steve roberts 9,242 Posted April 3, 2018 (edited) ..and no doubt some tracks won't be running during the 'high' season as has apparently happened in the recent past judging by comments made on the forum when one would hope/expect that the weather is more settled (!!) due to other factors. Edited April 3, 2018 by steve roberts Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RobMcCaffery 2,752 Posted April 3, 2018 A sample of the summer surrender due to football's World Cup and BSI events: Jun/July scheduled SGBP/KOC meetings: Belle Vue: - 3x SGBP - + Britishb Final & Speedway of Nations (World Pairs) qualifier King's Lynn: 4 (3 July, only 1 in June) Leicester: 4 (+ 4 reserved dates) Poole: 5 Rye House: 4 (+1 junior championship) Somerset: 6 (+ SGBC Pairs) Swindon: 6 (+1 reserved date) Wolverhampton: 3 Given that the survey covers about 9 weeks in many cases it's grim reading. Then we get the rush in August/early September so that four tracks can close nearly two months before the official end of the season. 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikebv 10,234 Posted April 3, 2018 (edited) 1 hour ago, RobMcCaffery said: A sample of the summer surrender due to football's World Cup and BSI events: Jun/July scheduled SGBP/KOC meetings: Belle Vue: - 3x SGBP - + Britishb Final & Speedway of Nations (World Pairs) qualifier King's Lynn: 4 (3 July, only 1 in June) Leicester: 4 (+ 4 reserved dates) Poole: 5 Rye House: 4 (+1 junior championship) Somerset: 6 (+ SGBC Pairs) Swindon: 6 (+1 reserved date) Wolverhampton: 3 Given that the survey covers about 9 weeks in many cases it's grim reading. Then we get the rush in August/early September so that four tracks can close nearly two months before the official end of the season. Imagine trying to launch an enterprise that at the core of its business plan is the belief that it will be successful by only opening sporadically and inconsistently.... And that its opening times will be heavily dictated to by the employees telling the owners when they are available, rather than the owners opening their business when they can generate the highest customer numbers (and income) through their doors..? Any business person coming up with that idea would be considered certifiable!!.. Yet year on year, this incredibly is how British Speedway allows itself to be ran... Cannot think why it isn't more successful.... Edited April 3, 2018 by mikebv 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MattK 3,447 Posted April 4, 2018 Presumably clubs have some input into how their fixtures are arranged? So King's Lynn have home four meetings in April, whereas Swindon only have two and KL have four in August whereas Swindon only have two. I assume this is at the request of the KL promotion and explains their lack of meetings in June/July? Swindon also have three home meetings which clash with World Cup fixtures, whereas King's Lynn only have one, although bizarrely it is an England match. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RobMcCaffery 2,752 Posted April 4, 2018 (edited) 3 hours ago, MattK said: Presumably clubs have some input into how their fixtures are arranged? So King's Lynn have home four meetings in April, whereas Swindon only have two and KL have four in August whereas Swindon only have two. I assume this is at the request of the KL promotion and explains their lack of meetings in June/July? Swindon also have three home meetings which clash with World Cup fixtures, whereas King's Lynn only have one, although bizarrely it is an England match. I'm sure there are reasons for the fixture distribution. What concerns me is that we still offer a fractured fixture list. Weekly continuity from March to October has been shattered. Edited April 4, 2018 by RobMcCaffery 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
StevePark 2,780 Posted April 4, 2018 1 hour ago, RobMcCaffery said: I'm sure there are reasons for the fixture distribution. What concerns me is that we still offer a fractured fixture list. Weekly continuity from March to October has been shattered. All due to every year the clubs, because of bad weather, rushing their fixtures through at the end of the season to meet the cut-off for the play-offs, especially in the SGB Championship, so they cut the number of League fixtures. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dontforgetthefueltapsbruv 10,692 Posted April 4, 2018 20 minutes ago, StevePark said: All due to every year the clubs, because of bad weather, rushing their fixtures through at the end of the season to meet the cut-off for the play-offs, especially in the SGB Championship, so they cut the number of League fixtures. Seems pointless having reserved dates set when it cant be insisted on that clubs take those dates Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RobMcCaffery 2,752 Posted April 4, 2018 2 hours ago, StevePark said: All due to every year the clubs, because of bad weather, rushing their fixtures through at the end of the season to meet the cut-off for the play-offs, especially in the SGB Championship, so they cut the number of League fixtures. No the fractured list is due to huge scheduled gaps mid-season, not catching up in the autumn due to rain-offs. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Harry The Goat 23 Posted April 4, 2018 19 hours ago, mikebv said: Imagine trying to launch an enterprise that at the core of its business plan is the belief that it will be successful by only opening sporadically and inconsistently.... And that its opening times will be heavily dictated to by the employees telling the owners when they are available, rather than the owners opening their business when they can generate the highest customer numbers (and income) through their doors..? Any business person coming up with that idea would be considered certifiable!!.. This, and talk of gaps, reminds me how times have changed. Just been digging through some old programmes from the 70s. Here's one: 'Meeting No.34' - the 34th home meeting of the season, running every single week from mid-March to the end of October. Count them. More than twice what you get now. And of course you had second halfs then, too. I recall it raining on occasion, but not that many rain-offs. Back to 2018, and I was really hoping to travel to several meetings over the past week. All postponed! 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
StevePark 2,780 Posted April 4, 2018 2 hours ago, RobMcCaffery said: No the fractured list is due to huge scheduled gaps mid-season, not catching up in the autumn due to rain-offs. Sorry, I should also said that there was more fixtures last season in the SGB Championship as it was home and away twice. With the introduction of Lakeside to the league, it was felt (quite rightly in my opinion) after a lot of clubs having to rush their fixtures through at the end of the season, mainly due to the weather in a lot of cases, that we would only race against each other once home and away, so instead of 18 home and 18 away League matches, it is 10 home and 10 away League matches + the Championship Shield (the 'old' League Cup) was re-introduced, with some having 3 home and three away and the 'Southern' Group 2 home and two away. That's why it's 'fractured,' less official fixtures. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikebv 10,234 Posted April 4, 2018 (edited) 31 minutes ago, Harry The Goat said: This, and talk of gaps, reminds me how times have changed. Just been digging through some old programmes from the 70s. Here's one: 'Meeting No.34' - the 34th home meeting of the season, running every single week from mid-March to the end of October. Count them. More than twice what you get now. And of course you had second halfs then, too. I recall it raining on occasion, but not that many rain-offs. Back to 2018, and I was really hoping to travel to several meetings over the past week. All postponed! Difference was HTG that in those days mainly semi pro riders rode a full seasons calender every week, riding 80+ times a year, earning good money to back up their 'day job' earnings... Riders also didn't have several bikes and mechanics in several countries that required them to ask for (and receive) thousands per night in salaries.... Salaries that mean admission fees have risen hugely in advance of inflation since the 70's... An unustainable business model that no one seems to want to admit to, nor change... Edited April 4, 2018 by mikebv 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BangerBoy 47 Posted April 4, 2018 30 minutes ago, Harry The Goat said: This, and talk of gaps, reminds me how times have changed. Just been digging through some old programmes from the 70s. Here's one: 'Meeting No.34' - the 34th home meeting of the season, running every single week from mid-March to the end of October. Count them. More than twice what you get now. And of course you had second halfs then, too. I recall it raining on occasion, but not that many rain-offs. Back to 2018, and I was really hoping to travel to several meetings over the past week. All postponed! Ah The Good Old Days 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
StevePark 2,780 Posted April 4, 2018 1 minute ago, mikebv said: Difference was HTG that in those days mainly semi pro riders rode a full seasons calender every week, riding 80+ times a year, earning good money to back up their 'day job' earnings... Riders also didn't have several bikes and mechanics in several countries that required them to ask for (and receive) thousands per night in salaries.... Salaries that mean admission fees have risen hugely in advance of inflation since the 70's... An unustainable business model that no one seems to want to admit nor change... Also, don't forget the engine tuners, who are raking it in from riders income. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Harry The Goat 23 Posted April 5, 2018 On 4/4/2018 at 6:00 PM, mikebv said: Difference was HTG that in those days mainly semi pro riders rode a full seasons calender every week, riding 80+ times a year, earning good money to back up their 'day job' earnings... Riders also didn't have several bikes and mechanics in several countries that required them to ask for (and receive) thousands per night in salaries.... Salaries that mean admission fees have risen hugely in advance of inflation since the 70's... An unustainable business model that no one seems to want to admit to, nor change... Very true mike, you're right. Things change and evolve, and times are obviously different now to what they used to be. But I do miss the days of once-a-week home meetings. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
steve roberts 9,242 Posted April 6, 2018 6 hours ago, Harry The Goat said: Very true mike, you're right. Things change and evolve, and times are obviously different now to what they used to be. But I do miss the days of once-a-week home meetings. ...continuity was the key which unfortunately appears not to be the case nowadays. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
