Birmingham Brummies 2022

[ljriley90]

20 minutes ago, GiveusaB said:

Why haven't they rode to their best till now?

Is it because there are available replacements now that Newcastle have folded ? 

Or did paco give everyone a lift!

[cinderfella]

8 hours ago, szkocjasid said:

Riders who don't have a team CAN'T guest for others, which makes no sense to me. But hey that's British Speedway for you!

Edit: at first I thought you meant shared around as guests, or do you mean as permanent signings?

I suggested a few weeks ago that guest appearances should be limited to one appearance for each team and once at each track.

Too sensible for BSPA to try lol

[JCookie]

40 minutes ago, cinderfella said:

I suggested a few weeks ago that guest appearances should be limited to one appearance for each team and once at each track.

Too sensible for BSPA to try lol

Speedway would collapse in around a fortnight if that happened. And Chris Harris would go bankrupt.

[HGould]

Staggering article in the Speedway Star today outlining the investment Nigel has made and contunies to make and how far from break-even they are match to match, and how desperatley low some attendences have been.

Positive that he will get to the end of the season and pay all the bills though.

Its a strikingly similar scenario to other Clubs who have departed , outgoings exceeding incomings, declining attendences, declining sponsorship and advertising, increased costs, uncaring corporate landlords; and a group of riders whose machine and running costs dicate that they too are living in cloud cuckoo land about being full time professionals,  pandering to tuners and the latest weight saving gimmicks; and yes many Owners/Promoters own business models in cuckoo land too, hearts ruling their brains!.

With the other ogre the "developer" threatening Swindon, Edinburgh and Peterborough really is time to baton down the hatches and support all Clubs and hopefully come out the other side.

Its easy to blame Owners / Promoters as being incompetent, clueless, stupid and even crooks to varying degrees; but I saw how affected Peter and David were last season, aging visibly with worry and stress; and having read Rob Grants comments this week and those of others who have tried and failed in recent seasons in the past decade, it's clear to me that rather than attack those who have tried and failed and moan at those who are trying NOT to fail, it really does need some decisive action. All those that have failed have undoubtedly invested much financially and lost it and immesurable investment in time and stress.

That starts from the top down but us supporters also have a part to play from the bottom up. 

There are green shoots at Workington and hopefully at Swindon and Eastbourne and Oxford big-style are showing it IS possible. 

 

Edited June 23, 2022 by HGould
spelling

[geoff100]

It really is simple ,its not a full time job but a good hobby that pays ,cut the wages snd take or leave,only prople who make money are stadium owners and tuners back to basics sure would work .

[SteveLyric2]

3 hours ago, JCookie said:

Speedway would collapse in around a fortnight if that happened. And Chris Harris would go bankrupt.

I don't think that would ever happen - even if he only rode for one club!!!!!

[The Dog]

2 hours ago, geoff100 said:

It really is simple ,its not a full time job but a good hobby that pays ,cut the wages snd take or leave,only prople who make money are stadium owners and tuners back to basics sure would work .

I tend to agree here, if your paying your riders more than the gate receipts then that is the biggest problem. Sponsorship should be there to help with stuff like airfence panels and running costs for the track, not wages. I don't begrudge riders earnings, it's a very dangerous sport but clubs need to be self funding. 

I'd love to see a break-down of where the money has actually gone in Birminghams case so we can all understand better. ie, what the bond costs, stadium rent, medical expenses, riders costs etc because only then can you see what's really going on. And this goes for all speedway clubs in an attempt to save the sport. Sadly I don't think we'll ever know. 

[The Dog]

12 hours ago, szkocjasid said:

Riders who don't have a team CAN'T guest for others, which makes no sense to me. But hey that's British Speedway for you!

Edit: at first I thought you meant shared around as guests, or do you mean as permanent signings?

Permanent signings and try and be as close as possible to the injured riders average 

[noaksey]

Given the crowd level/sponsorship requirements outlined by Brum prior to the start of the season then adding in the late team assembly, missing riders, medical cover disaster and the Ellis short termer not being declared it can be no surprise that Brum are losing money.

The only positive is that they can make it to the end of the season and pay all the bills as they go hopefully. 

 

 

 

 

[FromBendThree]

Crowd of 350 including season tickets v Edinburgh. That is dreadful and not good enough for NDL in a stadium like Perry Bar. 

[uk_martin]

OUCH!  Only 350, and most of those will be paying concessionary admission... As I say, OUCH!

[Fromafar]

On 6/23/2022 at 10:52 AM, geoff100 said:

It really is simple ,its not a full time job but a good hobby that pays ,cut the wages snd take or leave,only prople who make money are stadium owners and tuners back to basics sure would work .

Paying over the top Money too the riders is a major factor.I agree take it or leave is the way to level things out and see where the sport stands, because at this rate is slowly going down the tubes.

[Derrickn]

On 6/23/2022 at 1:10 PM, The Dog said:

Permanent signings and try and be as close as possible to the injured riders average 

Could you not just sign a rider on a week to week contract,or even day to day.In most occupations that would seem immoral,but this is speedway,and needs must.

[wtf]

On 6/23/2022 at 10:52 AM, geoff100 said:

It really is simple ,its not a full time job but a good hobby that pays ,cut the wages snd take or leave,only prople who make money are stadium owners and tuners back to basics sure would work .

There's a lot of truth in what you say. Unfortunately you'll never get the idiots running the show to agree. I remember 10 years or so ago when the so called Wage Cap was agreed at Championship level. all promoters agreed to a agreed maximum of £55 a point for the good of the sport. Then the exact same people who agreed to it broke it within hours of it coming in.

You can't have them regulating their own rules, and they will never agree to someone else regulating them, so they will get exactly what they deserve. They will destroy the sport inside the next decade, probably sooner.

As for Birmingham, I'm told their rent is now £2.5k a meeting, so they need at least 150 a meeting just to pay the rent. If your home meetings also have to cover the cost of your away meeting points money, so every home meeting has to generate income for eg 90 points at £50 a point which is £4500, that's another 250 people. Those two costs may well be your biggest, but the other expenses add up massively. Birmingham is a money pit of epic proportions. Tolley is going to lose his shirt, but the honourable man will pay the bills and take the hit. Fair play to him, but it's just not sustainable. Chances are we'll lose 5 clubs at the end of the season. Newcastle, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Poole and Peterborough form the 2023 calender.

Speedway in the UK operates INSPITE of the people in charge, not because of. This is not aimed at Birmingham, this is aimed at the sports owners and operators. You couldn't pick a more backward thinking, clueless bunch of numpties if you tried. 

[SteveLyric2]

6 minutes ago, wtf said:

There's a lot of truth in what you say. Unfortunately you'll never get the idiots running the show to agree. I remember 10 years or so ago when the so called Wage Cap was agreed at Championship level. all promoters agreed to a agreed maximum of £55 a point for the good of the sport. Then the exact same people who agreed to it broke it within hours of it coming in.

You can't have them regulating their own rules, and they will never agree to someone else regulating them, so they will get exactly what they deserve. They will destroy the sport inside the next decade, probably sooner.

As for Birmingham, I'm told their rent is now £2.5k a meeting, so they need at least 150 a meeting just to pay the rent. If your home meetings also have to cover the cost of your away meeting points money, so every home meeting has to generate income for eg 90 points at £50 a point which is £4500, that's another 250 people. Those two costs may well be your biggest, but the other expenses add up massively. Birmingham is a money pit of epic proportions. Tolley is going to lose his shirt, but the honourable man will pay the bills and take the hit. Fair play to him, but it's just not sustainable. Chances are we'll lose 5 clubs at the end of the season. Newcastle, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Poole and Peterborough form the 2023 calender.

Speedway in the UK operates INSPITE of the people in charge, not because of. This is not aimed at Birmingham, this is aimed at the sports owners and operators. You couldn't pick a more backward thinking, clueless bunch of numpties if you tried. 

Poole won't be missing from the 2023 season!!

[heathen52]

On 6/22/2022 at 10:25 PM, *JJ said:

Tonight's result shows that there is no need for changes when the team all ride to their best.

Does that still apply after last nights result ?, Brummies need strengthening of that their is no doubt, but looking at Nigels comments that will take money which is in short supply, Iv no idea how to get out of this chicken and egg situation of strengthening teams without costing even more money, simply put Speedway continues to live above its means and until such time as the BSPL grasp the nettle clubs will continue to go to the wall, that nettle being riders wanting more money than whats actually being taken at the gate, and some Teams prepared to pay those riders over and above a realistic pay rate, Speedway is in a race to the bottom not a race to the top.

[The Dog]

2 hours ago, uk_martin said:

OUCH!  Only 350, and most of those will be paying concessionary admission... As I say, OUCH!

I too was absolutely gobsmacked at the amount of money put in, how or why you would invest that much for no return whatsoever is lunacy. The tail wags the dog in speedway. 

History tells you that successful business people like Mr Tolley, Rick Frost, Allen Trump and Mick Horton to name a few, have struggled with our sport over the years so their is a major flaw in the way speedway operates and it needs to change before we lose it altogether. 

[M.D]

54 minutes ago, wtf said:

There's a lot of truth in what you say. Unfortunately you'll never get the idiots running the show to agree. I remember 10 years or so ago when the so called Wage Cap was agreed at Championship level. all promoters agreed to a agreed maximum of £55 a point for the good of the sport. Then the exact same people who agreed to it broke it within hours of it coming in.

You can't have them regulating their own rules, and they will never agree to someone else regulating them, so they will get exactly what they deserve. They will destroy the sport inside the next decade, probably sooner.

As for Birmingham, I'm told their rent is now £2.5k a meeting, so they need at least 150 a meeting just to pay the rent. If your home meetings also have to cover the cost of your away meeting points money, so every home meeting has to generate income for eg 90 points at £50 a point which is £4500, that's another 250 people. Those two costs may well be your biggest, but the other expenses add up massively. Birmingham is a money pit of epic proportions. Tolley is going to lose his shirt, but the honourable man will pay the bills and take the hit. Fair play to him, but it's just not sustainable. Chances are we'll lose 5 clubs at the end of the season. Newcastle, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Poole and Peterborough form the 2023 calender.

Speedway in the UK operates INSPITE of the people in charge, not because of. This is not aimed at Birmingham, this is aimed at the sports owners and operators. You couldn't pick a more backward thinking, clueless bunch of numpties if you tried. 

Good points but Birminghams rent isn't that high

[geoff100]

Why do hundreds if not thousands ride moto x at weekends for fun yet speedway riders want a fortune to ride? Everyone who puts a leg over a bike deserves as much as possible yes ,but income has to be more than outgoings.go back to basics then maybe bikes will cost less,u dont need a van full,standard carbs and clutch a bit of dirt on the track and lets see racing .

[mac101]

don’t think the home team pays the away team riders points think it’s only something towards there travel