LesR 139 Posted July 6, 2019 £3k is what some clubs have to pay to rent their stadium, aside from all the other costs!! If those clubs who are paying £3k in rent are surviving now with what they are paying the riders, which I suspect is more than £5k a meeting, they should be able to survive on mikebv's suggestion. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fortythirtyeight 838 Posted July 6, 2019 All this has been discussed by the ' top table ' during the winter and whilst there was a ONE LEAGUE proposal, six clubs said they would not take part and would likely close their doors. Obviously the proposal was eventually dropped. It would probably be no different in 2019 if it's ONE league, those clubs won't take part as they cannot afford it, so therefore there should not be a rider shortage as there will possibly be only 14-16 teams in the division. As for clubs paying £5,000 wages per meeting? They are the clubs killing the sport if that's the sort of wages they are paying out and that's why my nearest club no longer exists. One club is already up for sale, rumours of two more closing at the end of the season unless someone takes them over ( not very likely ) One league would work, but only for some and not for all. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Grachan 7,314 Posted July 6, 2019 25 minutes ago, Fortythirtyeight said: All this has been discussed by the ' top table ' during the winter and whilst there was a ONE LEAGUE proposal, six clubs said they would not take part and would likely close their doors. Obviously the proposal was eventually dropped. It would probably be no different in 2019 if it's ONE league, those clubs won't take part as they cannot afford it, so therefore there should not be a rider shortage as there will possibly be only 14-16 teams in the division. As for clubs paying £5,000 wages per meeting? They are the clubs killing the sport if that's the sort of wages they are paying out and that's why my nearest club no longer exists. One club is already up for sale, rumours of two more closing at the end of the season unless someone takes them over ( not very likely ) One league would work, but only for some and not for all. If the league was set at Championship level - perfectly feasable bearing in mind rider ability - why could they not afford it? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ruckerroo 792 Posted July 6, 2019 the rumblings at Eastbourne suggest grachans championship model, maybe slightly higher is muted to be the way. You are going to get a casualty or 2 but that seems to happen every season,after all most of the blokes you see in the gb take in both leagues anyway Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fortythirtyeight 838 Posted July 6, 2019 53 minutes ago, Grachan said: If the league was set at Championship level - perfectly feasable bearing in mind rider ability - why could they not afford it? The knock on effect of one league means no doubling up riders therefore top riders will be more in demand and want bigger wages. There will be a huge bun fight for riders and the poorer clubs can not compete. Put the likes of Newcastle or Redcar up against the finances of Poole , Kings Lynn or Glasgow in competing for riders and it just doesn't work. It didn't in 96 when it was one league , one club couldn't even get seven riders! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Midland Red 2,383 Posted July 6, 2019 13 minutes ago, Fortythirtyeight said: The knock on effect of one league means no doubling up riders therefore top riders will be more in demand and want bigger wages. There will be a huge bun fight for riders and the poorer clubs can not compete. Put the likes of Newcastle or Redcar up against the finances of Poole , Kings Lynn or Glasgow in competing for riders and it just doesn't work. It didn't in 96 when it was one league , one club couldn't even get seven riders! The riders will have to reduce their costs and lower their expectations first Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tsunami 10,219 Posted July 6, 2019 3 hours ago, LesR said: £3k is what some clubs have to pay to rent their stadium, aside from all the other costs!! If those clubs who are paying £3k in rent are surviving now with what they are paying the riders, which I suspect is more than £5k a meeting, they should be able to survive on mikebv's suggestion. Way too high that quotation. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fromafar 10,336 Posted July 6, 2019 1 hour ago, Midland Red said: The riders will have to reduce their costs and lower their expectations first Many will be out of work if they don’t. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fortythirtyeight 838 Posted July 6, 2019 1 hour ago, Midland Red said: The riders will have to reduce their costs and lower their expectations first They won't because the money clubs will pay top money for the best riders. Always have done always will do. Then the middle order become more in demand and they want a better rate , and so it goes on. Last season a top 4 National League club paid their no.7 ( new superstar in the making) more a point than my local championship side were paying their no.2! Poole and Glasgow , for example, will pay their no.1 mega bucks to get the best rider. Then their number 2 sees what the number 1 is getting and asks for slightly less and gets it because he's the best number 2 around, and so it goes on and on but with the poorer clubs left to try and pick up the last ones available. Modern riders expect to be fully professional and get paid accordingly. Unfortunately speedway in this country is a semi professional sport at best and can't afford this situation much longer. Everyone needs to get real or the sport implodes. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fromafar 10,336 Posted July 6, 2019 2 minutes ago, Fortythirtyeight said: They won't because the money clubs will pay top money for the best riders. Always have done always will do. Then the middle order become more in demand and they want a better rate , and so it goes on. Last season a top 4 National League club paid their no.7 ( new superstar in the making) more a point than my local championship side were paying their no.2! Poole and Glasgow , for example, will pay their no.1 mega bucks to get the best rider. Then their number 2 sees what the number 1 is getting and asks for slightly less and gets it because he's the best number 2 around, and so it goes on and on but with the poorer clubs left to try and pick up the last ones available. Modern riders expect to be fully professional and get paid accordingly. Unfortunately speedway in this country is a semi professional sport at best and can't afford this situation much longer. Everyone needs to get real or the sport implodes. Everybody the sport is self destructing, except the people running it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Midland Red 2,383 Posted July 6, 2019 There has to be a form of rider control such as we had years ago, so the "richer" (less poor) clubs would be unable to accumulate the cream of the crop Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikebv 10,243 Posted July 6, 2019 6 hours ago, Skidder1 said: £3k is what some clubs have to pay to rent their stadium, aside from all the other costs!! Not saying it would cover all costs but would go some way to help pay for them... Maybe also give 200 tickets to the away club for each match, to sell only from their ticket office at a tenner a pop? Even if only 100 get taken up its another grand, and 100 away fans stood together would bring a bit of tribalism and atmosphere to the sport which is sadly lacking at present.. Local derbies against traditional rivals would get a good couple of hundred I would think most times if charged a tenner which would deliver a real intense atmosphere that other team sports generate.. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fortythirtyeight 838 Posted July 6, 2019 2 hours ago, Midland Red said: There has to be a form of rider control such as we had years ago, so the "richer" (less poor) clubs would be unable to accumulate the cream of the crop No good living in the past. Rider control will not work, riders are self employed and would go to court ( and win ) if they were told to ride somewhere they didn't want too. Besides 3 promoters own 50% of the riders who are currently still riding in both divisions, so that won't get manipulated! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fortythirtyeight 838 Posted July 6, 2019 2 hours ago, mikebv said: Not saying it would cover all costs but would go some way to help pay for them... Maybe also give 200 tickets to the away club for each match, to sell only from their ticket office at a tenner a pop? Even if only 100 get taken up its another grand, and 100 away fans stood together would bring a bit of tribalism and atmosphere to the sport which is sadly lacking at present.. Local derbies against traditional rivals would get a good couple of hundred I would think most times if charged a tenner which would deliver a real intense atmosphere that other team sports generate.. When was the last time you saw more than 50 away fans at a meeting other than a very close local derby or a play off final? My last local derby saw a mini bus and several cars , total around 40 and they only had to travel less than 75 miles. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikebv 10,243 Posted July 6, 2019 (edited) 30 minutes ago, Fortythirtyeight said: When was the last time you saw more than 50 away fans at a meeting other than a very close local derby or a play off final? My last local derby saw a mini bus and several cars , total around 40 and they only had to travel less than 75 miles. Exactly. .. So charge away fans a tenner... Who knows maybe the club could help with a subsidised coach hire or two? 100 away fans cheering on their team might inspire their riders a bit more.. But more importantly it would make the meeting an 'event' (like other 'proper' team sports have), giving it meaning, purpose and relevance, (not to mention atmosphere), which some might find worth in attending again.. Edited July 6, 2019 by mikebv Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
