2018 Grand Prix Venues

[f-s-p 832]

No doubt Poland, Sweden and Denmark will all get 2 GPs again while we get just the one, YAY!

Or is it...

 

No doubt Poland, Sweden and Denmark will all get 2 GPs again while we get need just the one, YAY!

 

or possibly

 

No doubt Poland, Sweden and Denmark will all get 2 GPs again while we get want just the one, YAY!

[Ghostwalker 1,858]

Or is it...

 

No doubt Poland, Sweden and Denmark will all get 2 GPs again while we get need just the one, YAY!

 

or possibly

 

No doubt Poland, Sweden and Denmark will all get 2 GPs again while we get want just the one, YAY!

With GPs the question as always is that if you want one, is there is someone willing to pay BSI the staging fees that they require?

And does that someone think that he / she can make a profit from it?

 

For a second Swedish GP, Tele 2 Arena is Imo a less bad option than Fridnds due to better

communications (subway, parking garages...) and because it's smaller than Friends.

[Humphrey Appleby 13,935]

With GPs the question as always is that if you want one, is there is someone willing to pay BSI the staging fees that they require?

I don't think it's in the interests of BSI to have two GPs in Britain. The Cardiff GP is promoted by them and the flagship GP of the series, so there would be risk of diluting that effect if there were another GP.

 

And where to hold it? Belle Vue is a reasonable enough speedway facility, but it's no Millennium Stadium.

[Sotonian 609]

I don't think it's in the interests of BSI to have two GPs in Britain. The Cardiff GP is promoted by them and the flagship GP of the series, so there would be risk of diluting that effect if there were another GP.

 

And where to hold it? Belle Vue is a reasonable enough speedway facility, but it's no Millennium Stadium.

If it were to be the only British SGP would that still be an argument when somewhere like Teterow is in the calendar?

[Humphrey Appleby 13,935]

If it were to be the only British SGP would that still be an argument when somewhere like Teterow is in the calendar?

Teterow is obviously on the calendar because BSI needed to fulfil a certain number of GPs, and Finland wasn't working out. Get somewhere that's as cheap as possible, preferably in an area where there's some sort of pre-existing support, and don't worry too much about the location and facilities.

 

In Britain the situation hasn't arisen because there's already a good venue being used, and the Welsh government is willing to subsidise the GP. The question though, is whether second GP at a much smaller and more poorly appointed venue would add anything?

 

With Coventry out of the equation now, there's really no decent mid-sized venues capable of hosting a GP.

 

Think you can safely add Warsaw to the list above, new stadiums in Poland including the revamped Wroclaw could come into the equation.

The Poles can't make Warsaw pay? Astonishing...

 

I also thought there was a requirement for covered stadiums if possible? Wroclaw is hardly a step forward in that direction.

Edited March 30, 2017 by Humphrey Appleby

[Mark 1,497]

Positive as always Humph. Is your favourite song by The Smiths ? You must know God Knows I'm Miserable Now.

[PHILIPRISING 7,298]

Teterow is obviously on the calendar because BSI needed to fulfil a certain number of GPs, and Finland wasn't working out. Get somewhere that's as cheap as possible, preferably in an area where there's some sort of pre-existing support, and don't worry too much about the location and facilities.

 

In Britain the situation hasn't arisen because there's already a good venue being used, and the Welsh government is willing to subsidise the GP. The question though, is whether second GP at a much smaller and more poorly appointed venue would add anything?

 

With Coventry out of the equation now, there's really no decent mid-sized venues capable of hosting a GP.

 

 

The Poles can't make Warsaw pay? Astonishing...

 

I also thought there was a requirement for covered stadiums if possible? Wroclaw is hardly a step forward in that direction.

I NEVER said Wroclaw would be a substitute for Warsaw and with Torun signing a new three-year deal have to think that Gorzow might be vulnerable.

[Trees 2,814]

Or is it...

 

No doubt Poland, Sweden and Denmark will all get 2 GPs again while we get need just the one, YAY!

 

or possibly

 

No doubt Poland, Sweden and Denmark will all get 2 GPs again while we get want just the one, YAY!

We don't need any, British Speedway gets nothing out of Cardiff ...

[PHILIPRISING 7,298]

We don't need any, British Speedway gets nothing out of Cardiff ...

APART from exposure, a great day out for 40,000 plus fans and a fee paid to the BSPA ...

[mikebv 10,240]

But apart from fantastic exposure for the sport, a great day out for 40,000 fans, a fee paid to the BSPA and the sport being showcased in an professional, modern thinking way... .

 

What has the British Speedway GP ever done for us???

 

(Apologies to Monty Python)!

Edited March 30, 2017 by mikebv

[Trees 2,814]

APART from exposure, a great day out for 40,000 plus fans and a fee paid to the BSPA ...

First I've heard of a fee paid to the BSPA, how many thousands of pounds is that then?

 

Exposure ..... come watch our GP riders race on your British tracks? Watch British Speedway in stadiums akin to Cardiff?

[Humphrey Appleby 13,935]

APART from exposure, a great day out for 40,000 plus fans and a fee paid to the BSPA ...

 

I'm sure the local FAs, Rugby Unions and Cricket Boards are highly grateful to FIFA, UEFA, World Rugby and the ICC when they bring their World Cups to their shores because they're giving everyone a great day out. I'm sure they don't expect any money in return for hosting in their territories.

[New Science 1,059]

CANNOT see Stockholm continuing beyond this year. Current state of Swedish speedway remains a big issue and without the pulling power of some star names - what a difference Tony R Rickardsson in his prime would make - the Friends Arena isn't viable.

 

Think you can safely add Warsaw to the list above, new stadiums in Poland including the revamped Wroclaw could come into the equation.

 

Might even be two in Denmark again.

Think they will only go back to Denmark if there is nowhere else to go or Ole Olsen can get a mates rate staging fee. The GP in Denmark seems to have found its level in a 12,500 capacity football stadium after coming down from the national stadium (40,000) capacity to Vojens (20,000) capacity. Unfortunately for BSI the only markets with any growth or stability seems to be Britain and Poland. I include Prague in that as it is full with Brits and Poles.

[moomin man 76 171]

There aren't a great deal of fresh markets they can tap into - I guess they are hoping they can make a success of the GP Challenge at Togliatti, as a Russian GP would be one of the few new alternatives open to them.

If memory serves me correctly, at one time or another, they have already tried Austria, Croatia, Finland, Italy, New Zealand and Norway, as well as the countries currently staging GPs.

[Humphrey Appleby 13,935]

There aren't a great deal of fresh markets they can tap into - I guess they are hoping they can make a success of the GP Challenge at Togliatti, as a Russian GP would be one of the few new alternatives open to them.

If memory serves me correctly, at one time or another, they have already tried Austria, Croatia, Finland, Italy, New Zealand and Norway, as well as the countries currently staging GPs.

 

I'd acknowledge that speedway is a hard sell outside of 3 or 4 countries, and even within those countries these days. The sport is quite regional in its popularity, has a difficult demographic to market, and as result almost zero mainstream exposure.

 

However, the SGP just seems to burn its bridges everywhere it goes. BSI seem far more interested in collecting their staging fees wherever they can, and don't seem to make a lot of effort to promote these GPs or ensure they provide a good experience for the people who do turn up. Inappropriate or insufficiently inspected stadiums, and poor quality tracks ensure that even if people turn up out of interest once, they don't bother again.

 

The legacy of GPs outside of Britain and Poland has been an initial surge of interest in the first GP staged there, but then a decline until the GP gets dropped with ridiculous excuses being given. How many times have we had Philippe on here bigging up a new GP, only to be making excuses post-GP about the various problems experienced (lessons will be learned etc.. etc..), and finally to blame the local promoters when the GP inevitably falls off the calendar?

 

Fair enough, you can't expect every venue to work out, but it's all become a very predictable pattern. At some point you have to ask why there's seemingly little requirement for local promotion or quality control of the GPs.

Edited March 31, 2017 by Humphrey Appleby