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Grand Prix Calendar and Venues 2019


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NBC originally had 3 year deal, after 2 months of the inaugural season they went back and asked to make it a 10 year deal. The first season EVERY game was available for free. Now you have to buy a pass to stream all those that aren’t on tv. Why is this? Because it is now popular enough that they can get away with it.

now I’m now suggesting that for one second speedway is anywhere near as popular as soccer however this is an example of how something can come out of relative obscurity to being popular.

there are now so many dedicated sports channels in the states that need to fill time slots 24/7 that it amazes me the conversation about showing the GPs hasn’t even been had. Believe me they show some absolute dross on these channels.

as for USA being hard market to crack, Greg being an unknown champion etc yes I get that. However it is such a big country and there are so many multi purpose stadiums crying out for events to be staged believe me it could be done. Simply they won’t take the chance which is a great shame. Might not work but could pay off big time. 

By the way Humphrey I’m suprised you have time to type on here as you seem to have researched everything about everything! 

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7 hours ago, Humphrey Appleby said:

Difference is they're the club, presumably know what it would cost to host a GP, and don't think it's worthwhile to risk the future of the club for. Maybe the local municipality is also not interested in supporting for the same reasons. 

Well yes, spot on...probably on both counts....

Of course they know the cost to stage a GP,  they have staged the GP Challenge in the past, after all (As part of the Golden Helmet Weekend)

The local council do financially support the Golden Helmet Weekend, so more than likely couldnt justify spending money on a GP as well.

Whilst I respect the club's decision, I do think they are wrong, and dont fully understand the high regard that the city and track are held in.

IF Pardubice ever "bit the bullet" and staged a GP,  maybe they would be pleasantly surprised at the attendance. Pardubice is only an hour or so on the train from Prague of course, very easy to travel between the two cities.

Maybe, just maybe, they could stage a GP on the Saturday of the Golden Helmet Weekend, it could easily be done, even if the Helmet weekend needs to be moved from its now traditional late September or early October slot. It is surely do-able, there just needs to be the will, which, at least for the time being, there isnt...

 

 

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11 hours ago, Humphrey Appleby said:

Difference is they're the club, presumably know what it would cost to host a GP, and don't think it's worthwhile to risk the future of the club for. Maybe the local municipality is also not interested in supporting for the same reasons. 

Great insight. I wonder if also they worry that a SGP could take the gloss of the Czech Golden Helmet? However in a perfect world it would be a double header -  SGP on Saturday & The CGH on the Sunday!!!

 

Edited by James Carter
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12 hours ago, Humphrey Appleby said:

Difference is they're the club, presumably know what it would cost to host a GP, and don't think it's worthwhile to risk the future of the club for.
Maybe the local municipality is also not interested in supporting for the same reasons. 

I agree, this is one of the biggest reason I don't want Smederna to host a GP at Eskilstuna. The financial risk is high and if the weather doesn't cooperate
you might look at a pretty big loss. If BSI wants to rent the stadium from the city, fine be me but I don't my team Smederna to put any money into it.

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2 hours ago, James Carter said:

Great insight. I wonder if also they worry that a SGP could take the gloss of the Czech Golden Helmet? However in a perfect world it would be a double header -  SGP on Saturday & The CGH on the Sunday!!!

 

I think there's certainly a danger it would impact the crowd that normally goes to the Golden Helmet, which is arguably one of the most prestigious non-GP events. But it's probably also because a GP would divert financial and human resources from the organisation of that. 

As for a double header, doesn't the Golden Helmet get run over a couple of days anyway, so not sure how that would work with a GP in the mix?

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As others have said the Pardubice club have shown little or no interest in holding a GP in the past and I don`t see that changing. Hopefully the talks between BSI and the Prague mayor are successful and we see a return to Marketa.

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47 minutes ago, Humphrey Appleby said:

I think there's certainly a danger it would impact the crowd that normally goes to the Golden Helmet, which is arguably one of the most prestigious non-GP events. But it's probably also because a GP would divert financial and human resources from the organisation of that. 

As for a double header, doesn't the Golden Helmet get run over a couple of days anyway, so not sure how that would work with a GP in the mix?

So there really are things you dont know!! 

Actually no. 30 years ago maybe, but currently its a sunday event. Best and available riders from the friday can get a call for zlata stuha and the same goes with sat to sun. Now the date is late again but for example Ekstraliga playoffs have had their toll on the riders on show.

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16 hours ago, f-s-p said:

So there really are things you dont know!! 

Actually no. 30 years ago maybe, but currently its a sunday event. Best and available riders from the friday can get a call for zlata stuha and the same goes with sat to sun. Now the date is late again but for example Ekstraliga playoffs have had their toll on the riders on show.

Not even then, really...

I havent missed attending a Czech Golden Helmet since 1997, and what used to happen was, after whatever meeting took place on the Saturday, there were four races of the Golden Helmet, for the qualifying groups.

As far I am aware, the riders fed back that it was pointless and time consuming to just have one race each on the Saturday, and then have to clean bikes, etc, and then start all over again on the Sunday.

 

 

 

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4 hours ago, jeffster said:

Not even then, really...

I havent missed attending a Czech Golden Helmet since 1997, and what used to happen was, after whatever meeting took place on the Saturday, there were four races of the Golden Helmet, for the qualifying groups.

 

 

 

My recollection was there was a junior event and then some qualifying races for the Golden Helmet on the Saturday, but in fairness that may have been before 1997!

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53 minutes ago, Humphrey Appleby said:

My recollection was there was a junior event and then some qualifying races for the Golden Helmet on the Saturday, but in fairness that may have been before 1997!

The Zlata Stuha  "golden ribbon"(U21) is normally run on the Friday night these days with a U21 FIM event on the Saturday. it can change however  as this year the final U21 round is on the Friday night and the Golden Ribbon on the Saturday

Edited by racers and royals
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On 7/31/2018 at 10:14 AM, Humphrey Appleby said:

Yes, because mainstream soccer in the UK is largely the preserve of Sky and BT who collectively pay GBP 1.15 billion per year for the privilege. The terrestrial channels can't justify the cost. 

NBC pays about GBP 125 million per year because 'soccer' is nothing like the attraction in the US, and the Premier League knows it can't get away with charging what it charges UK broadcasters. Different market, different valuation, despite there probably being more soccer fans in the US than UK. 

What's Soccer ?

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13 minutes ago, Ghostwalker said:

According to some information I just heard SON will be at Manchester and SWC with be at Gorzow.

I stillthink that SON should be scrapped and that Best pairs should be WCH pairs. 

Surely won't run both in the same year?

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