The continuing decline of Speedway

[moxey63 1,785]

52 minutes ago, Big Al said:

I do. Usually with both hands tightly around their throat

They're not the hands strangling British speedway to death, are they?

[moxey63 1,785]

1 hour ago, steve roberts said:

...I watch Laurel & Hardy and Chaplin movies  and have a collection of Super 8 movies, Video and DVDs featuring both and others. Doesn't mean I don't accept modern technology as I have just re-found model railways and enjoy the new improvisations and as a very keen photographer I am about to upgrade my digital camera. 

Oh no... a speedway fan and model railways. 

Edited July 26, 2018 by moxey63

[Gemini 4,894]

11 hours ago, Thornaby48 said:

I quite agree about the cost of the programme.At Redcar  the programme is £2.50 and basically there is nothing in it. I always buy one ,I don't know how people can get full  enjoyment without one. Surely a basic score card with results and fixtures is all that is needed costing say £1.00. Does anybody really look at all the adverts in a programme, I dont

I thought the programme was about the only thing promoters could guarantee making a profit on, hence (up to this season) being very reluctant to let us know the actual riding order so we could print our own? Personally I'd rather just take a blank programme I've printed and fill the team in before the racing starts or during tractor breaks rather than buy a programme that I'm going to throw away as soon as I get home. I have actually done this when promoters have insisted on listing the team in alphabetical order just to be awkward because I can be just as awkward and won't be forced into buying something I don't want to. 

Edited July 26, 2018 by Gemini

[waytogo28 2,054]

And there you have it some promoters feel the need to be "awkward" or unhelpful even if you have paid a ticket to see the match! That is a way to build up your crowd levels. Do it "my way" or not at all is something we know all about at King's Lynn where much of the old Len Silver mode continues,  "don't come if you don't like it". And many have decided NOT to go because they don't like it.

[moxey63 1,785]

I was only thinking the other day about the Speedway Hotline, the premium-rate telephone service that used to keep you up to date with speedway news about 20 years ago. I only called it the once - to find out a result from somewhere - and couldn't believe the waffle you had to go through as your bill was ticking up just to find out what you actually wanted to know. I think most tracks had one, in addition to the national one provided by the BSPA. They don't half like ripping off fans. Thank god for the internet, eh.

Edited July 27, 2018 by moxey63

[steve roberts 9,242]

28 minutes ago, moxey63 said:

I was only thinking the other day about the Speedway Hotline, the premium-rate telephone service that used to keep you up to date with speedway news about 20 years ago. I only called it the once - to find out a result from somewhere - and couldn't believe the waffle you had to go through as your bill was ticking up just to find out what you actually wanted to know. I think most tracks had one, in addition to the national news provided by the BSPA. They don't half like ripping off fans. Thank god for the internet, eh.

...it's the same when you phone a utility company and all you want to do is talk to someone direct whilst the introductory waffling message gives you  a hundred and one different options and messages it's cost a tidy sum before you've got to where you wish to be.

[steve roberts 9,242]

14 hours ago, moxey63 said:

Oh no... a speedway fan and model railways. 

...the difference, of course. being is that I only engage with areas of new technology that I find useful rather than allowing technology to dictate which often involves having to spend hundreds of pounds on something that you may never use, or indeed, require but it's all about "Keeping up with the Jones" 

Thankfully I'm above all of that. It was interesting to see that books sales are up depite the advent of kindle which many 'experts' envisaged would bring about the demise of books....and I have hundreds of books which I consult.

Edited July 27, 2018 by steve roberts

[moxey63 1,785]

Same with the Play-Off Final... do they charge extra for those matches. Surely if they had fans in mind, they'd set up some kind of loyalty system in which actually attending all the dross served up in the actual league programme to get to the POs. Surely attending every home match of the 18 or so league fixture warrants some form of loyalty payback, not pumping admission up for the semis and final.

As for promoters and their famous "If you don't like it" retort. I have just been looking at some watches online. Some of the feedback was quite straight to the point and not very nice really. But they received a nice reply thanking them for their feedback and that they take it into consideration. Not "If you don't like the watch, don't buy from us again."

There comes a point in most fans' experiences where they feel the sport or the club has taken the pee just one time too much. It's a build up of various things.

This may get people's backs up, but I really wish speedway would fail to the point that all this talk of having to do something to save it actually comes to something. Talk is fine at the winter congress, the promise of a radical new approach. And then we have memories of Swindon v Leicester from last Monday....      

[moxey63 1,785]

10 minutes ago, steve roberts said:

...the difference, of course. being is that I only engage with areas of new technology that I find useful rather than allowing technology to dictate which often involves having to spend hundreds of pounds on something that you may never use, or indeed, require but it's all about "Keeping up with the Jones" 

Thankfully I'm above all of that. It was interesting to see that books sales are up depute the advent of kindle which many 'experts' envisaged would bring about the demise of books..

I am exactly like you, Steve. Just can't get used to mobile phones or tablet for the internet, rather stay on my desktop system.

[Ghostwalker 1,858]

IMO Thornaby have a point when it comes to R/R, tactical subs, joker double points and guests and no mid-season transfer windows.
These are rules that I think need to be removed. I want 6 or 7 riders doing four heats each + nomination heats. Like Thornaby says, keep it simple.
I do however disagree about his aversion against modern things such as phone apps, social media and etc. Those are essential in the 21st century.
 

[Spl77 337]

The most annoying aspect of all is clearly there are people out there who are happy and want to be involved in the sport so they must see a future. We have Guy Nicholls who is very successful in his field at Ipswich as a sponsor aswell as supporting a host of riders. Love him or hate Ford at Poole BT sport who made that cracking true grit documentary and the guy interviewed in the speedway star who was involved with Olympics sorry his name escapes me. The point is surely there are enough people with the desire because they are fans of the sport to rescue it. I think this winter will truly be last chance salon. 

[cityrebel 2,960]

It's probably already too late for some clubs.

[GWC 495]

10 minutes ago, cityrebel said:

It's probably already too late for some clubs.

When you say too late does that mean they are no longer able to attract a paying crowd to support their business?

[topaz325 1,853]

4 minutes ago, GWC said:

When you say too late does that mean they are no longer able to attract a paying crowd to support their business?

For quite a few years now.

[dontforgetthefueltapsbruv 10,695]

3 hours ago, Spl77 said:

The most annoying aspect of all is clearly there are people out there who are happy and want to be involved in the sport so they must see a future. We have Guy Nicholls who is very successful in his field at Ipswich as a sponsor aswell as supporting a host of riders. Love him or hate Ford at Poole BT sport who made that cracking true grit documentary and the guy interviewed in the speedway star who was involved with Olympics sorry his name escapes me. The point is surely there are enough people with the desire because they are fans of the sport to rescue it. I think this winter will truly be last chance salon. 

Guy Nicholls has been quite clear that the reason he hasnt bought a speedway club is that he doesnt feel he would have the autonomy to run it the way he feels would be best due to the structure and decision making process as it is

Is that likely to change?

Speedway is lucky to have the likes of Guy in whatever form that investment takes