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mikebv

How much to get in?

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Reading the Speedway Star, and looking at the admission costs listed for each track, I thought I would see what the cost would be for me and my 15 year old lad to attend each circuit..

These teenage years (last year at school) seems to be the ones when 'kids' drift away from the sport, just at the time you would want to keep them interested as they are only one small step away from being potential paying customers themselves..

With the SON being just £22.50 for me and my lad to get in, it certainly puts into perspective some of the admission charges being asked for, and may also give some steer as to why terraces are hardly full to bursting.

Some real disparate numbers for 'the same product'...

Fair play to Buster, his three teams are by some way the lowest charging in the Premiership..

£27 - Glasgow, Edinburgh (Booked Online pre match day it's £25 at Edinburgh)

£25 - Poole, Belle Vue, Wolverhampton, 

£23 - Swindon, Kent

£22 - Redcar, 

£21.50 - Birmingham 

£21 - Scunthorpe, Somerset

£20 - Newcastle

£19 - Cradley

£18 - Kings Lynn, Ipswich, Peterborough, Plymouth, Eastbourne

£17 - Berwick

£16 - Sheffield

£15 - Leicester 

£13 - Isle Of Wight, Mildenhall

£12 - Leicester Cubs

£10 - Belle Vue Colts..

 

 

 

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Very alarming that the top spot is occupied by two teams who are not top flight. Plus a NL in third is equally disturbing. In fact throughout the list there is little to suggest that admission prices/attitudes reflect the levels teams compete at. It has to be said that everything for the £18 bracket down "seems" reasonable and extra credits to those who admit under 16's foc. Certainly not shocked to see IOW as one of the best yet again.

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1 minute ago, Sings4Speedway said:

Very alarming that the top spot is occupied by two teams who are not top flight. Plus a NL in third is equally disturbing. In fact throughout the list there is little to suggest that admission prices/attitudes reflect the levels teams compete at. It has to be said that everything for the £18 bracket down "seems" reasonable and extra credits to those who admit under 16's foc. Certainly not shocked to see IOW as one of the best yet again.

Same thoughts struck me...

I have a fairly decent salary but not sure I could afford (or justify) £100+ per month for four Speedway meetings out of my disposable income, with the inevitable teenage requests for food and drink on top! There are so many other costs these days that have to come first..

Kids aged 13 - 16 are conspicuous by their absence at a great many tracks, maybe charging for them to get in also dissuades parents to attend who otherwise might go if their teenagers got in for free?

Use free admission for their teenage kids as a 'loss leader', as let's be honest you don't see many teenagers now at many tracks so hardly a huge income loss...

Do those who let teenagers in for free now I wonder see a reasonable amount of them there?

Someone needs to replace the ageing demographic over the next ten years or so..

 

 

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I totally agree with you. My two kids jumped ship as teenagers, and wouldn't go now if i paid them!

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Mine as well ~ as soon as they were old enough to be left that was it. Perhaps it was all those years taking them around different tracks and basing our holidays in areas we would be able to attend at least one match during the week away.  I think we even managed 3 meetings when in Dorset ~ one at Poole and Weymouth twice. :D

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My 15 year old enjoys speedway a looks forward to going if I suggest it.

Five pounds doesn't break the bank, but I don't go regularly - just when the mood takes me.

I do think that letting under 16s or under 18s in for free would be a good strategy to get kids interested and parents attending, particularly if you are going to attend regularly.

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That is certainly one of Buster's best thing's with Kids free. I'd have it as high as U21's.

Personally, I wouldn't mind paying a junior admission price of a £5 if they got something in return i.e. free flags, air horns, bumper pack with signed photo/poster of the team or individual photos/posters etc etc.

It's all about incentives to keep the youngsters coming back. By the time these kids turn 18 they'd then be hooked but it's then seen as "sad" to be given a kids pack.

Maybe between 18-21 a free burger, chips and drink etc.

Promoters need to think outside the box a little better.

 

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15 minutes ago, Daniel Smith said:

That is certainly one of Buster's best thing's with Kids free. I'd have it as high as U21's.

Personally, I wouldn't mind paying a junior admission price of a £5 if they got something in return i.e. free flags, air horns, bumper pack with signed photo/poster of the team or individual photos/posters etc etc.

It's all about incentives to keep the youngsters coming back. By the time these kids turn 18 they'd then be hooked but it's then seen as "sad" to be given a kids pack.

Maybe between 18-21 a free burger, chips and drink etc.

Promoters need to think outside the box a little better.

 

Some common sense ideas..

So much could be done..

Flood secondary schools with free tickets, do the same with colleges and uni's...

Lads and Lasses doing mechanical courses, give them some hands on experience at the track..

Dont bother with 'free when accompanied by an adult' rubbish, teenage kids hang out in packs, let them all in for nothing..

They are not there now in any amount of numbers, so absolutely nothing at all to lose, even if ultimately no gain..

And you may sell some more teenage/18+ fodder, burgers, pop, booze etc. So those who own their food and drink outlets would benefit from the extra footfall if nothing else..

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Despite the additional issues with proving individuals are under 18 i would definitely back free entry with the hope that if 1 in 10 remains a paying supporter that is still a positive up take from the numbers now.

However battling society changes may be harder anyway, how many 17-18 years olds would rather sit in the car park of a drive thru fast food restaurant all night than sit in a stadium watching speedway with all the same commodities (poorly lit, greasy food, dirty toilets) even if it was free to enter.

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So for the cost of MikeBV taking his son to Kent to watch an NL meeting, he could instead have 2 adults and 8 kids attend Belle Vue, and still get £3 back?

Racing must be incredible at Kent.

 

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15 minutes ago, CottonOn said:

So for the cost of MikeBV taking his son to Kent to watch an NL meeting, he could instead have 2 adults and 8 kids attend Belle Vue, and still get £3 back?

Racing must be incredible at Kent.

 

130% more to watch the same fourteen riders?

As you say, it must be blinding racing at Kent...

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Has anyone been to Birmingham Speedway recently? What are the facilities (i.e. food, drink, cover, seating, spectating) like now?

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2 hours ago, CottonOn said:

So for the cost of MikeBV taking his son to Kent to watch an NL meeting, he could instead have 2 adults and 8 kids attend Belle Vue, and still get £3 back?

Racing must be incredible at Kent.

 

I think the frightening one is that Leicester is £8 cheaper than Kent.

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2 hours ago, mikebv said:

130% more to watch the same fourteen riders?

As you say, it must be blinding racing at Kent...

Unlike many places, paying to park at Glasgow & Edinburgh is pretty much a necessity. 

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Kent; Len Silver never does anything for nowt, ie lining his own pocket proven by the fact Kent remain in the NL, this despite having one of the best Stadia and being well supported.

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