How Do We Attract A New Young Audience?

[Skid Sprocket 243]

That's not the point. The point is that the spectators need to be kept engaged during the breaks.

 

It's all very well being annoyed that kids and spectators might lose interest during track prep, but if people lose interest they won't come back.

There is always the forgotten art of conversation to fill the gaps in a meeting, young and old might even learn something new.

[Grachan 7,360]

There is always the forgotten art of conversation to fill the gaps in a meeting, young and old might even learn something new.

 

So what you are suggesting is that there is no presentation between races and people are left to talk with each other in a where the only other sound is that of a tractor going round?

[Skid Sprocket 243]

So what you are suggesting is that there is no presentation between races and people are left to talk with each other in a where the only other sound is that of a tractor going round?

If you can hear the presentation between races and it keeps spectators engaged then there is no problem, you were wanting something to keep them engaged.

[Bagpuss 10,778]

You seem to have lost the development of the thread. It's not just kids that need attracting to speedway. It's all ages.

 

To get people through the gates expectations have to be met.

First & formost, to a newbie in this modern day the action tends to be irrelevant initially.

 

When you visit somewhere for the first time it's what you see and feel as a venue that can grab you.

 

We're similar I'm sure in that we could happily watch a meeting in a cow field p!ss against a tree if needed etc. I'm happy with the standard of the AFA, as are 1200 others that turn up week in week out.

 

Just remember what this thread is about. Attracting new punters. On that basis, the AFA still is nowhere near up to scratch.

 

These simply need to sink in with some fans & promoter's.

 

Speedway venues up and down the country will be compared to Old Trafford, Wembley, O2 Arena, Sheffield Arena etc. It's what today's expectations are if we want to deliver to crowds of 3-4-5,000+ on a weekly basis rather than 1,000 today.

 

I have to say I don't think there is too much wrong with the AFA as a stadium that tarmacing the large car park wouldn't fix. I think the toilets are perfectly acceptable and a world away from what was in place before Buster's renovations. I don't think covered seating is necessarily a requirement for a summer sport's venue (most cricket stadia are open aired)and I don't think you can realistically compare any Premiership football ground (a multi million pound competition) with stadia of a minority sport like speedway.

 

For me I think in terms of a venue for an outdoor night out, a speedway stadium which has a non muddy car park, clean toilets, a bar and food outlets with decent choice and reasonably prompt service and clean terraces to stand on is perfectly acceptable.

[Gemini 4,894]

There is always the forgotten art of conversation to fill the gaps in a meeting, young and old might even learn something new.

Unfortunately my dog is always asleep and wouldn't appreciate me waking her up for some inane conversation.

[Derwent 271]

What speedway really needs is an outsider in the mould of someone like Barry Hearn coming in to shake things up and make it more marketable. Look what has happened to darts, as an example. They've taken something that was largely seen as an old mans pub game and turned it into a vibrant experience that draws big TV audiences, fills arenas and has attracted massive sponsorship money. Ok, it all a bit "laddish" but if you want to attract the money then you need to appeal to the masses, not to Howard & Hilda sitting in their matching kagouls on folding chairs on the 2nd bend drinking tea from a flask.

[steve roberts 9,242]

What speedway really needs is an outsider in the mould of someone like Barry Hearn coming in to shake things up and make it more marketable. Look what has happened to darts, as an example. They've taken something that was largely seen as an old mans pub game and turned it into a vibrant experience that draws big TV audiences, fills arenas and has attracted massive sponsorship money. Ok, it all a bit "laddish" but if you want to attract the money then you need to appeal to the masses, not to Howard & Hilda sitting in their matching kagouls on folding chairs on the 2nd bend drinking tea from a flask.

I suspect that your reference to 'Howard & Hilda' would be lost on most people...but not me! I remember the sit-com well...sad really!

Edited December 29, 2015 by steve roberts

[Trees 2,814]

That's not the point. The point is that the spectators need to be kept engaged during the breaks.It's all very well being annoyed that kids and spectators might lose interest during track prep, but if people lose interest they won't come back.

So play some great tunes, have some banter over the tannoy during breaks, get the kids chanting, give the kids name checks, read out tweets, give answers to comp in the prog (14 questions, one after each race) etc etc .... make some effort

[van wolfswinkel 635]

My next-door neighbour who is 10, and his Mum loved their first visit to Blunsdon, thing is cant go again in school-term as the late finish meant he was kipping in class the next day.

Said he was bored between races, but loved the crashes!

Edited December 29, 2015 by Mad Moose

[ColinMills 1,728]

razzamatazz, hype, atmosphere, ingredients needed to grab a youngster

[Gemini 4,894]

What speedway really needs is an outsider in the mould of someone like Barry Hearn coming in to shake things up and make it more marketable. Look what has happened to darts, as an example. They've taken something that was largely seen as an old mans pub game and turned it into a vibrant experience that draws big TV audiences, fills arenas and has attracted massive sponsorship money. Ok, it all a bit "laddish" but if you want to attract the money then you need to appeal to the masses, not to Howard & Hilda sitting in their matching kagouls on folding chairs on the 2nd bend drinking tea from a flask.

Fills arenas indoors not standing/sitting outside in the cold and rain. I don't think Speedway will ever appeal to the masses again no matter what changes are made so unfortunately people will have to put up with us oldies sitting on folding chairs until we're no longer able to get our weary legs to the stadium. We're all doomed.

[ColinMills 1,728]

How about a season opener, where all clubs start with a challenge match with open gates and a donation bucket?

lets just see, if speedway can entice any newbies after a dose of "free" speedway..the ben fund, riders performed for free, when

the new air safety fences were introduced, the riders (I believe rode for free) at some tracks. lets see if we can actually

entice people for free, because if you cant do it for free, then lets face it, you certainly wont when charging £15.......And anybody

donating in the buckets, hand them an incentive the following week, paying adult, free kiddy. if they attend twice, they then likely

to return as a paying customer!!

[Humphrey Appleby 13,951]

Test cricket has a problem and we have to accept it has to change to suit modern life. I am a traditionalist. I was a player suited to Test match cricket and I loved the long form of the game in the way it challenged every aspect of your technique and character.

I think speedway would still be happy with the attendances that test cricket gets though.

 

The simple fact though, is that first class cricket should never have existed as a professional sport given how long it takes to play, the fact the action takes place some distance away from the spectators, and there's large gaps between the action. However, it still became very popular despite that, and even today pulls decent crowds at an international level.

 

I think both T20 and test cricket have their place (although I'm less enamoured with one day cricket which is a pig-in-a-poke to me) and for different reasons. I like passing the time of day at Lords or wherever, whereas the full-on 'experience' at the likes of the Big Bash (where I went yesterday) would hurt my head before long. Equally though, I paid less to watch some of the best players in the world in one of the best cricket stadiums in the world, than I would to watch so-called Elite League speedway in a ramshackle stadium.

 

So with respect to speedway, I don't think it's a matter of comparing test cricket to T20, but improving the value of the product and the general experience. It's also a matter of having decent marketing that properly leverages social media and the modern app world, rather than handing over the commercial rights to an old mate who doesn't know the first thing about how to exploit them properly.

Edited December 30, 2015 by Humphrey Appleby

[Shale Searcher 1,264]

I think speedway would still be happy with the attendances that test cricket gets though.

 

The simple fact though, is that first class cricket should never have existed as a professional sport given how long it takes to play, the fact the action takes place some distance away from the spectators, and the large gaps between the action. However, it still became very popular despite that, and even today pulls decent crowds at an international level.

 

I think both T20 and test cricket have their place (although I'm less enamoured with one day cricket which is a pig-in-a-poke to me) and for different reasons. I like passing the time of day at Lords or wherever, wheres the full-on 'experience' at the likes of the Big Bash (where I went yesterday) would hurt my head before long. Equally though, I paid less to watch some of the best players in the world in one of the best cricket stadiums in the world, than I would to watch so-called Elite League speedway in a ramshackle stadium.

 

So with respect to speedway, I don't think it's a matter of comparing test cricket to T20, but improving the value of the product and the general experience. It's also a matter of having decent marketing that properly leverages social media and the modern app world, rather than handing over the commercial rights to an old ate who doesn't know the first thing about how to exploit them properly.

You paid less, but surely most of the £18 admission to speedway goes on paying the speedway riders? Reduce the admission, and unless the additional spectators meets the shortfall in revenue from the reduced admission, then the riders will have to take a pay cut, and let's be honest, around £300 for winning a race is not exactly millionaires row earnings is it.....?

You know, a nice red shale and a well manicured grass centre green is a lot more pleasant on the eyes than a sh** up dirty browny-grey tarmacced middle..

[Humphrey Appleby 13,951]

You paid less, but surely most of the £18 admission to speedway goes on paying the speedway riders? Reduce the admission, and unless the additional spectators meets the shortfall in revenue from the reduced admission, then the riders will have to take a pay cut, and let's be honest, around £300 for winning a race is not exactly millionaires row earnings is it.....?

I fully understand the problem, but the fact of the matter is that Elite League speedway is a poor value product. I was able to pay the equivalent of 16 quid (and the cheapest adult tickets were about a tenner) because the Big Bash can pull 30,000 spectators to a run-of-the-mill match, as well as leverage decent sponsorship because sponsors want to be associated with the product.

 

Regardless of whether riders are getting to be millionaires or not, they're unfortunately not worth what they're being paid in terms of the crowds they're pulling. And if the majority of 18 quid is wages, then something is badly wrong with the economic structure of the sport.