tonyd 165 Posted April 30, 2020 The longer this lockdown goes on will it create even further long term problems for our sport? We all know that no one goes into speedway promotion these days to make there fortune and the longer this lockdown goes on the possibility the shorter the season (or any season) we will see and the bigger losses they could entail. I would have thought promotions have already spent many pounds in readiness for this season which is now on hold. The problem is when the lockdown is over it will not mean crowds will be allowed to gather together again at sporting or any other such events straight away, the crowd ban could go on for a while yet after the lockdown is over. Could the unthinkable happen and with the longer this goes on some promotions / teams decide to cut there losses and not operate this year, giving it a miss and coming back to the tapes next year? Could some stadiums / track owners with no income coming in (and the longer this goes on) be thinking about cutting there losses and possibly selling up? Could some riders think that a shorter season is not worth coming back for this year and sit it out saving there equipment for next year? If and when the season starts will the riders at home around the world be able or be allowed to travel back to this (or any other country) to continue there riding here?. Come to that will some riders be allowed to hop around Europe to several counties each week? Could some teams find themselves short of riders if / when the season starts? Could when all this is over and normality resumes some people not want to stand around mixing in crowds again, this corona virus is not going to totally disappear overnight. This I know is not a happy read BUT it is just some of the thoughts I have had about the possibility's this virus could cause to our sport. There are probably hundreds more problems to add to the above as well. Anyone else got any thoughts or am I just talking rubbish? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DC2 11,150 Posted April 30, 2020 (edited) See the “British speedway to be reborn?” thread below! http://www.speedway-forum.co.uk/forums/index.php?/topic/89318-british-speedway-to-be-reborn/ Edited April 30, 2020 by DC2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The White Knight 9,039 Posted April 30, 2020 18 minutes ago, tonyd said: The longer this lockdown goes on will it create even further long term problems for our sport? We all know that no one goes into speedway promotion these days to make there fortune and the longer this lockdown goes on the possibility the shorter the season (or any season) we will see and the bigger losses they could entail. I would have thought promotions have already spent many pounds in readiness for this season which is now on hold. The problem is when the lockdown is over it will not mean crowds will be allowed to gather together again at sporting or any other such events straight away, the crowd ban could go on for a while yet after the lockdown is over. Could the unthinkable happen and with the longer this goes on some promotions / teams decide to cut there losses and not operate this year, giving it a miss and coming back to the tapes next year? Could some stadiums / track owners with no income coming in (and the longer this goes on) be thinking about cutting there losses and possibly selling up? Could some riders think that a shorter season is not worth coming back for this year and sit it out saving there equipment for next year? If and when the season starts will the riders at home around the world be able or be allowed to travel back to this (or any other country) to continue there riding here?. Come to that will some riders be allowed to hop around Europe to several counties each week? Could some teams find themselves short of riders if / when the season starts? Could when all this is over and normality resumes some people not want to stand around mixing in crowds again, this corona virus is not going to totally disappear overnight. This I know is not a happy read BUT it is just some of the thoughts I have had about the possibility's this virus could cause to our sport. There are probably hundreds more problems to add to the above as well. Anyone else got any thoughts or am I just talking rubbish? You are not talking rubbish in my opinion. You could well be right on a lot of your points raised. Only time will tell. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Speedtiger 327 Posted April 30, 2020 I was speaking with someone yesterday who works for a large national company and she was saying they are planning on social distancing measures being in place for the next 12 months. The main issue is the situation is unprecedented and non of us know what the future holds and when things will get to what will be a new normal and precisely what that normal will be. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
craigACE 91 Posted April 30, 2020 It will affect teams differently. Teams have finished far too often in this Sport. Sometimes totally unexpected. This is the time when i think it is inevitable. Hope we can get started asap. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
topaz325 1,853 Posted April 30, 2020 Can see some riders considering their future in the sport if this goes on for another few months or the season is abandoned, may look at other jobs now ( not that there are many about) and cut their losses. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Crabba59 156 Posted April 30, 2020 1 hour ago, topaz325 said: Can see some riders considering their future in the sport if this goes on for another few months or the season is abandoned, may look at other jobs now ( not that there are many about) and cut their losses. As well as riders you have got track curators and other staff to think about, I know a lot track curators are self employed so would some get other jobs if possible? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
iris123 20,935 Posted April 30, 2020 Think someone on another thread mentioned a very important point. Not about the riders, who are fairly young and fairly healthy. But a lot of people behind the scenes who help speedway run, and a lot of the fans are in the vulnerable group, who are the ones who must stay out of the way of contact with others, and are probably the last people who will be allowed out/and or attend large gatherings... 6 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Happy Hunter 368 Posted April 30, 2020 The PM today talked about wearing face masks when we go out. Is some entrepreneur already making them in team colours and with logos? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TB1 130 Posted April 30, 2020 (edited) 8 hours ago, tonyd said: The longer this lockdown goes on will it create even further long term problems for our sport? We all know that no one goes into speedway promotion these days to make there fortune and the longer this lockdown goes on the possibility the shorter the season (or any season) we will see and the bigger losses they could entail. I would have thought promotions have already spent many pounds in readiness for this season which is now on hold. The problem is when the lockdown is over it will not mean crowds will be allowed to gather together again at sporting or any other such events straight away, the crowd ban could go on for a while yet after the lockdown is over. Could the unthinkable happen and with the longer this goes on some promotions / teams decide to cut there losses and not operate this year, giving it a miss and coming back to the tapes next year? Could some stadiums / track owners with no income coming in (and the longer this goes on) be thinking about cutting there losses and possibly selling up? Could some riders think that a shorter season is not worth coming back for this year and sit it out saving there equipment for next year? If and when the season starts will the riders at home around the world be able or be allowed to travel back to this (or any other country) to continue there riding here?. Come to that will some riders be allowed to hop around Europe to several counties each week? Could some teams find themselves short of riders if / when the season starts? Could when all this is over and normality resumes some people not want to stand around mixing in crowds again, this corona virus is not going to totally disappear overnight. This I know is not a happy read BUT it is just some of the thoughts I have had about the possibility's this virus could cause to our sport. There are probably hundreds more problems to add to the above as well. Anyone else got any thoughts or am I just talking rubbish? All very good and very valid points. What I would like to see from government is some kind of financial modelling for the road ahead, ie what kind and type of tax rises will be needed to fund this lockdown. Some estimates for furloughling millions of staff is around 60 billion. Then there is the huge cost of lost business. Even a successful business may struggle further down the line if their suppliers have gone bust. It was mentioned earlier on that BA may have to make a quarter of their pilots redundant, but it doesn't end there. If pilots are made redundant so will plane crews, ground staff, check in staff, cleaners caterers and the list goes on. Looking at a speedway scenario,if multiple tracks disappear it is the riders without a job, the track staff, the suppliers ie the companies that supply the methonol, the shale, the spairs, the maintenance people, the programme printers, the caterers, the track shop and so on. The way I see it the longer this goes on the more likely that the economy WILL never recover or at least in some kind of form that we know. And given what we have seen from Government I really think they don't know which way to turn. Let's just hope we get out of lockdown as quickly as possible and salvage what we can otherwise the current horrible death toll could be much much higher as a result of the lockdown itself. Edited April 30, 2020 by TB1 Spelling Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stevehone 3,425 Posted April 30, 2020 1 hour ago, Happy Hunter said: The PM today talked about wearing face masks when we go out. Is some entrepreneur already making them in team colours and with logos? Barry Bishop Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Robinh88 571 Posted May 1, 2020 (edited) 13 hours ago, tonyd said: The longer this lockdown goes on will it create even further long term problems for our sport? We all know that no one goes into speedway promotion these days to make there fortune and the longer this lockdown goes on the possibility the shorter the season (or any season) we will see and the bigger losses they could entail. I would have thought promotions have already spent many pounds in readiness for this season which is now on hold. The problem is when the lockdown is over it will not mean crowds will be allowed to gather together again at sporting or any other such events straight away, the crowd ban could go on for a while yet after the lockdown is over. Could the unthinkable happen and with the longer this goes on some promotions / teams decide to cut there losses and not operate this year, giving it a miss and coming back to the tapes next year? Could some stadiums / track owners with no income coming in (and the longer this goes on) be thinking about cutting there losses and possibly selling up? Could some riders think that a shorter season is not worth coming back for this year and sit it out saving there equipment for next year? If and when the season starts will the riders at home around the world be able or be allowed to travel back to this (or any other country) to continue there riding here?. Come to that will some riders be allowed to hop around Europe to several counties each week? Could some teams find themselves short of riders if / when the season starts? Could when all this is over and normality resumes some people not want to stand around mixing in crowds again, this corona virus is not going to totally disappear overnight. This I know is not a happy read BUT it is just some of the thoughts I have had about the possibility's this virus could cause to our sport. There are probably hundreds more problems to add to the above as well. Anyone else got any thoughts or am I just talking rubbish? Sport will need to take a back seat temporarily (at least). I am staggered Poland have had the audacity to start riding in a few weeks time. Fast forward a few months, money is going to be very very tight. People will be more selective; if they have wages to be selective with. Can't see Speedway starting this year. Edited May 1, 2020 by Robinh88 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
waytogo28 2,054 Posted May 1, 2020 3 hours ago, Robinh88 said: Can't see Speedway starting this year. And today's poll adds to the idea that a very large minority ( 40% ) are fearful of going out from even a phased easing of lockdown. The majotity of these were in the Vulnerable Elderly category. I too can't see UK speedway operating in a meanigful way this year. And for those tracks that might fancy a dabble, if permitted, could see average numbers down by 50% or more. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
barrybishop 896 Posted May 1, 2020 10 hours ago, stevehone said: Barry Bishop Hi, Yes we already have face masks available and pretty smashing they are too. Initially I ordered 200 which have all but been taken up by frontline, NHS, Carers and key workers. We gave them away and asked for a donation and managed to raise £505 when went to Capt (now Col) Tom Moore They certainly seem popular 17 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Speedway fan 205 Posted May 1, 2020 look great Barry Bishop. Have txt you about them mate as being trying to see who might do them Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
