Bagpuss Posted March 24, 2019 Report Share Posted March 24, 2019 (edited) 1 hour ago, auntie doris said: It's a great sport, don't know why more peeps don't watch it. You are right, there isn’t a great deal wrong with the action but unfortunately lots of other stuff around it is poor, some out of the sports control but many things completely within. I’m thinking poor stadia and facilities, poor customer service when the weather is bad, poor promotional communication, expensive admission, failure to appeal to a younger audience, bad presentation, poor track prep and meetings dragging on. Obviously not every track or every week but these things occur far too often and people unfortunately vote with their feet. Edited March 24, 2019 by Bagpuss 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
customhouseregular Posted March 24, 2019 Report Share Posted March 24, 2019 6 hours ago, steve roberts said: At the risk of repeating my personal scenario I was a regular at Cowley for over thirty years and the track was within walking distance of my various homes at the time. However since I moved to York (2004) that criteria seriously altered. The reality would now require driving to either Sheffield, Scunthorpe and/or Redcar which would result in having to fork out serious petrol money (plus wear & tear) to attend a meeting that consists of 15 (?) races with admission prices at £15 (?). The sums just don't add up as far as I'm concerned. I've given up talking about speedway to locals as York being a non-speedway town nobody has ever heard of it so even sharing expensives is out of the question. I'm sure that now the depressing regularity of track closures around the country has also influenced whether 'fans' choose to travel distances to follow their once favoured sport? As a fellow "Yorkie" I have to agree. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cityrebel Posted March 24, 2019 Report Share Posted March 24, 2019 1 hour ago, Bagpuss said: You are right, there isn’t a great deal wrong with the action but unfortunately lots of other stuff around it is poor, some out of the sports control but many things completely within. I’m thinking poor stadia and facilities, poor customer service when the weather is bad, poor promotional communication, expensive admission, failure to appeal to a younger audience, bad presentation, poor track prep and meetings dragging on. Obviously not every track or every week but these things occur far too often and people unfortunately vote with their feet. Nail on the head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waytogo28 Posted March 24, 2019 Report Share Posted March 24, 2019 44 minutes ago, moxey63 said: That is the problem as well, riders get more out of it than the fans these days. The article was as accurate as something intending to be neutral could be. A Glorious past and nearly 75 years of joy - I enjoyed nearly 50 of those and still love watching on TV - especially the GPs and Swedish and Polish leagues. I watch the UK matches that BT broadcast but they look like the poor relative to other speedway on TV. I went to around 8 matches in the UK last season ( King's Lynn ) and never thought that it was value for money or great entertainment with only one or two races worthy of the name per match. I would still be prepared to pay for a decent live stream of UK matches ( not of course at the Sky or BT level or quality ). I have proposed this several times but the BSPA have never given it a trial. That's a pity. IF it survives ( UK speedway ) it will be in a very different semi-pro form but will need to be marketed very differently and properly. It is a very pale shadow of what it was now and cannot be revived even if one promoter does end up owning all the clubs in the "top" level. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chunky Posted March 24, 2019 Report Share Posted March 24, 2019 3 hours ago, waytogo28 said: The article was as accurate as something intending to be neutral could be. A Glorious past and nearly 75 years of joy - I enjoyed nearly 50 of those and still love watching on TV - especially the GPs and Swedish and Polish leagues. I watch the UK matches that BT broadcast but they look like the poor relative to other speedway on TV. You're really sounding like me now... I thought it was a very well-written and fair piece, which cannot be said of much of the garbage I have read from so-called neutrals over the years. Even though it IS different now to what it used to be, I still love watching it on the box, but the UK stuff seems so stale and antiquated. I've been to junior matches at Hackney during the winter that had more life than some of the those I have seen in recent years. As has been said before, it is not the fault of the racing, but the presentation, atmosphere, and audience - or lack thereof... Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bagpuss Posted March 24, 2019 Report Share Posted March 24, 2019 7 hours ago, cityrebel said: Nail on the head. Forgot to mention guests and R/R, which probably do people’s heads in more than anything else. Not saying it’s a simple situation to solve because it’s not but over recent years there have seemed to be more injuries and fixture clashes than ever. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikebv Posted March 25, 2019 Report Share Posted March 25, 2019 (edited) 9 hours ago, Bagpuss said: Forgot to mention guests and R/R, which probably do people’s heads in more than anything else. Not saying it’s a simple situation to solve because it’s not but over recent years there have seemed to be more injuries and fixture clashes than ever. With many fixture clashes, and guests needed, due to riders riding for several teams around Europe and domestically.. An amazing plan... Signing employees who dictate to you, the business owner, when you can and can't open your doors to your customers..? It will never work as a successful business operating model, because quite simply it cannot.. Yet, year in, year out, this is the model they use... No surprise really then that the sport in the UK is where it currently is... As everyone knows... Keep doing the same thing and you will keep delivering the same results... Edited March 25, 2019 by mikebv 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trees Posted March 25, 2019 Report Share Posted March 25, 2019 No fixtures clashes in the Premiership this year! Yayyyy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moxey63 Posted March 25, 2019 Report Share Posted March 25, 2019 (edited) When riders admit to joining your team merely because it fits in with their other commitments between the leagues and on foreign jaunts, it shows a disconnection between the importance of the team and the fan who is supposed to travel miles after work, pay a large sum of his wage and support a group of men who act as a team for a few hours and then disperse their separate ways to act as a team somewhere else. When a rider who was part of that newspaper article used British speedway to learn his trade against genuine competition and then sits on his lofty perch and feels he isn't part of the problem, not wanting to dirty his boots racing on these shores any more... that is another problem. And the rider I'm referring to isn't the only one. But he states that he is in the best physical shape he's ever been going into this season, so get some money on him winning the GP. To me, as a former fan driven away by this type of thing, I'd say that I'm not bothered about your individual aim. You don't ride over here for a club, so how can I get excited about your chase for individual profit? When Peter Collins had to quit in 1980 because of his shoulder injury, the first thing he suffered was being banned from riding in the British qualifiers for the World Championship. I know we're living in different times, but riders have just gained too much power over the years and now, it seems, get more out of speedway than the fans who pay them. British speedway has allowed so much of its grip to slip away. The start was letting riders race in other leagues across Europe. Loyalty is a two-way thing between competitor and supporter. Somewhere in time, it's been lost. Without the feel of a connection between you and your team, that need to get up off your backside and leave the house to support it at the track isn't as appealing. I feel that is just one of speedway's current problems. Supporters must have been lost because of it. I mean, it's an instant passion killer for a fan, when a rider grabbingly states something akin to these words: "Yeah, I'm happy to join the club because it fits in with my other meetings in Poland and Sweden, as well as my commitments to my Premier League side. Sorry, I know it's a Monday track... but who am I joining?" Edited March 25, 2019 by moxey63 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pieman72 Posted March 25, 2019 Report Share Posted March 25, 2019 An excellent article which critically analyses the state of speedway today. 1) Speedway is stuck in the 1920/50's the engines are unique, expensive and have no longevity. 2) The promoters and riders are overpaid and aloof of the supporters. Who solely pays the wages, bills and running costs? 3) Looking for a Barry Hearns or any other benefactor while the tracks close and attendances dwindle, is definitely not going to happen. Unfortunately it's a slow but predictable decline. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill94d Posted March 25, 2019 Report Share Posted March 25, 2019 I have been a supporter for nearly 60 years, in Edinburgh and now where I live in Somerset. BUT I will not be attending many meetings this year. WHY? Because of the ridiculous clearing out of riders at the end of the season. We were in the Premier league with the world champ riding for us. Now he's not and we are down a league, with only one rider from last year. Sorry guys but that is not the way to engender loyalty. No concession entrances so I will be voting with my feet. I like Bill and Debbie and what they have done but they have to work with a broken system. Accuse me of being a dinasaur if you like but it cannot be viable to keep managing the decline like this. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cityrebel Posted March 25, 2019 Report Share Posted March 25, 2019 18 hours ago, chunky said: You're really sounding like me now... I thought it was a very well-written and fair piece, which cannot be said of much of the garbage I have read from so-called neutrals over the years. Even though it IS different now to what it used to be, I still love watching it on the box, but the UK stuff seems so stale and antiquated. I've been to junior matches at Hackney during the winter that had more life than some of the those I have seen in recent years. As has been said before, it is not the fault of the racing, but the presentation, atmosphere, and audience - or lack thereof... Steve I said the same thing at Leicester on saturday. Calling it a morgue would have been an understatement. Most of the meetings i go to are full of pensioners and a few of their grandchildren, that are too young to know better. It's the teenagers and young adults that promoters should be targeting, not the Derby and Joan club. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatface Posted March 25, 2019 Report Share Posted March 25, 2019 1 hour ago, bill94d said: I have been a supporter for nearly 60 years, in Edinburgh and now where I live in Somerset. BUT I will not be attending many meetings this year. WHY? Because of the ridiculous clearing out of riders at the end of the season. We were in the Premier league with the world champ riding for us. Now he's not and we are down a league, with only one rider from last year. Sorry guys but that is not the way to engender loyalty. No concession entrances so I will be voting with my feet. I like Bill and Debbie and what they have done but they have to work with a broken system. Accuse me of being a dinasaur if you like but it cannot be viable to keep managing the decline like this. No offence, but let's not dance around it, you have not got another 60 years of supporting in you have you? Somerset is within reach for me and the last time I went there, I noticed how old the crowd was. I'd make a rough estimate that half of them would dead or unable to attend within 10 years. It doesn't take a genius to say that is not sustainable. The sport need to pay more attention to the younger market it is not attracting than the existing ageing hardcore who still grumpily attend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill94d Posted March 25, 2019 Report Share Posted March 25, 2019 27 minutes ago, falcace said: No offence, but let's not dance around it, you have not got another 60 years of supporting in you have you? Somerset is within reach for me and the last time I went there, I noticed how old the crowd was. I'd make a rough estimate that half of them would dead or unable to attend within 10 years. It doesn't take a genius to say that is not sustainable. The sport need to pay more attention to the younger market it is not attracting than the existing ageing hardcore who still grumpily attend. You just made me feel old!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ovalman Posted March 25, 2019 Report Share Posted March 25, 2019 2 hours ago, bill94d said: I have been a supporter for nearly 60 years, in Edinburgh and now where I live in Somerset. BUT I will not be attending many meetings this year. WHY? Because of the ridiculous clearing out of riders at the end of the season. We were in the Premier league with the world champ riding for us. Now he's not and we are down a league, with only one rider from last year. Sorry guys but that is not the way to engender loyalty. No concession entrances so I will be voting with my feet. I like Bill and Debbie and what they have done but they have to work with a broken system. Accuse me of being a dinasaur if you like but it cannot be viable to keep managing the decline like this. Will miss my trip to The Oak Tree to support The Robins this year, very good racing and set up there. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatface Posted March 25, 2019 Report Share Posted March 25, 2019 29 minutes ago, bill94d said: You just made me feel old!! I am sorry! Speedway cannot survive much more pussy-footing about I am afraid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikebv Posted March 25, 2019 Report Share Posted March 25, 2019 (edited) 3 hours ago, falcace said: I am sorry! Speedway cannot survive much more pussy-footing about I am afraid. Don't spoil it.. I am 51 and feel like a spring chicken when I attend a speedway meeting... Not many places in life that I attend where I am in the youngest half.. (Or maybe even quarter?)... Edited March 25, 2019 by mikebv 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CountyGround Posted March 26, 2019 Report Share Posted March 26, 2019 13 hours ago, bill94d said: I have been a supporter for nearly 60 years, in Edinburgh and now where I live in Somerset. BUT I will not be attending many meetings this year. WHY? Because of the ridiculous clearing out of riders at the end of the season. We were in the Premier league with the world champ riding for us. Now he's not and we are down a league, with only one rider from last year. Sorry guys but that is not the way to engender loyalty. No concession entrances so I will be voting with my feet. I like Bill and Debbie and what they have done but they have to work with a broken system. Accuse me of being a dinasaur if you like but it cannot be viable to keep managing the decline like this. It's not just Somerset, the "we must reach the play-off" mentality of all promoters is killing Speedway........... but promoters cannot see it. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pieman72 Posted March 26, 2019 Report Share Posted March 26, 2019 We've been doing it like this for 50 years and we ain't going to change. Put a nail in it and that will fix it !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemini Posted March 26, 2019 Report Share Posted March 26, 2019 On 3/25/2019 at 12:50 PM, falcace said: The sport need to pay more attention to the younger market it is not attracting than the existing ageing hardcore who still grumpily attend. So how would you get their attention so they wish to attend? Fireworks, scantily clad girls starting the race and holding up a board for each lap, latest music, band playing between each race, 25 heats per meeting, £10 admission? It's no good saying the promoters need to attract the younger generation if you don't say how. On 3/25/2019 at 12:45 PM, cityrebel said: I said the same thing at Leicester on saturday. Calling it a morgue would have been an understatement. Most of the meetings i go to are full of pensioners and a few of their grandchildren, that are too young to know better. It's the teenagers and young adults that promoters should be targeting, not the Derby and Joan club. I think you are being very unfair and the next time you go should have a walk round all of the stadium so you can see how many teenagers/young adults are there as there were loads near where I was on the 4th bend. Yes there are a lot of older people as well and unless someone wants to stick us all against a wall and shoot us I suppose we will be stupid enough to carry on going until we are incapable of making the effort. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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