Big decisions in November.

[topsoil]

6 hours ago, orion said:

There used to massive sponsors deals when the same thing happened all the time so not why that's a issue now  when it never used to be ..unless guests are a new thing in speedway of course  . In fact with fixed race nights its even less likely to happen now ..

It's makes you wonder how they got sponsors in the old days ..maybe they never told them  about guest riders 

I would have thought any potential sponsors / speedway image links would have concentrated more on speed, power, noise, danger, thrills etc rather than guests, r/r, averages, double points, t/s which, really only speedway anoraks are interested in. I doubt if any potential sponsors of football tournaments are put off by VAR. 

[R87]

On 9/5/2019 at 12:14 PM, BWitcher said:

Simple question for those who liked the 'bonus pt'.

Why? What made it better?

Bonus point system had good and bad points.  It would give you an extra heat if the aggregate was tied (the legendary Mikael Karlsson-Ryan Sullivan run off at Peterborough springs to mind), but one team thumping the other both home and away rendered it meaningless.

There again, speedway has much bigger issues that wont be solved by changing the scoring system.

[DC2]

On 9/11/2019 at 9:01 PM, mikebv said:

A toxic brand sadly BM...

You only have to look at many of the TV matches...

Rows and rows of empty seats, standing areas bereft of anyone actually stood there..

Companies want only positive brand association, as their name will resonate in the sub conscious of those watching..

Add also the fact that a company could sponsor a team with a significant sum of money and then find that their support will be rewarded by their number one rider (who will invariably be the chief beneficiary of their patronage), being actively allowed to destroy his own team's chances of winning the league by riding for any other team in the league, and you really have a hard sell to persuade any self respecting nationally known business to come on board..

 

You often have sensible suggestions but I’m not with you on this one.

I can’t think of any sport where I’m particularly aware of the crowd or the advertising or where I make any correlation between the two.

If BT have crowd figures, there’s a clear audience for advertisers.

 

[orion]

1 hour ago, topsoil said:

I would have thought any potential sponsors / speedway image links would have concentrated more on speed, power, noise, danger, thrills etc rather than guests, r/r, averages, double points, t/s which, really only speedway anoraks are interested in. I doubt if any potential sponsors of football tournaments are put off by VAR. 

Spot on sponsors being put off by rules is another speedway myth as I said we had guests when speedway had  massive sponsors

[Bavarian]

53 minutes ago, orion said:

Spot on sponsors being put off by rules is another speedway myth as I said we had guests when speedway had  massive sponsors

But then a guest rider was only allowed to cover for a missing number one / heat leader, but now there are guest riders for seemingly every rider, including the reserves, plus the doubling up and doubling down of riders which makes a total mockery of the team (loyalty) aspect of the game. This has simply become too much to be acceptable anymore.

[Baldyman]

1 hour ago, orion said:

Spot on sponsors being put off by rules is another speedway myth as I said we had guests when speedway had  massive sponsors

So what are they being put off by now?  Small viewing figures,,, can't see how they get any returns?    Must be something, 

[Guest]

35 minutes ago, Bavarian said:

But then a guest rider was only allowed to cover for a missing number one / heat leader, but now there are guest riders for seemingly every rider, including the reserves, plus the doubling up and doubling down of riders which makes a total mockery of the team (loyalty) aspect of the game. This has simply become too much to be acceptable anymore.

Very wise words Bavarian. Sadly, this is UK speedway as it is and doubtful if things will ever change for the 'much hoped for better times'.

Edited September 13, 2019 by Guest

[mikebv]

4 hours ago, DC2 said:

 

You often have sensible suggestions but I’m not with you on this one.

I can’t think of any sport where I’m particularly aware of the crowd or the advertising or where I make any correlation between the two.

If BT have crowd figures, there’s a clear audience for advertisers.

 

For me its purely down to the lack of crowd shown on TV, and where they do exist the demographic of them, as well as the often Mickey Mouse nonsense that is allowed to happen, as that can never persuade a major sponsor to come on board..

Perception is so much part of the modern psyche when it comes to deciding what is 'current' and what isn't, and sadly Speedway (in Britain) isn't seen as 'current' enough to get investors on board..

Ironically the same sport, often featuring the same riders, is very much 'current' with a much younger average fan base of males and females in Poland..

Thus, the advertisers are actually queuing up to come on board..

When you watch the Polish league the adverts actually feature the riders as they have public recognition, and the products they help advertise are often aimed at the younger market. Beer and Energy drink producers being two in particular that sees Speedway as something they need to be associated with for growth and success..

Sadly in the UK there isn't that youthful vibrancy that generates the interest that might stimulate major companies to join in..

And as I have said previously, should a major player come to support the sport and invest plenty, they definitely wouldn't want to be associated with swapping riders in a final, or be aligned with any team that can let their best rider effectively ruin his own chances of success, and that of his own team by putting in a rider of the night performance for a rival team..

What you could get away with years ago, you simply cannot now in the modern media era where any tweet can go viral within seconds..

(And if Poland allowed such nonsense does anyone really think they would have the following they do?)

Filling the TV matches with fans would 100% help, especially if you filled the stadiums with a clear mixed demographic of the population..

Giving 1000's of tickets away if you have to as it would be all about the 'long game'

Doing that might get any major potential sponsor to at least take notice and see if they could get any mileage out of associating with the sport given it will look like its fan base is something more than a SAGA get together which it does look like far too often..

As Poland proves, there is potential there, so all hope isn't lost. The sport is still exciting, adrenaline fuelled, and fast and furious....

It just needs its fan base to reflect the same to bring in some corporate interest..

Edited September 13, 2019 by mikebv

[SteveLyric2]

So with someone from Peterborough suggesting that Buster said he expected the top league to have 10 teams in 2020, who will stay up and who will come up?

Somerset are definitely considering returning to a top league structure. Panthers are saying they want to stay?!

Thoughts

[Baldyman]

I would like to see some good tracks,, but it won't happen, scunthorpe, Redcar and Somerset 

[Wolfie456]

22 minutes ago, Skidder1 said:

So with someone from Peterborough suggesting that Buster said he expected the top league to have 10 teams in 2020, who will stay up and who will come up?

Somerset are definitely considering returning to a top league structure. Panthers are saying they want to stay?!

Thoughts

Somerset Sheffield and possibly Leicester 

[DC2]

18 minutes ago, mikebv said:

For me its purely down to the lack of crowd shown on TV, and where they do exist the demographic of them, as well as the often Mickey Mouse nonsense that is allowed to happen, as that can never persuade a major sponsor to come on board..

Perception is so much part of the modern psyche when it comes to deciding what is 'current' and what isn't, and sadly Speedway (in Britain) isn't seen as 'current' enough to get investors on board..

Ironically the same sport, often featuring the same riders, is very much 'current' with a much younger average fan base of males and females in Poland..

Thus, the advertisers are actually queuing up to come on board..

 

Hi Mike.

I think you’re over-thinking it.

If BT made it clear to me as an advertiser wanting to sell conservatories or Zimmer frames that speedway gets 50,000 viewers over the age of 60, I might want to advertise if the price were right, regardless of speedway’s rules, the sport’s coolness factor or whether or not there were only 200 people in the stadium.

[HGould]

Think it's a done deal and allows Buster to retain Monday / Thursdays

Somerset / Sheffield (both primarily Thursday as first choice night) and Leicester (having divested his mates the bates of Sheffield primary night Monday)

The bigger concern to many is how bare that leaves CL

Berwick / Birmingham / Eastbourne / Edinburgh / Glasgow / Newcastle / Redcar / Scunthorpe

I think of 4 remaining NDL Clubs (not 2nd string sides) Kent and Plymouth may be able to move up but BSPA would have to allow Kent to ride on a Monday, or do they invite Len to top table??

What then happens to IOW / Mildenhall?? - can they sustain a CL ??

If Buster cherry picks his 10 then I fear 3-4 of those left will close as either too much cost to move to CL or don't want reduced level of competition if CL quality is removed.

Better option surely to tell BT to do one, have 1 major league split geographically (16 or more teams) and explore streaming route ! 

 

 

 

[theblueboy]

1 hour ago, Skidder1 said:

So with someone from Peterborough suggesting that Buster said he expected the top league to have 10 teams in 2020, who will stay up and who will come up?

Somerset are definitely considering returning to a top league structure. Panthers are saying they want to stay?!

Thoughts

I heard at Belle Vue that Glasgow had been ‘invited’, or is that begged?

 

51 minutes ago, Wolfie456 said:

Somerset Sheffield and possibly Leicester 

The same source said it was a big ‘no’ from Sheffield.

[waytogo28]

34 minutes ago, HGould said:

Better option surely to tell BT to do one, have 1 major league split geographically (16 or more teams) and explore streaming route ! 

 

If BT are stuck on Mon / Thurs then yes. And definitely explore the streaming route ASAP with those 16 min. teams ( split geographically )

[Trees]

We haven't got enough riders for one league have we?

[cityrebel]

1 hour ago, HGould said:

Think it's a done deal and allows Buster to retain Monday / Thursdays

Somerset / Sheffield (both primarily Thursday as first choice night) and Leicester (having divested his mates the bates of Sheffield primary night Monday)

The bigger concern to many is how bare that leaves CL

Berwick / Birmingham / Eastbourne / Edinburgh / Glasgow / Newcastle / Redcar / Scunthorpe

I think of 4 remaining NDL Clubs (not 2nd string sides) Kent and Plymouth may be able to move up but BSPA would have to allow Kent to ride on a Monday, or do they invite Len to top table??

What then happens to IOW / Mildenhall?? - can they sustain a CL ??

If Buster cherry picks his 10 then I fear 3-4 of those left will close as either too much cost to move to CL or don't want reduced level of competition if CL quality is removed.

Better option surely to tell BT to do one, have 1 major league split geographically (16 or more teams) and explore streaming route ! 

 

 

 

I feel the same way. I can see it being two leagues with no third tier. With the demise of Stoke and doubts over the likes of Cradley and Plymouth, a five Team NL would hardly be viable for the remaining clubs.

[HGould]

3 minutes ago, cityrebel said:

I feel the same way. I can see it being two leagues with no third tier. With the demise of Stoke and doubts over the likes of Cradley and Plymouth, a five Team NL would hardly be viable for the remaining clubs.

I fear Cradley already gone sadly especially if Wolves have more home Fixtures to fit in at Monmore.

The fixation with Monday / Thursday is major headache for Kent if only 2 Leagues as option may only be PL.

Unless any new tracks to join NDL - Buxton / Rye House / Oxford back?

Edited September 13, 2019 by HGould
added last line

[ruckerroo]

The one thing teams cant do is exist beyond their means, too many have gone busto coz of that.

Personally kent have to sort the curfew out but the stadium and track are fine for racing in a higher leage, as are the attendances.

[cityrebel]

13 minutes ago, HGould said:

I fear Cradley already gone sadly especially if Wolves have more home Fixtures to fit in at Monmore.

The fixation with Monday / Thursday is major headache for Kent if only 2 Leagues as option may only be PL.

Unless any new tracks to join NDL - Buxton / Rye House / Oxford back?

The first two, always a chance. Oxford are consigned to the history books.