cityrebel Posted March 3, 2019 Report Share Posted March 3, 2019 1 hour ago, Sidney the robin said: A big leap topsoil to replace who?.... now i would say Uk speedway is in the worst state ever in my lifetime.. A terminal state. I'd be suprised if all of the tracks that come to tapes survive the season. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halifaxtiger Posted March 5, 2019 Report Share Posted March 5, 2019 (edited) On 3/3/2019 at 11:44 AM, Sidney the robin said: 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. A very good example of how Isle of Wight work and just how good their customer service is. Its anything but the first time I have heard something of this nature. 'Absolutely flabberghasted' is just about how every speedway fan would feel, but that's a massive indictment of the way the sport is run and its attitude towards those who pay at the turnstiles every week. Simple truth is there is absolutely no reason why that standard of care could not be replicated across the sport. The only thing I would say is that from experience things are getting better. On 3/3/2019 at 12:05 PM, 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. Knowing Barry a bit, I think he could do it. I also think he'd sooner put his head in a pan of boiling chip fat. That's not because of the scale of the problem but because, sooner or later, of the utter lack of support he would get. Edited March 5, 2019 by Halifaxtiger 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halifaxtiger Posted March 5, 2019 Report Share Posted March 5, 2019 On 3/3/2019 at 5:45 PM, Vince said: I think Both Barry and Martin have been around Speedway long enough to know how it works. That's the principal reason why they wouldn't take it on. Jonathan Chapman isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I thought he did an excellent job when he took over the Super 7 series. Word is he got booted out partly because of the jealousy his success in organising the sport's top domestic events created. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barrybishop Posted March 5, 2019 Report Share Posted March 5, 2019 2 hours ago, Halifaxtiger said: A very good example of how Isle of Wight work and just how good their customer service is. Its anything but the first time I have heard something of this nature. 'Absolutely flabberghasted' is just about how every speedway fan would feel, but that's a massive indictment of the way the sport is run and its attitude towards those who pay at the turnstiles every week. Simple truth is there is absolutely no reason why that standard of care could not be replicated across the sport. The only thing I would say is that from experience things are getting better. Knowing Barry a bit, I think he could do it. I also think he'd sooner put his head in a pan of boiling chip fat. That's not because of the scale of the problem but because, sooner or later, of the utter lack of support he would get. You are right HT things do seem to be getting better, things are improving, and people are noticing. This is a great step in the right direction for the sport and making speedway night something to be proud of. Regads your second point... I have been thinking about this long and hard and I would actually like to do it one day, if I was ever offered such a thing. To bring speedway forward, to take it to the next level, needs leadership, simplification, financial sustainability rules, but most of all positivity from every part of the sport - all of us. 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cityrebel Posted March 5, 2019 Report Share Posted March 5, 2019 It's hard to be positive Barry when your local tracks fold. Lakeside, Rye House, Workington & Buxton are the latest casualties, with probably more to follow. I genuinely hope speedway survives these uncertain times. I've been a fan for 51 years, from boy to man, yet every year it gets harder to go. The venues get less and the options are harder. Fingers crossed for a successful season for all tracks, but it could be a bumpy ride. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gambo Posted March 5, 2019 Report Share Posted March 5, 2019 5 hours ago, barrybishop said: You are right HT things do seem to be getting better, things are improving, and people are noticing. This is a great step in the right direction for the sport and making speedway night something to be proud of. Regads your second point... I have been thinking about this long and hard and I would actually like to do it one day, if I was ever offered such a thing. To bring speedway forward, to take it to the next level, needs leadership, simplification, financial sustainability rules, but most of all positivity from every part of the sport - all of us. Slightly off topic, but relevant to Barry, I would like to thank him for his 'attendance' at last week's Nuneaton SSC talk in. Barry was due to appear in person but had a late change of plans with a business trip to Thailand (or Phillipines?), but still took part via a video link/facetime despite the fact that it was 3:00 am in Asia. He was on-line for quite a while and gave quite detailed responses to questions and didn't seem in a hurry to get some shuteye! Thanks Barry. 5 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Al Posted March 6, 2019 Report Share Posted March 6, 2019 I'm reading a Biography of Bill Veeck. He's widely regarded as Baseball's greatest showman, never a player but from an early age involved in managing and then owning clubs. Clubs like Milwaukee and Cleveland, and later Chicago White Sox, which when he bought them were on sharp declines but he breathed new life into them, in tough times too, and turned them into successful businesses. The guy was phenomenal, with his energy, bravado, self-belief but most importantly mingling with the fans during games, meeting and greeting when they arrived, and being at the exit to thank them for their custom. He pulled numerous publicity stunts, created controversy, engineered spats between himself and other team owners. There was nobody who taught him all of that, he just had the spirit in him to try things. He made a priority of providing better spectator facilities - toilets, food, entertainment, improved lighting - and was a genius when it came to courting and pleasing the media. I suppose you could truly call Bill Veeck a Promoter, in every sense of the word. (his name's pronounced Vek - as in wreck, as he used to say). And he did it mostly with only one leg, legacy of a stint with the Marines in WW2. Reading it. you just couldn't help but draw comparisons with current Speedway promoters, and how so many of them could do with some of the Veeck approach. You also think that Speedway is crying out for someone like Veeck to inspire and encourage the current promoters to innovate and to develop, who the BSPA could appoint to such a role. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waytogo28 Posted March 7, 2019 Report Share Posted March 7, 2019 By the sounds of it we should be unable to utter the names of Buster Chapman and Rob Godfrey in the same breath as Bill Veeck ( or link them to the word "promoter" ). Not to mention a few of the other "National Treasures" at the BSPA who have reigned over things since the turn of the century. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris116 Posted March 7, 2019 Report Share Posted March 7, 2019 The only promotion to be doing anything close is Isle of Wight and look how they are going in the right direction. Sadly the only club in UK Speedway who have the right idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Smith Posted March 7, 2019 Report Share Posted March 7, 2019 13 minutes ago, Chris116 said: The only promotion to be doing anything close is Isle of Wight and look how they are going in the right direction. Sadly the only club in UK Speedway who have the right idea. Glasgow are working just as hard, if not harder to promote. Unfortunately they're cutting back because the investment isn't resulting in increased attendances. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris116 Posted March 7, 2019 Report Share Posted March 7, 2019 22 minutes ago, Daniel Smith said: Glasgow are working just as hard, if not harder to promote. Unfortunately they're cutting back because the investment isn't resulting in increased attendances. So Glasgow and Isle of Wight are on the path to improving and one of them finds they are throwing good money away. A very sad indictment of where the sport has found itself. Ronnie Green, Johnny Hoskins and Charles Ochiltree must be spinning in their graves. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fromafar Posted March 7, 2019 Report Share Posted March 7, 2019 1 hour ago, Daniel Smith said: Glasgow are working just as hard, if not harder to promote. Unfortunately they're cutting back because the investment isn't resulting in increased attendances. I think the attendances have increased at Glasgow but not to the level the Promotion were the expecting.They certainly have gave it their best shot regarding improving facilities and trying to make it attractive for kids who are the future supporters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Al Posted March 7, 2019 Report Share Posted March 7, 2019 So yes of course there are cases of good work at present, but in these times it has to be a collective effort too. It's crying out for the BSPA to appoint someone suitable to be the catalyst. If it does end in failure, well at least they've tried. A good national sponsor would help to fund it, of course, but the promoters would need to make the first move. The difference with Bill Veeck is that he had big potential markets to draw in, but he still had to bring them in. Speedway's potential new markets are probably much more limited. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waytogo28 Posted March 7, 2019 Report Share Posted March 7, 2019 3 minutes ago, Big Al said: Speedway's potential new markets are probably much more limited. Should be around 64,000,000 people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris116 Posted March 7, 2019 Report Share Posted March 7, 2019 2 hours ago, Richard Weston said: You might like to come and see what is happening at Eastbourne. So now we have three clubs (Isle of Wight, Glasgow and Eastbourne) trying to do the right thing which is very good news but seems the BSPA still have their heads in the sand and many promotions would stab each other in the back before they joined in trying to promote the sport. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teaboy279 Posted March 8, 2019 Report Share Posted March 8, 2019 Tbf, Kent have never struggled with kids on the terraces, and for the last 2 seasons Len has laid on a free junior fan club called the Munch Kings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waytogo28 Posted March 9, 2019 Report Share Posted March 9, 2019 A 'proper business' would be engaging with their new neighbours and giving out special offers, eg a few meetings free to try it, reduced price tickets ongoing, organising meet and greet open days pre season exclusively for them etc.. MikeBV wrote this about Swindon Stadium's many new very local residents but this is a great part of what all tracks should be doing. There is almost no local marketing ( to pull in new fans ) done now except a "this will pull them in through the local newspaper column". By marketing, I refer to looking to attract new fans - not just reminding die-hard fans that "we are still here" which is what the BSPA seems to regard as "marketing". The same old. same old "publicity" has failed dismally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Third Man Posted March 9, 2019 Report Share Posted March 9, 2019 Sheffield are trying by getting involved with the ice hockey team, money off for their season ticket holders and the team attending a hockey match Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve roberts Posted March 9, 2019 Report Share Posted March 9, 2019 (edited) 8 minutes ago, The Third Man said: Sheffield are trying by getting involved with the ice hockey team, money off for their season ticket holders and the team attending a hockey match There was a strong connection with 'Cheetahs' fans and the Oxford City 'Stars' Ice Hockey Team back during the eighties. Many fans followed both sports and it generated enthusiasm for both sports. Speedway fans would meet at the rink during the off speedway season and chew the fat whilst enjoying the antics on the ice! Edited March 9, 2019 by steve roberts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wealdstone Posted March 9, 2019 Report Share Posted March 9, 2019 There was was always a strong connection between Speedway and Ice Hockey going back pre war 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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