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The continuing decline of Speedway

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9 minutes ago, longlivefrankie said:

Re music at meetings, not sure age of music has a lot to do with it, IMO it's actual use is more important,  I ogo often to T20 blast matches (cricket) and Neil diamond - Caroline  Jeff beck - hi ho silver lining Beatles - hey Jude are trotted out to great effect. The size of the crowd is a factor I was at the oval recently following Glamorgan and the atmosphere was electric the music certainly helped get the crowd going. On the opposite side I have been when places less than half full thecmusic doesn't work. Usually the MC/DJ tones down the music to a lot less. 

What i do come away usually with the sense of being entertained 

I'd have to agree. My kids jump at the chance of a night at the Ice Hockey. They have no real interest in the sport, but enjoy the "event". My local team, Belfast Giants, get good crowds and the atmosphere, facilities and presentation are enough to encourage them to attend. The last time I took a couple of them to a domestic Speedway meeting (an awful drawn out affair - damp,cpld and boring) they wanted to leave before the end.

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19 minutes ago, longlivefrankie said:

Re music at meetings, not sure age of music has a lot to do with it, IMO it's actual use is more important,  I ogo often to T20 blast matches (cricket) and Neil diamond - Caroline  Jeff beck - hi ho silver lining Beatles - hey Jude are trotted out to great effect. The size of the crowd is a factor I was at the oval recently following Glamorgan and the atmosphere was electric the music certainly helped get the crowd going. On the opposite side I have been when places less than half full thecmusic doesn't work. Usually the MC/DJ tones down the music to a lot less. 

What i do come away usually with the sense of being entertained 

As many on here say ad infinitum...

Great racing in front of a three quarters empty stadium with no 'audience' participation or enthusiasm can be an easily forgettable experience...

Average racing in front of a full house of engaged people, infused with the enthusiam that an emotional attachment to 'their team', and 'their riders', brings, can live a long time in the memory..

And at circa £20 for domestic Speedway, (especially the way it is ran), you will always have the former example at the vast majority of tracks I would suggest...

To keep and improve your fanbase, fans should leave every Speedway meeting already looking forward to the next one...

I bet not that many currently do that....

 

Edited by mikebv

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36 minutes ago, steve roberts said:

I recall that speedway adopted such a measure many years ago and would be interested to learn why it was dropped? I can only assume that a rider when passing over the concrete section picked up extra grip causing the bike to rear (?) or too much grip whilst waiting for the tapes to rise in that it didn't allow the rear wheel to spin?

I'd have thought the combined danger of bikes potentially hitting a concrete lip at 70 mph as the shale shifted, or falling onto a rock hard surface on the fastest part of the circuit, would have had substantial safety issues. 

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43 minutes ago, salty said:

I'd have to agree. My kids jump at the chance of a night at the Ice Hockey. They have no real interest in the sport, but enjoy the "event". My local team, Belfast Giants, get good crowds and the atmosphere, facilities and presentation are enough to encourage them to attend. The last time I took a couple of them to a domestic Speedway meeting (an awful drawn out affair - damp,cpld and boring) they wanted to leave before the end.

I used to follow Oxford City 'Stars' Ice Hockey team and I have to agree that it used to create a great atmosphere (especially The Town vs. Gown matches) however it's much easier creating an atmosphere within an enclosed inside arena rather than an open stadium whereby the weather will always be a factor as well as other issues.

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56 minutes ago, mikebv said:

As many on here say ad infinitum...

Great racing in front of a three quarters empty stadium with no 'audience' participation or enthusiasm can be an easily forgettable experience...

Average racing in front of a full house of engaged people, infused with the enthusiam that an emotional attachment to 'their team', and 'their riders', brings, can live a long time in the memory..

And at circa £20 for domestic Speedway, (especially the way it is ran), you will always have the former example at the vast majority of tracks I would suggest...

To keep and improve your fanbase, fans should leave every Speedway meeting already looking forward to the next one...

I bet not that many currently do that....

 

...of course in my youth we used to do 'War Cries' use rattles and later air horns to generate an atmosphere and before people suggest that today's youth would find all that 'un-cool' it doesn't stop them from participating in banal chants at football matches and the like.

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11 minutes ago, steve roberts said:

...of course in my youth we used to do 'War Cries' use rattles and later air horns to generate an atmosphere and before people suggest that today's youth would find all that 'un-cool' it doesn't stop them from participating in banal chants at football matches and the like.

If they attempted a war cry nowadays the echo of an empty stadium would come back and smack them in the face.

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17 hours ago, Thornaby48 said:

 

 I agree totally with what you say. According to the Speed way Regulation 2018  rule 15.2.1 and I quote "The time from finish of a heat to the start of the next not  exceeds 4 minutes( including the 2 minute time allowance)".

Allowing 60 seconds for the race then a meeting should last about 75 minutes (assuming no hold ups). I do not understand why we need an interval after 10 heats to my mind its an unnecessary delay and should be after heat15  and before the after match racing. After all if a match is exciting a 15 minute break could break its momentum and if the match is a bore it only prolongs the agony.

Here ,up in the frozen north east it can get chilly late on and any unnecessary delays are  not always welcome.

Frozen certain important parts of my anatomy at Isle of Wight on occasion so its not just in the north that it gets cold. 

Truth is, unnecessary delays are not welcome at any time. Never met a fan that likes intervals and have met many that do not. Apparently, the riders just want to get on with it as well.

The only time they can be justified is when other attractions take place. Isle of Wight, for example, have a nippers running race that is part of the show for them. 

I think clubs are learning about it. Somerset didn't have an interval last night and Workington seemed to have dumped them, too.

 

 

Edited by Halifaxtiger

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3 hours ago, longlivefrankie said:

Re music at meetings, not sure age of music has a lot to do with it, IMO it's actual use is more important,  I ogo often to T20 blast matches (cricket) and Neil diamond - Caroline  Jeff beck - hi ho silver lining Beatles - hey Jude are trotted out to great effect. The size of the crowd is a factor I was at the oval recently following Glamorgan and the atmosphere was electric the music certainly helped get the crowd going. On the opposite side I have been when places less than half full thecmusic doesn't work. Usually the MC/DJ tones down the music to a lot less. 

What i do come away usually with the sense of being entertained 

the T20 cricket is an interesting thing,the way that has turned cricket around in amazing,and it really is a good night out

think it help also that at the business end of the match most of the crowd are pissed up tho!

 

Edited by montie

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Was in Tesco's yesterday and noticed these on the end of the aisle..

PedersenNGine-655.jpg

 

Maybe the BSPA could see if they are interested in sponsoring the league?

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2 hours ago, steve roberts said:

...of course in my youth we used to do 'War Cries' use rattles and later air horns to generate an atmosphere and before people suggest that today's youth would find all that 'un-cool' it doesn't stop them from participating in banal chants at football matches and the like.

One of the better to happen to speedway then ..nothing worse for the sport than some saps doing a war cry 

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Simple things, like the gaps between heats, will make the speedway experience better. If it's a rule in the rulebook, four minutes between heats, why is it being ignored? Little things like that will help. It isn't just one problem, it's loads of small ones. Unbeknown to us, they wear many fans out.

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2 hours ago, montie said:

the T20 cricket is an interesting thing,the way that has turned cricket around in amazing,and it really is a good night out

think it help also that at the business end of the match most of the crowd are pissed up tho!

 

Cricket is a snore fest. Most of the fans are sozzled who watch it. Would 20/20 cricket be such a success if they weren't? Why do they have to get sozzled? Same applies to darts? I have never had to get smashed to enjoy speedway. I got frustrated because of the way it was being treated. The sport is still exciting, no gimmicks needed or free ale. Just needs a big shake up. 

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1 hour ago, moxey63 said:

Cricket is a snore fest. Most of the fans are sozzled who watch it. Would 20/20 cricket be such a success if they weren't? Why do they have to get sozzled? Same applies to darts? I have never had to get smashed to enjoy speedway. I got frustrated because of the way it was being treated. The sport is still exciting, no gimmicks needed or free ale. Just needs a big shake up. 

Why is cricket a snore fest .because you think so ? 20 -20 is one of the  most exciting sports there is and as well as people enjoying a drink there are  hugh a.amount fans who are families having a day or night out .one of the worst thing about this topics is clueless idiots trying to make  other excuses why other sports are doing well just because  they dont like or dont understand them .if you asked any sports fan worth there  salt if 20 -20 was a snooze fest they would laugh you out of town .

Edited by orion
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14 minutes ago, orion said:

Why is cricket a snore fest .because you think so ? 20 -20 is one of the  most exciting sports there is and as well as people enjoying a drink there are  hugh a.amount fans who are families having a day or night out .one of the worst thing about this topics is clueless idiots trying to make  other excuses why other sports are doing just because  they dont like or understand them .if you asked any sports fan worth his salt if 20 -20 was a snooze fest they l would laugh you out of town .

ECHO that ... alcohol has little to do with it.

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1 hour ago, orion said:

Why is cricket a snore fest .because you think so

 

Yes. All about opinions. You're up on your high horse simply because you like cricket. Is that right? I said cricket is a snore fest. Somebody else mentioned the crowd at 20/20 was pissed up at the business end. Cricket is a snore fest, so they invented 20/20. Is that right? I am not ridiculing other sports to make speedway seem better. Speedway is exciting, but most things surrounding it are the embarrassment. We don't need gimmicks to liven it up... or to down several or so pints of the bar's finest. Speedway doesn't need to revert to X-Factor type of crowd pullers. It is just my opinion. Chill out. Almost weekend.

Edited by moxey63

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