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Sidney the robin

How Many Of Us Are Losing Interest.?

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7 hours ago, HenryW said:

I completely agree with you in the first part of that statement.

I watch and enjoy many sports, but I can honestly say that none of them can get close to a great speedway meeting. When the sport is at its best there is nothing that can compare for me, and even some rubbish meetings can still beat what is offered by other sports.

However, for me it isn't all about a team. I still have a "local" team, and I love seeing them have success, but what keeps me going to see meetings is the joy of watching riders take incredible risks and controlling those beasts of bikes around a dirt oval...and that anticipation that this next race MIGHT be a classic. It doesn't matter if it's my local team, a random league meeting elsewhere in the UK or in another Country, or if it's a GP, SWC SoN, random Individual meeting, even a random 80cc meeting...It's all good for me. I love watching the sport...I just wish it was run and promoted a bit better.

I'm probably very much in a minority with the way I view the sport, though...

Couldn't agree more. I have nothing but happy memories of following the sport over a thirty plus year period. Met some great people on the terraces which also added to the occasion.

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10 hours ago, HenryW said:

I completely agree with you in the first part of that statement.

I watch and enjoy many sports, but I can honestly say that none of them can get close to a great speedway meeting. When the sport is at its best there is nothing that can compare for me, and even some rubbish meetings can still beat what is offered by other sports.

However, for me it isn't all about a team. I still have a "local" team, and I love seeing them have success, but what keeps me going to see meetings is the joy of watching riders take incredible risks and controlling those beasts of bikes around a dirt oval...and that anticipation that this next race MIGHT be a classic. It doesn't matter if it's my local team, a random league meeting elsewhere in the UK or in another Country, or if it's a GP, SWC SoN, random Individual meeting, even a random 80cc meeting...It's all good for me. I love watching the sport...I just wish it was run and promoted a bit better.

I'm probably very much in a minority with the way I view the sport, though...

 

2 hours ago, steve roberts said:

Couldn't agree more. I haven  nothing but happy memories of following the sport over a thirty plus year period. Met some great people on the terraces which also added to the occasion.

I don’t disagree with either of those posts, and I have always been able to go to a meeting as a neutral and thoroughly enjoy it, but there is no denying that the tribal element of supporting your own team and then favourite riders within the team adds extra sparkle, to the meeting. Sooner or later I will probably find another meeting to go to but it is the team element, the team support that keeps the crowds coming back on the regular basis that the sport needs to survive, rather than casual attenders.

And yes I agree the people you meet are a big part of it. It’s great when you turn up at a meeting, find yourself chatting to the bloke next to as if you’ve known him for years, but there seems to be less and less of that as crowds get thinner, but also because lethargy is like a disease and it spreads. I am not one of those that want to go back to the old days but the sport has lost some of its magic for me, not the racing, as I said but when it’s run in a way that makes feel the administrators couldn’t care less if fans turn up or not, it somehow takes the incentive away

Edited by E I Addio
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On 9/19/2020 at 1:25 AM, HenryW said:

I completely agree with you in the first part of that statement.

I watch and enjoy many sports, but I can honestly say that none of them can get close to a great speedway meeting. When the sport is at its best there is nothing that can compare for me, and even some rubbish meetings can still beat what is offered by other sports.

However, for me it isn't all about a team. I still have a "local" team, and I love seeing them have success, but what keeps me going to see meetings is the joy of watching riders take incredible risks and controlling those beasts of bikes around a dirt oval...and that anticipation that this next race MIGHT be a classic. It doesn't matter if it's my local team, a random league meeting elsewhere in the UK or in another Country, or if it's a GP, SWC SoN, random Individual meeting, even a random 80cc meeting...It's all good for me. I love watching the sport...I just wish it was run and promoted a bit better.

I'm probably very much in a minority with the way I view the sport, though...

It's incredible when you think that possibly the 2 most boring sports in the public eye are the ones that give you the biggest buzz throughout the whole game / meeting. 

England's T20 & Speedway offer so much. 

Unfortunately for speedway, especially up & down the UK finding those thrilling race meetings are very few & far between. Would be lucky if it's 1 in 5 meetings of any significant quality I'd say.

How that could be improved on though really is the impossible question except for turning every track into Belle Vue, which also is impossible. 

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On 9/19/2020 at 11:27 AM, E I Addio said:

 

I don’t disagree with either of those posts, and I have always been able to go to a meeting as a neutral and thoroughly enjoy it, but there is no denying that the tribal element of supporting your own team and then favourite riders within the team adds extra sparkle, to the meeting. Sooner or later I will probably find another meeting to go to but it is the team element, the team support that keeps the crowds coming back on the regular basis that the sport needs to survive, rather than casual attenders.

And yes I agree the people you meet are a big part of it. It’s great when you turn up at a meeting, find yourself chatting to the bloke next to as if you’ve known him for years, but there seems to be less and less of that as crowds get thinner, but also because lethargy is like a disease and it spreads. I am not one of those that want to go back to the old days but the sport has lost some of its magic for me, not the racing, as I said but when it’s run in a way that makes feel the administrators couldn’t care less if fans turn up or not, it somehow takes the incentive away

  Addio even in the days of the Robins having  bang average sides the team aspect of it aways fascinated me i was not a lover of individual meetings.You often then got to know some of the  riders and really got an affinity with them, the result was often irrelevant to me and I would go and support  my team win or lose and revel in seeing the opposing teams riders.Have not seen a live meeting this season and it hurts me to say it but i have not missed it which surprises me.If next season is up and running which is ( doubtful) will go to the home meetings again but as you said the old magic has dwindled a bit now still hope speedway can prosper again in the UK.

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1 hour ago, Sidney the robin said:

  Addio even in the days of the Robins having  bang average sides the team aspect of it aways fascinated me i was not a lover of individual meetings.You often then got to know some of the  riders and really got an affinity with them, the result was often irrelevant to me and I would go and support  my team win or lose and revel in seeing the opposing teams riders.Have not seen a live meeting this season and it hurts me to say it but i have not missed it which surprises me.If next season is up and running which is ( doubtful) will go to the home meetings again but as you said the old magic has dwindled a bit now still hope speedway can prosper again in the UK.

I used to quite like individual meetings Sid, but in the days before it was regularly televised. In those days you might only get to see the top riders once or twice a year  so it was something special to see them. Now that they are on TV every few weeks it’s not quite the same. I used to like the qualifying rounds for the old one day world final so you could support your home riders to see how far they got.

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23 minutes ago, E I Addio said:

I used to quite like individual meetings Sid, but in the days before it was regularly televised. In those days you might only get to see the top riders once or twice a year  so it was something special to see them. Now that they are on TV every few weeks it’s not quite the same. I used to like the qualifying rounds for the old one day world final so you could support your home riders to see how far they got.

Totally right about the Qualifying rounds Addio there were lots of them and most tracks had one prestige individual meeting per season.The point you made of only seeing certain riders ride once or twice a year is so true made it more exciting.Thinking back there were a few riders i never really got the chance to see ride that much for whatever reason.?? Pander, Nordin,Plech,Younghusband, Airey, Monk, were a few who come to mind.

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Lost interest now I'd say. Purchased tickets for Leicester and Ippo this month, both events bit the dust. I'm a creature of habit, i need regular local meetings to keep me going. Chasing odd meetings hundreds of miles away, don't do it for me.

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7 hours ago, cityrebel said:

Lost interest now I'd say. Purchased tickets for Leicester and Ippo this month, both events bit the dust. I'm a creature of habit, i need regular local meetings to keep me going. Chasing odd meetings hundreds of miles away, don't do it for me.

City i do you think there will be  alot of regular diehard supporters like yourself  being lost to the sport.I have got used to not going now and the TV speedway does not really appeal to me hopefully the enthusiasm will comeback.

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48 minutes ago, Sidney the robin said:

City i do you think there will be  alot of regular diehard supporters like yourself  being lost to the sport.I have got used to not going now and the TV speedway does not really appeal to me hopefully the enthusiasm will comeback.

Not interested in televised sport Sid. I've gone back to my roots by doing non league football. Last night was my 9th ground since the new season started. How long i can keep going is another matter.

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18 minutes ago, cityrebel said:

Not interested in televised sport Sid. I've gone back to my roots by doing non league football. Last night was my 9th ground since the new season started. How long i can keep going is another matter.

I remember when SKY was covering League matches and a friend of mine would prefer to stay at home rather than watch the televised meeting from Cowley (just down the road from where he lived) whereas I would always go to the meeting much preferring the live atmosphere generated and meeting colleagues on the terraces having a good natter.

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50 minutes ago, steve roberts said:

I remember when SKY was covering League matches and a friend of mine would prefer to stay at home rather than watch the televised meeting from Cowley (just down the road from where he lived) whereas I would always go to the meeting much preferring the live atmosphere generated and meeting colleagues on the terraces having a good natter.

For me you just can't beat being there live, there's absolutely no comparison. It'll be interesting to see how the new streaming takes off for the BSPL, at the moment they seem to think that £13 is a fair price, I suppose market forces will decide what the price should be. For me that's far too much and only around a £5 saving on actually being there and having the "live" experience. I know there's other costs associated with attending a meeting but for me I'd often make a day of attending meetings further away from home and pull in some other local attraction. As a  one off I will be re-investing my £20 to watch this weekend's British Final as I've paid it out already and want to help them covering their costs as they've been done up like a kipper but in the future I think £5 - £7.50 would be my limit for a streamed match, compare this to Eurosport, BT Sport or Premier Sports and it's poor value, and before anybody comes back to me explaining the costs involved, I know this and all I'm really interested in is the cost to myself.

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5 hours ago, steve roberts said:

I remember when SKY was covering League matches and a friend of mine would prefer to stay at home rather than watch the televised meeting from Cowley (just down the road from where he lived) whereas I would always go to the meeting much preferring the live atmosphere generated and meeting colleagues on the terraces having a good natter.

Television coverage was never meant to "replace" live sport; it provided the opportunity for people to watch who couldn't be there in person - like my situation now. Unfortunately, there were some who did look upon it as a replacement, including those who stayed home rather than "supporting" their team.

I can see it in certain situations, such as a long journey in inclement weather, but there is no way I would ever give up a home meeting to watch it on the box, or special events like the biggies at White City or the NL Fours/Grand Slam weekend at Peterborough.

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I’m afraid I’ve been guilty in the past of watching on TV rather than going to Lynn, just felt that the best part of an hour’s round trip along with the best part of twenty quid to get in plus petrol and other bits and pieces tipped the balance towards watching from home. 

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3 hours ago, Bagpuss said:

I’m afraid I’ve been guilty in the past of watching on TV rather than going to Lynn, just felt that the best part of an hour’s round trip along with the best part of twenty quid to get in plus petrol and other bits and pieces tipped the balance towards watching from home. 

I think a lot of the issue goes back to to the lack of a 'tribal' following now within Speedway..

Why follow with passion a team when over a season your own riders could prevent their own team qualifying for the play offs by scoring points for competitors?

Imagine if Poland did the same thing?  If they did, you could guarantee crowds would plummet and sponsors would leave overnight. .

Betard would be delighted I am sure for Woffy and Majic to have top scored for Lublin in a win during the season and those points ultimately cost Wroclaw a play off place...

The hundreds and thousands of Euros they put into both team and individual sponsorship would soon be pulled and disillusioned fans would leave the stadiums empty..

Over here, Speedway has very much become a 'just go and watch the racing' night out for many who, given the way the sport is allowed to be ran, and the lack of kudos in winning anything, don't take the team aspect too seriously

Unfortunately these (and I include myself) fans will usually be ex regulars who go far more infrequentlly, as watching on TV delivers a similarly 'emotional' experience as being there..

Meaning sitting in your living room with a beer in hand offers a pretty decent night in (whoever you're watching), without paying out anything like the costs incurred of attending in person. .

Get some 'tribal rivalries' back (as a team sport should have), give winning a UK Speedway title some credibility and reward, and maybe then being there will become the "only" choice to make rather than being sat in front of the TV just appreciating the racing that you're watching..

Edited by mikebv
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I completely agree with on this matter,fans have voiced their opinions for years regarding this,but just falls on deaf ears and excuses.

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