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Theboss

In My View By Phil Rising

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We're not a major World player in Speedway anymore, if the UK isn't good enough for you, why not trot off to glorious Poland or one of those fabulous camel jockey countries.

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I TAKE your point but don't think BT's approach to 2018 will change because of this one fixture. They were delighted with the viewing figures for the play-offs.

 

But the fact is that some promoters don't want televised speedway because, they believe, without a cash payment to the clubs it actually does more harm than good. Cuckoo land of course.

 

The Chairman of the BSPA told me in Torun over the weekend that my piece in Speedway Star, which was the forerunner of this particular topic, did huge damage to British speedway, that the sport is quite healthy in the UK and that most tracks have reported increased attendances. At King's Lynn they improved dramatically after the sacking of Batchelor and Holder despite five consecutive home defeats. Fortunately he walked away before I could ask him what planet he was on.

 

So it would appear that sales of SS have rocketed beyond all expectations and the readership even more so, well done! How else would all the stay aways from British Speedway and the used to go people know about your article Phil?

 

It's incredible that the powers that be hold such a naive opinion to think that, that magazine article has had any deteriorating impact on the sport. If the promised transparency had been forthcoming then any inaccuracies in the article would not have existed and a considered response may have been welcomed to correct any misunderstandings anyway, I say considered because the shooting from the hip from both the Chair and Vice Chair has caused a lot of the confusion and misunderstanding this year.

 

If anyone seriously thinks that the magazine intends to destroy the sport and consequently it's own sales opportunity they have lost the plot, just because Promoters do it with their own businesses doesn't mean that everybody else does the same.

 

It's no secret that some members of the BSPA lurk on this forum and react to what they read whether that is positive or negative is up for debate but once those reactions get into the public domain it has more of a damaging effect coming from a promotion than it does a journalist. A journalist can publish a retraction or correction a Promotion has to live with it's public utterances the SS for example is read by a minority (with respect) but Press releases and ranting statements are read by the wider community as a whole and certainly the outburst from one club recently, whether justified or not, led to the comment from a "social media friend" Is that what really goes on at Speedway?

Edited by Whisperer

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I TAKE your point but don't think BT's approach to 2018 will change because of this one fixture. They were delighted with the viewing figures for the play-offs.

 

But the fact is that some promoters don't want televised speedway because, they believe, without a cash payment to the clubs it actually does more harm than good. Cuckoo land of course.

 

The Chairman of the BSPA told me in Torun over the weekend that my piece in Speedway Star, which was the forerunner of this particular topic, did huge damage to British speedway, that the sport is quite healthy in the UK and that most tracks have reported increased attendances. At King's Lynn they improved dramatically after the sacking of Batchelor and Holder despite five consecutive home defeats. Fortunately he walked away before I could ask him what planet he was on.

 

He might have had increased crowds after sacking them but I doubt that was the case for other sides when Kings Lynn turned up with such a weak team.

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It might help if you quoted my full Post. :nono::nono::nono: (see below).

 

Then you needn't have asked the question. :nono::nono:

 

I highlight the relevant part for your perusal. :angry:

 

 

You also said "Newcastle's usual racenight is a Sunday , which suits me fine." My point was the two Workington KOC matches (that don't have the Double Points rule) were raced on a Sunday, so an ideal opportunity to support the team. But, as I've said before, it's my belief, if you stay away from any sport due to one rule, even when that rule isn't in force, is being extremely petty and downright silly. Enjoy the sport for what it is, four (usually) blokes, going around an oval track for four laps, 15 times, whether they are going for three points, six points or a thousand points, because that shouldn't matter, because that's all speedway is, four blokes, four laps, fifteen times!

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Overheard on the bus to Grimsby

 

Hello is that the Daily Telegraph? Can I speak to Mr Flinton please?

 

Hello Mr Flinton, I’m a member of the BSPA Management Committee and I need your help, I know you’ve always been sympathetic towards Speedway but I wondered if you could build it up a bit for us? You can, brilliant I’ll send you over some press releases! I don’t need to do that because you use a press cutting service, what’s that?

 

“Well Bob, you publish an article anywhere and the press cutting service trawls all of the local media and magazines to pick up anything newsworthy. They used to call it Lift and Stick in the old days but it’s copy and paste now”

 

Great have you got mine then?

 

“Yes Bob I have the one where you say you’d be happy to get 500 people every week”

 

Oh right isn’t there anyone else’s you can use?

 

“Well I have your mate on the Management Committee, Mr French telling everyone that Speedway can’t be sustained at Rough Patch on Mondays”

 

Oh right isn’t there another?

 

“I’ve got your other mate off the Management Committee, the one whose attendances dropped when he had riders refusing to ride then he sacked them shall I use that?”

 

Er no isn’t there anything else?

 

“Why Bob what’s wrong with using the Management Committee’s tracks, you’re running the sport aren’t you?”

 

Try someone else’s

 

“Ok I’ll use Cumbriaton’s they’re not on the Management Committee are they?”

 

No, great, what does it say?

 

“It says that their attendances have dropped to an alarming level and they’d be happy to get 500 every week”

 

Oh right well can’t you make something up?

 

“Yes of course, how about I tell everyone British Speedway is in great shape right now and many tracks are reporting increased attendances?”

 

Yes that will do nicely but best not use it as a quote from me under the circumstances, put Custer’s name on it and I’ll brief him and get him to spread the word, thank you.

 

“Oh hold on, just got a stop press, two of your clubs are kicking off about social media, we can go with that, who do I talk to at the clubs? Oh it’s the same person for both, how does that work?”

 

“Right so your mate on the Management Committee owns the lease and, and , I tell you what forget it, my readers would know I was making it up!”

Edited by Whisperer
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but Poland are putting out a good product and giving their fans what they want , many of us Brits went to gdansk v Torun on Sunday ,as a meeting it was crap, no passing ,result sorted by heat 8 but it was a must to be there , the atmosphere was something else and as a social event it ticked the boxes and did it make me want to go back ? Hell yes , we deserve our crowds ,we created this mess

U've hit the nail on the head, it's the crowds, the fans, that make the sport in Poland, the racing isn't always great but the fans love their clubs. The promotions do nothing special, they don't need to, the fans make the atmosphere. Just like the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s here.
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I doubt that was the case for other sides when Kings Lynn turned up with such a weak team.

A lot (most?) promotions don't care about who they send away from home... it's all about the home attendances. What they fail to realise is that it takes 2 to tango

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U've hit the nail on the head, it's the crowds, the fans, that make the sport in Poland, the racing isn't always great but the fans love their clubs. The promotions do nothing special, they don't need to, the fans make the atmosphere. Just like the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s here.

a crowd attracts a crowd attracts a crowd , put an empty bag on the street and people just walk past it , put the same bag with 20 people standing round it and people will stop to take a look , its at that point where the bag (speedway) needs to keep them there

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British Speedway is the Theresa May of sport!

Nowhere near as good IMO. A few more nails in the coffin, and it will have sunk almost to the level currently occupied by the likes of Corbyn and Abbott. It's a terrible shame.

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Nowhere near as good IMO. A few more nails in the coffin, and it will have sunk almost to the level currently occupied by the likes of Corbyn and Abbott. It's a terrible shame.

Speedway must be in a bad way if you are comparing it with 'The Flip Flop Queen' Teresa May, like the Conservative Party, speedway is nailing it's own coffin. The more nails they nail in the harder it is to get out of the coffin

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Speedway tried the Labour way, give everyone whatever they want, it didn't work, talk is cheap, like Corbyns suit.

Must be because he doesn't fiddle his expenses, unlike his opposition. Now that may be why speedway is in such a terrible state, too many promoters fiddling the expenses to run speedway, but keeping it for themselves instead of re-investing

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