Guardian article today

[Big Al]

It's a bit of a soft target, isn't it? Journalists are good at picking on them, when they need some column inches to fill.

For me, the bikes are too quiet now (but my hearing's also not what it used to be) and that addictive aroma isn't all that addictive now. These take away a lot of the dramatic effect. The material that's needed to produce good racing tracks doesn't seem to available any more, or if it is, it's too expensive. So many other sports have upped their game massively when it comes to venues and their facilities, but speedway operates with hands tied behind the back for the most part with no source of capital to tap into, anyway.

What was done this winter with regards to the second tier, should have been done a long time ago, and I fear it's a case of too late. If the promoters had been enlightened enough to have done it 6 or 7 years ago, you could now be seeing the benefits. Instead they pratted around with the reserves draft experiment  in the top tier. I think that may turn out in hindsight to be the last chance to save the show, which sadly wasn't taken when it was crying out for it.

[mikebv]

58 minutes ago, Gemini said:

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.  

 

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. 

How to attract a younger generation?

If you own your own track and the concessions, then let them in for nothing...

Most kids when they become teenagers (all of a sudden) don't want to go out with their parents or grand parents so advertise free entry for all in secondary schools, colleges and universities..

Maybe even have an 'app' or one of those QR codes or something for them to download (or whatever it is they do)..

The more forward thinking promotions may also get some links with schools and colleges around engine maintenance for aspiring mechanics to learn about and do some hands on experience etc.

But let's crawl before running...

They all hunt in groups so let them all in surrounded by mates, and sit back and wait for the income from the burgers, pop, snacks and chocolate...

Older students can drink something stronger and more expensive. Student loans do burn a very quick hole in their pockets..

Even if you don't own the track and receive no money from the concessions, let them in for nothing anyway..

There are hardly any teenagers at most tracks so there won't be much loss, so therefore hardly anything to lose, and parents who don't have to fork out £8 or so for their teenager each meeting may also attend more often themselves due to the value for money this provides...

A whole generation is basically being by passed with zero knowledge of the sport...

Something radical is needed to change it or who will take the places of the ageing current fan base?

 

 

Edited March 26, 2019 by mikebv

[cityrebel]

53 minutes ago, Gemini said:

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.  

 

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. 

If i was leicester, id invest in a fleet of mobility buggies. Pretty soon they will need them. I've been a speedway fan for over 50 years, so I'll be joining you soon, up against that wall. Take aim and fire!

[fatface]

2 hours ago, Gemini said:

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.  

 

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. 

Yes, you are right. It’s no good not saying how. And I have - several times. Most recently on this thread below. Such threads are now a constant on the forum. The survival of the sport in the UK is at stake. It needs fresh thinking and fresh blood.

 

[cityrebel]

Speedway is a sport run by old fogies for the benefit of old fogies. It's a well known fact that a lot of the older generation have more disposable income than a lot of the youngsters, so they are more likely to pay whatever the promoters want. Both of my kids are ex fans, but wouldn't attend now even if it was free entry. Kids of today want to be associated with popular things, not something that no ones heard of.

[Hawk127]

Why is it that a sport which has quite a few young riders cannot attract the younger fan base. Clearly this young rider base cannot connect with these fans and it is simply a sport that from a participation aspect is beyond the reach of the average youngster unlike it use to be when grass trackers progressed into speedway. It is costly to get into, not high profile enough and won’t make the newcomer a fortune or famous overnight. Perhaps low cost standard bikes etc and not the high performance machines that are used today might make it an option for a few more but in reality people  will just have to accept that it simply does not work for a younger generation and never will given the choices that are available today. It is only a matter of time before it becomes a part time amateur status option for a few in the U.K. and those who are  professional will have primarily Poland to race which continues to be a hot bed for talent and supporters something the U.K. will never replicate.

[cityrebel]

Like you say, speedway is far too expensive a sport from top to bottom. Too costly for the riders and the fans alike, but all the time Poland call the shots, i can't see the riders using standardised equipment over here. It would have to be enforced world wide for it to work.

[Gemini]

3 hours ago, falcace said:

Yes, you are right. It’s no good not saying how. And I have - several times. Most recently on this thread below. Such threads are now a constant on the forum. The survival of the sport in the UK is at stake. It needs fresh thinking and fresh blood.

 

Must admit to not reading it all but basically I think you are saying lights, music, sound affects, dancers, mascots etc. , which is fair enough and might encourage younger fans to attend but at the same time drive a lot of the older ones away......but that's probably the idea anyway and already thought of by SCB.   Regarding your longer term strategy of speedway with other track sports - sidecars, short track, stock cars, go karts, greyhounds etc. when Coventry rode on Saturdays they had 2nd half racing ~ Sidecars one week, Go Karts the next and Speedway youngsters/veterans the 3rd and guess what even though back then the attendances were really good only about a quarter of the fans, if that, stayed behind to watch. Although there might be some who are interested in watching other types of racing I think the majority are just 100% Speedway fans.  And making a day out of it? No thanks. It's bad enough standing around  watching tractors go round umpteen times during 15 heats of Speedway. 

[Gemini]

5 hours ago, mikebv said:

How to attract a younger generation?

If you own your own track and the concessions, then let them in for nothing...

Age 16 and under are free at Leicester  but unfortunately for them it's with a paying adult. 

 

Edited March 26, 2019 by Gemini

[steve roberts]

7 hours ago, Gemini said:

Must admit to not reading it all but basically I think you are saying lights, music, sound affects, dancers, mascots etc. , which is fair enough and might encourage younger fans to attend but at the same time drive a lot of the older ones away......but that's probably the idea anyway and already thought of by SCB.   Regarding your longer term strategy of speedway with other track sports - sidecars, short track, stock cars, go karts, greyhounds etc. when Coventry rode on Saturdays they had 2nd half racing ~ Sidecars one week, Go Karts the next and Speedway youngsters/veterans the 3rd and guess what even though back then the attendances were really good only about a quarter of the fans, if that, stayed behind to watch. Although there might be some who are interested in watching other types of racing I think the majority are just 100% Speedway fans.  And making a day out of it? No thanks. It's bad enough standing around  watching tractors go round umpteen times during 15 heats of Speedway. 

My ideal scenario would be a meeting that consisted of 20 heats. Now whether that would be a match consisting of 13, 14, 15 or 16 heats and a second half so be it. Value for money is my main criteria and that may make me a 'dinosuar' but dinosaurs were pretty succesful within the grand scheme of things.

[waytogo28]

You could open the doors to all young people under 18 or 16 Free of Charge, however, the problems remain of the content they get to watch. The long drawn out nature of a UK speedway match, its' sluggardly presentation and lack of much on track excitement likely means that the majority of young people would walk away long before the end ( and certainly at the interval, if one was held ). Look at any very successful film that pulls in a young mass audience. It's full of action, plot changes and thrills and excitement.

[steve roberts]

1 hour ago, waytogo28 said:

You could open the doors to all young people under 18 or 16 Free of Charge, however, the problems remain of the content they get to watch. The long drawn out nature of a UK speedway match, its' sluggardly presentation and lack of much on track excitement likely means that the majority of young people would walk away long before the end ( and certainly at the interval, if one was held ). Look at any very successful film that pulls in a young mass audience. It's full of action, plot changes and thrills and excitement.

I attended two 'Live' American Football games at Wembley back during the eighties and talk about drawn out. All the 'off pitch' shenanigans I found distracting and prefered watching edited highlights when I used to follow the sport but no longer do.

Edited March 27, 2019 by steve roberts

[fatface]

9 hours ago, Gemini said:

Must admit to not reading it all but basically I think you are saying lights, music, sound affects, dancers, mascots etc. , which is fair enough and might encourage younger fans to attend but at the same time drive a lot of the older ones away......but that's probably the idea anyway and already thought of by SCB.   Regarding your longer term strategy of speedway with other track sports - sidecars, short track, stock cars, go karts, greyhounds etc. when Coventry rode on Saturdays they had 2nd half racing ~ Sidecars one week, Go Karts the next and Speedway youngsters/veterans the 3rd and guess what even though back then the attendances were really good only about a quarter of the fans, if that, stayed behind to watch. Although there might be some who are interested in watching other types of racing I think the majority are just 100% Speedway fans.  And making a day out of it? No thanks. It's bad enough standing around  watching tractors go round umpteen times during 15 heats of Speedway. 

I don't have all the answers. But I do know one thing, tinkering around the edges of the current set up is not the answer.

The sport has to decide whether it wants to pander to the grumbles of the shrinking hardcore or attract a new market of followers. Do we want to hang on to what we have for another 5 or 10 years tops? Or be more revolutionary and give the sport a fighting chance of survival for the long-term so future fans can enjoy speedway like I and you have been lucky to do so for decades?

The day out idea is bringing all the sports together for a full 4-5 hour show..  rather than an added sport tagged onto a speedway meeting. It's up to you if you stay for the full shebang or just the speedway or - if you are so inclined - the sidecars etc. I don't know if that is the answer, but I'd like to see speedway piloting some alternative models to see what is sustainable for the future. As it stands today it is not. Change is always a difficult process, but in British speedway's case it is now an absolute necessity.

The BSPA could do a lot worse than taking a focus group of thirty 15-45 yr olds to different live sport experiences...horse racing, basketball, speedway, darts and find out what they did and didn't like about each experience. I think they would learn a lot about where speedway is going wrong and what other sports are getting right. I'm with a lot of other people on this, I think the racing itself is strong enough and stacks up well as a spectacle against other sports, but the overall experience is very, very poor in comparison.

Edited March 27, 2019 by falcace

[fatface]

19 minutes ago, steve roberts said:

I attended two 'Live' American Football games at Wembley back during the eighties and talk about drawn out. All the 'off pitch' shenanigans I found distracting and prefered watching edited highlights when I used to follow the sport but no longer do.

Not my bag either...and yet it's the hottest ticket in town when it comes to London. They are doing something right!

[Big Al]

Another move this winter, and another one probably done far too late, was the creation of the BSPA as a limited company. 

How many current venues are either owned by the speedway club (rare, probably) or ones where the club is its main tenant/user (possibly a few more). If you were a potential investor, interested in taking a significant stake in the sport overall, looking to develop it, the lack of current clubs within those categories would be a substantial deterrent I'd think. 

Alternatively an investor might say - ok I'll put money into running speedway only at the venues that meet my criteria, with exclusive rights, and maybe look at one-offs at other venues, and I want to be the controlling shareholder of the BSPA as well. But the chances of that happening could be slim of course.

[False dawn]

2 hours ago, steve roberts said:

.....and that may make me a 'dinosaur' but dinosaurs were pretty successful within the grand scheme of things.

I think that makes me a dinosaur too.

The problem is that I think the asteroid has already landed.

[Pieman72]

Halting the decline is complex involving multiple issues. Fundamentally working people just don't have the finances for what is a very expensive midweek night out at the speedway.

The sad situation is that there are many British Speedway/Grasstrack riders but few opportunities for the m to ride. I'm sure there is a solution to what is happening but doing nothing and carrying on regardless will just accelerate the slump.

Edited March 27, 2019 by Pieman72
grammar

[Ray Stadia]

2 hours ago, Pieman72 said:

Halting the decline is complex involving multiple issues. Fundamentally working people just don't have the finances for what is a very expensive midweek night out at the speedway.

The sad situation is that there are many British Speedway/Grasstrack riders but few opportunities for the m to ride. I'm sure there is a solution to what is happening but doing nothing and carrying on regardless will just accelerate the slump.

I don't think the main problem is the entrance fee, as football fans are a similar demographic and there are plenty that still go through the turnstiles. The main problem is value for money, the lack of team continuity season to season, teams saying they may run they may not, supporting a team which may run this year, but may not next year, supporting a sport which is clearly on it's downers rather than it's uppers (or at least flatlining). However, unless there is a solid will to change the situation by those involved in the sport and not just the promoters, nothing is going to change. I do think Grasstrack is looking more healthy these days, as there seems to be a strong youth initiative within the sport. 

[fatface]

2 minutes ago, Ray Stadia said:

The main problem is value for money, 

Agree 100%. Cardiff is the most expensive speedway meeting of the year, but it's by far the best overall experience and as a result, the best value.

[Pieman72]

2 hours ago, Ray Stadia said:

I don't think the main problem is the entrance fee, as football fans are a similar demographic and there are plenty that still go through the turnstiles. The main problem is value for money, the lack of team continuity season to season, teams saying they may run they may not, supporting a team which may run this year, but may not next year, supporting a sport which is clearly on it's downers rather than it's uppers (or at least flatlining). However, unless there is a solid will to change the situation by those involved in the sport and not just the promoters, nothing is going to change. I do think Grasstrack is looking more healthy these days, as there seems to be a strong youth initiative within the sport. 

I couldn't agree more and taking thread from Grasstrack; Speedway needs to learn from it. Spectacular diverse racing, multiple classes, value for money, a family day out and nearly a days racing with practice allied to a sensible time in which to race. Oh what's missing.... Promoters and Professional Speedway Riders need I say anymore. I take my hat off to the many dedicated individuals who support, assist and stage Grasstrack for nothing. Above all the vast majority of riders who race for no financial gain. That is the spirit required in Speedway; the current business model is broken.