Peterborough v Kings Lynn 5th August

[Bagpuss]

The Met Office are forecasting proper rain between 3 and 8 for Alwalton, not showers.

[NeilWatson]

11 minutes ago, iainb said:

You have to question whether they're running in the right league then, if they're already hamstrung by track availability to then further limit yourself by the madness of only being able to run on a Monday or Thursday seems a bit daft. 

Looking at the forecast, it's for showers, so they may or may not arrive. It may be that they get "lucky" and are proved right or it maybe we're all sat at home on a sunny evening. 

It's no way to run a sport though. 

I think this sums the situation up very well:

https://www.eastbourne-speedway.com/eagles-v-brummies-postponed/

Eastbourne HG Aerospace Eagles Speedway have taken an early decision to cancel the planned fixture against The Birmingham Brummies on Saturday 7th August.

With the sport generally encountering a very difficult time following the almost complete loss of the 2020 season and a truncated start to the 2021 season, which has been exacerbated by an unusually high number of rained off Meetings already, Club Director Ian Jordan explained the logic and reasoning behind a decision, that he accepts won’t be universally popular.

Jordan said

This is an incredibly tough call to make but as always, I think it’s most important to be transparent and to try to explain the decisions we make. Some will agree, some will understand, some won’t agree, but at least by outlining the facts, everyone can make their own mind up.

The weather forecast for the end of the week and the weekend is particularly poor. We do have our own weather expert and she has been incredibly accurate. Only last Saturday, she was confident it would not rain at Arlington and save for a few spots it didn’t. 

Everyone who lives locally will know that there was torrential rain and flash downpours almost everywhere within a few miles of the track and many who did come, commented on that fact.

The latest forecast for this Saturday is that a stronger belt of rain will develop early on Saturday morning through the night into Saturday with a 70-80% probability. This will continue through the day easing only by Saturday evening to around 50%. There is a likelihood of the showers being more thundery and heavy in nature with a risk of lightning from around 11am to 5pm.

Given the accuracy of past forecasts we simply cannot ignore that prediction.

Our crowd last Saturday was the lowest we have had since the current Promotion took over in 2019. The underlying explanations are not hard to find, the weather in the vicinity, the fact that we clashed with a 2 day Speedway GP Round and the ongoing issue of a significant number of people still isolating due to being pinged by the Dido Harding Covid App.

We sustained a significant loss on the meeting and with all of the mitigating factors again in play this coming weekend, it simply comes down to a choice between what the heart says and what the head says.

With regards to the Speedway GP series, I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, as entertaining and exciting as it is, I believe for weekend tracks like ours; who lose 100-200 people every time we go up against it, it poses the greatest existential threat to British Speedway in general and to Eastbourne Speedway specifically. 

Whilst our floating supporter base chooses to sit in front of the TV and watch it, the viability and probability of being able to watch raw, exciting LIVE Speedway in the flesh recedes and diminishes and it really does become a choice between pressing the record button or hearing the Arlington turnstiles continue to click.

We can try to avoid it, but it has the power to move fixtures at will and random, a luxury we don’t have.

The heart will always want to get a Speedway meeting on if at all possible; and hates letting down our loyal hardcore of supporters.

The head says, that if in any other form of Business, you were opening knowing you were going to suffer a significant loss of income, you would be barmy to do so. 

It is a well-known and generational trait in Speedway Promoters and Directors that in 99% of circumstances the heart rules the head, we get pilloried for a lot that goes wrong and some things that don’t go wrong, but right now every team is battling for survival and for once the head has to rule the heart.

[IainB]

6 minutes ago, NeilWatson said:

I think this sums the situation up very well:

https://www.eastbourne-speedway.com/eagles-v-brummies-postponed/

Eastbourne HG Aerospace Eagles Speedway have taken an early decision to cancel the planned fixture against The Birmingham Brummies on Saturday 7th August.

With the sport generally encountering a very difficult time following the almost complete loss of the 2020 season and a truncated start to the 2021 season, which has been exacerbated by an unusually high number of rained off Meetings already, Club Director Ian Jordan explained the logic and reasoning behind a decision, that he accepts won’t be universally popular.

Jordan said

This is an incredibly tough call to make but as always, I think it’s most important to be transparent and to try to explain the decisions we make. Some will agree, some will understand, some won’t agree, but at least by outlining the facts, everyone can make their own mind up.

The weather forecast for the end of the week and the weekend is particularly poor. We do have our own weather expert and she has been incredibly accurate. Only last Saturday, she was confident it would not rain at Arlington and save for a few spots it didn’t. 

Everyone who lives locally will know that there was torrential rain and flash downpours almost everywhere within a few miles of the track and many who did come, commented on that fact.

The latest forecast for this Saturday is that a stronger belt of rain will develop early on Saturday morning through the night into Saturday with a 70-80% probability. This will continue through the day easing only by Saturday evening to around 50%. There is a likelihood of the showers being more thundery and heavy in nature with a risk of lightning from around 11am to 5pm.

Given the accuracy of past forecasts we simply cannot ignore that prediction.

Our crowd last Saturday was the lowest we have had since the current Promotion took over in 2019. The underlying explanations are not hard to find, the weather in the vicinity, the fact that we clashed with a 2 day Speedway GP Round and the ongoing issue of a significant number of people still isolating due to being pinged by the Dido Harding Covid App.

We sustained a significant loss on the meeting and with all of the mitigating factors again in play this coming weekend, it simply comes down to a choice between what the heart says and what the head says.

With regards to the Speedway GP series, I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, as entertaining and exciting as it is, I believe for weekend tracks like ours; who lose 100-200 people every time we go up against it, it poses the greatest existential threat to British Speedway in general and to Eastbourne Speedway specifically. 

Whilst our floating supporter base chooses to sit in front of the TV and watch it, the viability and probability of being able to watch raw, exciting LIVE Speedway in the flesh recedes and diminishes and it really does become a choice between pressing the record button or hearing the Arlington turnstiles continue to click.

We can try to avoid it, but it has the power to move fixtures at will and random, a luxury we don’t have.

The heart will always want to get a Speedway meeting on if at all possible; and hates letting down our loyal hardcore of supporters.

The head says, that if in any other form of Business, you were opening knowing you were going to suffer a significant loss of income, you would be barmy to do so. 

It is a well-known and generational trait in Speedway Promoters and Directors that in 99% of circumstances the heart rules the head, we get pilloried for a lot that goes wrong and some things that don’t go wrong, but right now every team is battling for survival and for once the head has to rule the heart.

Yeah, I've just read that and commented on it on the Birmingham Kent thread... why call it so early on a forecast? Wait until Friday evening or Saturday morning... they're not even giving it a chance. 

I think the real reason behind this is the GP on TV... they should be asking themselves why people are staying home watching TV and not going to the speedway. 

I'll be going to Leicester this Saturday (weather permitting), the speedway may well be rubbish and I'll be recording the GP

[IainB]

17 minutes ago, Bagpuss said:

The Met Office are forecasting proper rain between 3 and 8 for Alwalton, not showers.

They're forecasting the probability of rain during that time. 

Have you looked at the rainfall radar to see what's coming across the country?

It's showers

[mikebv]

Truly stood between a rock and a hard place decision making wise Speedway promoters at times aren't they?

However, re Eastbourne's very honest and open press release, for me, it once again highlights UK Speedway's lack of emotional attachment to any particular team that so many in each crowd at all tracks feel...

When choosing to watch the GP to "see the racing" is preferable to paying money to "see the racing" at your local track then that should give a clear message to promoters that their operating model simply doesnt cut it...

If you follow any 'team' with true emotional investment, and the competitions they compete in are meaningfiul and have relevance, then nothing would stop that fan getting there...

Least of all something you can record and watch later...

 

Edited August 5, 2021 by mikebv

[Bagpuss]

14 minutes ago, iainb said:

They're forecasting the probability of rain during that time. 

Have you looked at the rainfall radar to see what's coming across the country?

It's showers

Yep I've seen the radar, I trust the met more than my fag packet skills though. It could well change to showers as the afternoon wears on but right now on their app it's a black cloud with two raindrops a d no little sun peeking round the cloud for five hours.

We know why they call off early, it's because folk will be put off going if its wet even if the track can be sorted. Will the riders even fancy it? I expect even a small dip in the attendance will mean a loss so they are no longer prepared to chance it. 

[IainB]

Just now, Bagpuss said:

Yep I've seen the radar, I trust the met more than my fag packet skills though. It could well change to showers as the afternoon wears on but right now on their app it's a black cloud with two raindrops a d no little sun peeking round the cloud for five hours.

We know why they call off early, it's because folk will be put off going if its wet even if the track can be sorted. Will the riders even fancy it? I expect even a small dip in the attendance will mean a loss so they are no longer prepared to chance it. 

I was looking at my weather app yesterday telling me there wasn't a cloud in the sky and wouldn't be for the next hour... looked out of the window to see grey cloud in all directions to the horizon

[Crump99]

2 hours ago, iainb said:

See you on a wet Tuesday night in the last week of October for the most important match of the season! 

Ippo of as well... and Eastbourne on Saturday, unbelievable Jeff!

1 home match in July

1 home match in August

Absolutely ridiculous!

That's usually classed of a feast of speedway at the EoES. Long gone are the days when we ran regularly in the summer.

[scotty2hotty]

1 hour ago, iainb said:

You have to question whether they're running in the right league then, if they're already hamstrung by track availability to then further limit yourself by the madness of only being able to run on a Monday or Thursday seems a bit daft. 

Looking at the forecast, it's for showers, so they may or may not arrive. It may be that they get "lucky" and are proved right or it maybe we're all sat at home on a sunny evening. 

It's no way to run a sport though. 

Iainb, I really do think with your fountain of knowledge and your incredible vision of hindsight, that you should run a track yourself. You surely can't fail as you seem to know everything about running a speedway track and even merchandise sales. I'd do it if I were you, you surely can't go wrong.

[scoobydoo]

2 hours ago, Noodles said:

I can't wait for the reaction from IainB. 

You just had to awaken the beast didn't you .

[IainB]

9 minutes ago, scotty2hotty said:

Iainb, I really do think with your fountain of knowledge and your incredible vision of hindsight, that you should run a track yourself. You surely can't fail as you seem to know everything about running a speedway track and even merchandise sales. I'd do it if I were you, you surely can't go wrong.

Yes, because everybody else is doing so well at it aren't they? They've run it down to such a state that they can't afford to run a meeting based on a weather forecast 2 and a half days out, competing against a recordable TV programme showing foreign riders riding in a foreign country... they're doing everything right and should not be questioned or commented on. I'm referring to Eastbourne. 

As for Peterborough, they're clearly running in the wrong league

Edited August 5, 2021 by iainb

[scotty2hotty]

Just now, iainb said:

Yes, because everybody else is doing so well at it aren't they? They've run it down to such a state that they can't afford to run a meeting based on a weather forecast 2 and a half days out, competing against a recordable TV programme showing foreign riders riding in a foreign country... they're doing everything right and should not be questioned or commented on. 

As I said if you think you can do a better job, give it a go. I think you will find that running a speedway club is not as simple as you think. In fact, from experience, it is a thankless task, as there are always people on your back ready to put the boot in. Some people do nothing but criticise, they live for it. You would be totally amazed at what goes into putting a meeting on and the hurdles that have to be jumped over.  My father had to leave promoting because he got a stomach ulcer through the stress of it all.

[IainB]

1 minute ago, scotty2hotty said:

As I said if you think you can do a better job, give it a go. I think you will find that running a speedway club is not as simple as you think. In fact, from experience, it is a thankless task, as there are always people on your back ready to put the boot in. Some people do nothing but criticise, they live for it. You would be totally amazed at what goes into putting a meeting on and the hurdles that have to be jumped over.  My father had to leave promoting because he got a stomach ulcer through the stress of it all.

I wouldn't be so foolish as to "invest" my money in a business I had such little control over. 

[scotty2hotty]

1 minute ago, iainb said:

I wouldn't be so foolish as to "invest" my money in a business I had such little control over. 

Well luckily there are people 'foolish enough' or we wouldn't have any speedway to watch and I would be out of business!!

[IainB]

3 minutes ago, scotty2hotty said:

Well luckily there are people 'foolish enough' or we wouldn't have any speedway to watch and I would be out of business!!

You'll be out of business soon enough at this rate... don't worry about that!

 

[Noodles]

34 minutes ago, scotty2hotty said:

Iainb, I really do think with your fountain of knowledge and your incredible vision of hindsight, that you should run a track yourself. You surely can't fail as you seem to know everything about running a speedway track and even merchandise sales. I'd do it if I were you, you surely can't go wrong.

He's also expert in riding a speedway bike in the rain.  There's nothing he doesn't know. 

[NeilWatson]

1 minute ago, iainb said:

You'll be out of business soon enough at this rate... don't worry about that!

 

That's cheerful...... Remind me just why you follow this forum?

[IainB]

15 minutes ago, NeilWatson said:

That's cheerful...... Remind me just why you follow this forum?

Just being a realist. You can't think everything with the sport is all A OK?

[NeilWatson]

2 minutes ago, iainb said:

Just being a realist. You can't think everything with the sport is all A OK?

Certainly not, but I accept that certain aspects of the sport can't be changed immediately and need to be worked around to try and save the sport in the hope/expectation of better times ahead.

For example (not exhaustive): availability of riders, especially top riders; availability of rented stadiums; rider costs hence pay demands; club owners  subsidising clubs rather than making a handsome living from them (anyone remember Danny Dunton's gold Rolls Royce?).

Ultimately it all comes down to the (lack of) money in the sport, which precludes a lot of initiatives that might make the sport more viable.; such as cheaper admission, more races, better facilities, better merchandise, maybe even a practical way of covering the track to ensure an advertised meeting goes ahead.

[wealdstone]

Frankly even I suspect there is more to this than meets the eye. However it has just begun to rain here in Cambridge