Star Lady 5,400 Posted June 27, 2021 1 hour ago, mikebv said: Haven't a fair few tracks had decent crowds this year? Certainly comparable to pre Covid days...? Reading the various threads' comments around crowd size, and watching the UK racing on Eurosport, I would say most tracks are doing 'OK'.... They never got close to capacity anyway so even a 25% max capacity for many would be around a 'usual' crowd.. Wolves, Birmingham and Newcastle seem to be the ones taking a hit it seems, but most appear to be moving along.. Maybe the decent crowds have more to do with the lack of alternatives. Covid regs mean many other events have been cancelled and/or attendances capped. If promoters actually got their act together and put on added value for money (, I.e. children’s entertainers/singers/ands are crying out for work) so it might be mutually beneficial. Perhaps just perhaps a few people might continue to go to speedway once other stuff opens up. Most businesses have had to adapt, speedway as usual has just stood still. I have just seen three pigs fly past the window 2 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HGould 2,213 Posted June 27, 2021 Anecdotal evidence would suggest Ipswich, Peterborough,Kings Lynn; Scunthorpe; Leicester; Eastbourne ; Plymouth have been least affected in terms of crowd sizes and restrictions. Similar that Glasgow ; Newcastle; Wolverhampton, Birmingham and Poole have been most affected by restrictions. Kent and Edinburgh seem to be mixed messages. Glasgow it seems able to continue via excellent Streaming as you'd assume would be Belle Vue. As for people "losing interest" if the only reason is masks or not being able to move around the stadium I think that both hopefully that will improve after 19th July but also a bit of a reality check as it only mirrors the reality of the past 15 months. I'm sure some of the more professional and forward thinking Promoters (and there are a few) are just waiting for 19th July to put in place some of the ideas to attract children and new families using some of the suggestions made. The one thing that has more amplified the rotten core of the inner sanctum though is the decision of Ben Duffill to walk away from the Sport. He's one of a few of the new / newer Promotions who have been a breath of fresh air to the Sport relatively speaking and he will be a big loss. Promotions like Glasgow (OK they have the clout), Berwick, Edinburgh, Newcastle; Redcar, Brummies; Plymouth; Eastbourne; in the CL do seem to be trying hard but the old dinosaurs at the top table seem hell bent on fiddling averages, stopping progress, buying substandard tyres and non existent bikes, screwing up the Rising Star scheme and in alienating a guy like Ben Duffill, you wonder how many of those more positive thinking Promoters will jump ship or just give up as well? It's not so much as walking away as being driven away by the politbureau who don't seem to care a jot 3 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Byker Biker 468 Posted June 27, 2021 2 hours ago, heathen52 said: For Speedway to be potentially losing fans like you two guys should be telling Speedway its in crisis, if it doesnt then the those at the top table need to take off there rose tinted spectacles and quickly get into the real world before its to late thats if already isnt, we need every Track/Promoter/Rider/Fan and right now the BSPL/SCB leadership are not encouraging anyone Promoters/Riders/Fans alike to stay/come into the Sport, except for the favoured few. If it carries on in the way that it is then i dread to think what the Sport in the UK will look like in a few years time. We need to rebuild from the bottom up, not from the Top down because very soon there wont be a Top in the UK, actually there is no longer a top in the UK its second rate, can it survive when it becomes third rate led by Scunthorpe ?, never mind there will always be Amateur meetings we can go to . Its such a pity that some current Promoters with leadership skills are to busy trying to keep there Teams afloat to be able to give more time to helping the Sport move forwards, because with the present crowd in charge Speedway is almost at the point of no return. It's not Rose Tinted spectacles, they can see like everyone else, they just don't have a chuffing clue what to do either strategically or imminently! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
waytogo28 2,054 Posted June 27, 2021 4 hours ago, Bagpuss said: I've not been this year because Lynn is £20 which is extortionate and there is a requirement to wear a mask at all times which I'm not prepared to do outside. I expect I will go and have a look at Lynn, P'boro or Belle Vue at some point this season but I don't really miss it any more which is sad as I used to be a fanatic. The watershed moment for me was probably Holder/Batchelor-gate in 2017 at Lynn, I've not been regularly since then. Pretty much the same for me I am sad ( in some ways ) to say. Is there a central place I can locate what streams are available, as I am eager to see and pay reasonably for matches? I have always believed that streaming may be a sport saver for speedway, but other than one try at Berwick I have not seen any. I must add I am not very technical or computer savvy ( much as in the same way I can drive a car! ). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ruckerroo 792 Posted June 27, 2021 The fact i attend bath, lingfield, brighton, kempton and salisbury races without the need for a mask is good enough reason to swerve speedway til these ridiculous restrictions are binned. If things arent back to normality by july 19 esp after upwards of 140, 000 are piled into the gp at silverstone there will be stadia shutting at an alarming rate 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chris116 756 Posted June 27, 2021 I am finding it very hard to keep my interest as SWR have stopped running the late train that enabled me to get back to Wimbledon from Poole meetings and Wightlink have cancelled the late ferry that enabled me to get home from Warriors meetings. IOW is also affected by SWR not running the late train and the BSPL stitching them up. The fact that Wightlink are one of the Warriors sponsors just puts the icing on the cake! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikebv 10,273 Posted June 27, 2021 Post Covid restrictions, most tracks' crowd averages will be around 1000 to 1500 in the top division and crowds around 700 to 1000 will be around the norm in the second tier... Just like it's been for the past ten to fifteen years or so.. No amount of trying to get more families through the gates through face painting etc will make one jot of difference.. Its all been tried before umpteen times at various tracks and whilst it might attract a few extra, these people by and large don't return, or if they do, they simply replace someone who has 'given up' following the sport in the UK.. BV are a classic example... At the dog bowl they got around 1000 on average in the last few seasons.. At the NSS their first season averaged around 1400, with some meetings getting 1800 on a Friday... Now it's around 1200 to 1300 (pre Covid), with 1600 or so on a 'good night'... Bank Holidays show how many followers the sport has, with the crowds appreciably increasing... The week after on a 'normal' night, the crowds too are back to 'normal'... If Speedway had 'Bank Holiday' crowds week in week out, it wouldn't be in the shape it is... The bottom line is there are literally tens of thousands of people living locally to tracks who either know about the sport, used to attend, or still attend infrequently... They just don't attend often enough due to either the way the sport is ran, the day the sport takes place, or the value for money in attending.... My last meeting was a lunchtime BH Monday match v Poole a few years ago, and even with the early start, the crowd was nudging 3,000 or so.... I hadn't been to a domestic meeting for a good while and decided that as it was Poole and a BH, that I would go... The meeting from what I can remember was 'decent' and I remember walking away thinking "might go again next week".. That evening Max Fricke guested for Poole at (I think) Leicester as they had another meeting that day. Can't remember which rider it was but one got injured that morning at the NSS so Max got asked to ride... I haven't bothered attending UK domestic speedway since given how ridiculous that scenario was, and no amount of 'add ons' will maintain crowd levels unless nonsense like this stops.... But as everyone knows, it never will.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Halifaxtiger 5,318 Posted June 27, 2021 2 hours ago, Byker Biker said: It's not Rose Tinted spectacles, they can see like everyone else, they just don't have a chuffing clue what to do either strategically or imminently! Its not an easy problem to solve but some of the decisions - that concerning the NL and the loss of Isle of Wight as a result springs to mind - are a matter of pure incompetence and could have been avoided. The failure to engage with the Warriors management is inexcusable. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Halifaxtiger 5,318 Posted June 27, 2021 (edited) 2 hours ago, HGould said: The one thing that has more amplified the rotten core of the inner sanctum though is the decision of Ben Duffill to walk away from the Sport. He's one of a few of the new / newer Promotions who have been a breath of fresh air to the Sport relatively speaking and he will be a big loss. Promotions like Glasgow (OK they have the clout), Berwick, Edinburgh, Newcastle; Redcar, Brummies; Plymouth; Eastbourne; in the CL do seem to be trying hard but the old dinosaurs at the top table seem hell bent on fiddling averages, stopping progress, buying substandard tyres and non existent bikes, screwing up the Rising Star scheme and in alienating a guy like Ben Duffill, you wonder how many of those more positive thinking Promoters will jump ship or just give up as well? It's not so much as walking away as being driven away by the politbureau who don't seem to care a jot An equal - if not greater - loss is the Isle of Wight promotion of Barry Bishop and Martin Widman. Don't take my word for just how forward thinking, innovative and customer focussed these two guys have been - read the comments of the likes of Peter Oakes, James Easter, Bert Harkins and more. The way they were treated - and are still being treated - was and remains shameful. Edited June 27, 2021 by Halifaxtiger 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fatface 2,554 Posted June 27, 2021 (edited) 1 hour ago, mikebv said: Bank Holidays show how many followers the sport has, with the crowds appreciably increasing... The week after on a 'normal' night, the crowds too are back to 'normal'... If Speedway had 'Bank Holiday' crowds week in week out, it wouldn't be in the shape it is... I'm sure I've made this point before, but I'll keep on like a broken record anyway. Speedway has to tailor itself for a family day out....it can do that on a Bank Holiday or Weekend afternoon, it simply cannot on a school night....and will end up with the same shrinking ageing hard-core. It has to reach out to a wider demographic...like football, cricket, rugby, horse racing, basketball, netball all do. Imagine a restaurant running its business only on a midweek night because its staff were in Poland, Sweden etc at the weekend?! That's what British speedway does. It's Einstein's definition of insanity. Plymouth is my local track now. It's a 40mins drive. Am I going to take my 8 year old kids on a Tuesday night, rushing there and back for £50 minimum? No chance. The weekend is different, we are time rich and looking for something to do as a family. Are there any matches at the weekend? There's nowt. Quite simply, they won't see me and thousands of other families this year. Edited June 27, 2021 by falcace 8 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikebv 10,273 Posted June 27, 2021 39 minutes ago, falcace said: I'm sure I've made this point before, but I'll keep on like a broken record anyway. Speedway has to tailor itself for a family day out....it can do that on a Bank Holiday or Weekend afternoon, it simply cannot on a school night....and will end up with the same shrinking ageing hard-core. It has to reach out to a wider demographic...like football, cricket, rugby, horse racing, basketball, netball all do. Imagine a restaurant running its business only on a midweek night because its staff were in Poland, Sweden etc at the weekend?! That's what British speedway does. It's Einstein's definition of insanity. Plymouth is my local track now. It's a 40mins drive. Am I going to take my 8 year old kids on a Tuesday night, rushing there and back for £50 minimum? No chance. The weekend is different, we are time rich and looking for something to do as a family. Are there any matches at the weekend? There's nowt. Quite simply, they won't see me and thousands of other families this year. You can see it, I can see it... Many hundreds on here can see it... And thousands who used to attend Speedway in the UK can see it.... Therefore I truly do fail to believe that those who run the sport can't see it either.. It's clear that fixed nights are not even fixed to allow "big names" to ride over here and elsewhere, but just simply to allow as many UK based riders as possible to double up so that they can earn as much as is possible, (to pay for massive outlays), season to season.. And spreading out the days they race on also provides a plentiful supply of guest riders who can supplement their earnings by appearing for all and sundry on an adhoc basis.. Let's be honest, no one in their right mind would choose to run the sport the way it's currently ran if they could afford to run it properly would they?... Therefore the current operating model and business plan are simply the only ones we will ever have... Until it's obviously ludicrous flaws eventually kills the sport off completely over here.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
old bob at herne bay 828 Posted June 27, 2021 Sadly my interest hasnt been rekindled.... after a year "off" from speedway I had a few meetings pencilled in ... as always the British weather intervened and advance purchase of tickets is not something I am going to do with dodgy weather forecasts. Set my mind on going to see Jason Crump at Kent ... but sadly he was injured. The Championship speedway team at Kent has been decimated by retiring riders , injuries and even absent youngsters in championship qualifier meetings. Just Scott Nicholls as a heat leader. AS for the NDL thats now a training league, and overpriced at Kent. The little TV coverage I have seen on Discovery + has been appalling ......still the delayed starts and restarts ...... interspersed with so many adverts. Looking at a tasty encounter EB vs Glasgow , but the silly so and so's at EB have made it a DAYTIME meeting. Never seen a good one yet. Think I am back to where I was last year with little enthusiasm to visit my local tracks at least until I can turn up and buy a ticket, choose where I want to sit/stand and not have to wear a mask for 2 plus hours. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cityrebel 2,960 Posted June 27, 2021 13 hours ago, Halifaxtiger said: From your posts on here, you clearly have been a passionate fan in the past. Its sad to see that you are losing interest. I have made no secret of my admiration for the Isle of Wight promotion and the way they have been treated has left me disillusioned and angry. There are other reasons, but that is a major one why my enthusiasm has waned and I haven't been this year at all. I can only trust that when I do attend the old buzz comes back. This afternoon, i went to an excellent British Masters Grasstrack qualifier at the superb Dig Dog Lane circuit in Frittenden Kent. Over 40 races run at breakneck speed with the rain falling throughout. No track inspections, just brave riders doing their stuff. I thoroughly enjoyed it! 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ch958 2,395 Posted June 27, 2021 2 hours ago, mikebv said: You can see it, I can see it... Many hundreds on here can see it... And thousands who used to attend Speedway in the UK can see it.... Therefore I truly do fail to believe that those who run the sport can't see it either.. It's clear that fixed nights are not even fixed to allow "big names" to ride over here and elsewhere, but just simply to allow as many UK based riders as possible to double up so that they can earn as much as is possible, (to pay for massive outlays), season to season.. And spreading out the days they race on also provides a plentiful supply of guest riders who can supplement their earnings by appearing for all and sundry on an adhoc basis.. Let's be honest, no one in their right mind would choose to run the sport the way it's currently ran if they could afford to run it properly would they?... Therefore the current operating model and business plan are simply the only ones we will ever have... Until it's obviously ludicrous flaws eventually kills the sport off completely over here.. they can see it they just don't have the skills, courage, whatever to grasp the nettle and do something about it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stevehone 3,429 Posted June 27, 2021 basic requirement here is clubs to run on the days that suit them, not when they're told, and if that means weekends then so be it. the choices we used to have on a saturday was great, now, nothing. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
