BSPL AGM

[DBP]

 looking quite possible that lockdown could last till the end of summer so there may be no UK racing for a second season.

even the poles are saying they may be racing behind closed doors for the start of there season.

Edited January 24, 2021 by DBP
Extra info

[cityrebel]

2 hours ago, DBP said:

Even in 2019 there was not much difference between the the premiership and championship.

Most teams had one top rider I wont call them stars the rest were all double up riders.

If the season starts then once again there will be little difference between the league's and you can be sure promoters wont be shelling out big contracts so I think a lot of fans wont be happy paying a premium to watch premiership racing.

It's not just speedway is it. I've certainly tightened my belt during lockdown. Just because i can afford it, doesn't mean i want to spend it. Life will never be the same for any of us.

[Mike.Butler]

4 hours ago, cityrebel said:

It's not just speedway is it. I've certainly tightened my belt during lockdown. Just because i can afford it, doesn't mean i want to spend it. Life will never be the same for any of us.

I believe Timpsons are still open. A single hole costs £1 in the charity box. sounds like you need to take a note Tony.

[Falcon1983]

The sport certainly sounds doomed

Some people willing to pay £20 to support the sport, some believing there should be a discounted entry for a watered down product, some not interested in regularly attending and some not wanting to attend at all.

It's easy to comment here bemoaning club closures but then not supporting the sport means it will be lost for future generations.

£20 for me is a decent price if it includes programme, you can take your own food and drinks to save money, some sports don't let you take your own in

With speedway I think you cant look at it domestically just as a British League, in terms of domestic racing we are league one standard, with Sweden being championship and poland being premier league, you pay £18-£30 to watch League one football, and that certainly doesn't have the best players

If British Speedway had all the stars and grew the sport from the Sky Sports deal realistically you should have been paying £40/50 a meeting but the promoters were offering a pricing structure that would not be sustainable without major TV and Spinsorship deals, but I presume some people probably thought £20 was too much to watch the superstars of Speedway

The sport and its fans in this country share one common trait, everyone is stuck in the past! 

£20 is value for money for a 3rd rate sport but it does depend on what else you do if witches fans for example go regularly to Town games also then I can see that they may not have much disposable income left

If they cant have fans in this season I've heard there may be streaming at £15 or something and I see replies saying they'd only pay £5 lol what about the streaming costs?

Everyone has their part to play, the fans in 2021 & 2022 will make or break the sport in this country

 

[Grachan]

8 minutes ago, Falcon1983 said:

The sport certainly sounds doomed

Some people willing to pay £20 to support the sport, some believing there should be a discounted entry for a watered down product, some not interested in regularly attending and some not wanting to attend at all.

It's easy to comment here bemoaning club closures but then not supporting the sport means it will be lost for future generations.

£20 for me is a decent price if it includes programme, you can take your own food and drinks to save money, some sports don't let you take your own in

With speedway I think you cant look at it domestically just as a British League, in terms of domestic racing we are league one standard, with Sweden being championship and poland being premier league, you pay £18-£30 to watch League one football, and that certainly doesn't have the best players

If British Speedway had all the stars and grew the sport from the Sky Sports deal realistically you should have been paying £40/50 a meeting but the promoters were offering a pricing structure that would not be sustainable without major TV and Spinsorship deals, but I presume some people probably thought £20 was too much to watch the superstars of Speedway

The sport and its fans in this country share one common trait, everyone is stuck in the past! 

£20 is value for money for a 3rd rate sport but it does depend on what else you do if witches fans for example go regularly to Town games also then I can see that they may not have much disposable income left

If they cant have fans in this season I've heard there may be streaming at £15 or something and I see replies saying they'd only pay £5 lol what about the streaming costs?

Everyone has their part to play, the fans in 2021 & 2022 will make or break the sport in this country

 

If you want to make a football comparison, then the closest to Speedway would probably be the National Conference league, which attracts crowds of around a thousand. The only admission price I could find was St Albans, who charge £18.

[sommelier]

25 minutes ago, Grachan said:

If you want to make a football comparison, then the closest to Speedway would probably be the National Conference league, which attracts crowds of around a thousand. The only admission price I could find was St Albans, who charge £18.

Spot on post

[Humphrey Appleby]

31 minutes ago, Grachan said:

If you want to make a football comparison, then the closest to Speedway would probably be the National Conference league, which attracts crowds of around a thousand. The only admission price I could find was St Albans, who charge £18.

It doesn't really matter how speedway compares to other sports, or whether 20 quid is really value for money or not if people aren't coming through the turnstiles. 

With football you'll generally also know that the matches will be held regardless of the weather, and you're not standing around for most of the 90 minutes watching the pitch being mown...

Edited January 29, 2021 by Humphrey Appleby

[YerRopes]

On 20/01/2021 at 5:25 PM, Lefty said:

Oh yes I'm told "The Big Bang" announcement could be a major sponsor such as a famous cleaning product.... However if it's the "Finest Universal Cleanser Known" League then there could be concern if the product name is abbreviated. 

Fred Wedlock.. 

[Falcon1983]

1 hour ago, Grachan said:

If you want to make a football comparison, then the closest to Speedway would probably be the National Conference league, which attracts crowds of around a thousand. The only admission price I could find was St Albans, who charge £18.

Kings Lynn Town charge around this and they are not even in the Conference League, Not really sure a comparison based on crowd figures is the right path, if thats the case than my amateur MMA promotion once was on par with most levels of Speedway where my attendances were 1,003 for around 3-4 years,  if you want to use the Conference as a comparison then you should be seeing future or current international players playing in the Conference which you don't , okay British Speedway has lost Doyle but it still has riders who ride for their national teams competing and U21 and U19 championship riders, you don't get that in the conference

I think (not the majority of fans) but some are a big issue in the fundamental problem with the sport in this country and should share the blame alongside the BSPA etc.

[Lefty]

25 minutes ago, YerRopes said:

Fred Wedlock.. 

Oh yes. One of the finest folk singer / poet / guitar carrying comedians I've  had the privelage to see. Every song I recall raises a smile. Sadly missed, but never forgotten.

[Sings4Speedway]

Speedway as a whole follows the same failing business model of many high street shops, namely products of differing quality but prices not reflecting. Its clear the there are plenty who will pay lower rates for a lower standard just look at Primark/Sports Direct for example. There are still those who will pay higher for better items but they are fewer transactions per year. Just look at the GP's Cardiff is packed, SON is packed but these are high level one off events. Weekly low grade showings need to reflect the prices. Speedway isn't the only area failing like this, Cinema's operate under the same model, chain restaurants are much the same but the takings and attendance in both have also been on a rapid decline (Pre Covid). 

If Speedway wants to continue weekly it needs to be at a weekly price, if it wants to make bigger events monthly then so be it. But don't bemoan people for asking for value for their money or choosing to spend it elsewhere. I don't bemoan clubs closing because either the product that was offered wasn't correct or the way the business was run wasn't up to scratch. Speedway will continue in this country but it will have to evolve to survive.  

Edited January 29, 2021 by Sings4Speedway
spell

[Ghosty]

MY VIEW.... The best we can hope for is a 4 month season July to September, the whole of U.K. should be revamped NOW but only for 2021. Teams to be made-up of  U.K. based riders.

Meanwhile every effort should be made for a complete relaunch of our once great sport for 2022, this to include:

1. To get Coventry, Oxford & Bradford up & running.

2. To standardise bikes for the 2 lower leagues therefore lower (overall) cost.

3. Cap pay rates in all leagues that are affordable via tracks income,

4. Stage creditable regular home fixtures @ all tracks.

5. Stop double up/down & guest other than injury cover.

6. Introduce the use of smartphones as part of the live meeting experience (to get the young involved).

7. Getting promoters heads out of the sand, take a step back & look again.

[cityrebel]

34 minutes ago, Sings4Speedway said:

Speedway as a whole follows the same failing business model of many high street shops, namely products of differing quality but prices not reflecting. Its clear the there are plenty who will pay lower rates for a lower standard just look at Primark/Sports Direct for example. There are still those who will pay higher for better items but they are fewer transactions per year. Just look at the GP's Cardiff is packed, SON is packed but these are high level one off events. Weekly low grade showings need to reflect the prices. Speedway isn't the only area failing like this, Cinema's operate under the same model, chain restaurants are much the same but the takings and attendance in both have also been on a rapid decline (Pre Covid). 

If Speedway wants to continue weekly it needs to be at a weekly price, if it wants to make bigger events monthly then so be it. But don't bemoan people for asking for value for their money or choosing to spend it elsewhere. I don't bemoan clubs closing because either the product that was offered wasn't correct or the way the business was run wasn't up to scratch. Speedway will continue in this country but it will have to evolve to survive.  

Absolutely. The public will always vote with their feet, if they feel they are not getting value for their money. You will always get a minority of hardcore fans that will cough up regardless. Unfortunately their numbers are falling by the wayside.

[YerRopes]

2 hours ago, Lefty said:

Oh yes. One of the finest folk singer / poet / guitar carrying comedians I've  had the privelage to see. Every song I recall raises a smile. Sadly missed, but never forgotten.

Saw him many times in Bristol back in the day.. 

He was always value for money.. 

His first two albums including 'Universal Cleaner' were re-released last year on one CD.

[BuxtonTiger]

1 hour ago, Ghosty said:

MY VIEW.... The best we can hope for is a 4 month season July to September, the whole of U.K. should be revamped NOW but only for 2021. Teams to be made-up of  U.K. based riders.

Meanwhile every effort should be made for a complete relaunch of our once great sport for 2022, this to include:

1. To get Coventry, Oxford & Bradford up & running.

2. To standardise bikes for the 2 lower leagues therefore lower (overall) cost.

3. Cap pay rates in all leagues that are affordable via tracks income,

4. Stage creditable regular home fixtures @ all tracks.

5. Stop double up/down & guest other than injury cover.

6. Introduce the use of smartphones as part of the live meeting experience (to get the young involved).

7. Getting promoters heads out of the sand, take a step back & look again.

Have to agree with all seven points. I will therefore join you in could cuckoo land. Sorry.

[enotian]

6 hours ago, Falcon1983 said:

 £20 is value for money for a 3rd rate sport but it does depend on what else you do if witches fans for example go regularly to Town games also then I can see that they may not have much disposable income left

Not to mention that compared to 20-30 years ago we now all spend a considerable amount of disposable income without ever leaving the house (even if we could).

Internet, mobile phones, TV subscriptions (SKY, Netflix, Disney etc etc), Spotify, Amazon Prime even Deliveroo.

[mikebv]

Getting a younger crowd into the stadium is paramount and you simply wont do that given the current plan of charging for them to enter..

"Ver Kidz" wouldn't be seen dead where their old man and Granddad like to go, and they "hang out" in packs...

Therefore charging a 17/18/19 year old to pay to get in is pretty much folly and an expectation that simply wont be delivered.. 

And if there are any 17/18/19 year olds who follow the sport on their own, then them convincing their mates to pay 18 to 20 quid or so to watch it would need a miracle..

Yet this demographic could truly help the sport enormously...

Their "reach" on social media within just a few 'shares' or 'tags' will often cover literally tens of thousand of people of the same or similar age, with mainly all local too, and no self respecting "yoof" will go anywhere without a 'selfie' showing everyone where they are and what they are doing..

Huge FREE advertising for the sport that targets exactly the demographic they want to attract.. 

How good is that?

And for those clubs who own their own food areas and bars, (if nothing else), a couple of hundred 'late teens' in their stadiums would put a good few quid in the respective tills, as burger and beer are two of their favourite pastimes, and they would swell the crowd to make the event look like its popular and maybe add some atmosphere too..

And the beauty of providing free entry is that hardly any of this demographic are going now , so pretty much zero loss of income..

TV, radio, newspapers etc etc. Are all now seen as pretty much irrelevant by the younger populace, and all the various instant news outlets and social media have replaced them..

Virtually every kid has a phone, and virtually every kid has a social media group (or ten), that they share 'everything' with, so let them in for nothing and let them spread the word for you and be your advertisement...

Give them say four weeks of free entrance then charge incremental increases in admission. Maybe four matches for a fiver then cap the U20's at a tenner.. 

Keep it free for U17's..

 

Edited January 29, 2021 by mikebv

[Grachan]

3 hours ago, Ghosty said:

MY VIEW.... The best we can hope for is a 4 month season July to September, the whole of U.K. should be revamped NOW but only for 2021. Teams to be made-up of  U.K. based riders.

Meanwhile every effort should be made for a complete relaunch of our once great sport for 2022, this to include:

1. To get Coventry, Oxford & Bradford up & running.

2. To standardise bikes for the 2 lower leagues therefore lower (overall) cost.

3. Cap pay rates in all leagues that are affordable via tracks income,

4. Stage creditable regular home fixtures @ all tracks.

5. Stop double up/down & guest other than injury cover.

6. Introduce the use of smartphones as part of the live meeting experience (to get the young involved).

7. Getting promoters heads out of the sand, take a step back & look again.

I decided to ask my 20 year old daughter about whether a phone app would attract young people to speedway.

She looked at me, screwed up her face, and said: "Why would you have a phone app for speedway?"

So I questioned whether or not a phone app might attract young people.

She reckons not. Her opinion is you go to speedway because you like speedway not to look at a phone app. Why would anyone go to speedway to look at a phone app, she asked.

My teenage son likes speedway and goes sometimes. I asked him about a phone app before when it was suggested. Pretty much the same reaction from him. He'll go because he likes it. A phone app makes no difference.

My own opinion - a stadium full of people looking a phone apps would be a silent stadium.

Young people are very specific about what social media they use. Even the wrong sort of social media - even though they all do the same thing - is a definite no-no.

[enotian]

3 hours ago, Ghosty said:

MY VIEW.... The best we can hope for is a 4 month season July to September, the whole of U.K. should be revamped NOW but only for 2021. Teams to be made-up of  U.K. based riders.

Meanwhile every effort should be made for a complete relaunch of our once great sport for 2022, this to include:

1. To get Coventry, Oxford & Bradford up & running.

2. To standardise bikes for the 2 lower leagues therefore lower (overall) cost.

3. Cap pay rates in all leagues that are affordable via tracks income,

4. Stage creditable regular home fixtures @ all tracks.

5. Stop double up/down & guest other than injury cover.

6. Introduce the use of smartphones as part of the live meeting experience (to get the young involved).

7. Getting promoters heads out of the sand, take a step back & look again.

2. is a good idea but you'd need to find out what the riders think. It's an international sport so how do riders compete overseas on inferior equipment?

5. gets my vote. I'd love to see guests abolished totally but riders earnings would take a hit. Unless you remove the earn while you ride principle riders will want to ride as often as possible.

6. great idea. I've mentioned before about making the sport interactive.  Maybe voting for a nominated heat or gate positions.  Or even just an interactive heat predictions game.

I've said before that I think that an IPL style short (2 weeks) tournament with the top international and British riders should be the future of top level speedway in this country. Hopefully providing mainstream attention for a short period (like Wimbledon does for tennis). 

[Bagpuss]

7 hours ago, Falcon1983 said:

Kings Lynn Town charge around this and they are not even in the Conference League

What do you mean by the Conference League? 

As for Premiership speedway admission, I think people would accept £20 without big name riders if everything else was absolutely spot on ie slick presentation, excellent racing, no piddling around if it’s wet, good track prep, riders present other than for injury, minimal guests, meetings not dragging on for two hours plus etc etc. Unfortunately speedway in the UK falls a fair way short of that in general. 

Edited January 29, 2021 by Bagpuss