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NO WORD FROM THE BSPA

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1 hour ago, mikebv said:

Spot on...

You simply don't have a real team dynamic anymore in Britain, constantly eroded away over the past 20 years or so...

So how the hell does British Speedway expect any new fans to 'buy into it' without that vital emotional attachment you need to develop to make a team 'yours'?...

And why therefore, do they still try to 'sell it' to the populace as such?...

The Sport over here, and to be fair, elsewhere too, is just a vehicle for lads to earn money individually (the difference is other countries still stick to team sport principles within those parameters which has helped fans stay 'attached')....

What should be focused on is the fact that the Sport still has loads going for it to make it a success....

It seemingly just cannot be delivered successfully within a team framework over here..

Therefore, stop doing it and simply sell what is good about it..

ie. The racing itself, the noise, the speed, the smell (ish), the character and personality of the riders, the fact it is unique amongst all other 'town/city centre Sports, and the fact that those who watch invariably cannot do what they are watching the riders do. (Unlike other sports where most fans who watch can demonstrate at least some competence at it)..

Make it a full night's entertainment, make the night an 'event', promote and market the riders, create a bit of hype about them individually, create 'feuds' (they don't need to be genuine), advertise a huge prize fund, (even if a little economical with the truth;))...

Make the riders 'stars', build the sport back up, and maybe over time intergrate in a team dynamic to see if it can be a success again..

The Sport has so much going for it...

So surely its now time for the Promoters (who willingly invest so much into it) to concentrate their efforts on what is good about Speedway, dispense with all the ridiculous 'nonsense' that so undermines their genuine commitment and efforts, and start to deliver the kind of success a Sport, that can truly be uniquely breathtaking, should be delivering...

Good post. How about letting the riders or team manager onto the centre green when protesting to the ref about something or in some cases appearing to protest when they were actually asking the ref how his holidays went. In the "old days" it certainly stirred the crowd up in a friendly hostile way and created some interaction.

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16 minutes ago, Thornaby48 said:

Good post. How about letting the riders or team manager onto the centre green when protesting to the ref about something or in some cases appearing to protest when they were actually asking the ref how his holidays went. In the "old days" it certainly stirred the crowd up in a friendly hostile way and created some interaction.

Like when Crabby used to remonstrate with the ref using the phone in front of the stand at Stoke... that was brilliant to watch

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People are being called boring for suggesting reasons why the sport is on its arse, from the same people who feel the sport needs to spruce itself up and attrcat new fans while dissing the thousands who have already left because the sport itself had shat on them one way or another.

 

We are where we are because the masses have voted. When the people who have witnessed the leak are still here to tell their account, and they are dimissed because speedway needs a new sort of fan, then we are living with the same people who think Brexit will be ok if we just believe in it. 

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13 hours ago, ouch said:

Cook (until recently), Fricke, Tungate and Drozdz so that’s more than half the team only ride for one team in the UK yet the decline continues. 

Its doing my head in reading this thread as it’s going round and round rather, I suspect like a BSPA meeting. Everyone of you make good valid points but they are pretty much equal in respect to the decline of speedway. Stop trying to make out one is vastly more important than the other. 

Its like arguing over what caused the hole in the boat as it sinks. 

Your analogy is almost correct... except there are at least ten holes and all caused by something different.

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14 hours ago, ouch said:

Its doing my head in reading this thread as it’s going round and round rather, I suspect like a BSPA meeting. Everyone of you make good valid points but they are pretty much equal in respect to the decline of speedway. Stop trying to make out one is vastly more important than the other. 

 

No they are not equal.  This is an exercise in identifying the FUNDAMENTAL problems the sport faces.  The biggest problem is the tracks are not fit for purpose. 
There is no real racing and very little to inspire and capture the imagination of a noob.

it's not about team versus individual speedway, Green Helmet Colours, or 13 Heats! 
None of them, or any of the other pointless suggestions that come out, will make the sport appeal more to the general public.

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9 minutes ago, Stoke Potter said:

No they are not equal.  This is an exercise in identifying the FUNDAMENTAL problems the sport faces.  The biggest problem is the tracks are not fit for purpose. 
There is no real racing and very little to inspire and capture the imagination of a noob.

 

That is absolutely nowhere near the real problem. 

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I think at the end of the day, it is the whole 'industry' that needs to get together to sort out the sport in the UK. All those that have 'skin in the game', promoters, riders, managers and manufacturers/tuners etc. Really, everyone in the sport that has a financial interest. After all, if the sport completely dies, so does their livelihood. For us, the fans, yes we would feel a bit sad and 'empty', but not out of pocket. The industry needs to hire a conference centre and have a serious brainstorm with all those mentioned above. Will speedway do anything resembling that? I wouldn't put money on it! 

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As I have noted before, there are very few sports (&/or clubs) that actually make a clear profit. Most survive on Sponsorship (pref Big Names), Rich owners, & Advertising.

Sadly none of the above seems to be understood or sought , this MUST  be rectified.

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On 13 July 2018 at 6:42 PM, Hawk127 said:

I have started to believe that it has become a case of look after number one and collectively the promoters will never agree for the good of the sport.

Each club must have a threshold where you say my business cannot continue on this basis, it is not financially viable but rather than all work together to help each other and take the appropriate action to cut costs, it seems that for those clubs who are in difficulty it is tough luck, your problem, not the BSPA. Either that or they have collectively all gone so far down hill that none of them know what to do any longer to save the sport. These are suppose to be businessmen yet some of the decisions are pure madness.

The lack of transparency is worrying and way they treat the punters, their number one asset is beyond belief. I don’t think they will wake up until it is too late let alone get a chance to smell the coffee.

As an example why not loosen up on the rules of running a track, cut the owners some slack and allow tracks to have open licences to run speedway in whatever format suits them as a regional business. They are in effect a franchise and need to sell Tom the local market. What you do in Newcastle might not appeal to punter s at Lakeside .

For example Rye House might then be able to rebuild some confidence and win back supporters with some open meetings and a mixed event including other two wheeled sports. Don’t stop riders taking part because it does not suit your current business model. RH was never ever going to be a successful weekday venue. Since 1974 when Rayleigh moved in and before that it has been a weekend venue. History tells you that so why force a club to race mid week.

No doubt other tracks are on the brink and is it not time that the promoters turned to the supporters for help rather than shun them.

Is it the case that every club is on the breadline so they HAVE to look after themselves or go out of business?

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3 hours ago, iainb said:

Like when Crabby used to remonstrate with the ref using the phone in front of the stand at Stoke... that was brilliant to watch

...or Oxford Team Manager Bernard Crapper who used to have a go at the ref on the start line phone and when I questioned Bernard many years later he said he was only passing the time of the day with the ref but felt that the meeting needed spicing up!

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2 hours ago, Stoke Potter said:

No they are not equal.  This is an exercise in identifying the FUNDAMENTAL problems the sport faces.  The biggest problem is the tracks are not fit for purpose. 
There is no real racing and very little to inspire and capture the imagination of a noob.

it's not about team versus individual speedway, Green Helmet Colours, or 13 Heats! 
None of them, or any of the other pointless suggestions that come out, will make the sport appeal more to the general public.

I actually think the racing is at least as good as I have ever seen in the 49 years I have watched it..

The difference between all the riders on show is a lot less than it used to be in the days of '2 point reserves v World Champions',  (particularly given that in every one of those races pre fixed gates, the 'World Champions' invariably chose the best gate positions!)....

Machinery too is more of a similar standard than ever with even the 'lesser' riders using the best equipment and tuners. With only maybe those lads who ride in the top division in Poland having 'special kit' they wheel out on Sundays or Saturday nights in FIM events.. 

The biggest difference between 'then and now' is simply the lack of crowd, which means a lack of atmosphere..

No one will be surprised to see the racing at Cardiff will probably be nowhere near as good as an 'average' meeting at the NSS. How could it be? The NSS is a fantastic race track...

However a full night of entertainment, on and off track,  in front of 40,000 fans rather than just 1,000, will have everyone on the edge of their seats regardless of the fans' subjective opinion of the racing......

Even the 'worst track', delivering the 'worst racing' can be successful if 5,000 a night are there and the 'event' delivers the overall entertainment level that they want from their 'night out'...

To digress a moment Craig Cook has said in this weeks Speedway Star he has invested "well over £100,000" in this season's racing...

Yes, you read it correct. That's ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND pounds.....!!

And if Craig is doing this, to compete with him (and to keep those machinery standards similar that so assists close racing), many, many others (even non GP riders) must be spending incredible amounts too....

THAT I would suggest is a far, far bigger problem for British Speedway than the current state of some tracks...

 

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33 minutes ago, mikebv said:

I actually think the racing is at least as good as I have ever seen in the 49 years I have watched it..

The difference between all the riders on show is a lot less than it used to be in the days of '2 point reserves v World Champions',  (particularly given that in every one of those races pre fixed gates, the 'World Champions' invariably chose the best gate positions!)....

Machinery too is more of a similar standard than ever with even the 'lesser' riders using the best equipment and tuners. With only maybe those lads who ride in the top division in Poland having 'special kit' they wheel out on Sundays or Saturday nights in FIM events.. 

The biggest difference between 'then and now' is simply the lack of crowd, which means a lack of atmosphere..

No one will be surprised to see the racing at Cardiff will probably be nowhere near as good as an 'average' meeting at the NSS. How could it be? The NSS is a fantastic race track...

However a full night of entertainment, on and off track,  in front of 40,000 fans rather than just 1,000, will have everyone on the edge of their seats regardless of the fans' subjective opinion of the racing......

Even the 'worst track', delivering the 'worst racing' can be successful if 5,000 a night are there and the 'event' delivers the overall entertainment level that they want from their 'night out'...

To digress a moment Craig Cook has said in this weeks Speedway Star he has invested "well over £100,000" in this season's racing...

Yes, you read it correct. That's ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND pounds.....!!

And if Craig is doing this, to compete with him (and to keep those machinery standards similar that so assists close racing), many, many others (even non GP riders) must be spending incredible amounts too....

THAT I would suggest is a far, far bigger problem for British Speedway than the current state of some tracks...

 

 

Interesting that you think racing is as good as you've seen. This, despite what is a complete lack of star names, thus meaning riders of equal ability?

It is worrying that Cook had to spend £100,000, money that speedway in this country cannot afford. The fascination with points limits is to allow more equal teams. So, if only for domestic racing, how about equalling things out even further by setting an amount riders can spend on engine tuning?

Edited by moxey63

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3 hours ago, BWitcher said:

That is absolutely nowhere near the real problem. 

You and the others like you are so clueless it's untrue.  

It's evident that if you do watch the sport you do not actually see what is going on!

People do not go to watch the sport.  Why is that?  It's because it's boring and they are not remotely interested in it.

So, tell me the real problem in ONE sentence.

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21 minutes ago, Stoke Potter said:

You and the others like you are so clueless it's untrue.  

It's evident that if you do watch the sport you do not actually see what is going on!

People do not go to watch the sport.  Why is that?  It's because it's boring and they are not remotely interested in it.

So, tell me the real problem in ONE sentence.

When you are asking for the answer to the problem in ONE sentence I think that says everything we need to know about who is actually 'clueless'.

The racing at Cardiff is at best average every year... yet 40,000 will descend upon it again this year.

The racing at Belle Vue is of the top drawer, as good as even Hyde Road ever used to produce (some would say better). Yet even last year on their preferred race nights they weren't packing the crowds in... this year they've gone down the pan. 

You forget, racing from years gone by is readily available to view online. The racing was nothing to write home about.

The sport has made many mistakes over the years, costing themselves fans in the process. As fans exit the sport the atmosphere levels drop. Good meetings become average ones, average ones become poor ones and so on.

So continue to spout your nonsense, alas for you, there is absolutely no evidence to back up what you claim.

Edited to add: Just to further refute your nonsensical claim, attendances have been falling for decades, not a recent trait. It just makes more of a difference the lower the crowds go.

 

Edited by BWitcher
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