most importantly, nobody has stopped me taking in my own butties!

 

 

A Rush and a Push and the Land is Ours

[ouch]

"Problems are not stop signs, they are guidelines".

 

May your passage be peaceful my friend.

[Little Thumper]

"Problems are not stop signs, they are guidelines".

 

May your passage be peaceful my friend.

 

Been having a few drinks with the butcher's daughter?

 

Paint a Vulgar Picture

[orion]

Maybe crowds are down due to the shambles Elite League speedway is now.Nearly every match has riders missing some for no other reason that they can't be bothered.Jonsson upset stomach Zagar neck burn Iverson too busy ,the list is endless.Then we get complete miss matches like Poole last night not exactly riveting entertainment is it.The racing at the NSS has been great this year but to get the crowd level up the overall product needs sorting out.The play offs are going to be decided by which club can sign riders for maybe 2 matches another farce which is why speedway isn't taken seriously imo

What clubs are signing riders for only two matches ? there is set date when your not allowed to replaced any riders .. what clubs and riders are these ?

[WestGorton1884]

Even on a speedway forum, United fans obsession with Citys crowds raises its ugly head ,,,,, ah well , i will be in attendance at both the Etihad stadium and the NSS , supporting both my local sports teams

Edited August 25, 2016 by WestGorton1884

[Bradders]

I've said many times on here that i am no fan of our current promotion and in truth I never have been. I know some will say "without them we wouldn't be going now" and to that extent that is a true statement and Yes, they did also deliver the stadium that promised. But when looking back over the past 9 seasons they have been in charge it has been an extremely poor 9 years that they have been running the club. Up until this season, people i work with or know me thought the club had disappeared and i had to tell them differently and say we have just moved a brand new stadium. At the fans forum earlier this season we was told we would be getting some track covers (that is a subject for another day or previous topics on here) and that they were looking to bring new fans to the club and get some youngsters watching and involve social media to drum up interest. Now, that was back in April and I haven't seen anything that has remotely tried to get younger fans to come and watch the side at all since and has been a case of just telling fans of the Next Aces/Colts and Carvery options available in the Stadium. If you compare the social media aspect to the Manchester Storm Ice Hockey team and another minority sport in this country, the new Storm side have been around since June 2015 and since April 2009 when Belle Vue first joined twitter, they have 4,803 followers on twitter. Meanwhile the Storm have 12.4K in just over a year and that is done through great communicate and involving fans of the side. Manchester were recently praised as well as one of the best Social Media clubs in the Elite League by the league its self and also rival club. So you see the difference between the two minority sports, one is run with fans in mind and is constantly updating fans while one doesn't and fans have to use the Aces Fans forum for meeting being called off or any news that breaks and makes the official side of the Aces looks unprofessional compared to other sides in the league.

 

That said and a valid raised by certain Belle Vue posters on here on about the North West being arguably 'the Sporting Capital of the UK' with many Rugby, Basketball, Ice hockey, Cricket and of course Football with City, United and Liverpool being 3 of the biggest teams in the area, along with the rest of our local North West sides too, and when you take in to account that fans travel to the NSS from Blackpool, Liverpool, and sometimes as far away as the South coast too it can have a drawn back. One thing that does grate with me and WestGorton1884 has brought it up recently, is the pointless bickering of United and City fans sniping at each other on the Aces forum and on here too when it comes to the speedway. The other night City played in Euro and the main road (no pun intended) to get to the stadium is using Hyde Road and so traffic would be heavy and is a valid point. However there has been occassions when England play in tournaments and the club have chose to call the meeting off as this may affect attendences and so they would restage it, but with it being a local team and about 2.8 miles away from the NSS they left it and seemed a weird decision. Our forums also tend to have Gordon taking shot at City when 1. Is there any need to always bring them into conversation when the subject doesn't warrant it and is on about Speedway and 2. He should concentrate more about trying bring crowds in and giving the fans the best product on and off the track and less of the snarky comments. I doubt also if this occurs at any other speedway side in the country, as i don't recall hearing CvS or Pete Adams bad mouthing any West Midlands football sides or Glasgow bad mouthing Celtic or Rangers and at a huge push Matt Ford calling all the South Coast sides in or around Poole as surely this would almost alienate fans for me.

 

I could go on about the failing like the ill-fated meeting against Poole or the PCMT & the cock up of the Swindon meeting, but these incidents have been done to death on here and you read back if you want to see that. For me in the 30 years that I've watched speedway for me the previous two promotions we had have been far better than this one in my own opinion. TM and the late Ian Thomas seemed to have turned the corner for the Aces and woke us out of a slumber and no matter what you thought of the late John Perrin, he was much in the same mould as this current promotion now for me in the way he kept the team going but under difficult conditions by the GRA but he did things his own way rightly or wrongly. He would stand up for himself and argue his case and not bend to others and signed World Class riders and had on paper some of the best sides in the British league at that time, but his managing ability wasn't always the best and just couldn't get the best out of them. However to end this on a postitve note incase you feel i'm being completely negative, for me the ONLY two things the club have right is the team despite having a blip of late and most of all appointing as team manager Mark Lemon, as Lemo has been a revelation since he took over last season and seen us virtually qualifying for the playoffs in first two seasons with us.