mikebv 10,272 Posted October 24, 2017 (edited) Sums me up spot on,trouble is I'm not that bothered if I miss meetings these days. On the slippery slope?Think so Bruno... For me Speedway in Britain is caught between two stools... If say the NSS ran three BIG individual meetings a year whereby the World's top riders were in attendance I would pay £35 - £40 for me and my 14 year old lad to attend and know we would see great racing with real value for money. And I am sure around 4000 - 5000 others (at least) would join me.. I gladly spend circa £200 notes to attend Cardiff... I balk though at paying £25 or so weekly for me and the lad to watch 'made up teams' in a competition with no credibility... So much so I actually attended more Colts matches this year than Aces matches as for just £10 for me and the lad combined (in the posh seats too) you could see some fantastic action... However it didn't bother me who won the Colts matches as I saw them as very much a "reserve team" to the main one, therefore I could just sit back and enjoy Bewley, Bickley, Smith, Ayres, Armstrong, Royton et al riding as if it were a GP they were competing in... How it sorts the many Premiership and the Championship issues out I don't know, what I do know though is that if it's more of the same next year my visits to Premiership matches will remain as well spread out as this year's. ,, Edited October 24, 2017 by mikebv Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
topaz325 1,855 Posted October 24, 2017 Fans have been saying these words for years now but many promoters seem intent on burying their heads in the sand and blaming fans for not attending to watch a inferior product Do promoters not realise the strength of feeling that many have towards the sport! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The White Knight 9,039 Posted October 24, 2017 (edited) Fans have been saying these words for years now but many promoters seem intent on burying their heads in the sand and blaming fans for not attending to watch a inferior product Do promoters not realise the strength of feeling that many have towards the sport! I think they probably do - but they don't know what to do about it or, how to improve things. Edited October 24, 2017 by The White Knight Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chris116 756 Posted October 24, 2017 I am glad that the team who I watch most often has not put out a statement like the one by the Somerset promotion as I would be writing to them to point out that I support SPEEDWAY not buffets and booze ups. My support for those at Oaktree Arena is now NIL and I have always had a high opinion of that promotion. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The White Knight 9,039 Posted October 24, 2017 I am glad that the team who I watch most often has not put out a statement like the one by the Somerset promotion as I would be writing to them to point out that I support SPEEDWAY not buffets and booze ups. My support for those at Oaktree Arena is now NIL and I have always had a high opinion of that promotion. Do you support Somerset 'Rebels'? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Garry1603 353 Posted October 24, 2017 Why dont they book some guests to come instead ? Surely rider replacment would be better so less riders have to turn up - but each eat / drink a bit more 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SCB 0 Posted October 24, 2017 (edited) Must admit, I do find it odd that a speedway promoter considers a speedway meeting more pointless than an end of season party.Next time she complains about fans not turning up just tell her that everyone has gone out for a meal. Edited October 25, 2017 by SCB Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
drew2 251 Posted October 24, 2017 Last season the Rebels Presentation Night was considered too expensive by some, even to celebrate the PL Trophy winning season. This year a 'cheaper' option was planned, as some had requested, but the support was low once again. One difficulty in any club situation, whatever the sport, is pleasing everyone with these type of functions as I well know. Sometimes you just can win! I will openly admit I wasn't planning on attending this event originally due to my work commitments I have over the weekend but that all changed to assist the club as mentioned below. Coupled with the lack of current riders available/fit//willing to attend it was always going to be difficult. If we had stayed with the same one to seven we started the year with, I guess a few more riders (Starkey and Jan) might have also been available to attend (although Rohan is now a SGP reserve on Sat). The usual announcer and his stand in were also unavailable for the re-arranged date so I was actually lined up to stand in for them, (so even that role was requiring a 'NL guest', quite apt really with how the rest of the speedway season has gone!! ) I was actually looking forward to compering it though but was also thinking it might not be an easy 'baptism' for me on the mike. (BTW the way I am just a fan of the club but have plenty of experience of this type of event through my work as a professional golfer) People have said what about holding the event in November but for those of you maybe not that local to Somerset the first Saturday in November is Bridgwater Carnival followed by the Burnham and Highbridge event on the Monday evening. The rest of the Guy Fawkes circuit then follows at various Somerset towns over the next 2 weeks. Trying to run it that weekend would have been very difficult as so many local people are involved in that huge event in some way or another. Travelling around Somerset that weekend isn't easy either. Some of our Aussies would have already returned home as well so wouldn't have been able to attend either by then, especially if they wished to return home in time for their home SGP. Somerset's first year in the top league has been a struggle. The inconsistent fixture list with massive gaps is a joke and I am not sure how that came about to be as bad as it was with all fixtures crammed into the end of August it seems. Somerset almost HAD to move up due to the geographical nature of the setup of the two leagues, which I completely understand, but that brought with it the issues of the weekend of SGP's accounting for certain riders missing more often than they appeared at the OTA. Add that to other rider availability issues of doubling up etc it was a complete mess. Other teams also tried to bully the 'new boys' into fulfilling fixtures at certain times to suit them it seemed to me. I don't think one match all season happened at the OTA without a guest or R/R on one or both sides which is wrong for everyone. I know the Hancock family love their speedway, and along with Garry May, put their heart and soul into running that club but this year has been extremely trying on so many fronts within the sport for them. The frustration maybe boiled over in the statement but that is probably because they love it so much. Whatever the outcome over the winter months within the sport I will certainly be back supporting the club next season along with my family though. I will also now try to support other functions within the club when I possibly can. What happens next as a whole for this sport in GB, who knows though?? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stevehone 3,429 Posted October 24, 2017 Thought end-of-season shindigs had seen their day, to be honest. Aren't they from a bygone time where we all sat at the table to eat our meals? Are they from an era when riders actually cared who had been supporting them all that summer? i think that sums up the situation in a way .. look at the average age of speedway supporters now Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chris116 756 Posted October 25, 2017 Do you support Somerset 'Rebels'? No, but I have always thought the promotion was one of the better ones. That view has now changed sadly. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
waytogo28 2,054 Posted October 25, 2017 drew2 wrote " I know the Hancock family love their speedway, and along with Garry May, put their heart and soul into running that club but this year has been extremely trying on so many fronts within the sport for them. The frustration maybe boiled over in the statement but that is probably because they love it so much. Whatever the outcome over the winter months within the sport I will certainly be back supporting the club next season along with my family though. I will also now try to support other functions within the club when I possibly can." However much their emotions and frustrations boiled over - they took their eye off the ball of why they run speedway and who for. If they run it for themselves then OK say what they want about "fickle" supporters but they have forgotten that they are customers who choose or not choose to spend their money there. No sympathy for the Somerset promotion who need to wake up to commercial realities especially within UK speedway. Look at King's Lynn which used to be my club, but who I have just given up on, after going regularly every year since they opened. Pay attention to the needs, likes and dislikes of your customers unless you are rich enough to run the club as your "toy". Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
waytogo28 2,054 Posted October 25, 2017 Fans have been saying these words for years now but many promoters seem intent on burying their heads in the sand and blaming fans for not attending to watch a inferior product Do promoters not realise the strength of feeling that many have towards the sport! No! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Perton Wolf 396 Posted October 25, 2017 Publicly lambasting your customers is never good business sense. Which I think is ultimately British Speedway's weakness, there's no strategy to actually grow the sport. A CEO figure running the show might help things a bit....... 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cityrebel 2,960 Posted October 26, 2017 Thought end-of-season shindigs had seen their day, to be honest. Aren't they from a bygone time where we all sat at the table to eat our meals? Are they from an era when riders actually cared who had been supporting them all that summer?in the 1970's and 80's, Wimbledon used to run a weekly supporters club night throughout the winter. These events were very well attended, and included a darts league and quiz nights. It's hard to imagine this kind of thing ever happening again. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Grand Central 2,654 Posted October 26, 2017 (edited) Publicly lambasting your customers is never good business sense. Which I think is ultimately British Speedway's weakness, there's no strategy to actually grow the sport. A CEO figure running the show might help things a bit....... Any such person would have to be appointed by, paid by and report to those very same promoters. With their myriad of manifest personality disorders. How would that change anything ? Edited October 26, 2017 by Grand Central 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
