How Many Of Us Are Losing Interest.?

[Gresham]

I think anyone who frequents this forum is very passionate about Speedway....you have to be, otherwise you wouldn't bother posting or reading.

 

Everyone loves speedway for what it is...

 

I just get the impression everyone is incredibly frustrated, and come on here to vent those frustrations.

 

There are all manner of frustrations in the sport...so many. You've only got to read the threads on here to see them all.

 

I remember the passion I had for speedway in the past. It was a big part of my life.

 

I still have the love for the sport...but the passion has died.

 

For all the reasons mentioned every week on here...those are why that passion has died.

 

For many people, it's become very apparent that many have to travel to watch their speedway these days. It's not like a stroll up the road anymore for so many.

 

Getting to a track these days, and the frustrations, time and effort and expense it takes can have a major influence. Especially with so many rain offs as well.

 

Add these outside influences, to an already frustratingly run sport...then you almost start the evening on a downer, before the actual racing has started.

 

It costs me a minimum of £40 to attend my nearest track.

 

I have to sit in motorway traffic for two hours to attend, and risk it with any chance of rain.

 

Do I ever come away from a meeting thinking I've had a better time, than spending £40 down my local having fun and socialising with friends there instead? No.

 

I think that's the difference to my passionate past....as it clearly was a more entertaining and enjoyable evening. Not so now.

 

Maybe it's different if you live very locally to your clubs track, and don't have all those outside influences as well to deal with?

[Halifaxtiger]

I think anyone who frequents this forum is very passionate about Speedway....you have to be, otherwise you wouldn't bother posting or reading.

 

Everyone loves speedway for what it is...

 

I just get the impression everyone is incredibly frustrated, and come on here to vent those frustrations.

 

There are all manner of frustrations in the sport...so many. You've only got to read the threads on here to see them all.

 

I remember the passion I had for speedway in the past. It was a big part of my life.

 

I still have the love for the sport...but the passion has died.

 

For all the reasons mentioned every week on here...those are why that passion has died.

 

For many people, it's become very apparent that many have to travel to watch their speedway these days. It's not like a stroll up the road anymore for so many.

 

Getting to a track these days, and the frustrations, time and effort and expense it takes can have a major influence. Especially with so many rain offs as well.

 

Add these outside influences, to an already frustratingly run sport...then you almost start the evening on a downer, before the actual racing has started.

 

It costs me a minimum of £40 to attend my nearest track.

 

I have to sit in motorway traffic for two hours to attend, and risk it with any chance of rain.

 

Do I ever come away from a meeting thinking I've had a better time, than spending £40 down my local having fun and socialising with friends there instead? No.

 

I think that's the difference to my passionate past....as it clearly was a more entertaining and enjoyable evening. Not so now.

 

Maybe it's different if you live very locally to your clubs track, and don't have all those outside influences as well to deal with?

 

There's no question that it is a matter of value for money, at least to a degree.

 

The play off final at Belle Vue last season was £25. It was a fantastic meeting in front of a full house with a near cliff edge finish. It was worth every penny and doubt if anyone else who was there thought otherwise.

[Gresham]

 

There's no question that it is a matter of value for money, at least to a degree.

 

The play off final at Belle Vue last season was £25. It was a fantastic meeting in front of a full house with a near cliff edge finish. It was worth every penny and doubt if anyone else who was there thought otherwise.

It has to be value for money every week imo, otherwise fans find other things to do, that are.

[cityrebel]

Hi "City hope you are good, have you been impressed with Anders Rowe on the occasions you have seen him??? hopefully a future Robin.!!!

anders is a tidy little rider sid, getting better all the time. Riding for uncle Len obviously suits him. I can remember him having demonstration rides at rye when he was just a nipper.

[The White Knight]

You are the one who thinks taking a moral stand against a speedway rule is so important that you won't even attend meetings where the rule isn't in use and never let an opportunity pass to tell us.Yet don't make the same sort of stand against the church.Srange.So i couldn't get under the rock,because you have taken up residence a long time ago

:rofl:

 

Is that the best you can do? :rofl:

 

You are on your own again Troll.

[Sidney the robin]

anders is a tidy little rider sid, getting better all the time. Riding for uncle Len obviously suits him. I can remember him having demonstration rides at rye when he was just a nipper.

Followed his progress since his rides at Swindon would love him to follow in the footsteps of Kilb,Crash,Keener, Dukey, Wellie,Rosco, the Smart's/ Chessell's and bless him Martin Hewlett it would be great. Edited September 13, 2017 by Sidney the robin

[topaz325]

This forum is more interesting than the Speedway at times.

[Gemini]

Sure is. I just wish there were more options than just the 'Like' icon. A few others would enable us to show our appreciation, or otherwise, of a post as per Facebook. Mind you they are missing a few that I'd like to use sometimes as well.

[cowboy cookie returns?]

I am!!! one meeting so far this year & this winter like every other i wait in the hope that something is done that will make me want to attend every week. For me the sport has to go at best semi pro the rule book needs binning & starting over & we need to wake up that the rocket ship laydowns do nothing for entertainment on the tight uk tracks. Do we need the GP riders back i think not at the moment the level of interest out side of the hard cure of support is so low that new comer would not know the difference between Tai Woffinden Greg Hancock or Lewis Kerr. Good tight racing no daft rules & 7 V 7 who are riding for there contracted teams!!

Also we need some characters back both riders and refs.....Lew Strip and Frank Ebdon were always entertaining & gave the meetings edge!

[Guest]

i enjoyed reading and tend to agree with many of the views expressed by David Pickles in regard to improving the status and recognition that is needed for British speedway:

Let's Promote Speedway

 

Let's Promote Speedway II

Edited September 14, 2017 by Guest

[foamfence]

i enjoyed reading and tend to agree with many of the views expressed by David Pickles in regard to improving the status and recognition that is needed for British speedway:

Let's Promote Speedway

 

Let's Promote Speedway II

Interesting point about Coronation Street, I remember when one of the women characters was going out with a Speedway rider, Eastenders had a character who did a bit of riding and Birds of a Feather often had one character wearing Hackney Speedway clothing. This year TV coverage has been reduced and apparently Speedway will be paid little or nothing for any coverage in future seasons, just one meeting a year on mainstream TV would make much more of a difference, when you think of the masses who have little or no awareness of the sport.

[Aces51]

The actor Jason Done is a Belle Vue fan and was a regular in the drama Waterloo Road. He was seen in many episodes drinking from a Belle Vue mug and reading an Aces programme. Unfortunately, I don't think it ever resulted in an increase in the attendance at the dog track. Good of him to try though.

Edited September 14, 2017 by Aces51

[barrybishop]

Rekindle your love and join virtual skid tomorrow at 7pm when for one night only the Heathens and the Bees return to track..... 15 race, 2 VTMs, 1 winner.... unknow result..

For one night only... Cradley Ride again....

Friends, fans and brethren please spread the word.

Our Virtual Skid project next airs tomorrow, Thursday 16 July and features the Heathens going wheel to wheel against the Coventry Bees from the 90’s. Please come and join us on Speedway Portals Youtube channel, like our FB Page Virtual Skid and Twitter @skidvirtual

Each Heat is sponsored (as are the team managers Garry Stead and Adam Roynon). The Speedway Riders Benevolent Fund will be the sponsorship recipients.

Additional donations are being taken. Don’t  forget the SRBF text line is now open for you to be able to donate £5 - its quick and easy and you will be supporting a great cause. 

Text SRBF to 70085 or SRBFNOINFO to 70085 if you do not want any marketing updates.

Here is the legal bit....

Text SRBF to 70085 to donate £5
Texts cost £5 plus one standard rate message and you’ll be opting in to hear more about our work and fundraising via telephone and  SMS. If you’d like to give £5 but do not wish to receive marketing communications, text SRBFNOINFO to 70085. 

If you haven’t tried Virtual Skid yet, search Speedway Portal and follow the links to one of the five meetings that have already been screened.

[Guest]

On 9/6/2017 at 7:06 AM, Sidney the robin said:

He hurts me to say this but after first going to speedway in 1968 my interest in the sport is dwindling.I still go to the Abbey every home meeting but at times it is hard after getting home from work to get motiavated to go.I sometimes get there see a good race and the excitement comes back my interest in the sport also went from about 1990 to 96 but i stuck with it.But this winter is a very important one for me i am seriously thinking about picking my meeting's next year as i have other thing's to do now i hope i get the bug back when March comes around again.On Monday i taped the Wolves v Swindon match yet have not even got around to watching that yet that tells you everything does anyone else feel the same as me.?

My follow up! Lost interest from circa 1963-72, then spasmodic following  until 1989. Back again in 2002 but last saw a live meeting in 2005. There's no attraction for me nowadays  in regard to TV coverage. For me the golden years were reading about the exploits from the 1930s, then from my first meeting in April 1946 and closely followed until circa 1960.

Edited September 17, 2020 by Guest

[cityrebel]

I'm not really losing interest, it's the lack of local meetings that are having the biggest impact. I've been to Lydd, Scunthorpe and King's Lynn and hopefully Ipswich next week. Driving over 200 miles for meetings don't do it for me.

[tigerowl]

The pandemic and lack of meetings has made me realise how much I have missed speedway and took it for granted. My enthusiasm has been fully rekindled.

[cityrebel]

14 minutes ago, tigerowl said:

The pandemic and lack of meetings has made me realise how much I have missed speedway and took it for granted. My enthusiasm has been fully rekindled.

The pandemic has had the opposite effect on me. Pre lockdown i used to attend on average 80 meetings per season. When this hell is over, i will definitely settle for less.

[Daniel Smith]

After barely missing a Stars home meeting & a few away for 20+ years I haven't missed it at all. 

Been living just outside Wolverhampton for the past 3 years & only been once when Lynn were there, 3 years ago.

I'm happy with just watching BT's Speedway coverage, a few Exstraliga & Elitserien meetings that's it.

British Speedway is dead to me

[marko]

Find it a bit weird how many people who frequent these forums and post more than average, still claim to no longer have any interest in speedway, why are they here? there must be an element they care about otherwise why waste your precious free time? unless they have an agenda of "i don't have speedway anymore so i hope it dies, so no one has it"

I amongst many others became lost to live speedway when they closed Arena Essex down (its not been bulldozed yet, so i still live in hope) and i have not been to a meeting since, but of course i watch on tv, and i still love the sport, its been part of my life for over 30 years since i was 15, its in the blood now, i am not blind to all the problems that exist and want to make us pull our hair out when the promoters make in our own eyes the wrong decisions but i still enjoy the racing for what it is, four riders, four laps, throwing a bike around that is basically a rocket on two wheels and making it look stupidly easy, in short, everything that appealed to me when i first started going, when i didn't know the riders, or the complicated rules or any of the other red tape that surrounds the sport.

[ruckerroo]

ive not had a days work since march 14, i dont really want to drive 3 hrs to plymouth or 4 to scunthorpe so i will have to wait til 2021 unless somewhere more local gets dispensation to race