What must 2019 bring (speak now or forever hold your peace)

[comet49]

1 hour ago, 4thbender said:

Considering the vastly reduced number of fixtures this year, (and the fact that Worky went through almost the whole of May without a home meeting)  it's nothing short of scandalous that they should have failed to complete their fixtures. The fault lies entirely with the SCB and the promoters for the totally dysfunctional league programme which was unfit for purpose from day1 of the season.

The meeting postponed after Dan's injury, in the 3rd heat, was 25th August. This I believe was the original date for the meeting.

[Moranboys]

i know this may be trivial to a lot of people but just one of my biggest gripes is the lack of medical cover at meetings.a bib dislike of mine, and I'm sure many supporters, is having to wait anything between an hour and an hour and a half for the one ambulance there is to return from the hospital.one ambulance, in a professional sport is really unacceptable.i know of some newbies including ones that i have introduced saying that they would not return because standing around was ludicrous so come on promoters sort out this situation before the die hards also start to get fed up.

[Moranboys]

my thoughts on what next season should bring.

1 a fair points limit for team building

2run with one league but regionalise into two groups (north and south) as has already been mentioned

3if three leagues again then home and away league meetings to be run at the start of the season with other competitions coming afterwards.this would represent better value for money and keep the season going as this season has been far too short.

4.promoters.please give value for money when purchasing a season ticket.at sheffield the only benefit gained was half price parking.£1 instead of 2.im not asking for the world, just a bit more of an incentive to part up front with my hard earned.maybe a free prog or a cut price one.

5.more of an incentive to entice the younger generation to attend in a time when there are numerous other things for parents to take their kids to.they are the future when all said and done.

6the return of a second half competition.time and weather permitting.

7would love to see a slight price reduction for visiting supporters on production of their season tickets (tried at a few tracks before)

8 would like to see the t.s rule used probably twice in a match or even when the team falls 6 points behind throughout.

 

[Moranboys]

home and away league  meetings twice.

[4thbender]

5 minutes ago, Moranboys said:

home and away league  meetings twice.

Or a single league of 18 - 20 teams.

[4thbender]

3 hours ago, Hunters said:

And destroy the National League  in the process !!

Their top riders constantly missing, taking part in a cobbled up reserve qualification set up.

If this is the sort of thinking then the NL clubs must withdraw from the BSPA and register the league independently with the SCB.   No doubling up and any rider signing for a NL club who then wants to move to a PL/CL club during the year  is excluded from participating in the NL for two years and if coming back gets a high 'experience' assessed average.

The NL are developing a really good all British set up despite the best efforts of the BSPA to use it for their own ends.  The NL must go independent to get out of the BSPA clutches.

I understand your fears but I think putting barriers between the leagues is not the answer. We have to recognise that any rider would want to compete at the highest level his ability allows and to place punitive conditions on riders moving from NL to CL (or CL to PL) is not in the best interests of the sport or the riders. The reality is that Speedway operates a progressive regime. Generally speaking, young riders start out their careers in the NL and, when their skills allow, move to the CL and thence to the PL. To place an artificial 'glass ceiling' above the NL to prevent riders fulfilling their potential in the upper leagues (and punishing them if they dare to try) is not in the best interests of the sport or its riders.   

Speedway needs to find ways of encouraging teams and riders to work together progressively for the good of the sport and improve its marketing image as an entertaining and competitive family sport to attract people back to the terraces.

The Pathfinder report does it for me.

[BluPanther]

6 hours ago, 4thbender said:

I understand your fears but I think putting barriers between the leagues is not the answer. We have to recognise that any rider would want to compete at the highest level his ability allows and to place punitive conditions on riders moving from NL to CL (or CL to PL) is not in the best interests of the sport or the riders. The reality is that Speedway operates a progressive regime. Generally speaking, young riders start out their careers in the NL and, when their skills allow, move to the CL and thence to the PL. To place an artificial 'glass ceiling' above the NL to prevent riders fulfilling their potential in the upper leagues (and punishing them if they dare to try) is not in the best interests of the sport or its riders.   

Speedway needs to find ways of encouraging teams and riders to work together progressively for the good of the sport and improve its marketing image as an entertaining and competitive family sport to attract people back to the terraces.

The Pathfinder report does it for me.

Will never happen, it's dying a death and there is no way back ...

[4thbender]

6 hours ago, BluPanther said:

Will never happen, it's dying a death and there is no way back ...

Nice to encounter one of life's natural optimists.

[Hunters]

13 hours ago, 4thbender said:

I understand your fears but I think putting barriers between the leagues is not the answer. We have to recognise that any rider would want to compete at the highest level his ability allows and to place punitive conditions on riders moving from NL to CL (or CL to PL) is not in the best interests of the sport or the riders. The reality is that Speedway operates a progressive regime. Generally speaking, young riders start out their careers in the NL and, when their skills allow, move to the CL and thence to the PL. To place an artificial 'glass ceiling' above the NL to prevent riders fulfilling their potential in the upper leagues (and punishing them if they dare to try) is not in the best interests of the sport or its riders.   

Speedway needs to find ways of encouraging teams and riders to work together progressively for the good of the sport and improve its marketing image as an entertaining and competitive family sport to attract people back to the terraces.

The Pathfinder report does it for me.

And when the NL has been destroyed where will all those young (British) riders start?  Crowds are dropping because fans are sick and tired of seeing often questionable guests instead of their favourites and this automatic preference for the so called senior leagues having first call on their services.  A question mark hangs over whether some will fold this year.   Even some of the  Development  Leagues have to use second halves at NL tracks which could be lost to them.

Teams like Stoke, Buxton, Plymouth exist because their promoters are enthusiasts prepared to suffer a loss but there has to be a limit to the depth of their pockets.

There would be no 'glass ceiling' .   Once a rider feels he wants to join the CL he can but having signed for a CL team it should be up to that team to develop his skills either at reserve or in second halves instead of just dumping him as Sheffield have Georgie Wood twice... 

The BSPA must stop thinking about the NL as their free training tracks but we all know they will not so the NL promoters should force the issue and declare UDI. 

 

[BluPanther]

2 hours ago, 4thbender said:

Nice to encounter one of life's natural optimists.

The word you are looking for is Realist. There is no evidence to suggest British speedway can stop the decline, and other outdoor sports are also in the same boat. Anyone that thinks speedway can outgun the digital age is deluded, so enjoy it while you can ....

[TotallyHonestJohn]

55 minutes ago, Hunters said:

And when the NL has been destroyed where will all those young (British) riders start?  Crowds are dropping because fans are sick and tired of seeing often questionable guests instead of their favourites and this automatic preference for the so called senior leagues having first call on their services.  A question mark hangs over whether some will fold this year.   Even some of the  Development  Leagues have to use second halves at NL tracks which could be lost to them.

Teams like Stoke, Buxton, Plymouth exist because their promoters are enthusiasts prepared to suffer a loss but there has to be a limit to the depth of their pockets.

There would be no 'glass ceiling' .   Once a rider feels he wants to join the CL he can but having signed for a CL team it should be up to that team to develop his skills either at reserve or in second halves instead of just dumping him as Sheffield have Georgie Wood twice... 

The BSPA must stop thinking about the NL as their free training tracks but we all know they will not so the NL promoters should force the issue and declare UDI. 

 

Honestly

It is not just the teams you have quoted who run at a loss nearly all of the promotions in all the leagues are "blowing their brains out", however when you talk to these guys it is the same old "Hydraulics" "oh we have made a small profit", or "oh we have broke even this year" or the old chestnut "oh we have only made a small loss but we are nearly their". 

One promoter advised that "I've nearly balanced the books and only took a seven grand hit this year due to buying a 25 grand air fence, next year I am in the black" on further due diligence inspection prior to a possible investment that £7k loss was actually and £85k loss and the following year there was another £75k loss. When are these people going to realise, when is the message going to get through, how the sport is being run (especially in the top two leagues) is just not sustainable.

We can not compete financially with Poland or anywhere else on the European continent for that matter. Currently British Speedway is being run as a "feeder country" for the Polish Leagues and we may have to revert back to the semi pro or fully amateur format that we once run in the past and stick with that for a period before we can climb back to anywhere near the way the sport was.

BluPanther may have put up a really negative post however under the current terms of reference the sport has major difficulties and he may well be correct in his assumptions (unfortunately)

Regards
THJ

[waytogo28]

20 hours ago, TotallyHonestJohn said:

We can not compete financially with Poland or anywhere else on the European continent for that matter. Currently British Speedway is being run as a "feeder country" for the Polish Leagues and we may have to revert back to the semi pro or fully amateur format that we once run in the past and stick with that for a period before we can climb back to anywhere near the way the sport was.

 

Only way forward. The same old, same old,  league structure with a handful of "the top boys" popping up here there and merrily everywhere in team winning photos is doomed to crumble further. Managed decline continues.

[speedwaysliders]

We have to address team riding-maybe having a couple of heats in the match where you get more points for finishing second and third for example (or whatever score you like if it favours team racing)Something has to be done to bring TEAM speedway back,and racers not to clear off from their teammates ,

[Guest WTF1]

Edited November 9, 2018 by WTF1

[TonyE]

15 minutes ago, HerniaWise said:

Unfortunately speedway is a unique sport with diehard fans many of a certain age who are sadly declining and not being restocked,  in this day and age of crappy reality programmes where everyone wants to be involved for most of us racing a speedway bike is a no no so if people can't do it they lose interest,  anybody can kick a football,  cricket,  golf,  tennis ,snooker darts etc to a certain level so this is what they do,  the simple fact is speedway is a casualty of not having mainstream TV or having anyone appearing on any sports shows anymore, BT sport is fine but it's only speedway enthusiasts watching the Grand Prix's,  it needs a much wider audience,  changing anything internally will not bring any new people into speedway,  for example the ridiculous points limit of 42.50, come on whoever is in charge are you as thick as rubbish as you need 46 to win a match so that should be the minimum but it's things like this that really piss off the people already going,  I could go go on. 

You were doing reasonably well until that last bit.

Riders averages are based on 4 rides, 7 riders per team equals 28 rides equals 14 heats - so 42.50 should win you the meeting!

Edited November 9, 2018 by TonyE

[waytogo28]

2 hours ago, HerniaWise said:

Unfortunately speedway is a unique sport with diehard fans many of a certain age who are sadly declining and not being restocked,  in this day and age of crappy reality programmes where everyone wants to be involved for most of us racing a speedway bike is a no no so if people can't do it they lose interest,  anybody can kick a football,  cricket,  golf,  tennis ,snooker darts etc to a certain level so this is what they do,  the simple fact is speedway is a casualty of not having mainstream TV or having anyone appearing on any sports shows anymore, BT sport is fine but it's only speedway enthusiasts watching the Grand Prix's,  it needs a much wider audience,  changing anything internally will not bring any new people into speedway

That really is true. Only vastly better marketing, different marketing is going to make any difference as is making the product in the stadium far better and more attractive to watch than it comes across at the moment. Relying on Twitter and Facebook is not going to work, Speedway GB has 25.000 followers that needs at least two more zeros to have much effect.

[Guest WTF1]

Edited November 9, 2018 by WTF1

[dontforgetthefueltapsbruv]

35 minutes ago, HerniaWise said:

Must remember next time if my team has scored 42.50 points at heat 14 the match can't be lost,  what a load of bull.

But if they lost from that position everytime then they wouldnt have a team total average of 42.50 - it would drop to around 42

So whilst it could be lost it wouldnt if the team maintained the equivalent of a 42.50 total by getting a 3-3

Not quite the 'load of bull' you claim

[The Third Man]

1 hour ago, HerniaWise said:

Must remember next time if my team has scored 42.50 points at heat 14 the match can't be lost,  what a load of bull.

That's not how it works

averages are based on each rider having four rides

by heat 14 there has been 28 rides, that is 7 riders x 4 rides = 28 rides = 14 heats = 14 x average 3 points per heat = 42 points therefore a combined team average of 42.5 points will win the match

hopefully that explains how averages work

 

 

[Tsunami]

48 minutes ago, The Third Man said:

That's not how it works

averages are based on each rider having four rides

by heat 14 there has been 28 rides, that is 7 riders x 4 rides = 28 rides = 14 heats = 14 x average 3 points per heat = 42 points therefore a combined team average of 42.5 points will win the match

hopefully that explains how averages work

 

 

This should be a header on some threads, for the number of times it has to be explained at the beginning and end of every season.