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Rising Crowds This Season?


RPNY

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There are many sports that include "gimmicks" to enliven or enhance the entertainment value. .

 

Power plays, free hits, and bonus points for runs scored/wickets taken in Cricket. Rugby has its bonus points for tries. Three point scores in basketball and even horse racing has subjective weight control to provide a more 'level' playing field....

 

All are decreed as 'acceptable' mainly because everyone can use them to their advantage...

 

The issue with Speedways 'joker' is it rewards a losing performance (lose a race and score more than the winner?!) and invariably will end up, the vast majority of time, only positively impacting one team with the other not having a chance to use it...

 

Maybe if it has to stay, it should be open to both teams at any time as a true tactical move from the team managers?

I 'Liked' your Post because I agree with nearly all of it. At least your suggestion would make it fairer.

 

How would it work though? Would you still need to be a certain number of Points behind in order to use it? If you were in front - would you still be able to use it - if so - when? Or could both Team Managers use it at a time to suit themselves?

 

I still believe that the best thing would be to scrap theTactical Ride (and Tactical Substitutes) altogether though.

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I 'Liked' your Post because I agree with nearly all of it. At least your suggestion would make it fairer.

 

How would it work though? Would you still need to be a certain number of Points behind in order to use it? If you were in front - would you still be able to use it - if so - when? Or could both Team Managers use it at a time to suit themselves?

 

I still believe that the best thing would be to scrap theTactical Ride (and Tactical Substitutes) altogether though.

For me, no rules re when you can use one or maybe two tacticals..

 

Programmed riders or a reserve replacement can take the 'joker', one only per rider...

 

Team managers will have to pick the right race(s). Could be heat one, could be fifteen could be any...

 

If nothing else, it would stop teams deliberately not winning races to prevent or allow a joker heat..

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I'm not looking at the situation through the eyes of a football fan. I'm looking at it through the eyes of a sports fan who might be tempted to try speedway.

 

Crowds are dwindling and the rules are alienating some die hard fans who have had enough. New fans need to be attracted for the sport to survive and for that to happen speedway needs to be entertaining, value for money, well presented and credible.

 

It is occasionally entertaining, occasionally value for money, rarely well presented and totally without credibility at the moment.

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  • 2 weeks later...

There are many sports that include "gimmicks" to enliven or enhance the entertainment value. .

 

Power plays, free hits, and bonus points for runs scored/wickets taken in Cricket. Rugby has its bonus points for tries. Three point scores in basketball and even horse racing has subjective weight control to provide a more 'level' playing field....

 

All are decreed as 'acceptable' mainly because everyone can use them to their advantage...

 

The issue with Speedways 'joker' is it rewards a losing performance (lose a race and score more than the winner?!) and invariably will end up, the vast majority of time, only positively impacting one team with the other not having a chance to use it...

 

Maybe if it has to stay, it should be open to both teams at any time as a true tactical move from the team manaHow about C

How about Cricket then when one teams scores more runs than their opposition yet lose

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And Kevin at the helm

 

Not in the slightest bit surprised. Better team, better racing, better promotion.

 

Then again, its hard to imagine that Redcar could go much further down hill than having Havelock in charge.

There are many sports that include "gimmicks" to enliven or enhance the entertainment value. .

 

Power plays, free hits, and bonus points for runs scored/wickets taken in Cricket. Rugby has its bonus points for tries. Three point scores in basketball and even horse racing has subjective weight control to provide a more 'level' playing field....

 

All are decreed as 'acceptable' mainly because everyone can use them to their advantage...

 

The issue with Speedways 'joker' is it rewards a losing performance (lose a race and score more than the winner?!) and invariably will end up, the vast majority of time, only positively impacting one team with the other not having a chance to use it...

 

Maybe if it has to stay, it should be open to both teams at any time as a true tactical move from the team managers?

 

I don't think it rewards a losing performance so much as tries to make (to use your words) a 'more level playing field'.

 

I have to say I didn't notice its demise in NL meetings last season, although I have never had an issue with it and lets not forget it has been in existence for 50 years or more. That doesn't necessarily make it right but it does mean that there is reasoning for it.

 

My real point is that you simply can't compare sports. Suggesting that a football fan would find a double point ride ridiculous and bizarre is true but in exactly the same way a speedway fan would find the offside rule (for example) equally ridiculous and bizarre.

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Interesting comments from Redcar promoter Kevin Keay on the radio last night - crowds up 20% at Redcar this season (helps having a competitive team!)

Excellent News for Kevin and for Redcar.

 

I sincerely hope the increase in Gates continue.

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How many fans are there regularly attending speedway matches ( who pay to get in ) in the UK? Is it more than or less that 50,000 do you think? I don't think it can be over 50,000 across the whole UK.

 

​My estimate of overall weekly TOTAL speedway attendances would be towards 32,000.

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I would say more like 24000, can only go on what I saw in the Star a couple of years ago, saying average about 800 per meeting at the 30 tracks. Half of those attend Premier tracks.May have gone down since then...or up?

How many fans are there regularly attending speedway matches ( who pay to get in ) in the UK? Is it more than or less that 50,000 do you think? I don't think it can be over 50,000 across the whole UK.

Half that I reckon. There must be quite a few that don't pay to get in, sponsors, guests, volunteers etc., we will never know how many attend. Edited by beefy keefy
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​My estimate of overall weekly TOTAL speedway attendances would be towards 32,000.

 

 

I would say more like 24000, can only go on what I saw in the Star a couple of years ago, saying average about 800 per meeting at the 30 tracks. Half of those attend zPremier tracks.May have gone down since then?

Half that I reckon. There must be quite a few that don't pay to get in, sponsors, guests, volunteers etc., we will never know how many attend.

Dont forget if you want to have any chance of getting to know attendance figures vote Yes in the poll,

 

http://www.speedway-forum.co.uk/forums/index.php?showtopic=84163&hl

 

Sorry to keep reminding everyone but the poll will have to close in the near future so get your vote cast.

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Dont forget if you want to have any chance of getting to know attendance figures vote Yes in the poll,

 

http://www.speedway-forum.co.uk/forums/index.php?showtopic=84163&hl

 

Sorry to keep reminding everyone but the poll will have to close in the near future so get your vote cast.

Have done.

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How many fans are there regularly attending speedway matches ( who pay to get in ) in the UK? Is it more than or less that 50,000 do you think? I don't think it can be over 50,000 across the whole UK.

 

 

 

​My estimate of overall weekly TOTAL speedway attendances would be towards 32,000.

 

 

 

Can I ask where you get this figure from?

 

Steve Park - I did make it clear that the 32,000 figure was MY ESTIMATE. It was based on how many tracks there are and each having an average of around 1,000 spectators at home meetings. I fail to see your reaction to what I made clear was little better than a guesstimate on my part! :lol:

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Do you go to Speedway? 1,000 spectators over the 3 leagues? Scunny only gets around 250/350 and Edinburgh about 450/550, Worky around 400/500, Berwick around 500/600 and they are in the championship, Cradley will get more than that and Birmingham, Lakeside and Eastbourne will be close but the likes of Buxton will be around 100

I would say average attendance across the 3 leagues of about 700

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