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Auntie Beeb has remembered what Speedway was, once...

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On 12/16/2017 at 2:04 AM, tmc said:

Well said, Rob. The BBC, nor any other broadcaster, owes speedway nothing.

We speedway people tend to think that, because we like the sport, everyone else should be tripping over themselves to like it. Speedway... only speedway... could whittle away the millions that SKY pumped into the sport for almost two decades and now see nothing for it. The people who run the sport behaved like they were children handed a fiver to spend but had two minutes to spend it before the shop shut. I'd say the sport is in a fragile state right now after those millions were "invested." It's a mess... like Homer Simpson has been in charge, so I don't hold much criticism for any broadcaster that wants to steer clear of what was once upon a time the second favourite sport in the summer... and the Beeb didn't even want to know it then. So fat chance now.

Edited by moxey63
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But what did they spend the millions on??? Certainly wasn't things like track covers and stadiums..or promoting the sport .

Edited by Baldyman
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31 minutes ago, Baldyman said:

But what did they spend the millions on??? Certainly wasn't things like track covers and stadiums..or promoting the sport .

...good question!

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1 hour ago, Baldyman said:

But what did they spend the millions on??? Certainly wasn't things like track covers and stadiums..or promoting the sport .

Come to think of it.... I can't think of anything. Sounds like one of those corrupt regimes you often hear in charge of other countries. Somebody gets rich while the sport becomes poor.  

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Just now, Baldyman said:

Maybe new cars and mortgage payments??? Obviously none was put back into the sport.

... back of the sofa, don't forget down the back of the sofa.

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On 12/19/2017 at 4:12 PM, Baldyman said:

But what did they spend the millions on??? Certainly wasn't things like track covers and stadiums..or promoting the sport .

They "gave it away" in most cases to Big Name Riders and whilst I do admire Iversen at KL - his dedication was at least in part, built up by most of the Sky cash going his way.

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On Tuesday, December 19, 2017 at 4:12 PM, Baldyman said:

But what did they spend the millions on??? Certainly wasn't things like track covers and stadiums..or promoting the sport .

They spent it on the top riders....

One Promoter told me that the 'Sky Money', "basically paid for his No1"....

So the money went on those top riders who for the past 20 years have rode over here whilst, at the same time, clubs have lost thousands from their fan base...

Many are indeed the very same top riders some want to see back riding over here regularly to bring back the thousands of fans lost during those past 20 years of them riding over here..

Errrr. Hang on...

I think I spot a slight flaw in the cunning plan there...:rolleyes::)

 

 

Edited by mikebv
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1 hour ago, mikebv said:

They spent it on the top riders....

One Promoter told me that the 'Sky Money', "basically paid for his No1"....

So the money went on those top riders who for the past 20 years have rode over here whilst, at the same time, clubs have lost thousands from their fan base...

Many are indeed the very same top riders some want to see back riding over here regularly to bring back the thousands of fans lost during those past 20 years of them riding over here..

Errrr. Hang on...

I think I spot a slight flaw in the cunning plan there...:rolleyes::)

 

 

Not disagreeing about paying for a number one, but surely that was a big mistake and shows a sport with no forward-thinking. It's like getting a loan from a shark for Christmas. The money chomping promoters didn't contemplate the sport would have to survive after SKY waltzed off. Like normal life... once Christmas is over the loan has to be paid back for most of the following 12 months. Live within your means. The SKY money paying for the number one didn't warrant a vast crowd upturn on the terrace for that club, but the fans who watched from home on TV got value for their subscription. So SKY was happy I suppose. As for now and trying to persuade back the grabbers hat skinned us, I'd say no no no. Make stars of riders who stayed loyal to the UK. It will be a hard slog at first but a future plan could see a more organised sport in five years' time. But I suppose that's too simple.

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3 hours ago, moxey63 said:

Not disagreeing about paying for a number one, but surely that was a big mistake and shows a sport with no forward-thinking. It's like getting a loan from a shark for Christmas. The money chomping promoters didn't contemplate the sport would have to survive after SKY waltzed off. Like normal life... once Christmas is over the loan has to be paid back for most of the following 12 months. Live within your means. The SKY money paying for the number one didn't warrant a vast crowd upturn on the terrace for that club, but the fans who watched from home on TV got value for their subscription. So SKY was happy I suppose. As for now and trying to persuade back the grabbers hat skinned us, I'd say no no no. Make stars of riders who stayed loyal to the UK. It will be a hard slog at first but a future plan could see a more organised sport in five years' time. But I suppose that's too simple.

What it also did was raise the salaries of the riders lower down 'the food chain'...

If your No1 is getting £3k a night then your 2nd and 3rd Heat Leaders will be expecting something not a million miles off as there may be only a couple or three points average between them.

You then have the second strings maybe a point or two behind the third heat leader with their enhanced expectations...

Add on a massively in demand '4pt Superstar' No6 on a 'gift average' who will get a lot more than the usual reserve pay and there's no wonder very few clubs make it pay...

Suppose the 2pt No7 gets what's left!!?:rolleyes:

Maybe the 'Sky Money' is how so many (no disrespect intended) 'middle order journeymen' have become full professionals over the years?

In a Sport that cannot afford so many full time Pros...

To be fair to them though, if I was half as good as the best 'player' in my team, who had a nine point average and got £3k a night to deliver it, I'd want around £1500 a night minimum for my 4.5..!

Edited by mikebv
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46 minutes ago, mikebv said:

What it also did was raise the salaries of the riders lower down 'the food chain'...

If your No1 is getting £3k a night then your 2nd and 3rd Heat Leaders will be expecting something not a million miles off as there may be only a couple or three points average between them.

You then have the second strings maybe a point or two behind the third heat leader with their enhanced expectations...

Add on a massively in demand '4pt Superstar' No6 on a 'gift average' who will get a lot more than the usual reserve pay and there's no wonder very few clubs make it pay...

Suppose the 2pt No7 gets what's left!!?:rolleyes:

Maybe the 'Sky Money' is how so many (no disrespect intended) 'middle order journeymen' have become full professionals over the years?

In a Sport that cannot afford so many full time Pros...

To be fair to them though, if I was half as good as the best 'player' in my team, who had a nine point average and got £3k a night to deliver it, I'd want around £1500 a night minimum for my 4.5..!

Maybe set racedays should be weekends, ease the sport back into being a hobby at weekends and to halt this belief that it is as professional as football. It has its fanbase, a fanbase which can't afford professional-riders who can only afford to be professional because they have the comfort of riding in various foreign leagues or, over here, doubling up and down.

Edited by moxey63

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Promoters wasted the vast majority of it on riders, who in turn spent it on super-fast equipment and engine tuners.

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18 minutes ago, tmc said:

Promoters wasted the vast majority of it on riders, who in turn spent it on super-fast equipment and engine tuners.

As I say, too much money goes out of speedway. Superfast engines are ok for GPs, but it's domestic speedway that matters to most. How fast an engine is over another competitor or how finely it's been tuned should be as looked on as strictly and as important as team building regulations.

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