Guest Posted November 30, 2020 Report Share Posted November 30, 2020 (edited) Yesterday (Sunday) I followed with some interest the TV coverage of the football. What especially impressed me was the appearance and standard of the stadiums - even those of the lower level clubs. They were impressive and far exceed so far as I saw anything that British speedway has to offer - even when the so-called 'magnificence' of the national stadium at Manchester is touted. As I judged things speedway's top offering is a very long way behind what the mainstream football clubs have. Edited November 30, 2020 by Guest spelling error Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Stadia Posted November 30, 2020 Report Share Posted November 30, 2020 Hi John, hope you are well. Yes, but to be fair, the state of speedway's stadiums has been discussed many times on here, for all the years since I joined this forum. While speedway remains in the doldrums, that isn't going to change. I imagine the watchword for British speedway at the present time, is survival! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben91 Posted November 30, 2020 Report Share Posted November 30, 2020 I know of a rich man who has a nice house and a poor man who has a not so nice house. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve roberts Posted November 30, 2020 Report Share Posted November 30, 2020 18 minutes ago, Ray Stadia said: Hi John, hope you are well. Yes, but to be fair, the state of speedway's stadiums has been discussed many times on here, for all the years since I joined this forum. While speedway remains in the doldrums, that isn't going to change. I imagine the watchword for British speedway at the present time, is survival! Yes and has often been said that speedway more often than not takes place in stadiums that are not owned by the relevant promotion whereas as in football the scenario is very different. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iris123 Posted November 30, 2020 Report Share Posted November 30, 2020 I Heard- Stock Cars also have crap stadiums. Nothing to be compared with F1 4 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 30, 2020 Report Share Posted November 30, 2020 42 minutes ago, steve roberts said: Yes and has often been said that speedway more often than not takes place in stadiums that are not owned by the relevant promotion whereas as in football the scenario is very different. A great comment steve roberts. It well ties up the reasons for the basic point of the matter I raised. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 30, 2020 Report Share Posted November 30, 2020 1 hour ago, Ray Stadia said: Hi John, hope you are well. Yes, but to be fair, the state of speedway's stadiums has been discussed many times on here, for all the years since I joined this forum. While speedway remains in the doldrums, that isn't going to change. I imagine the watchword for British speedway at the present time, is survival! A well designed observation Ray Stadia. One that I fully accept in response to my opening Post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THE DEAN MACHINE Posted November 30, 2020 Report Share Posted November 30, 2020 I always felt that with the NSS they had a blank piece of paper and that’s the best they could come up with ? When you see something like Toruń or gorzow or even Łódź which are very basic in design but very effective and creates their own atmosphere even when you walk into them when they empty they give you a sense of a special place ,the NSS doesn’t do that, 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nw42 Posted November 30, 2020 Report Share Posted November 30, 2020 17 minutes ago, THE DEAN MACHINE said: I always felt that with the NSS they had a blank piece of paper and that’s the best they could come up with ? When you see something like Toruń or gorzow or even Łódź which are very basic in design but very effective and creates their own atmosphere even when you walk into them when they empty they give you a sense of a special place ,the NSS doesn’t do that, They did have a blank piece to start but it was still within the confines of what was already in place around it, the track was always going to take precedence and as you know they got that absolutely right. I imagine the rest was down to space available and financial constraints, there is room to upgrade it if ever the need arose but I don't see that happening anytime soon. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skodaman Posted November 30, 2020 Report Share Posted November 30, 2020 1 hour ago, steve roberts said: Yes and has often been said that speedway more often than not takes place in stadiums that are not owned by the relevant promotion whereas as in football the scenario is very different. A lot of lower level football stadiums are not owned by the clubs! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Stadia Posted November 30, 2020 Report Share Posted November 30, 2020 28 minutes ago, Skodaman said: A lot of lower level football stadiums are not owned by the clubs! Actually, Ipswich Town football stadium is owned by the council. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve roberts Posted November 30, 2020 Report Share Posted November 30, 2020 (edited) 1 hour ago, Skodaman said: A lot of lower level football stadiums are not owned by the clubs! Football attracts/receives grants and/or loans (in response to the Taylor Report?) to the best of my knowledge but I'm happy to be put right? Edited November 30, 2020 by steve roberts 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 30, 2020 Report Share Posted November 30, 2020 (edited) 10 hours ago, Ray Stadia said: Actually, Ipswich Town football stadium is owned by the council. Not sure but isn't the Ipswich motorsport stadium - speedway and oval track car racing - also council owned? I think that the present main stadium tenants - Spedeworth Motorsport - are there on a 100 year agreement (or something akin to that). Edited November 30, 2020 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dontforgetthefueltapsbruv Posted November 30, 2020 Report Share Posted November 30, 2020 7 minutes ago, JohnHyam said: Not sure but isn't the Ipswich motorsport stadium - speedway and oval car racing - also council owned? I think that the present main stadium tenants - Spedeworth Motorsport - are there on a 100 year agreement (or something akin to that). I dont think the council has any involvement The land and stadium freehold was/is owned by local family concerns. As you say now on long term lease to Speedeworth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Stadia Posted November 30, 2020 Report Share Posted November 30, 2020 35 minutes ago, JohnHyam said: Not sure but isn't the Ipswich motorsport stadium - speedway and oval car racing - also council owned? I think that the present main stadium tenants - Spedeworth Motorsport - are there on a 100 year agreement (or something akin to that). I think there is some kind of legal protection/tie-in for the stadium. I believe some of the locals would love to see the stadium go, but it is fairly well protected. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iris123 Posted November 30, 2020 Report Share Posted November 30, 2020 2 hours ago, Skodaman said: A lot of lower level football stadiums are not owned by the clubs! Indeed. We did have a little discussion about Dulwich Hamlet a while ago and how they are searching for a new stadium as the owners of their have been playing about. Think kicked them out once and they played at Tooting and Mitchams ground. Local council has fund a new site for them though..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bagpuss Posted November 30, 2020 Report Share Posted November 30, 2020 3 hours ago, nw42 said: They did have a blank piece to start but it was still within the confines of what was already in place around it, the track was always going to take precedence and as you know they got that absolutely right. I imagine the rest was down to space available and financial constraints, there is room to upgrade it if ever the need arose but I don't see that happening anytime soon. Spot on. You get the feeling that the track and the grandstand were the absolute priorities and the rest was managed with what funds were left. The back straight is obviously a temporary structure but I enjoy watching from there as much as the seating in the opposite side. I’m sure with a bottomless pit of money the NSS could have been the greatest speedway arena in the world but in reality there were financial constraints. Having a blank canvas misses the point rather. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikebv Posted November 30, 2020 Report Share Posted November 30, 2020 (edited) It is a bit like chalk and cheese discussing a multi billion pound backed sport like Football and what Speedway has, and as a regular in the 80's and early 90's many football grounds were dreadful.. Sadly it took tragedies such as Heysel, Hillsborough and Bradford to move forward the stadia in football, as "all seater" became the norm, and a pre requisite to gain entry into certain levels.. To do this many clubs received large grants to help make the changes. And then Pay TV companies started paying in billions which encouraged many more to invest for the future by upgrading their stadiums.. What Speedway could do though, given all their restrictions, is to improve the "look" of the stadiums similar to how the football clubs have done with empty stadiums during Covid.. Not a space in front of a camera has been missed to advertise, and Speedway, particularly when on TV, has lots of empty spaces which these "seat covers" could be used to display sponsors names and next match details etc.. Covering empty terracing, either seated or standing, with some branded advertising for the club for example, would add colour, improve the professional look of the place and improve "brand image" massively to the person watching at home.. I always think the NSS is perfect both down the back straight and the grandstand to move fans into sections (making it look fuller straight away) and giving "blocks" over to advertising covering the seats, and sections of the back straight.. There is loads of TV coverage of these areas in every single race which could also earn the track a few quid in extra revenue by allowing sponsors or even just local businesses to rent it for the night.. Like a lot of things, it doesnt always need much money throwing at something to make it look better and more appealing.. Edited November 30, 2020 by mikebv 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iris123 Posted November 30, 2020 Report Share Posted November 30, 2020 Yes When I go to WH Smiths, the football magazines are all right at the front, and if they have a Speedway Star at all, it is tucked away. Is that the cause or the effect of speedways decline I wonder ? You might also ask why when you are 80 years old, you can't run as fast as when you were 20 ? Or why you don't catch as many fish with a rod and line as a trawler does with a large net.....or that piece that Eric Cantona said about seagulls or something 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uk_martin Posted November 30, 2020 Report Share Posted November 30, 2020 4 hours ago, Skodaman said: A lot of lower level football stadiums are not owned by the clubs! And the some "top level" football clubs like Coventry City have to pay rent to Rugby Union clubs like Wasps. ...now Rugby Union - there's an interesting comparison. Compare the parkland and open fields that many rugby clubs played their matches on in the "amateur days" of the 1970's (when Speedway touted itself as the 3rd biggest spectator sport) to where they are playing today, as a benchmark of what could have been. I was well impressed by the Llanelli stadium that hosted the Wales v England match on Saturday. One sport on an upward trajectory and another sport on a downward spiral. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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