Time to have an enquiry into the death of Speedway

[marko 955]

Hackney 96! Yes what a disaster that was from the word go, countless issues with the stadium, the back straight stand never once opened, we started standing by the pits area but then suddenly after a few weeks got told we can’t stand there anymore, the general viewing was rubbish, one evening there was a power failure and even though there was a enough light to race they had to abandon because the main stand was air conditioned as it’s only source of proper ventilation.

Over the years I have often grown tired of dry under watered slick tracks, poor presentation and sloppy time keeping and a hugely irregular fixture list, but even then I still kept going because so much of my life had revolved around the sport, I was at Arena Essex every season (not every meeting but 90% of them) from 1988-2018 the only season I didn’t go was when they went into the NL because I remembered the disaster of trying to run a Hackney side a few years previous along side the main Lakeside team, and if Arena was still running I would go, even if it was NL because for all it’s ills I miss the good things, the noise, the smell the sheer sight of bikes being thrown into corners sideways at speed.

[cityrebel 2,960]

1 hour ago, marko said:

Hackney 96! Yes what a disaster that was from the word go, countless issues with the stadium, the back straight stand never once opened, we started standing by the pits area but then suddenly after a few weeks got told we can’t stand there anymore, the general viewing was rubbish, one evening there was a power failure and even though there was a enough light to race they had to abandon because the main stand was air conditioned as it’s only source of proper ventilation.

Over the years I have often grown tired of dry under watered slick tracks, poor presentation and sloppy time keeping and a hugely irregular fixture list, but even then I still kept going because so much of my life had revolved around the sport, I was at Arena Essex every season (not every meeting but 90% of them) from 1988-2018 the only season I didn’t go was when they went into the NL because I remembered the disaster of trying to run a Hackney side a few years previous along side the main Lakeside team, and if Arena was still running I would go, even if it was NL because for all it’s ills I miss the good things, the noise, the smell the sheer sight of bikes being thrown into corners sideways at speed.

The London Lions in 1996 was a tenner to get in. Astonishing, considering most tracks were charging £6 at the time. Despite all of problems at the stadium, i only missed 2 meetings there that season. I must have been mad!

[iainb 4,962]

16 hours ago, Fromafar said:

Glasgow are very Pro -Active in trying to attract new and young people to the sport and it is working to degree,but they’re outlay in wages and overheads  still means they are losing money.Its obvious something in sport has to change.

I went to Glasgow for the PO Final last year and from the moment you turn up at the stadium it feels like you're going to be watching a professionally run sport, it's the standard all other clubs should be aiming for... it's just a shame they can't make it pay!

2 hours ago, marko said:

Hackney 96! Yes what a disaster that was from the word go, countless issues with the stadium, the back straight stand never once opened, we started standing by the pits area but then suddenly after a few weeks got told we can’t stand there anymore, the general viewing was rubbish, one evening there was a power failure and even though there was a enough light to race they had to abandon because the main stand was air conditioned as it’s only source of proper ventilation.

I went to the first GP at Hackney and started off by standing on one of the "grass banks" until being moved on... then the best viewing position I could find was actually below the track and we stood there looking up at it, never went again. They should have called themselves the London White Elephants 

[auntie doris 2,339]

4 hours ago, cityrebel said:

I was there, but the world has changed massively since then.

Have followed New Cross, Wimbledon, Worky, but never known atmosphere like that night at The Shabbey Stadium.

[ch958 2,393]

and yet, we hear of new ventures at Worky, Southampton, possibly Odsal and Exeter so it does go on.

As with any business the number one thing that puts you out of business is not controlling costs.

Added to that admission fees have to compare with similar experiences (night at the flix, non lge footy, pizza, etc)

you then have to control your costs to work within that income

They tell you this day one of business studies!!

[Speedtiger 327]

I went to Glasgow for the PO Final last year and from the moment you turn up at the stadium it feels like you're going to be watching a professionally run sport, it's the standard all other clubs should be aiming for... it's just a shame they can't make it pay!

 

i agree Glasgow have improved greatly and to there credit, very impressive BUT on there own admission they lost over £100k...no wonder they bailed out of CL this season. That sort of loss is unsustainable. 

[Terry 1,319]

2 hours ago, cityrebel said:

The London Lions in 1996 was a tenner to get in. Astonishing, considering most tracks were charging £6 at the time. Despite all of problems at the stadium, i only missed 2 meetings there that season. I must have been mad!

I remember being taken aback by the admission price too. Awful track, awful viewing.

I recently bought a London Lions highlights dvd to see if the racing was better than I remembered..It wasn't!

[Hawk127 1,357]

It may not completely stop the decline but if those in charge had the opportunity and the balls to hold their nerve, they would start addressing some issues including standardising the machines for league racing in this country. All rides have a choice as to where they ply their trade. In the U.K. we have nothing to gain by paying top dollar.  A number of options are available to have standard bikes and if you get away from the expensive machinery you then are not held to ransom by riders over money. Riders to be classified according to their average and then impose a fixed fee per point and start with bonus paid for team riding a partner home. Review the average every two months. Until you get a grip with the variable costs of rider pay rates  (fixed costs I would class as stadia, medical, insurance, track staff, referees  etc all of which are probably standard and non-negotiable’ ) they are on a hiding to nothing. Control this cost and it might allow the promoter to fund the promotional side and perhaps offer incentives to the paying customer. The club owners may be to blame for many of the failings but the riders are a huge expense and this will remain out of control as long as the riders go for more and more expensive equipment. If you cannot get around a track on a standard machine and use your track craft and skills to win races rather then being a throttle merchant, then perhaps they should look for another job.

[mikebv 10,240]

1 hour ago, Terry said:

I remember being taken aback by the admission price too. Awful track, awful viewing.

I recently bought a London Lions highlights dvd to see if the racing was better than I remembered..It wasn't!

Can't remember who, but it was one of those involved who said in the Speedway Star when the admission cost was mentioned that he thought it "cheap"...

The rationale used being that if you went to watch a "top show" in Londons entertainment sector you would would be paying many times that amount..

[Terry 1,319]

3 minutes ago, mikebv said:

Can't remember who, but it was one of those involved who said in the Speedway Star when the admission cost was mentioned that he thought it "cheap"...

The rationale used being that if you went to watch a "top show" in Londons entertainment sector you would would be paying many times that amount..

Other than Boyce flattening Gollob, I wouldn't associate London speedway with entertainment!

[Spl77 337]

21 hours ago, ray c said:

last night meeting from poland full of young people and families not a dogs chance that happening in this country .i am a die hard i find it so depressing 

Poland is certainly an interesting case. 

I like many have held Poland up to be as the holy grail in what league speedway can be. 

The interesting thing is having watched several Polish matches on TV the quality of the racing isn't as good as I thought it would be. 

So that begs the question why is it so successful? 

I personally think its because the people who run it have made the show slick and ensures that it is ran in a highly professional manor. 

There for they have a product that the general public and business alike want to be involved with. The crowds generate a superb atmosphere. The combination of the atmosphere and the slick presentation makes the product cool regardless of the quality of racing. 

I guess the UK was once in that sort of position having watched racing from the 70s and 80s on you tube it wasn't all passing and excitement far from it. 

However you had the crowds the banter between Fans and the atmosphere that generated. 

Unfortunately as the sport became more and more micky mouse the fans started to drift away which ment less and less atmosphere so the quality of the racing became the focus wrongly in my opinion. 

For me I walked away because of the constant rule changes the vaslty over use of the guest rule. The double up and down rule finally saw an end to my picking and choosing meetings. Now I go once a year to catch up with friends who like me used to go. 

As a guy in his early 40s with young kids I was and should be part of speedways future. However until they can run the sport as a professional product or run it purely as an amateur sport and charge fiver to get in away I shall stay, 

[HGould 2,213]

1 hour ago, Spl77 said:

Poland is certainly an interesting case. 

I like many have held Poland up to be as the holy grail in what league speedway can be. 

The interesting thing is having watched several Polish matches on TV the quality of the racing isn't as good as I thought it would be. 

So that begs the question why is it so successful? 

I personally think its because the people who run it have made the show slick and ensures that it is ran in a highly professional manor. 

There for they have a product that the general public and business alike want to be involved with. The crowds generate a superb atmosphere. The combination of the atmosphere and the slick presentation makes the product cool regardless of the quality of racing. 

I guess the UK was once in that sort of position having watched racing from the 70s and 80s on you tube it wasn't all passing and excitement far from it. 

However you had the crowds the banter between Fans and the atmosphere that generated. 

Unfortunately as the sport became more and more micky mouse the fans started to drift away which ment less and less atmosphere so the quality of the racing became the focus wrongly in my opinion. 

For me I walked away because of the constant rule changes the vaslty over use of the guest rule. The double up and down rule finally saw an end to my picking and choosing meetings. Now I go once a year to catch up with friends who like me used to go. 

As a guy in his early 40s with young kids I was and should be part of speedways future. However until they can run the sport as a professional product or run it purely as an amateur sport and charge fiver to get in away I shall stay, 

Never fails to amaze me how those who say they don't go to speedway anymore can make such sweeping and often inaccurate statements about its health. 

It's clearly got major problems but there are green shoots with young riders, GB set up, increased crowds and community initiatives at many clubs and a few promotions that actually have new ideas and some business acumen. 

No doubt I will be sent to the mad House but I'm more positive now than I was 3 and 5 years ago at Brummies and other clubs in CL and NDL

[mikebv 10,240]

3 hours ago, Spl77 said:

Poland is certainly an interesting case. 

I like many have held Poland up to be as the holy grail in what league speedway can be. 

The interesting thing is having watched several Polish matches on TV the quality of the racing isn't as good as I thought it would be. 

So that begs the question why is it so successful? 

I personally think its because the people who run it have made the show slick and ensures that it is ran in a highly professional manor. 

There for they have a product that the general public and business alike want to be involved with. The crowds generate a superb atmosphere. The combination of the atmosphere and the slick presentation makes the product cool regardless of the quality of racing. 

I guess the UK was once in that sort of position having watched racing from the 70s and 80s on you tube it wasn't all passing and excitement far from it. 

However you had the crowds the banter between Fans and the atmosphere that generated. 

Unfortunately as the sport became more and more micky mouse the fans started to drift away which ment less and less atmosphere so the quality of the racing became the focus wrongly in my opinion. 

For me I walked away because of the constant rule changes the vaslty over use of the guest rule. The double up and down rule finally saw an end to my picking and choosing meetings. Now I go once a year to catch up with friends who like me used to go. 

As a guy in his early 40s with young kids I was and should be part of speedways future. However until they can run the sport as a professional product or run it purely as an amateur sport and charge fiver to get in away I shall stay, 

You and many, many more sadly .

Truly amazing how so many, over so many years, have collectively managed to deliver what we have today.

With not one it appears seeing the terraces emptying around them or their costs of running rising at the same time..

Just when you needed more customers because you chose to increase your outgoings, you deliver something which alienates even some of your most loyal patrons...

And then continue to do it, year in, year out, even though the fans are telling you by their lack of visits that you are on the wrong path..

A Dragons Den business plan pitch it is definitely not...

[Spl77 337]

3 hours ago, HGould said:

Never fails to amaze me how those who say they don't go to speedway anymore can make such sweeping and often inaccurate statements about its health. 

It's clearly got major problems but there are green shoots with young riders, GB set up, increased crowds and community initiatives at many clubs and a few promotions that actually have new ideas and some business acumen. 

No doubt I will be sent to the mad House but I'm more positive now than I was 3 and 5 years ago at Brummies and other clubs in CL and NDL

I don't see how it's inaccurate? How many times do we read on here in the speedway star or elsewhere Promotion a b or c complaining about falling attendances rising costs and how they are running below their break-even figure and losing money hand over fist? 

Just because we don't go on a regular basis or at all doesn't mean we don't stay connected via the speedway press. 

No one can deny the empty terraces compared to 10, 20 or 30 years ago. 

Some promotions are trying and some are loosing huge sums trying. 

Untill there is a collective will to push forward nothing will change. 

[JamesHarris 390]

I've not gone all through this thread but one thing I was wondering today is what if most of the riders who race in the British Leagues have now found themselves decent paid jobs this year to make a living. Come 2021 (if we are back to normal then) Will the same riders think "you know what, I'm quite enjoying having a steady income and not have to worry about the expense of running 2 bikes". Will the occasional spin in a Amateur meeting at Scunny be enough to satisfy their desire to race? Of cause I am only talking about the bread and butter riders here and not the top international one's who have lucrative deals in Poland or Sweden. Will be interesting to see what happens.