Kent 2018

[East End Fan]

All sounds very confusing....but in any case there seems to have been a bigger number of falls than should ever be the case.  Clearly affected the result.

Was there something wrong with the track ?  Looking at the race card ( I was not there), a big difference after heat 11 so it looks as if something changed.

Someone suggested that there was a trainee referee. Is that a fact ?

[*JJ]

3 hours ago, East End Fan said:

Was there something wrong with the track ?  Looking at the race card ( I was not there), a big difference after heat 11 so it looks as if something changed.

 

Just riders being brave and trying too hard.

[the hobbit]

Yes there was a trainee referee however he was being overseen by one of the most experienced referees around 

trouble was, the experienced referee was once again useless!!!!  

He ruined our first meeting of the season by continuously holding the tapes too long and last night, he was even worse. 

Riders from both teams were furious with him as they were held under the green start light for so long on, full engine revs at the start, that they were risking damaging their engines. There were some choose “expletive  - delitives” being used to describe his performance by several riders after the meeting and in fact, during it as well!!  At one point, he was loudly booed and heckled by the Home supporters 

It was almost as if the ref wanted to be the centre of attention  he was but, simply because he once again showed his gross ineptitude !!!  He’s bloody useless 

 

 

 

[East End Fan]

Interesting comments about the referee.  The problem that we have is that such referees greatly influence final results, and that is

not what they are there to do.  No answer to that, sadly. Meanwhile the disastrous weather continues to stop proceedings. Has to be

the worst early season on record.

[Sings4Speedway]

Didn't go on Monday as the visitors didn't sound like it would produce an attractive enough meeting and glad i didn't given it was such a long drawn out event but what did shock me was hearing the admission has gone up again.

£14 !!!! Four-teen pounds to watch NL speedway. Kent must now be the most expensive club in the third tier? Things are getting out of hand with admission costs.

[East End Fan]

I suppose the price you pay depends on where you go to watch.  If the stadium is little more than  a field you would not expect to pay too much.

The reverse is also true. Comfort has a value IMO.  Some tracks are now charging £3 for a programme.  Does S4S moan about that ? Compared to

most alternative entertainments, Speedway is on the cheap side.

[Sings4Speedway]

8 minutes ago, East End Fan said:

I suppose the price you pay depends on where you go to watch.  If the stadium is little more than  a field you would not expect to pay too much.

The reverse is also true. Comfort has a value IMO.  Some tracks are now charging £3 for a programme.  Does S4S moan about that ? Compared to

most alternative entertainments, Speedway is on the cheap side.

Im not going to debate the surrounding at Kent are certainly better than some but would certainly not carried away and claim they are superior. For my mind the money i spend requires two things in return entertainment & quality. If the quality of speedway is higher i will be tempted to part with a few more pounds and if the entertainment is high i do not generally question the costs. However Kent has become a bit of a fortress over the past couple of years and 14 quid for home sides drumming the away team is not for me so i will just pick and choose my matches more carefully. 

As for programmes that doesn't worry me as everyone has a choice if they wish to buy one or not, i choose not.

[ProudtobeaBrummie]

8 minutes ago, Sings4Speedway said:

Im not going to debate the surrounding at Kent are certainly better than some but would certainly not carried away and claim they are superior. For my mind the money i spend requires two things in return entertainment & quality. If the quality of speedway is higher i will be tempted to part with a few more pounds and if the entertainment is high i do not generally question the costs. However Kent has become a bit of a fortress over the past couple of years and 14 quid for home sides drumming the away team is not for me so i will just pick and choose my matches more carefully. 

As for programmes that doesn't worry me as everyone has a choice if they wish to buy one or not, i choose not.

So what do you think is a fair cost ? I do get you point a little .

At Birmingham football club we have different category that we charge i.e 

Cat a game ( villa or wolves ) 25 quid 

Cat b ( Leeds or derby ) 20 quid 

Cat c ( burton or Preston )15 quid

You could implement a similar structure in speedway .

Personally I have a season ticket at the brummies  and it is outstanding value it works out £9 a meeting including a programme ...

Edited May 9, 2018 by ProudtobeaBrummie

[Sings4Speedway]

Difficult to call although cannot disagree that £9 per meeting inc a programme is excellent value. For me personally i feel the NL should be £10 - £12 Max. It might sound like i am quibbling a couple of pounds per meeting and as i do not attend every home meeting i cannot cite that it adds up over the year etc (although for some it certainly does) its just about what appears to represent value for money in much the same way as i am less likely to drink in a pub where a pint costs £4.50 compared to somewhere that costs £3.50. 

Should the surroundings have received a major upgrade or the team on display be significantly improved perhaps an increase would be justifiable but as things are at a status quo at best / slightly down it feels like a price rise for the sake of a rise.

[teaboy279]

We have had 2 price increases since our existence, not bad when you compare it to other things. 

In 2013 I could get 20 Mayfair for 5.99. Cheapest pack of fags now is £8.30.

Back then a pint of lager was 3.20 per pint, you d be lucky to pay that in a social club now.

I always buy a programme so I always count the entry cost including programme. 16 quid it costs me to watch at central park, which is identical to our nearest rivals Eastbourne. So on balance it's not a great problem.

[blueherb777]

18 hours ago, Sings4Speedway said:

Im not going to debate the surrounding at Kent are certainly better than some but would certainly not carried away and claim they are superior. For my mind the money i spend requires two things in return entertainment & quality. If the quality of speedway is higher i will be tempted to part with a few more pounds and if the entertainment is high i do not generally question the costs. However Kent has become a bit of a fortress over the past couple of years and 14 quid for home sides drumming the away team is not for me so i will just pick and choose my matches more carefully. 

As for programmes that doesn't worry me as everyone has a choice if they wish to buy one or not, i choose not.

Same thing happened at Kent last season.

Long drawn out meetings.To be expected with novice riders learning their trade.But is is right to increase admission to stand around for ages with nothing happening.

Agree you go to Speedway to see entertainment,exciting racing and quality.Cannot say you see too much in NL.

Also results are so predictable in this League.I thought Kent would lose at Mildenhall 55-35 (not far out) and beat Buxton 60-30 (again close).

I watch the Polish League meetings and you get,quality racing,great tracks,atmosphere,and with great riders in most races....unpredictable results.

IMHO 

[East End Fan]

Don't know where you go for long drawn out meetings. There is an 8.30 curfew at Kent for normal meetings which start at 6.30.

Although predictions can be near enough correct, they can often turn out to be surprisingly wrong. Unexpected incidents will always#

affect results, injuries especially.  As for admission prices, it's all very well for "Sings" to think £10 is a fair price, but out of that £10 he

forgets that the government take £2 in VAT.  While, of course, I don't know what it costs to stage a meeting, I doubt that £8 admission

income would be enough.

[blueherb777]

22 minutes ago, East End Fan said:

Don't know where you go for long drawn out meetings. There is an 8.30 curfew at Kent for normal meetings which start at 6.30.

Although predictions can be near enough correct, they can often turn out to be surprisingly wrong. Unexpected incidents will always#

affect results, injuries especially.  As for admission prices, it's all very well for "Sings" to think £10 is a fair price, but out of that £10 he

forgets that the government take £2 in VAT.  While, of course, I don't know what it costs to stage a meeting, I doubt that £8 admission

income would be enough.

So taking over an hour for the first three Heats is not long drawn out?

Also the odd meeting at Kent did not go the whole 15 heats last season.

[Reliant Robin]

31 minutes ago, East End Fan said:

Don't know where you go for long drawn out meetings. There is an 8.30 curfew at Kent for normal meetings which start at 6.30.

Although predictions can be near enough correct, they can often turn out to be surprisingly wrong. Unexpected incidents will always#

affect results, injuries especially.  As for admission prices, it's all very well for "Sings" to think £10 is a fair price, but out of that £10 he

forgets that the government take £2 in VAT.  While, of course, I don't know what it costs to stage a meeting, I doubt that £8 admission

income would be enough.

Out of £10 the VAT would be £1.66, but that is neither here nor there. Each to his own, and each makes a call on what they're willing to pay out of their disposable income.

That said, it's crazy to think that to attend at Kent with a programme would cost £16, whilst I can go an watch the Premiership Champions for £17 including a programme. I know which I would see as better VFM

[blueherb777]

53 minutes ago, Reliant Robin said:

Out of £10 the VAT would be £1.66, but that is neither here nor there. Each to his own, and each makes a call on what they're willing to pay out of their disposable income.

That said, it's crazy to think that to attend at Kent with a programme would cost £16, whilst I can go an watch the Premiership Champions for £17 including a programme. I know which I would see as better VFM

This is my point.Why pay so much for Novices who are basically training.That is for the junior Leagues and training tracks.

I would like to know how long exactly Mondays meeting took,and how long the actual racing took.

You pay for standing around... that is the truth.

[gazzac]

I suppose a ' fair' figure for NL would really be £12 ( £10 plus vat), and make it the same (maximum) across all NL clubs, unless someone wants to charge less.

Edited May 10, 2018 by gazzac

[Aces51]

At the NSS it's £10 to sit in the grandstand to watch the Colts. Concessions are £8 and under 18's free. 

 

[Reliant Robin]

2 minutes ago, Aces51 said:

At the NSS it's £10 to sit in the grandstand to watch the Colts. Concessions are £8 and under 18's free. 

 

That's more like it.....and watching in the best stadium, on the best race track in British Speedway

[Reliant Robin]

14 minutes ago, Richard Weston said:

Different business model to standalone clubs.

Income should be sufficient to help defray some of the costs of running which would be there anyway; even if the Colts did not run.

Colts may not be profitable but their income helps pay for costs such as business rates, any standing charges for utilities, full-time staff etc

To the average punter, that makes no difference to their perception of value for money

[Aces51]

37 minutes ago, Richard Weston said:

Different business model to standalone clubs.

Income should be sufficient to help defray some of the costs of running which would be there anyway; even if the Colts did not run.

Colts may not be profitable but their income helps pay for costs such as business rates, any standing charges for utilities, full-time staff etc

Only if they make a profit on the not insignificant costs of opening the stadium and running a NL meeting. Otherwise, unless they don't even cover those costs, they simply cover the costs of their Colts meetings with nothing left over to defray the general costs of the stadium. Overall, Belle Vue lost money last year. 

I think that running in the NL is seen more as a way of attracting new and hopefully, younger fans with the under 18 free policy and building the rider asset base.

Edited May 10, 2018 by Aces51