Thursdays - Use them or lose them!

[cityrebel]

Just now, mikebv said:

My thoughts are what you say is 100% correct...

And thousands and thousands of ex fans would read your comments and agree also...

Incredible that the Promoters don't see the obvious issues, and continue to ignore feedback from the many who used to go...

Makes you wonder how many gaps have to appear on the terraces before they finally cotton on..

Probably never. The new master plan for 2019 is, raise the admission price. 

[waytogo28]

15 hours ago, cityrebel said:

Probably never. The new master plan for 2019 is, raise the admission price. 

I bet you're right. Those currently "in charge" rate it as a £20 sport - with a better class of younger supporters. Quite how they get those hordes of people with money to spend, no one within the BSPA knows. As a masterplan, well it's almost time to write to Santa.

[cityrebel]

3 hours ago, waytogo28 said:

I bet you're right. Those currently "in charge" rate it as a £20 sport - with a better class of younger supporters. Quite how they get those hordes of people with money to spend, no one within the BSPA knows. As a masterplan, well it's almost time to write to Santa.

Whatever way you dress it up, the british public think that speedway is poor value for money. The old boys club can't change this, i dont think anyone can. That horse has long since bolted.

[A ORLOV]

5 minutes ago, cityrebel said:

Whatever way you dress it up, the british public think that speedway is poor value for money. The old boys club can't change this, i dont think anyone can. That horse has long since bolted.

They could if they reduced the number of riders per team and/or standardised much of the equipment, then the better riders would stand out.  The main downside would be that we would not have a team with the equipment to compete with other countries unless certain riders invested in  different equipment to ride in the Polish or Swedish leagues  etc.

The way we are carrying on either clubs will go to the wall because of costs and, if they increase the entrance price, a further drop in fans going to meetings or we can drop the standard and become a feeder for the continental teams.    

[cityrebel]

23 minutes ago, A ORLOV said:

They could if they reduced the number of riders per team and/or standardised much of the equipment, then the better riders would stand out.  The main downside would be that we would not have a team with the equipment to compete with other countries unless certain riders invested in  different equipment to ride in the Polish or Swedish leagues  etc.

The way we are carrying on either clubs will go to the wall because of costs and, if they increase the entrance price, a further drop in fans going to meetings or we can drop the standard and become a feeder for the continental teams.    

If is a big word. Have any of the present incumbents got the balls to make changes. I'm not holding my breath.

[A ORLOV]

12 minutes ago, cityrebel said:

If is a big word. Have any of the present incumbents got the balls to make changes. I'm not holding my breath.

That is the worry cr as they do not seem to be taking much notice of the fans, more who now seem to be picking and choosing which meetings they go to, or understand why those who have stopped going no longer go.      

One thing that would have helped would have been for every club to have given a questionnaire out to the fans part way through the season and see what issues the fans have.  If there are one or two major issues mentioned by many then maybe they can be changed for the following season.

Some of the clubs seen to forget that without the fans some of the clubs will die. 

Edited November 10, 2018 by A ORLOV

[mikebv]

1 hour ago, A ORLOV said:

That is the worry cr as they do not seem to be taking much notice of the fans, more who now seem to be picking and choosing which meetings they go to, or understand why those who have stopped going no longer go.      

One thing that would have helped would have been for every club to have given a questionnaire out to the fans part way through the season and see what issues the fans have.  If there are one or two major issues mentioned by many then maybe they can be changed for the following season.

Some of the clubs seen to forget that without the fans some of the clubs will die. 

Common Sense comments..

However, I do really believe that what is done now cannot be undone..

We have gone too far and it is not possible to get the Sport where it needs be in this country..

I am convinced the Promoters know full well the stand out reasons for the Sport's ever hastening demise (there has never been so much feedback available), but they simply havent the resource, or possibly the capability too, to sort the self inflicted mess out..

We all know that there is huge potential in the Sport as many of us just on here used to go regularly, and around the country I would suggest EVERY track has at least 2000 people living locally who no longer go but used to go and keep a passing interest in the local Speedway team..

It just appears that Promoters feel there is zero chance of enticing them back so no point in trying..

A shame, but it is what it is..

 

 

Edited November 10, 2018 by mikebv

[A ORLOV]

I know of one promotor and am convinced that some of the others do not bother with certain forums or social media as they do not like the many negative comments therefore do not weed out any constructive ideas, which is why I mentioned a survey would have been a good idea.  Remember that quite a few clubs own forums have been shut down.    

Edited November 10, 2018 by A ORLOV

[cityrebel]

8 minutes ago, A ORLOV said:

I know of one promotor and am convinced that some of the others do not bother with certain forums or social media as they do not like the many negative comments therefore do not weed out any constructive ideas, which is why I mentioned a survey would have been a good idea.  Remember that quite a few clubs own forums have been shut down.    

I remember the Lakeside forum getting shut down, because the promoters didn't take too kindly to criticism.

[Steve0]

23 minutes ago, cityrebel said:

I remember the Lakeside forum getting shut down, because the promoters didn't take too kindly to criticism.

They need to learn that the customer is king and not their current attitude of “use it or lose it”.  Listen to your customers, work out how to get there and develop a plan to take the sport forward and look at the value for money.  Currently with the promoters it is a bit like Nero fiddling while Rome burns and that is driving more and more people away from the sport - they really need to take what customers they have left seriously to keep them and encourage new supporters!

[Danny Connor]

I've noticed amongst fans on here that everybody has differing opinions on structure etc. what ever happens there will be a very vocal majority who disagree. its almost as polarised as brexit. i don't see an answer. i have my own view but others have it and have been argued against. same with each other opinion too. every answer will have negatives. its sad to think about really

so to say they don't listen to the fans is a very broad statement. 

[Daniel Smith]

1 hour ago, Danny Connor said:

I've noticed amongst fans on here that everybody has differing opinions on structure etc. what ever happens there will be a very vocal majority who disagree. its almost as polarised as brexit. i don't see an answer. i have my own view but others have it and have been argued against. same with each other opinion too. every answer will have negatives. its sad to think about really

so to say they don't listen to the fans is a very broad statement. 

That I cannot dissagree with. Whatever happens, there will be a substantial amount of supporters disgruntled.

The one thing that every fan up and down the UK can and does agree on, is the admission prices need to be lower, and by £5 lower at a minimum. 

All the fans are seeing year on year is a declining product for more money on the gate. Value for money no longer exists in British Speedway for the majority. 

[dontforgetthefueltapsbruv]

6 minutes ago, Daniel Smith said:

The one thing that every fan up and down the UK can and does agree on, is the admission prices need to be lower, and by £5 lower at a minimum. 

Count me out on that

£10-12 is not a realistic or feasible price for entrance to any professional sport

[Daniel Smith]

12 minutes ago, dontforgetthefueltapsbruv said:

Count me out on that

£10-12 is not a realistic or feasible price for entrance to any professional sport

I don't disagree at all but is British Speedway in a position to be classed as a professional sport?

British Speedway is slipping behind the German league in the quality of rider's. When you look at all the leagues above us charging less for superstars British Speedway fans rightly, as shown with the ever declining terrace numbers, feel ripped off. 

What's your solution??

[MattK]

15 hours ago, cityrebel said:

Whatever way you dress it up, the british public think that speedway is poor value for money. 

I'd hazard a guess that 99% of the British public have no idea how much it costs to attend speedway, therefore have no concept of whether it is "value for money" or not.

[MattK]

11 hours ago, Daniel Smith said:

The one thing that every fan up and down the UK can and does agree on, is the admission prices need to be lower, and by £5 lower at a minimum. 

All the fans are seeing year on year is a declining product for more money on the gate. Value for money no longer exists in British Speedway for the majority. 

The National League is £5 cheaper than the Premiership. How do their attendances compare?

[Danny Connor]

£1 per race, free race card. I liked Tatum idea about the interaction app. Maybe make a few prizes available on the night for that each meeting. 1st is a vip pass for 2 then the next 3 will get a free ticket. Make it a big part of the night . Lynn have done a lot this year in terms of inclusion. Kids club, riders interacting with fans, conferences post meeting. 

Stupid things like hold ups, tannoys playing up, riders moaning about conditions, relentless track grading, and a hum of negativity about the product in general is all things that put people off. Rain offs too so track covers?, 

im not buying into this 1 league thing. There will bee too many teams in the bottom half and their crowds will all be hit. I’d keep the 3 tier, weaken the middle tier with the draft (unprotected so averages aren’t botched) and strengthen the top league, 2 brits minimum per team. Minimum ave back to 3. And slightly weaken the nl. Not too much. But it isn’t what Plymouth Birmingham and Eastbourne want it to be. If they want a pro league then step up. 

In an ideal world centralise all clubs so they are run as franchises to a well established independently run system where all 3 leagues will be ran under 1 package. With stepping stones for uk riders to progress. Light shows and fireworks, entertainers in track grades, ear pieces where you can hear analysis and interviews in between heats, competition apps, cheap try out days. Invest in trying to gain a media presence so it all actually matters. 

[Daniel Smith]

13 minutes ago, MattK said:

The National League is £5 cheaper than the Premiership. How do their attendances compare?

Poorly because the NL doesn't offer value for money, what's so difficult to understand??

Across every Speedway league around the world British Speedway is one of the worst for expense at the turnstile and standard of the product to the supporters. 

It's one of and probably THE very top reason terrace numbers are ever decreasing. Weaker product, admission prices increase.

If you can't see that, then some fans are as deluded as the promoters in British Speedway. 

[MattK]

3 minutes ago, Daniel Smith said:

Poorly because the NL doesn't offer value for money, what's so difficult to understand??

Across every Speedway league around the world British Speedway is one of the worst for expense at the turnstile and standard of the product to the supporters. 

It's one of and probably THE very top reason terrace numbers are ever decreasing. Weaker product, admission prices increase.

If you can't see that, then some fans are as deluded as the promoters in British Speedway. 

Have you watched National League racing? In terms of on track action it is comparable to Premiership racing, at least at Swindon in 2017 when they ran a team in the National Trophy. Therefore "value for money" cannot refer to the quality of the racing.

Is it perceived value? So ten years ago teams were full of GP stars and entrance was £15, today it is a hotchpotch of mid-level riders for £17. Maybe.

I think the decline in terrace numbers is easier to explain. Over time people drift away from any product. They die. They move away. They become familiar and lose interest. The problem for speedway is that they have taken no steps to gain new fans, therefore gradually over time attendance will decline. Price is an issue in fans losing interest, but I don't think it is a major factor.

[cityrebel]

It's a shame that those teams committed to top flight racing can't run with the top riders for a year. That way if the fans still don't come, then we know the sport is knackered at the highest level.