BT Sport Meetings £10?

[Rob B]

With the first BT Sport meeting 2 weeks away, has anything been said if BT meetings are going to be £10 entry this year?

[tellboy]

10 minutes ago, Rob B said:

With the first BT Sport meeting 2 weeks away, has anything been said if BT meetings are going to be £10 entry this year?

That would be down to the home promotion i would assume.

[Rob B]

Last year it was a deal between BT and BSPA all meetings had to be £10 except playoffs. New deal this year so wondered if still the same.

[Hawk127]

50 minutes ago, Rob B said:

Last year it was a deal between BT and BSPA all meetings had to be £10 except playoffs. New deal this year so wondered if still the same.

No, due to the watered down product everyone in for a Pound plus if you bring your grandma it is a bogof so should see huge crowds like they get in Poland. Granny in t shirt and banner being very vocal and berating the ref just like they did in wrestling with big daddy. Then I woke up an realised it was just a dream. It could rain and the long range forecast is not good so best call it off the first Uk televised match now. BT can then show all action tiddlywinks and the rest of us can watch  Freesport and normal service is resumed.

It will be interesting to watch the BT matches but one thing is for sure the supporters at track will never ever match what you get in Poland (unless it is free entry).

 

[GWC]

29 minutes ago, Hawk127 said:

No, due to the watered down product everyone in for a Pound plus if you bring your grandma it is a bogof so should see huge crowds like they get in Poland. Granny in t shirt and banner being very vocal and berating the ref just like they did in wrestling with big daddy. Then I woke up an realised it was just a dream. It could rain and the long range forecast is not good so best call it off the first Uk televised match now. BT can then show all action tiddlywinks and the rest of us can watch  Freesport and normal service is resumed.

It will be interesting to watch the BT matches but one thing is for sure the supporters at track will never ever match what you get in Poland (unless it is free entry).

 

You may say watered down product but from what I see in Poland our racing is more exciting.

Maybe small tracks are better.

Unfortunately we don’t get their crowds that appear to be more ‘football’ than motorsport.

 

[Hawk127]

24 minutes ago, GWC said:

You may say watered down product but from what I see in Poland our racing is more exciting.

Maybe small tracks are better.

Unfortunately we don’t get their crowds that appear to be more ‘football’ than motorsport.

 

The watered down was tongue in cheek. Some racing is very good but those races that hit the spot are few and far between. The atmosphere, the crowds and the general presentation in Poland far exceeds what is offer domestically. That is not how it is use to be. I have been around for far to many years and watched derbies, grudge matches and some fantastic individual meetings at Rayleigh, Wimbledon, and Hackney and latterly at Rye House, Crayford, Ipswich, Kings Lynn and some epic local derbies. Says it all when you’re u went to several tracks each week. It is all a bit flat now and watching Poland reminds me of how good it use to be with crowds and characters. Listening recently to a recording of an interview between Len Silver and one of the London radio stations when the sport was introduced as the second most popular in the U.K. attendance wise and looking back at the world championship with the likes of Michanek, the Americans, Olsen the likes of Louis , Terry Betts, Peter Collins and the atmosphere that was created, then you wonder where it has all gone so wrong and who is to blame. You cannot turn the clock back but many on this forum will confirm that it was very good as a spectacle and now you can take or leave it. It simply has not moved with the times.

[INCOGNITO]

2 hours ago, GWC said:

You may say watered down product but from what I see in Poland our racing is more exciting.

Maybe small tracks are better.

Unfortunately we don’t get their crowds that appear to be more ‘football’ than motorsport.

 

 

You obviously don't see much from Poland then as the racing is much better overall and tracks well prepared for racing and safety. 

 

They are are on a different level over there now and having large crowds and big sponsorships means they don't have to charge much but here they are trying to run at a level that they can't still afford and the new deal with BT is much lower than before and Unlikley to feature any reduced admission clause. 

[Goldhawk]

Ive been to a number of Ekstraliga tracks and meetings in Poland although not in most recent years . Zeilona Gora , Wroclaw , Gorzow , Leszno , Toran , Gniesno , Ostrow and Rybnik  come to mind . The crowds , atmosphere,  racing , riders , and stadia can not be matched in a country where Speedway is high profile with extensive TV coverage . The GPs / league matches are shown live on mainsteam TV . The nearest we have any where near stadia and racing wise in my view is Belle Vue with at least 80% or more less people . The 2016 WC final there would  be a match for Polish Eksrealiga meeting with crowd and atmosphere but this of course was for a WC final with GB in it . I remember watching the Play Offs in Poland on TV around 2003 with over 30,000 people reportedly in attendance . Speedway is a religion with approval and backing from councils and high up in country with investment in top class purpose built stadiums . I have even been to events with the President in attendance.  We have to go back to the 1970's sadly before we were anything like it crowd wise and its poplarity . Unless a massive Premier League sponsor found  and its profile and exposure brought to the fore  in UK a la 1970' s the sport will continue to sadly decline . The fixed night for Premier League designed to resolve rider availability and bring back more stars immediately followed by rules to restrict them , you couldn't make it up ! Without these riders coming back and off nights being run its an own goal !!

NB On admission prices as said not been for over decade but admission prices around £3 - £5 then when we were nearer £15 .  

Edited May 2, 2018 by Goldhawk

[Goldhawk]

4 hours ago, Hawk127 said:

The watered down was tongue in cheek. Some racing is very good but those races that hit the spot are few and far between. The atmosphere, the crowds and the general presentation in Poland far exceeds what is offer domestically. That is not how it is use to be. I have been around for far to many years and watched derbies, grudge matches and some fantastic individual meetings at Rayleigh, Wimbledon, and Hackney and latterly at Rye House, Crayford, Ipswich, Kings Lynn and some epic local derbies. Says it all when you’re u went to several tracks each week. It is all a bit flat now and watching Poland reminds me of how good it use to be with crowds and characters. Listening recently to a recording of an interview between Len Silver and one of the London radio stations when the sport was introduced as the second most popular in the U.K. attendance wise and looking back at the world championship with the likes of Michanek, the Americans, Olsen the likes of Louis , Terry Betts, Peter Collins and the atmosphere that was created, then you wonder where it has all gone so wrong and who is to blame. You cannot turn the clock back but many on this forum will confirm that it was very good as a spectacle and now you can take or leave it. It simply has not moved with the times.

Couldn't agree more . I went to 1979 World Final in Chozow with over 100,000 people there to cheer on the Brits and Zuper Zenon but we had Wembley then with 80 - 90,000 people typically in attendance . Watched clips on You Tube  the other night of 1978 Golden Jubilee World Final ( A meeting I was at ) from Wembley with capacity crowd , brought a tear to my eye to compare with now . I went to Romford in the early 1970s as a kid with crowds regularly  over 5 - 6,000 packed in , the atmosphere was incredible - FANS make atmosphere , was like a mini Cardiff every Thursday  !! 

Edited May 2, 2018 by Goldhawk

[waytogo28]

More BSPA "madness" IF the BT matches are not on for £10. Another lost opportunity if it's more because a large number of fans now have BT ( as I do ) and I prefer to watch it on TV. And, unless you advertise it well in the local area how would you get in a lot of newbies?

[George Dodds]

Maybe BT could buy 1,000 tickets per match at face value for clubs to give away free in the local area.  Help to pay the costs of clubs to stage a meeting which they are paying nothing for and then charging those at home to watch.

[PHILIPRISING]

4 hours ago, George Dodds said:

Maybe BT could buy 1,000 tickets per match at face value for clubs to give away free in the local area.  Help to pay the costs of clubs to stage a meeting which they are paying nothing for and then charging those at home to watch.

ARE we sure BT are paying nothing. The BSPA have kept the wraps on the deal. My understanding was that BT would pay a fee (in the region of 10 grand) to each staging club. May be wrong. Has been known

[George Dodds]

1 hour ago, PHILIPRISING said:

ARE we sure BT are paying nothing. The BSPA have kept the wraps on the deal. My understanding was that BT would pay a fee (in the region of 10 grand) to each staging club. May be wrong. Has been known

suppose that would be the equivalent of 1,000 £10 tickets.

 

[INCOGNITO]

Heard that the current deal is only about £3-5,000 a meeting which is way down on last season and having signed a deal why would they want to buy and give away a thousand more tickets when some tracks are struggling to get that many in already.

 

crowds at Belle Vue have been shocking and with the highest rent fees in the sport and numerous overheads it's worrying that this country is still trying to field riders that they can't afford. Although people want to see the better riders, the sport needs to be looking at one league raced on whatever night that track wants featuring riders like Danny King, Edward Kennett, Scott Nicholls, Kyle Howarth etc as number ones and having a fixed pay policy.

 

if these riders can have six rides and look at picking up £1,500 a meeting in meetings giving plenty of places to young National League riders coming through then admission fees could be lowered to £10 for adults. It's new fans we need and £18 standing in old stadiums with inadequate facilities isn't going to attract them regardless of advertising. New fans don't know Max Fricke from Ashley Morris or Jason Doyle to Dan Bewley but for a night of racing at £10 and 18 heat league matches and 6 junior heats could attract new fans with the right promoting.

 

Bigger crowds will create the atmosphere and the best marketing anyone can have is word of mouth and people going away and talking to friends in the pub or supermarket that they had a good night at the speedway is how the sport needs to go. Lower the standards, the wages costs, the admission prices and fill the stadiums and get some atmosphere in the place. 

 

Too many die hard fans are turning their back on the sport and not enough people know what the sport is and with the average age of crowds here in their fifties, it needs new blood getting in before the current fans go into voluntary retirement.

Edited May 4, 2018 by INCOGNITO

[waytogo28]

50 minutes ago, INCOGNITO said:

the sport needs to be looking at one league raced on whatever night that track wants featuring riders like Danny King, Edward Kennett, Scott Nicholls, Kyle Howarth etc as number ones and having a fixed pay policy.

 

if these riders can have six rides and look at picking up £1,500 a meeting in meetings giving plenty of places to young National League riders coming through then admission fees could be lowered to £10 for adults. It's new fans we need and £18 standing in old stadiums with inadequate facilities isn't going to attract them regardless of advertising.

If the BSPA don't go down something like this route, to totally rebuild the sport, instead of staring extinction in the face, speedway will be extinct.

[Bluenose]

It has been said before,they need to have a regular streaming service available for 1 match a week, i would take it on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

[RobMcCaffery]

8 hours ago, INCOGNITO said:

Heard that the current deal is only about £3-5,000 a meeting which is way down on last season and having signed a deal why would they want to buy and give away a thousand more tickets when some tracks are struggling to get that many in already.

 

crowds at Belle Vue have been shocking and with the highest rent fees in the sport and numerous overheads it's worrying that this country is still trying to field riders that they can't afford. Although people want to see the better riders, the sport needs to be looking at one league raced on whatever night that track wants featuring riders like Danny King, Edward Kennett, Scott Nicholls, Kyle Howarth etc as number ones and having a fixed pay policy.

 

if these riders can have six rides and look at picking up £1,500 a meeting in meetings giving plenty of places to young National League riders coming through then admission fees could be lowered to £10 for adults. It's new fans we need and £18 standing in old stadiums with inadequate facilities isn't going to attract them regardless of advertising. New fans don't know Max Fricke from Ashley Morris or Jason Doyle to Dan Bewley but for a night of racing at £10 and 18 heat league matches and 6 junior heats could attract new fans with the right promoting.

 

Bigger crowds will create the atmosphere and the best marketing anyone can have is word of mouth and people going away and talking to friends in the pub or supermarket that they had a good night at the speedway is how the sport needs to go. Lower the standards, the wages costs, the admission prices and fill the stadiums and get some atmosphere in the place. 

 

Too many die hard fans are turning their back on the sport and not enough people know what the sport is and with the average age of crowds here in their fifties, it needs new blood getting in before the current fans go into voluntary retirement.

Agree 100%. Nonetheless I'm sure you are exactly right ;-)

The Monday and Wednesday race nights suited Poole & Wolverhampton but could kill other tracks. I suspect Rue House will soon be in trouble. They were reportedly getting great crowds early last season, but that was when they were racing reliably on Saturdays. I doubt whether a fragmented series of Wednesdays and the odd Monday is going to work.

The point about trying to use talent that can't be afforded, it looks like our crowds are now down to the level of semi-pro football, say their National League or its lower regional divisions. Can you imaging those clubs filling their teams with players commuting in from all corners of Europe! It's the economics of the madhouse. 

'Names' may count amongst speedway supporters but the people who we need to attract don't know them. It's time to wake up and fit the costs to the revenue, then re-grow so that both will rise enough to start allowing the higher-ranked riders in due course, assuming we need them and their luxury costs. 

Some riders seem to want the lifestyle of F1 and Moto GP racers. You don't get that in front of 700 people in Manchester.....

 

Edited May 4, 2018 by RobMcCaffery