Kent Kings 2020?

[old bob at herne bay 828]

Surely Speedway race nights and times at Kent are dictated by the local council planning authority?

The NDL admission charge is the most expensive in the country, so IF as suggested the speedway has been running “rent free “ under Roger Cearns’ ownership, I would say that NDL racing at Sittingbourne will become untenable.

I think much will depend on the profitability of CL speedway in 2021 . If not successful maybe dogs will take over every evening ..... I am sure the locals will prefer barking greyhounds every night rather than revving motorcycles. 

[East End Fan 426]

12 minutes ago, old bob at herne bay said:

Surely Speedway race nights and times at Kent are dictated by the local council planning authority?

The NDL admission charge is the most expensive in the country, so IF as suggested the speedway has been running “rent free “ under Roger Cearns’ ownership, I would say that NDL racing at Sittingbourne will become untenable.

I think much will depend on the profitability of CL speedway in 2021 . If not successful maybe dogs will take over every evening ..... I am sure the locals will prefer barking greyhounds every night rather than revving motorcycles. 

I am pretty sure that the 8.30pm curfew...which is by miles the toughest in the whole country so far as I know, is set by the local council. I don't think there

can be much doubt that this curfew is damaging and stops people who get home from work after 6 from attending.  Less people equals less income.

It's simple really. Does Old Bob want to lose Speedway in Kent ?   Having lost my own club at Arena Essex, I don't want to lose my newly adopted club. I 

like my one day a week Speedway fix. I have no knowledge of the rental arrangements with Roger Cearns. ( I'd be surprised if anyone outside of the club

knows either) and I don't know what it will be with the new owners.  And so long as Speedway stays in place, whatever rent is paid is nothing to do with me.

[BrizHeathen 37]

Any news regarding the opening fixture against Leicester on 18th May? 

What is the stadium capacity under normal circumstances?

[flipper11 134]

6 hours ago, BrizHeathen said:

Any news regarding the opening fixture against Leicester on 18th May? 

What is the stadium capacity under normal circumstances?

News on tickets & stadium attendance allowed etc is due any day now. The stadium was built with a capacity around 6000 but bends 3 & 4 are not able to be used. The main stand has around 2000 seats. When speedway starts in May only the main stand & bends 1 & 2 will be used, but how many spectators the local council will allow in is anybody guess at the moment.

[mac101 1,187]

there will be covid restrictions also to deal with inside stadiums so it won’t be 50% more like 25% capacity 

[East End Fan 426]

6 hours ago, mac101 said:

there will be covid restrictions also to deal with inside stadiums so it won’t be 50% more like 25% capacity 

This comment from Mac101 highlighted for me how difficult this period is and has been for all the promoters up and down the country.

They have all the normal considerations now added to countless Covid restrictions. And no one is giving them more money to compensate

for the extra work ( and obviously extra costs too ).  Yet there are some on this forum who are very critical of their own promoter or manager.

Some seem so fed up that they suggest that their time following our sport is about over.  Sad people. They need to consider the times we are

living through.

[Sings4Speedway 3,246]

10 hours ago, East End Fan said:

This comment from Mac101 highlighted for me how difficult this period is and has been for all the promoters up and down the country.

They have all the normal considerations now added to countless Covid restrictions. And no one is giving them more money to compensate

for the extra work ( and obviously extra costs too ).  Yet there are some on this forum who are very critical of their own promoter or manager.

Some seem so fed up that they suggest that their time following our sport is about over.  Sad people. They need to consider the times we are

living through.

Little bit bemused by the post above. You state that people need to consider the times we are living through and prioritise speedway? Im sorry i love the sport but given the current times its pretty low down the list of priorities for many, promotions do have additional challenges to face and there may be extra costs/reduced capacity but those problems shouldn't be pushed directly onto the paying public thats just lazy and short sighted business. Promotors may be barmy to run a team but it is solely their choice to do it, i personally am grateful that they do decide to do it but i don't feel in any way obligated to make sure that they succeed.

[East End Fan 426]

8 hours ago, Sings4Speedway said:

Little bit bemused by the post above. You state that people need to consider the times we are living through and prioritise speedway? Im sorry i love the sport but given the current times its pretty low down the list of priorities for many, promotions do have additional challenges to face and there may be extra costs/reduced capacity but those problems shouldn't be pushed directly onto the paying public thats just lazy and short sighted business. Promotors may be barmy to run a team but it is solely their choice to do it, i personally am grateful that they do decide to do it but i don't feel in any way obligated to make sure that they succeed.

What a ridiculous viewpoint.  If there are additional costs for ANY entertainment it has naturally got to be passed on to the public who enjoy it.

All businesses are in being to earn a profit. That is what makes the World go round.  Why on earth should a Speedway promoter be expected to

put his hand in his pocket so that the fans can enjoy what he is paying for ?   I am sure many of them actually do that...but NOT from choice, of

that I am sure. If fans do not support their club, it will die and their pleasure ceases. Simple really and I am very happy to pay my share of the 

costs so that I can get my once a week fix of Speedway.  Been like that since I was a teenager and that was a very long time ago.

[Sings4Speedway 3,246]

1 hour ago, East End Fan said:

What a ridiculous viewpoint.  If there are additional costs for ANY entertainment it has naturally got to be passed on to the public who enjoy it.

All businesses are in being to earn a profit. That is what makes the World go round.  Why on earth should a Speedway promoter be expected to

put his hand in his pocket so that the fans can enjoy what he is paying for ?   I am sure many of them actually do that...but NOT from choice, of

that I am sure. If fans do not support their club, it will die and their pleasure ceases. Simple really and I am very happy to pay my share of the 

costs so that I can get my once a week fix of Speedway.  Been like that since I was a teenager and that was a very long time ago.

Sadly i don't quite share age old views of "use it or lose it" clubs, promotions or any other business be it sport or entertainment do need to balance the books but to constantly push the cost onto the end user is very short sighted. Looking at expenditure,  wastage and miss management are far better options. I would be very surprised (if an appeal was launched) that there wouldn't be a willing army of volunteers who would be happy to help/clean in exchange for a free entry. Minor loss of income to the club but happy existing customer base and potential gain of useful volunteer help.

[East End Fan 426]

16 hours ago, Sings4Speedway said:

Sadly i don't quite share age old views of "use it or lose it" clubs, promotions or any other business be it sport or entertainment do need to balance the books but to constantly push the cost onto the end user is very short sighted. Looking at expenditure,  wastage and miss management are far better options. I would be very surprised (if an appeal was launched) that there wouldn't be a willing army of volunteers who would be happy to help/clean in exchange for a free entry. Minor loss of income to the club but happy existing customer base and potential gain of useful volunteer help.

I think that most Speedways already use lots of volunteer labour already.  What extra ones would make it all viable Sings ?  And a volunteer who gets free entry is

actually being paid whatever the cost of entry is, so the club pay one way or. another.  If Sings does not consider the "Use or Lose it" philosophy to be true, he must

come from another Planet. If we stopped going to Speedway, the sport would die...as it has in so many places in the past. If the "end user" does not pay the costs,

then who does ? Every business is only viable so long as the income from the end user pays all the costs plus a little more for a profit margin.  What other way could

there possibly be ???

[Sings4Speedway 3,246]

2 hours ago, East End Fan said:

I think that most Speedways already use lots of volunteer labour already.  What extra ones would make it all viable Sings ?  And a volunteer who gets free entry is

actually being paid whatever the cost of entry is, so the club pay one way or. another.  If Sings does not consider the "Use or Lose it" philosophy to be true, he must

come from another Planet. If we stopped going to Speedway, the sport would die...as it has in so many places in the past. If the "end user" does not pay the costs,

then who does ? Every business is only viable so long as the income from the end user pays all the costs plus a little more for a profit margin.  What other way could

there possibly be ???

Its entirely a clubs choice how they operate but as ive said on other topics a price increase could easily force spectators away especially in a sport that is in my opinion right at the top of its price point.  

Use it or lose it is fair enough but if the value, entertainment or any other reason is enough to stop people attending then tracks will close the same way as a shop not offering value or a relevant product would fold. 

Businesses such as speedway need to look at ways of reducing costs to maintain a level of financial standing rather than continually forcing prices up. The numbers who will blindly pay any price are rapidly dwindling.

[East End Fan 426]

On 5/1/2021 at 4:05 PM, Sings4Speedway said:

Its entirely a clubs choice how they operate but as ive said on other topics a price increase could easily force spectators away especially in a sport that is in my opinion right at the top of its price point.  

Use it or lose it is fair enough but if the value, entertainment or any other reason is enough to stop people attending then tracks will close the same way as a shop not offering value or a relevant product would fold. 

Businesses such as speedway need to look at ways of reducing costs to maintain a level of financial standing rather than continually forcing prices up. The numbers who will blindly pay any price are rapidly dwindling.

Do you think that promoters do not think about ways of cutting costs ? Of course they do, just like all business people.  But since time began, prices have 

steadily risen in all things, food, materials and entertainment....just as wages have risen over the years. When I earned £5 a week it was 2 shillings to go

to Speedway.. Sings wants the world to change to suit him.  Well...It will not.

[lewy 2,319]

I don't know what the fuss is about 15 to 20 quid is not unreasonable imo,especially compared to other motorsports

[Sings4Speedway 3,246]

5 hours ago, East End Fan said:

Do you think that promoters do not think about ways of cutting costs ? Of course they do, just like all business people.  But since time began, prices have 

steadily risen in all things, food, materials and entertainment....just as wages have risen over the years. When I earned £5 a week it was 2 shillings to go

to Speedway.. Sings wants the world to change to suit him.  Well...It will not.

Sadly i do feel that some promotions dont think hard enough. Im not pointing the finger solely at Kent for that.

Im certainly not going to dig into how much admission has risen vs average wage increases that would be digging out figures to suit my point and anyone can do that. 

I dont want the world to change for me in the grand scheme im just as thoroughly irrelevant as you are. What i want is the sport to think and evolve so it has a chance of survival rather than hanging on with back dated ideas. 

[Bagpuss 10,755]

5 hours ago, lewy said:

I don't know what the fuss is about 15 to 20 quid is not unreasonable imo,especially compared to other motorsports

It’s all about VFM though......how often is a night out at speedway in this country worth 15-20 sheets?