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old bob at herne bay

Will British Speedway Survive ?

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My biggest concern for the sport is more to do with how many people will have to take unpaid leave, or business owners suffer as people dont leave their homes..

You cant help thinking that as their disposal income crumbles then Speedway (and indeed sport in general) will become very, very low down their list of priorities..

It's fine getting 'payment holidays' but bill's will still need to be paid..

Premier League football is pretty much bomb proof given their sponsorship and level of season ticket holders, however not sure about the other leagues and sports..

And you also have to factor in the way several Speedway clubs are often subsidised by the promoters' other business's so these other streams of income may also be impacted, not to mention possible sponsors' other income streams being hit..

A bit random, but maybe Speedway would he better off writing the season off completely..?

Many, it is often said, lose money anyway so maybe an hiatus would help the following year?

A year to regroup, iron out its obvious flaws and start again with some modern publicity/marketing blaze 12 months in the making.. 

And a 12 month gap might mean the public are in better shape financially next year to attend once more?

 

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I've thought for years that UK Speedway needed to be a part-time sport, clustered around weekends and Bank Holidays. The majority of fans have been attending for many years and it's as much a habit as anything, if that 'habit' is lost, it might not return. I think the sport will always survive but it could look quite different if the tracks are closed for too long.

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It is not just clubs that may not survive

How many large corporations sponsor speedway vs small businesses, if they suffer loss of business then they are going to withdraw sponsorship to clubs, riders etc. it will all have a knock on effect

I can see the premiership if being run this season being literally 1 Home vs 1 Away then straight into the play-offs, at least we will see some Speedway.

Imagine if riders had proper contracts with Speedway clubs and clubs still had to pay riders during this time

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29 minutes ago, mikebv said:

My biggest concern for the sport is more to do with how many people will have to take unpaid leave, or business owners suffer as people dont leave their homes..

You cant help thinking that as their disposal income crumbles then Speedway (and indeed sport in general) will become very, very low down their list of priorities..

It's fine getting 'payment holidays' but bill's will still need to be paid..

Premier League football is pretty much bomb proof given their sponsorship and level of season ticket holders, however not sure about the other leagues and sports..

And you also have to factor in the way several Speedway clubs are often subsidised by the promoters' other business's so these other streams of income may also be impacted, not to mention possible sponsors' other income streams being hit..

A bit random, but maybe Speedway would he better off writing the season off completely..?

Many, it is often said, lose money anyway so maybe an hiatus would help the following year?

A year to regroup, iron out its obvious flaws and start again with some modern publicity/marketing blaze 12 months in the making.. 

And a 12 month gap might mean the public are in better shape financially next year to attend once more?

 

Fair points mikebv, correct most clubs are currently running at a loss and on a hand to mouth existence and this will push clubs and promoters over the edge into bankruptcy, it is ultra optimistic that the public and sport will return financially in a better shape. The BSPA have historically proved to be totally incompetent and will be incapable of dealing with this major problem.

A similar situation happened to grasstrack in 2000’s when foot and mouth epidemic more or less wiped out the sport.

Also riders will have to find other jobs which will be difficult and may not return to speedway assuming the sport does resurface. 

The current situation is catastrophic and life changing for all and it is obvious that speedway and many other minor sports will not survive.

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Speedway has been on a rapid decline for years and personally I cant see how it will survive all of this. Unlike Footballers and other sports people. Many Speedway riders only source of income relies on racing week in week  out, whether it be in the UK or Europe. If this coronavirus escalates as experts seem certain it will, then I can foresee many riders hanging up their boots and quitting. I also think that if by some miracle we are able to race this season, then I fear crowds will dwindle and disappear, because of the constant fear the public has for contracting this dreadful virus. It is going to change peoples mindsets for a long time to come and I worry whether speedway will ever survive this both financially and publicly. 

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What happens depend on whether the landlords can survive, if they do, speedway could be back for a few months this season and hopefully for a full season in 2021

Edited by The Third Man

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On 3/17/2020 at 12:23 AM, old bob at herne bay said:

 

Vans booked ? Cancel the booking .

Most riders already have their vans by this time of the year and the lease contracts signed. 

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20 hours ago, HGould said:

The sport will survive and if it comes back with more realistic people in charge it may prove a blessing.

I don't see many Promoters or leaders anywhere in the sport though and that's the biggest concern.

Needs bright new and independent thinking.

Off the top of my head.

Pretty short short list - Rob Painter and Ian Sinderson

 

The guy at the Isle of Wight  Barry Bishop would be top of my list along with Lee Kilby of Swindon.

Edited by Sidney the robin
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1 hour ago, Sidney the robin said:

The guy at the Isle of Wight  Barry Bishop would be top of my list along with Lee Kilby of Swindon.

What sort of crowds go they get at the Isle of Wight?

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1 hour ago, MattK said:

What sort of crowds go they get at the Isle of Wight?

Nothing to do with the crowds Matt if you saw how Barry Bishop promotes and interacts with the fans and youngsters you would understand.Lee Kilby and Barry both  understand the fans are important both in my eyes would be a major plus in putting across there ideas to take the speedway in the UK forward in the longterm.

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20 minutes ago, Sidney the robin said:

Nothing to do with the crowds Matt if you saw how Barry Bishop promotes and interacts with the fans and youngsters you would understand.Lee Kilby and Barry both  understand the fans are important both in my eyes would be a major plus in putting across there ideas to take the speedway in the UK forward in the longterm.

So you have no evidence that their jovial approach actually adds to the bottom line? Interesting.

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3 hours ago, Sidney the robin said:

The guy at the Isle of Wight  Barry Bishop would be top of my list along with Lee Kilby of Swindon.

 

9 minutes ago, MattK said:

So you have no evidence that their jovial approach actually adds to the bottom line? Interesting.

Well none smiling Promoters like Colin Pratt, Cvs, Peter Adams who seem to only have supporters on sufference certainly dont encourage people to come through the gate, whereas Barry Bishop makes everyone feel welcome, thats my personal evidence

 

1 hour ago, MattK said:

What sort of crowds go they get at the Isle of Wight?

The fact that they continue to have Speedway at all is down to in a large part Barry Bishop.

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10 minutes ago, MattK said:

So you have no evidence that their jovial approach actually adds to the bottom line? Interesting.

I seem to remember that Barry Bishop had quoted increase in attendances in the region of 300%

Yes from a smaller base but commendable all the same

Whether his approach of a inclusive community feel would work in a larger more urban setting is open to debate but I would give it a better chance than many of the current efforts elsewhere 

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The Sport needs a major overall, but the BSPA have been incapable of doing that for many years now, its a leisure and entertainment industry which competes with others, and few Promoters seem to understand or accept and just continue with more or less the same old same old.

Edited by greyhoundp
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1 hour ago, MattK said:

So you have no evidence that their jovial approach actually adds to the bottom line? Interesting.

Costs nothing and certainly can't do any harm ,to me that type of approach is one of the appealing  qualities  of s/way .

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