Future Format for British Speedway

[Baldyman]

It's hard to think of genuinely good ideas that could turn its fortunes around.  I've not seen the newer cricket so I don't know why it's popular,, but I would have a guess at a load of spectators having a good laugh in a party atmosphere,, where a pretty decent amount of alcohol is drunk. The same way darts has taken off in a big way.   Maybe speedway could take a leaf out of their books,,, but most stadiums ain't in the greatest of areas,, normally outside of towns. 

[Falcon1983]

Whatever happens it wont be an instant hit, it will take time to build an audience 

[martinmauger]

A guy I know who watches live cricket and says many spectators get bored, partake a good few lemonades and then hold 'how many empty plastic beer glasses can I pile up before they fall over' competitions....

[phillwhitewasmad]

2 hours ago, martinmauger said:

A guy I know who watches live cricket and says many spectators get bored, partake a good few lemonades and then hold 'how many empty plastic beer glasses can I pile up before they fall over' competitions....

Martin live cricket is more about the social occasion, all day sat down with your mates drinking beer generally having a good laugh and not getting covered in crap . (Well not till later when everyone has had to much beer)

[The Third Man]

On ‎5‎/‎9‎/‎2020 at 10:31 AM, iris123 said:

Yes, but isn’t it the start that is harder on the bikes ? So probably means more cost to the riders for little gain . Just a thought

Suppose you could have rolling starts to help with this

[iris123]

23 minutes ago, The Third Man said:

Suppose you could have rolling starts to help with this

That is of course possible. And not wanting to be negative, but the reason the start gate was used, was to stop the chaos and constant false starts and re-runs that happened in the days of rolling starts

[The Third Man]

24 minutes ago, iris123 said:

That is of course possible. And not wanting to be negative, but the reason the start gate was used, was to stop the chaos and constant false starts and re-runs that happened in the days of rolling starts

Sorry I have read this correctly, didn't realise it was meant to have more than rider, thought it was meant to be qualifying for the GP's last season, complete misunderstanding

[Garry1603]

7 hours ago, martinmauger said:

A guy I know who watches live cricket and says many spectators get bored, partake a good few lemonades and then hold 'how many empty plastic beer glasses can I pile up before they fall over' competitions....

Now that's an idea for speedway. I reckon England could reclaim the World Title!

[Mr Ore]

On 5/10/2020 at 2:46 PM, martinmauger said:

A guy I know who watches live cricket and says many spectators get bored, partake a good few lemonades and then hold 'how many empty plastic beer glasses can I pile up before they fall over' competitions....

I went to my first cricket match for about 6 years last summer, during the height of the hottest rain free spell for years and rain stopped play. . One of the things I'd noticed with the 3 / 4 day game is the apparently random clapping when, to the lay person, nothing special has happened. I watch quite a bit of non league soccer and am often amazed with some of the  record keeping of every goal time, substitution time, start time, length of half, full time, number of cards, with subdivisions, corners, throw ins, offsides. etc,. etc. . I wish I was joking but I once saw a guy in full "When Harry Met Sally" mode and advise his friend that it was because it was the 300th corner from the left side he had seen that season.  .  Same with county cricket, I was advised that one potentially irrational  clap was because it was the players highest score of the year, others for it being the highest partnership score between two players, plus the usual century, half century, for the player or team,  and similar 100, 50 partnership scores.  I suppose to the true fan you could have loads of data with you, so most runs actually mean something in  your own personal records, to keep the interest going.. 

A bit like when I go to a Shakespeare play. I always have the script with me and ensure I have highlighted the bits which are supposed to have been in jokes at the time, so I can knowingly nod my head and lightly smirk behind my hand when they come up.  .  

 

Edited May 11, 2020 by Mr Ore
spell check errors

[waytogo28]

On 5/9/2020 at 10:02 PM, greyhoundp said:

Well carry on as we are, I give it how many years 5/7 certainly not 10, look around on the terraces how many under 40,s are their and thats being generous.. a potential sponsor said they didnt like how speedway is presented but it seems the old diehards are perfectly satisfied.. Jeez how long are you going to keep the blinkers on, Speedway is on its knees in the Uk.. but carry on marching the riders out to their bikes, carry on taking 2+ hours to run a meeting that should take 1 hour at most, carry on having tractor racing, carry on having the same riders appearing for 2/3 teams, carry on playing 80,s music between heats, after all its been proven thats what the modern day spectator wants to see not!. Ohhh and i forgot its what major TV companies want to avoid, and Newspapers continue to ignore... but no lets not change anything because it aint broke..

When I joined the Forum i chose the pen name Waytogo28 becasue I do not believe we will reach that Centenary. I still think it is unlikely because of blinkered thinking by people who just will not listen to feedack and who label all who offer it, as keyboard warriors of the negative kind. I have no hope that it will struggle on much longer, if nothing changes.

[Hacksaw Jim Duggan]

On 5/9/2020 at 10:02 PM, greyhoundp said:

Well carry on as we are, I give it how many years 5/7 certainly not 10, look around on the terraces how many under 40,s are their and thats being generous.. a potential sponsor said they didnt like how speedway is presented but it seems the old diehards are perfectly satisfied.. Jeez how long are you going to keep the blinkers on, Speedway is on its knees in the Uk.. but carry on marching the riders out to their bikes, carry on taking 2+ hours to run a meeting that should take 1 hour at most, carry on having tractor racing, carry on having the same riders appearing for 2/3 teams, carry on playing 80,s music between heats, after all its been proven thats what the modern day spectator wants to see not!. Ohhh and i forgot its what major TV companies want to avoid, and Newspapers continue to ignore... but no lets not change anything because it aint broke..

Most of what you mention as "carry on" options take place at the majority of sporting events in the country. 

If you went to see Everton play in the EPL you would see them "march" onto the park to a song from the 60's... 

The 80s music thing, which is a dated line of gibberish said too often on this forum to the point some believe it to be utterly true,  is also a bit silly really. Most clubs don't solely play music from the 80s, and even if they do on occasion drop a song from that era? Who cares, some songs from that era and even before are both excellent and can fit into sporting events - Darts has been rebuilt on and continues to use songs from the 80s, 90s and early 00s as a staple of their sport, Football fans still sing songs now about players to tunes of songs from that era. 

To be honest sitting at a Speedway meeting with a shower of 50 year old + fans listening to Stormzy blasting out the speakers would be a bit odd, and most likely leave most in the crowd wondering what the song even was, Speedway doesn't have a modern audience to merit the constant playing of modern music. 

Changing such things as music, how riders arrive on track isn't overly outside the box, most of that is done at the events Speedway attempts to be like or fans feel it should be like i.e Football, Darts, Rugby etc - it is even done at most tracks now . It isn't such things that fail Speedway, nor is it likely to be saved by a one lap dash, that just sounds a bit crap. 

Speedway is a minority product in this country, it has been for about 20 years now, it is that because most just see the actual product of "Speedway" as being a bit crap and dull. That isn't likely to change based on a song because most will still just see it as 4 guys going around in a circle. 

A game of Football, Rugby etc, if you attend other events you sit at them for 2 hours (at least)  by the time you get in the stadium, people don't wish for games to be shorter in general, an hour Speedway meeting sounds slightly mad, arrive at 7, leave at 8? Really? 

There are conditions that come with attending sport and most of those you mention apply to most sports (just about all of them) and Speedway in terms of base sport attending behaviors is little different 

The vast majority of people who go to a Man United game (Speedway meeting) are there to see. 

1.Their team play well

2.Their team win

3.Enjoy a decent day out with their mates - which is the part Darts and Cricket really drilled into, it is basically just a decent excuse to go out and booze up with your mates. 

Most people aren't going to sports to hear a banger from the charts, see a presenter shoot rockets from their arse etc - Speedway is the same. It is fans of a sport going to see a sport team, the rest is really all just BS which would do little to bring in more as most of the attractions can be found somewhere else and better. 

 

Edited May 13, 2020 by Hacksaw Jim Duggan

[waytogo28]

That represnts a well reasoned argument for keeping things the same in UK speedway as it jas for the last 20 years. The problem is that fewer and fewer people bother to buy into it every season and it will soon vanish up it's own exhaust pipe. Not quite the same for Everton or Manchester United as their share of the TV billions, keeps them afloat regardless of the music they play or the pies they sell.

[Trees]

Speedway needs to improve the racing ie passing and team racing, imo Thais will be enough to bring back the crowds, 10/15 races need to be great to ....... handicaps?

[Hacksaw Jim Duggan]

36 minutes ago, waytogo28 said:

That represnts a well reasoned argument for keeping things the same in UK speedway as it jas for the last 20 years. The problem is that fewer and fewer people bother to buy into it every season and it will soon vanish up it's own exhaust pipe. Not quite the same for Everton or Manchester United as their share of the TV billions, keeps them afloat regardless of the music they play or the pies they sell.

It is specifically in reference to the parts that seemingly "don't work" though

It is little to do with players marching onto the track etc, that is typically the same way most athletes arrive to the location where they will work - EPL players "march onto the park" and they are doing OK, so it's not that which causes the issues. 

It is little to do with the music, the music I hear at most Speedway tracks is pretty comparable to that which I hear at most sports events, give or take a few songs - so it's not that causing the issue. 

It is little to do with the time of event, 2 hours, give or take, is about the time spent at most sporting events, films etc - an event lasting much less than that i.e a Speedway meeting run in an hour feels verging on redundant even attending - so it's not that which causes people not to attend 

It is little to do with "tractor racing", Football for instance has "half time" which could easily be stripped down to "pitch watering" it is also a fundamental part of the sporting event that has to happen for the event to take place though - Rugby is about as stop start as it gets, and Football even before VAR had a lot of needless dead game time - so it isn't as if that is Speedway exclusive. 

A change or alteration to these things isn't a silver bullet which will recharge the sport and bring the crowds back as most of these things are just base behaviors required to accommodate the "sport" part. 

I personally would question if the sport does have a silver bullet at all and it is actually just the case a lot of people just don't like or enjoy speedway - one of the few things might be an embrace of tech and release of a decent PS4 or x-box game as has helped other sports, but that is unlikely as no one is going to invest in a decent speedway game, thus what is brought out is typically crap. A decent game might have helped bring in a new audience and added a slight appeal to how a lot consume and embrace new content now. 

Speedway, and by that I mean a lot of Speedway fans and in particular on here often have a tendency to think Speedway is a secret waiting to be discovered which just needs a slight change to a song, or a slight change to how the track is prepared, I just don't buy that at all personally. 

The actual sport isn't that unknown. It has had an incredible platform for years on what is prime time sport real estate on Sky and BT a load of people will know what it is and have seen it on TV so know nothing about the music, the tractors etc they just see the raw product of "the sport" and find that a bit dull, it is difficult to change that part given that is the product. 

There is no shock in that statement, most will have had the chat with their friends...just try it you might like it.... they don't or rarely do, they see it as 4 guys following each other. It is a very Marmite product and most never invest it to the point to know who, for instance, Ellis Perks is, let alone be irked by the fact he races for 3 teams. 

At a time when so much content is readily available, it just isn't good enough often enough to merit large crowds IMO and recent years very much reflect that 

Edited May 13, 2020 by Hacksaw Jim Duggan

[topaz325]

The GP,s have moved with the times though.

[waytogo28]

40 minutes ago, Hacksaw Jim Duggan said:

At a time when so much content is readily available, it just isn't good enough often enough to merit large crowds IMO and recent years very much reflect that 

I have to agree with you on that for sure. It is not a well kept secret, waiting to be unearthed and become overun with new supporters.  You are also correct that for years it had a splendid platform that the promoters failed to build on. Many wasted opportunities were there.  My love affiar wth it and the passion I for it had is coming to a close now - not becasue of my age but becuase it has become less and less "exciting " on track.  No longer worthy of the title of "speedway racing". Just four blokes invariably following each other around in a circle. Yes, you can see it "all before your very eyes" - but there is so little of interest to see.

[cityrebel]

15 minutes ago, waytogo28 said:

I have to agree with you on that for sure. It is not a well kept secret, waiting to be unearthed and become overun with new supporters.  You are also correct that for years it had a splendid platform that the promoters failed to build on. Many wasted opportunities were there.  My love affiar wth it and the passion I for it had is coming to a close now - not becasue of my age but becuase it has become less and less "exciting " on track.  No longer worthy of the title of "speedway racing". Just four blokes invariably following each other around in a circle. Yes, you can see it "all before your very eyes" - but there is so little of interest to see.

Speedway is very much a social thing for me. It's a totally different experience when i go to football, where the result means everything. I am missing a night out at my local tracks, for a chat with my mates and a couple of decent races, if I'm lucky.

[Hawk127]

56 minutes ago, waytogo28 said:

I have to agree with you on that for sure. It is not a well kept secret, waiting to be unearthed and become overun with new supporters.  You are also correct that for years it had a splendid platform that the promoters failed to build on. Many wasted opportunities were there.  My love affiar wth it and the passion I for it had is coming to a close now - not becasue of my age but becuase it has become less and less "exciting " on track.  No longer worthy of the title of "speedway racing". Just four blokes invariably following each other around in a circle. Yes, you can see it "all before your very eyes" - but there is so little of interest to see.

I am sure many feel exactly the same as you, I do.  Until you get four riders albeit with various levels of skill on standard bikes rather than riders  having to compete with those who have faster bikes because they have deeper pockets than a team mate it will never change. If they all start on a level playing field as far as equipment is concerned the product may be less processional.  (Years back riders on track spare could win races). You have too many variants from machines through to the weight of riders and if that is to continue then without some sort of handicap so riders with different skills/equipment start at different points on the track again you will invariably be left with the gate and go merchants and the rest simply following the leader. Every track will be the same for each rider on the night so it is a case of getting on with it, that is not an excuse yet  you regularly hear from riders who blame a track but  it is probably more a case of the bikes simply not set up for the conditions. Speedway is well past its sell by date as it stands and needs freshening as a competitive sport if it is to flourish going forward. A fickle fan base or followers do nothing for those who run the sport and would like to make changes but dare not which alas is another reason why Speedway is stuck with an old outdated format and no new people coming through the gates. As a team sport, it has no credibility given you can get a rider participate in three different leagues in the U.K. and then ride for an opposing team the following night. The only way is go back to individual racing and re-build the league structure in a few years time. If any racing is to take place this year, then this is the time to experiment. With the way other countries are going to operate and cross border movements restricted the U.K. has no choice and at the same time no better opportunity than to try something different

[waytogo28]

12 hours ago, Hawk127 said:

Speedway is well past its sell by date as it stands and needs freshening as a competitive sport if it is to flourish going forward. 

In a nutshell. And sadly we have no promoters prepared to collectively co-operate in that "refreshing of the UK sport ". Are they more frightened of losing the existing remnants of a great, well supported sport - than of working on How To change what the sport offers new supporters and how it is perceived in the outside world? That seems to be the case to me.

[cityrebel]

1 hour ago, waytogo28 said:

In a nutshell. And sadly we have no promoters prepared to collectively co-operate in that "refreshing of the UK sport ". Are they more frightened of losing the existing remnants of a great, well supported sport - than of working on How To change what the sport offers new supporters and how it is perceived in the outside world? That seems to be the case to me.

Maybe the Swedish system is the way to go. Less could end up more. Fewer high quality meetings might entice a few fans back. Give people something to look forward to, instead of rolling out the same tired product on a regular basis.