Hawk127 Posted August 10, 2019 Report Share Posted August 10, 2019 Promotion is difficult given the options available and what works for some locally may not work for others. What it needs is a national advertising campaign which simply says which tracks are running a meeting on which night. For example a national radio station says “speedway coming to a track near you and tonight you have live racing at xxxxxx” Say no more and less than 20 seconds. Cost vary depending on the station but if the sport as in the BSPA rather than a club promoted, the cost could be split across all clubs. It does not take much to send out the message but as it stands no one is working as a ‘whole,’ it is a case of each looking after number one. Speedway is number one and promoters need to take this on board and start working together. All the promoters need to do is consider the options. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chunky Posted August 10, 2019 Report Share Posted August 10, 2019 1 hour ago, steve roberts said: ...and then upto London White City, Hackney and Wimbledon! I didn't usually go to London tracks on a holiday! I did Hackney once, I think after Lynn and Ippo. Oxford was a usual morning stop, and I also did one when I headed north to Cradley and Wolves afterwards. Another time, I went from Milton Keynes to Canterbury. I just loved the variety... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iris123 Posted August 10, 2019 Report Share Posted August 10, 2019 30 minutes ago, gustix said: Many years ago when my speedway interests were far more active than these days, offhand when because of a Bank Holiday and it was possible to see at least two meetings that day I cannot recollect ever doing so. I did 3 meetings once or twice, but I remember it was a slight cheat in a way, as two meetings were at the same complex at Esbjerg. But two completely separate tracks a hundred yards apart, then off to Holsted later Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chunky Posted August 10, 2019 Report Share Posted August 10, 2019 3 minutes ago, Hawk127 said: Promotion is difficult given the options available and what works for some locally may not work for others. What it needs is a national advertising campaign which simply says which tracks are running a meeting on which night. For example a national radio station says “speedway coming to a track near you and tonight you have live racing at xxxxxx” Say no more and less than 20 seconds. Cost vary depending on the station but if the sport as in the BSPA rather than a club promoted, the cost could be split across all clubs. It does not take much to send out the message but as it stands no one is working as a ‘whole,’ it is a case of each looking after number one. Speedway is number one and promoters need to take this on board and start working together. All the promoters need to do is consider the options. In the late 80's, all the southern NL teams promoted ad a whole. Not only was there a full page ad in Speedway Star, but they all gave discounts to ticket season holders at the other southern tracks. Okay, it wasn;'t a HUGE saving, but it was certainly enough to encourage me to take in some meetings I may not have otherwise. I am sure there were plenty of others too. There really is a value to working together... Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chunky Posted August 10, 2019 Report Share Posted August 10, 2019 3 minutes ago, iris123 said: I did 3 meetings once or twice, but I remember it was a slight cheat in a way, as two meetings were at the same complex at Esbjerg. But two completely separate tracks a hundred yards apart, then off to Holsted later Pity they didn't have all the Belle Vues running at the same time; you could have done three like that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigACE Posted August 10, 2019 Report Share Posted August 10, 2019 (edited) I have tried doing research on the Wigan Speedway team. I have found it very hard to get any from local places. All via the internet which my daughter got(i am not with it technology wise). Older people i have asked did not have a clue. Some said, Oh it might have been at Seven sisters. Wrong. They had a stadium that shows loads watching. And the one point that i love, they were called Warriors. Which means they beat the Rugby League team to that name. I suspect it as always been a minority Sport. It should not be. It is impossible for there to be a completely boring meeting. Stick to what i have always thought- Enough is not being done by MOST Clubs. Edited August 10, 2019 by craigACE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chunky Posted August 10, 2019 Report Share Posted August 10, 2019 1 hour ago, iwright71 said: Interesting how opinions can be at polar opposites on this forum. Some on here see the racing as better than ever while on the Premiership forum below Peterborough and Kings Lynn fans are moaning about Busters tracks and describing the fare offered on live TV in the Premiership as 'invariably dire ' with the exception of the NSS. Nobody is saying that there aren't crap tracks and crap meetings. Thing is, there ALWAYS were; it's nothing new! The problem is that so many people live in the past, and even though they THINK things were better in the "good ol' days", it wasn't always what we think it to be. The overall package was far better in the old days (certainly as far as British speedway is concerned), but that wasn't a result of the actual racing. I have a lot of old meetings and other footage, and although I still love watching it, I look at it, and realise (generally) that the racing was often very poor. Yes, the sport is very different from the sport I was raised on, but again, while it certainly doesn't feel the same, it doesn't mean that the racing is worse. Steve 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sotonian Posted August 10, 2019 Report Share Posted August 10, 2019 3 minutes ago, craigACE said: I have tried doing research on the Wigan Speedway team. I have found it very hard to get any from local places. All via the internet which my daughter got(i am not with it technology wise). Older people i have asked did not have a clue. Some said, Oh it might have been at Seven sisters. Wrong. They had a stadium that shows loads watching. And the one point that i love, they were called Warriors. Which means they beat the Rugby League team to that name. I suspect it as always been a minority Sport. It should not be. It is impossible for there to be a completely boring meeting. Stick to what i have always thought- Enough is not being done by MOST Clubs. Just in case you didn't discover it, there were actually 2 tracks in Wigan: Wigan Warriors at Poolstock Stadium, 1947 & 1960 and Wigan Panthers at Woodhouse Lane in 1952. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigACE Posted August 10, 2019 Report Share Posted August 10, 2019 2 minutes ago, Sotonian said: Just in case you didn't discover it, there were actually 2 tracks in Wigan: Wigan Warriors at Poolstock Stadium, 1947 & 1960 and Wigan Panthers at Woodhouse Lane in 1952. Yeah. I have seen the complete results. What was the reason for them closing down ?. That is what i have never found out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chunky Posted August 10, 2019 Report Share Posted August 10, 2019 (edited) 6 hours ago, craigACE said: I have tried doing research on the Wigan Speedway team. I have found it very hard to get any from local places. All via the internet which my daughter got(i am not with it technology wise). Older people i have asked did not have a clue. Some said, Oh it might have been at Seven sisters. Wrong. They had a stadium that shows loads watching. And the one point that i love, they were called Warriors. Which means they beat the Rugby League team to that name. I suspect it as always been a minority Sport. It should not be. It is impossible for there to be a completely boring meeting. Stick to what i have always thought- Enough is not being done by MOST Clubs. That is slightly unfair, particularly in regard to a team like Wigan. Speedway never caught on there, and there were only a few odd seasons, so it is not surprising that it remains largely unknown in the area. Having said that, you are correct in saying that enough is not being done by MOST clubs. Sad thing is, that was always the case... Edited August 11, 2019 by chunky 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigACE Posted August 10, 2019 Report Share Posted August 10, 2019 2 minutes ago, chunky said: That is slightly unfair, particularly in regard to a team like Wigan. Speedway never caught on there, and there we only a few odd season, so it is not surprising that it remains largely unknown in the area. Having said that, you are correct in saying that enough is not being done by MOST clubs. Sad thing is, that was always the case... Suppose so a bit. But there should be more interest in Greater Manchester. Belle Vue are one of the best teams in the World with the best track. Then there have been other teams. Again i have limited research but how where Rochdale ?. In my life i have lived in Bolton and Wigan. I hear nothing about the Sport. MENs coverage is rubbish. Radio no longer report on it. Star is in supermarkets that is it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iris123 Posted August 10, 2019 Report Share Posted August 10, 2019 5 minutes ago, craigACE said: Yeah. I have seen the complete results. What was the reason for them closing down ?. That is what i have never found out. A number of reasons given in Homes of British speedway At Poolstock there was a dispute between the speedway and greyhound people. The team transferred to Fleetwood for the 1948 season and the control board refused a license to run open meetings. I’d guess when they ran a few meetings in 1960 crowds weren’t that good At the other track the control board suspended the license in August 1952 and the next season some amateur meetings were held in front of poor crowds and then the promoters I’ll health put a stop to it all. Then discussions by others for 1954 broke down due to monies owed from 1952 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chunky Posted August 10, 2019 Report Share Posted August 10, 2019 (edited) 6 hours ago, craigACE said: Suppose so a bit. But there should be more interest in Greater Manchester. Belle Vue are one of the best teams in the World with the best track. Then there have been other teams. Again i have limited research but how where Rochdale ?. In my life i have lived in Bolton and Wigan. I hear nothing about the Sport. MENs coverage is rubbish. Radio no longer report on it. Star is in supermarkets that is it. We know that the media has never been reliable or consistent, and they just choose what they want to - or don't want to - cover, without there being any valid reasons. We have to ask ourselves this : Is the current state of British Speedway responsible for the lack of press and media coverage? Is the lack of press and media coverage responsible for the current state of British Speedway? Are the two inexorably connected, or is it just coincidence? Even leaving aside our old friend Dave Lanning's contributions, we had the Sunday Mirror World Championship, results posted in the Daily Mirror, the Daily Express Spring Classic, the LBC Dons, results announced on Radio Luxembourg, team lineups posted in the London Evening News, the Yorkshire TV Trophy, and plenty more. So, why??? Edited August 11, 2019 by chunky 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adonis Posted August 11, 2019 Report Share Posted August 11, 2019 On 8/8/2019 at 6:42 AM, mikebv said: I actually think plenty of people have heard of the sport as when you mention it, often you get told "is Speedway still going?" Or, "I used to go and watch Speedway years ago".. Their recollections of the sport though would be of a fairly cheap night out, stood in a decent sized crowd , with plenty of partizan based noise and atmosphere... A world away from what they would encounter today should they ever revisit... Many tracks do try locally to advertise, however, for example, standing in supermarket foyers giving leaflets out isn't going to deliver the kind of impact to make any real tangible difference.. It needs a more joined up national campaign I would suggest, using modern media techniques, where the sport generically is sold with the clubs being covered within that campaign. Get that 'brand recognition' out there for the sport as a whole, and then the work done locally can be backed on to it.. Millions of pounds leave the sport every season nationally in riders salaries, with a total figure that would be truly eye watering given the crowd levels and standing of the sport I would think.. Riders that, the vast majority of whom, will not bring in one extra punter to any track, anywhere, as their names mean nothing outside the sport, yet hardly anything gets spent in advertising the sport nationally as the collectively, exciting, high octane, adrenaline pumping sport it can be.. Maybe all deciding to channel more of what they already spend each season into advertising their sport would deliver better results than just paying it all out to riders? Bringing in just 20000 extra punters across the country per week (in essence a drop in the ocean), would make a massive difference to the sport and everyone then would benefit long term.. Individual tracks, all doing their own thing on a 'small time' basis, will not deliver that increase in numbers across the country.. Maybe a joined up, national, modern media led campaign, would? Sadly speedway sold it's media rights to Dick Turpin , the reinvestment rate of Turpin via advertising is zero , but the legal threats to anyone wanting to promote the sport using media are top priority . shame that all the sky dosh found its way into Dicks pockets , there, was an opportuinity to reinvest in some advertising to attract people who don't already follow speedway rather than constantly preaching to the converted 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Smith Posted August 18, 2019 Report Share Posted August 18, 2019 On 8/10/2019 at 8:59 PM, chunky said: Nobody is saying that there aren't crap tracks and crap meetings. Thing is, there ALWAYS were; it's nothing new! The problem is that so many people live in the past, and even though they THINK things were better in the "good ol' days", it wasn't always what we think it to be. The overall package was far better in the old days (certainly as far as British speedway is concerned), but that wasn't a result of the actual racing. I have a lot of old meetings and other footage, and although I still love watching it, I look at it, and realise (generally) that the racing was often very poor. Yes, the sport is very different from the sport I was raised on, but again, while it certainly doesn't feel the same, it doesn't mean that the racing is worse. Steve What you say on the whole is correct but not where King's Lynn is concerned. King's Lynn used to produce excellent racing whereas now, you'd be luck to get one heat of wheel to wheel action. It's no coincidence that Peterborough fans have seen a deterioration in the racing at the showground. The tracks are there, it's the delusional owner that's the problem Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teaboy279 Posted August 18, 2019 Report Share Posted August 18, 2019 4 minutes ago, Daniel Smith said: What you say on the whole is correct but not where King's Lynn is concerned. King's Lynn used to produce excellent racing whereas now, you'd be luck to get one heat of wheel to wheel action. It's no coincidence that Peterborough fans have seen a deterioration in the racing at the showground. The tracks are there, it's the delusional owner that's the problem Although in Peterboroughs case, without the "delusional" owner there would be no speedway at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Smith Posted August 18, 2019 Report Share Posted August 18, 2019 16 minutes ago, teaboy279 said: Although in Peterboroughs case, without the "delusional" owner there would be no speedway at all. That's been proven to not be the case at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cityrebel Posted August 18, 2019 Report Share Posted August 18, 2019 4 hours ago, Daniel Smith said: What you say on the whole is correct but not where King's Lynn is concerned. King's Lynn used to produce excellent racing whereas now, you'd be luck to get one heat of wheel to wheel action. It's no coincidence that Peterborough fans have seen a deterioration in the racing at the showground. The tracks are there, it's the delusional owner that's the problem Tell me about it. I sampled the delights of the Norfolk Arena last thursday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waytogo28 Posted August 19, 2019 Report Share Posted August 19, 2019 On 8/18/2019 at 8:08 AM, Daniel Smith said: The tracks are there, it's the delusional owner that's the problem Buster is not just delusional, he is immobile in his thinking other than that he is always right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iris123 Posted August 20, 2019 Report Share Posted August 20, 2019 (edited) At Heathrow today and Thought i’d see if I could get a SS at W.H Smith’s at one of the major hubs in the country. No luck, I ended up buying Football 2020, a season preview instead Edited August 20, 2019 by iris123 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.