RS50 Posted July 25, 2021 Report Share Posted July 25, 2021 (edited) 1 hour ago, AFCB Wildcat said: Out of interest, how does this compare pro rata to admission prices from the 70's heydays? My Dad wasn't in a highly paid job but he took me and my sister to Poole every week and to Weymouth on Tuesday nights in the summer holidays. We didn't buy drinks or food unless it was out of our pocket money but we always had a programme each. Can anyone remember what the admission prices were then? I can't! There was a thread on this a few years ago, and yes it was a lot cheaper then ( even allowing for inflation). Also in those days, with second halves, you could see more races. Edited July 25, 2021 by RS50 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AFCB Wildcat Posted July 25, 2021 Report Share Posted July 25, 2021 1 minute ago, RS50 said: There was a thread on this a few years ago, and yes it was a lot cheaper then ( even allowing for inflation). Also I'm those days, with second halves, you could see more races. I just found an old programme from 1975. The programme was 10p. On the back were details of the next week's Blue Riband individual meeting. Admission for this was 75p for the grandstand, 60p for West stand & terraces and children 50p & 42p. Prize money for the event was, winner £50 and a portable TV (value £85!! ) 2nd £30 and 3rd £20. An inflation checker calculates this at about £14 admission for an adult and 2 kids with programs! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RS50 Posted July 25, 2021 Report Share Posted July 25, 2021 Not just speedway. Went to Sheffield Eagles first rugby league match in 1984. 2.00 to get in, today's equivalent 6.57, but it's 20 quid now, or 22.00 if you don't pay online and in advance. Worked in a pub in 1979, and charged 30 pence for a pint of beer. Today's equivalent 1.56. Few pubs now where you can get a beer for less than 3 quid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AFCB Wildcat Posted July 25, 2021 Report Share Posted July 25, 2021 41 minutes ago, RS50 said: Not just speedway. Went to Sheffield Eagles first rugby league match in 1984. 2.00 to get in, today's equivalent 6.57, but it's 20 quid now, or 22.00 if you don't pay online and in advance. Worked in a pub in 1979, and charged 30 pence for a pint of beer. Today's equivalent 1.56. Few pubs now where you can get a beer for less than 3 quid. That's true, and looking at historic football prices it tells a similar story. 1975 admission prices seem to have been between 50p for a 1st/ 2nd Division game and £1 for the league cup final. It's also true though to say that since then, top flight football and probably Rugby too, has been rebranded and and is no longer just the domain of working class people. Many working class people have been priced out of top flight football but the old terraces once their domain have been replaced by magnificent stadiums where the plebs have been replaced by the prawn sandwich brigade, new breed of happy clappers and football tourists who can afford the eye watering prices. Speedway as a product and the Stadiums it's held in unfortunately haven't moved on enough to attract people in numbers who can afford to pay the extra money now involved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruno Posted July 25, 2021 Report Share Posted July 25, 2021 Gigs are the same I think I worked it out for a top band it should be about £15 now but you can easily pay close on 3 figures for some of them. The world's gone barmy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pieman72 Posted July 25, 2021 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2021 Speedway tracks are like buses expensive empty dinosaurs stuck in the past. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AFCB Wildcat Posted July 25, 2021 Report Share Posted July 25, 2021 48 minutes ago, bruno said: Gigs are the same I think I worked it out for a top band it should be about £15 now but you can easily pay close on 3 figures for some of them. The world's gone barmy They justify this by saying that the gigs are their main source of income now because they don't make so much from recorded music these days with most people streaming from the internet or illegally downloading. At one time bands toured to promote the albums. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bald Bloke Posted July 25, 2021 Report Share Posted July 25, 2021 22 hours ago, Pieman72 said: The generalising speedway is unaffordable for most working people. Most people who follow speedway just don't have £20 to watch 15 races apart from pensioners. King's Lynn has a good mix of fans .Not a bunch of oldies by a long stretch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pieman72 Posted July 25, 2021 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2021 1 hour ago, Bald Bloke said: King's Lynn has a good mix of fans .Not a bunch of oldies by a long stretch Carry on then there's not a problem Gramps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikebv Posted July 25, 2021 Report Share Posted July 25, 2021 (edited) On 7/24/2021 at 4:16 PM, Pieman72 said: Why are Speedway admission prices extortionate? For a night out at Belle View for my wife and I would cost the best part of £50 really....I don't think so. No wonder the terraces are empty re: Quest speedway coverage. As is the case in society the only ones who can afford these prices are pensioners. Speedway turnstiles will be looking like Waitrose on a Thursday morning. And the "best part of £50" is needed by promoters for you to pay it three or four times a month.. Paying out £150 to £200 to watch no more than an hours Speedway in total simply isn't going to happen is it? The missed opportunity is that if they charged say £20 for a pair of adults they would much more likely get regular continuous visits, hence four matches equalling £80... Meaning more fans, resulting in more atmosphere, more money, and a far better overall impression of the sports popularity given the crowd numbers.... A virtuous circle that would help the sports future... When you pay out circa £50 for one visit then that will more than likely be your one visit per month or maybe even your one visit per season, given spending £50 you will have high expectations of what you should see for your money. And if it doesn't match it then you could be loath to pay it again.. Which means less fans so less atmosphere, less money, and an almost brand damaging impression of the sports popularity given the crowd numbers.. A vicious circle that can never hope to help the sports future. . Edited July 25, 2021 by mikebv Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bald Bloke Posted July 25, 2021 Report Share Posted July 25, 2021 (edited) 32 minutes ago, Pieman72 said: Carry on then there's not a problem Gramps. All i said was there is a good mix of fans at Lynn... Which is correct. Where did i say there wasn't a problem? I never said that £20 wasn't expensive, or lower prices wouldn't attract some younger fans either. In fact never disagreed with you at all Edited July 25, 2021 by Bald Bloke Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pieman72 Posted July 25, 2021 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2021 1 hour ago, Bald Bloke said: All i said was there is a good mix of fans at Lynn... Which is correct. Where did i say there wasn't a problem? I never said that £20 wasn't expensive, or lower prices wouldn't attract some younger fans either. In fact never disagreed with you at all I'm sorry never intended to be derogatory. I'm trying to make the point that speedway is dying and some of the reasons are admission prices that are not affordable to younger families. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pieman72 Posted July 25, 2021 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2021 1 hour ago, mikebv said: And the "best part of £50" is needed by promoters for you to pay it three or four times a month.. Paying out £150 to £200 to watch no more than an hours Speedway in total simply isn't going to happen is it? The missed opportunity is that if they charged say £20 for a pair of adults they would much more likely get regular continuous visits, hence four matches equalling £80... Meaning more fans, resulting in more atmosphere, more money, and a far better overall impression of the sports popularity given the crowd numbers.... A virtuous circle that would help the sports future... When you pay out circa £50 for one visit then that will more than likely be your one visit per month or maybe even your one visit per season, given spending £50 you will have high expectations of what you should see for your money. And if it doesn't match it then you could be loath to pay it again.. Which means less fans so less atmosphere, less money, and an almost brand damaging impression of the sports popularity given the crowd numbers.. A vicious circle that can never hope to help the sports future. . Superb synopsis. I think the promoters need to get a grip and run tracks on a sensible evening with riders that are affordable else a vicious circle ensues. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monarchs2468 Posted July 25, 2021 Report Share Posted July 25, 2021 On 7/24/2021 at 4:16 PM, Pieman72 said: Why are Speedway admission prices extortionate? For a night out at Belle View for my wife and I would cost the best part of £50 really....I don't think so. No wonder the terraces are empty re: Quest speedway coverage. As is the case in society the only ones who can afford these prices are pensioners. Speedway turnstiles will be looking like Waitrose on a Thursday morning. Extortionate seems a harsh word. It really depends on disposable income and priorities. When mortgage/rent/commute/family come into it then speedway is well down the list of priorities as should be all 'entertainment'. However, I'm very fortunate as I bumped Sky and BT sports and now I can now afford an Edinburgh Monarchs season ticket and some additional trips to Glasgow and Berwick. Admittedly I do go on my own (loner) so the cost is not doubled plus kids. I haven't missed Sky or BT at all so far. I used to have season tickets for football, rugby (local and 6 nations) but gave them up. Too expensive and not value for money was my reasoning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topsoil Posted July 25, 2021 Report Share Posted July 25, 2021 Berwick allow under 16s in free. As a result you get a lot of younger fans going as part of a family. But that side of promotion very seldom gets the praise it deserves. Far easier to be negative. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRM Posted July 25, 2021 Report Share Posted July 25, 2021 11 hours ago, mrss said: You didn’t have too sit in the grandstand, you didn’t have to buy beer and wine. I wanted to to ensure my wife and children had the best possible evening doing something that I like and had to persuade them to watch! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cityrebel Posted July 26, 2021 Report Share Posted July 26, 2021 8 hours ago, TRM said: I wanted to to ensure my wife and children had the best possible evening doing something that I like and had to persuade them to watch! My missus hates it and my kids lost interest in their teens. What is there for youngsters at speedway. It's a sport that has stood still and never moved with the times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IainB Posted July 26, 2021 Report Share Posted July 26, 2021 19 hours ago, AFCB Wildcat said: Out of interest, how does this compare pro rata to admission prices from the 70's heydays? My Dad wasn't in a highly paid job but he took me and my sister to Poole every week and to Weymouth on Tuesday nights in the summer holidays. We didn't buy drinks or food unless it was out of our pocket money but we always had a programme each. Can anyone remember what the admission prices were then? I can't! I remember the admission being around 75p in the late 70's at Leicester, there's been around an 8% increase year on year to get to today's prices... which would have made it a better investment than property Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topaz325 Posted July 26, 2021 Report Share Posted July 26, 2021 The true cost of running a meeting runs in to many thousands of pounds, so it’s not just riders pay that is the problem/ issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skodaman Posted July 26, 2021 Report Share Posted July 26, 2021 13 hours ago, Pieman72 said: Superb synopsis. I think the promoters need to get a grip and run tracks on a sensible evening with riders that are affordable else a vicious circle ensues. As I have said elsewhere, some promotiobns have no choice as they dont own the stadiums. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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