Vince Posted January 12, 2018 Report Share Posted January 12, 2018 11 hours ago, iris123 said: 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. I don't think being family friendly is a problem but don't believe it's the way to market the sport these days. If you look at the crowds for the X games or other extreme sports events they are no longer male dominated. Lets face it when you were 16 would you and your friends have been more likely to want to watch a nice family sport or something mad, bad and dangerous? 11 hours ago, Baldyman said: 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 . Me too, if it's got two wheels and is racing I'll watch it and have done since I was a toddler. Strangely I have had motorcycles pretty much continuously since 1971 yet don't have a road bike licence and am still not bothered about getting one. For me motorcycles are for racing, preferably off road although I currently think the best racing on offer is BSB. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martinmauger Posted January 12, 2018 Report Share Posted January 12, 2018 (edited) 17 hours ago, Hodgy said: 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. Tis true. Used to be an off-road than an avid road biker (done a bit of moto-x & speedway too!) and there used to be the Memba Rally, for full BMF members only, camping Friday to Sunday, at a concrete / tarmac stock car track near to the Showground. Peterbrough usually had a proper meet on the Friday but I never, ever got any takers among fellow bikers to join me. A few would watch the demonstraions on the Sunday BMF Rally for campers, non-campers & general public (I think) but that would be about it. Years before that I worked in a motorcycle franchsie, only speedway fan of course, and most of the staff watched road racing. Including some form of production class for mostly standard road bikes, pretty much just lights removed, drain plugs safety wired and racing numbers added. Now until 125cc, 160cc & 250cc, etc engines were fitted over the last few years, mostly a 'speedway bike has been a speedway bike' that is one dominent 500cc engine mark with a few challengers. So, simple to follow then, only riders results count, few give a stuff about engines, tyres, etc. My fellow colleagues would say that 'speedway is too expensive, too complicated to follow, too many rules, no passing' yet happliy pay not much less than speedway entry to watch road racing at converted aifields (usual viewing one bend and maybe one straight), no real facilities to speak of. And would gleefully pay a heck of a lot more than an FIM speedway event at Silverstone, for example, to stand 1/4 mile away from one bend and listen to the riders disappear for a minute or so and wonder what was hapenning (usually nothing). Then talk about how they stood and camped maybe in the rain and the Yamahas beat the Hondas or whatever, I would tell them I saw it on TV and had a much better view of the entire circuit & race than they did. Though I appreciate I missed out on the atmosphere. Yet when I told them I thought road racing was much more complicated, like what did different coloured numbers mean, Production, F1, F2, National, International, Supersport, etc, classes mean, and that riders queued up behind the leader for lap after lap waiting for a fall, EF or mistake to pass around the inside only, they looked at me like I had 2 heads. So yeah, like with Touring Cars, many fans identify as much, if not more with the well-known brands of vehicles as with the competitors.... Edited January 12, 2018 by martinmauger spelling, grammar 2x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halifaxtiger Posted January 12, 2018 Report Share Posted January 12, 2018 2 hours ago, Vince said: I don't think being family friendly is a problem but don't believe it's the way to market the sport these days. If you look at the crowds for the X games or other extreme sports events they are no longer male dominated. Lets face it when you were 16 would you and your friends have been more likely to want to watch a nice family sport or something mad, bad and dangerous? Me too, if it's got two wheels and is racing I'll watch it and have done since I was a toddler. Strangely I have had motorcycles pretty much continuously since 1971 yet don't have a road bike licence and am still not bothered about getting one. For me motorcycles are for racing, preferably off road although I currently think the best racing on offer is BSB. I really don't see why it can't be an extreme sport and a family one. The two aren't incompatible. I see no reason why a family wouldn't go to something 'mad, bad and dangerous' (brilliant description, by the way). I might be the odd one out but other motor sport leaves me cold. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bagpuss Posted January 12, 2018 Report Share Posted January 12, 2018 Have really got into Moto GP in the last few years. The Moto 3 class is incredible, there is almost too much passing! I agree with HT, speedway can be both family and extreme. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baldyman Posted January 12, 2018 Report Share Posted January 12, 2018 At the moment it's not really it's not really trying to be either.... Moto 3 is awsome....loads of young kids going for it . I now focus more on road racing than speedway...shame as speedway always used to come first...Sadly not anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whisperer Posted January 12, 2018 Report Share Posted January 12, 2018 1 hour ago, Halifaxtiger said: I might be the odd one out but other motor sport leaves me cold. Time to get some long trousers then ! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uk_martin Posted January 12, 2018 Report Share Posted January 12, 2018 18 hours ago, Gunner85 said: Being known as a family sports is a good asset to have. I would question that, if your intention is in attracting a new audience that is going to sustain the sport into the future. We live in a society where the majority of kids (cue the "I know someone who knows someone who will "disprove" this theory" posts) simply do NOT want to do what their parents let alone grandparents do, or go where they go. Kids want to be with their peer groups. Proof is in where they go for their nights out. Check out "town" on a Friday night. People in their teens and 20's will be with others of their age group. You won't see kids of that age down the Derby & Joan Club. So why should speedway be any different? If you want to attract the youth of today, then you have to give them something that they want, somewhere with other people of their age where they can go, have a laugh, have a drink, and all being well, "pull". You won't get that by promising a "Little House On The Prairie" type environment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baldyman Posted January 12, 2018 Report Share Posted January 12, 2018 If it's meant to be a family sport....why do hardly any of the oldies...which is most of those there...not have their grandchildren with them??? A few do maybe but not many. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vince Posted January 12, 2018 Report Share Posted January 12, 2018 7 hours ago, Halifaxtiger said: I really don't see why it can't be an extreme sport and a family one. The two aren't incompatible. I see no reason why a family wouldn't go to something 'mad, bad and dangerous' (brilliant description, by the way). I agree on both counts but don't think the two types of marketing are compatible If you go to a Nitro Circus show there will be hundreds of young kids with their parents but the marketing is all about the thrills and spills which means it is still cool for the young adults. They do have the added advantage that the majority of the audience will do or have done a watered down version of what they do. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iris123 Posted January 12, 2018 Report Share Posted January 12, 2018 I don't think the problem is with families,as I have pointed out,just look at the change in the football audience over the past 3 decades or so and just look at the audiences who go to MotoX jumps or even in my experience ice hockey.The problem speedway has and where the audience attending is noticeably different is the amount of over 40's and even over 60s.Even on the recent link about popular sports in Poland it mentioned the average fan was between 40 and 59,i think...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sings4Speedway Posted January 12, 2018 Report Share Posted January 12, 2018 Problem is as stated by some already Speedway is neither family friendly or extreme for the modern generation. Family friendly means clean well kept stadiums, good viewing for adults and children alike and toilets that do not disgust people. You then need a team that is prepared to interact with the fans, be around pre-meeting and not rush off after like all do now. For the extreme side things are just not that dramatic to the instant generation. They want to see the thrills & spills, ideally in a 2 minute clip max and then move onto something else. Attention spans are short, anticipation is unnecessary technology has created an instant society and minority sports will continue to struggle. There are plenty of grand ideas that could be used to promote the sport, demo's that could be put on with almost rehearsed racing which will have short term gains but all the while everyone is focused on saving the immediate the future is slipping further away. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iris123 Posted January 12, 2018 Report Share Posted January 12, 2018 2 minutes ago, Sings4Speedway said: Problem is as stated by some already Speedway is neither family friendly or extreme for the modern generation. Family friendly means clean well kept stadiums, good viewing for adults and children alike and toilets that do not disgust people. You then need a team that is prepared to interact with the fans, be around pre-meeting and not rush off after like all do now. For the extreme side things are just not that dramatic to the instant generation. They want to see the thrills & spills, ideally in a 2 minute clip max and then move onto something else. Attention spans are short, anticipation is unnecessary technology has created an instant society and minority sports will continue to struggle. There are plenty of grand ideas that could be used to promote the sport, demo's that could be put on with almost rehearsed racing which will have short term gains but all the while everyone is focused on saving the immediate the future is slipping further away. I'd agree with that.The thing about ice hockey and arena jumps motox is the whole presentation is super.There is plenty of action going on and often something in the breaks,which come in handy for going to the loo or getting something to eat.The trouble with speedway,is it is outside in a poor stadium and the action to break ratio is way too far over on the nothing much is happening side....... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sings4Speedway Posted January 12, 2018 Report Share Posted January 12, 2018 2 minutes ago, iris123 said: I'd agree with that.The thing about ice hockey and arena jumps motox is the whole presentation is super.There is plenty of action going on and often something in the breaks,which come in handy for going to the loo or getting something to eat.The trouble with speedway,is it is outside in a poor stadium and the action to break ratio is way too far over on the nothing much is happening side....... Presentation is huge and speedway have it very wrong (although many new attempts appear faddy). The other issue is Speedway & its fans don't know what they want it to be? Is it supposed to be an afternoon/evening out with excellent entertainment like a social event or is it supposed to be a quick fix and hammered through as quick as possible with a few thrills like an illicit rendezvous ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iris123 Posted January 12, 2018 Report Share Posted January 12, 2018 4 minutes ago, Sings4Speedway said: Presentation is huge and speedway have it very wrong (although many new attempts appear faddy). The other issue is Speedway & its fans don't know what they want it to be? Is it supposed to be an afternoon/evening out with excellent entertainment like a social event or is it supposed to be a quick fix and hammered through as quick as possible with a few thrills like an illicit rendezvous ? Yes,i go to Denmark sometimes for league speedway and it is totally different to Germany.Because Denmark have a proper league with a number of home meetings it is the short,sharp night,whereas in Germany as most tracks only have two or three meetings per season it is the day out,take your time and bring your picnic,sort of occasion.I would say the crowd in Denmark is generally a younger one than attends in Germany Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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