Sky Sports

[KevH]

Some good points there from SCB and mikebv

 

Perhaps BV should try it at their first meeting this year.

They'd be better off concentrating on providing some racing this year which would be a huge improvement on last year, and would surely encourage more fans to go back the following week

[OveFundinFan]

They'd be better off concentrating on providing some racing this year which would be a huge improvement on last year, and would surely encourage more fans to go back the following week

I thought BV topped the league in 2016, but failed to win the championship because their opponents drafted in a rider who had not ridden for them in the Uk up to that point.

To me that is pretty good going from BV.

[waiheke1]

I think you missed the 😉 an the reference to there being no racing whatsoever at the first meeting at belle vue last year. ..

[Halifaxtiger]

 

The point wasn't missed at all. In fact you, and all the people who liked your post, completely missed my point. Speedway needs Sky far more than Sky needs speedway. In fact, Sky doesn't need speedway at all. Speedway is all but insignificant to Sky. If Sky had to pull the plug on Speedway it would be little more than a programming inconvenience.

 

If it wasn't for people staying in and watching Sky, the sport would lose it's television coverage. If it loses it's television coverage, it loses even more commercially appeal for sponsors.

 

Why do you think speedway bends over backwards to accommodate Sky? If Sky were to pull their coverage of speedway, it would be the final nail in the coffin for any sort of top flight speedway. You'd be left with nothing but a bunch of die hard nutters watching inexperienced Brits scrap it out for £25 a head. I know some of you would be quite happy with that, but you can kiss your magical speedway atmosphere goodbye when there's only a handful of you at the track.

 

Just so you know, you're a customer. It's not a charity. You're not obligated to pay through the nose for low quality product. It isn't your duty to fund the sport. It is the job of the promoters to put out a product that attracts the supporters. In fact it is the die hards that are constantly making excuses for the shocking quality of the sport that are driving it into the ground.

 

I agree with almost all of this but Beowulf makes an excellent point (which you seem to have ignored):

 

If it is of 'shocking quality' why are you still watching it ?

 

I could point out that if the viewing figures stay reasonably good (according to flagrag, anyway) there is no motivation to change the way things are. That means that those who think its crap but continue watching anyway are doing absolutely nothing to assist the likes of me (and may others) who are critical and think that more could be done to improve live meetings.

Edited February 15, 2017 by Halifaxtiger

[CookieIpswich]

Speedway is missing a HUGE trick with coverage and could do extremely well outside of sky sports and bt itv4 as well

[BurntFaceMan]

 

I agree with almost all of this but Beowulf makes an excellent point (which you seem to have ignored):

 

If it is of 'shocking quality' why are you still watching it ?

 

I could point out that if the viewing figures stay reasonably good (according to flagrag, anyway) there is no motivation to change the way things are. That means that those who think its crap but continue watching anyway are doing absolutely nothing to assist the likes of me (and may others) who are critical and think that more could be done to improve live meetings.

 

Because you're born a speedway fan and you die a speedway fan. A hungry man will still eat a sh1te meal!

 

I have speedway in my heart and I always will. But I'm not delusional. I've seen good speedway, I know good speedway and I miss good speedway. I love the sport, I love my team, but I am not blind to the fact that it is of shocking quality.

 

There are an awful lot of supporters on here that are very blind and are in turn very confrontational to those who are not. Some of the comments on here are unbelievable, like "If it's of shocking quality then why are you still watching it?". It's almost as if you'd rather those who don't like the sport to just shut up and leave. Unfortunately, I fear you'll get your wish! A huge chunk of them have already gone.

Edited February 17, 2017 by BurntFaceMan

[stevebrum]

Because you're born a speedway fan and you die a speedway fan. A hungry man will still eat a sh1te meal!

 

I have speedway in my heart and I always will. But I'm not delusional. I've seen good speedway, I know good speedway and I miss good speedway. I love the sport, I love my team, but I am not blind to the fact that it is of shocking quality.

 

There are an awful lot of supporters on here that are very blind and are in turn very confrontational to those who are not. Some of the comments on here are unbelievable, like "If it's of shocking quality then why are you still watching it?". It's almost as if you'd rather those who don't like the sport to just shut up and leave. Unfortunately, I fear you'll get your wish! A huge chunk of them have already gone.

Meanwhile what an excellent year of racing we had on SKY in 2016, as well as up and down the country.

[BurntFaceMan]

Meanwhile what an excellent year of racing we had on SKY in 2016, as well as up and down the country.

 

Shame they are diluting it even further this year then, isn't it?

 

As I said, there are the minority (fans with 25,000+ posts on a speedway forum) who can and do find pleasure in speedway regardless of the quality of the product or the price. They also happen to be the same fans who are very loud, arrogant and completely blind to (or simply don't want to acknowledge) the issues. However, the majority of fans are the ones who value the quality of the product and are no longer coming through the turnstiles.

 

Attendances will be at their very lowest this season. Unfortunately the majority of promoters share the same arrogance as the minority of fans. It's time the minority opened their eyes and stopped blaming everything from Matt Ford to the fans themselves for the lack of attendance, and just acknowledged that the sport needs a lot of work. It won't solve the issue straight away, but it will be a lot more helpful than making sarcastic comments when you hear things you don't like.

[g13webb]

 

Because you're born a speedway fan and you die a speedway fan. A hungry man will still eat a sh1te meal!

 

I have speedway in my heart and I always will. But I'm not delusional. I've seen good speedway, I know good speedway and I miss good speedway. I love the sport, I love my team, but I am not blind to the fact that it is of shocking quality.

 

There are an awful lot of supporters on here that are very blind and are in turn very confrontational to those who are not. Some of the comments on here are unbelievable, like "If it's of shocking quality then why are you still watching it?". It's almost as if you'd rather those who don't like the sport to just shut up and leave. Unfortunately, I fear you'll get your wish! A huge chunk of them have already gone.

 

Yes I am a speedway fan and thoroughly enjoy all forms of the sport. I find your post quite disturbing in that you can quantify what is good and what is bad. I have a major problem there because I can see many positives at various levels of the sport. According to you we have to watch World Class riders or else its not worth watching..... Let me tell you I've seen many GSP and the standard of racing has often been rubbish.

​I remember a few years ago I went to watch the young stars meeting and witness some simply an amazing feats performed by a 15yrs old Robert Lambert scoring a 21 pts max. The crowd were on their feet and the noise had to be listened to believe...... Reading your posts you obviously wouldn't want to see that as there wasn't a world class rider in sight.... Having watched speedway for 50 yrs I have seen the best they've been, and can assure you the quality of racing is not necessarily govern by the standard of the riders....

 

I feel for you as you have on idea what the sport is about. Us die-hard supporters enjoy far more than you appear too . You are not a real supporter, merely someone who has been spoilt by too much success and blinded by the reality of it all. Just pleased not all Poole fans are like you

Edited February 17, 2017 by GRW123

[BurntFaceMan]

 

Yes I am a speedway fan and thoroughly enjoy all forms of the sport. I find your post quite disturbing in that you can quantify was is good an what is bad. I have a major problem there because I can see many positives at various levels of the sport. According to you we have to watch World Class riders or else its not worth watching..... Let me tell you I've seen many GSP and the standard of racing has been rubbish.

​I remember a few years ago I went to watch the young stars meeting and witness some simply an amazing feats performed by a 15yrs old Robert Lambert scoring a 21 pts max. The crowd were on their feet and the noise had to be listened to believe...... Reading your posts you obviously wouldn't want to see that as there wasn't a world class rider in sight.... Having watched speedway for 50 yrs I have seen the best they've been, and can assure you the quality of racing is not necessarily govern by the standard of the riders....

 

I feel for you as you have on idea what the sport is about. Us die-hard supporters enjoy far more than you appear too . You are not a real supporter, merely someone who has been spoilt by too much success and blinded by the reality of it all. Just pleased not all Poole fans are like you

 

You just demonstrated everything I said perfectly. Like I said, a minority will be satisfied, but the majority will not. Unfortunately you need a majority to pay the bills.

 

You'd have to be a fool to suggest that the very best riders do not generally provide better racing. The very best speedway requires a certain level of machinery, craftsmanship and ability that only comes from the very best in the world.

 

That's not to say that watching lower league riders doesn't provide entertainment, but it certainly doesn't provide 20 odd quid a head entertainment, and that's why the crowds are dwindling. The rest comes from the atmosphere (need big crowds for a good atmosphere, mate), the quality of the track, the facilities at the stadium, the experience when I'm not at the track, etc.

 

You do know the crowds are rapidly dropping off, right? That's not a figment of my imagination. It's not a conspiracy made up by us "fake supporters". Open your bloody eyes.

 

Your last part really does take the biscuit. What's all that utter nonsense about me not being a real supporter? Because I won't throw money away on a product that has got worse every year, but continues to get more expensive? Being a real supporter is much more than just blindly defending the sport at all costs. A real supporter cares about the future of the sport, unlike you. In fact, it's people like you who are responsible for the current state of the sport. Make the most of it buddy, because there won't be much left at this rate.

[Paulco]

 

Shame they are diluting it even further this year then, isn't it?

 

As I said, there are the minority (fans with 25,000+ posts on a speedway forum) who can and do find pleasure in speedway regardless of the quality of the product or the price. They also happen to be the same fans who are very loud, arrogant and completely blind to (or simply don't want to acknowledge) the issues. However, the majority of fans are the ones who value the quality of the product and are no longer coming through the turnstiles.

 

Attendances will be at their very lowest this season. Unfortunately the majority of promoters share the same arrogance as the minority of fans. It's time the minority opened their eyes and stopped blaming everything from Matt Ford to the fans themselves for the lack of attendance, and just acknowledged that the sport needs a lot of work. It won't solve the issue straight away, but it will be a lot more helpful than making sarcastic comments when you hear things you don't like.

So i'm loud , arrogant and blind to the sport's problems am I ? Oh well so be it . I go two or three times a week simply because , despite the sport's problems , I still love speedway . And when i'm at the track , I enjoy what I see , mostly , and can forget the awful politics surrounding the sport .

[New Science]

Meanwhile what an excellent year of racing we had on SKY in 2016, as well as up and down the country.

To be fair to Burnt Face Man he does have a point. Other than play off finals the crowd at Wolves is the lowest I've known in 30 years watching regularly.Its literally down to the die hards with big gaps on the terraces . Coupled with that is that the racing is no more than average most weeks, not a patch on what it used to be.

It has to be acknowledged .

Edited February 17, 2017 by New Science

[BurntFaceMan]

So i'm loud , arrogant and blind to the sport's problems am I ? Oh well so be it . I go two or three times a week simply because , despite the sport's problems , I still love speedway . And when i'm at the track , I enjoy what I see , mostly , and can forget the awful politics surrounding the sport .

 

No, not necessarily. I did not mean that all the die hards are that way, they just tend to go hand in hand.

 

It's not about the politics, It's about the quality. Like I said, the minority are content with simply having speedway of some form, but a lot of people want an all round better quality. From the riders, to the racing, to the stadium and even at home through the websites, news and social media. I simply cannot enjoy the sport at that cost. To be honest, even if they reduced admission to a fiver, I'd still prefer to pay £20 and get the best in the world.

 

A lot of the people who have left haven't because they do not care about the sport anymore. A lot of them are like me and they care about it very much. The fact is they miss what the sport was, and what it is in other countries. Unfortunately those people are not going to come back with the current quality at the current price. And like it or not, you need the quantity of the majority to grow the sport.

 

To get back to the original point, without Sky there will be a lot less money in the sport. Not just because of what Sky contribute financially, but for the sponsors that are attracted through the added exposure. Sky is essential for speedway. The only thing that could benefit speedway more is a free to air coverage like ITV.

Edited February 17, 2017 by BurntFaceMan

[ray c]

To be fair to Burnt Face Man he does have a point. Other than play off finals the crowd at Wolves is the lowest I've known in 30 years watching regularly.Its literally down to the die hards with big gaps on the terraces . Coupled with that is that the racing is no more than average most weeks, not a patch on what it used to be.

It has to be acknowledged .

 

all he ever does is slag the sport off I wish he would go away an let us idiots who still enjoy waiting for march for the season to start

[stevebrum]

Shame they are diluting it even further this year then, isn't it?

 

As I said, there are the minority (fans with 25,000+ posts on a speedway forum) who can and do find pleasure in speedway regardless of the quality of the product or the price. They also happen to be the same fans who are very loud, arrogant and completely blind to (or simply don't want to acknowledge) the issues. However, the majority of fans are the ones who value the quality of the product and are no longer coming through the turnstiles.

 

Attendances will be at their very lowest this season. Unfortunately the majority of promoters share the same arrogance as the minority of fans. It's time the minority opened their eyes and stopped blaming everything from Matt Ford to the fans themselves for the lack of attendance, and just acknowledged that the sport needs a lot of work. It won't solve the issue straight away, but it will be a lot more helpful than making sarcastic comments when you hear things you don't like.

 

diluted I agree. However good racing is good speedway. Perfectly evidenced on SKY last year.

 

 

To be fair to Burnt Face Man he does have a point. Other than play off finals the crowd at Wolves is the lowest I've known in 30 years watching regularly.Its literally down to the die hards with big gaps on the terraces . Coupled with that is that the racing is no more than average most weeks, not a patch on what it used to be.

It has to be acknowledged .

 

We all know the crowds are down and the top tier diluted.

There is no denying I watched some decent racing last year on SKY, at Wolves and throughout the various leagues too.

I remember a time when racing was supposed to be better in a by gone age having dull and tedious meetings too.

[Lefty]

In a byegone age age I remember going to watch Wolves getting 'tonked' at The Shay, Halifax. After the meeting six of the seven Wolves riders plus the team manager came to socialise with the fans in 'The Three Pigeons'.

 

I sure miss those days now.... and certainly miss going in the 'The Three Pigeons'

[g13webb]

I've been going to Cardiff more years than I care to remember. for what should be the best occasion of the year. The atmosphere in the streets brilliant, the Crowds are the best ever for the event to be played out in a wonderful stadium. Everything in place for a terrific meeting.

 

What a pity the racing is not up to standard, baring a few exceptional races the majority is won from the inside gate and the meetings becomes a bore feast..,,, and you say that what its all about..,

 

We can never compare the sport of years ago with today. The costs and mechanics' makes it impossible to compare. Riders are now treated as gods and paid a kings ransom to finance their hectic existence . It is the main reason why the sport costs are what they are, and why the British league is of little importance. Those that do ride on these shores are so knackered flying in and out for every meeting it is little wonder the product they produce is sometimes tainted and unappealing.

 

I feel privileged to have been about when British Speedway ruled the world. Every match was of the utmost importance where riders rode above themselves just for that solidarity point, in the hope of an away win. But unfortunately them days are long gone. All we have left is the bare bones of any existence, trying to maintain the sport in this country. I admire the efforts being made to regenerate the lost interest in all those fans we once had. I try to be a realist and understand the state our sport is in. Looking back to the good times is a nice reminder but the reality is we need to look ahead.

[CookieIpswich]

Speedway is a gimmick hence one off crowds for play offs etc to attract new fans you.do not need big stars

 

You need close racing, cheap entry, good facilities and some form of appeal, for me what speedway can offer compared to most other sports is accessibility to its competitors, and the only way for this is

 

No doubling up so fans only see their favourite rider loyal to them

 

Riders as suggested already form part of the community and mingle with the fans more, perhaps more teams can do meet the riders before the meeting so young fans can follow them more close during the meeting

 

Getting young kids involved in the parade etc, waving flags on the centre green or walking out as macots with the riders vand watching the warm up from the centre green

 

And finally maybe in terms of identity, more british riders? Not an overnight fix but investment in grassroot speedway will help turn more people from mx, grass, even road racing to at least try speedway

 

At lesst you can earn points money from speedway in comparison to moto3/125 road racing which costs £10,000-£20,000 a season with no monetary prizes, no everyone will be the next rossi, but who knowd some of these kids could be brilliant on a speedway bike

[BurntFaceMan]

all he ever does is slag the sport off I wish he would go away an let us idiots who still enjoy waiting for march for the season to start

 

It's constructive criticism, not slagging off. We are very very close to the point where many promoters will be financially forced to call it a day. Stadiums will come down and flats will go up in their places. The other promoters who are doing better will be forced to follow suit. It's not like any of us want this, it's just that some of us won't sleep walk into oblivion while the rest of the nutters tell us everything is ok.

 

 

 

diluted I agree. However good racing is good speedway. Perfectly evidenced on SKY last year.

 

 

 

We all know the crowds are down and the top tier diluted.

There is no denying I watched some decent racing last year on SKY, at Wolves and throughout the various leagues too.

I remember a time when racing was supposed to be better in a by gone age having dull and tedious meetings too.

 

I really enjoyed some of the racing last year, but it isn't quite enough to get me through the turnstiles like it used to. For years I would attend week in, week out, home and away, but that's just not enough for me and many supporters like me. There is more to speedway than just the racing. It is the stadium, the atmosphere, the programme, the food, the drink, the merchandise, the stars and the racing combined. And now, in the 21st century, it's the experience away from the stadium on social media. With that criteria not being fulfilled, people are turning to other forms of entertainment.

 

Maybe it will never change, and maybe I'll never buy a ticket again. Maybe that's for the best, and maybe the sport will be better off without me.

 

I've been going to Cardiff more years than I care to remember. for what should be the best occasion of the year. The atmosphere in the streets brilliant, the Crowds are the best ever for the event to be played out in a wonderful stadium. Everything in place for a terrific meeting.

 

What a pity the racing is not up to standard, baring a few exceptional races the majority is won from the inside gate and the meetings becomes a bore feast..,,, and you say that what its all about..,

 

We can never compare the sport of years ago with today. The costs and mechanics' makes it impossible to compare. Riders are now treated as gods and paid a kings ransom to finance their hectic existence . It is the main reason why the sport costs are what they are, and why the British league is of little importance. Those that do ride on these shores are so knackered flying in and out for every meeting it is little wonder the product they produce is sometimes tainted and unappealing.

 

I feel privileged to have been about when British Speedway ruled the world. Every match was of the utmost importance where riders rode above themselves just for that solidarity point, in the hope of an away win. But unfortunately them days are long gone. All we have left is the bare bones of any existence, trying to maintain the sport in this country. I admire the efforts being made to regenerate the lost interest in all those fans we once had. I try to be a realist and understand the state our sport is in. Looking back to the good times is a nice reminder but the reality is we need to look ahead.

 

That's the first post of yours I've agreed with! But I do not agree that it is a thing of the past. Speedway is still a sport that can get thousands through the turnstiles every week. Next season will be the first year that promoters will be forced to decide between making changes and closing shop. Arguably, it will be the last season that they will have the opportunity. If that's not the case then I'll eat my hat. Hopefully the promoters will make the right choices.

[stevebrum]

It's constructive criticism, not slagging off. We are very very close to the point where many promoters will be financially forced to call it a day. Stadiums will come down and flats will go up in their places. The other promoters who are doing better will be forced to follow suit. It's not like any of us want this, it's just that some of us won't sleep walk into oblivion while the rest of the nutters tell us everything is ok.

 

 

 

I really enjoyed some of the racing last year, but it isn't quite enough to get me through the turnstiles like it used to. For years I would attend week in, week out, home and away, but that's just not enough for me and many supporters like me. There is more to speedway than just the racing. It is the stadium, the atmosphere, the programme, the food, the drink, the merchandise, the stars and the racing combined. And now, in the 21st century, it's the experience away from the stadium on social media. With that criteria not being fulfilled, people are turning to other forms of entertainment.

 

Maybe it will never change, and maybe I'll never buy a ticket again. Maybe that's for the best, and maybe the sport will be better off without me.

 

 

 

 

 

It's a personal choice you make and that's your choice of course.

This constant downgrading of the top level and raising if costs to attend is going to reach a level not many will bother with. Which is a shame because the raw product is still as good as it ever was.

The NL level is an affordable cost, it's the middle tier that's price leads the high end.

Until the PL/championship brings down prices nothing will change. Which is a shame.

I'm just as happy turning up to open practice or amateur meetings for a ride as much as I am standing on the terraces.

The sport I love has inspired me to have a go but I still get a buzz standing on the terraces watching my team of choice.