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mikebv

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Everything posted by mikebv

  1. Taking Robert Lambert as already a 'star' given he has been in the GP's, rode Polish top division, and held his own at SON level, (but still has much potential), my picks would be Dan Bewley, Jordan Palin and Leon Flint... To reach the higher echelons of say top 25 in the world, the glide path for UK riders seems to be that usually within four or five years of starting, they are riding (comfortably) at heat leader level in the top league in the UK.. Bewley is already there at that heat leader level and now needs to make an impact overseas, and I think Palin and Flint show the potential to go a long way in the sport..
  2. mikebv

    King's Lynn Stars 2020

    The Royston Vasey Vikings... "This is a local club for local people"....
  3. mikebv

    Swindon Robins 2020

    You can either... Take £482 a point and what is still a very large signing on fee... Or wait and see if there's any racing in the UK and, even if there is, ride for a hell of a lot less.... Decisions... Decisions..
  4. I think to be fair to any of those who run the sport, they are not 'proper' sports' administrators... Just well meaning people who find themselves leading others of the same persuasion.. The top sports have a separate leadership team from the owners of the clubs, which means professionals can be brought in to strategically move the sport forwards. With their performance being measured by the owners.. Many of these people will get their positions through previous experience in similar roles and (possibly most importantly), a list of business and media contacts who can get the cut through needed to generate the right financial backing and publicity.. Speedway (in the UK), has never countenanced such a notion, preferring to keep everything 'in house', within the 'speedway bubble', therefore we have what we have.. I seem to remember, (maybe last year), a measure of success quoted was 'all clubs surviving'.. Maybe, even though appearing to be an incredibly low aspiration, that is indeed an achievement given where the sport currently sits in the UK within the wider sporting arena? Whoever is 'in charge', without all the wide and varied infrastructure needed, and a team of people around you with the required skill set to 'run a sport', leaving you to plan strategy, and be the figurehead, it must be a difficult, and maybe even a thankless task..
  5. All the best Mimmo.. I am at the other end of the spectrum and only just getting days off again after a month or so, due to the tens of thousands of customers who have wanted serving.. Therefore I cannot begin to understand what such isolation must mean.. Hope you can stay strong for yourself and your good lady... Best wishes. .
  6. I've said before on here.. British Superbikes dont try and compete with their larger 'cousin' World Superbikes.. They do share many technical characteristics and sometimes share competitors, (but ensure they dont fixture clash!), but it's a completely separate Competition.. They seem to do 'ok' with a mainly domestic and antipodean rider base, with the odd European or Asian rider who usually will be domiciled in the UK.. Some riders will be returning from bigger Championships at the latter end of the careers, (which can boost fan numbers when a 'legend' returns), some will stay at that level, and some will aspire to move on and use the BSB as a 'stepping stone' to improve themselves to move on to bigger things.. A situation they accept and plan for by running several support classes to ensure talent comes through to replace those who move on. A clear joined up strategy from novice to top level rider, with clear demarcation of what level each rider is at so the racing will reflect the closeness of rider capability.. No reason, for me, why British Speedway couldn't use this as a blueprint to devise their own strategy..
  7. Anecdotal evidence from a mate of mine who lives in Wolverhampton and used to go most weeks in the first couple of years of Cradleys tenure. .. As a generic speedway fan he went to both Wolves and Cradley and felt the Heathens had more, although of course that could have been when Wolves were having a less than succesful time and some weeks were exceptions.. No doubt I would say that if they did get a track their crowds would still even now be one of the best in the sport.. Used to see lots of them at Stoke, Buxton and Belle Vue when they visited so still a large amount of interest in them... Still miss the roast pork van....
  8. mikebv

    NEW LOOK FOR STAR

    Excellent edition... It's a true credit to the sport..
  9. Are these lighter nights keeping you up a bit later than usual..? Sorry.. Later than usual...
  10. Filibustering gibberish...
  11. If the Championship was the 'only ticket in town' and the Aces ran at weekends, then crowds would be better than on a Monday or a Thursday night..100%.. Hence the business plan from Messrs Gordon and Morton to the council made it crystal clear that the race night change from Monday and Wednesday was fundamental to their success.. The first year, riding at weekend in the main, they averaged around 1800 which was a massive increase on the previous year at the old place.. Unfortunately over 2000 was their break even budget outlined in their submissions.. The past two seasons haven't seen them get close to an average of 1800 I believe... Maybe, just maybe, Monday, Wednesdays and Thursdays are not as good? Or maybe it's having no Matej Zagar after year one? Going back to the Colts, if they were the only Speedway team going in Manchester, they would still get very decent crowds at weekends I would say..
  12. It's a Colts meeting though, not a Championship level one which I believe the Aces could run well on a Saturday night.. And having been to many Colts meetings they do get crowds of around 400 to 500 I would say, so not too shabby.. Obviously the back straight isn't used.. Good to see you on here though Oscar Wilde...
  13. Which to get back to their initial success levels means second tier racing for me.. Too much of a risk to go top tier again given the way attendances dropped off.. For me, there should be a 'natural selection' used.. Over 1000 fans on average over a season each meeting and you should be top division 600 to 1000 and you run 2nd Divison.. Less than 600 should be NL.. Organic growth then dictates levels. If you start to get more fans then go up a level, if you get less, then drop.. Natural selection.. And race on whatever night you want to.. Whichever night brings the most punters in.. Not on ones that you are made to because your 'employees' tell you that's the only days they can make it.. (That's madness).
  14. Spot on.. In the past 30 years attendances have steadily declined overall and for much of that continual decline we had the 'world's best' riding, which, to keep them, meant regular inflation busting admission increases year on year, which in no small part, resulted in less followers.. The Premiership clubs get the best attendances because there is a 'natural' selection based on the history of each club, not because of 'who is there'.. If the Aces dropped down for example, and rode on Friday or Saturdays, there certainly wouldn't be any less there than currently, and quite possibly many more given how many attended 'weekend Speedway' the first year in the NSS. Therefore the Aces have enough followers to be 'top division'.. Glasgow I would suggest now get close to, if not better than, some Premiership clubs' attendances with 'lesser' riders (although many are the same!), so they are becoming a bigger name in the sport after historically being one of the 'lower league clubs'. After a few years of this they too may become 'naturally' a top division team if the crowds keep at those levels.. Leicester dropped a division, lost the World Champ, changed nights and improved crowds. Meaning their 'natural level' to be successful as a business is, I would suggest, the second tier.. And Cradley in the NL had better crowds than Wolves and if they had a track to race on would immediately be top division I would say given that's their 'natural' level given their crowd numbers... Some clubs in the second division could have Nikki P and Jason Crump riding for them next year and after a month I can virtually guarantee crowds would be pretty much as normal, because that is their 'natural level of crowd', hence they stay where they are.. Bringing 'big names' back wont bring 'big crowds' back. Because when they were all there, big crowds became smaller crowds..
  15. Watched loads of recent meetings on YouTube and there is a huge clear difference between the racing standards from track to track.. In no particular order.. The NSS, Somerset, Redcar, and Scunthorpe seem to have the majority of their races close and with passing, with Glasgow, Berwick and Peterborough having several 'very decent races' in the next level down.. Not seen too much from anywhere else to be honest other than an odd decent race per meeting, with some tracks getting you to 'move on' to the next coverage after four or five heats such is the lack of any close action post bend two.. It must be hard to sell the racing at some tracks..
  16. I am sure your idea will be nearer the mark than mine HG.. I just think the sport has a truly once in a lifetime unique situation to reinvent itself, work together for the overall good and try something different.. Riders too would need to play ball and agree to ride here, there and everywhere over a few weeks.. I could just imagine what the promotion team down at the Isle of Wight would do if they had the likes of Messrs Cook, Nicholls, King and Harris riding there. It would be the talk of the island for years and would generate loads of publicity for the track... And maybe Woffy could visit too as a wild card! It would be like a royal visit by the time Barry Bishop and the rest had finished with it!!. For far too long promoters have looked insular, always delivering their own individual narrow agenda as a priority. A tiny agenda in the grand scheme of team sports given Speedway's small following from track to track.. This could be a chance to 'sell the sport' itself nationally and see where that takes them... 45000 plus go to Cardiff each year so there is still a very sizeable following out there if more of them can be persuaded to attend domestic speedway more regularly, so put an operating plan together which may attract them to do so.. As for the NSS?, for me it's simply the racing and the facilities it delivers.. And if you want to showcase a major final then it ticks two major boxes, with the third major box ticked being it's held very close to a major city centre that has excellent transport links and plenty of hotel rooms.. Not many other tracks can deliver all that I would say..
  17. With 22 clubs in total in the UK, and around 50 British riders of a 'top three division' level (some taking a break from the sport, some recently retired but may be tempted back?), would it possible for every club to put in say £5k and run a £110,000 prize fund British Championship? Using the sponsorship money already agreed for the season with their sponsors? Lots of qualifying meetings around the country. (One a week at each track). But advertising the "£110k Big Prize" in all their promotion of each individual event? Paying out an average £600 a night per rider in the qualifying meetings, running a 12 man entry, and that's around £9k you would need to take to pay the riders and pay the VAT.. Would you get away with around 12k costs in total per night? (Maybe rents could be renogotiated given stadium owners will have had zero income?) If so 800 paying £15 would cover costs.. Riders would get to ride four or five times a week around the country (maybe more but five times would get the 'Mr Average' rider £3k a week), and the sport could advertise a "Big Time" prize fund which may generate some added interest from others outside of the sport, or, more likely maybe, lapsed fans or non regulars... If any 'top name' non British riders are available, maybe domiciled over here, and happy to race for the money, they could either be 'guested' in for the odd night as a wild card whose scores won't impact the overall competition. (Similar how other motor sports like BSB let a world level competitor compete in a National Championship on an ad hoc basis), or, if they can commit to the full competiton, take a place in the line up. (Plenty of UK based overseas riders have rode in, and won BSB Championships).. Run the Final for £110k at the NSS with the top 16 riders from all the qualifiers.. Plenty of racing for British lads in particular, plenty of money to be earned riding several nights a week, and a massive prize fund with which to increase the sports' standing and hopefully deliver a huge crowd (and media coverage), for the final... Whatever Speedway we do get (if any) those who run it should spend this time thinking outside of the box and how best they can make a huge impact when 'normality' returns, as they will be fighting against other sports relaunching themselves too, and there will only be so much 'leisure money' available to be spent. .
  18. mikebv

    Will British Speedway Survive ?

    The question mentioned that was asked in the thread was 'Why did they attend Speedway meetings?' I presume it was the No1 reason for your attendance requested at the time given the amount of diverse answers from the fans.. I would suggest that there are even a greater number nowadays that attend Speedway who go for 'the racing' rather than treat the league seriously and get that emotional attachment to any result. Getting these people to go more regularly is the key to success, as those who go because they still feel an affinity with their team will go anyway.. The 800 to 1000 or so die hards at most top league tracks will always be there, wearing their scarves and badges and talking about the 'good old days'. Its the floating 800 to a 1000 who go along now and again which will make a huge difference to the sports finances if they became regulars.. The sport should work together as a collective on finding out what prevents these fans of the sport going more regularly.. And then act upon it accordingly, together..
  19. Interesting that the old 15 year survey on another thread had only 30% of fans attending in the main to 'support their team', and only 10% went based on the quality of riders on show.. And that was when more 'top names' rode over here.. Therefore, presuming the %'s are still similar, (and I would think they are not a million miles away), what an opportunity to put on 'entertaining Speedway' in whatever guise it can.. When 70% go and watch and are not unduly bothered which team wins, then they are a real target market for each track to have them go away thinking "that night was great, I'll be back next time".. The promoters should spend this down time working out how to deliver 'a great night out' when the sport returns, rather than spending time getting slide rules out to determine whether 'Rider A' can guest for 'Rider B' in a meeting that only 3 in 10 fans in attendance are bothered who wins... A huge opportunity for fundamental radical change.. Will it be taken?
  20. mikebv

    Will British Speedway Survive ?

    So only 40% used to go to follow a team or go because of what quality of riders were there... And that was 15 years ago when more "names" were riding in the UK.. It really shows for me how important an overall entertainment package must be in keeping the majority 60% happy, and also shows how misguided promoters sometimes are focusing the majority of their time, energy and money on getting their teams right (all to try and win competitions hardly anyone cares about), instead of putting all that focus and investment on getting their entertainment package right each week... As you say, the % figures probably haven't changed much in the ensuing fifteen years, apart from obviously how many fewer people now make up that 60% than did then..
  21. mikebv

    Lack of Speedway on TV

    Some of the 'old stuff' on YouTube wouldn't get seen in a good light by a wider non Speedway audience if shown on the mainstream channels, simply because so much of it was filmed with production qualities which were 'wedding video' standard, and many commentaries were pretty average, done by well meaning amateurs... No fault of whoever produced them, that was just the technology of the time outside of the main TV channels.. Even the newly formed Satellite company's old work looks well dated (as done in SD), and often one camera action... Watching the many meetings available does though show that, for me, so much of what we have today is at least as good, and often better, racing wise, than the 'old stuff', and some of the production standards are excellent.. I would suggest a decent marketing team could make something out of the raw material of the racing and would be able to make personalities out of the riders if given a chance... Employing one of them to do a joined up national advertising campaign using the best clips from today during this 'down time', would be far better for the sport than just putting out random Speedway on TV (to a mainly non plussed audience), I would say..
  22. mikebv

    Will British Speedway Survive ?

    Don't the majority of clubs lose money each year? If so, it could actually help some clubs to 'bank' what they would usually spend and then use it next year.. I personally am saving loads of money every week by not spending money on non essentials and usually I am skint every month, therefore clubs who lose money every week will (at the very least) now be breaking even.. ie none coming in and none going out.. I suppose a threat could be that some of the sponsors may not be able to continue their support until they can assess the impact of lockdown to their own businesses, however.. For me, Speedway's 'hand to mouth' existence may actually help it to weather the storm as it doesn't have long term contracts to its participants to honour, nor, in the main, up keep to pay for stadiums it owns, as most clubs rent. It also is pretty much based on volunteers rather than contracted staff on race nights and for admin, so won't be paying any wages to them during the downtime. .. And it also hasn't put itself in hock based on a huge TV contract, spending money it hasn't recieved yet.. Who knows, not losing money this year for many teams may be a blessing in disguise when the sport restarts?
  23. mikebv

    Ipswich 2020

    To be fair, football had an ever dwindling fan base through the 80's and it needed laws about stadium improvements, and Sky's money, to deliver what we have today.. And football was very lucky that Sky's intervention coincided with Man United ending their 26 year wait for the league title in 93, and subsequent 20 odd year domination which delivered huge interest.. If the first winners of the Premier Leagues early years had been 'lesser teams' then football wouldn't have taken off the way it did in the UK as Sky simply wouldn't have had the uptake of subscribers. Speedway considering it's complete lack of awareness within the wide majority of the public, and the almost zero nationally joined up marketing, does 'ok' for me crowd wise..
  24. mikebv

    Glasgow 2021

    Just watched the documentary.. Absolutely first class both in terms of production quality and content... Well done to all who made and contributed to it.. Only possible gripe is that, in parts, it might have helped if it had subtitles. . Overall though.. Pure deed brulliant by tha way....
  25. mikebv

    Will British Speedway Survive ?

    Thats a definite possibility... There won't be 'safety net' Govt cash so venues will stand or fall by the uptake of the punters.. Personally after the 'all clear' I would go out, but not sure everyone would be in the same mindset..
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