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THINGS DON'T CHANGE

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I'm sure it also seemed like the teams had bigger rivals as well...when I was younger ipswich seemed to win a few things...and the arrival of a team like belle vue also winners at that time always added to the occasion.. Belle vue also had a few fans that would shout out things to wind up the home teams fans..creating a bigger atmosphere in the stands.   And at foxhall we also had some flamboyant Americans like Cook...they always performed to the crowd like entertainers.  Like you I have dvd to look back on....and the racing wasn't any better....a few crackers yes...but normally just the usual follow my leader.  

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Agree again.

From a Wolverhampton point of view, the biggest blow was the loss of Cradley. It has never been quite the same since.

I also think it was of the biggest mistakes the sport has ever made. When Dudley Wood closed, instead of moving to Stoke, Cradley should have moved to Monmore Green at that time whilst continuing to look for their own place. If, as has turned out, they weren't able to find anywhere, so be it, they would still have been running.

Both clubs would have benefited. Cradley in continuing to run and Wolverhampton in continuing to make money from the big crowds the derby matches produced. And of course both sets of fans in continuing to enjoy the rivalry.

Indeed, the matches may even have gone up a notch with both sides effectively racing on their home track.

More recently there has been problems with dates and fitting them both in, but had they been long established it may have been much easier to work around.

The sport would be in a much healthier place with Cradley still operating in the top flight.

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Local derbies generally where once upon a time there were the likes of Oxford/Swindon/Reading, Wimbledon/Hackney/White City, Coventry/Leicester, King's Lynn/Ipswich, Belle Vue/Halifax, Boston/Peterborough, Poole/Exeter etc etc.

Nothing quite built up an atmosphere like a local derby.

Edited by steve roberts
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4 minutes ago, steve roberts said:

Local derbies generally where once upon a time there were the likes of Oxford/Swindon/Reading, Wimbledon/Hackney/White City, Coventry/Leicester, King's Lynn/Ipswich, Belle Vue/Halifax, Boston/Peterborough, Poole/Exeter etc etc.

Nothing quite built up an atmosphere like a local derby.

Yep and as you say, many of them no longer exist and it has had a massive detrimental effect on the sport.

 

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I followed Wolves through out the noughies and started going home and away in 2008/09 and decided to support them proper after getting used to Freddie,PK and enjoying Billy riding for a couple of seasons. I decided to support them proper in 2010 encouraged by Steve Brum to come to the dark side. Obviously when we came back in 2010 things changed but looking back and being honest,although I've enjoyed our time back were never going to have our own track so would it have been better if we hadn't have come back and I could have enjoyed watching the Wolves. The racing watching Wolves was far better but I'm not sure it is nowadays. What's happened has happened but I can't help but feel the last 8 years has not really got us anywhere,the first 5 seasons were enjoyable but not sure about the last 3 and what's 2018 really going to achieve. Bit confused at the minute,it would be difficult to try to follow the Wolves now but is it worth Cradley doing what there doing. Interested to hear views folks

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3 minutes ago, bruno said:

I followed Wolves through out the noughies and started going home and away in 2008/09 and decided to support them proper after getting used to Freddie,PK and enjoying Billy riding for a couple of seasons. I decided to support them proper in 2010 encouraged by Steve Brum to come to the dark side. Obviously when we came back in 2010 things changed but looking back and being honest,although I've enjoyed our time back were never going to have our own track so would it have been better if we hadn't have come back and I could have enjoyed watching the Wolves. The racing watching Wolves was far better but I'm not sure it is nowadays. What's happened has happened but I can't help but feel the last 8 years has not really got us anywhere,the first 5 seasons were enjoyable but not sure about the last 3 and what's 2018 really going to achieve. Bit confused at the minute,it would be difficult to try to follow the Wolves now but is it worth Cradley doing what there doing. Interested to hear views folks

Personally I think Cradley should have moved up to the top flight after their first season at Monmore. They were getting crowds comparable with Wolverhampton and who knows, they may have been able to talk Greg into leading them. As it is I get the impression they have slowly let the momentum drift away whilst looking to make easy money. Very, very sad.

I also know for a fact there were quite a few Cradley fans who have never been to watch the NL side, but had they moved up even one division would have returned. I know nine Cradley fans altogether and that is the case with every one of them. There are bound to be more.

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19 hours ago, B.V 72 said:

Can't say re 1975 but in 1972 I remember at Belle vue the prices were 15p for a child 30p for an adult and 6p for a prog.2 buses there and 2 buses back at 2p a trip total 29p out of my 50p a week spends with 12 of us going every week happy days sad to say I am the only one of the group who still goes.

So it was 58% of your weekly spends on Speedway..

Nowadays for my 14 year old lad it would be £8 to get in, £3 for the prog and £2 for the bus...

£13...

To deliver the same ratio I would have to give him £22 a week spends!:o

In his dreams...:D

Not only that but getting 11 of his mates' parents to cough up £13 a night for Speedway might also be a 'tad' difficult..:unsure:

"Dad, can I go to watch Speedway with James at Belle Vue?"

"Blimey,  Speedway? Is that still going? I used to go to Belle Vue myself when I was your age, Peter Collins was the best one, he was brilliant. Course you can,  how much is it?"

"To get in, buy a programme and bus fare its £13 so with some food I'll need about £20"

"How @#£×÷¥₩ much? Just to watch Speedway?  You're having a laugh lad!"...

 

Edited by mikebv
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4 hours ago, mikebv said:

So it was 58% of your weekly spends on Speedway..

Nowadays for my 14 year old lad it would be £8 to get in, £3 for the prog and £2 for the bus...

£13...

To deliver the same ratio I would have to give him £22 a week spends!:o

In his dreams...:D

Not only that but getting 11 of his mates' parents to cough up £13 a night for Speedway might also be a 'tad' difficult..:unsure:

"Dad, can I go to watch Speedway with James at Belle Vue?"

"Blimey,  Speedway? Is that still going? I used to go to Belle Vue myself when I was your age, Peter Collins was the best one, he was brilliant. Course you can,  how much is it?"

"To get in, buy a programme and bus fare its £13 so with some food I'll need about £20"

"How @#£×÷¥₩ much? Just to watch Speedway?  You're having a laugh lad!"...

 

Sadly the same can be said about everything leisure costs a fortune these days.A few years later as an apprentice my take home pay was £10.06 a week a pint of beer was 10p so I could(not that I did) buy 100 pints with my wage.Now a pint is approx £3.00 how many apprentices take home £300.00 pounds a week.

Again a few years later on full money married buying a house etc I went to football on Saturday afternoon and speedway at night and could afford both no problem.As the years have passed and my money became worthless I could not afford to do both so I had to choose I picked speedway it would seem most others stayed with football.

And there lies the problem people can't afford to spend as much on leisure because it and everything else cost so bloody much and your wage goes nowhere these days.As with me a lot of people cannot do everything they want to do and have to pick and choose and it would seem speedway is lower down on peoples list than other things and in my opinion is a big reason why speedway is struggling these days.

 

Edited by B.V 72
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8 hours ago, mikebv said:

So it was 58% of your weekly spends on Speedway..

Nowadays for my 14 year old lad it would be £8 to get in, £3 for the prog and £2 for the bus...

£13...

To deliver the same ratio I would have to give him £22 a week spends!:o

In his dreams...:D

Not only that but getting 11 of his mates' parents to cough up £13 a night for Speedway might also be a 'tad' difficult..:unsure:

"Dad, can I go to watch Speedway with James at Belle Vue?"

"Blimey,  Speedway? Is that still going? I used to go to Belle Vue myself when I was your age, Peter Collins was the best one, he was brilliant. Course you can,  how much is it?"

"To get in, buy a programme and bus fare its £13 so with some food I'll need about £20"

"How @#£×÷¥₩ much? Just to watch Speedway?  You're having a laugh lad!"...

 

It's free for him to watch the Colts. A good way to get him and his mates interested.

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8 hours ago, mikebv said:

So it was 58% of your weekly spends on Speedway..

Nowadays for my 14 year old lad it would be £8 to get in, £3 for the prog and £2 for the bus...

£13...

To deliver the same ratio I would have to give him £22 a week spends!:o

In his dreams...:D

Not only that but getting 11 of his mates' parents to cough up £13 a night for Speedway might also be a 'tad' difficult..:unsure:

"Dad, can I go to watch Speedway with James at Belle Vue?"

"Blimey,  Speedway? Is that still going? I used to go to Belle Vue myself when I was your age, Peter Collins was the best one, he was brilliant. Course you can,  how much is it?"

"To get in, buy a programme and bus fare its £13 so with some food I'll need about £20"

"How @#£×÷¥₩ much? Just to watch Speedway?  You're having a laugh lad!"...

 

At Belle Vue he will see at least 4 of the World's top riders, including the World Champion.

I suppose he could go to Crewe Alexandra instead to watch league 2 football. £9.50 entrance.

Speedway isn't expensive compared to other sports.

 

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I can go to watch a British superbike round Friday Saturday and Sunday...all the practice, qualifying races and all the support races from 8 am to 6 pm all 3 days for 37 quid.  

Speedway isn't expensive..but value for money it's poor.

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43 minutes ago, Baldyman said:

Speedway isn't expensive..but value for money it's poor.

As many said, a tad dear for families, else nail hit on head.  Put on more races, juniors, anything, after main 15ht match....

Edited by martinmauger
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9 hours ago, mikebv said:

So it was 58% of your weekly spends on Speedway..

Nowadays for my 14 year old lad it would be £8 to get in, £3 for the prog and £2 for the bus...

£13...

To deliver the same ratio I would have to give him £22 a week spends!:o

In his dreams...:D

Not only that but getting 11 of his mates' parents to cough up £13 a night for Speedway might also be a 'tad' difficult..:unsure:

"Dad, can I go to watch Speedway with James at Belle Vue?"

"Blimey,  Speedway? Is that still going? I used to go to Belle Vue myself when I was your age, Peter Collins was the best one, he was brilliant. Course you can,  how much is it?"

"To get in, buy a programme and bus fare its £13 so with some food I'll need about £20"

"How @#£×÷¥₩ much? Just to watch Speedway?  You're having a laugh lad!"...

 

I don't think parents would be shocked at that for a one off night out. Getting them to pay it every week, however, is a different matter. But if my son was taken somewhere by his friends' parents and I was told it was 20 quid to see a live sporting event I'd pretty much expect it.

I don't see why people factor food into the cost though. Just eat before you go. What's the issue? And you don't need to get a programme for every one either.

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13 minutes ago, martinmauger said:

As many said, a tad dear for families, else nail hit on head.  Put on more races, juniors, anything, after main 15ht match....

Exactly why not make a night of it, offer further entertainment. You have juniors & second halfers who turn up all over the country and ride for free just to be rushed through and treated like dirt. Providing the curfews are not in danger why not run another 15 heat match with second half riders? No money to pay out just track time. Or invite the sidecars? Anything extra to present a better value evening. If you can prevent the current culture of everyone streaming out of the stadium immediately it might create a more unified atmosphere 

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19 minutes ago, Sings4Speedway said:

Exactly why not make a night of it, offer further entertainment. You have juniors & second halfers who turn up all over the country and ride for free just to be rushed through and treated like dirt. Providing the curfews are not in danger why not run another 15 heat match with second half riders? No money to pay out just track time. Or invite the sidecars? Anything extra to present a better value evening. If you can prevent the current culture of everyone streaming out of the stadium immediately it might create a more unified atmosphere 

Or run a junior meeting like the Northern Junior League, and the MDL meeting, after the main meeting in meaningful matches with 4 junior riders in 6 extra heats.

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