Speedway Star Article On Facilities

[Lakeside Shrimper 0]

LS, thanks for emailing the article, interesting reading

 

If anything I would take the exact opposite view in that for the sport to survive and prosper it must generate good returns for co-operative landlords rather than look to become the owners themselves.

 

Essentially I cant see that the speedway community would be able to raise the initial finance either internally or externally to create their own stadiums, many of the examples you quote would I guess have had a fairly substantial element of funding from the Football Trust or similar such orgainisation as well as possible proceeds from the sale of existing facilities, and even if the returns from the 'extras' surrounding the track were cash generators why would lenders include a vast (in relative terms) area that was used for such a specialist and loss making (if EL promoters are to be believed) activity as speedway

 

Even in its current state there are very few tracks where speedway is 'profitable' and many where facilities are subsidised by other activities be it greyhounds, stock cars or whatever so perhaps we should look to how the sport can be developed to start being an attractive (both physically and financially) tenant before we get ahead of ourselves and look to pour money the sport doesnt have into new stadia

 

Hi Tony...thanks for the comments.

 

In brief, I should state that 90% of football clubs do not run at a profit, and likewise, most stadiums these days are being funded principally by the Council under the guise of a mixed-use community venue. The Football Club then typically become tenants under a Council appointed 'Stadium Management Company' who then try to make a profit out of the anicilliary facilities such as conference suites, 5-a-side pitches etc...

 

You are correct in saying that the Football Foundation offer Stadia Improvement Funds and grants, but they are only a very small part of the build cost. There is nothing stopping speedway promotions from obtaining funding from bodies such as Sport England, as long as the facility has a greater benefit on the community leisure provision. This is why Speedway promotions will not get away with merely building speedway-only tracks. Mixed-use is the way forward imho, and this is both how a business plan can be put forward to obtain the funding in the first instance, and also how a profit can be made over the life of the building.

[TonyM 0]

Hi Tony...thanks for the comments.

 

In brief, I should state that 90% of football clubs do not run at a profit, and likewise, most stadiums these days are being funded principally by the Council under the guise of a mixed-use community venue. The Football Club then typically become tenants under a Council appointed 'Stadium Management Company' who then try to make a profit out of the anicilliary facilities such as conference suites, 5-a-side pitches etc...

 

You are correct in saying that the Football Foundation offer Stadia Improvement Funds and grants, but they are only a very small part of the build cost. There is nothing stopping speedway promotions from obtaining funding from bodies such as Sport England, as long as the facility has a greater benefit on the community leisure provision. This is why Speedway promotions will not get away with merely building speedway-only tracks. Mixed-use is the way forward imho, and this is both how a business plan can be put forward to obtain the funding in the first instance, and also how a profit can be made over the life of the building.

 

Appreciate what you are saying about how football clubs and councils can stucture a deal whereby the football club is in effect 'subsidised' through other use or peppercorn rents but it is far easier to run a 'football in the community' scheme than one for speedway (even given the good work Lynn have done with their study centre)

 

I would be amazed if speedway could meet the Sport England criteria in the way more traditional sports can in terms of participation / equality etc

 

I think we both agree on mixed use, I just dont see how a speedway club could lead such a venture, even if you take out the fact that the sport is on its knees financially other sports have access to so many other funding streams that speedway because of the way it is governed (for want of a better term) does not. IMO a speedway club would nearly always be better going in as a 'second partner' or whatever term you wanted to use. Interesting that at the end of your article you use the example of Exeter Rugby club and their new stadium, not sure if you knew but they used to be landlords for the speedway but when they moved no provision for speedway was included - perhaps if speedway was seen as a key partner in the use of the stadium rather than something they were happy to leave behind we could get the facility upgrade we think is long overdue for speedway (also ask the question why the speedway didnt lead the move and have the rugby club as tenants and why Exeter speedway rather than building from scratch is now working with the local racecourse)

[invadersfan 0]

I'd rather piddle in the bushes and sting me arse on the stingers than go to the toilets at Eastbourne

 

[clarabuc 0]

Away you go then........

[25yearfan 476]

Speedway does not need buckets of cash thrown at it

 

What it needs is more people on bikes

 

HOW YOU ASK ...NON LEAUGE RACING.

 

Open up all the tracks that can’t afford league racing for amateurs to have a go racing no prize money just trophies.

 

Every rider on a bike gets 4 in the gate plus other spectators and bring the admission price down

 

I was reading another thread on lack of training facilities why should you be training and for what get racing form your own rider clubs and do it yourselves.

Then you can create a rider depth and people can show how good they are before hitting the Pro Leauge scoring 2 points and getting canned.

 

In a nutshell the more people involved.... the bigger the following ....... make a lot of noise doing it

Then the sponsors and money starts coming in

 

 

Good idea and there is already a healthy amatuer scene in speedway that could do such a thing but how many defunct tracks are available now?

 

Oxford is there but I doubt the GRA would consider renting it out for a handful of amatuer meetings!

 

Newport will probably come back into league racing once Tim Stones legal affairs have been sorted out.

 

Is the Hull track still in place?

 

There are more than a few stadiums still about that once staged speedway but have either been rebuilt or the speedway track doesn't exist anymore.

[RogH. 0]

A quick answer, no the Hull track is not in place, you can not tell there ever was a track at Craven Park.

[martinmauger 584]

A quick answer, no the Hull track is not in place, you can not tell there ever was a track at Craven Park.

 

That's right, in fact the only "speedway bits" left are a bit of dirt/shale outside the touchline on used to be the straights and the pits behind turn 4. Well the pits were still there last time I looked a few months back....

 

[sandman 0]

Speedway does not need buckets of cash thrown at it

 

What it needs is more people on bikes

 

HOW YOU ASK ...NON LEAUGE RACING.

 

Open up all the tracks that can’t afford league racing for amateurs to have a go racing no prize money just trophies.

 

Every rider on a bike gets 4 in the gate plus other spectators and bring the admission price down

 

I was reading another thread on lack of training facilities why should you be training and for what get racing form your own rider clubs and do it yourselves.

Then you can create a rider depth and people can show how good they are before hitting the Pro Leauge scoring 2 points and getting canned.

 

In a nutshell the more people involved.... the bigger the following ....... make a lot of noise doing it

Then the sponsors and money starts coming in

 

involvement at that level is very important. Billy Hamill has done the Gumball rally, racing for youngsters, for some years now. He knows the future of the sport needs fresh talent. He promotes it as a family sport. I do believe your statements above are absolutely correct. In the states, pro motorcycle racers all started in non pro events, and Nascar racers like Robbie Gordon & Jimmy Johnson were desert rats as children racing in amateur races and in Johnsons case, he started on motorcycles. It was all just family outins with his parents on weekends, and look at where he is now. I think your post was spot on.

[olethefod 0]

As always some great ideas put forward on an age old topic. I was just watching the TV and two cycle riders were being interviewed at a velodrome, didn't catch the drift of the conversation but did notice who was sponsoring the velodrome....Tissot the watch maker...They throw thousands at the sport, I would add, even though thousands of people cycle (This has been used on this forum as a reason for the money, the attendances at local cycle meets can be counted on one hand if you don't include the competitors, who sponsors the time keeping on the SGP circuit? TAG, Maurice Lequar, Gucci, Tissot, nope!

 

Some one in the forum said get more people on motor bikes, I hate motor bikes yet love speedway, I love the way the riders put everything on the line week in week out, I love their must win attitude and they way they connect with the fans.

 

Re the £200 million about to be thrown at grass routes football, its because they look and sound professional when interviewed, they wouldn't dream of saying the goal mouth was s**t thats why I missed the penalty, would speedway riders be the same......mmmmmmmmmmm! No. Football had to re-invent it self ten years ago, it drafted in all the best foreigners, we drove ours away by lowering points averages, it built new stadiums, we layed tracks on open land and old landfills and offered a porta loo!

 

What ever we say on here its about hard cash, its business at the end of the day.

 

Over the years the big sponsors have left speedway high and dry as we served up rubbish in tatty surroundings, bad news is, last few weeks we have served up more rubbish in empty tatty surroundings, how can the team rock bottom in the Elite league own the contracts of Nikki Pederson, Peter Karlsson and Tai Woffenden and still not win at home, dont think this would happen to Man Utd do you, so a club wins year in year out because they have the most money and best riders, this is the cruel way of sport, we dont ask federa to use a smaller racket to give the others a chance, anyone heard of Chelsea and the 40,000 thay attract ever week and the five thousand they add to your gate when they visit?

[Snyper1010 24]

We all sit on these pages and talk and talk about what we feel is going wrong. The point is we all have the answers but we have no workable solutions. Im afraid i dont have several million pound to open up a track for training purposes.

 

Speedway is never going to have kids flocking to it until we can get solid future minded specialised training tracks and schools. Why would a parent go out and spend £1,000 for a bike £100 for a helmet another 100 or so fir kevlars then a couple hundred for boots etc etc etc when they can simply go and buy a £30 pair of football boots and be done with the matter.

 

I own a bike, ok i aint the youngest of people but the hassle to find a track with regular access to the public is a nightmare.

 

 

We need an across the board initiative on how to rectify these issues.

 

My idea on this matter would be as follows.

 

Edinburgh, Glasgow, Newcastle and Berwick (maybe Workington) could between them afford to open a simple training track/facility, that would accomodate the needs of Scotland and Nothern England.

 

I cant be bothered going through all the clubs but you get the idea a few clubs within reasonable distance could all come together to provide these facilities in a central location to all there home tracks.

 

 

Another thing i find astonishing is that speedway must be the only sport in the world where a professional participant does not get to train. A friend of mine who happens to ride for a pro club has told me is a case of going to the tracks getting on the bike and racing. This being down to the lack of facilties now IMO that is absolutely rediculous and is one thing that would turn anyone away from the sport.

 

Just my opinion.

[star ghost 7]

Training Speedway riders would be difficult as most tracks are limited to a very few hours a week and this will only cover the match times.

The cheaper admission idea could work. After all a lot at a reasonable price is better than a few at astronomic prices, the ones attending at cheaper prices would pass the word round and have more chance of bringing others and the possibility of them continuing to come on a more regular basis.

Unfortunately the days are gone when a junior from the second half stepped up into the team to replace a top man, and succeeded. This happened at Norwich when Phil Clarke was pitched into the side to replace injured Bert Spencer and kept there for 13 years. Nowadays its "Bring in a Guest" every time. Ev ery season teams are torn apart and riders leave. How can people form allegience to that

 

[Snyper1010 24]

Training Speedway riders would be difficult as most tracks are limited to a very few hours a week and this will only cover the match times.

The cheaper admission idea could work. After all a lot at a reasonable price is better than a few at astronomic prices, the ones attending at cheaper prices would pass the word round and have more chance of bringing others and the possibility of them continuing to come on a more regular basis.

Unfortunately the days are gone when a junior from the second half stepped up into the team to replace a top man, and succeeded. This happened at Norwich when Phil Clarke was pitched into the side to replace injured Bert Spencer and kept there for 13 years. Nowadays its "Bring in a Guest" every time. Ev ery season teams are torn apart and riders leave. How can people form allegience to that

 

Simple ban guests UNLESS two of your 7 nominated riders are injured then it should be a 2nd half rider and the clubs choice whether they get a guest for the second place.

[Ron Butler 0]

Where will this all all this talk of new facilities get speedway. I read today that the Football Association is pumping £200million into grass roots football. Where would speedway ever get that sort of cash to improve speedway from?

 

And are the GRA such an ogre to speedway? They only have two tracks under their control (Belle Vue and Birmingham) and since 2005 have lost interest in Wimbledon and Oxford. Not really "overall control" of British speedway tracks!

 

I assume the British Speedway Promoters Association equivalent would be slick shale speedway?

 

[Ron Butler 0]

speedyguy you missed my point.

 

The reason why football can get all that money is simple the number of people playing the game from kids to semi pro level. And that turns into spectator level at the Premier leauge.

 

Speedway doesnt have a real grasslevel where anyone can develop other than training schools and or grasstrack. (not talking about fan base here).

 

As i said in my last post a group of past riders, want to be riders and or their dads should form clubs and start non leauge racing at some of these defunct or struggling tracks at lest give them a chance to encourge young guys to come into and try.

 

Its better than no growth or development.

 

I note, Snailexpress, that you are resident in Singapore. Could this mean, I wonder, that you may be out-of-touch with British speedway and its basic day-to-day problems?

 

I ask this as a genuine question not as a statement of fact.