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The continuing decline of Speedway


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15 hours ago, mikebv said:

I run a Supermarket 1.6 miles away from the NSS and often mention going to Belle Vue to my team..

My team often then say 'it's a great night at the dogs'...

I do my best to educate and mention it's not 'the dogs' but 'Speedway'...

The comments then range from "Is that still going?" to "Is that still going I used to love going to Speedway"...

The 'World Famous' Belle Vue Aces'?

The 'Manchester United' of Speedway?

The reality is they are not even heard of 1.6 miles away...

That is the size of the task the Sport faces...

Get onto the Aces management and see if you can have some free/cheap tickets to bring all your team along :)  Hoping to do something like this for my colleagues although we are 40 miles away from Lynn, your lot they have no excuse not to go along haha

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4 hours ago, Spl77 said:

I think I read somewhere that Jonathan Chapman suggests a franchise and draft approach didn't the late great John Berry suggest something along those lines in one of his books years ago.? The BSPA need to wake up or this once great sport will be gone by 2020. Work on getting the product and rules right then try and intice the list supporters back and then go out after new ones. While I'm a used to go to speedway man I'm only 42 so not an old stuck in my ways chap.

I thought Oh No! Another poor old disillusioned 65 - 80 years old fan ( just like me ), walking away after 50+ years of watching UK speedway until I read your last sentence. Now I think Oh No! We are in the mire for sure now!

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4 hours ago, Spl77 said:

As a former fan I have kept an eye on this forum over the years and this topic is very interesting but at the same time sad as it appears that the sport I once loved is close to the end. I was driven away 10 years ago but mid season rule changes the farce of guests and tactical rules. I made one trip last season to my local track Ipswich and that was it one trip in 9 seasons! What drove me away was still there guests daft tactical rules and then you got to add in the double up down shake it all around rule. 

As an ex supporter looking in it appears that the main issues facing the sport are that it's to expensive for the fans riders and every one involved. The bikes are to fast the tracks to slick the racing not great. Add in all the daft rules the fact that you no longer have your team because they ride for everyone else the local community cannot form a bond with these guys. You need to cut costs for all provide value for money and have seven guys contacted to your club and your club only. 

I think I read somewhere that Jonathan Chapman suggests a franchise and draft approach didn't the late great John Berry suggest something along those lines in one of his books years ago.? The BSPA need to wake up or this once great sport will be gone by 2020. Work on getting the product and rules right then try and intice the list supporters back and then go out after new ones. While I'm a used to go to speedway man I'm only 42 so not an old stuck in my ways chap. 

I echo exactly what you say. In fact, this could be me writing this. To me, I don't care if it's a boring match, racing not up to much. I do care that I am following a so-called sport where the rules are set in concrete, novelty ones aren't introduced to bring some kind of quick, shortlived air of excitement at the detriment of the whole sport to existing fans and fans that have long grown fed up and departed. I would say a lot of them got fed up because of the silly rules over the years.

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1 hour ago, Ray Stadia said:

Surely, the way it is run now, is a franchise? 

its several different businesses - i imagine a franchise would have to buy into and follow the rules of an overall controller with the overall controller being independent and in absolute charge

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23 minutes ago, ch958 said:

its several different businesses - i imagine a franchise would have to buy into and follow the rules of an overall controller with the overall controller being independent and in absolute charge

I was actually thinking of that idea the other day.

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These franchise things might sound good if you look at the success stories,but can be painful if your team is bought and moved from New York to California or from Munich to Hamburg as has happened.......

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A franchise will have say 8 teams in an elite league.Say Someone with money from Kent or London thinks that Sittingbourne will be an attractive place to host speedway then he buys the franchise from one of the clubs with an elite franchise,it could be your team

That is how franchises work.It happened to the Munich ice hockey team,it happened to some US team in New York.Just what is the advantage to any speedway team belonging to a franchise?I would think the only person to make money from the idea would be the person or company running the franchise,rather than all the clubs

The system works in other sports because there is enough money,in some sports millions to be made and if the franchise say’s we run on Monday night or Tuesday night the stadiums are still packed.I can’t see that being the case that speedway promoters will pay out money so they will be told when they will run.Just look at all the ballyhoo at the moment.Ice hockey fans turn up on a Tuesday and American football have Monday night games.Speedway fans,we are told are special and will only turn up at the weekend.......ho hum 

Edited by iris123
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33 minutes ago, iris123 said:

A franchise will have say 8 teams in an elite league.Say Someone with money from Kent or London thinks that Sittingbourne will be an attractive place to host speedway then he buys the franchise from one of the clubs with an elite franchise,it could be your team

That is how franchises work.It happened to the Munich ice hockey team,it happened to some US team in New York.Just what is the advantage to any speedway team belonging to a franchise?I would think the only person to make money from the idea would be the person or company running the franchise,rather than all the clubs

The system works in other sports because there is enough money,in some sports millions to be made and if the franchise say’s we run on Monday night or Tuesday night the stadiums are still packed.I can’t see that being the case that speedway promoters will pay out money so they will be told when they will run.Just look at all the ballyhoo at the moment.Ice hockey fans turn up on a Tuesday and American football have Monday night games.Speedway fans,we are told are special and will only turn up at the weekend.......ho hum 

I am sure that has happened in speedway, top flight speedway teams selling their licence to a team who want to get into the upper league. Sounds like a franchise system would be just rearranging the deck chairs....again. Speedway needs something very radical. At the end of the day the problem is down to the cost for the promoters.    

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4 minutes ago, Ray Stadia said:

I am sure that has happened in speedway, top flight speedway teams selling their licence to a team who want to get into the upper league. Sounds like a franchise system would be just rearranging the deck chairs....again. Speedway needs something very radical. At the end of the day the problem is down to the cost for the promoters.    

Yes I agree.Firstly with a franchise system you have to find enough people who are willing to pay in,so that someone can tell them what to do and which riders they can have!!!!Is that realistic?

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20 hours ago, steve roberts said:

...that's, of course, if darts can be regarded as a sport?

People can call darts what they want, darts has everything speedway doesn't. A good TV deal, sponsors fighting each other to sponsor their events and with it and plenty of punters willing to pay upwards of 30 quid a time to watch it.  

Edited by New Science
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14 minutes ago, New Science said:

People can call darts what they want, darts has everything speedway doesn't. A good TV deal, sponsors fighting each other to sponsor their events and with it and plenty of punters willing to pay upwards of 30 quid a time to watch it.  

But aren't there so many pubs closing?

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What the sport needs in place for this winter so that it's in place for next season is an independent person or body who sets the rules points limit etc and for the top two leagues to form one big league. The strength of the league is set by the independent body based on averages and economics of the sport as a whole and not what the rich clubs want either ride in the league or don't. 

This will hopefully lead to a better fixture list than this year and finish the doubling up that has become a farce and scrap guests once and for all. 

Once the sport is stabilised over the next couple of years then relaunch the whole thing. The independent body would be able to work on the blue print over the next couple of years. 

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6 hours ago, waytogo28 said:

I thought Oh No! Another poor old disillusioned 65 - 80 years old fan ( just like me ), walking away after 50+ years of watching UK speedway until I read your last sentence. Now I think Oh No! We are in the mire for sure now!

It is in the mire! I'm just hopeful those in power will do something now and address the problems otherwise I really fear for the future! 

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1 hour ago, moxey63 said:

But aren't there so many pubs closing?

Slightly off topic, but Darts was removed from a lot of Pubs and more eating tables put in. 3 Pubs where I used to play did this saying that Darts is on only Friday nights, but people eat 7 days a week.

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4 hours ago, New Science said:

People can call darts what they want, darts has everything speedway doesn't. A good TV deal, sponsors fighting each other to sponsor their events and with it and plenty of punters willing to pay upwards of 30 quid a time to watch it.  

...whatever turns people on. Perhaps there's hope for other pub games such as shove ha'penny or bar billiards or even dominoes? Could attract the public's imagination if marketed correctly. 

Let's face it if Wrestling can be branded as a sport and featured on a Sports Channel then there's an opportunity for all sorts of activities being televised in the name of sport with the right backing and/or marketing and/or incentive.

Edited by steve roberts
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2 hours ago, New Science said:

People can call darts what they want, darts has everything speedway doesn't. A good TV deal, sponsors fighting each other to sponsor their events and with it and plenty of punters willing to pay upwards of 30 quid a time to watch it.  

S'right, I know folk who travel to watch live darts in a packed room where you can't actually see the action but watch on a TV screen.  Like you would at home.  Can't really knock the arrows game as it is very popular though it does absolutely nothing for me...

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1 hour ago, martinmauger said:

S'right, I know folk who travel to watch live darts in a packed room where you can't actually see the action but watch on a TV screen.  Like you would at home.  Can't really knock the arrows game as it is very popular though it does absolutely nothing for me...

...I played darts often in a pub league (together with Aunt Sally...now there's another TV opportunity?) but would I watch a televised tournament full of drunken louts (and that's just the women) I don't think so but as I said each to their own.

Edited by steve roberts
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8 hours ago, Trees said:

Get onto the Aces management and see if you can have some free/cheap tickets to bring all your team along :)  Hoping to do something like this for my colleagues although we are 40 miles away from Lynn, your lot they have no excuse not to go along haha

You may have hit on idea there I could use.....

It is coming up to review time for my teams so maybe as an incentive I will tell them they could be going to watch Speedway...

(If they dont significantly improve!!!)...:D

Edited by mikebv
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