In My View By Phil Rising

[foamfence]

No, I mean like: Zmarzlik, Sundstrum, Pawlicki x2, Kolodziej, Zengota, Sayfutdinov, Kildemand, Hancock, N Pedersen, B Pedersen, Hampel, Protasiewicz, Woffinden, Janowski, Millik, Wozniak, MJJ, Walasek, Zagar, Michelsen, Lindback, Jonsson, Ljung, Korneliussen, Bech, Buczkowski, Bach, Madsen, Iversen, Davidsson, Miedzinski, Balinski, Miskowiak, Jedrzejak, Ulamek, Woryna, Smolinski... There's probably more, I've got bored of trying to spell them now!

 

All of these have at some point ridden in the BL and no longer do so. And there are also loads that have never ridden in the BL, we've never even seen them... Still we've always got Rob Shuttleworh to watch!

Personally I don't miss any of them but you might get a few looking for extra rides, especially if rumours about Swedish Speedway are true, let's hope they don't bankrupt any more clubs if they do come. Your comment about Rob Shuttleworth is in extremely bad taste, I would always support British riders over imported ones whatever level they happen to be at.

[IainB]

Your comment about Rob Shuttleworth is in extremely bad taste, I would always support British riders over imported ones whatever level they happen to be at.

wasn't singling him out... even though I singled him out but you gotta admit it's a bit of a come down after watching all of the others over the years. You could substitute Rob Shuttleworth's name with many others

[Tsunami]

To be honest, it's not the speedway issues that wind me up. I can't believe that it's taken promoters this long to arrange fixed nights. What has been the resistance to implementing a coherent plan to work within the Speedway world? It's set Speedway in this country back several years to the point we have lost our status. We have several riders doubling up to supplement their income and we have nights of 4/5 regular riders and guests. What goes on every year at the AGM because it appears you don't listen to your fans concerns and continually plough the same lonely furrow with an ever decreasing fan base.

 

The starting point has now been acieved. The next point is to ensure the teams run the same 7 riders week in week out, as much as injuries/participation in FIM sanctioned events will allow. Finally, sort out a deal with Sky/BT worthy of a professional sport that will cover the costs to ensure top riders can be tempted back. The deal currently in place is not worthy of the name. It can't be that difficult to ask for x2 or x3 the current deal. Both these organisations have money to burn. The people in charge of the rights have to go out and sell the sports properly.

 

I go to the ice hockey in Swindon. Not every week but 4 to 5 times a season. The dynamics of the two sports could not be more different. In the 10 years I have followed the ice hockey the weekly crowd has increased certainly two fold in the time and hundreds of young children are in attendance. I look at the speedway and you'll be lucky to see 40-50 children.

 

It's time for the promoters to walk the walk.They have talked the talk for far too long...

If only it was all that easy. There has not been the same pressure to change nights mandatory in the past as there wasn't the same clashes, and/or need for so many guests and R/R's. In the past older clubs have run on favoured nights based on better crowds and/or stadium availability. Why would they volunteer to change to a worse night and lose more money. Fixed nights might be overall beneficial in the long run, but there will be casualties, you can bet on that.

 

Been there and done it, and I do all Newcastle's promotions , schools and shows. Advertised in free local papers, had a radio adverts programme for a while, handouts with free or reduced offers and none of them can be certain to have brought more than a half dozen extra fans. Existing people bringing friends and families usually are accepted as bringing fans that just might come back regularly.

 

I was involved in the promotion or the Newcastle Vipers in the early 00's. Different scenario all together. Only once went to a match which was called off(for soft ice reasons) and usually you can guarantee it being on regardless of the weather outside. It's usually warmer being enclosed by other fans, and Ice Hockey Stadia usually have fixed shops/stalls inside for merchandise, food outlets, bars, etc. Meetings can be held on say three different nights just the same as speedway like Sat Sun and Wed, due to others match nights, so fixed nights are not in ice Hockey as far as I experienced. Sometimes you can can two away meeting over the weekend so some weeks no matches unless they put on a one on say Wednesday, which does not give you good crowds In many other ways Speedway and Ice Hockey have had similar histories, answers, TV coverage, crisis league revisions, etc. In many dual cities, a lot of speedway fans go to the Ice Hockey and vice versa.

 

Most Promotors have tried just about everything, and a few blown their brains out trying to grow their business. Unfortunately you have to accept sometimes that the times are a changing, and there will never be the same appetite for speedway given all the distractions there are in modern society. Regardless there will always be some with the obvious answers, but no money, but expect others to 'walk the walk' when it has cost them dearly in the past and not seen any tangible improvement in their support.

[The White Knight]

If only it was all that easy. There has not been the same pressure to change nights mandatory in the past as there wasn't the same clashes, and/or need for so many guests and R/R's. In the past older clubs have run on favoured nights based on better crowds and/or stadium availability. Why would they volunteer to change to a worse night and lose more money. Fixed nights might be overall beneficial in the long run, but there will be casualties, you can bet on that.

 

Been there and done it, and I do all Newcastle's promotions , schools and shows. Advertised in free local papers, had a radio adverts programme for a while, handouts with free or reduced offers and none of them can be certain to have brought more than a half dozen extra fans. Existing people bringing friends and families usually are accepted as bringing fans that just might come back regularly.

 

I was involved in the promotion or the Newcastle Vipers in the early 00's. Different scenario all together. Only once went to a match which was called off(for soft ice reasons) and usually you can guarantee it being on regardless of the weather outside. It's usually warmer being enclosed by other fans, and Ice Hockey Stadia usually have fixed shops/stalls inside for merchandise, food outlets, bars, etc. Meetings can be held on say three different nights just the same as speedway like Sat Sun and Wed, due to others match nights, so fixed nights are not in ice Hockey as far as I experienced. Sometimes you can can two away meeting over the weekend so some weeks no matches unless they put on a one on say Wednesday, which does not give you good crowds In many other ways Speedway and Ice Hockey have had similar histories, answers, TV coverage, crisis league revisions, etc. In many dual cities, a lot of speedway fans go to the Ice Hockey and vice versa.

 

Most Promotors have tried just about everything, and a few blown their brains out trying to grow their business. Unfortunately you have to accept sometimes that the times are a changing, and there will never be the same appetite for speedway given all the distractions there are in modern society. Regardless there will always be some with the obvious answers, but no money, but expect others to 'walk the walk' when it has cost them dearly in the past and not seen any tangible improvement in their support.

I have some sympathy with your viewpoint Tsunami - but Promoters do not endear themselves to their Public with the constant changing of Rules, and the twisting of said Rules when it suits them. If a Rule is brought in at the AGM, that Rule should stand for, at the very least, a Season (Preferably Five Years). and should be rigidly adhered to.

[THE DEAN MACHINE]

If only it was all that easy. There has not been the same pressure to change nights mandatory in the past as there wasn't the same clashes, and/or need for so many guests and R/R's. In the past older clubs have run on favoured nights based on better crowds and/or stadium availability. Why would they volunteer to change to a worse night and lose more money. Fixed nights might be overall beneficial in the long run, but there will be casualties, you can bet on that.

 

Been there and done it, and I do all Newcastle's promotions , schools and shows. Advertised in free local papers, had a radio adverts programme for a while, handouts with free or reduced offers and none of them can be certain to have brought more than a half dozen extra fans. Existing people bringing friends and families usually are accepted as bringing fans that just might come back regularly.

 

I was involved in the promotion or the Newcastle Vipers in the early 00's. Different scenario all together. Only once went to a match which was called off(for soft ice reasons) and usually you can guarantee it being on regardless of the weather outside. It's usually warmer being enclosed by other fans, and Ice Hockey Stadia usually have fixed shops/stalls inside for merchandise, food outlets, bars, etc. Meetings can be held on say three different nights just the same as speedway like Sat Sun and Wed, due to others match nights, so fixed nights are not in ice Hockey as far as I experienced. Sometimes you can can two away meeting over the weekend so some weeks no matches unless they put on a one on say Wednesday, which does not give you good crowds In many other ways Speedway and Ice Hockey have had similar histories, answers, TV coverage, crisis league revisions, etc. In many dual cities, a lot of speedway fans go to the Ice Hockey and vice versa.

 

Most Promotors have tried just about everything, and a few blown their brains out trying to grow their business. Unfortunately you have to accept sometimes that the times are a changing, and there will never be the same appetite for speedway given all the distractions there are in modern society. Regardless there will always be some with the obvious answers, but no money, but expect others to 'walk the walk' when it has cost them dearly in the past and not seen any tangible improvement in their support.

the product in this country is faulty and until it is fixed no amount of plugging,advertising or publicity is going to change that ,you are selling a team sport with no teams just names , why cant we seem to grasp that ?

[SCB]

No, I mean like: Zmarzlik, Sundstrum, Pawlicki x2, Kolodziej, Zengota, Sayfutdinov, Kildemand, Hancock, N Pedersen, B Pedersen, Hampel, Protasiewicz, Woffinden, Janowski, Millik, Wozniak, MJJ, Walasek, Zagar, Michelsen, Lindback, Jonsson, Ljung, Korneliussen, Bech, Buczkowski, Bach, Madsen, Iversen, Davidsson, Miedzinski, Balinski, Miskowiak, Jedrzejak, Ulamek, Woryna, Smolinski... There's probably more, I've got bored of trying to spell them now!

 

All of these have at some point ridden in the BL and no longer do so. And there are also loads that have never ridden in the BL, we've never even seen them... Still we've always got Rob Shuttleworh to watch!

How many of those have been forced out and how many don't want to be here? Most of them have gone on record as saying they don't want to be here. A few have said they would only ride here if we have fixed race nights, so let see how many are true to their word, I'll suggest not many!

[Tsunami]

the product in this country is faulty and until it is fixed no amount of plugging,advertising or publicity is going to change that ,you are selling a team sport with no teams just names , why cant we seem to grasp that ?

And one of the main deficiencies is the shortage of British riders. In the last years massive efforts have been made to get kids riding with a hope we can get them up to standard. That would greatly reduce the number of poor foreigners riding here and help eliminate guests and R/R except for injuries. When the Fast track reserves in the "Premier League" it brought out criticism which basically was not real, but some fans still think it was wrong. Yes it should have been introduced in the then Premier League, but it was the then Elite League who also wanted to reduce their costs whilst the PL teams didn't want to. Get the right number of riders to staff all the teams and a lot of the complications will go away. It will take time though and will the present fans accept change and a possible slight reduction in the standard. Ironically some NL fans think the racing can be better in the NL that the usual stuff in the PL and Championship.

[THE DEAN MACHINE]

And one of the main deficiencies is the shortage of British riders. In the last years massive efforts have been made to get kids riding with a hope we can get them up to standard. That would greatly reduce the number of poor foreigners riding here and help eliminate guests and R/R except for injuries. When the Fast track reserves in the "Premier League" it brought out criticism which basically was not real, but some fans still think it was wrong. Yes it should have been introduced in the then Premier League, but it was the then Elite League who also wanted to reduce their costs whilst the PL teams didn't want to. Get the right number of riders to staff all the teams and a lot of the complications will go away. It will take time though and will the present fans accept change and a possible slight reduction in the standard. Ironically some NL fans think the racing can be better in the NL that the usual stuff in the PL and Championship.

while the lack of British riders is certainly an issue, even poor foreign riders can become heros for teams, while your points may be valid they are not the problem with team speedway in this country ,it has no identity and is just a free for all and that has nothing to do with lack of British riders, my two speedway heros were both foreigners Edited September 24, 2017 by THE DEAN MACHINE

[Guest]

the product in this country is faulty and until it is fixed no amount of plugging,advertising or publicity is going to change that ,you are selling a team sport with no teams just names , why cant we seem to grasp that ?

 

'The product' in this country has been faulty since a start in the early 1990s and has steadily become worse season-on-season. What must be hoped for is an imminent halt to the decline, followed by a carefully thought out plan to TRY and rebuild the sport.

But this is speedway we are talking about and one tends to fear it may all be too late to reverse the ongoing downward spiral.

[theblueboy]

If only it was all that easy. There has not been the same pressure to change nights mandatory in the past as there wasn't the same clashes, and/or need for so many guests and R/R's. In the past older clubs have run on favoured nights based on better crowds and/or stadium availability. Why would they volunteer to change to a worse night and lose more money. Fixed nights might be overall beneficial in the long run, but there will be casualties, you can bet on that.

 

Been there and done it, and I do all Newcastle's promotions , schools and shows. Advertised in free local papers, had a radio adverts programme for a while, handouts with free or reduced offers and none of them can be certain to have brought more than a half dozen extra fans. Existing people bringing friends and families usually are accepted as bringing fans that just might come back regularly.

 

I was involved in the promotion or the Newcastle Vipers in the early 00's. Different scenario all together. Only once went to a match which was called off(for soft ice reasons) and usually you can guarantee it being on regardless of the weather outside. It's usually warmer being enclosed by other fans, and Ice Hockey Stadia usually have fixed shops/stalls inside for merchandise, food outlets, bars, etc. Meetings can be held on say three different nights just the same as speedway like Sat Sun and Wed, due to others match nights, so fixed nights are not in ice Hockey as far as I experienced. Sometimes you can can two away meeting over the weekend so some weeks no matches unless they put on a one on say Wednesday, which does not give you good crowds In many other ways Speedway and Ice Hockey have had similar histories, answers, TV coverage, crisis league revisions, etc. In many dual cities, a lot of speedway fans go to the Ice Hockey and vice versa.

 

Most Promotors have tried just about everything, and a few blown their brains out trying to grow their business. Unfortunately you have to accept sometimes that the times are a changing, and there will never be the same appetite for speedway given all the distractions there are in modern society. Regardless there will always be some with the obvious answers, but no money, but expect others to 'walk the walk' when it has cost them dearly in the past and not seen any tangible improvement in their support.

Surely the promoters could see where this was heading? People like Jason Crump were advocating issues whilst he still rode in the UK and was basically telling the promoters where this was heading. We now have Jason Doyle saying it and, as he is all but World Champion, I guess he should be heard when he voices his concerns. There are some fans on the BSF that would be glad that the GP riders have gone, not me. I am not a snob but I wish to see the best riders performing on my doorstep if at all possible. The promoters have ensured that they continue to sell the sport short thinking they are saving costs whilst driving another 10% off their fan base fed up with either the lack of quality or the constant bending of rules that goes on from all teams.

 

I do understand that these are different days and it's probably like selling ice to the Eskimos but it feels that the promoters don't really understand the issues that have driven thousands from the sport. The Play Off gate for the Poole 1st leg was poor. If a club like Poole can't get 2000 for a semi final against their near neighbours then we all might as well give up.

 

There is no thought to how Speedway is seen by the public. I know lots of people, friends and acquaintances, who follow Swindon's results and talk to me about how they are doing but very rarely, if ever, go. The question that has to be asked then is why?

 

The cloth continues to be cut tighter. The hope with fixed nights is that better riders can be tempted back, which is welcome. In addition, some of the bigger fish from the Championship may take heart from Somerset and Rye's performance and take that step.

 

You say that most promoters have tried everything but as an example, Swindon is poorly advertised. No signage close to the stadium advertising the next fixture or on buses or taxis through the town. Young Kilby, as Commercial Manager, seems to be on the right path and engages with the fans via social media and full of new ideas, but how long that enthusiasm lasts, who knows.

 

I like the hockey always have done but it too is starting to creep the prices up. It used to be about £9-10 now £15. If it's not careful it will become like speedway and price itself away from what people can afford.

 

In summary, Speedway is a young mans sport, run by old men for old men. Until that perception changes the sport will continue to die...

[mikebv]

Surely the promoters could see where this was heading? People like Jason Crump were advocating issues whilst he still rode in the UK and was basically telling the promoters where this was heading. We now have Jason Doyle saying it and, as he is all but World Champion, I guess he should be heard when he voices his concerns. There are some fans on the BSF that would be glad that the GP riders have gone, not me. I am not a snob but I wish to see the best riders performing on my doorstep if at all possible. The promoters have ensured that they continue to sell the sport short thinking they are saving costs whilst driving another 10% off their fan base fed up with either the lack of quality or the constant bending of rules that goes on from all teams.

I do understand that these are different days and it's probably like selling ice to the Eskimos but it feels that the promoters don't really understand the issues that have driven thousands from the sport. The Play Off gate for the Poole 1st leg was poor. If a club like Poole can't get 2000 for a semi final against their near neighbours then we all might as well give up.

There is no thought to how Speedway is seen by the public. I know lots of people, friends and acquaintances, who follow Swindon's results and talk to me about how they are doing but very rarely, if ever, go. The question that has to be asked then is why?

The cloth continues to be cut tighter. The hope with fixed nights is that better riders can be tempted back, which is welcome. In addition, some of the bigger fish from the Championship may take heart from Somerset and Rye's performance and take that step.

You say that most promoters have tried everything but as an example, Swindon is poorly advertised. No signage close to the stadium advertising the next fixture or on buses or taxis through the town. Young Kilby, as Commercial Manager, seems to be on the right path and engages with the fans via social media and full of new ideas, but how long that enthusiasm lasts, who knows.

I like the hockey always have done but it too is starting to creep the prices up. It used to be about £9-10 now £15. If it's not careful it will become like speedway and price itself away from what people can afford.

In summary, Speedway is a young mans sport, run by old men for old men. Until that perception changes the sport will continue to die...

Excellent post...

 

Speedway closing its eyes, putting its fingers in its ears, and screaming "la, la, I can't hear you!" has delivered the position the Sport is in today..

 

Promoters should forget bringing in new fans for the time being and just try and entice back those who used to go...

 

As someone who runs a business, a website like this would have been 'manna from heaven' for me. Unsolicited, FREE, feedback as to your performance. My Company pays hundreds of thousands for such comments...

 

For the ten years I have been coming on here, day after day, week after week, the current shambles has been predicted by literally thousands of comments by long time followers of the Sport getting more and more disillusioned by what they were seeing..

 

Did promoters listen? Of course not..

 

Instead their answer was to increase prices by inflation busting amounts year on year to cover for those who had decided enough was enough, just to pay riders far in excess of what the Sport brings in to try and win Competitions rendered meaningless due to the way they structure and operate them...

 

Result? Even less people now attend. ..

 

Richard Branson must look on enviously at that business plan...!

[waytogo28]

mikebv wrote " Promoters should forget bringing in new fans for the time being and just try and entice back those who used to go"

 

​AND essentially that is right because if another 10 - 20% of existing die hard fans do walk away and there is an almost 0% increase in new fans , it will be non viable across the country. The end is indeed nigh.

 

​Tsunami wrote" sometimes you have to accept that times are changing"

 

THAT all changed 10 -15 years ago and no promoters noticed enough to listen to the feedback of existing fans or even consider their opinions,

 

​theblueboy wrote "Speedway is a young mans sport, run by old men for old men. Until that perception changes the sport will continue to die".

 

​LIKE it or not that is entirely true. Not only are the old men that run it, old, they have few ideas of how to turn it around. If you can't please the existing fans and you can't attract new fans - you can work out for yourself what the result will be.

[THE DEAN MACHINE]

Ive started another poll on twitter about admission price to speedway , please vote and retweet @deanfelton1👍🏻

[steve roberts]

Ive started another poll on twitter about admission price to speedway , please vote and retweet @deanfelton1

I don't do twitter...any chance on here?

[Bluenose]

Speedway Needs

-------------------------

1 Two nights a week racing days for each league (premier/championship) ......3 for National,!!

 

2 Team averages should always be 45.00,in all leagues , there are 90 points a match so why go below that??

 

3 Premier league squad system (teams name 9 riders ,including 2 riders from Championship for cover) .

 

4 3 British riders in each team squad.

 

5 Old tactical subs. (2 allowed).??

 

6 No double headers. (Kings Lynn learnt the hard way).

 

7 Organized league System,as football>> (prem/champ/national) If relegation DO it don,t run it for a laugh.

 

I would Love to see 3 Leagues of 10 teams (National including reserve teams for the big boys.

[ch958]

as someone has said - i do believe there is no point in expending effort and cash on advertising until its credible and worth turning up for.

[Alan_Jones]

2 Team averages should always be 45.00,in all leagues , there are 90 points a match so why go below that??

 

Because rider averages are calculated over 4 rides which effectively reduces a 15 heat match to the equivalent of 14 heats and thus 42 points/team for a draw.

[waiheke1]

 

Because rider averages are calculated over 4 rides which effectively reduces a 15 heat match to the equivalent of 14 heats and thus 42 points/team for a draw.

Hard to believe this needs explaining again...

[Lord Skid]

Are you sure about that, thought it was points divided by rides X 4

Might be wrong, as that was probably last week's rules.

[THE DEAN MACHINE]

Need to get rid of averages , teams can sign any rider in top 5 but has to be 1 Brit and only allow 1 go rider , 2 reserves have to be British u21 and like in Poland they can stay at reserve till the 22, a team that had a rider this season gets first pick on that rider