Rye House 2020

[Ray Stadia 1,069]

14 hours ago, Ben91 said:

Surely Speedway would bring more revenue than flat track or speedway practice on a Saturday afternoon do. 

I think it’s very important to do what will bring the most fans into the stadium and therefore the most revenue. By all means look to see what has happened in the past and use it as a barometer but the 70s and 80s are far too long ago to be of any significance as to what would be a successful business model in 2020. The sport is nowhere near as popular as it was then for one. 

The lesson to be learned, and heeded, is the one that killed the club most recently. Saturday is the best night to draw a crowd and don’t race any higher than the second tier. Weeknights are a turn off for many prospective fans, as is afternoon racing. 

Actually, I wonder if that is true. The riders pay you, not the other way round. Most tracks make a loss, running team speedway. Running as a training only track has to be less of a financial risk for the promoter, I would have thought.   

[RobMcCaffery 2,752]

2 hours ago, Ray Stadia said:

Actually, I wonder if that is true. The riders pay you, not the other way round. Most tracks make a loss, running team speedway. Running as a training only track has to be less of a financial risk for the promoter, I would have thought.   

Of course that would be Rye House Group's choice (or BMR if they're still managing the place).

You would want to think that a public speedway meeting would be the most lucrative option but as Ray points out, in one case you're paying the talent, in the other, they're paying you. Take out all the extra costs of organising a public meeting under SCB regulations and with BSPA fees to be paid and you start to realise why it's more tempting to just run private events.

I'd expect Rye House Group's choice would be for all three events to be held, including flat track, hence the suggested Friday alternative. It would not be first choice, but what if it were the only choice? Would you prefer the prospective promoters to give up?

 

 

Edited January 30, 2020 by RobMcCaffery

[RobMcCaffery 2,752]

Anyway it was part of the considerations last year by the Mead group. Who knows who will be the chosen promotion? I suspect there will be a choice and RHG will not allow other activities to get in the way of the new promotion.

It was worth getting an indication of the response to Fridays and I wasn't surprised by the outcome. There's little I can do now to help get the Rockets back except observe and try to explain. It's not a case "I know but I'm not telling" I'm just trying to calm the more extreme reactions that have been appearing online.

As before, it's a case of showing patience and let the situation resolve itself. I think there will be good news in the end. 

 

[Rayleigh 362]

A very interesting article in the Speedway Star implying that Mr Godfrey he may be involved directly or indirectly in bring speedway back, which is great news and we wish whom ever it is, all the best. I can almost smell the speedway bikes!!

[RobMcCaffery 2,752]

9 minutes ago, Rayleigh said:

A very interesting article in the Speedway Star implying that Mr Godfrey he may be involved directly or indirectly in bring speedway back, which is great news and we wish whom ever it is, all the best. I can almost smell the speedway bikes!!

I think it's just a case of waiting for one obstacle to be removed - in time.

 

[Rayleigh 362]

bring more rain

[winstoncigar 23]

All this uncertainty is depressing.

I might put my Inspector Morse head on and go and find out whats happening.

I'll report back next week

[marko 956]

It was great to see some positive news in the star around Rye, fingers crossed this will happen, if not this season, at least 2021

[RobMcCaffery 2,752]

6 hours ago, winstoncigar said:

All this uncertainty is depressing.

I might put my Inspector Morse head on and go and find out whats happening.

I'll report back next week

It's less uncertain than you think. Just be patient please.

 

Edited January 31, 2020 by RobMcCaffery

[Paul 67]

Of course I want the Rockets to return. But I’m sorry that ‘floating fan’ isn’t the fan you want. Very few people will travel from London to watch speedway at Rye House. Old speedway fans and I include myself in that statement, think when their club shut, speedway did.

Very few people from Wimbledon, White City, Wembley, Romford, Hackney, Crayford, West Ham, New Cross etc.etc. have either passed away or moved out of London.

You need local people from the Hoddesdon area to follow their team. Yes of course the floating supporter is welcomed but they the floating supporters are getting less and less.

Sunday afternoon would mean Mildenhall racing against them. Yes in years gone by you could do that, but realistically that in my opinion is a no go. Monday to Friday [excluding bank holidays] is another no go. Rye House needs Saturday night speedway. After a massive push locally by whoever runs the club must get more locals in. The future generations [kids] don’t have school the following morning after Saturday night and Fridays, well I’m not even going to comment.

If the club really want people travelling from the capital it needs mega publicity and that just isn’t going to happen, because good publicity costs. How many people travel to Kent from London on the train? Not many I guess. If money was no object then an all in one combined train/speedway ticket, similar to what the IOW used to do, but that isn’t going to happen.

Then there’s the admission price. Not everyone can afford to take a family to speedway and free admission for kids is a must and a realistic adult admission price to.

Anyway hopefully all the issues surrounding the return of speedway to Rye House will be overcome.    

[RobMcCaffery 2,752]

25 minutes ago, Paul said:

Of course I want the Rockets to return. But I’m sorry that ‘floating fan’ isn’t the fan you want. Very few people will travel from London to watch speedway at Rye House. Old speedway fans and I include myself in that statement, think when their club shut, speedway did.

 

Very few people from Wimbledon, White City, Wembley, Romford, Hackney, Crayford, West Ham, New Cross etc.etc. have either passed away or moved out of London.

 

You need local people from the Hoddesdon area to follow their team. Yes of course the floating supporter is welcomed but they the floating supporters are getting less and less.

 

Sunday afternoon would mean Mildenhall racing against them. Yes in years gone by you could do that, but realistically that in my opinion is a no go. Monday to Friday [excluding bank holidays] is another no go. Rye House needs Saturday night speedway. After a massive push locally by whoever runs the club must get more locals in. The future generations [kids] don’t have school the following morning after Saturday night and Fridays, well I’m not even going to comment.

 

If the club really want people travelling from the capital it needs mega publicity and that just isn’t going to happen, because good publicity costs. How many people travel to Kent from London on the train? Not many I guess. If money was no object then an all in one combined train/speedway ticket, similar to what the IOW used to do, but that isn’t going to happen.

 

Then there’s the admission price. Not everyone can afford to take a family to speedway and free admission for kids is a must and a realistic adult admission price to.

 

Anyway hopefully all the issues surrounding the return of speedway to Rye House will be overcome.    

 

Of course nobody's doubting you wanting the return of Rye House and of course the supporters of most closed tracks have walked away from the sport. You yourself are proof that not all have. A third of course is that Rye House needs to draw its support locally, but not as narrowly as Hoddesdon. The successful years saw support coming from large parts of Hertfordshire, notably Ware, Welwyn and Stevenage, plus the likes of Cheshunt and Harlow.

To make Rye House work comfortably it needs a mix of local support and any of the floating fans that can be attracted. It would indeed be folly to only seek to attract the latter but even a few dozen or a hundred of such fans could be the difference between success and failure. It costs little to make them feel at home at Rye House and pay due respect to their past. I see frequent comments from forum members lamenting the closure of Rye House who attended even though their own track had long gone. We had supporters from Hackney, Wimbledon and further back such as White City, West Ham, and even Romford and Rayleigh. 

Speedway needs new thinking and rather than chase the impossible 'yoof market' needs to be realistic and draw back some of the fans it has lost, perhaps those who gave up to bring up a family and now have the time and money once more to resume. 

Making strangers part of the family doesm't cost much and the benefits can be rewarding. I'm not talking huge numbers but how often do we heear "If only we could get another 100 fans on the terraces". Rye House as the unique survivor has an equally unique chance to do so. I can think of a dozen non Rocket fans on here who state that they would attend Rye House and that's just a small sample. Despite the beliefs of some the BSF is only that small sample. 

If whoever opens Rye House think that only the old ways will be good enough then I hope they have plenty of capital to shore up the losses. Rye House can be a success but like all successes will need to attend to the details and use some lateral thinking. I'm not talking about filling the place with Hackney and Wimbledon fans, but a few would help. 

 

Edited February 1, 2020 by RobMcCaffery

[RobMcCaffery 2,752]

Having posted the above I have a couple of final points, and they are final. My ideas were formed last year when it was highly probable that I would be playing a part in running the club and would resume my place on the mic for the first time in 20 years. Since then it is clear I won't be doing either. I'm trying still to voice ideas to hopefully help the club. I had plenty more in development for presentation. They are best left where they are.

I get frustrated when Ideas not just mine are either misunderstood as in this case, or dismissed out of hand. Unlike others I haven't just walked away from the sport although I have been kept away for a while by ill health. It's probably best from now on that I keep my thoughts to myself. I wish whichever promotion gets the rights to Rye House have huge success and it would be nice to think I could see a few more meetings once more there.

I hope my thoughts have been helpful. If not they were at least well-intentioned. Time moves on and people like me are speedway's past, certainly not its future.

I'll still enjoy my speedway but firmly back on  the terraces. What is the point in expressing ideas if they aren't understood? You do get tired of fighting. 

 

Rob.

 

 

Edited February 1, 2020 by RobMcCaffery

[Chris116 756]

20 minutes ago, RobMcCaffery said:

Having posted the above I have a couple of final points, and they are final. My ideas were formed last year when it was highly probable that I would be playing a part in running the club and would resume my place on the mic for the first time in 20 years. Since then it is clear I won't be doing either. I'm trying still to voice ideas to hopefully help the club. I had plenty more in development for presentation. They are best left where they are.

I get frustrated when Ideas not just mine are either misunderstood as in this case, or dismissed out of hand. Unlike others I haven't just walked away from the sport although I have been kept away for a while by ill health. It's probably best from now on that I keep my thoughts to myself. I wish whichever promotion gets the rights to Rye House have huge success and it would be nice to think I could see a few more meetings once more there.

I hope my thoughts have been helpful. If not they were at least well-intentioned. Time moves on and people like me are speedway's past, certainly not its future.

I'll still enjoy my speedway but firmly back on  the terraces. What is the point in expressing ideas if they aren't understood? You do get tired of fighting. 

Rob.

During the years since the Stock Cars stopped at Rye House I was a regular having lost all my more local tracks (Wimbledon was my closest but I made regular visits to West Ham, Romford, Crayford, White City, Arena Essex and Hackney over the years). Rye was in fact my first track but I was in a pushchair at the time and don't remember anything about that first visit. The tube and train from south London to Rye House was a reasonable journey and most meetings in the last few years saw around 20 fans catching the train after the meeting with most going to Seven Sisters or all the way to Liverpool Street to then continue their journey by other trains or buses. Those 20 did not keep BMR in business but they certainly would have helped any promotion nearer to break even than BMR were.

[RobMcCaffery 2,752]

4 hours ago, Chris116 said:

During the years since the Stock Cars stopped at Rye House I was a regular having lost all my more local tracks (Wimbledon was my closest but I made regular visits to West Ham, Romford, Crayford, White City, Arena Essex and Hackney over the years). Rye was in fact my first track but I was in a pushchair at the time and don't remember anything about that first visit. The tube and train from south London to Rye House was a reasonable journey and most meetings in the last few years saw around 20 fans catching the train after the meeting with most going to Seven Sisters or all the way to Liverpool Street to then continue their journey by other trains or buses. Those 20 did not keep BMR in business but they certainly would have helped any promotion nearer to break even than BMR were.

Thank you Chris. There are two aspects - firstly giving supporters like you  a track they can get to and help in a small way to keep RH solvent: secondly....there's more to sport than money. A little sentiment does no harm and helps people to keep an attachment to the sport. Sadly there's very little room for sentiment in society let alone sport. 

Anyway, it's academic. I do hope you have a speedway track soon that you can get to - and I know how much you'd value a stock car track. 

Anyway, enough from me and the sport has sadder matters to consider tonight. For those who are unaware go to the speedway news section. 

[westhamboy66 599]

On 1/28/2020 at 2:59 PM, Sotonian said:

I see a few references to the M25 as an issue. Being unfamiliar with that area, are there really no feasible alternative routes?

There are other routes which include the north circular the A10 M11 A128 A414 each of which from where I live near Arena Essex are bad enough on a weekday night but twice as bad on a Friday hence all the problems travelling to Lakeside on a friday night. The obvious answer is weekend racing as has always been the case prior to the BMR Fiasco