2018 Grand Prix Venues

[Humphrey Appleby 13,951]

Realistic fine but why not look for positives, ways to get better, than the obvious negatives. Easy to make critical remarks but you offer no solutions. You take the easy option of a cheap shot. If you like the sport support it or go elsewhere.

Have you not noticed the sport is on its knees? And part of the reason for that is because private promoters have been allowed to skim off what little cream there is, without having to have any stake in the grassroots of the sport that they actually rely upon for their business. Not just BSI, but also OneSport and potentially others if they could get their act together.

 

It's all very well claiming the SGP raises the profile of speedway, but what does speedway actually have to show for it after 20 years? Declining interest, declining revenues, still no new markets beyond a handful of countries, and the distinct possibility the entire sport could be dead within the next decade. How much money has the SGP generated for those actually running speedway on a day-to-day basis, how have crowds improved, and what sponsorship has been brought into the wider sport on the back of it?

 

Maybe things would have been worse without the SGP, who knows, but no way is it the saviour of the sport. And in most sports, the elite competitions are run by the stakeholders of the sport primarily for their benefit, yet not in speedway. Around GBP 3 million is being lost to speedway every year, which whilst small beer by the standards of major sports, would be enough to keep many tracks in business for a bit longer. Unfortunately though, none of this is ever questioned by those in a privileged position to do so, yet they're otherwise happy to ridicule mentally ill people in print.

 

I actually do have some ideas about what needs to be done with the sport if it has a chance of surviving, and I'm not completely without experience in motorsport organisation. However, I'm not involved in running speedway and therefore not in any position to enact changes, even I wanted to be involved in a sport where vested interests are leading to its self-destruction.

 

It's all very well being supportive, but don't be naive. Why do you think the SGP went to Melbourne - do you really think it was to give a struggling sport a shot in the arm in its oldest market, and in a city that hasn't operated a speedway track for years? Or might it be because an old mate is running a struggling and unpopular stadium and needs to fill it with events, is willing to do a cheap deal, and the competition needs to run a certain number of GPs including one outside of Europe?

[PHILIPRISING 7,298]

Then it's hard to understand why the SGP would want to take-on new prestige venues in untried markets, like Melbourne, rather than just go to existing race tracks in Poland.

 

If you read the latest BSI financial report though, it's clearly stated they're reducing the number of self-promoted events in order to reduce their operating costs, and have local promoters assume the staging cost and therefore risk of GPs. Those local promoters though, are going to be asking what they're getting out of it.

 

Surely that's self-defeating? An opportunity to generate some interest in a particular market, but let's annoy the local journos who'll ignore the sport from now on.

 

I don't doubt there's some hangers-on after freebies, but it's hardly surprising there would be more interest if a rider from a country that isn't normally represented in the SGP is riding.

WHO said that all applications from Czecho were from bona fide journalists? Those that were got accreditation.

Have you not noticed the sport is on its knees? And part of the reason for that is because private promoters have been allowed to skim off what little cream there is, without having to have any stake in the grassroots of the sport that they actually rely upon for their business. Not just BSI, but also OneSport and potentially others if they could get their act together.

 

It's all very well claiming the SGP raises the profile of speedway, but what does speedway actually have to show for it after 20 years? Declining interest, declining revenues, still no new markets beyond a handful of countries, and the distinct possibility the entire sport could be dead within the next decade. How much money has the SGP generated for those actually running speedway on a day-to-day basis, how have crowds improved, and what sponsorship has been brought into the wider sport on the back of it?

 

Maybe things would have been worse without the SGP, who knows, but no way is it the saviour of the sport. And in most sports, the elite competitions are run by the stakeholders of the sport primarily for their benefit, yet not in speedway. Around GBP 3 million is being lost to speedway every year, which whilst small beer by the standards of major sports, would be enough to keep many tracks in business for a bit longer. Unfortunately though, none of this is ever questioned by those in a privileged position to do so, yet they're otherwise happy to ridicule mentally ill people in print.

 

I actually do have some ideas about what needs to be done with the sport if it has a chance of surviving, and I'm not completely without experience in motorsport organisation. However, I'm not involved in running speedway and therefore not in any position to enact changes, even I wanted to be involved in a sport where vested interests are leading to its self-destruction.

 

It's all very well being supportive, but don't be naive. Why do you think the SGP went to Melbourne - do you really think it was to give a struggling sport a shot in the arm in its oldest market, and in a city that hasn't operated a speedway track for years? Or might it be because an old mate is running a struggling and unpopular stadium and needs to fill it with events, is willing to do a cheap deal, and the competition needs to run a certain number of GPs including one outside of Europe?

WHO is this mentally ill person you keep referring to? Are you now a doctor as well?

Edited October 19, 2017 by PHILIPRISING

[RPNY 608]

Have you not noticed the sport is on its knees? And part of the reason for that is because private promoters have been allowed to skim off what little cream there is, without having to have any stake in the grassroots of the sport that they actually rely upon for their business. Not just BSI, but also OneSport and potentially others if they could get their act together.

 

It's all very well claiming the SGP raises the profile of speedway, but what does speedway actually have to show for it after 20 years? Declining interest, declining revenues, still no new markets beyond a handful of countries, and the distinct possibility the entire sport could be dead within the next decade. How much money has the SGP generated for those actually running speedway on a day-to-day basis, how have crowds improved, and what sponsorship has been brought into the wider sport on the back of it?

 

Maybe things would have been worse without the SGP, who knows, but no way is it the saviour of the sport. And in most sports, the elite competitions are run by the stakeholders of the sport primarily for their benefit, yet not in speedway. Around GBP 3 million is being lost to speedway every year, which whilst small beer by the standards of major sports, would be enough to keep many tracks in business for a bit longer. Unfortunately though, none of this is ever questioned by those in a privileged position to do so, yet they're otherwise happy to ridicule mentally ill people in print.

 

I actually do have some ideas about what needs to be done with the sport if it has a chance of surviving, and I'm not completely without experience in motorsport organisation. However, I'm not involved in running speedway and therefore not in any position to enact changes, even I wanted to be involved in a sport where vested interests are leading to its self-destruction.

 

It's all very well being supportive, but don't be naive. Why do you think the SGP went to Melbourne - do you really think it was to give a struggling sport a shot in the arm in its oldest market, and in a city that hasn't operated a speedway track for years? Or might it be because an old mate is running a struggling and unpopular stadium and needs to fill it with events, is willing to do a cheap deal, and the competition needs to run a certain number of GPs including one outside of Europe?

 

It's not perfect by any stretch but there are many plus points to the GPs. Big crowds, fantastic racing, Deal with BT Sport signed, Big name sponsors involved. Getting back to the original Debate, they should just work harder at keeping these wonderful stadiums...

Edited October 19, 2017 by RPNYC

[Humphrey Appleby 13,951]

 

It's not perfect by any stretch but there are many plus points to the GPs. Big crowds, fantastic racing, Deal with BT Sport signed, Big name sponsors involved.

 

Big crowds? Well maybe in Poland and at Cardiff, and one what you might call big name sponsor (who wouldn't seem to be paying big bucks looking at the revenue figures).

 

However, how good or otherwise the SGP is, wasn't really my point. How is the rest of the sport benefitting from these plus points, because it looks like it's mostly dying on its a*se outside of Poland? And is the apparently inability to sustain most of the prestige venues, really a positive thing for the sport?

[iris123 20,969]

There has to be a balance between being realistic and being a dreamer.I guess BSI want someone in the job who wants to push the boundaries,rather than just concentrate on the core countries.Most of the time they are unrealistic dreams over a sustained period,as you say.As we saw in Copenhagen after a few good years the crowds plummeted.The FIM put their hopes of a Champions League into a the hands of people who gave them hope of a big competition in the Desert(funny Phil mention this area in one of his posts)and so far we have seen nothing.A last minute abandoned attempt to host in Germany last year and the failed promise(?) of Dubai or wherever this

 

But i guess you won't get the job if yu just go in and say we are going to host at tracks,Cities,towns that already host speedway

[eric i 617]

Have you not noticed the sport is on its knees? And part of the reason for that is because private promoters have been allowed to skim off what little cream there is, without having to have any stake in the grassroots of the sport that they actually rely upon for their business. Not just BSI, but also OneSport and potentially others if they could get their act together.

 

It's all very well claiming the SGP raises the profile of speedway, but what does speedway actually have to show for it after 20 years? Declining interest, declining revenues, still no new markets beyond a handful of countries, and the distinct possibility the entire sport could be dead within the next decade. How much money has the SGP generated for those actually running speedway on a day-to-day basis, how have crowds improved, and what sponsorship has been brought into the wider sport on the back of it?

 

Maybe things would have been worse without the SGP, who knows, but no way is it the saviour of the sport. And in most sports, the elite competitions are run by the stakeholders of the sport primarily for their benefit, yet not in speedway. Around GBP 3 million is being lost to speedway every year, which whilst small beer by the standards of major sports, would be enough to keep many tracks in business for a bit longer. Unfortunately though, none of this is ever questioned by those in a privileged position to do so, yet they're otherwise happy to ridicule mentally ill people in print.

 

I actually do have some ideas about what needs to be done with the sport if it has a chance of surviving, and I'm not completely without experience in motorsport organisation. However, I'm not involved in running speedway and therefore not in any position to enact changes, even I wanted to be involved in a sport where vested interests are leading to its self-destruction.

 

It's all very well being supportive, but don't be naive. Why do you think the SGP went to Melbourne - do you really think it was to give a struggling sport a shot in the arm in its oldest market, and in a city that hasn't operated a speedway track for years? Or might it be because an old mate is running a struggling and unpopular stadium and needs to fill it with events, is willing to do a cheap deal, and the competition needs to run a certain number of GPs including one outside of Europe?

Where are you getting the figures from, is there a financial report you can share?

[RPNY 608]

Big crowds Warsaw, Prague, Cardiff, Mallila, Horsens, Gorzow, Torun. Stockholm was up on last couple of year. SWC packed houses for qualifiers and final (as they were last year) Looking again at the Sponsors for this season, I stand by its fairly impressive list yes.

With regards to league Speedway, I've said many times before, this is the way most if not all sports are going. The top events get massive crowds, the lower down you go, the smaller the crowd gets. League Rugby, County cricket, non title fights in boxing, even outside the Champions League & top 6 teams in football, the crowds dwindle. People want top events these days. Just the way it is.

[PHILIPRISING 7,298]

SPEEDWAY'S major commercial problem now is the same as it has been for years. It exists in its own small bubble with very limited exposure outside of that and as a consequence not that attractive for a host of potential sponsors or, indeed, advertisers for the likes of Speedway Star. Every time I open a golf magazine, for example, I am green with envy.

 

Compare speedway with rallycross, which comes under the same umbrella at IMG with Paul Bellamy now the head honcho. The calendar is growing rapidly and the sport taking place not only in Europe, but also South Africa, Canada, the USA (Austin is coming on stream), Argentina and next year, at Silverstone for the first time.

 

Global car companies actually pay to enter teams, there are major oil companies and component manufacturers amongst a host of sponsors, TV deals, etc, etc.

 

And yet, in my opinion, speedway can be more exciting, easier to watch (the whole race is on screen all the time) and in every respect a better spectacle.

[RPNY 608]

Phil is it that they are comfortable sticking within these markets as little risk or have they failed that badly when they are tried the (slightly) different markets?

[iris123 20,969]

Have to say the recent Rallycross round near Hamburg,did this year get some space in the newspaper,which i hadn't noticed in previous years.Before it just got one of those little blocks at the side,the same as speedway manages.Also a photo of Monster girl 'Vicki',who i think is the Danish woman who is also at the GPs

[waytogo28 2,054]

SPEEDWAY'S major commercial problem now is the same as it has been for years. It exists in its own small bubble with very limited exposure outside of that and as a consequence not that attractive for a host of potential sponsors or, indeed, advertisers for the likes of Speedway Star. Every time I open a golf magazine, for example, I am green with envy.

 

Compare speedway with rallycross, which comes under the same umbrella at IMG with Paul Bellamy now the head honcho. The calendar is growing rapidly and the sport taking place not only in Europe, but also South Africa, Canada, the USA (Austin is coming on stream), Argentina and next year, at Silverstone for the first time.

 

Global car companies actually pay to enter teams, there are major oil companies and component manufacturers amongst a host of sponsors, TV deals, etc, etc.

 

And yet, in my opinion, speedway can be more exciting, easier to watch (the whole race is on screen all the time) and in every respect a better spectacle.

 

The problem is that very often it isn't very exciting at all meaning, that if you do get 5 mins of racing excitement in 15 races ( domestically in the UK at least ) you have been lucky and those 15 mins tend to drag on for 2 1/2 hours. And with around only 1,000 attendees on average, any sponsor has to be a dedicated fan already. Yes, it can be more exciting than many other motorsports but only in very brief bursts.

[PHILIPRISING 7,298]

Phil is it that they are comfortable sticking within these markets as little risk or have they failed that badly when they are tried the (slightly) different markets?

OBVIOUSLY BSI would look first at proven speedway markets where there might already be a core audience but the fall-off in significant interest in both Denmark and Sweden is a blow.

 

Have a feeling that there might be one new venue in 2018 but not in a country currently on the rota.

 

Russia seems likely in 2019 and possibly somewhere else.

[james1234 49]

When do the remaining dates get announced Phil? Also do you think Amsterdam could be an option for next year

[RPNY 608]

OBVIOUSLY BSI would look first at proven speedway markets where there might already be a core audience but the fall-off in significant interest in both Denmark and Sweden is a blow.

 

Have a feeling that there might be one new venue in 2018 but not in a country currently on the rota.

 

Russia seems likely in 2019 and possibly somewhere else.

Makes sense, tks Phil

[Humphrey Appleby 13,951]

Where are you getting the figures from, is there a financial report you can share?

 

BSI is a UK-registered company over a certain turnover, so is required to file detailed public accounts every year with Companies House which are all available online.