One League

[DC2]

Just now, auntie doris said:

I went to Millwall 3 Ipswich 0 in October

 

You’re probably due another good match now then.  

Speedway may be only 15 minutes of action but every start to a race is like a penalty and every close race is like a goal mouth scramble.

 

[Bagpuss]

3 hours ago, auntie doris said:

I went to Millwall 3 Ipswich 0 in October

Now you’re talking

[dontforgetthefueltapsbruv]

13 hours ago, auntie doris said:

I went to Millwall 3 Ipswich 0 in October

 

10 hours ago, Bagpuss said:

Now you’re talking

That wasnt so difficult an acheivement last season!!

Very different story this year starting with an epic 1-0 win against the 10 men of the mighty Burton 

[iris123]

Went to Hamburg v Anderlecht a couple of weeks back 2-2 in quite a good game for a friendly costing about 20 quid. But you can get into Dortmund Bundesliga games cheaper than that !!! 

[Ovalman]

4 hours ago, iris123 said:

Went to Hamburg v Anderlecht a couple of weeks back 2-2 in quite a good game for a friendly costing about 20 quid. But you can get into Dortmund Bundesliga games cheaper than that !!! 

The German games seem cheaper, especially the standing areas. A Stuttgart fan said to me its about 10 quid a match with a season ticket.

[iris123]

24 minutes ago, auntie doris said:

The German games seem cheaper, especially the standing areas. A Stuttgart fan said to me its about 10 quid a match with a season ticket.

Yes, the 20 quid tickets were for decent seats, as I only go now and again and it was more a treat for my daughter. We could have got standing tickets cheaper

[Falcon1983]

I think it's time to wave goodbye to those riders who race in the GP series and those who earn a good wage in Poland and just give uk Speedway the opportunity to grow again before maybe the pendulum swings back to UK speedway where potentially bigger names return but I cannot see that happening for a good 20 years, the BSPA needs to 10yr plan and look to grow domestically not chop and change every 12 months. 

British Speedway at any level in this country should not be associated with the word "Professional" as it is not a professional sport, it does not owe a promoter, or a rider a professional wage.

If you look at British Superbikes one of the league motorcycle champions in the world there are 5 or more categories circa 200+ riders, there is no prize money, maybe a handful of riders are paid to race, costs are mainly covered by sponsors and most of these riders have day jobs, all of these racers are ultimately trying to be the next Marc Marquez but for 99% of the paddock they wont make a living out of the sport.

I think to progress it should be 2 leagues only, go back to the British League consisting of 8 teams perhaps those with the better facilities/support.

Then have the national league made up of the remaining clubs.

Purely as an example 

Poole, Ipswich, Belle Vue, Kings Lynn, Wolves, Swindon, Sheffield, Leicester.

£10 Entry for spectators

Revert back to the old 13 heat format

£50 per point speedway

Riders will have to make up the lost income via sponsorship.

National league can be more based around £20 per point.

British League play offs on BT Sport only.

Have a multi round British Championship across 7 rounds all LIVE on BT Sport, if paid by BT Sport if they contribute £30,000 per round.

Offer £70 per point (1/3 of BTs contribution)

£70,000 then distributed to top 8 at the end of the championship 

8th - £1,000

7th - £2,000

6th - £3,000

5th - £4,000

4th - £5,000

3rd - £10,000

2nd - £15,000

1st - £30,000

[mikebv]

5 hours ago, auntie doris said:

The German games seem cheaper, especially the standing areas. A Stuttgart fan said to me its about 10 quid a match with a season ticket.

Many German teams are ran by fans' committees..

"By the fans, for the fans"...

A much different model than over here where the hundreds of millions guaranteed by just one season in the Premier League means greed really is good, and going into a huge amount of debt in a belief you may one day reach that promised land is very much what passes a business plan..

 

[SteveLyric2]

14 hours ago, Falcon1983 said:

I think it's time to wave goodbye to those riders who race in the GP series and those who earn a good wage in Poland and just give uk Speedway the opportunity to grow again before maybe the pendulum swings back to UK speedway where potentially bigger names return but I cannot see that happening for a good 20 years, the BSPA needs to 10yr plan and look to grow domestically not chop and change every 12 months. 

British Speedway at any level in this country should not be associated with the word "Professional" as it is not a professional sport, it does not owe a promoter, or a rider a professional wage.

If you look at British Superbikes one of the league motorcycle champions in the world there are 5 or more categories circa 200+ riders, there is no prize money, maybe a handful of riders are paid to race, costs are mainly covered by sponsors and most of these riders have day jobs, all of these racers are ultimately trying to be the next Marc Marquez but for 99% of the paddock they wont make a living out of the sport.

I think to progress it should be 2 leagues only, go back to the British League consisting of 8 teams perhaps those with the better facilities/support.

Then have the national league made up of the remaining clubs.

Purely as an example 

Poole, Ipswich, Belle Vue, Kings Lynn, Wolves, Swindon, Sheffield, Leicester.

£10 Entry for spectators

Revert back to the old 13 heat format

£50 per point speedway

Riders will have to make up the lost income via sponsorship.

National league can be more based around £20 per point.

British League play offs on BT Sport only.

Have a multi round British Championship across 7 rounds all LIVE on BT Sport, if paid by BT Sport if they contribute £30,000 per round.

Offer £70 per point (1/3 of BTs contribution)

£70,000 then distributed to top 8 at the end of the championship 

8th - £1,000

7th - £2,000

6th - £3,000

5th - £4,000

4th - £5,000

3rd - £10,000

2nd - £15,000

1st - £30,000

Purely as an example - Which of the current batch of UK riders do you believe would ride for £50 a point in your senior league? Just asking

Edited August 5, 2019 by Skidder1

[Falcon1983]

I think any of the riders that actually love racing speedway would race no matter what money is on offer, many a rider of the past raced for the love of the sport and have jobs.

As mentioned British Superbikes have riders who pay to race as it's a professional series but has amateurs competing within in it, there is no prize money its covered by themselves or sponsors.

So riders would have to basically get sponsorship in to cover the short fall or running costs.

So let's take a no.1 riding in am 8 team league, 2 home and 2 away meeting so that's 28 meetings per season at club level maybe with some form of KO Cup so if you get to the final that's 6 meetings.

34 meetings, say they average 10 points per meeting thats £500 x 34 = £17,000 in points money, most support class riders at BSB level would bite your arm off for that to offset their costs.

This level of rider presuming he's British should qualify for the British Championship.

Say he scores 10 points per round at £70 per point that's £700 x 7 that's another £4,900

70 points gives an overall championship finish of say 4th that's another £5,000

So from 41 meetings, said rider earns £26,900 not bad prize money from a non professional sport.

 

I'd even go to extremes of making British Speedway a short summer series maybe ran from late May til early September and only have one home and away league fixture and concentrate more on the individual championship 

 

[SteveLyric2]

3 hours ago, Falcon1983 said:

I think any of the riders that actually love racing speedway would race no matter what money is on offer, many a rider of the past raced for the love of the sport and have jobs.

As mentioned British Superbikes have riders who pay to race as it's a professional series but has amateurs competing within in it, there is no prize money its covered by themselves or sponsors.

So riders would have to basically get sponsorship in to cover the short fall or running costs.

So let's take a no.1 riding in am 8 team league, 2 home and 2 away meeting so that's 28 meetings per season at club level maybe with some form of KO Cup so if you get to the final that's 6 meetings.

34 meetings, say they average 10 points per meeting thats £500 x 34 = £17,000 in points money, most support class riders at BSB level would bite your arm off for that to offset their costs.

This level of rider presuming he's British should qualify for the British Championship.

Say he scores 10 points per round at £70 per point that's £700 x 7 that's another £4,900

70 points gives an overall championship finish of say 4th that's another £5,000

So from 41 meetings, said rider earns £26,900 not bad prize money from a non professional sport.

 

I'd even go to extremes of making British Speedway a short summer series maybe ran from late May til early September and only have one home and away league fixture and concentrate more on the individual championship 

 

All very well in theory. So what would happen if a rider bends his bike in a crash one week and blows an engine (or two) a week or so later?  Get it covered by sponsors? When they are earning probably less than half that they do now?  Yeah right.  (and that assumes they all get paid!!!)

[DC2]

2 hours ago, Skidder1 said:

All very well in theory. So what would happen if a rider bends his bike in a crash one week and blows an engine (or two) a week or so later?  Get it covered by sponsors? When they are earning probably less than half that they do now?  Yeah right.  (and that assumes they all get paid!!!)

 

Agreed. Totally bonkers. £26k would give a top rider next to nothing when you take out the cost of repairs, tunings, van hire, workshop and petrol.

 

[Byker Biker]

On 8/5/2019 at 3:36 PM, Falcon1983 said:

I think any of the riders that actually love racing speedway would race no matter what money is on offer, many a rider of the past raced for the love of the sport and have jobs.

As mentioned British Superbikes have riders who pay to race as it's a professional series but has amateurs competing within in it, there is no prize money its covered by themselves or sponsors.

So riders would have to basically get sponsorship in to cover the short fall or running costs.

So let's take a no.1 riding in am 8 team league, 2 home and 2 away meeting so that's 28 meetings per season at club level maybe with some form of KO Cup so if you get to the final that's 6 meetings.

34 meetings, say they average 10 points per meeting thats £500 x 34 = £17,000 in points money, most support class riders at BSB level would bite your arm off for that to offset their costs.

This level of rider presuming he's British should qualify for the British Championship.

Say he scores 10 points per round at £70 per point that's £700 x 7 that's another £4,900

70 points gives an overall championship finish of say 4th that's another £5,000

So from 41 meetings, said rider earns £26,900 not bad prize money from a non professional sport.

 

I'd even go to extremes of making British Speedway a short summer series maybe ran from late May til early September and only have one home and away league fixture and concentrate more on the individual championship 

 

If you are not an accountant or financial advisor why are you flying hot air balloons for a living? Oh you are, what does the world look like from up there?

Edited August 6, 2019 by Byker Biker

[Bald Bloke]

7 minutes ago, DC2 said:

 

Agreed. Totally bonkers. £26k would give a top rider next to nothing when you take out the cost of repairs, tunings, van hire, workshop and petrol.

 

Would be as well off flipping burgers once all the expenses are paid.

[Falcon1983]

Think you all miss the point...

UK Speedway should not have "professional speedway riders" in it, riders are part of the overall problem in the sport not being professional as doubling up has allowed them two levels of income, all riders are going to claim they are skint when they are not just so they can earn more.

British speedway needs to go back to racing on the best night for each club and if riders cannot attract enough sponsorship to cover costs etc then get a job!

Many riders at BSB level would love £26k back in prize money over a season, loads have jobs too...

Your "professional" MMA fighter on the domestic scene works for a living and fits in training, fight camps and fights...

The riders have had it far too easy for them for too long. 

[Falcon1983]

P.s. £26k ain't bad if you have covered your costs in sponsorship, also taking into consideration crash damage etc. 

[DC2]

26 minutes ago, Falcon1983 said:

P.s. £26k ain't bad if you have covered your costs in sponsorship, also taking into consideration crash damage etc. 

 

But that’s for the top riders in the league!

It might do Ellis Perks but I couldn’t see any other Swindon rider accepting that.

You’re proposing an NL standard league.

[Falcon1983]

The problem is, you are looking at my idea and comparing it to what it is now.

What if the money on offer is irrelevant? And people race speedway as they did "back in the day" because they loved the thrill of it and got something back towards expenses?

This is what I'm talking about, look at the Superstock 600 series at BSB probably similar running costs over a season as Speedway.... these riders are not professional racers, they have jobs, are sponsored to offset costs etc. The main real difference is the fact that they get zero prize money, it's all cost, cost, cost with only sponsorship or money from a day job....  this is the level of speedway in this country...

If it's not good enough for say Troy Batchelor (sorry Troy) then simply do not race in the UK, this is the only way forward or it will die.

I see a lot of middle order riders enjoying life outside of speedway as it is and holidays etc.  So the sport must pay ok in the middle order, riders will always want more, you cant blame them

[Pirate Rich]

Like many others on here I am an old fart who started going to speedway in the 1970's.

In those days I went to Oxford, a round trip of about 60 miles, my nearest club, and I knew that throughout the season I would see racing EVERY Thursday (barring rain-offs) and I would see the same seven riders representing my team.

Maybe one league would get us back to something like that situation?

These days I am a Poole supporter, a round trip of about 210 miles, so I look at the fixture list and the weather forecast to decide which fixtures to attend. If we have key riders missing through overseas commitments then I tend not to go.

[mikebv]

2 hours ago, Falcon1983 said:

Think you all miss the point...

UK Speedway should not have "professional speedway riders" in it, riders are part of the overall problem in the sport not being professional as doubling up has allowed them two levels of income, all riders are going to claim they are skint when they are not just so they can earn more.

British speedway needs to go back to racing on the best night for each club and if riders cannot attract enough sponsorship to cover costs etc then get a job!

Many riders at BSB level would love £26k back in prize money over a season, loads have jobs too...

Your "professional" MMA fighter on the domestic scene works for a living and fits in training, fight camps and fights...

The riders have had it far too easy for them for too long. 

I have said before, British Speedway needs to base itself on the BSB model as against Poland being the WSB model...

BSB has mainly domestic riders, some of whom have tried the higher level and come back. Some of whom have ridden solely BSB and made a living out of it. And some younger lads who see the BSB as a stepping stone to a higher level..

What they don't try and do is compete with the WSB or let them impact their business and operating model..

British Speedway, like BSB has, needs to find its own niche, and it's own identity, which then delivers a solid fan base..

At whatever level it can afford to be profitable, racing on nights each track deem to be the best for them to attract that solid fan base..

And make it a success..

And then move on from there by organic, structured, annual growth, based on a clear development plan which has learnt from past mistakes....

Edited August 6, 2019 by mikebv