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Ditch the Family Tag??


Trees

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As most people either don't know of it's existence or don't care anyway, I don't think the 'family sport' tag of several decades ago still applies. I thought SKY Sport actually marketed it as raw and exciting (no brakes, no fear etc) until they realised that they were giving money to a dead beggar.

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Dirty, dangerous, raw? I reckon in the modern world the dirty tag may not appeal to a broad spectrum of the public who do not know of speedway. Dangerous , probably accurate but so was Wall of Death and that has long gone. Raw - well if the racing were closer and more exciting it could be marketed as raw. As it is in the 21st century I am not sure if it has a place in motorcycle sport. And take it off the TV it will disappear entirely from public view. Fast, Furious and Never Give Up might be another way to sell it. But if people don't ever come across it, or hear of it, it doesn't matter what you call it!

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OIt's sad to say...but I don't ever see team speedway becoming a big thing ever again in this country anyway. The youth of today are totally different to what most of us were when we were that age.   And it's not just the youth..its the 20 and 30 somethings too.  Most seem to do not much else than stay in there bedrooms on their play stations and talk to their friends on head  sets whilst doing so. I don't see much about team speedway that would have any interest at all to them. 

 

I also know of many people like myself of my age that have fallen out of love with it to...the fourty somethings. 

Edited by Baldyman
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Before Gary Havelock won the world title in 1992, speedway used to yearn for a British winner because the media would take more interest. Yes...  that happened, it didn't.

Live speedway, more on Tv and it would be the ideal outlet to any unaware, would-be fans. Twenty years on, and no it didn't.

Even the cocktail of double-wins by Woffinden in the GPs and all that TV hasn't worked.

Perhaps next winter's Promoters' Conference may offer the start to the end of the decline.

 

Or maybe speedway is simply a sport of the past, like war cries, rosettes and yearbars. Those who defend it haven't realised it yet.

 

 

 

  

Edited by moxey63
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As soon as possible, there are 'extreme' sports out there that really don't deserve the tag but Speedway which does seems to avoid it.

In my opinion they need to start telling everybody that they an just how often these lads get injured and how they are back riding long before they are fit. Make sure everybody knows just how tough this sport is and you might just get the youngsters coming to have a look, then let the riders act like they are tough and have a punch up now and again and they might stay!

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Don't think it makes any difference. You either know about and want to attend, or you don't know about it and want to find out, so go along.

One thing I have noticed though is the lack of motorcyclists that attend speedway, is it not seen as proper motor cycle racing?

Edited by woofers
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Strange thing about motorcyclists and speedway. Seems that most who race enjoy the sport but the road riders show little interest. Think the racers perhaps appreciate the skill required more.

Then again motorcycling is largely an solitary  hobby that doesn't  associate with team racing. Likewise the majority of speedway fans don't appear to have much interest in other forms of motorcycling

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3 hours ago, woofers said:

One thing I have noticed though is the lack of motorcyclists that attend speedway, is it not seen as proper motor cycle racing?

There is no crossover between speedway and the bikes you can ride on the road, unlike MotoGP, WSB and even motocross.

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3 hours ago, woofers said:

 

One thing I have noticed though is the lack of motorcyclists that attend speedway, is it not seen as proper motor cycle racing?

It's always been the same in the 50 odd years I've been following speedway. I think MattK hit the nail on the head regarding the reason.

Gladly, I'm not the norm, as I'm a motorcyclist and enjoy most forms of motorcycle sport........Speedway and MotoGP being my favourites. 

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Not sure why the 'family tag' is detrimental to the sport.It is after all what ended up taking football to a new level after decades of being a male dominated sport that was going downhill.Also if you look at the packed arenas that MotoX jumps get and see the crowds....also families,not just male motorcycle junkies.

 

Here the recent event in Hamburg which included  Porsings brother,who I remember seeing as a young speedway rider

http://www.ardmediathek.de/tv/Hamburg-Journal/Abheben-bei-der-Night-of-Freestyle/NDR-Fernsehen/Video?bcastId=25231214&documentId=48971812

 

Look at this from the same tour and see just who is having a walk around to look at the bikes and it is families with young children

 

I don't think the family tag is one of the problems facing speedway and neither are some of the strange rules.

 

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1 hour ago, Vince said:

Strange thing about motorcyclists and speedway. Seems that most who race enjoy the sport but the road riders show little interest. Think the racers perhaps appreciate the skill required more.

Then again motorcycling is largely an solitary  hobby that doesn't  associate with team racing. Likewise the majority of speedway fans don't appear to have much interest in other forms of motorcycling

I'm glad you say most...I'm a huge motorbike racing fan....follow and attend as much as I can...and have road bikes...Maybe not many fellow bike riders or bike fans follow speedway cos there isn't any bike brand association??? Or maybe it's cos most other bike fans think it's just going round and round in circles?

 

Plus I can take my road bike..which is raced in superbikes and take to the track myself .

Edited by Baldyman
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5 hours ago, MattK said:

There is no crossover between speedway and the bikes you can ride on the road, unlike MotoGP, WSB and even motocross.

I thinks it's a reflection of the actual number of motorcyclists in general. Older guys 40 to 60 seem to be the norm these days with the occasional 20 year old. Modern kids seem to miss out the motorbike stage at 16/17 as it used to be, and now buy their Corsa's, etc, and then on to family cars when they settle down.  A few years ago a motorcycle trainer said to me that the number of new provisional licences for m/bikes was down by 80%, and there seems to be less since then. 

Edited by Tsunami
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2 hours ago, Baldyman said:

I can't ever remember seeing many motorbikes outside a speedway stadium...maybe 5 max...but go  to real bike racing and there are thousands sometimes.  So even 40 years ago bikers didn't go to speedway in their masses.  

It is strange how the two have rarely mixed. Peterborough BMF weekends attracted thousands of bikers (and I do mean thousands, back in the day) - very few watched the Friday night Speedway, even though they were already in the stadium. 

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But they love sticking numbers in boxes and names between lines in a programme :blink: .   

So what other type of sports are speedway fans interested in????    For me it's all motorbike racing...I'm probably a bigger fan of moto gp and superbikes than I am of speedway.   I also like some types of car racing...and most extreme sports...oh and darts..

Edited by Baldyman
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