EASTBOURNE V SHEFFIELD SAT 1ST ?

[00000 1,279]

9 minutes ago, Bagpuss said:

Sensible and shows the knife edge that speedway is on currently....anything which might affect a normal crowd like poor weather, a big football match on TV or rider unavailability is just too much of a risk for s promotion to take. Could be the difference between running and going under. 

That said you have to feel for Sheffield fans who had booked their away trip. While sympathising with speedway promoters they can’t have any room to moan when away fans eventually stop bothering. 

Eastbourne Speedway started from scratch this year (totally new promotion). £0 in the bank. Doubt they have made enough to have risked a £10K loss.

As to away fans, they have been extremely rare at Arlington in recent years...apart from Kent but then a lot of them stopped bothering. Leicester brought a coach party but the days of massed ranks of away fans have gone.

The Premiership Play Off Final 1st leg at Poole did not attract very many King's Lynn fans.

As to hotels, I  am sure nearly all would book an hotel which offered late cancellation...so there would be no loss there. If you are a speedway fan and don't do this......

[Fromafar 10,333]

11 hours ago, Tsunami said:

Funny how the reasoning in the Facebook item is welcomed and approved by all but one of its posters, yet on here most of the usual critical posters are dissing what is a very understandable business decision. Perhaps the Eastbourne fans on the Facebook item realise and appreciate the financial concerns, even though it is not their money at risk but the clubs. This thread just goes to show why promoters don't bother to read or appreciate the comments and judgements on here, especially when it's their money at risk not the doubting negative posters.

Think fans are reflecting state the sport is in ,as to  actually criticising Eastbourne.There are becoming to many reasons to cancel meetings and still expect fans to change their plans to suit Promoters,fans make their plans around fixture list too.Perhaps the need to look at the reason they would lose so much money (all Promotions).

[Bagpuss 10,757]

30 minutes ago, Richard Weston said:

Eastbourne Speedway started from scratch this year (totally new promotion). £0 in the bank. Doubt they have made enough to have risked a £10K loss.

As to away fans, they have been extremely rare at Arlington in recent years...apart from Kent but then a lot of them stopped bothering. Leicester brought a coach party but the days of massed ranks of away fans have gone.

The Premiership Play Off Final 1st leg at Poole did not attract very many King's Lynn fans.

As to hotels, I  am sure nearly all would book an hotel which offered late cancellation...so there would be no loss there. If you are a speedway fan and don't do this......

A match which is on TV is a different matter but the point about away fans was a general one.....season after season we get fixtures moved and messed around for all sorts of reasons and away fans suffer. It’s not just the hotel thing, but making plans, booking time off work, arranging other commitments and hobbies around these fixtures etc etc. People will eventually get brassed off and not bother. 

Maybe there just aren’t enough travelling fans any more for it to matter. Just to reiterate I don’t disagree with what Eastbourne have done here but it’s a sad reflection of how far down the pecking order British Speedway is nowadays. 

[00000 1,279]

Of course, it is not only speedway which chops and changes the fixture list.

Football matches are changed for the benefit of TV - so sorts fans who GO to matches get a raw deal all round.

[Tigerblade 221]

35 minutes ago, Richard Weston said:

Of course, it is not only speedway which chops and changes the fixture list.

Football matches are changed for the benefit of TV - so sorts fans who GO to matches get a raw deal all round.

Absolutely - as an example, my team Sheffield United had a League One fixture at Southend on Easter Monday 2016, which was in the fixture list released in June 2015.  So lots (at least the late hundreds if not over 1,000) booked the weekend down there, planning to set off after the home game on the Good Friday.  About three weeks before the fixture took place, the date was changed to the Wednesday evening (ie 2 days later) for Sky coverage, needless to say there was uproar as with it being Easter, a lot of places had insisted on non refundable deposits etc. 

With us being in the Prem next season, we are going to have matches changed to daft o'clock on Sundays due to the Europa Leaguers playing on Thursdays etc, and the matches NOT being televised, which is even worse!!

Edited May 28, 2019 by Tigerblade

[cityrebel 2,960]

1 hour ago, Tigerblade said:

Absolutely - as an example, my team Sheffield United had a League One fixture at Southend on Easter Monday 2016, which was in the fixture list released in June 2015.  So lots (at least the late hundreds if not over 1,000) booked the weekend down there, planning to set off after the home game on the Good Friday.  About three weeks before the fixture took place, the date was changed to the Wednesday evening (ie 2 days later) for Sky coverage, needless to say there was uproar as with it being Easter, a lot of places had insisted on non refundable deposits etc. 

With us being in the Prem next season, we are going to have matches changed to daft o'clock on Sundays due to the Europa Leaguers playing on Thursdays etc, and the matches NOT being televised, which is even worse!!

Saturdays at 3pm will become a rare occourance. As an Arsenal fan it's someting I've got used to. It's the clashes with speedway that gives me the hump.

[old bob at herne bay 828]

Seriously.......how many Sheffield fans were planning to travel to Eastbourne to see their team flounder around the tight confines of Arlington ?. 1, 2, 10? 

I doubt Eastbourne’s planning of gate receipts for 2019  factored in any travelling fans in a league with no clubs within 200 miles ??

The statement on the Eastbourne website really shows the perilous state speedway finds itself in England and Scotland nowadays. 

 

[HGould 2,213]

10 hours ago, old bob at herne bay said:

Seriously.......how many Sheffield fans were planning to travel to Eastbourne to see their team flounder around the tight confines of Arlington ?. 1, 2, 10? 

I doubt Eastbourne’s planning of gate receipts for 2019  factored in any travelling fans in a league with no clubs within 200 miles ??

The statement on the Eastbourne website really shows the perilous state speedway finds itself in England and Scotland nowadays. 

 

We all know our sport is in a perilous state so why gloat in it???

It's not funny, it's serious and we need as a Sport to do something about it.

Whilst my Team (Birmingham) cancel meeting with some ridiculous excuse about Power problems, at least Promotion at Eastbourne take time and effort to articulate actual reasons and give their Supporters respect all supporters deserve.

No point any sensible Business opening if they know they are going to lose money so it seems that unlike most Promotions - Eastbourne actually have common sense; business sense and a glimmer of understanding about respecting their support.

They have taken flak for this but if decision means they run in 2020 I applaud them as I fear we may lose a number of other clubs again this winter.

 

[00000 1,279]

9 hours ago, HGould said:

We all know our sport is in a perilous state so why gloat in it???

It's not funny, it's serious and we need as a Sport to do something about it.

Whilst my Team (Birmingham) cancel meeting with some ridiculous excuse about Power problems, at least Promotion at Eastbourne take time and effort to articulate actual reasons and give their Supporters respect all supporters deserve.

No point any sensible Business opening if they know they are going to lose money so it seems that unlike most Promotions - Eastbourne actually have common sense; business sense and a glimmer of understanding about respecting their support.

They have taken flak for this but if decision means they run in 2020 I applaud them as I fear we may lose a number of other clubs again this winter.

 

Wise words. I don't give a brass farthing for the Champions League football and would rather be at speedway on Saturday night.

However, me and few other old diehards won't make a crowd. If the call off means Eagles come to tapes in 2020 -- that's great.

Rather have a whole season next year and not lose it for the sake of one Saturday night.

[RS50 359]

Seem to recall that not so long ago Mildenhall called off a match, incurred the wrath of the authorities and a hefty penalty. Why is the Eastbourne Sheffield different?

[brianbuck 928]

The difference is that Eastbourne consulted Sheffield and the two clubs agreed the postponement and a re-staging date. Mildenhall called off their match on the day of the meeting with the opposition left to like it or lump it.

At least, that's my understanding of the situation, but if I'm wrong, I stand to be corrected. 

[ShyTalk 22]

Now six weeks after the decision made to call off this match. Think it is very poor that a re-staging date has not been announced. IMO should have been made as soon as the decision to call off was made.

On numerous occasions in the past there has been a  sporting event on telly when I went to  a speedway match. Simple way to watch both; press the record button on DVD/Sky + and go to speedway. Speedway promoters never had a problem accepting my money when I did this. In view of the way my loyalty  was re-paid I have re-evaluated my loyalty to speedway. Have cancelled all plans to go to any more away matches this season. Not too inclined to bother next year when England football could be in European cup and not prepared to have a fixture list likely to be amended by this. Eastbourne claim to have done cost analysis etc, but do only appear to have taken in to account the wishes of fans who also like football. I am sure there are many more like me who do not care about football and do not want speedway disrupted for this. How much will losing dedicated fans like myself (who has attended over 99% of home matches for over 50 years) cost the sport?

If Eastbourne really wanted to lessen the impact how about,

1 Immediately announcing the re-staging date.

2 Offering any Sheffield fans who had plans to attend (and still plan to come to the re-staging) a substantial discount on admission. This could work in Eastbourne's favour (a few paying reduced admission is worth more than none turning up).

3 Offer any Sheffield fans who planned to go to this match, and are unwilling or unable to attend the re-staging a complimentary DVD of the match.

[Tigerblade 221]

According to both the Eastbourne and Sheffield websites, this fixture is now on 31st August.