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Where does speedway stand in a possible ratings list of favourite British sports. It would be interesting to see a 'favourite sport table' should one actually exist - and I have an idea one does. My rating for speedway in such a table would be 'a dodgy 15th'!

Is any fellow BSF poster able to produce such a favourite sports table if there is one? Acting on previous Germanic advice in regard to searches I did try Google without any luck.

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This, from 2019, has speedway fifth, which seems a bit optimistic but it's good to see it recognised.

https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/most-popular-sports-in-the-united-kingdom.html

I found another that had Speedway 7th.

Others don't include it at all.

It is the certainly something of a cult sport.

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7 minutes ago, Grachan said:

This, from 2019, has speedway fifth, which seems a bit optimistic but it's good to see it recognised.

https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/most-popular-sports-in-the-united-kingdom.html

I found another that had Speedway 7th.

Others don't include it at all.

It is the certainly something of a cult sport.

That list is certainly on the bizarre side! I wonder what it is based on?

Hockey 4th, Speedway 5th but Horse Racing 9th and Boxing 10th?

Edited by BWitcher
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1 hour ago, BWitcher said:

That list is certainly on the bizarre side! I wonder what it is based on?

Hockey 4th, Speedway 5th but Horse Racing 9th and Boxing 10th?

I tend to agree with your observation BWitcher.

Edited by Guest
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14 minutes ago, BWitcher said:

That list is certainly on the bizarre side! I wonder what it is based on?

Hockey 4th, Speedway 5th but Horse Racing 9th and Boxing 10th?

I saw a couple of lists that have Netball third or fourth too, which I find strange. That one has rounders. I guess it must mean as a participation sport.

All the lists do seem very subjective.

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6 minutes ago, Grachan said:

I saw a couple of lists that have Netball third or fourth too, which I find strange. That one has rounders. I guess it must mean as a participation sport.

All the lists do seem very subjective.

Yes, Rounders, forgot to mention that one!

If it was participation, angling should be there surely..

Not entirely sure how speedway gets in on that score!

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This is the official list of sports, taken directly from the "Life in the UK Test" official handbook for all the dodgy foreigners who want to live permanently in the UK and take all our jobs but claim all our benefits too.

Cricket

Football

Rugby

Horse Racing

Golf

Tennis

Water Sports (bit general that)

Motor Sports (and that. I guess that covers speedway although in the notes it's all about F1)

Skiing (Yup. Skiing)

 

 

 

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1 hour ago, gustix said:

Where does speedway stand in a possible ratings list of favourite British sports. It would be interesting to see a 'favourite sport table' should one actually exist - and I have an idea one does. My rating for speedway in such a table would be 'a dodgy 15th'!

Is any fellow BSF poster able to produce such a favourite sports table if there is one? Acting on previous Germanic advice in regard to searches I did try Google without any luck.

I guess it depends on whether you mean solely for viewing or for participating too. 

In terms of viewing, if not cobbled in with “motorsport” then I imagine Speedway isn’t even on the radar of many people. 

Football, Rugby, Cricket, Golf, Boxing, Darts, Snooker, MMA, Horse Racing, Athletics, Tennis, Touring Car, Superbikes, F1, even American Football off the top of my head would all draw a bigger crowd/interest/TV audience. Then there are the likes of Basketball and Ice Hockey I wouldn’t be surprised to see being as, if not more popular. 

One thing is for sure, if you went into the average British high street and asked the general public “Do you know what (insert a sport above) is?” and asked the same question with Speedway as the sport, more people would know the first sport.  

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1 hour ago, gustix said:

Where does speedway stand in a possible ratings list of favourite British sports. It would be interesting to see a 'favourite sport table' should one actually exist - and I have an idea one does. My rating for speedway in such a table would be 'a dodgy 15th'!

Is any fellow BSF poster able to produce such a favourite sports table if there is one? Acting on previous Germanic advice in regard to searches I did try Google without any luck.

Does your question relate to popularity as a spectator sport, participation sport, or both combined?  From a participation point, some sports, especially motor sports would be less popular due to cost (and possibly the danger) 

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1 hour ago, gustix said:

Where does speedway stand in a possible ratings list of favourite British sports. It would be interesting to see a 'favourite sport table' should one actually exist - and I have an idea one does. My rating for speedway in such a table would be 'a dodgy 15th'!

Is any fellow BSF poster able to produce such a favourite sports table if there is one? Acting on previous Germanic advice in regard to searches I did try Google without any luck.

 

10 minutes ago, RS50 said:

Does your question relate to popularity as a spectator sport, participation sport, or both combined?  From a participation point, some sports, especially motor sports would be less popular due to cost (and possibly the danger) 

I would base my requested opinion regarding the popularity of speedway on the basis of as a spectator sport.

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2 hours ago, gustix said:

Here's another 'popular sports' chart I have found - thanks to Google: https://sportsshow.net/most-popular-sports-in-the-united-kingdom/

That is weird though......not sure it really relates to your conditions. Although Athletics and Swimming etc might be popular,  I don't think they really attract great crowds apart from the odd event. Especially swimming, but even athletics. I went to a couple of meetings at Crystal Palace, but unless it is an international event like European, World championships etc attandances are fairly poor. I'd say speedway does attract more than a lot in the list you provided

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https://www.statista.com/statistics/686971/highest-attended-types-of-sport-in-the-uk/ 2017

And this just mentions the top 3 from 2019

Football was the biggest contributor, accounting for 50.5 million of UK attendances, or 67.2 per cent of the 75 million annual figure. Horse racing came second, accounting for 5.9 million live spectators (7.9 per cent) while Rugby Union came third, hosting 4.3 million live spectators (5.7 per cent).

 

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Apart from the obvious top 3 of Football, Cricket and Rugby the lists seem to vary greatly with no real statistical evidence. I guess they have been mainly guessed by different people.

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36 minutes ago, Grachan said:

Apart from the obvious top 3 of Football, Cricket and Rugby the lists seem to vary greatly with no real statistical evidence. I guess they have been mainly guessed by different people.

You seem to have missed the stats provided, but hey ho......

Also just Wimbledon alone

https://www.statista.com/statistics/957232/wimbledon-championships-aggregate-attendance/

But I do remember a similar thread a few years back and it was claimed that Cowes week has around 100,000 but how do you count people just watching from a beach or as with cycling, just standing at the roadside ? 

Ice Hockey at least the top league

https://www.eliteleague.co.uk/article/748-attendances-up-over-2019-20-season

Edited by iris123
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9 minutes ago, steve roberts said:

I wonder how angling would measure up? I guess ut would be based on the number of rod licences issued?

I thought gustix stated popularity as a spectator sport, not participant sport ?

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2 minutes ago, iris123 said:

I thought gustix stated popularity as a spectator sport, not participant sport ?

You haven't seen me fishing...entertaining in itself as I swear under my breath attempting to reel in the "Big One" and having it just at landing net distance the blighter breaks the line and scarpers off with hook and float!

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