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Time to have an enquiry into the death of Speedway


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12 minutes ago, Ben91 said:

International competition every year, absolutely. But I’d keep the World Cup name for the team event solely. You could also stage the Under-21 World Cup on an odd year and make a bigger deal of that event. This is a big digression from the thread of course though!

Should there ever be an international competition of the type being suggested I wonder what sort of attendances and media coverage it would attract in the UK? And aside from Belle Vue what suitable UK venues are there for events of this stature?

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49 minutes ago, gustix said:

Should there ever be an international competition of the type being suggested I wonder what sort of attendances and media coverage it would attract in the UK? And aside from Belle Vue what suitable UK venues are there for events of this stature?

When it was done in the early 00's I think, of those still left, the SWC was held at the likes of Peterborough, Poole, KL, Eastbourne, Sheffield

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59 minutes ago, gustix said:

Should there ever be an international competition of the type being suggested I wonder what sort of attendances and media coverage it would attract in the UK? And aside from Belle Vue what suitable UK venues are there for events of this stature?

I think if such an event happens it has to be held every four years and not every year as it is currently. To make it yearly would dilute the prestige and fan interest in my opinion. 

If it is run over a two-three week period then fans could travel abroad for it and take in the whole tournament. 

We certainly have the infrastructure to run such an event, as do Poland, Sweden and Denmark. There are potentially other countries who do too. We have staged World Cup events before Belle Vue’s new stadium was built although it would be an ideal place for a final. 

As for the press coverage I believe that is a two way street. People can be quick enough to criticise the mainstream media for not covering the sport but in reality is the sport reaching out to the mainstream media and saying “something worth covering is happening here.”?

Edited by Ben91
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Time to have an enquiry into the death of Speedway

I find the comments in this thread interesting. They certainly cause the need for thought. For all that it implies that speedway is dead whereas that is far from being the case. It also tends to indicate speedway world-wide PERHAPS and that is again far from the case. For me - and it's just my opinion and no more than that - a better thread title might have been 'Time to have an inquiry into the problems facing British Speedway'

 

Edited by Guest
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2 hours ago, gustix said:

Time to have an enquiry into the death of Speedway

I find the comments in this thread interesting. They certainly cause the need for thought. For all that it implies that speedway is dead whereas that is far from being the case. It also tends to indicate speedway world-wide PERHAPS and that is again far from the case. For me - and it's just my opinion and no more than that - a better thread title might have been 'Time to have an inquiry into the problems facing British Speedway'

 

After 13 pages of good debate/discussion I’d suggest there’s absolutely nothing wrong with the title. If anything it probably piqued the interest of more forum users than had the title been “Time to have an inquiry into the problems facing British Speedway.”

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4 hours ago, gustix said:

Time to have an enquiry into the death of Speedway

I find the comments in this thread interesting. They certainly cause the need for thought. For all that it implies that speedway is dead whereas that is far from being the case. It also tends to indicate speedway world-wide PERHAPS and that is again far from the case. For me - and it's just my opinion and no more than that - a better thread title might have been 'Time to have an inquiry into the problems facing British Speedway'

 

 

1 hour ago, Ben91 said:

After 13 pages of good debate/discussion I’d suggest there’s absolutely nothing wrong with the title. If anything it probably piqued the interest of more forum users than had the title been “Time to have an inquiry into the problems facing British Speedway.”

Valid comment Ben91. As you indicate "...no theread title change needed..."

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I think Speedway needs fewer clubs. Each region should have a super franchise team with 1 star rider. Fewer meetings spread over Friday nights, mainly in the summer.

Birmingham Bears - Bartosz Zmarzlik

Manchester Aces - Martin Vaculik

Norfolk Ninjas - Robert Lambert

Somerset Scorchers - Tai Woffinden

Scottish Saints - Leon Madsen

Swindon Sizzlers - Artem Laguta

6 teams play each other once home and away, make an event of it. Have good entertainment on at half-time, each team can sign one star rider like Zmarzlik, Sayfudinov, Madsen and Vaculik. 

Tickets are £20.

 

 

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13 hours ago, cityrebel said:

So did i, we sat in the Hackney car park thinking it would be off. I also went to Australia v New Zealand at Wimbledon, New Zealand v Russia at Reading and the Wembley final.

I phoned my Dad earlier this evening - not to just ask him about this I hasten to add - but I did ask him if he remembered it and he said that it was p!ssing it down! A boiler suit meeting as he called them. Couldn't really remember the meeting but the car (a huge white Ford Zephyr) ran minus one cylinder on the way home from around Chelmsford back to Felixstowe!

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15 minutes ago, Shrub said:

I phoned my Dad earlier this evening - not to just ask him about this I hasten to add - but I did ask him if he remembered it and he said that it was p!ssing it down! A boiler suit meeting as he called them. Couldn't really remember the meeting but the car (a huge white Ford Zephyr) ran minus one cylinder on the way home from around Chelmsford back to Felixstowe!

...remember dad having to drive all the way back from Hackney to Oxford in a car that had lost third and fourth gear and that was after being reported to the police for looking suspicious awaithing a phone call from a public phone box in the East End during the middle of the night. What memories!

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Just now, steve roberts said:

...remember dad having to drive all the way back from Hackney to Oxford in a car that had lost third and fourth gear and that was after being reported to the police for looking suspicious awaithing a phone call from a public phone box in the East End during the middle of the night. What memories!

Must have been something dodgy about leaving your car in the car park at Hackney!

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9 minutes ago, Shrub said:

Must have been something dodgy about leaving your car in the car park at Hackney!

I recall the trip back along the North Circular, A40 and the M40 at 20 mph and the engine screaming (especiallly down Stokenchurch)...it took a long, long time! You don't forget things like that in a hurry! We were actually reported for acting suspiciously as it was during the time of the IRA bombing spree in London.

Edited by steve roberts
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9 hours ago, Shrub said:

I phoned my Dad earlier this evening - not to just ask him about this I hasten to add - but I did ask him if he remembered it and he said that it was p!ssing it down! A boiler suit meeting as he called them. Couldn't really remember the meeting but the car (a huge white Ford Zephyr) ran minus one cylinder on the way home from around Chelmsford back to Felixstowe!

I had the luxury of travelling to meetings in an S type jag in those days. My old man had a fit, when it got covered in shale dust in the Rayleigh car park!

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16 hours ago, KeirStarmerFan said:

I think Speedway needs fewer clubs. Each region should have a super franchise team with 1 star rider. Fewer meetings spread over Friday nights, mainly in the summer.

Birmingham Bears - Bartosz Zmarzlik

Manchester Aces - Martin Vaculik

Norfolk Ninjas - Robert Lambert

Somerset Scorchers - Tai Woffinden

Scottish Saints - Leon Madsen

Swindon Sizzlers - Artem Laguta

6 teams play each other once home and away, make an event of it. Have good entertainment on at half-time, each team can sign one star rider like Zmarzlik, Sayfudinov, Madsen and Vaculik. 

Tickets are £20.

 

 

One of the many issues with this idea is that the poles ride on a Friday.

I think that British speedway needs to find an operating model that works for level of support that can be currently generated. So at the highest level its no more than semi pro with standard equipment that is easy and cost effective to run.

At the same time work on improving the credibility and image of the sport is a must.

 

 

 

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Funnily enough I am also a member of a rugby league forum, which seems to be mainly populated by fans of a certain age. There are a number of similarities between the majority of threads on both forums:-

There are no characters left in the sports

The game isn't what it used to be

The authorities running the sports don't know what they are doing

The sports are dying out

Is it an age thing? There are certainly plenty of enthusiastic promoters out there who are itching to get back to racing next season, if not trying to fit in some meetings at the end of this year. No deaths yet I'm afraid.

Edited by topsoil
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the only way i can see speedway going forward is 100% curtail where the big money (in UK terms, not Poland) goes.

run it as a stable business first, not win at all costs, let the sport grow without wondering if teams will run each season, it's the only way i can see will work.

BUT, everyone wants success and to win (at least at home), and some will be able to do that more than others, but if things are run strictly to budget it will give others a chance to catch up 

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On 8/17/2020 at 10:21 PM, Shrub said:

You're right it was seven man teams, but your old age is letting you down just a little! We had the Russians v England at Ipswich, you had England  v Poland at Hackney (12 point max for the Tiger!) Think that match was shown on World of Sport. (Unless my old age is letting me down!) 

Yes, sorry about that and if I had been bothered to dig out the programme I would have seen that. For anyone interested below are the results which were summarised in the final programme

image.png.32610f0007ee6a2e040bef73caefb97c.png

 

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The final followed the above match. Programme was 15p and the guests of honour were Ed Stewart and Carol Hawkins.

Prize money

Winners Trophy and medals plus £100 to each rider

Losers - Medals plus £40 each rider

The rider scoring the highest number of points in the winning team got £50

The rider scoring the highest number of points from the losing team - £25

Bonus points counted

For GB versus ROW

Winners - Trophy plus £500 and a watch to each rider and team manager

Losers - Nothing

Special Award of £100 to the best rider of each team

Life was so simple in those days!!

 

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