Premiership Supporters Cup

[Aces51]

1 hour ago, Baldyman said:

So the Nss provides good racing,, how big are the crowds?? And how many people live in and around Manchester? 

Despite the continuing  decline at virtually every track the crowds at the NSS have increased significantly when compared to the the numbers at the dog track. 

There are fans who stopped attending after the move to the dog track who have now been attracted back because of the quality of the racing on offer at the NSS and some new fans. Nowhere near enough of them but certainly enough to show that entertaining racing does have an affect.

[Daniel Smith]

3 hours ago, hyderd said:

Racing at the NSS is anything but boring, even from the gate races are close, and I firmly believe that other tracks that once provided good exciting races still can if prepared better. As for promoters intentionally winding it down, do me a favour, nobody intentionally throws good money after bad. I heard our promoters have a 5 year plan to turn Belle Vue round, I sincerely hope they can. As for the cost, when compared to other professional sports Speedway is relatively cheap, it's the extras that one can do without to keep one's cost down. 

The NSS is an exception to the rule but unfortunately the new stadium has come along 20 years to late for the sport

[SPEEDY69]

1 hour ago, Aces51 said:

Despite the continuing  decline at virtually every track the crowds at the NSS have increased significantly when compared to the the numbers at the dog track. 

There are fans who stopped attending after the move to the dog track who have now been attracted back because of the quality of the racing on offer at the NSS and some new fans. Nowhere near enough of them but certainly enough to show that entertaining racing does have an affect.

But there could/should be more people there.  It still relies too heavily on things which existing fans seem to focus on i.e. the actual racing, there is still virtually nothing going on apart from that and the back straight fans are segregated from the home straight amenities.

[Aces51]

21 minutes ago, SPEEDY69 said:

But there could/should be more people there.  It still relies too heavily on things which existing fans seem to focus on i.e. the actual racing, there is still virtually nothing going on apart from that and the back straight fans are segregated from the home straight amenities.

I agree that we need a lot more people there. More also needs to be done to entertain fans but steps have been taken. Most meetings are now completed in less than 2 hours, Chase the Ace has been introduced and the music has moved on from the 60/70's.

Fans were also segregated at Hyde Road but that is now a health and safety issue, which the promotion can do nothing about, as is the lack of facilities in the South Stand, which is a matter for the council.

Edited February 11, 2019 by Aces51

[SPEEDY69]

9 minutes ago, Aces51 said:

I agree that we need a lot more people there. More also needs to be done to entertain fans but steps have been taken. Most meetings are now completed in less than 2 hours, Chase the Ace has been introduced and the music has moved on from the 60/70's.

Fans were also segregated at Hyde Road but that is now a health and safety issue, which the promotion can do nothing about, as is the lack of facilities in the South Stand, which is a matter for the council.

Can you elaborate please on this?  It is a purpose built stadium and they decided to segregate?  At other tracks you can access all parts of the stadium, including the pits and there are no H&S issues which prevent it. In fact, having to walk through a car park and up a steep bank presents health issues (particularly if not athletic, mobile and extremely alert like me ) 

Edited February 11, 2019 by SPEEDY69

[Aces51]

54 minutes ago, SPEEDY69 said:

Can you elaborate please on this?  It is a purpose built stadium and they decided to segregate?  At other tracks you can access all parts of the stadium, including the pits and there are no H&S issues which prevent it. In fact, having to walk through a car park and up a steep bank presents health issues (particularly if not athletic, mobile and extremely alert like me ) 

So far as I understand it the segregation is because as a new build stadium it had to comply with the current health and safety requirements. These requirements do not apply retrospectively to existing stadiums.

[ouch]

1 hour ago, SPEEDY69 said:

Can you elaborate please on this?  It is a purpose built stadium and they decided to segregate?  At other tracks you can access all parts of the stadium, including the pits and there are no H&S issues which prevent it. In fact, having to walk through a car park and up a steep bank presents health issues (particularly if not athletic, mobile and extremely alert like me ) 

I walk through a car park at every track and where the hell is this steep bank?

Had a look on google maps and street view and I can’t find anything. 

[SPEEDY69]

3 minutes ago, ouch said:

I walk through a car park at every track and where the hell is this steep bank?

Had a look on google maps and street view and I can’t find anything. 

To get to the stand on the back straight.  Don't know if there's another way to reach it or not but just after the turnstile it's a big grassy bank to get up to the stand.  

[SPEEDY69]

29 minutes ago, Aces51 said:

So far as I understand it the segregation is because as a new build stadium it had to comply with the current health and safety requirements. These requirements do not apply retrospectively to existing stadiums.

Thank you.  The new Wembley doesn't have that issue, maybe it pre-dates a change in rules then or it's different depending upon the type of event.

[mikebv]

3 hours ago, Aces51 said:

Despite the continuing  decline at virtually every track the crowds at the NSS have increased significantly when compared to the the numbers at the dog track. 

There are fans who stopped attending after the move to the dog track who have now been attracted back because of the quality of the racing on offer at the NSS and some new fans. Nowhere near enough of them but certainly enough to show that entertaining racing does have an affect.

Go back twenty five years or so and there were considerably more attending the dog bowl on a Friday night than attend the NSS currently on Mondays.. ..

Sadly I would say the NSS is simply fifteen to twenty years too late to be successful...

The 'lost generation' of fans show very little signs of coming back and 'newbies' are very much conspicuous by their absence...

A shame for the sport in general not just for the Aces..

[mikebv]

51 minutes ago, geoff58 said:

the city of manchester is vast with 2 of the top premiership football teams & many other teams at lower level !! also 5/6 rugby league teams also rugby union lancashire cricket team ice hockey team manchester has far more other sporting events/teams to support than any other speedway team has FACT 

2.5 million people live in the Grt Mcr conurbation...

All within 45 mins drive...

The track has fantastic motorway links,  ie straight off the motorway and onto an dual carriageway/A road. Drive five mins and you are there..

Mcr City Centre is five mins away by bus. Many routes run past it....

Its less than five mins by taxi and train, (the station is five mins walk away)...

Belle Vue have a 100% monopoly as there isn't another track within 30 plus miles...

To get less than 0.1% of Manchester to attend isn't too positive a measure for those who run it I would suggest..

[ouch]

1 hour ago, SPEEDY69 said:

To get to the stand on the back straight.  Don't know if there's another way to reach it or not but just after the turnstile it's a big grassy bank to get up to the stand.  

Blocking the pathway built to take people to the grandstand is just stupid. I’ll see if they’ll clear it ready for next month. 

[lastword]

1 hour ago, SPEEDY69 said:

To get to the stand on the back straight.  Don't know if there's another way to reach it or not but just after the turnstile it's a big grassy bank to get up to the stand.  

Bollocks!

Sorry but there is enough negativity around our sport today without this sort of nonsense.

I park in the Pink Bank Lane car park every week (the car park nearest the South Stand) and believe me this claim of a grass banking is absolutely wrong!!!

 

The other issue about the South Stand fans not being able to access the facilities in the grandstand are correct. But any suggestions as to how this could be addressed would be welcome as I cannot see how it can be solved. Truth is if you want a seat and the facilities that go with it ,then you pay for a grandstand seat.  It's a matter of choice.  And I speak as a South Stand supporter.

 

[SPEEDY69]

21 hours ago, lastword said:

Bollocks!

Sorry but there is enough negativity around our sport today without this sort of nonsense.

I park in the Pink Bank Lane car park every week (the car park nearest the South Stand) and believe me this claim of a grass banking is absolutely wrong!!!

 

The other issue about the South Stand fans not being able to access the facilities in the grandstand are correct. But any suggestions as to how this could be addressed would be welcome as I cannot see how it can be solved. Truth is if you want a seat and the facilities that go with it ,then you pay for a grandstand seat.  It's a matter of choice.  And I speak as a South Stand supporter.

 

Ha, thanks for the eloquent response, must have touched a nerve.  The point of the post was really that fans are not the top priority and that's one example.  No, I don't want a seat but don't think being able to access facilities at the stadium is an unreasonable expectation.  Oh, and the grass bank is real, have walked up/down it every time I've been there (apart from the World Cup) but the aerial shot from a previous poster does show there is a way around it - just not if you're in a hurry to see the first heat from bend two  following a late arrival 

[Trees]

2 hours ago, SPEEDY69 said:

Ha, thanks for the eloquent response, must have touched a nerve.  The point of the post was really that fans are not the top priority and that's one example.  No, I don't want a seat but don't think being able to access facilities at the stadium is an unreasonable expectation.  Oh, and the grass bank is real, have walked up/down it every time I've been there (apart from the World Cup) but the aerial shot from a previous poster does show there is a way around it - just not if you're in a hurry to see the first heat from bend two  following a late arrival 

You just can't run fast enough! I wish they'd open that turnstile on the left of the back of the grandstand so us back straighter can walk round easier... even if it's on the stones.. 

[BWitcher]

On 2/11/2019 at 5:55 PM, SPEEDY69 said:

To get to the stand on the back straight.  Don't know if there's another way to reach it or not but just after the turnstile it's a big grassy bank to get up to the stand.  

I'm confused by this too.

Stood in the stand on the back straight every time and never walked up a grassy bank? You go through the turnstile, along the back of the stand and choose from one of numerous 'entry' points?

 

 

[ouch]

46 minutes ago, BWitcher said:

I'm confused by this too.

Stood in the stand on the back straight every time and never walked up a grassy bank? You go through the turnstile, along the back of the stand and choose from one of numerous 'entry' points?

 

 

He chooses to walk up the grass bank, then complains about it. 

I’m sick of climbing the fence to get in at Monmore Green, especially with the barb wire and don’t get me started on using a ladder at Swindon, whilst carrying a baby. 

[SPEEDY69]

On 2/11/2019 at 3:55 PM, SPEEDY69 said:

But there could/should be more people there.  It still relies too heavily on things which existing fans seem to focus on i.e. the actual racing, there is still virtually nothing going on apart from that and the back straight fans are segregated from the home straight amenities.

 

On 2/11/2019 at 4:26 PM, SPEEDY69 said:

Can you elaborate please on this?  It is a purpose built stadium and they decided to segregate?  At other tracks you can access all parts of the stadium, including the pits and there are no H&S issues which prevent it. In fact, having to walk through a car park and up a steep bank presents health issues (particularly if not athletic, mobile and extremely alert like me ) 

 

On 2/11/2019 at 5:55 PM, SPEEDY69 said:

To get to the stand on the back straight.  Don't know if there's another way to reach it or not but just after the turnstile it's a big grassy bank to get up to the stand.  

 

On 2/11/2019 at 5:57 PM, SPEEDY69 said:

Thank you.  The new Wembley doesn't have that issue, maybe it pre-dates a change in rules then or it's different depending upon the type of event.

 

On 2/11/2019 at 7:07 PM, ouch said:

Blocking the pathway built to take people to the grandstand is just stupid. I’ll see if they’ll clear it ready for next month. 

 

 

15 hours ago, SPEEDY69 said:

Ha, thanks for the eloquent response, must have touched a nerve.  The point of the post was really that fans are not the top priority and that's one example.  No, I don't want a seat but don't think being able to access facilities at the stadium is an unreasonable expectation.  Oh, and the grass bank is real, have walked up/down it every time I've been there (apart from the World Cup) but the aerial shot from a previous poster does show there is a way around it - just not if you're in a hurry to see the first heat from bend two  following a late arrival 

 

11 hours ago, ouch said:

He chooses to walk up the grass bank, then complains about it. 

I’m sick of climbing the fence to get in at Monmore Green, especially with the barb wire and don’t get me started on using a ladder at Swindon, whilst carrying a baby. 

Ha, it's funny how people latch on to one bit of a post which was actually more about clubs putting fans first, but I guess there's nothing like a forum to focus on the small issues.  There's no need for anyone to be confused, when entering the stadium through the car par turnstile, directly between you and the end of the back straight stand is a steep grass bank, which I've chosen to walk up to get to the stand (at first I didn't know there was a longer way around) -  a few stairs wouldn't have added much to the cost of the whole build.

Anyway, back to my original question regarding Belle Vue, what Health and Safety issues prevent people from walking all the way around a speedway stadium when it's a new build?

[ouch]

None, but you need to direct this question to MCC together with your request for steps on the grass bank. While you’re at it ask about the bogs, permanent stands etc etc etc. 

Any H&S frustrations you have are felt ten fold by The Aces. 

Maybe MCC’s H&S guru doesn’t want people walking through car parks to get from one side to the other. It could be that stupid. Lol. 

[hyderd]

On 2/11/2019 at 6:12 PM, mikebv said:

2.5 million people live in the Grt Mcr conurbation...

All within 45 mins drive...

The track has fantastic motorway links,  ie straight off the motorway and onto an dual carriageway/A road. Drive five mins and you are there..

Mcr City Centre is five mins away by bus. Many routes run past it....

Its less than five mins by taxi and train, (the station is five mins walk away)...

Belle Vue have a 100% monopoly as there isn't another track within 30 plus miles...

To get less than 0.1% of Manchester to attend isn't too positive a measure for those who run it I would suggest..

Manchester is also the most congestive city outside of London. The M6 is always chockablock from Stoke through to past Warrington, meaning fans have to leave early which is not always possible because of work etc, Buses are timed to take 5 mins from Piccadilly to the Apollo, plus another 5 mins to Belle Vue. So whilst I agree that the links are superb, unfortunately the roads cannot handle the amount of traffic presently using them. Would be interesting to see what crowds we could get if we ran on a Sunday.