My Thoughts On The Future

[olethefod 0]

I have to say that more sense has been talked on the future of speedway on this thread than any of the others I have read, as they say 'Its bums on seats' that pay the bills! The £5 a head idea is whats needed, to fill the stadiums again, cram em in cheap, I know someone in Kiddy that went to football for years to watch his local southern league team, as the crowds grew he thought it would be good idea to have an advertisement auding at the stadium, this led to ball sponsorship, boot sponsorship and so on, had he not been there then he wouldn't have thrown his cash at the harriers.

 

Budweiser league basket ball was big in the UK around ten years ago, £12 for a family ticket and the same sort of player spectator relationship we have with the riders, 10,000 turned up at the NIA to Bulletts v Sharks the atmosphere was amazing, so they moved to the NEC bunged up the price to £10 and £5 to get in, crowds dissapeared like English summers and so did the bulletts, SKY dropped the league like a hot potato closely followed by Budweiser, the play offs at Wembley attracted 10,000 crowds every year not one day but two. The lesson this teaches is keep it affordable and accesible, the car park at the NEC was £8 on top of the entrance and the NEC is a thirty mile round trip from the old venue in the city.

 

What about £20 family tickets at speedway?

 

Why not race on Sunday afternoon or saturday night? When dad used to come home from pit at 2pm, we could get to speedway by 7pm for a pie and a pint, to get to speedway for seven now, dad has to leave the office two hours early, fight his way home, pick up the family and fight his way through traffic to the stadium, when he gets to the stadium theres no where to park if the gate is more than 1,000 and has to walk his family through some scarey places in the dark to reach the stadium, when we get there we have to queue for half an hour as only one turnstile is open and miss the first three heats, in football they delay the kickoff if people are trying to get in (SKY have to suffer the consequences) in Speedway the people people outside have to hope they set sky plus if the meets on as no one inside really cares if they miss half the meeting.

[Deano4265 0]

I have to say that more sense has been talked on the future of speedway on this thread than any of the others I have read, as they say 'Its bums on seats' that pay the bills! The £5 a head idea is whats needed, to fill the stadiums again, cram em in cheap, I know someone in Kiddy that went to football for years to watch his local southern league team, as the crowds grew he thought it would be good idea to have an advertisement auding at the stadium, this led to ball sponsorship, boot sponsorship and so on, had he not been there then he wouldn't have thrown his cash at the harriers.

 

Budweiser league basket ball was big in the UK around ten years ago, £12 for a family ticket and the same sort of player spectator relationship we have with the riders, 10,000 turned up at the NIA to Bulletts v Sharks the atmosphere was amazing, so they moved to the NEC bunged up the price to £10 and £5 to get in, crowds dissapeared like English summers and so did the bulletts, SKY dropped the league like a hot potato closely followed by Budweiser, the play offs at Wembley attracted 10,000 crowds every year not one day but two. The lesson this teaches is keep it affordable and accesible, the car park at the NEC was £8 on top of the entrance and the NEC is a thirty mile round trip from the old venue in the city.

 

What about £20 family tickets at speedway?

 

Why not race on Sunday afternoon or saturday night? When dad used to come home from pit at 2pm, we could get to speedway by 7pm for a pie and a pint, to get to speedway for seven now, dad has to leave the office two hours early, fight his way home, pick up the family and fight his way through traffic to the stadium, when he gets to the stadium theres no where to park if the gate is more than 1,000 and has to walk his family through some scarey places in the dark to reach the stadium, when we get there we have to queue for half an hour as only one turnstile is open and miss the first three heats, in football they delay the kickoff if people are trying to get in (SKY have to suffer the consequences) in Speedway the people people outside have to hope they set sky plus if the meets on as no one inside really cares if they miss half the meeting.

How many more clubs have to close for financial reasons before they realise that if the prices were dropped and families etc were encourage to go along they might survive - @ Rye it costs me £13 for me and £3 each for my 2 daughters and nephew, £2 per programe that isnt even worth 50p, fish chips from the local chippy as its cheaper and 100% better than they serve up @ Rye plus diesel to get to and from the track. Some away tracks are even more of a rip off Reading and Birmingham £5 per child. I'd like to see a promoter with balls and go £5 a head for everyone including a race card. I live in Hatfield about 12 miles from Rye House, there has never been any advertising in our local papers, posters in or around Hatfield, WGC, Potters Bar, St. Albans, Watford, Hemel, Harpenden, Luton, most have large shopping malls where a stand could be put up with riders taking it in turns to show of their gear. Why do promoters constantly advertise in Speedway star etc, speedway supporters already know what's on. We are now a multi cultural society yet our tracks see very little of the Polish fraternity, and we all know how big it is in Poland. The sport also needs a big revamp and the removal of the points limit.

[Snyper1010 24]

I agree on all that has been said so far. I got to the Scotwaste Arena (Armadale) every friday. I live about 25-30 miles away so thers fuel costs right away. All because Edinbugh City Council are too ignorant to take the sport seriously. Then its £13.50 an adults £5 for kids 12-16 anyone under 12 with a paying adult is allowed in free. But then you have £2 a program (who actually reads that rubbish?) you have about a fiver at the snack van. Then your pints, raffles, fuel fund. Also missed out the £1 for the car park (all adds up ) Prices need dropped to get more people into the stadiums and they need to stay low to keep them there.

 

Also on the rules side. Have you ever saw a newbie to the sport being told ALL the rules? watch there face drop and turn white.

There is no need in all the rules we have, atleast the bikes are simple an engine and a seat why cant the rules follow that method? Lose the TR its a stupid rule and can ruin a teams night and season if it proves vital on enough occasions. Lose the Points rule, so money will talk atleast we will see some proper competition rather than 2 top riders and 5 duds following behind. speedway has the foundations to be one of the top sport with its riders/fans access. As many of you will know by now i have been lucky to get alot of help from one of the pros to get my own gear going, but no one outside the sport would believe that we follow a sport so great that you can have a pro at your house helping you fix your own bike.

[olethefod 0]

I agree on all that has been said so far. I got to the Scotwaste Arena (Armadale) every friday. I live about 25-30 miles away so thers fuel costs right away. All because Edinbugh City Council are too ignorant to take the sport seriously. Then its £13.50 an adults £5 for kids 12-16 anyone under 12 with a paying adult is allowed in free. But then you have £2 a program (who actually reads that rubbish?) you have about a fiver at the snack van. Then your pints, raffles, fuel fund. Also missed out the £1 for the car park (all adds up ) Prices need dropped to get more people into the stadiums and they need to stay low to keep them there.

 

Also on the rules side. Have you ever saw a newbie to the sport being told ALL the rules? watch there face drop and turn white.

There is no need in all the rules we have, atleast the bikes are simple an engine and a seat why cant the rules follow that method? Lose the TR its a stupid rule and can ruin a teams night and season if it proves vital on enough occasions. Lose the Points rule, so money will talk atleast we will see some proper competition rather than 2 top riders and 5 duds following behind. speedway has the foundations to be one of the top sport with its riders/fans access. As many of you will know by now i have been lucky to get alot of help from one of the pros to get my own gear going, but no one outside the sport would believe that we follow a sport so great that you can have a pro at your house helping you fix your own bike.

 

At last we seem to have thread that has a common theme, with the exception of someone raising the start girls attire!

 

We have a number of simple concepts that we need addressing to ensure safety for our sport:

 

1) Take a serious look at pricing and match it too surroundings and customer base.

 

2) Stop driving away the Worlds greatest talent.

 

3) Asses if weekend racing is viable due to working practices now in place (We work far longer hours now than in the 40's, 50's and 60's, even though less productive, how productive can answering emails all day be?)

 

4) If you own a contract, you own the rider and he wears your colours, if you don't want him, sell him to someone offering the best deal.

 

5) A Cup system drawing teams from all three leagues like the FA Cup, not home and away, one leg only unless drawn.

 

6) Advertise everywhere and get our hands on a big name sponsor that everyone knows.

 

As I sit here looking at my Wolves line up from the early 70's with Ole Olsen, Hans Neilsen, Finn Thomsen, George Hunter, etc.........I think they were great days, but they ain't coming back so lets drop this 'In the old days' and start to look forward.

 

 

 

[Snyper1010 24]

At last we seem to have thread that has a common theme, with the exception of someone raising the start girls attire!

 

We have a number of simple concepts that we need addressing to ensure safety for our sport:

 

1) Take a serious look at pricing and match it too surroundings and customer base.

 

2) Stop driving away the Worlds greatest talent.

 

3) Asses if weekend racing is viable due to working practices now in place (We work far longer hours now than in the 40's, 50's and 60's, even though less productive, how productive can answering emails all day be?)

 

4) If you own a contract, you own the rider and he wears your colours, if you don't want him, sell him to someone offering the best deal.

 

5) A Cup system drawing teams from all three leagues like the FA Cup, not home and away, one leg only unless drawn.

 

6) Advertise everywhere and get our hands on a big name sponsor that everyone knows.

 

As I sit here looking at my Wolves line up from the early 70's with Ole Olsen, Hans Neilsen, Finn Thomsen, George Hunter, etc.........I think they were great days, but they ain't coming back so lets drop this 'In the old days' and start to look forward.

 

 

I think we need plenty of explosives to get rid of the BSPA before speedway will ever move forward

 

[Halifaxtiger 5,318]

Lets put my two penneth in and let everyone tear me to bits.

 

Guest riders, points limits, tactical rides. I am the exception because I agree with all of them.

 

Guest riders are, like 25 year fan has accurately said, a necessary evil. Look at Glasgow. One big star, injured and out for a big chunk of the season and can't sign an adequate replacement. I am certain that the loss of Parker has damaged gate figures anyway but replacing him a 5 point rider or even a CL one would do much more damage.

 

I can understand those that complain about points limits, rider control, call it what you will in that in some ways it penalises success. But, again, its better than the alternative. After all, without a points limit there's nothing to a handful of teams signing up a super strong outfit and dominating the league, leaving everyone else with the leftovers. A bit like the FA Carling Premiership, really. A points limit allows all teams to go in with an equal shout (at least on paper) while also allowing the successful teams to use their financial muscle within that limit. The PL title has been won by 7 clubs in 8 years, and that's down to the restrictions on riders.

 

I am for anything that makes speedway more exciting and there's no doubt that tactical rides do that. In addition, I fail to see any appreciable difference between that and the old tactical substitute rule, only that that was unlimited. Lets go back to two per meeting, I say.

 

At Mildenhall, we have coverage in several local newspapers including the local free rag. That's quite a lot of advertising. Blanket campaigns through out the season, however, are expensive and produce little effect. Target advertising is far more effective. Wait until you have a big meeting (such as an open one or a final) and swamp the area with posters and flyers. If people like it, they will come back.

 

Tracks. I am sure that everyone's sick and tired of me banging on about fair tracks but I believe that this is at the core of british speedway and its ability to survive and prosper. Fixed tracks mean huge margins, processional racing and crap, boring meetings. Fair tracks mean the opposition will have more of a go meaning better meetings, exciting results and closer racing. That's what speedway is all about. I was in favour of the dropping of bonus points because those that fix tracks gain nothing from it. This season gave us a huge opportunity to jump in the right direction where track preparation is concerned but its largely been lost.

 

You can't always guarantee a good close meeting but I am far from convinced that at present everything is done to make sure that is the case and that individual selfishness continues to rule.

 

Its not so much simplification of rules as getting rid of the stupid, contradictory and totally ludicrous ones that exist. There's no doubt that someone needs to take a long hard look at it.

 

Never forget its easy to put someone else's money where your mouth is. Would you be as happy to gamble with your money as someone elses ? Didn't think so.

 

Sometimes I think that some supporters believe that the BSPA are a set of fools and dolts who sit around dreaming up ways to sabotage the sport and their own businesses. Complete rubbish. The likes of Tony Mole, Keith Denham, Stewart Dickson, Allan Trump, Gordon Pairman, Len Silver and Stewart Douglas are all highly successful businessmen outside speedway who wouldn't miss a single opportunity to increase gate levels. I don 't doubt there have been some bad decisions, but to suggest these gentlemen haven't got a clue is way wide of the mark.

 

 

[Trees 2,814]

Then its £13.50 an adults £5 for kids 12-16 anyone under 12 with a paying adult is allowed in free. But then you have £2 a program (who actually reads that rubbish?) you have about a fiver at the snack van. Then your pints, raffles, fuel fund.

At Lynn we are paying £12 per adult, £8 concession, £4 12-16 and nothing 11 and under, everything else is up to you really, I never do the raffle I'm afraid or a fuel fund and have a couple of coffees at £2 a night. Of course u can print off your own scorecard as many people do these days, it would be quite interesting if each promoter printed a one sheet scorecard with sponsors names on the back costing 50p and the usual £2 prog to see which ones the fans went for

[Vince 9,454]

Lets put my two penneth in and let everyone tear me to bits.

 

Guest riders, points limits, tactical rides. I am the exception because I agree with all of them.

 

Guest riders are, like 25 year fan has accurately said, a necessary evil. Look at Glasgow. One big star, injured and out for a big chunk of the season and can't sign an adequate replacement. I am certain that the loss of Parker has damaged gate figures anyway but replacing him a 5 point rider or even a CL one would do much more damage.

 

I can understand those that complain about points limits, rider control, call it what you will in that in some ways it penalises success. But, again, its better than the alternative. After all, without a points limit there's nothing to a handful of teams signing up a super strong outfit and dominating the league, leaving everyone else with the leftovers. A bit like the FA Carling Premiership, really. A points limit allows all teams to go in with an equal shout (at least on paper) while also allowing the successful teams to use their financial muscle within that limit. The PL title has been won by 7 clubs in 8 years, and that's down to the restrictions on riders.

 

I am for anything that makes speedway more exciting and there's no doubt that tactical rides do that. In addition, I fail to see any appreciable difference between that and the old tactical substitute rule, only that that was unlimited. Lets go back to two per meeting, I say.

 

At Mildenhall, we have coverage in several local newspapers including the local free rag. That's quite a lot of advertising. Blanket campaigns through out the season, however, are expensive and produce little effect. Target advertising is far more effective. Wait until you have a big meeting (such as an open one or a final) and swamp the area with posters and flyers. If people like it, they will come back.

 

Tracks. I am sure that everyone's sick and tired of me banging on about fair tracks but I believe that this is at the core of british speedway and its ability to survive and prosper. Fixed tracks mean huge margins, processional racing and crap, boring meetings. Fair tracks mean the opposition will have more of a go meaning better meetings, exciting results and closer racing. That's what speedway is all about. I was in favour of the dropping of bonus points because those that fix tracks gain nothing from it. This season gave us a huge opportunity to jump in the right direction where track preparation is concerned but its largely been lost.

 

You can't always guarantee a good close meeting but I am far from convinced that at present everything is done to make sure that is the case and that individual selfishness continues to rule.

 

Its not so much simplification of rules as getting rid of the stupid, contradictory and totally ludicrous ones that exist. There's no doubt that someone needs to take a long hard look at it.

 

Never forget its easy to put someone else's money where your mouth is. Would you be as happy to gamble with your money as someone elses ? Didn't think so.

 

Sometimes I think that some supporters believe that the BSPA are a set of fools and dolts who sit around dreaming up ways to sabotage the sport and their own businesses. Complete rubbish. The likes of Tony Mole, Keith Denham, Stewart Dickson, Allan Trump, Gordon Pairman, Len Silver and Stewart Douglas are all highly successful businessmen outside speedway who wouldn't miss a single opportunity to increase gate levels. I don 't doubt there have been some bad decisions, but to suggest these gentlemen haven't got a clue is way wide of the mark.

 

I would agree with almost everything in that post. The exception being the tactical rule which I detest in any form. I would be quite happy to let the meeting run exactly as the program with the exception of injuries. Take all strategy except rider positions within the team away from the sport and let the winning and losing happen on the track and I would be happy.

I would also like to see the introduction of a short pre meeting practice session to take away some of the home track advantage and possibly the losing team to get the choice of gate positions to try and keep meetings alive.

Agree 100% about the tracks, I still hope that Promotions will be convinced to prepare fair racing strips but I think it is going to take 2 or 3 years without the bonus point to happen (if ever).

As for the BSPA, as Halifaxtiger says it is made up largely of succesful businessmen while the majority of this forum (including myself) isn't. Let's face it anybody who is as succesful as them has the opportunity to join them and show them how it should be done.

 

[MattK 3,447]

I'd like to see a promoter with balls and go £5 a head for everyone including a race card.

Do you know, thanks to extensive market research, that the reason people are not coming to speedway is the cost? If you cut the price to £5 a head, then the promoter will need to attract three times as many paying customers just to break even (at the gate). Where are these three times as many people going to come from? Are they sitting at home, wishing they could afford to go to speedway but can't? I don't believe they are to be honest.

 

The other thing to consider is - can clubs actually handle three times as many people turning up? Where are they going to park? Where are they going to stand? I've been to a few exceptionally busy meetings (Swindon play-off final for example) and it was chaos.

 

[Halifaxtiger 5,318]

Do you know, thanks to extensive market research, that the reason people are not coming to speedway is the cost? If you cut the price to £5 a head, then the promoter will need to attract three times as many paying customers just to break even (at the gate). Where are these three times as many people going to come from? Are they sitting at home, wishing they could afford to go to speedway but can't? I don't believe they are to be honest.

 

Spot on, Matt.

 

Ok, we might get a few more in but 3 times as many ? Doubt it very much.

[Humphrey Appleby 13,942]

As for the BSPA, as Halifaxtiger says it is made up largely of succesful businessmen

 

Being a successful businessman does necessarily qualify you to successfully running a sport, because sport isn't like a normal business. Most businesses compete against others in a normal marketplace, but whilst in a professional sports competition you might compete on track, you effectively need to run a league as a cooperative.

 

In addition, far too many promoters in recent times, have got involved in speedway for hobbyist or personal glorification reasons, and therein lies part of the problem.

 

[Humphrey Appleby 13,942]

Ok, we might get a few more in but 3 times as many ?

 

Not initially, but eventually you might. However, the above assumption pre-supposes that costs remain the same, when really what's needed is a significant reduction in these.

 

For me, the sport is currently in the position where it can't charge premium rates because its facilities are so poor, so the only real alternative is to market itself as cheap entertainment. GBP 15+ is an outrageous amount of money for the entertainment on offer, and is the fundamental reason why the sport has haemorraged supporters in the past years.

[MACK1 0]

Lets put my two penneth in and let everyone tear me to bits.

 

Guest riders, points limits, tactical rides. I am the exception because I agree with all of them.

 

Guest riders are, like 25 year fan has accurately said, a necessary evil. Look at Glasgow. One big star, injured and out for a big chunk of the season and can't sign an adequate replacement. I am certain that the loss of Parker has damaged gate figures anyway but replacing him a 5 point rider or even a CL one would do much more damage.

 

I can understand those that complain about points limits, rider control, call it what you will in that in some ways it penalises success. But, again, its better than the alternative. After all, without a points limit there's nothing to a handful of teams signing up a super strong outfit and dominating the league, leaving everyone else with the leftovers. A bit like the FA Carling Premiership, really. A points limit allows all teams to go in with an equal shout (at least on paper) while also allowing the successful teams to use their financial muscle within that limit. The PL title has been won by 7 clubs in 8 years, and that's down to the restrictions on riders.

 

I am for anything that makes speedway more exciting and there's no doubt that tactical rides do that. In addition, I fail to see any appreciable difference between that and the old tactical substitute rule, only that that was unlimited. Lets go back to two per meeting, I say.

 

At Mildenhall, we have coverage in several local newspapers including the local free rag. That's quite a lot of advertising. Blanket campaigns through out the season, however, are expensive and produce little effect. Target advertising is far more effective. Wait until you have a big meeting (such as an open one or a final) and swamp the area with posters and flyers. If people like it, they will come back.

 

Tracks. I am sure that everyone's sick and tired of me banging on about fair tracks but I believe that this is at the core of british speedway and its ability to survive and prosper. Fixed tracks mean huge margins, processional racing and crap, boring meetings. Fair tracks mean the opposition will have more of a go meaning better meetings, exciting results and closer racing. That's what speedway is all about. I was in favour of the dropping of bonus points because those that fix tracks gain nothing from it. This season gave us a huge opportunity to jump in the right direction where track preparation is concerned but its largely been lost.

 

You can't always guarantee a good close meeting but I am far from convinced that at present everything is done to make sure that is the case and that individual selfishness continues to rule.

 

Its not so much simplification of rules as getting rid of the stupid, contradictory and totally ludicrous ones that exist. There's no doubt that someone needs to take a long hard look at it.

 

Never forget its easy to put someone else's money where your mouth is. Would you be as happy to gamble with your money as someone elses ? Didn't think so.

 

Sometimes I think that some supporters believe that the BSPA are a set of fools and dolts who sit around dreaming up ways to sabotage the sport and their own businesses. Complete rubbish. The likes of Tony Mole, Keith Denham, Stewart Dickson, Allan Trump, Gordon Pairman, Len Silver and Stewart Douglas are all highly successful businessmen outside speedway who wouldn't miss a single opportunity to increase gate levels. I don 't doubt there have been some bad decisions, but to suggest these gentlemen haven't got a clue is way wide of the mark.

Like your last paragraph.I completely agree that the guys you mention are all successful businessmen outside of speedway,but,I think that problem occurs when they all get together with their fellow promoters at the BSPA.Management by large commitees does not seem to work satifactorily.I believe that if the BSPA were to slimmed down to say a maximun of three of the most able and astute people available it would be a massive step forward.I further believe that one of these people need not even be a current speedway promoter.

[MACK1 0]

Spot on, Matt.

 

Ok, we might get a few more in but 3 times as many ? Doubt it very much.

Just to add my tuppenceworth:I think it should be mandatory for every speedway stadium to have open fronted,covered grandstands with seats in this day and age.

[Snyper1010 24]

I disagree with the seating. Football was a joy to go to when it was all standing the seating has ruined atmospheres at alot of stadiums. Leave the all standing as it is.

 

 

 

We was talking about finding 3 times as many fans from out the blue. Just take a look at Edinburgh. we have increased our gates by just about that number if not more. Ok admittedly our success owes alot to that, but if the ticket prices were cut from the current £13.50 the new fans we have gained would then bring along friends and family therefore meaning an even bigger gain in spectators.