mikebv 10,270 Posted December 28, 2016 (edited) I think the first thing to do is to charge realistic admission prices. How can I justify £42 every week plus the odd away match for myself and my wife? It's not the money but what am I getting for this. Santa Pod went down this route and went bust 3 times before a realist took over. A full days racing 9 hours, bikes, cars all classes 240+ mph costs us about £40 for a National event. Come on Speedway get into the real world !!! Spot on, but.... Santa Pod don't pay salaries twice a week to seven people from one meetings income... Speedway does, it cannot afford to do it, but it ignores that small fact and still does it anyway... Speedways business model is totally wrong with regards to it being a team sport in Britain, ie too much paid out and not enough coming in, no credibility in the competition's that are ran, no integrity in its rule making and administration etc. etc.. Basic economic reality is that it doesn't work but very little is done to change it, no radical ideas or plans.. The frustration is that the Sport can be great to watch, (mostly at GP and SEC level), it's sadly the capability in bringing that level of 'greatness' to the masses that is lacking.. Watch a great GP from the comfort of your armchair, cans chilling nicely in the fridge, take away curry leaflet sat next to the TV remote, ready to ring up during an interval in the racing to arrive at the optimum time when your lager is chilled to perfection, and you will have a 'great night'.... Decide that you will attend a local meeting that week inspired by what you have seen and hearing that two of the riders you have watched will be there... Attend the track, baulk a wee bit and raise an eyebrow at the admission cost, (almost double what you paid for your lager and curry) stand there in the cold with no one within five metres of you, desperately trying to hear a muffled announcement over the tannoy, hear enough of it to realise that the two GP riders you watched on Saturday night are actually 'somewhere else' so the teams have 'borrowed' riders from elsewhere. Between races instead of expert punditry to pass the five to ten minutes, you get to watch tractors going round and round and round, whilst listening to a muffled Brotherhood of Man belting out their 1976 hit Save your Kisses for Me followed by some Jethro Tull.. Two and a half hours later you have seen fifteen minutes of action, some good but most not so, watching some riders wobble around at the back a full straight behind the leader, your fingers and feet have gone numb, you have tasted coffee like you have never tasted before (but at least it kept your hands warm for a while) and you go home thinking.. "Is that really the same sport? Think I will stick to the TV in future"... Speedway (in this country) will, for me, evolve into 'stand alone' events, similar to other motor sports, all day events with different ages, ability levels and even disciplines, (flat track, sidecars, quads etc all at the same event) and have to dispense with twenty odd meetings a week raced on random nights, just to fit fixtures in, crammed with any level of rider just to make up 'select teams'.. Still can be a great sport to watch when done right, so there is always hope it can rise again. If a pub game like darts can attract huge audiences to the venue and to watch on TV, and make household names out of its competitors, then Speedway must have a chance if it can organise enough meaningful, well marketed, professionally presented and promoted meetings surely? Less may actually be more going forward... Edited December 28, 2016 by mikebv 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted December 28, 2016 If you want to 'move away from the gloom' on this thread, take a look at something more upbeat at And The Good News Is, Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
waytogo28 2,054 Posted December 28, 2016 Pleased to hear that someone ( mikebv ) is telling it as it is - the difference between the TV experience and the in-stadium experience. When you get to your local track that is just what it is like. Poor value and lacking much content other than - if you are lucky - three or four heats with some passing or a point of interest. " is it the same sport" is really the case at my local track. Fallen out of love with it, as it is at the trackside and there seems little or no interest by the BSPA or individual promoters in improving all aspects of presentation. A dwindling attendance can only get worse until/ unless the promoters actually take look at what they are selling at live matches. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pieman72 588 Posted December 30, 2016 I do hope that this is not a downbeat post but something that can get to the fundamentals of why our wonderful sport is stuggling to survive. Please can we have more idea's really radical proposals to get those turnstyles turning !!! Anything barmy or different as long as it's not offensive. Some of the most illogical things have gone on to be world beaters. Take for example skiing which has been totally upstaged by snow boarding but they sucessfully co-exist. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Newbie65 4 Posted December 30, 2016 (edited) Watching speedway at National League level is like watching any other sport at grass-root level. I don't go there for comfort / first class production but to watch honest guys performing at their highest level, on top of that I am maybe seeing the beginning of a starling career in the sport. I don't have the large number of years watching as many of the contributors on here have, and I don't have the memories of the halcyon days (apart from watching World of Sport) but I from one am happy to pay my hard earned cash to watch. Edited December 30, 2016 by Newbie65 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
moxey63 1,785 Posted December 30, 2016 (edited) A new fan of modern day speedway has the luxury, the comfort of knowing not a lot of the halcyon days. Keep it that way. You won't realise how low the sport has sunk. how fast. Stay happy... don't ever trawl back.. back to a time before clapping eyes on speedway racing. Those were Golden Days. This is the best it should get for you. There is nothing like your initial years of watching your new sport. Enjoy it while it lasts... Edited December 30, 2016 by moxey63 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Newbie65 4 Posted December 30, 2016 Thanks Moxey...I will. I have similar tales of the halcyon days of other sports, many of them I watched and remember fondly if at times with rose tinted glasses. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikebv 10,270 Posted December 31, 2016 (edited) Watching speedway at National League level is like watching any other sport at grass-root level. I don't go there for comfort / first class production but to watch honest guys performing at their highest level, on top of that I am maybe seeing the beginning of a starling career in the sport. I don't have the large number of years watching as many of the contributors on here have, and I don't have the memories of the halcyon days (apart from watching World of Sport) but I from one am happy to pay my hard earned cash to watch. The NL for me is probably the best ran League, unfortunately beholding to its bigger brothers who decimate it throughout the season by taking riders as their needs must... Admission prices are about right, minimal amount of guests, teams of similar standards due to a less disparate difference between the 14 riders on show who are, in the main, semi pro if not even amateur... Similar to how the second tier was ran years ago, young often local British lads dreaming of stardom mixed with old experienced heads earning a few extra quid alongside their day jobs, whilst others in the team (often the journeymen) used it as a paid hobby, they covered costs and even if they didnt quite do that it was worth it as they loved what they did.. Keep enjoying the NL, a good competitive League and probably Team Speedways true level from an economic perspective in this country... Edited December 31, 2016 by mikebv 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shale Searcher 1,264 Posted January 15, 2017 (edited) Your team, but they're not your riders.... You turn up to watch "your" team, only to find out that your number 1 is actually riding in Sweden tonight and is replaced by a rider that rode against your team last week!! Your teams number 4 is also not there... He got injured last night riding for one of his "other" teams...!! You also have your number 3 absent, he's has a meeting tomorrow in Poland, and his Polish team insist he's there the day before for team practise, so you have to have a "wobbler" guest from a lower league to replace him!! And you wonder why people fall out with speedway, and why it's hard to get new people to attend for a second time.... Edited January 15, 2017 by Shale Searcher 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pieman72 588 Posted January 17, 2017 As a result of digital broadcasters speedway is in terminal decline. I find unless your an ardent fan watching the sport on tv be it digital or terrestrial is utterly boring. Watching speedway taking in the noise, smell, atmosphere and excitement is the only way and without spectators the sport will die. The revenue gleaned from this is hastening the closures and doing nothing to promote the sport. The administrators need to critically analyse the model they are using and realise it is not working. Enthusiasts like use need to be heard before it's too late. Parochial nit picking is not the answer I don't think everyone understands how serious this is !! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The White Knight 9,039 Posted January 19, 2017 As a result of digital broadcasters speedway is in terminal decline. I find unless your an ardent fan watching the sport on tv be it digital or terrestrial is utterly boring. Watching speedway taking in the noise, smell, atmosphere and excitement is the only way and without spectators the sport will die. The revenue gleaned from this is hastening the closures and doing nothing to promote the sport. The administrators need to critically analyse the model they are using and realise it is not working. Enthusiasts like use need to be heard before it's too late. Parochial nit picking is not the answer I don't think everyone understands how serious this is !! Actually - I think they do The problem is I don't think they know what to do about it. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vince 9,454 Posted January 20, 2017 As a result of digital broadcasters speedway is in terminal decline. I find unless your an ardent fan watching the sport on tv be it digital or terrestrial is utterly boring. Watching speedway taking in the noise, smell, atmosphere and excitement is the only way and without spectators the sport will die. The revenue gleaned from this is hastening the closures and doing nothing to promote the sport. The administrators need to critically analyse the model they are using and realise it is not working. Enthusiasts like use need to be heard before it's too late. Parochial nit picking is not the answer I don't think everyone understands how serious this is !! I'd disagree in that we live more than an hours drive from our nearest track and I know several people locally who only watch Speedway on TV. I'd completely disagree about it being boring, of course sometimes it is but especially with the GP's you get some fantastic racing on the TV and the sport is made for it with it's short races. For me the only harm the TV does is when you see how empty the stadiums are it reflects badly, I think the BSPA should look at £1 entry for Sky matches. I know this has been proven not to increase crowds afterwards but for me it would be sensible use of the TV as an advertising medium and full crowds on TV would help the sponsorship chase. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
waytogo28 2,054 Posted January 20, 2017 Certainly the BSPA should make every effort to have full stadiums for the televised Sky matches because for the casual viewer it must look like a dead or dying sport. It should not be more than £5 and it would be worth seeing the turnout for a £1 televised match. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pieman72 588 Posted January 20, 2017 I just can't understand why the authorities and promotors want to charge so much and be left with an empty stadium. Lets make speedway cheap and cheerful with spectators. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shale Searcher 1,264 Posted January 20, 2017 I just can't understand why the authorities and promotors want to charge so much and be left with an empty stadium. Lets make speedway cheap and cheerful with spectators. Don't think the top league in any professional sport should have an image of "cheap and cheerful" If a sponsor could be found that could provide funds for televised fixtures, on top of the sky deal monies, perhaps the tv fixtures could be run at no cost to the promoter, then, they could run the tv matches at little cost for admission, perhaps even on a donation to the "Ben Fund" could secure admission.... That's a win, win in My book, although that would mean a better and more spread of tv fixtures being allocated amongst the clubs.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
