Rob Godfrey interview in Speedway Star

[chunky]

56 minutes ago, Hamish McRaker said:

Sadly it seems the first rule of commentating is to ensure no silences, but of course this is the age of constant noise, much of it of poor quality. Barry Davies was another from the old school now consigned to obsolescence, Peter Alliss is probably the only surviving one.

Don't forget John Arlott, Brian Johnson, Henry Blofeld etc... 

Steve

[Tsunami]

1 hour ago, chunky said:

Don't forget John Arlott, Brian Johnson, Henry Blofeld etc... 

Steve

I liked their little stories, when time and excitement allowed. Good chat in the box during the last test matches.  

[Chadster]

It's worth pointing out that the broadcasters mentioned (all very good) were public service broadcasters. I suspect that people working for Sky, BT are expected to 'big it up', as I believe the expression is to convince viewers that what they're paying to watch is worth the fee.

[steve roberts]

42 minutes ago, Tsunami said:

I liked their little stories, when time and excitement allowed. Good chat in the box during the last test matches.  

...and of course the classic Brian Johnson and Jonathan Agnew interlude!

[Tsunami]

4 minutes ago, steve roberts said:

...and of course the classic Brian Johnson and Jonathan Agnew interlude!

We agree with each other more that we realise Steve. 

[steve roberts]

1 minute ago, Tsunami said:

We agree with each other more that we realise Steve. 

....call it mutual respect from a distance!

[Hamish McRaker]

Well I for one am looking forward to reading about Rob Godfrey's thoughts about sports broadcasters in this week's Star. 

[HGould]

Back on topic and I think it is crystal clear from the article and other comments over the years that what Godfrey really doesn't ever want is one big League, I have always thought he sees the Championship as a Northern League and the Premier as a Midland ( south of Belle Vue) /Southern League and probably wants an 8/8 9/9 type split and 2 home and 2 away. I'm not sure how close he and Buster are, but it looks a bit of a dictatorship at the moment

The fact that it took so long apparently for Birmingham and Eastbourne to be ratified to the CL in the winter and in that 5 page article he could not mention Somerset; Birmingham or Eastbourne once again proves the point. It will be interesting to see what happens in 2019 and what the reaction to either One Big league or a North/South split is in 2020 as it seems a few Clubs already "hanging on" like Redcar / Newcastle (Nissan) and Swindon (Honda) plus others in Midlands (Wolves / Birmingham / Leicester) could be hit by sudden collapse in Car Industry and associated supply chains; and any even small loss of core support could impact on pretty much every Team, with very few exceptions.

 

[barrybishop]

On 2/12/2019 at 6:07 PM, Halifaxtiger said:

While this thread maybe full of aggression, the forum as a whole is packed with ideas from long standing, thinking and committed fans about how to improve the sport. Some are ridiculous, some are unworkable and some require the injection of unfeasibly huge amounts of cash. Some, however, might just be worth a try.

Problem is, with the exception of Barry Bishop, Neil Watson, Jayne Moss & Laurence Rogers not one single promoter or team manager engages with fans on this forum. Indeed, most of them treat it with utter contempt and even loathing. I should point out that Barry attracts 4 likes for every post he makes, a truly remarkable reflection of just how much his contribution is valued. 

Even if paying customers make constructive comment or suggestion, then, they aren't even read.

Its also indicative of just how those who run the sport view the fan who pays every week. The number of accounts of the quite dreadful way paying customers are treated is damning - I know, I have had some of that.

I'd say that much of the vilification is deserved. For me, the worst is the cheating, one-upmanship and culture of favours and corruption at the heart of the sport that leaves fans totally disillusioned. Its a bit of a long shot to say that without the decision to prevent Workington riding on Fridays last season the Comets might have survived - a decision motivated by the most appalling self interest - but it certainly didn't do them any favours.  I could probably name half a dozen occasions when rulings have been made that were completely contrary to the rules of the sport at the behest of one promoter or another.

The BSPA can legitimately blame the weather, landlords, riders, the press and heaven knows who else for the problems that the sport faces. But they can't get away from that one and I don't think the damage it has done can be overestimated. 

it is true to say that I do take time to read the forum and there is good reason for this... I, on behalf of our clubs, learn from it. I sense feeling in the written word, and I look for information and idea that can make our product better - I ask myself almost daily "How can I improve our show?" or "What makes speedway night the best it can be and how can I encourage our fans, volunteers, sponsors and riders as proud of the club as Martin and I are?" Small questions with many, many answers. So reading regularly allows me to understand what makes us as fans tick, how can I make our club stand out. So, once again I thank everyone for their contribution on the forum and as I always say... positivity sells, belief inspires, entertainment equals entry value and constructive interaction is as important as a pat on the back. Thank you See you trackside.

[barrybishop]

On 2/15/2019 at 1:46 PM, Halifaxtiger said:

Barry Bishop and his partner Martin Widman do this (Barry usually, Martin is doing everything else ).

Thing is its not difficult to appreciate your customers and the worst of it is I could probably cite about another half dozen examples similar to the above. 

I actually think things are getting better. Belle Vue's Adrian Smith, certainly, is both approachable and personable  

Actually I clean the air fence every week  :):) and you know what i am like in the build up to the meeting.... I view it from your perspective in that I want it to be just right for when our fans and visiting fans eneter the stadium - from the moment you enter until you leave you are mine... and it is my duty to entertain you 

[cityrebel]

23 minutes ago, barrybishop said:

Actually I clean the air fence every week  :):) and you know what i am like in the build up to the meeting.... I view it from your perspective in that I want it to be just right for when our fans and visiting fans eneter the stadium - from the moment you enter until you leave you are mine... and it is my duty to entertain you 

The thing is Barry, you have time for people and you remember a face. These two things are massively important when trying to engage with your public. I remember being greeted at the turnstiles on numerous occasions by the great Johnnie Hoskins on my frequent visits to Canterbury. He was a real speedway promoter in every sense of the word.

[Halifaxtiger]

6 hours ago, barrybishop said:

it is true to say that I do take time to read the forum and there is good reason for this... I, on behalf of our clubs, learn from it. I sense feeling in the written word, and I look for information and idea that can make our product better - I ask myself almost daily "How can I improve our show?" or "What makes speedway night the best it can be and how can I encourage our fans, volunteers, sponsors and riders as proud of the club as Martin and I are?" Small questions with many, many answers. So reading regularly allows me to understand what makes us as fans tick, how can I make our club stand out. So, once again I thank everyone for their contribution on the forum and as I always say... positivity sells, belief inspires, entertainment equals entry value and constructive interaction is as important as a pat on the back. Thank you See you trackside.

Absolutely bang on . To me, that's just a matter of  good business practice.

It says a lot about the way speedway fans are viewed that their opinions are largely ignored by those who should be most interested in them. 

6 hours ago, barrybishop said:

Actually I clean the air fence every week  :):) and you know what i am like in the build up to the meeting.... I view it from your perspective in that I want it to be just right for when our fans and visiting fans eneter the stadium - from the moment you enter until you leave you are mine... and it is my duty to entertain you 

If I remember rightly, at my last visit you had me cleaning it 

I think that's the thing with Isle of Wight - the supporter actually feels valued simply because he's treated as though he is valued. There's nowhere else that hits the same standard.

[comet49]

I’ve just seen the first post, Rob looking after his club is enough for me. Independent body please!

[Halifaxtiger]

8 hours ago, Richard Weston said:

Supporter cleans fence...said supporter feels valued. Crikey, put IoW bosses in charge of UK speedway. 

Can't be a bigger tribute to the way they run speedway on the Island.

 

Is there just a little bit of jealousy in there ? 

I wonder how many people would sooner have Barry Bishop and Martin Widman in charge of British Speedway than Buster Chapman and Rob Godfrey ? 

You have it the wrong way round. Cleaning the fence - after I had paid to go in - on a wet day and getting soaked and covered in mud was due to the good will already built up in previous visits (plus the fact that I was helping someone I count as a friend). 

Feeling valued at Isle of Wight is due to the way that the club treats its fans - or, more accurately, its paying customers.  No-one else comes close, and everyone else can learn from them.

I should point out that I have been to every track in the country in the last few seasons.  

[Vince]

4 hours ago, Halifaxtiger said:

I wonder how many people would sooner have Barry Bishop and Martin Widman in charge of British Speedway than Buster Chapman and Rob Godfrey ? 

I would imagine anybody with an interest in keeping the sport alive.

[Sidney the robin]

1 hour ago, Richard Weston said:

That's brilliant and shows the IoW get it right.

Total admiration for Bishop/Widman and not even a tiny bit of jealousy...just regret that they don't have a bigger say in how UK speedway is run.

Will be coming to the Island to see the Warriors, especially now that Georgie Wood has joined Ben Morley there. Also will be interested to see how Chad goes as he had a few outings pre-meeting at Arlington last year. 

Good luck to the IoW this year...keep being the beacon you are.

Barry Bishop might not have all the answers but his attitude is a breath of fresh air this guy has terrific man management skills.His interaction with the fans is top notch and he could do great things for British speedway.I posted once that i wanted to go the Isle of Wight at some stage this year and it was difficult for me to get a late train back to Swindon from Southampton.He got back to me straight away give me times and advice on what to do and even offered to let me watch a race from the middle of the track.I was absolutely flabbergasted on how helpful and genuine he is and i really hope the Isle of Wight go on and get stronger as a club I would love them to go in the Prem at some stage.

[topsoil]

There is no doubt there is a lot to admire about the Isle of Wight club and the way it is run, growing the fan base, giving novices a first taste of riding a bike, the entertainment they provide at a meeting being a few examples, but to say Barry Bishop should be in charge of British Speedway is a big leap. For instance, how would he deal with the problem of riders giving preference to the more lucrative leagues in Poland / Sweden, how would he deal with doubling up / down, fixed nights, all problems at the top end of the sport, which fans of the sport continually complain about, which he has no experience of. 

My thoughts is that he would end up as powerless as everybody else in that position.

[mikebv]

2 hours ago, topsoil said:

There is no doubt there is a lot to admire about the Isle of Wight club and the way it is run, growing the fan base, giving novices a first taste of riding a bike, the entertainment they provide at a meeting being a few examples, but to say Barry Bishop should be in charge of British Speedway is a big leap. For instance, how would he deal with the problem of riders giving preference to the more lucrative leagues in Poland / Sweden, how would he deal with doubling up / down, fixed nights, all problems at the top end of the sport, which fans of the sport continually complain about, which he has no experience of. 

My thoughts is that he would end up as powerless as everybody else in that position.

Correct..

The operating and business model they run is simply not fit for purpose..

Running any business where your employees dictate to you when you can open your doors due to their need to work for many other employers can never work..

And just to throw some salt onto that particular wound, your competitors can also decide when you can open your doors if they think your opening hours effect their own business..

Utterly crackers...

No one can sort that out....

[Sidney the robin]

4 hours ago, topsoil said:

There is no doubt there is a lot to admire about the Isle of Wight club and the way it is run, growing the fan base, giving novices a first taste of riding a bike, the entertainment they provide at a meeting being a few examples, but to say Barry Bishop should be in charge of British Speedway is a big leap. For instance, how would he deal with the problem of riders giving preference to the more lucrative leagues in Poland / Sweden, how would he deal with doubling up / down, fixed nights, all problems at the top end of the sport, which fans of the sport continually complain about, which he has no experience of. 

My thoughts is that he would end up as powerless as everybody else in that position.

A big leap topsoil to replace who?....  now i would say Uk speedway is in the worst state ever in my lifetime..

[Vince]

5 hours ago, topsoil said:

There is no doubt there is a lot to admire about the Isle of Wight club and the way it is run, growing the fan base, giving novices a first taste of riding a bike, the entertainment they provide at a meeting being a few examples, but to say Barry Bishop should be in charge of British Speedway is a big leap. For instance, how would he deal with the problem of riders giving preference to the more lucrative leagues in Poland / Sweden, how would he deal with doubling up / down, fixed nights, all problems at the top end of the sport, which fans of the sport continually complain about, which he has no experience of. 

My thoughts is that he would end up as powerless as everybody else in that position.

I think Both Barry and Martin have been around Speedway long enough to know how it works.

I'd agree that they would probably end up powerless if they tried to change anything that might upset the old guard though.