When Did Uk Speedway Decline Start?

[Tsunami 10,219]

Riders racing for more than one club is still the "BIG" killer in my mind.. I try and not talk about this element when discussing my sport with friends that are not speedway fans (this happens frequently, as I am quite involved in speedway, on a voluntary basis) so having days off work (hols) occasionally leaving early (weeknight meetings) speedway is frequently involved in my conversations.....

Explaining we didn't have one or two of our riders last night, due to the fact they were (playing) for another team, and quite likely, the riders we borrowed from another team or two, just doesn't make sense to them, does not go down well, or sit right with them as fans of other team sports.. Why do you put up with it? I'm asked... That's just how they earn their money, racing for "other" teams as well as my team!!

 

Until riders ride for just one team, I doubt it will ever recover and/or become media food..

Until we get enough young Brits to take those team places, we are either talking about DU's or even more foreign riders. Got to be done but it takes time.

[ch958 2,395]

Until we get enough young Brits to take those team places, we are either talking about DU's or even more foreign riders. Got to be done but it takes time.

i personally believe there are sufficient in the NL who are not wobblers and could be used. It does mean weakening the 2nd tier and severely restricting doubling but i believe thats the way forward.

I understand 2nd tier fans enjoy Cook, King, etc but they have to pick one league in this country for me for the sake of credibility

i also believe 6 man teams could work

Edited February 7, 2017 by ch958

[Tsunami 10,219]

i personally believe there are sufficient in the NL who are not wobblers and could be used. It does mean weakening the 2nd tier and severely restricting doubling but i believe thats the way forward.

I understand 2nd tier fans enjoy Cook, King, etc but they have to pick one league in this country for me for the sake of credibility

i also believe 6 man teams could work

Yes, there is some good ones coming in, but we need more before we become self sufficient without lower grade foreigners to make up our leagues. Can't agree about the 6 man teams after what we discovered when we had them in 1997.

[Shale Searcher 1,264]

Until we get enough young Brits to take those team places, we are either talking about DU's or even more foreign riders. Got to be done but it takes time.

Even get ribbed ....... Who's in your team tonight!!

 

 

That apart, how will riders manage with only one team? Surely that would be halving their earnings?

 

Just wondering.....?

Edited February 7, 2017 by Shale Searcher

[ch958 2,395]

Yes, there is some good ones coming in, but we need more before we become self sufficient without lower grade foreigners to make up our leagues. Can't agree about the 6 man teams

 

after what we discovered when we had them in 1997.

no i wouldnt want 6 man teams tbh

 

 

Even get ribbed ....... Who's in your team tonight!!

 

 

That apart, how will riders manage with only one team? Surely that would be halving their earnings?

 

Just wondering.....?

 

not to sound cruel but thats their problem - get a job maybe

[Shale Searcher 1,264]

no i wouldnt want 6 man teams tbh

 

 

 

not to sound cruel but thats their problem - get a job maybe

Which is what they do, get another job doing the same work... (second job speedway riding) Do you actually mean they need to go and get a 8-4.30 job, perhaps packing biscuits?

 

I think that's what's crawing, to bring them back down to earth, in the real world, they need to also have a job like the fans....

 

 

 

Or, should the lesser riders (say 2nd string and below from the 2nd division) ought to have proper jobs, and speedway be the 2ND job?

Edited February 7, 2017 by Shale Searcher

[robert72 845]

Until we get enough young Brits to take those team places, we are either talking about DU's or even more foreign riders. .

The reason we don't have enough Brits now is solely down to a number of promoters over the years who had an obsession with picking the poor to average Johnny Foreigner over young Brits.

[steve roberts 9,246]

The reason we don't have enough Brits now is solely down to a number of promoters over the years who had an obsession with picking the poor to average Johnny Foreigner over young Brits.

I remember reading way back (may have been John Berry?) that one of the reasons why promoters began employing foreigners was because when the two leagues split (the lower league essentially being a feeder for young British talent) was because some promotions in the lower league were asking what some thought to be ridiculously high transfer fees and so it was therefore cheaper to go abroad and sign a foreigner.

 

Of course when junior meetings were introduced in the higher league during the middle eighties this was designed to develop ones own British talent...but of course promoters realising that putting on extra heats (and many supporters deciding not to stay on and watch them) eventually saw the demise of same. I always thought that the second half was a good system to develop young (and not so young talent) but when second halves were discarded obviously this particular route ceased...so it's no good some supporters decrying the present state of British speedway and its lack of talent who on the other hand didn't bother with the second halves. But that's another story that has often been debated on hear and not wishing to go over old ground!

Edited February 8, 2017 by steve roberts

[ch958 2,395]

Which is what they do, get another job doing the same work... (second job speedway riding) Do you actually mean they need to go and get a 8-4.30 job, perhaps packing biscuits?

 

I think that's what's crawing, to bring them back down to earth, in the real world, they need to also have a job like the fans....

 

 

 

Or, should the lesser riders (say 2nd string and below from the 2nd division) ought to have proper jobs, and speedway be the 2ND job?

 

either way i don't care - i just want credibility for the sport

[lucifer sam 3,953]

It's worth pointing out there hasn't been a constant decline since 1930, as some seem to be suggesting. The sport was much healthier in the mid 70s than the mid 50s.

 

In fact, there's never been as few teams as there were in 1958. Even the SAL didn't run that year. So there were just 10 league teams that year. For some reason, they needed much bigger crowds to be able to operate back then (maybe admission prices were incredibly cheap in comparison), but as you can see, speedway is in a healthier state in 2017 than it was in 1958.

 

All the best

Rob

[The White Knight 9,039]

It's worth pointing out there hasn't been a constant decline since 1930, as some seem to be suggesting. The sport was much healthier in the mid 70s than the mid 50s.

 

In fact, there's never been as few teams as there were in 1958. Even the SAL didn't run that year. So there were just 10 league teams that year. For some reason, they needed much bigger crowds to be able to operate back then (maybe admission prices were incredibly cheap in comparison), but as you can see, speedway is in a healthier state in 2017 than it was in 1958.

 

All the best

Rob

For how long?

[Ray Stadia 1,071]

It's worth pointing out there hasn't been a constant decline since 1930, as some seem to be suggesting. The sport was much healthier in the mid 70s than the mid 50s.

 

In fact, there's never been as few teams as there were in 1958. Even the SAL didn't run that year. So there were just 10 league teams that year. For some reason, they needed much bigger crowds to be able to operate back then (maybe admission prices were incredibly cheap in comparison), but as you can see, speedway is in a healthier state in 2017 than it was in 1958.

 

All the best

Rob

However, from speedway's low point in 1958 the sport became healthier, but I think the average speedway fan, at present, can only see the sport declining further. Is the sport in a healthier state in 2017, than 2016, 2015, 2014.......in my opinion, it is worse.

[waytogo28 2,054]

The number of teams operating in speedway is irrelevant to the decline of the sport. The only number to be compared is the number of people attending matches for each team. Do statistics exist comparing crowd levels from 1958 to 2016? That figure is the only one you can use to work out a decline of any kind. One look around the terraces of the team I support over the last three years says it all locally. Much bigger gaps and lots of empty areas around the stadium. Because speedway promoters do not publish attendance figures, we can only judge visually.

[Skid Sprocket 243]

The number of teams operating in speedway is irrelevant to the decline of the sport. The only number to be compared is the number of people attending matches for each team. Do statistics exist comparing crowd levels from 1958 to 2016? That figure is the only one you can use to work out a decline of any kind. One look around the terraces of the team I support over the last three years says it all locally. Much bigger gaps and lots of empty areas around the stadium. Because speedway promoters do not publish attendance figures, we can only judge visually.

 

The two age old questions. What are the attendance figures? and why won't clubs disclose figures?

 

Its often said that its some kind of tax dodge but I cant believe that, even if were true then why cant we be given the figures the taxman gets and then we can make our own mind up.

 

How about some investigative journalism from the Speedway Star?

[steve roberts 9,246]

 

The two age old questions. What are the attendance figures? and why won't clubs disclose figures?

 

Its often said that its some kind of tax dodge but I cant believe that, even if were true then why cant we be given the figures the taxman gets and then we can make our own mind up.

 

How about some investigative journalism from the Speedway Star?

I recall that the Speedway Star used to publish attendance figures from both the Swedish and Polish Leagues.