Baldyman 6,243 Posted September 4, 2017 800 to a 1000. Ask scunthorpe how many they get, ask workington how many they are currently getting. Speedway crowds are never going back up, only going down I'm afraid. Fans are old and waiting a visit from the reaper. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Paulco 7,075 Posted September 4, 2017 800 to a 1000. Ask scunthorpe how many they get, ask workington how many they are currently getting. Speedway crowds are never going back up, only going down I'm afraid. Fans are old and waiting a visit from the reaper. So do we just give up ? Do you not think a sport which has the ability to thrill and excite us is worth trying to save ? Granted the custodians of the sport have done their level best to kill it off , but we've all grown up loving it and it's still not quite worth giving up on . 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Baldyman 6,243 Posted September 4, 2017 I honestly can't answer you that, cos a couple of months ago I gave up on it. If it can't win someone like me back, how is it ever going to win new people over to replace the old guard. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Norfolk Bear 250 Posted September 4, 2017 Bucking the trend Redcar crowd is up 25% this year , track is good , racing good & promotion treat the crowd well with a smile not a scowl as in previous seasons... 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stewmac 473 Posted September 4, 2017 (edited) I honestly can't answer you that, cos a couple of months ago I gave up on it. If it can't win someone like me back, how is it ever going to win new people over to replace the old guard.This is my 41st season. I've travelled the length and breadth of the UK for many years to watch my team, though latterly only done tracks close to home due to the kids and wife needing more attention. In all these years I've missed no more than 1 home meeting a season apart from if I've been away on holiday.The last 5 years though have seen me progressively lose more and more interest. I've also visited Poland more and more and find speedway there a completely different sport. A sport I have fallen back in love with. Next season I won't be doing any UK speedway. But I will do as many Polish meetings/weekends as I can afford. Edited September 4, 2017 by stewmac Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BluTiger 21,697 Posted September 4, 2017 800 to a 1000. Ask scunthorpe how many they get, ask workington how many they are currently getting. Speedway crowds are never going back up, only going down I'm afraid. Fans are old and waiting a visit from the reaper. Sounds a bit Grim ... 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
spanner47 336 Posted September 5, 2017 On the assumption they'll be no TV money in the future, the top riders wont be here. North and South would be the obvious thing to do, but riders would still have to ride in both leagues to make up the numbers. But clubs wont change their race night, it would be financial suicide for most to do so. So put the Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday clubs into one league and the Thursday and Saturday clubs into another. Luckily that's also two equal leagues, but would the handful of clubs in the 1st division that can get crowds of 1,500 to fund a half decent side want to weaken their teams to comply with the poor relations that only get a few hundred? Will they try and improve the product for the few? Of course they bloody wont, they've been diluting the sport for years, and will continue to do so. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
balderdash&piffle 720 Posted September 5, 2017 North and South conferences makes sense , with play-offs between the two at the end . With two conferences you haven't got the " we finished top of the league , so should be champions " argument . We can still have doubling up if necessary , but from one conference to the other , same with guests . Then hopefully it would be thought out properly when clashes are a possibility in the play offs . Doubling up, is one of the major problems, needs to be got rid of. could you imagine a Glasgow Rangers player doubling up with Celtic, i's a bl**dy nonsense. Nick Morris riding for Berwick and doubling up with Swindon, the two teams meet each other in the play offs, who does he ride for Bucking the trend Redcar crowd is up 25% this year , track is good , racing good & promotion treat the crowd well with a smile not a scowl as in previous seasons... Put a number on that,25% of what figure. 4 fans attend 25% increase there are now 5 attending 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Paulco 7,075 Posted September 5, 2017 Doubling up, is one of the major problems, needs to be got rid of. could you imagine a Glasgow Rangers player doubling up with Celtic, i's a bl**dy nonsense. Nick Morris riding for Berwick and doubling up with Swindon, the two teams meet each other in the play offs, who does he ride for We're all very aware of that , but the governing body opened that Pandora's box and there's no reason to think they'll close it . So clubs have to try their best to work round it no matter how difficult that becomes . Sadly it will kill the sport eventually . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
balderdash&piffle 720 Posted September 5, 2017 We're all very aware of that , but the governing body opened that Pandora's box and there's no reason to think they'll close it . So clubs have to try their best to work round it no matter how difficult that becomes . Sadly it will kill the sport eventually . I think the clubs , that is owners and promoters, need to get their heads out of the proverbials and smell the coffee. They are the problem, speedway needs radical change, and they are the only ones that can change it. So unless they come to terms with they are the problem, then yes speedway is doomed Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Baldyman 6,243 Posted September 5, 2017 (edited) What is it though that will get new fans into the stadiums? If that don't happen it's still going to die. Edited September 5, 2017 by baldyman Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GS550 449 Posted September 5, 2017 Create only one league. Have a North-South divide for the first part of the season Sorry, but personally I find regional league splits boring. I want more teams and more variety, not less. So personally I would just not bother going at all. Yes to all one league though. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KN1 168 Posted September 5, 2017 Five man teams similar to Denmark 10 Teams - 50 riders needed.. Salary cap in place..... Rough Rider Levels as many riders could be in several categories such is the number of DU's.... No1. Current No1 Rider in Premiership/No2 Heat Leader Level in Premiership (£1500 a night) No2. Current 3rd Heat Leader Level in Premiership/No 1 rider in Championship (£1250 a night) No3. Current 2nd/3rd Heat Leader Level in Championship/2nd String Level in Premiership. (£1000 a night) No4. Current Second String at Championship Level/Reserve in Premiership. (£750 a night) No5. Current National League Heat Leader Level. (£500 a night) Total £5000 a night.. Each team will need to find £10000 to pay for home and away match. Two fixed nights per week, one home, one away (make it same teams, same week to add a bit of interest) 800 adult fans paying £15 needed to pay riders and VAT man per meeting.. Top man gets £3000 a week.. Home and Away twice equals 36 matches, then.... Split into top five and bottom five, (points scored thus far carry into it similar to Super Eights in Rugby League), that will deliver a further 8 home and away once matches per team.. Top four from both Groups then go into respective Semis... Winners race off in Grand Finals... The "Ivan Mauger Trophy" for the Winners of the Top Group and the "Peter Collins Shield" for the Bottom Five Play Off winners. (Many non Speedway fans will still recognise those two names).. Finalists will run 48 matches in Total.. Meaning 24 weeks of continuous home meetings.... Throw in a Cup Comp of Eight Teams (top Eight from previous season) and the Finalists will run a further six matches meaning a 54 match Season... Just 800 fans to make it pay (not including Sponsorship) Surely achievable and with only five riders per team this should give plenty of replacements for injury and loss of form ... (Who knows it may mean an end to G****s)..😉 Championship made up of six riders per team, ten teams, riding different nights from the Top League, four Brits per team minimum, two reserves must be NL (non heat leader level) U21 years of age or less than three years experience. . Anyone from Top Division except No1 rider can DU... Salary Cap and resultant admission based on Premiership Cap as one more rider per team could be 40% less which would be £3000 per match meaning 600 punters at £12 to pay riders for both home and away matches and VAT... Those numbers must be doable. .? Most riders would probably bite your hand off to get those pay rates. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
leander 495 Posted September 5, 2017 Doubling up is here to stay, I would think, as is two divisions. Scrap promotion/relegation. Its never worked in the past and I can't see it working now. Some times simply can't afford to be promoted, and others will find it impractical. Can you imagine two teams in the playoff, one of which wants to drop down to the championship, the other not wanting to be promoted. A case of how can we lose without appearing to be trying to lose!!!! If premiership team wants a double up rider then sign two for the same position. For example Belle Vue sign Richie and Steve Worrall to share the same position. Guarantee them a minimum number of fixtures (injury permitting). Then if Glasgow are riding the same night they use Steve and if Newcastle are they use Richie. It should then be far simpler to avoid fixture clashes. just need to make sure that, for example, if Belle Vue are at home on a friday and Newcastle are at Edinburgh, then Glasgow don't have a fixture. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
balderdash&piffle 720 Posted September 5, 2017 Doubling up is here to stay, I would think, as is two divisions. Scrap promotion/relegation. Its never worked in the past and I can't see it working now. Some times simply can't afford to be promoted, and others will find it impractical. Can you imagine two teams in the playoff, one of which wants to drop down to the championship, the other not wanting to be promoted. A case of how can we lose without appearing to be trying to lose!!!! If premiership team wants a double up rider then sign two for the same position. For example Belle Vue sign Richie and Steve Worrall to share the same position. Guarantee them a minimum number of fixtures (injury permitting). Then if Glasgow are riding the same night they use Steve and if Newcastle are they use Richie. It should then be far simpler to avoid fixture clashes. just need to make sure that, for example, if Belle Vue are at home on a friday and Newcastle are at Edinburgh, then Glasgow don't have a fixture. Absolutely not, doubling up was a stupid idea that has caused many of the problems, it simply has not worked to benefit speedway. It is of little use to stick ones heads under the blankets, and simply hope it will sort itself out, it will not. Sort out the problem or suffer the consequences. There is little difference between Premiership and Championship nowadays, so one big restructured league, and retain a development league to feed the new league 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
