BluTiger 21,692 Posted July 11, 2018 1 hour ago, BWitcher said: Right.. So the argument is, Sky has pumped money into lots of sports, given them massive exposure and that is what has caused them all to 'decline'. No other reasons.. all Sky's fault? Seriously? lol Just think for a moment where some of these sports would be if Sky hadn't got involved with them.... I never blamed Sky for any decline, in fact i agree with many of your points. I believe cost and the digital age two of the many reasons, and these sports would have declined even if Sky had never got involved. Maybe you could point out where i blamed Sky for anything Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BWitcher 12,453 Posted July 11, 2018 1 minute ago, BluPanther said: I never blamed Sky for any decline, in fact i agree with many of your points. I believe cost and the digital age two of the many reasons, and these sports would have declined even if Sky had never got involved. Maybe you could point out where i blamed Sky for anything On a thread that is about the decline of Sports due to Sky's involvement.. you say Sky has thrown money at other sports and speak of how in decline they are it was logical to assume you were agreeing with the OP thesis as you gave no other reason for their decline. Now you've clarified it we seem pretty much in agreement, there are lots of factors involved, the digital age being a big one. How much certain sports have actually 'declined' is open to argument. 'Evolved' might be a better word in some cases. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TonyMac 720 Posted July 11, 2018 1 hour ago, Grand Central said: Just about everyone - perhaps bar the OP - agrees that it was the Speedway Promoters themselves that did not make best use of the Sky Money when it was flowing into the sport freely. And that some better choices should have been made to 'invest' for the future. But this oft repeated criticism that it was wasted by just being given to the riders needs a little more scrutiny surely. I think it's true that it did go to them and then to engine tuners and travel costs etc. But isn't that how WE wanted it spent at the time, if we are honest. Didn't we all want to our own club to pay the money to the top guys to have them in our team in those years. Wouldn't we have all voted with our feet back then in even greater numbers sooner if the big money was not spent on a strong team like they rest? If we had a big TV deal starting today isn't the first thing we would want it spent on is getting Tai, Emil, Freddie and the rest back ASAP. I think we are just being a bit 'holier than thou' when we scream at the promoters today for doing what really was our bidding then. In this age of rampant self-entitlement, fans of all team sports want success at every turn and defeat is treated like the end of the world, especially among football fans. Speedway promoters can learn a lot from listening to supporters but not always when it comes to how best to spend the money generated at the turnstiles and through TV and sponsors. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PHILIPRISING 7,298 Posted July 11, 2018 1 hour ago, iainb said: Don't forget a certain cockney gentleman who also skimmed the cream off the top of the pie! OR that without him there wouldn't have been a deal in the first place 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stevehone 3,429 Posted July 11, 2018 speedway had been in decline for many years before Sky came in, but there was a massive opportunity to showcase the sport and sell it to a big sponsor, but i wonder if the desire was there once the ££££ signs were seen. I think too many in charge rested on their laurels and just took everything for granted, and that includes both supporters and income, which is always a bad way to do things. Having some financial backing should have been the start to clubs being able to speculate and actually try pushing the sport to a wider audience, promote in other words! it seems the money was used to help create the monster we have now, with seemingly no way to turn things around, Sky aren't going to do it all over again and give another go 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
moxey63 1,785 Posted July 11, 2018 Could I blame SKY for the red blazers the managers wore? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Grand Central 2,654 Posted July 11, 2018 (edited) 1 hour ago, moxey63 said: Could I blame SKY for the red blazers the managers wore? Well, you could do if it that would make you feel better. But the Red Blazers predate Sky's involvement by a couple of years or more. They have been with us longer than things like dirt deflectors. I remember the 1996 fours day at Peterborough when they were just everywhere you looked. It had the appearence of a bizarre Butlins reunion. With all the redcoats who never 'made it' in entertainment meeting up in old age wearing outfits from a bygone age. Edited July 11, 2018 by Grand Central 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cityrebel 2,960 Posted July 11, 2018 1 hour ago, Grand Central said: Well, you could do if it that would make you feel better. But the Red Blazers predate Sky's involvement by a couple of years or more. They have been with us longer than things like dirt deflectors. I remember the 1996 fours day at Peterborough when they were just everywhere you looked. It had the appearence of a bizarre Butlins reunion. With all the redcoats who never 'made it' in entertainment meeting up in old age wearing outfits from a bygone age. Fits in well with speedways current image. A sport from a bygone age. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TonyMac 720 Posted July 12, 2018 9 hours ago, PHILIPRISING said: OR that without him there wouldn't have been a deal in the first place Terry Russell, and he alone, got the BSPA the original TV deal that no-one else within the promoters' association was capable of. And in hindsight, he spent too much of his own money on a lost cause, or certainly British clubs that didn't deliver a return on that investment. It's ironic that fans, many of the same people who still slate Terry today, probably wouldn't have been able to watch league racing at their local track in the last 25 years if TR hadn't let his heart rule his head. Those who blame TR for any part of UK speedway's demise have got the wrong scapegoat. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
steve roberts 9,244 Posted July 12, 2018 I've said it before but I was never quite sure who the targeted market was in broadcasting live league matches? Was it to attract new people to the sport or to appeal to the already converted...or indeed to attract major sponsorship to which it has apparently failed on all counts. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
waytogo28 2,054 Posted July 12, 2018 We can hardly blame Sky for the inability of the BSPA to maximise on what was a wonderful marketing opportunity - wrapped up in a Big Bundle of Cash. Instead, they just took the money and lay back to dream of a glorious future suddenly arriving. Lucky winners were those No.1s who got the majority of it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Orbiter 172 Posted July 12, 2018 I would say Sky gave British Speedway its last chance saloon and the investment was poorly managed, not Sky's fault. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sidney the robin 4,735 Posted July 12, 2018 (edited) 20 hours ago, BWitcher said: Well, let's look at accounts for year end 2017. Name one Premier League club... I'll go more.. Here are the ones who made a profit: Arsenal, Bournemouth, Burnley, Everton, Hull, Leicester, Liverpool, Man City, Man Utd, Middlesbrough, Southampton, Stoke, Swansea, Tottenham, Watford, WBA, West Ham Now if a team gets promoted into the Prem it can budget to get relegated and still make a profit also there is the parachute money to fall back on.Leeds as an example when the inept Peter Ribsdale was at the club chased the dream and paid a heavy longterm price.Football in the Prem is in a pretty good financial place at the moment.Going back to speedway was SKY to blame for the demise of British speedway no is the answer.For me the day John Berry was refused the backing of the speedway family to be the new supremo ended any chance of the sport prospering again in this Country. Edited July 12, 2018 by Sidney the robin Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
steve roberts 9,244 Posted July 12, 2018 1 minute ago, Sidney the robin said: Now if a team gets promoted into the Prem it can budget to get relegated and still make a profit also there is the parachute money to fall back on.Leeds as an example when the inept Peter Ribsdale was at the club chased the dream and paid a heavy longterm price.Football in the Prem is in a pretty good financial place at the moment.Going back to speedway was SKY to blame for the demise of British speedway no is the answer.For me the day John Berry was refused the backing of the speedway family to be the new supremo. ended any chance of the sport prospering again in this Country. ...nice to see you back Sid! I agree entirely with the lost opportunity regarding John Berry. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Orbiter 172 Posted July 12, 2018 Sky gave Speedway the chance to maximise its product by exposure Speedway failed. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites