When Did Uk Speedway Decline Start?

[Halifaxtiger]

But it's not all doom and gloom . It's still one of the few sports where supporters of different teams can stand shoulder to shoulder and enjoy themselves . The two day fours event at Peterborough was an incredible example of that . From where I was sat the were Glasgow fans , Berwick fans , Edinburgh fans , Plymouth , Newport , Workington , Rye House and of course , the hosts . It was brilliant , and of course the racing on a wonderful track was really entertaining . £30 pounds for two days enjoyment with the hot summer sun beating down , cold beer and enjoyable and sometimes witty banter flying back and forth . What other sport offers this ? There is much wrong with speedway , we know that , but when it's done properly , like those two days at Peterborough , there's no better spectacle .

 

Absolutely right

 

At Peterborough, virtually everything was spot on. Brilliant racing, top quality presentation, superb weather. Thing is I believe with a bit more care and effort we would have a lot more days like that.

 

The other big one for me was the EL play off final at Belle Vue. A huge crowd, amazing atmosphere and racing to match.

[E I Addio]

Absolutely right

 

At Peterborough, virtually everything was spot on. Brilliant racing, top quality presentation, superb weather. Thing is I believe with a bit more care and effort we would have a lot more days like that.

 

The other big one for me was the EL play off final at Belle Vue. A huge crowd, amazing atmosphere and racing to match.

But that post highlights the problem. Contrary to what many on this forum claim, Speedwáy is very often done at least reasonably well when not ravaged by the weather, or teams packed with guests, both of which occur far less than some people claim, and have always been a problem to a greater or lesser degree even in the so called golden days.

 

Tracks that put on a good show, Scunthorpe being one that everyone raves about, do not necessarily do any better or have significantly bigger crowds than those that don't produce the same spectacle. Therein lies the problem.

 

Personally, given the amount of alternative and more readily available entertainment people have to choose from these days I think Speedwáy would be doing very well to put an average of 100 on every gate, and brilliantly to put 200 on every gate, but ironically such modest increases would probably make a massive difference to the finances of many clubs. The days of mega crowds are gone, however well Speedwáy presents itself. That is just the way of the world. There is no doubt though that the promoters internal bickering has not helped. I don't think they are all bad more a case of a few bad apples spooling the whole bunch.

[Midland Red]

I'll stick my with consistent thought that the current decline - there have been others in the past from which some level of recovery was made - began with the creation of Ole Olsen's Flying Circus (what has become known as GPs) and the introduction of live televised speedway

I am absolutely sure that the main reason for falling attendances in the UK is the fact that devotees, and potential new fans**, can watch (what was Elite League) racing on Monday night, Swedish League on Tuesday night, and a GP or European Championship on a Saturday night, all live and in the comfort of home, pub or club

Previously, to watch, you had to attend

 

** I'm also sure that potential new fans are dissuaded from attending in person, when they see the start line shenanigans, hear of riders guesting and doubling up/down etc etc - if they had just gone to their local track they would more than likely enjoyed the thrills, spills and smells of the racing ahead of anything else

 

Yes, the stadium conditions for the paying public leave much to be desired and may well have also had an impact

 

My 7 year old grandson, and his cousin who is 9 - they have all the gadgets and gizmos you would expect - absolutely loved their first ever visit to speedway last season, and keep on asking when will we be taking them again

[Vince]

I think it's the case that the majority of motorsport has a lot less spectators than in previous decades.

 

Events that are held infrequently, Gp's, Superbikes, F1 etc, can pull big crowds but your regular lower order racing more often takes place in front of one man and his dog.

 

British Superbikes has done brilliantly well to promote itself and provides a great day out that is well attended but only happens once a month or so. It also has a ready made audience because they are riding bikes that people can go and buy and identify with. It also consistently provides excellent racing in the top class where the bikes are very restricted with regard to traction control and on board computerisation.

 

Club Road Racing is nowadays a participant sport that would love a Speedway crowd though.

 

Even British MX Championship rounds attract 10% of their heyday crowds and a club meeting is watched by family and friends these days. MX as a participant sport thrives though with big entries at local club level and more riders attending some practice tracks each week than there are Speedway riders in the UK.

 

As already pointed out Grasstrack has far fewer meetings and apart from the biggest events draws poor crowds.

 

Flat Track continues to thrive as a participant sport and does OK for media coverage and attracts some good names for sponsorship but so far as spectators go the one man sometimes leaves his dog at home.

 

Supermoto, which was once expected to become a major attraction has almost disappeared despite having fed some good riders into the British Superbike scene and running a British Championship.

 

In comparison Speedway has actually done OK for a sport that is generally held weekly I feel. It has survived and had little bursts of popularity along the way. I think that it still does a great many things right and some of the stuff that long term spectators complain about is unavoidable such as guest riders. There are many things I think could be done better, particularly in the way the sport is advertised to non fans but its not my money at risk.

 

I think that those with a real interest in motorcycle sport these days tend to buy a bike and race themselves, the majority might go to a meeting if the have a friend riding but with 7 day working and so many alternative things to do with their time the majority of live sport will continue to struggle to match past attendances apart from brief spells in the limelight.

[Guest]

Personally, given the amount of alternative and more readily available entertainment people have to choose from these days I think Speedwáy would be doing very well to put an average of 100 on every gate, and brilliantly to put 200 on every gate, but ironically such modest increases would probably make a massive difference to the finances of many clubs. The days of mega crowds are gone, however well Speedwáy presents itself. That is just the way of the world. There is no doubt though that the promoters internal bickering has not helped. I don't think they are all bad more a case of a few bad apples spooling the whole bunch.

 

More 'food for thought' but an opinion I personally fully agree with. The need for speedway probably is to better present what they already have than to chase after 'pie in the sky' solutions?

I am absolutely sure that the main reason for falling attendances in the UK is the fact that devotees, and potential new fans**, can watch (what was Elite League) racing on Monday night, Swedish League on Tuesday night, and a GP or European Championship on a Saturday night, all live and in the comfort of home, pub or club

Previously, to watch, you had to attend

 

A profound observation Midland Red. I sometimes wonder how many who these days watch speedway on TV have ever attended a LIVE meeting.

Edited December 26, 2016 by Guest

[steve roberts]

I think it's the case that the majority of motorsport has a lot less spectators than in previous decades.

 

Events that are held infrequently, Gp's, Superbikes, F1 etc, can pull big crowds but your regular lower order racing more often takes place in front of one man and his dog.

 

British Superbikes has done brilliantly well to promote itself and provides a great day out that is well attended but only happens once a month or so. It also has a ready made audience because they are riding bikes that people can go and buy and identify with. It also consistently provides excellent racing in the top class where the bikes are very restricted with regard to traction control and on board computerisation.

 

Club Road Racing is nowadays a participant sport that would love a Speedway crowd though.

 

Even British MX Championship rounds attract 10% of their heyday crowds and a club meeting is watched by family and friends these days. MX as a participant sport thrives though with big entries at local club level and more riders attending some practice tracks each week than there are Speedway riders in the UK.

 

As already pointed out Grasstrack has far fewer meetings and apart from the biggest events draws poor crowds.

 

Flat Track continues to thrive as a participant sport and does OK for media coverage and attracts some good names for sponsorship but so far as spectators go the one man sometimes leaves his dog at home.

 

Supermoto, which was once expected to become a major attraction has almost disappeared despite having fed some good riders into the British Superbike scene and running a British Championship.

 

In comparison Speedway has actually done OK for a sport that is generally held weekly I feel. It has survived and had little bursts of popularity along the way. I think that it still does a great many things right and some of the stuff that long term spectators complain about is unavoidable such as guest riders. There are many things I think could be done better, particularly in the way the sport is advertised to non fans but its not my money at risk.

 

I think that those with a real interest in motorcycle sport these days tend to buy a bike and race themselves, the majority might go to a meeting if the have a friend riding but with 7 day working and so many alternative things to do with their time the majority of live sport will continue to struggle to match past attendances apart from brief spells in the limelight.

I've attended a couple of local Grasstrack meetings in the last couple of years and both were poorly attended (it appeared those present were related/friends) and poorly presented. Pleasant enough afternoon out but wouldn't really encourage newcomers to become enthusiasts with what was on show.

Edited December 26, 2016 by steve roberts

[B.V 72]

Every things is more expensive these days i could go on and on and right a long list.But as an eg i used to go to football on a Sat afternoon have a couple of pints and a bite to eat then on to the speedway.I would have a good few nights down the pub and perhaps a night at the cinema.All this was affordable.Where as nowadays there is no way that i have the money to do all that every week i choose to watch speedway a few football matches in the winter and a night or 2 in the pub of which a fair few have now closed their doors.People have to pick and choose what they spend their spare money on these days it would seem that more and more people are choosing not to spend it on speedway.

[waytogo28]

The decline dates from when nothing changed except faster bikes ( much more expensive ), long drawn out heats with very little passing ( or a chance to catch up, never mind pass ), extremely long, pointless ( and often unnecessary ) gaps between those heats. At Coventry in the 1970's and 80's it really was crisply and correctly presented with the fan's entertainment in mind. But the BSPA have failed over the last 20 to 25 years to move with the times although society has evolved considerably in that time. Especially, as others have commented on, the arrival of the fully digital age where " now" is the driver of all things entertainment. There is just not enough content for the spectators in an average -in the stadium - match. Those factors mitigate against new fans coming back. The arrival of excellent broadcast TV over the last 20 years or so, has made that so much more attractive ( and is so professional in it's presentation). A good speedway race with passing ( or the serious likelihood of passing ) is still a superb thing to watch and some heats are truly " a minute of magic" but these are once in a match IF you are lucky!

[THE DEAN MACHINE]

I think it's the case that the majority of motorsport has a lot less spectators than in previous decades.

 

Events that are held infrequently, Gp's, Superbikes, F1 etc, can pull big crowds but your regular lower order racing more often takes place in front of one man and his dog.

 

British Superbikes has done brilliantly well to promote itself and provides a great day out that is well attended but only happens once a month or so. It also has a ready made audience because they are riding bikes that people can go and buy and identify with. It also consistently provides excellent racing in the top class where the bikes are very restricted with regard to traction control and on board computerisation.

 

Club Road Racing is nowadays a participant sport that would love a Speedway crowd though.

 

Even British MX Championship rounds attract 10% of their heyday crowds and a club meeting is watched by family and friends these days. MX as a participant sport thrives though with big entries at local club level and more riders attending some practice tracks each week than there are Speedway riders in the UK.

 

As already pointed out Grasstrack has far fewer meetings and apart from the biggest events draws poor crowds.

 

Flat Track continues to thrive as a participant sport and does OK for media coverage and attracts some good names for sponsorship but so far as spectators go the one man sometimes leaves his dog at home.

 

Supermoto, which was once expected to become a major attraction has almost disappeared despite having fed some good riders into the British Superbike scene and running a British Championship.

 

In comparison Speedway has actually done OK for a sport that is generally held weekly I feel. It has survived and had little bursts of popularity along the way. I think that it still does a great many things right and some of the stuff that long term spectators complain about is unavoidable such as guest riders. There are many things I think could be done better, particularly in the way the sport is advertised to non fans but its not my money at risk.

 

I think that those with a real interest in motorcycle sport these days tend to buy a bike and race themselves, the majority might go to a meeting if the have a friend riding but with 7 day working and so many alternative things to do with their time the majority of live sport will continue to struggle to match past attendances apart from brief spells in the limelight.

these are all valid points except they are not really relevant for speedway because it's not seen as a Motorsport , it is and always will be a team sport on motorbikes , 90% of fans including ex supporters don't care about the bikes , my misses has been a fan of speedway since the 70s and has no interest in bikes what so ever , you go to superbikes or whatever and in the main they are petrolheads , the bike is king , listen to the commentators on superbikes it's all "he is on the new factory Yamaha with the new shocks blah blah bla " it's all about the bikes , speedway is all about the riders

[Fromafar]

these are all valid points except they are not really relevant for speedway because it's not seen as a Motorsport , it is and always will be a team sport on motorbikes , 90% of fans including ex supporters don't care about the bikes , my misses has been a fan of speedway since the 70s and has no interest in bikes what so ever , you go to superbikes or whatever and in the main they are petrolheads , the bike is king , listen to the commentators on superbikes it's all "he is on the new factory Yamaha with the new shocks blah blah bla " it's all about the bikes , speedway is all about the riders

Agree.

[Guest]

these are all valid points except they are not really relevant for speedway because it's not seen as a Motorsport , it is and always will be a team sport on motorbikes , 90% of fans including ex supporters don't care about the bikes , my misses has been a fan of speedway since the 70s and has no interest in bikes what so ever , you go to superbikes or whatever and in the main they are petrolheads , the bike is king , listen to the commentators on superbikes it's all "he is on the new factory Yamaha with the new shocks blah blah bla " it's all about the bikes , speedway is all about the riders

 

 

Agree.

 

I agree. It's as in football and other mainstream sports. The club and the players matter the most - not the type of ball, the boots the players wear, the goal netting - none of it counts. THE DEAN MACHINE has summed up 'what makes speedway tick' very well. A small example is action photos - the emphasis is on the speedway rider and team he represents, not the look or set-up of his bike. Speedway in fact snubs its technical side most of the time.

[Vince]

these are all valid points except they are not really relevant for speedway because it's not seen as a Motorsport , it is and always will be a team sport on motorbikes , 90% of fans including ex supporters don't care about the bikes , my misses has been a fan of speedway since the 70s and has no interest in bikes what so ever , you go to superbikes or whatever and in the main they are petrolheads , the bike is king , listen to the commentators on superbikes it's all "he is on the new factory Yamaha with the new shocks blah blah bla " it's all about the bikes , speedway is all about the riders

 

It's a good point and I wouldn't disagree. The same things apply to the majority of sport though, it is just that I used motorsport because I know about the situation it is in. By and large spectator attendance at any sport has decreased (Football excepted I assume) over the decades as the entertainment options have increased.

[moxey63]

Is it because we have become too damn lazy to go out and watch anything? Twenty years ago we had to at least leave our seat to take out a video cassette and put in another, to change a long-playing record onto side two, or flip an audio cassette over. The actual thought of leaving the house to travel even five miles, and then all the hassle of gaps between heats, then travelling home... it is easier to watch the speedway updates site or a live stream, if available. And do you know what? They'll be a time when we can't be bothered switching on the device to watch those live streams.

 

The downward roll of speedway popularity has many reasons.

Edited December 26, 2016 by moxey63

[THE DEAN MACHINE]

This is a post from a personal point of view and not really general but , I was born in Wolverhampton and grew up a wolves fan ,speedway was wolves are far I was concerned , I never missed a match and the riders were my hero's , now when I became a rider obviously my perspective changed a little , after I finished riding and became a fan again the sport had changed and doubling up had taken hold and I now find it hard to be a wolves fan as the riders are all over the place riding for their other teams and it doesn't bother me if I miss a match or if wolves lose , this is not because of bikes or racing or price (even thought I think this is a major issue overall) it simply cause the team aspect of the sport has been diluted to the point where it's like a school footy game where one side picks a player then the other picks one , as I said in an earlier post the max clegg situation last year , this is not against max personally but how can I support a rider who also rides for our deadliest rivals , it's bizzare at best yet the modern speedway has made it so ,it goes against the whole point of team sport , it makes me not want to support my team and not bothered about going

[moxey63]

This is a post from a personal point of view and not really general but , I was born in Wolverhampton and grew up a wolves fan ,speedway was wolves are far I was concerned , I never missed a match and the riders were my hero's , now when I became a rider obviously my perspective changed a little , after I finished riding and became a fan again the sport had changed and doubling up had taken hold and I now find it hard to be a wolves fan as the riders are all over the place riding for their other teams and it doesn't bother me if I miss a match or if wolves lose , this is not because of bikes or racing or price (even thought I think this is a major issue overall) it simply cause the team aspect of the sport has been diluted to the point where it's like a school footy game where one side picks a player then the other picks one , as I said in an earlier post the max clegg situation last year , this is not against max personally but how can I support a rider who also rides for our deadliest rivals , it's bizzare at best yet the modern speedway has made it so ,it goes against the whole point of team sport , it makes me not want to support my team and not bothered about going

 

 

Dean, you echo my views entirely. I love the sport... but it's not the one I fell in love with. How can you support a team sport when it ain't so? I was an adult when I used to be really angry when Belle Vue lost. But when you start to look at line-ups and feel the men you are cheering have no connection with your team, then what is the point supporting a side? The BSPA needs to address this..... It got so bad, I used to go not really feeling anything if BV won or lost. In fact, I used to chuckle at the ones on the terracing who were angry that they were losing! Perhaps in the years that have passed, the same ones have cottoned on. It is a waste of time getting upset, for this time next year the same way of throwing sides together will be as of now... PE football matches at High School, exactly how I've described it in the past.

Edited December 26, 2016 by moxey63

[Guest]

As the debate about the decline in interest for speedway and possible remedies and views are debated on this thread, it's interesting to see on their website the SGB/BSPA new of what the sport is "all about." I wonder how exactly their definition/viewpoint fits in with what is actually taking place? Here is the item (note it was originally posted prior to the revision of titles for the top two league competitions):

 

"WHAT IS SPEEDWAY?

SPEEDWAY BIKES have no brakes, just one gear, a clutch and 500cc engines which run on methanol fuel and can accelerate to 60 mph, faster than a Formula 1 car!

They race around oval circuits of around 300 metres in length in an anti-clockwise direction. To get around the tight corners at high speed the riders actually have to accelerate to bring the rear wheel out and initiate a "skid"!

Speedway meetings can be run as individual events although what you will usually see week in and week out, at most tracks around the country, are 2 teams racing against each other. The 2 teams have 7 riders each and they race over 15 heats with 2 riders from each team in every heat. If a rider wins a race he will earn his team 3 points, if he comes second he will earn them 2 points, 3rd and they will only earn 1 point and if he comes last the they won't get anything!

There are 3 leagues in the UK,
1. The Elite League (The top league).
2. The Premier League (The middle League).
3. The National League (The league to hopefully train the youngsters).

"It's fast, it's furious, it's family entertainment and it's at a track near you!"

So to sum Speedway up it's four laps of all out speed, control, excitement and thrills as 4 riders go for the chequered flag in honour of their team! The best thing is that all this happens just yards from where you're standing and the stars of the show (the riders) are easily accessible to see and meet, so don't forget your cameras, autograph books and pens!

THE MEETINGS

A meeting or match as it is sometimes referred to is between two teams in the league.
The meeting is run over 15 heats/races and the team with the most points at the end of the meeting takes points toward the league table.
In 2009 a new league points scoring system was introduced as follows:
Home loss by any amount of points = 0
Home draw = 1
Home win by any amount of points = 3
Away loss by 7 points or more = 0
Away loss by 6 points or less = 1
Away draw = 2
Away win by between 1 and 6 points = 3
Away win by 7 points or more = 4

WHO ARE THE TEAMS
There are teams from all over the country racing every week.
The teams are made up of seven riders in each team.
A team manager can decide the riding order of the number 1 to 5 race jackets, the number 6 and 7 race jackets are taken up by the reserves. The reserves are the two lowest averaged riders in the team.
Each team will wear its club colours and a home team will wear Red and Blue helmet colours, whilst the away team will wear White and Yellow/Black helmet colours.
THE HEATS
There are four riders in each heat/race, two riders from each team and each heat lasts four laps of the track Generally a heat will last about 60 seconds on average, but in that time there is plenty of action.
Points are awarded as follows:
First - 3 points, Second - 2 points, Third - 1 Point, Fourth - 0 Points.
The points that each rider scores are counted towards the teams total at the end of the meeting.
THE EQUIPMENT
Each rider rides a 500cc motorcycle with no brakes and fixed gearing.
The bikes run on methanol for fuel and each bike's tank will hold enough fuel for one race.
The bikes can reach speeds of up to 80mph and are capable of 0-60 in approximately 3 seconds.
THE RIDERS
All riders wear kevlar race suits that protect their bodies.
In addition to the kevlar race suit each rider will wear a pair of racing boots, one of which will have a steel shoe fitted that the rider puts down when cornering.
Finally a helmet is worn with goggles to protect a riders head and face.
Each rider will have a kevlar suit tailor made with their sponsors names on.
The bike covers are generally designed to match the riders kevlar suits.

Edited December 26, 2016 by Guest

[moxey63]

The people who run the sport, the promoters, they are making rules which in the long run make it easier for what are, afterall, their businesses to run as easy as possible, hence the doubling upper and downer, the multi-country men. I suppose, with it being their livelihood, their business comes before the general well-being of the sport, and they are all pulling their own directions.

Edited December 26, 2016 by moxey63

[mikebv]

For me, the decline started when ITV no longer showed Speedway nationally on a Saturday. The sport getting beamed into literally tens of millions of homes regularly must have had a positive knock on effect for crowd numbers..

 

PC, Mauger, Olsen and Penhall were 'Box Office' and even non speedway fans had heard of them (and recognised them)..

 

Having one of them at your stadium was a definite head start in generating a crowd...

 

At the same time the national team became second (or even third/fourth rate) which was double the problem as no one wants to watch a consistently losing national team. The Danes took over which was never going to move the sport forward in this country..

 

The rest fell into place as teams started to fill themselves with overseas riders of dubious ability levels alienating fans who had an affinity with the British ones they often replaced..

 

The nonsense rules havent helped down the years in anyway of course and have done much to erode away virtually all the credibility and integrity in the relevant Championships which means hardly any kudos is acheived by winning the title. Not a great way to kick start your business when your ultimate aim is so diluted and sadly, irrelevant...

[martinmauger]

 

An interesting comment Martin Mauger, but what has this to do with the thread which is titled "...When Did Uk Speedway Decline Start?.." - or are you indicating that the tastes of people have changed over the years?

Not really sure, I've had the flu so haven't slept for 2 days (!).

 

"These are all valid points except they are not really relevant for speedway because it's not seen as a Motorsport , it is and always will be a team sport on motorbikes , 90% of fans including ex supporters don't care about the bikes , my misses has been a fan of speedway since the 70s and has no interest in bikes what so ever , you go to superbikes or whatever and in the main they are petrolheads , the bike is king , listen to the commentators on superbikes it's all "he is on the new factory Yamaha with the new shocks blah blah bla " it's all about the bikes , speedway is all about the riders."

 

The above is so true, I have mates who are mad, crazy about MotoGP, Superbikes, etc, but give me a blank look when I point out the racing is mostly dull with everyone following around the line for seemingly endless laps waiting a fall, mistake or EF. Though I DO realise they are going mostly 10/10ths on the limit, cranked well over at Ice Speedway angles. It still don't do it for me though..

 

True story: I visit road loving, Sky subbing mates on Saturdays * which just happen to (cough) coincide with Speedway GPS * and they would humour me in viewing the speedway until whatever came on at 9ish pm. But - the last few years when Woffy arrived, they really got into "that British guy in black with the tats kicking it to the foreigners", with all due respect to Chris Harris who did the best he could. Woffy's image defo helps - a missed marketting opportunity in 'lifestyle' type mags perhaps? Anyhoo, nowadays we all watch the GPs together from beginning to end and they actually look foward to them and either record or miss the other Saturday nite stuff they used to watch, evne the IOM TT. So speedway can still attract new fans, when the product is right.

 

Agree with many points but my latest gripe is the endless, flipping re-runs, constant 'all 4 back' seemingly because "someone made a too good start". Riders, in any sport, cannot always be guarranteed to hit the first turn all perfectly in a line, someone will almost always make a better or worse start than the rest, that is when the racing / passing should kick in.....

Edited December 26, 2016 by Martin Mauger

[waytogo28]

The "What is speedway" post by the SGB / BSPA says it all really! Take out the reference to kevlars ( and substitute leathers" ) and reduce the likely top speed - this could have been the introduction of speedway in the late 1940's. Of course it needed no marketing at that time and it now needs something VERY different if it is to capture the imagination of a new generation of younger fans. Like the recent "new" logos it shows that the BSPA thinking is way, way out of date! It needs something that is clearly not there within the ruling suits. The recent "major re-vamp" was a laughable sticking on of new name tags - aping soccer and praying that a tiny part of the multi billion pound business that soccer is, trickles down to speedway. No chance!