British speedway: it's not all bad, you know!

[Daniel Smith]

1 hour ago, tmc said:

If you think West Ham are worth watching at £50 a pop, think again!

In a supposed 90-minute game of pro football, the ball is only actually in play for about half that time. The rest is taken up with time-wasting, goal-kicks, throw-ins, free-kicks, berating the officials, etc.

Thousands still turn up so they're getting value for money. You can't argue otherwise. 

People are walking away (me included this year) because for the money there is nothing worth while for it.

The sport is mugging off it's punters and the footfall is very evident.

[iris123]

11 minutes ago, Daniel Smith said:

Thousands still turn up so they're getting value for money. You can't argue otherwise. 

 

Not only that,but at a lot of the big clubs there are waiting lists taking years sometimes to get a season ticket.I know a pal of mine from London got a Celtic season ticket in the knowledge he would only use it a few times a season.But it was his best chance and he could leave it with friends in Scotland who could use it when he didn't.At one club,and it might be Hamburg,can't remember,they have come out and said that if season tickets aren't used regularly they will become void,so that the next person in the long waiting list can get a chance to have one.Clubs in the situation can and probably will take the 'p',but demand is there .....the same with shirts,changing them regularly,but if people didn't buy them in large enough qualtities then the price would drop........ 

[waytogo28]

The FRN switch was designed to bring in more star riders and that has been a failure. Also it planned to cut down dramatically on guests and r/r - not yet done much of that I feel, But worst of all supporters were not canvassed as they should have been in the last couple of months of last season. And Hey Ho a lot of fans don't like the night they have been forced onto  - no surprise there then. It's our money and our life choices. And look at a Monday night ( and on TV) at Belle Vue - less than 1,000 there ( at full price ) King's Lynn have suffered more than others ( it seems ) with the highest number of Danish riders and running on a Weds. If all of these promoters are successful businesspeople in the outside world why do come across as so inept when running speedway? 

[Daniel Smith]

2 minutes ago, waytogo28 said:

The FRN switch was designed to bring in more star riders and that has been a failure. Also it planned to cut down dramatically on guests and r/r - not yet done much of that I feel, But worst of all supporters were not canvassed as they should have been in the last couple of months of last season. And Hey Ho a lot of fans don't like the night they have been forced onto  - no surprise there then. It's our money and our life choices. And look at a Monday night ( and on TV) at Belle Vue - less than 1,000 there ( at full price ) King's Lynn have suffered more than others ( it seems ) with the highest number of Danish riders and running on a Weds. If all of these promoters are successful businesspeople in the outside world why do come across as so inept when running speedway? 

I think some promoters get into Speedway for on purpose loss making giving them extra tax relief.

[waytogo28]

Just now, Daniel Smith said:

I think some promoters get into Speedway for on purpose loss making giving them extra tax relief.

That is Good News we can stop worrying about them being turned out of house and home. And forget all about the "turn out in your thousands / hundreds / dozens / handfuls or there will be no speedway in X" pleas!

[orion]

2 hours ago, tmc said:

If you think West Ham are worth watching at £50 a pop, think again!

In a supposed 90-minute game of pro football, the ball is only actually in play for about half that time. The rest is taken up with time-wasting, goal-kicks, throw-ins, free-kicks, berating the officials, etc.

The fans think  so as they go ..at speedway they don't

[TheReturn]

23 hours ago, tmc said:

In recent years cycling has been totally discredited for harbouring cheats who take drugs to enhance performance. Which race teams and riders can be trusted?

I wouldn't poke speedway too closely with that stick if I was you!

[Halifaxtiger]

Anyone who has been to Isle of Wight speedway knows how good it can be.

I am reliably informed their gates are up again this season. 

[iris123]

10 minutes ago, Halifaxtiger said:

Anyone who has been to Isle of Wight speedway knows how good it can be.

I am reliably informed their gates are up again this season. 

Good news.Only heard good things about the people running it.Just hope it wasn't mickthemuppet,who told you about the crowd figures!!!

[Halifaxtiger]

5 minutes ago, iris123 said:

Good news.Only heard good things about the people running it.Just hope it wasn't mickthemuppet,who told you about the crowd figures!!!

A very reliable source indeed.

What they do isn't rocket science. They simply treat a paying customer as a paying customer.  

[BWitcher]

4 hours ago, tmc said:

If you think West Ham are worth watching at £50 a pop, think again!

In a supposed 90-minute game of pro football, the ball is only actually in play for about half that time. The rest is taken up with time-wasting, goal-kicks, throw-ins, free-kicks, berating the officials, etc.

It really does destroy any semblance of an argument when you try and take a pop at football when discussing speedway's ills.

If you think West Ham are worth watching, think again! you say..

With a POOR side they averaged 56,885 this season!!!

 

 

[BWitcher]

2 hours ago, iris123 said:

Not only that,but at a lot of the big clubs there are waiting lists taking years sometimes to get a season ticket.I know a pal of mine from London got a Celtic season ticket in the knowledge he would only use it a few times a season.But it was his best chance and he could leave it with friends in Scotland who could use it when he didn't.At one club,and it might be Hamburg,can't remember,they have come out and said that if season tickets aren't used regularly they will become void,so that the next person in the long waiting list can get a chance to have one.Clubs in the situation can and probably will take the 'p',but demand is there .....the same with shirts,changing them regularly,but if people didn't buy them in large enough qualtities then the price would drop........ 

Spot on.

I gave up my season ticket at Wolves when I moved to Portugal. I wish I hadn't now. I was considering buying one for next season even though would only be able to attend a few games (would lend it out to family for others).. but chances are next to none with the demand. Not until they expand the stadium up towards 50,000 anyway.

As for the kit.. the anticipation for the new kit at Wolves is at a fever pitch. It's now been announced it will be made by Adidas which has increased the level of excitement even more. It's going to sell in bucket loads when released.

[TonyMac]

5 minutes ago, BWitcher said:

It really does destroy any semblance of an argument when you try and take a pop at football when discussing speedway's ills.

If you think West Ham are worth watching, think again! you say..

With a POOR side they averaged 56,885 this season!!!

 

 

Figures often don't tell the full story, especially in this case. Thousands of Hammers fans have taken to social media all season to vent their disgust at how shabbily they are being treated by the owners, with many threatening not to renew their season tickets, claiming they have been "lied to". The owners are vilified and subjected to daily online abuse and, as of this week, a petition is running to have MD Karren Brady stripped of her newspaper column.

The atmosphere at the Athletics Stadium has been toxic for much of this depressing season.

The fact that there are new 'plastic' (and probably more gullible) fans/tourists ready to replace traditionalists like myself, and many thousands of others who are cheesed off about how money has morally corrupted the game, does NOT mean our club, or the game itself, is being run very well (which was my original point).

It just means that there are many thousands more football fans with a sheep mentality, who are prepared to tolerate being mugged off, compared to speedway followers.

[Halifaxtiger]

23 minutes ago, BWitcher said:

It really does destroy any semblance of an argument when you try and take a pop at football when discussing speedway's ills.

If you think West Ham are worth watching, think again! you say..

With a POOR side they averaged 56,885 this season!!!

 

 

According to a Guardian report on football finances, in the year up to May 2016 they  lost £5m and the overall losses for the Premier League were £113m.  Championship clubs losses were over £200m for the same season, with Bolton an eye watering £193m in debt.

If speedway is propped up by wealthy owners as income cannot meet expenditure football is no different with Roman Abramovich reportedly having put over £1bn into Chelsea.

 

Edited May 15, 2018 by Halifaxtiger

[steve roberts]

2 hours ago, orion said:

The fans think  so as they go ..at speedway they don't

Because football is indoctrinated in the mindset as our national game hence the coverage it receives within the media.

Personally I gave up watching football years ago with the amount of money now talked about in transfer fees and salaries.

[E I Addio]

22 minutes ago, BWitcher said:

It really does destroy any semblance of an argument when you try and take a pop at football when discussing speedway's ills.

If you think West Ham are worth watching, think again! you say..

With a POOR side they averaged 56,885 this season!!!

 

 

Without wishing to get into the pointless discussion of what constitutes entertainment ( and let's not get into the silly argument Speedwáy only being 15 min racing) surely the point is that if 50,000+ are regularly paying an arm and a leg to watch a football match, it demonstrates that Speedwáy is not over priced , and that if people find someting enjoyable and entertaining they will find the funds to pay for it. 

Reducing Speedwáy admission to £10 won't bring more through the gate ( well not significantly anyway ) , good entertainment well presented will make a difference. There will never be football sized crowds at Speedwáy meetings but if Speedwáy tracks could put even another 200 on the gate each meeting of the season it would make a huge difference to the finances of most clubs, and to the future of the sport. Instead those in charge act as if lowering the standard is the way forward.

[MattK]

1 hour ago, BWitcher said:

It really does destroy any semblance of an argument when you try and take a pop at football when discussing speedway's ills.

If you think West Ham are worth watching, think again! you say..

With a POOR side they averaged 56,885 this season!!!

 

 

In a stadium which holds 57,000. I make that 99.8% full.

This suggests that in fact their ticket are too cheap and they could easily charge more and still sell out.

[cityrebel]

1 hour ago, Halifaxtiger said:

Anyone who has been to Isle of Wight speedway knows how good it can be.

I am reliably informed their gates are up again this season. 

I've been to three meetings on the island this year, and the crowds haven't been brilliant. They never are before the holiday season starts.

[keepturningleft]

7 hours ago, tmc said:

 

In a supposed 90-minute game of pro football, the ball is only actually in play for about half that time. The rest is taken up with time-wasting, goal-kicks, throw-ins, free-kicks, berating the officials, etc.

It has been mentioned a few times on this forum about atmosphere making a huge contribution to the experience of live sport.
Recently I paid my first visit in living memory to a premier league football match, Huddersfield v Swansea to be precise.
The atmosphere and noise was incredible, but as Tony Mac alludes to, most of the time nothing really exciting is actually happening.
A huge cheer followed by fervent clapping as a player clears a ball away from danger – you would think the guy had just found a cure for some terrible disease.
If you saw that same action with the crowd removed, there would be literally nothing exciting about it at all!
In my opinion this partly explains the, ‘speedway was much better in my day’ viewpoint.
The atmosphere back in the 60’s and 70’s clearly was superb and added hugely to the experience even if the racing was poor.
A good example is the 1981 world final at Wembley.
A fantastic occasion, for sure, but count the overtakes. 
Not many, and yet this is one of speedways best remembered meetings because the occasion and crowd elevated it to something way beyond just the racing.

[BWitcher]

3 hours ago, E I Addio said:

Without wishing to get into the pointless discussion of what constitutes entertainment ( and let's not get into the silly argument Speedwáy only being 15 min racing) surely the point is that if 50,000+ are regularly paying an arm and a leg to watch a football match, it demonstrates that Speedwáy is not over priced , and that if people find someting enjoyable and entertaining they will find the funds to pay for it. 

Reducing Speedwáy admission to £10 won't bring more through the gate ( well not significantly anyway ) , good entertainment well presented will make a difference. There will never be football sized crowds at Speedwáy meetings but if Speedwáy tracks could put even another 200 on the gate each meeting of the season it would make a huge difference to the finances of most clubs, and to the future of the sport. Instead those in charge act as if lowering the standard is the way forward.

Totally agree.

Year after year they have 'cut costs'. 

Year after year more fans have walked away.

They never, ever, ever learn. The meeting from Belle Vue last night once again did nothing but damage to the sport. I doubt if anyone bar speedway fans even saw Heat 9.. folk flick on, see tonnes of empty seats and think, this isn't worth my attention. Had they seen a full stadium with vibrant atmosphere they might stick around a bit longer.. then get hooked on the superb on track action.