2021 Season

[Fromafar]

15 minutes ago, Tsunami said:

Yes that is what happens to all sports, but the speedway authorities genuinely try to reverse the trend to keep the sport alive, but the 'usuals' still harp on regardless. All initiatives are criticised and the moral in the sport goes down and down. Plans to pay for marketing consultants, reduce admission fees, higher riders pay, engine changes, riders in a team , number of heats, having second halves, protected reserve slots, fixed gate positions, match points,  tac subs, fixed league race nights, etc, have all been implemented and criticised but they are trying to please all but they only please the few. At the end of the day, the sport is all about 4 blokes racing around a oval for 4 laps. The rest is just froth.

OK everything is rosey.

[ruffdiamond]

3 minutes ago, Fromafar said:

OK everything is rosey.

is it froth, or dross?

[Fromafar]

10 minutes ago, ruffdiamond said:

is it froth, or dross?

Judging by the way the fans are disappearing ,I suspect the latter.

[East End Fan]

18 hours ago, Ben91 said:

There are people who think there is nothing wrong with the way Speedway is run in this country. 

Unfortunately there are too many excuses and too many sloping shoulders. 

Why is British speedway in the doldrums?

”Poland.” No.

”Brexit.” No.

”Covid.” No.

It’s time people took responsibility rather than looking for something else to blame because they can’t keep their own house in order. The sport won’t be around much longer otherwise. It’ll be one man and his dog at the carcass of the National Speedway stadium still expecting to see Jason Doyle and Nicki Pedersen turn up.  

This is a very jaundiced view.  In certain areas, Speedway thrives and, although many people over many years have predicted its death, we still have over 20 clubs

still operating.   It would not matter which rules are put in place, not everyone will agree with them.  Good example of this is the Guest Rider rule.  Almost to a man,

Speedway fans everywhere hate this rule, BUT if their team uses guest who wins them a match, for one night only they love the rule. Same with points limits.  If the

limit happens to suit your team you are all in favour of it and vice verse.  We are a fickle lot.   I wonder how Ben91 would change the game??? Maybe he'll tell us ?

[Fromafar]

56 minutes ago, East End Fan said:

This is a very jaundiced view.  In certain areas, Speedway thrives and, although many people over many years have predicted its death, we still have over 20 clubs

still operating.   It would not matter which rules are put in place, not everyone will agree with them.  Good example of this is the Guest Rider rule.  Almost to a man,

Speedway fans everywhere hate this rule, BUT if their team uses guest who wins them a match, for one night only they love the rule. Same with points limits.  If the

limit happens to suit your team you are all in favour of it and vice verse.  We are a fickle lot.   I wonder how Ben91 would change the game??? Maybe he'll tell us ?

“In certain areas Speedway thrives.” That’s the best one I’ve heard for a while.

[MARK246]

24 minutes ago, Fromafar said:

“In certain areas Speedway thrives.” That’s the best one I’ve heard for a while.

Poland ?

[Fromafar]

8 minutes ago, MARK246 said:

Poland ?

Agree,but don’t think that’s is where East End Fan is referring to,as we are talking about UK speedway.

[Ben91]

5 hours ago, Tsunami said:

Quite agree, but some on here choose not to appreciate those points and continue the same old same old garbage that they have spouted since year dot.Look at the above post of mikebv moaning  about teams being disputed just before tapes up, not appreciating or knowing the post by NeilWatson who has brought his usual wisdom on here.

Ben91 makes the assumption, long held, that "there are people who think there is nothing wrong with the way speedway is run in this country".  How wrong can he be, but why change a option long held and never going to go away.  The running of speedway changes every year and is done so in the belief the changes are either necessary or imposed by others. 

In a few years time the same people will probably still look back and say " it was so much better in the old days". It's a badge of honour. 

It isn’t an assumption I’m afraid. There are people saying exactly that or words to a similar effect, on this forum, on a daily basis. 

The changes made every year are little more than lip service. They are made in the interests of what benefits the majority of teams, that is how they are voted into being. 

I take no pride in saying what I see. I’m also not someone who looks back saying it was so much better. I became a fan of the sport as a child about 17 years ago and it was in a state of decline then. I’m 29 now and I’m lost to the sport at a domestic level as a regular paying customer. Without wanting to offend older generations, people in my age group and younger should be the type of people Speedway want to have eyes on their product. 

3 hours ago, East End Fan said:

This is a very jaundiced view.  In certain areas, Speedway thrives and, although many people over many years have predicted its death, we still have over 20 clubs

still operating.   It would not matter which rules are put in place, not everyone will agree with them.  Good example of this is the Guest Rider rule.  Almost to a man,

Speedway fans everywhere hate this rule, BUT if their team uses guest who wins them a match, for one night only they love the rule. Same with points limits.  If the

limit happens to suit your team you are all in favour of it and vice verse.  We are a fickle lot.   I wonder how Ben91 would change the game??? Maybe he'll tell us ?

It really isn’t. Speedway used to thrive in lots of places. Within Britain there is no one place where the sport is thriving. It may be doing better in some places than others but people are not clamouring for Speedway anywhere here. When was the last time a domestic level meeting here sold out? 

It isn’t my job to fix Speedway. But a start would be clubs allowing a single body to govern them. We know this will not happen though.

Being able to point out blatantly obvious flaws and being able to solve them are different things. If you saw a sinking cruise liner you’d probably be able to tell me the problem is that it had a hole in it. But you wouldn’t be able to go and fix it.  

[mikebv]

On 12/17/2020 at 7:58 PM, NeilWatson said:

This may have been the case some years ago, but a few seasons ago a system of pre-validation of line-ups was introduced which prevented any issues persisting until race day.

So does that mean it can still be questioned on race day Neil? Or, (as should happen), the clubs are told the teams are ratified and "get on with it" several days in advance?

 

[NeilWatson]

4 hours ago, mikebv said:

So does that mean it can still be questioned on race day Neil? Or, (as should happen), the clubs are told the teams are ratified and "get on with it" several days in advance?

 

I can’t speak for the current rules, but the teams certainly used to be confirmed well before a meeting. In the case of late injuries etc teams could still be changed of course.

[SteveLyric2]

13 hours ago, Ben91 said:

It isn’t an assumption I’m afraid. There are people saying exactly that or words to a similar effect, on this forum, on a daily basis. 

The changes made every year are little more than lip service. They are made in the interests of what benefits the majority of teams, that is how they are voted into being. 

I take no pride in saying what I see. I’m also not someone who looks back saying it was so much better. I became a fan of the sport as a child about 17 years ago and it was in a state of decline then. I’m 29 now and I’m lost to the sport at a domestic level as a regular paying customer. Without wanting to offend older generations, people in my age group and younger should be the type of people Speedway want to have eyes on their product. 

It really isn’t. Speedway used to thrive in lots of places. Within Britain there is no one place where the sport is thriving. It may be doing better in some places than others but people are not clamouring for Speedway anywhere here. When was the last time a domestic level meeting here sold out? 

It isn’t my job to fix Speedway. But a start would be clubs allowing a single body to govern them. We know this will not happen though.

Being able to point out blatantly obvious flaws and being able to solve them are different things. If you saw a sinking cruise liner you’d probably be able to tell me the problem is that it had a hole in it. But you wouldn’t be able to go and fix it.  

...and yet there are still 20+ promoters/business men/fans (Including some in a younger age group) across the UK who declare their intention to run each year with some eg Eastbourne already forward planning for 2022 and beyond!!!

Edited December 20, 2020 by Skidder1

[Najjer]

18 hours ago, Tsunami said:

Yes that is what happens to all sports, but the speedway authorities genuinely try to reverse the trend to keep the sport alive, but the 'usuals' still harp on regardless. All initiatives are criticised and the moral in the sport goes down and down. Plans to pay for marketing consultants, reduce admission fees, higher riders pay, engine changes, riders in a team , number of heats, having second halves, protected reserve slots, fixed gate positions, match points,  tac subs, fixed league race nights, etc, have all been implemented and criticised but they are trying to please all but they only please the few. At the end of the day, the sport is all about 4 blokes racing around a oval for 4 laps. The rest is just froth.

Who has reduced admission fees? Nearly every team in the land is I believe overpriced, especially championship teams in a comparison vs the price of Premiership and the higher standards.

[Tsunami]

19 hours ago, Fromafar said:

OK everything is rosey.

NO

[Tsunami]

1 hour ago, Najjer said:

Who has reduced admission fees? Nearly every team in the land is I believe overpriced, especially championship teams in a comparison vs the price of Premiership and the higher standards.

Several clubs have tried the £10 entrance at special meetings.

[Ben91]

5 hours ago, Skidder1 said:

...and yet there are still 20+ promoters/business men/fans (Including some in a younger age group) across the UK who declare their intention to run each year with some eg Eastbourne already forward planning for 2022 and beyond!!!

That doesn’t mean the sport is in a good position. There is a difference between trying to make ends meet and thriving. 

[phillwhitewasmad]

Thriving is a word that can describe speedway in the uk in two categories only one been the youth series and the other been amateur racing. Think league racing will continue to struggle until the clubs embrace them. Two many clubs are not interested in youth riders until there old enough to sign and not enough cater for your weekend racer. Build form the bottom to feed the top 

[HGould]

12 hours ago, phillwhitewasmad said:

Thriving is a word that can describe speedway in the uk in two categories only one been the youth series and the other been amateur racing. Think league racing will continue to struggle until the clubs embrace them. Two many clubs are not interested in youth riders until there old enough to sign and not enough cater for your weekend racer. Build form the bottom to feed the top 

Youth Racing and the programme being led by Neil Vatcher and the GB Academy is excellent news for the future.

Not sure where "amateur" racing fits in, especially when one ex rider now in his 70's pointed out in the Speedway Star the other week; that Scunthorpe is full over over 50's riding every weekend.

That may be good for the pocket on the Chairman, not sure it benefits anyone else.

Speedway can't survive as a recreational pastime for a lot of amateur riders however nice it may be if you are one of them.

Hope surely lies with the youth programmes on the track; and attempts of some Clubs to bring youngsters in to watch the sport from the terraces, which works for Brummies.

 

[Fromafar]

19 hours ago, Skidder1 said:

...and yet there are still 20+ promoters/business men/fans (Including some in a younger age group) across the UK who declare their intention to run each year with some eg Eastbourne already forward planning for 2022 and beyond!!!

Without the support of fans and Supporter Club initiatives raising money there would not be many Clubs viable these days.Gate receipts and sponsors are not enough to support the outlay.

[HGould]

32 minutes ago, Fromafar said:

Without the support of fans and Supporter Club initiatives raising money there would not be many Clubs viable these days.Gate receipts and sponsors are not enough to support the outlay.

I think Speedway got to stop beating itself up on that score though as all Sports now same and many far worse.

my footy team (Villa), my cricket team (Bears) my rugby team (Worcester) all in far bigger debt and reliant on TV deals and benefactors.

 

 

 

[SteveLyric2]

15 hours ago, phillwhitewasmad said:

Thriving is a word that can describe speedway in the uk in two categories only one been the youth series and the other been amateur racing. Think league racing will continue to struggle until the clubs embrace them. Two many clubs are not interested in youth riders until there old enough to sign and not enough cater for your weekend racer. Build form the bottom to feed the top 

All very well if you have access to your track/stadium at weekends??!!!