steve roberts Posted August 17, 2021 Report Share Posted August 17, 2021 39 minutes ago, Grachan said: Something occurred to me last night while watching the telly. I'm not sure why it occurred last night, but it did. Remember when all the house lights used to go off when a race was on, so the stadium was in darkness and only the track was lit up? When did that stop? Probably about 30 years ago, but it just came to me last night! ...even used to turn off the fairy lights strung up around the track at both Swindon & Poole! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pieman72 Posted August 17, 2021 Report Share Posted August 17, 2021 You can't do that it makes it more watchable, exciting and spectacular. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tyretrax Posted August 17, 2021 Report Share Posted August 17, 2021 3 hours ago, Grachan said: Something occurred to me last night while watching the telly. I'm not sure why it occurred last night, but it did. Remember when all the house lights used to go off when a race was on, so the stadium was in darkness and only the track was lit up? When did that stop? Probably about 30 years ago, but it just came to me last night! Probably Health & Safety. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveLyric2 Posted August 18, 2021 Report Share Posted August 18, 2021 Never gets dark enough at the moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Humphrey Appleby Posted August 18, 2021 Report Share Posted August 18, 2021 23 hours ago, tyretrax said: Probably Health & Safety. That was the reason as I remember. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chunky Posted August 18, 2021 Report Share Posted August 18, 2021 8 hours ago, Skidder1 said: Never gets dark enough at the moment. I heard the future of British speedway is pretty black, though? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midland Red Posted August 19, 2021 Report Share Posted August 19, 2021 Interesting read - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/58264373 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IainB Posted August 19, 2021 Report Share Posted August 19, 2021 52 minutes ago, Midland Red said: Interesting read - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/58264373 You could almost substitute the word Rugby for Speedway. Didn't they re-brand to Super League around 25 years ago? Time moves on you need to keep re-inventing yourself to gain new interest. I doubt many RFL punters stopped going when the Super League was introduced and it probably attracted a few more in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve roberts Posted August 19, 2021 Report Share Posted August 19, 2021 54 minutes ago, iainb said: You could almost substitute the word Rugby for Speedway. Didn't they re-brand to Super League around 25 years ago? Time moves on you need to keep re-inventing yourself to gain new interest. I doubt many RFL punters stopped going when the Super League was introduced and it probably attracted a few more in. ...to be honest Rugby could re-invent itself numerous times and It still wouldn't grab my interest having being forced to play the wretched game at school! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piotr Pyszny Posted August 19, 2021 Report Share Posted August 19, 2021 4 minutes ago, steve roberts said: ...to be honest Rugby could re-invent itself numerous times and It still wouldn't grab my interest having being forced to play the wretched game at school! You were probably forced (as I was) to play turgid old rugby union at school. League is much more interesting - to play, to watch and (in my case) to report on. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piotr Pyszny Posted August 19, 2021 Report Share Posted August 19, 2021 (edited) 2 hours ago, Midland Red said: Interesting read - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/58264373 Some would say Pearson's rant is designed to deflect attention from his shortcomings as a club owner. Interestingly, Barrow Rugby League Club (in a town that once had speedway), who play in rugby league's third tier, have grown their crowds substantially this season, simply by giving away season tickets to children and offering free admission to those entering the ground two hours before kick-off. 'Secondary' spend has gone through the roof. No tinkering with the actual game! https://www.rugby-league.com/article/35202/barrow-raiders-in-crowd-boosting-initiatives On the subject of speedway's need to reinvent itself, my wife (a speedway novice) accompanied me to Scunthorpe (last Friday) and Belle Vue (on Monday). First time I'd been to speedway in four years. A solicitor (hardly speedway's target market), my wife described the spectacle as "engaging" and is keen to go again. Maybe part of the answer to speedway's dire attendances is to provide racing worth watching. Edited August 19, 2021 by Piotr Pyszny 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arnieg Posted August 19, 2021 Report Share Posted August 19, 2021 44 minutes ago, Piotr Pyszny said: Some would say Pearson's rant is designed to deflect attention from his shortcomings as a club owner. Interestingly, Barrow Rugby League Club (in a town that once had speedway), who play in rugby league's third tier, have grown their crowds substantially this season, simply by giving away season tickets to children and offering free admission to those entering the ground two hours before kick-off. 'Secondary' spend has gone through the roof. No tinkering with the actual game! https://www.rugby-league.com/article/35202/barrow-raiders-in-crowd-boosting-initiatives On the subject of speedway's need to reinvent itself, my wife (a speedway novice) accompanied me to Scunthorpe (last Friday) and Belle Vue (on Monday). First time I'd been to speedway in four years. A solicitor (hardly speedway's target market), my wife described the spectacle as "engaging" and is keen to go again. Maybe part of the answer to speedway's dire attendances is to provide racing worth watching. His obsession with private equity as a solution seems rather odd, given their modus operandi is generally to buy up businesses and strip out costs (and assets, transferring them to the ownership of related companies). The end result is generally very good for property developers and not so good for the businesses. The care home sector has been particularly crippled by these vultures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve roberts Posted August 19, 2021 Report Share Posted August 19, 2021 (edited) 1 hour ago, Piotr Pyszny said: You were probably forced (as I was) to play turgid old rugby union at school. League is much more interesting - to play, to watch and (in my case) to report on. Yes I was a Grammar School laddie and it was Union...not being of particular big build (still not!) used to get flattened by all the fat kids (and those who thought themselves 'hard' and got away with what most would consider bullying tactics) who 'excelled' at Rugby but who were hopeless at everything else sportwise! Edited August 19, 2021 by steve roberts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lbw Posted August 19, 2021 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2021 (edited) Rugby saying the same as to my suggestion at the start of this topic. Keep the league format, as cricket keeps the county cricket, then totally blow that format into touch with sum quick fire handicap racing for a cup competition. Not rocket science. Edited August 19, 2021 by PirateShip Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikebv Posted August 19, 2021 Report Share Posted August 19, 2021 2 hours ago, iainb said: You could almost substitute the word Rugby for Speedway. Didn't they re-brand to Super League around 25 years ago? Time moves on you need to keep re-inventing yourself to gain new interest. I doubt many RFL punters stopped going when the Super League was introduced and it probably attracted a few more in. Followed both RL and Speedway closely for a fair few years, and always thought a certain closeness between their operating models.. Eg's Owners running the sport and making all the decisions with the usual vested interest rather than an independent body having total control for the common good. (The RFL exists but the Super League clubs rule the roost).. Club 'success' therefore, being more important than a successful national team. (Something RU and Cricket cottoned onto and moved forward from immeasurably, and their domestic games then fed off this success).. Loads of overseas players coming in rather than having development of UK based players (and guaranteed team places for them).. Players getting some eye watering contracts for a sport well down the sporting spectrum, and then trying to fund these contracts through sponsorship and debt, (supported by other businesses) rather than the inadequate gate receipts.. A very much "Open the doors and they will come" philosophy, with a view taken by those owners of "I love it as it's a very exciting sport so its bound to be attractive to everyone isnt it?"... No national joined up marketing of the sport with each club doing "their own thing" at local level, with varying degrees of success (or failure)... No set days or nights for each club, it used to be Sat and Sun and now it's any time at the behest of the broadcaster.. And. Play offs introduced that rendered many matches during the latter part of the season as "dead rubbers" given many of the same teams reached the play offs, (the ones with money), and the same others didnt... As you say, swap the word Speedway for Rugby League.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveLyric2 Posted August 19, 2021 Report Share Posted August 19, 2021 (edited) 49 minutes ago, mikebv said: Followed both RL and Speedway closely for a fair few years, and always thought a certain closeness between their operating models.. Eg's Owners running the sport and making all the decisions with the usual vested interest rather than an independent body having total control for the common good. (The RFL exists but the Super League clubs rule the roost).. Club 'success' therefore, being more important than a successful national team. (Something RU and Cricket cottoned onto and moved forward from immeasurably, and their domestic games then fed off this success).. Loads of overseas players coming in rather than having development of UK based players (and guaranteed team places for them).. Players getting some eye watering contracts for a sport well down the sporting spectrum, and then trying to fund these contracts through sponsorship and debt, (supported by other businesses) rather than the inadequate gate receipts.. A very much "Open the doors and they will come" philosophy, with a view taken by those owners of "I love it as it's a very exciting sport so its bound to be attractive to everyone isnt it?"... No national joined up marketing of the sport with each club doing "their own thing" at local level, with varying degrees of success (or failure)... No set days or nights for each club, it used to be Sat and Sun and now it's any time at the behest of the broadcaster.. And. Play offs introduced that rendered many matches during the latter part of the season as "dead rubbers" given many of the same teams reached the play offs, (the ones with money), and the same others didnt... As you say, swap the word Speedway for Rugby League.. Maybe slightly different when the broadcaster is BBC plus BT Sport!! And not forgetting that most RL stadia offer a modern, comfortable experience for the spectator! Edited August 19, 2021 by Skidder1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piotr Pyszny Posted August 19, 2021 Report Share Posted August 19, 2021 (edited) 1 hour ago, Skidder1 said: And not forgetting that most RL stadia offer a modern, comfortable experience for the spectator! Most stadia in Super League, certainly. Few below the top tier (and even some in it - e.g. Belle Vue, Wakefield; Wheldon Road, Castleford) could be described as either modern or comfortable! Compared to British speedway venues, however, almost all are palaces. :-) Edited August 19, 2021 by Piotr Pyszny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waytogo28 Posted August 23, 2021 Report Share Posted August 23, 2021 On 8/18/2021 at 8:24 PM, chunky said: I heard the future of British speedway is pretty black, though? When I came onto the forum I chose a name to reflect my opinion that the UK domestic sport was failing and would not make it ( in a form we would recognise as Speedway Racing circa (let's say 1999 ) and still don't think it will. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trees Posted August 24, 2021 Report Share Posted August 24, 2021 15 hours ago, waytogo28 said: When I came onto the forum I chose a name to reflect my opinion that the UK domestic sport was failing and would not make it ( in a form we would recognise as Speedway Racing circa (let's say 1999 ) and still don't think it will. The way to go is out of the forum m8 :D. Leave it to those who want the sport to survive and who love watching speedway at their local club. If you have the money to invest in speedway to make it what you want it to be go ahead, if not .......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waytogo28 Posted August 24, 2021 Report Share Posted August 24, 2021 3 minutes ago, Trees said: The way to go is out of the forum m8 :D. Leave it to those who want the sport to survive and who love watching speedway at their local club. If you have the money to invest in speedway to make it what you want it to be go ahead, if not .......... You are always so angry with and bitter about anyone who sees UK speedway in different light to you. That is sad. There was me thinking that a forum could look at all aspects of the sport that we enjoy, from all points of view. I still absolutely love GP speedway on TV and watch domestic matches with some pleasure too. It's not free and I pay to still have that choice via BT. I just feel domestic UK speedway has lost it's way so much and at the heart of that are people who believe that it is all right as it is and little needs to change. But the facts are that support for the sport in the UK are diminishing, less and less people attend for hatever reasons. We have met and I cannot believe that you really want this Forum to be all made up of Happy Clappers? Even you have expressed to me that Mr Chapman - some years back was not getting it all right at King's Lynn! That lind "adoration" is for the Facebook pages, is it not? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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