The continuing decline of Speedway

[MattK]

2 hours ago, cityrebel said:

The British public just don't want to go to speedway anymore, it's as simple as that.

Correct

2 hours ago, cityrebel said:

There is nothing the promoters can do to stop the trend.

Incorrect.

 

2 hours ago, cityrebel said:

Most clubs must be hanging on by their fingertips. At lakeside last night, yet another poor crowd turned up to watch an excellent hammers side, probably the best they have had in a few years. On a sunny Saturday evening, The fans still won't go.

What do Lakeside do to promote speedway? I live and until recently worked in Swindon. You can go the whole season without see any signs that speedway even exists in the town. Don't get me wrong, the product is now very poor, but don't think it isn't completely within the gift of promoters to address both the quality and attractiveness issues.

[cityrebel]

The promoters won't do anything to promote if it costs them money.

[Halifaxtiger]

43 minutes ago, MattK said:

Correct

Incorrect.

 

What do Lakeside do to promote speedway? I live and until recently worked in Swindon. You can go the whole season without see any signs that speedway even exists in the town. Don't get me wrong, the product is now very poor, but don't think it isn't completely within the gift of promoters to address both the quality and attractiveness issues.

I don't think anyone that went to Workington last night or Belle Vue on Friday would say that the product is poor. Mixed is perhaps a better description.

Otherwise, I agree . 

[MattK]

16 minutes ago, cityrebel said:

The promoters won't do anything to promote if it costs them money.

But that is their choice/problem. Marketing is an integral part of running a business and it can rarely be done on a shoestring.

[BWitcher]

I never ever ever thought I would say this but I'm on the verge of giving up on league speedway altogether.

The sheer stupidness of those promoting the sport is staggering.

After 20+ years of speedway on TV they STILL haven't managed to grasp the basic concept that it's vital to make it look like a place to be. £10 entrance should be a mandatory requirement. Before long TV matches would become looked forward too, not dreaded by those attending. Why? Not just the reduced entrance, but a bigger crowd means a better atmosphere which in turn means an average race seems like a good one, a good one a great one and so on. 

Then of course those watching will get a much better impression.

But no, show it in front of sparse crowds which drills the message home to the sheep... nothing to see here.

[moxey63]

32 minutes ago, BWitcher said:

I never ever ever thought I would say this but I'm on the verge of giving up on league speedway altogether.

The sheer stupidness of those promoting the sport is staggering.

After 20+ years of speedway on TV they STILL haven't managed to grasp the basic concept that it's vital to make it look like a place to be. £10 entrance should be a mandatory requirement. Before long TV matches would become looked forward too, not dreaded by those attending. Why? Not just the reduced entrance, but a bigger crowd means a better atmosphere which in turn means an average race seems like a good one, a good one a great one and so on. 

Then of course those watching will get a much better impression.

But no, show it in front of sparse crowds which drills the message home to the sheep... nothing to see here.

Think someone's hacked into BWitcher's account. But if it his the man himself, and he carries out the threat, it shows you can be a critic of speedway, not attend, but still have a fondness for the sport.

 

It just drives you to desperation sometimes.

[Gunner85]

There is apparently a new rule which allows the referee to put a team mate of a falling rider on 15m even though he has done nothing wrong when the race is rerun.

apparently twice at Glasgow , Scunthorpe had their rider put on 15 m in the rerun.

at Scunthorpe Nick Morris fell and the race was rerun with all 3 riders at the gate.

Farcical

[New Science]

8 hours ago, cityrebel said:

The British public just don't want to go to speedway anymore, it's as simple as that. There is nothing the promoters can do to stop the trend. Most clubs must be hanging on by their fingertips. At lakeside last night, yet another poor crowd turned up to watch an excellent hammers side, probably the best they have had in a few years. On a sunny Saturday evening, The fans still won't go.

You have a point. Unfortunately speedway has moved on and left speedway in GB behind. Gone are the days of the 80's when we had all the top stars , who made Britain their first priority, and able to race on the day the home promoter prefers, be that the weekend or in the week. We now have far stronger leagues in Sweden and particularly Poland who now choose when they ride and their riders make it their number 1 priority. Also the modern speedway machine has outgrown the traditional British tracks. Since upright engines and particularly new silencers came in , the size, shape  and material used in British tracks is not conducive to provide good close speedway on todays rocket ships. Unfortunately nothing can be done , what we need is about 20 purpose built Belle Vue's , but we all know that's not going to happen. Unfortunately it will probably be a slow , lingering death.

[moxey63]

Imagine 20 purpose-built tracks like Belle Vue though, where the action is brilliant but the crowds remain poor. Nothing wrong with the racing there, so what's keeping them away? There has never been a better time, with social media, to do the biggest survey the sport has ever carried out. Ex-fans could be asked why they stopped attending, for example, and even get a hint of whether current fans are growing disillusioned - and why.  

Edited June 24, 2018 by moxey63

[foamfence]

11 minutes ago, moxey63 said:

Imagine 20 purpose-built tracks like Belle Vue though, where the action is brilliant but the crowds remain poor. Nothing wrong with the racing there, so what's keeping them away? There has never been a better time, with social media, to do the biggest survey the sport has ever carried out. Ex-fans could be asked why they stopped attending, for example, and even get a hint of whether current fans are growing disillusioned - and why.  

Well you're never going to get 20 purpose built tracks, unless you can find enough local authorities as gullible as Manchester. Having got all your information, what exactly do you do with it? It's a worthy idea for the imagination but I can't see it coming to anything.

[GWC]

It will probably take a wholesale decline and closure of tracks back to about 10 operating.

Once that happens so long as those tracks closed can open up again within 5 years there might be a revival.

Its been done before!

[cityrebel]

Have the promoters ever tried doing some market research. They would be afraid of the answers if they did. A simple questionnaire is all that is needed. Handed out at the turnstiles as you gain admission. It's not rocket science is it.

[foamfence]

18 minutes ago, cityrebel said:

Have the promoters ever tried doing some market research. They would be afraid of the answers if they did. A simple questionnaire is all that is needed. Handed out at the turnstiles as you gain admission. It's not rocket science is it.

Shouldn't they be questioning people who DON'T go?

[ch958]

8 minutes ago, foamfence said:

Shouldn't they be questioning people who DON'T go?

took the words out of my mouth.

I'll say this again for the umpteenth time. First meeting next year is free in return for yr email address. You then bombard them with info, offers, etc. 

of course when you get them in the product has to be right

[ch958]

4 hours ago, moxey63 said:

Think someone's hacked into BWitcher's account. But if it his the man himself, and he carries out the threat, it shows you can be a critic of speedway, not attend, but still have a fondness for the sport.

 

It just drives you to desperation sometimes.

I love the sport, am a critic and attend sporadically. Why would that drive anyone to despair, I'm a customer and its up to the supplier to tempt me in. They could do that with me if there were no guests, the entrance fee was more sensible, the bikes were slower and the tracks designed for overtaking

[MattK]

42 minutes ago, cityrebel said:

Have the promoters ever tried doing some market research. They would be afraid of the answers if they did. A simple questionnaire is all that is needed. Handed out at the turnstiles as you gain admission. It's not rocket science is it.

Isn't that preaching to the converted somewhat? What's needs to happen is get down the local shopping centre and ask people who DON'T go to speedway what their understanding is of the sport both locally and nationally.

[HertsRacer]

45 minutes ago, GWC said:

It will probably take a wholesale decline and closure of tracks back to about 10 operating.

Once that happens so long as those tracks closed can open up again within 5 years there might be a revival.

Its been done before!

Sadly many tracks continue today only because they know that if they were to close they would never get planning permission to re-open again due to noise and the close proximity of houses these days. .

[MattK]

16 minutes ago, ch958 said:

took the words out of my mouth.

I'll say this again for the umpteenth time. First meeting next year is free in return for yr email address. You then bombard them with info, offers, etc. 

of course when you get them in the product has to be right

Exactly. All clubs should offer free entry to the first meeting of the season. This will both get regular fans into the habit of attending and as you say act as an opportunity for nationwide marketing and to then collect contact details of the spectators.

[cityrebel]

43 minutes ago, foamfence said:

Shouldn't they be questioning people who DON'T go?

Surely the people that still go should also have a voice. It might stop a few of them knocking it on the head.

[moxey63]

If there is no sort of feedback, just fans dripping away by the week, then how can the leak be stopped. You don't learn by keep making mistakes and not be advised what your mistakes are. It might be that the sport is just so fatigued now, stuck in some kind of timewarp and attracting the odd newcomer now and again but relies on the old guard. I mean, Belle Vue fans always moaned in recent years that it was the drab Kirky Lane keeping them away. Once they had their own place, they'd come flooding back. So... what happened?