British Speedway to be reborn?

[Spl77]

13 minutes ago, wealdstone said:

All these plans seem to me to to have an even worse effect on getting this country back at the forefront of international Speedway

I'm not for one second pretending that my ideas have anything with getting this country to the forefront of international Speedway. Its more to do with survival and building foundations to allow that to happen one day possibly. 

[Spl77]

18 minutes ago, pvm said:

I think you'll find they are Video clips, it you play each one, the crowd difference becomes apparent. 

They are indeed Video clips. The difference is not only shocking but very very sad. 

[iwright71]

31 minutes ago, Spl77 said:

They are indeed Video clips. The difference is not only shocking but very very sad. 

Just to add a bit of context to those 2 video clips which I don't think are like for like. Rather than the decline in crowds it showed the failed attempt to run shared events at neutral tracks. Listen to the home crowd at Peterborough when Mick Poole starts rounding riders up. In the 2nd clip I believe Coventry were not involved, so the comparison I believe is slightly misleading  . 

[HGould]

Anyone who went to Peterborough for CL 4's or Somerset for CL Pairs last year will have seen cracking meetings in front of big crowds. Doubt they could have got many more in to Somerset and main stand crammed at Peterborough and back straight very well populated. 

[waytogo28]

16 hours ago, Big Al said:

People like David Howe should be involved in planning and decision-making in the current crisis. 

I think that no-one within the BSPA is doing any post Covid 19 planning or decison taking other than -"when we can , we will open up for business and things will go on as usual". Deteriorating in my opinion. That is why UK speedway is in the position that it currently is - on it's uppers!

Those with influence still believe that if it aint broke, why try to fix it!

[Fromafar]

Admission prices and Riders wage demands will be the topic for Promotions when racing resumes.It will be interesting to see what crowd levels are attending.IMO

I think it is watershed moment for the sport in GB.

Edited April 27, 2020 by Fromafar

[SteveLyric2]

Good statement from the BSPL Chairman today.

 

www.speedwaygb.co.uk

 

Edited April 27, 2020 by Skidder1

[waytogo28]

3 hours ago, waytogo28 said:

I think that no-one within the BSPA is doing any post Covid 19 planning or decison taking other than -"when we can , we will open up for business and things will go on as usual". Deteriorating in my opinion. That is why UK speedway is in the position that it currently is - on it's uppers!

Those with influence still believe that if it aint broke, why try to fix it!

There you have it - the perfect riposte to my post from Rob Godfrey " “We need to be more open about the work we are doing because our critics seem to think we sit on our backsides and do nothing.”

All he and the rest of the BSPA have to do is to live up to the promises made with this statement - live streaming etc etc. We await actual progress and can then offer our feedback on it! And hopfully even our congratulations ( should real progress actually be made ).

[topaz325]

No real news...

[Speedtiger]

1 hour ago, Skidder1 said:

Good statement from the BSPL Chairman today.

 

www.speedwaygb.co.uk

 

Well it was a ‘statement’ although it didn’t really tell us anything and yes the situation is difficult but I suspect that is because nothing has been done or planned. The lack of information and leadership by the BSPA chairman & co isn’t unexpected as historically Godfrey and Chapman have proved they haven't got a clue. 

[PHILIPRISING]

2 hours ago, Speedtiger said:

Well it was a ‘statement’ although it didn’t really tell us anything and yes the situation is difficult but I suspect that is because nothing has been done or planned. The lack of information and leadership by the BSPA chairman & co isn’t unexpected as historically Godfrey and Chapman have proved they haven't got a clue. 

HAVE to say that I think Rob Godfrey is working hard and doing a good job under unprecedented circumstances

[stevehone]

F1 is talking about doing races opposite way round on some tracks to add some variety and to get races done quick .. hope speedway bosses aren't listening  

[phillwhitewasmad]

2 hours ago, PHILIPRISING said:

HAVE to say that I think Rob Godfrey is working hard and doing a good job under unprecedented circumstances

Problem is I do think most would still moan if the bspa came up with a eureka moment 

[eric i]

If we can start in August what about 5 rider teams with a new points limit. Riders would get 6 rides a meeting so could get a little money back there.

Premiership plays each team once, 12 fixtures then play offs

championship could be split into north and south giving 10 fixtures, those tracks that don't make the play offs could run an open meeting

 

[MattK]

5 hours ago, PHILIPRISING said:

HAVE to say that I think Rob Godfrey is working hard and doing a good job under unprecedented circumstances

What are you basing that on? As a "critic", "armchair fan" and "keyboard warrior" all I see are the outputs, which are very little.

It is also interesting to see that the BSPA had to engage outside help to secure the Eurosport deal. At least with GoSpeed the money stayed within speedway.

[Speedtiger]

5 hours ago, PHILIPRISING said:

HAVE to say that I think Rob Godfrey is working hard and doing a good job under unprecedented circumstances

Ok, that’s all well and good saying that but he should explain exactly what he’s “working so hard” on what are future plans and let fans judge if he’s doing a “good job”. As I said history shows he is incompetent and way out of his depth and hasn’t done much to promote British Speedway. 

[Mr Ore]

3 hours ago, phillwhitewasmad said:

Problem is I do think most would still moan if the bspa came up with a eureka moment 

Didn't I read somewhere that a group of serial BSF doom and gloom merchants went for a drink together and spotted a sign saying "Happy Hour" so they  all left ?. 

[mikebv]

7 hours ago, Speedtiger said:

Ok, that’s all well and good saying that but he should explain exactly what he’s “working so hard” on what are future plans and let fans judge if he’s doing a “good job”. As I said history shows he is incompetent and way out of his depth and hasn’t done much to promote British Speedway. 

I think to be fair to any of those who run the sport, they are not 'proper' sports' administrators...

Just well meaning people who find themselves leading others of the same persuasion.. 

The top sports have a separate leadership team from the owners of the clubs,  which means professionals can be brought in to strategically move the sport forwards. With their performance being measured by the owners..

Many of these people will get their positions through previous experience in similar roles and (possibly most importantly), a list of business and media contacts who can get the cut through needed to generate the right financial backing and publicity..

Speedway (in the UK), has never countenanced such a notion, preferring to keep everything 'in house', within the 'speedway bubble', therefore we have what we have..

I seem to remember, (maybe last year),  a measure of success quoted was 'all clubs surviving'..

Maybe, even though appearing to be an incredibly low aspiration, that is indeed an achievement given where the sport currently sits in the UK within the wider sporting arena?

Whoever is 'in charge', without all the wide and varied infrastructure needed, and a team of people around you with the required skill set to 'run a sport', leaving you to plan strategy, and be the figurehead, it must be a difficult, and maybe even a thankless task..

Edited April 28, 2020 by mikebv

[greyhoundp]

Excellent post mikebv..

I have to admit i didnt realise Speedway had any particular strategy except survival, i did attempt to take a look at its rule book some weeks ago, then i realised it has more than 100 rules, i think it was something like 130+  so even though it has no strategy it seems to have rules for everything else. The BSPL were asked in the ask the Chairman online session recently about having someone other than the BSPL oversee the Sport and his reply was, seeing as the promoters are the ones putting the money in, they are the ones who should say how things are run, that was Rob Godfreys opinion.. so it seems they are reasonably happy surviving rather than drawing up plans to move forward, Though they do seem to have made some progress by engaging Hatfits to find Commercial deals for the Sport, though they need to realise its not just a matter of finding sponsors, Sponsors need to be worked with in order to continue those Sponsorships/Partnerships in the years ahead..

[steve roberts]

46 minutes ago, greyhoundp said:

Excellent post mikebv..

I have to admit i didnt realise Speedway had any particular strategy except survival, i did attempt to take a look at its rule book some weeks ago, then i realised it has more than 100 rules, i think it was something like 130+  so even though it has no strategy it seems to have rules for everything else. The BSPL were asked in the ask the Chairman online session recently about having someone other than the BSPL oversee the Sport and his reply was, seeing as the promoters are the ones putting the money in, they are the ones who should say how things are run, that was Rob Godfreys opinion.. so it seems they are reasonably happy surviving rather than drawing up plans to move forward, Though they do seem to have made some progress by engaging Hatfits to find Commercial deals for the Sport, though they need to realise its not just a matter of finding sponsors, Sponsors need to be worked with in order to continue those Sponsorships/Partnerships in the years ahead..

Personally I've always thought the rule book needed looking into...was always open to interpretation and confusion and some promoters (Ian Thomas for one) was always looking for loop holes.