Is anyone losing interest

[cityrebel 2,960]

24 minutes ago, ch958 said:

they can see it they just don't have the skills, courage, whatever to grasp the nettle and do something about it.

It's like the Titanic, heading towards the iceberg.

[old bob at herne bay 828]

and Buster Chapman hs hidden the binoculars

[enotian 562]

lots of excuses here.  I don't like masks, I don't like paying on-line/in advance, I don't like weekdays. I don't like the promoters etc etc

The truth is that if the product was any good you'd more than likely be prepared to overlook these issues to get your fix.

Unfortunately the product is just a bit naff. 2 hours plus for 15 mins of action some of which will be spectacular most of which won't, in mostly basic venues with zero atmosphere.

Having attended about 99% of fixtures at Brough Park since 1986 I've not missed attending at all and can't see myself returning, certainly on a regular basis, and not just because the team is rubbish.  In truth I'd just been turning up out of habit for a good while prior to 2020.

The reason?  It's just a bit naff (importantly) compared to the standard most of us can now view via the SGP coverage.  Yes watching at home should be way less exciting than attending in person but the reality is that the British Speedway product is nowhere near as attractive (and I'm not even saying that SGP is unmissable stuff either).  I appreciate that the pricing reflects that the standard of racing can't be as high as SGP but the product on a whole is just a but tired and lacks credibility.  I actually enjoyed the last P'bro v Wolves TV match.  Some of the racing was pretty good and as I'd recorded it I could fast forward the numerous breaks and what I expect were dull interviews and wittering. Didn't inspire me to buy a ticket for Newcastle's next match because I know the action wouldn't be on a par and that I wouldn't be able to fast forward the endless tractor revolutions (which never seem to have a positive effect of the standard of racing anyway).  

Maybe I just got bored with it.  The trouble is I'm not in the minority. 

[hrhbig 69]

What would happen if Scotland got independence ?

[Halifaxtiger 5,318]

14 hours 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.

On the face of it, what you say is undoubtedly correct - run meetings when you are more likely to attract paying customers. Unfortunately, its not as simple as that.

For a start, three quarters of British Speedway clubs do not own their own stadiums and are therefore at the directions of landlords (Peterborough, for example, would have absolutely no hope of getting a regular weekend race night). Consequently, they take what they can get. Even those that do either own or have substantial control over stadiums (such as Belle Vue) may decide that other uses - such as stock car racing or greyhounds - are more likely to be profitable (BAGS contracts for greyhounds are extremely lucrative). Others - such as Kent - may have planning issues, while Isle of Wight could not possibly run on Fridays, Saturdays or Sundays due to the situation with the ferries. 

Secondly, experience suggests that switching to weekends isn't always the solution. When Sheffield switched from Thursdays to Sundays it was so disastrous the club almost folded and  I haven't noticed a significant change to Redcar's crowds since they changed from Thursday to Friday. When Ashley Taylor was considering opening a track in Cornwall, he told me that the days he would not run were Friday or Saturday as people were coming or going from holidays (possibly as many as half of our clubs might take this into account) and Adrian Smith advised at a Belle Vue fans forum some years ago that aside from school holidays attendances at Belle Vue were higher on Mondays than Fridays. Football's attendances certainly do not seem to be affected by playing midweek. 

When Plymouth switched from Friday to Tuesday they gave a statement why : Plymouth Gladiators Club Statement - Plymouth Gladiators Speedway (plymouth-speedway.com). As can be seen, it wasn't all about the number of Championship clubs that ride on that night (although that is clearly another factor as to why clubs do not run at weekends). 

 Mike BV has made the point that the sport seems to be run for the benefit of riders (up to a point at least) and I agree. However, what they require cannot simply be completely ignored. Some consideration has to be given to what they need because we can't have speedway without them. 

I am not saying you are wrong so much as pointing out that putting your solution into practice is anything but easy or guaranteed to be successful. 

Edited June 28, 2021 by Halifaxtiger

[steve roberts 9,243]

44 minutes ago, Halifaxtiger said:

On the face of it, what you say is undoubtedly correct - run meetings when you are more likely to attract paying customers. Unfortunately, its not as simple as that.

For a start, three quarters of British Speedway clubs do not own their own stadiums and are therefore at the directions of landlords (Peterborough, for example, would have absolutely no hope of getting a regular weekend race night). Consequently, they take what they can get. Even those that do either own or have substantial control over stadiums (such as Belle Vue) may decide that other uses - such as stock car racing or greyhounds - are more likely to be profitable (BAGS contracts for greyhounds are extremely lucrative). Others - such as Kent - may have planning issues, while Isle of Wight could not possibly run on Fridays, Saturdays or Sundays due to the situation with the ferries. 

Secondly, experience suggests that switching to weekends isn't always the solution. When Sheffield switched from Thursdays to Sundays it was so disastrous the club almost folded and  I haven't noticed a significant change to Redcar's crowds since they changed from Thursday to Friday. When Ashley Taylor was considering opening a track in Cornwall, he told me that the days he would not run were Friday or Saturday as people were coming or going from holidays (possibly as many as half of our clubs might take this into account) and Adrian Smith advised at a Belle Vue fans forum some years ago that aside from school holidays attendances at Belle Vue were higher on Mondays than Fridays. Football's attendances certainly do not seem to be affected by playing midweek. 

When Plymouth switched from Friday to Tuesday they gave a statement why : Plymouth Gladiators Club Statement - Plymouth Gladiators Speedway (plymouth-speedway.com). As can be seen, it wasn't all about the number of Championship clubs that ride on that night (although that is clearly another factor as to why clubs do not run at weekends). 

 Mike BV has made the point that the sport seems to be run for the benefit of riders (up to a point at least) and I agree. However, what they require cannot simply be completely ignored. Some consideration has to be given to what they need because we can't have speedway without them. 

I am not saying you are wrong so much as pointing out that putting your solution into practice is anything but easy or guaranteed to be successful. 

During my formative years attending speedway Oxford ran on a Thursday and White City on Wednesdays...didn't effect my schooling I have to say.

[cityrebel 2,960]

41 minutes ago, steve roberts said:

During my formative years attending speedway Oxford ran on a Thursday and White City on Wednesdays...didn't effect my schooling I have to say.

Neither did it mine. I was going to West Ham as an eight year old on a Tuesday night from my South London home. I slept in the car coming home and always got up for school in the morning. 

[00000 1,279]

14 hours ago, old bob at herne bay said:

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.

Sunday afternoon fixtures at Arlington are planned when the team have had a long haul to the north on a Friday night. Most of the team wouldn't get home and into bed until 5am on the Saturday  morning.

The club announced some long time ago that they would run on a Sunday after a long run to the north on a Friday to to look after their riders health and safety.  

 Yes, a club looking after its riders (and the supporters who make these long trips).

And, by the way, Eastbourne have a long and successful tradition of running meetings on a Sunday afternoon. It is part of the club's history and it still remains a popular time with many supporters.

[Hacksaw Jim Duggan 199]

Speedway reached the hit the Iceberg stage years ago.... 

There is just a % of fans on here who kid themselves on they still follow a big, or even slightly relevant sport, it's a grass field sport and has been for years, some cling to the Eurosport deal like a comfort blanket of relevance but in this day and age channels are just looking to hoover up any form of content they can get, it's almost moot at this stage having a TV deal in terms of that conversation. 

This winter the sport will carve out more riders with an over 9.00 average or some other dross, fill that hole with more mediocrity, more quality will disappear, as will more fans and those left who still attend will continue to delude themselves that it is all about the racing and the sport is just that one silver bullet change away from those recent glory days just gone about 40 years ago, while those who have stopped attending aren't coming back, and those who have never attended, never will. 

People who attend speedway should just enjoy it for them and stop living the lie it is a big sport in waiting, they would have far more fun that way TBH, speedway as it is now has been about the size it is and lived in the space it does for about 20 years now, always baffles me people on here still pretend it is something other than that 

[iainb 4,998]

21 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.

Who is Ben Duffill?

[blueherb777 571]

14 hours ago, old bob at herne bay said:

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.

I have to agree with most of above.

With a late start the weather has been pants....Kent`s team started the season quite weak (getting weaker)...Scotty the only rider really worth watching there...meetings called off for football reasons.....having to wear a mask even though an outside event.....getting tickets in advance.....and agree the NDL is overpriced and not appealing to go to.

Basically I have written off this year and hoping next year is much more appealing!!!!!

 

[HGould 2,213]

4 minutes ago, iainb said:

Who is Ben Duffill?

Jittendra Duffill.....known as "Ben" to many in the Sport.

Excellent Promoter of Redcar Speedway

[HGould 2,213]

3 minutes ago, blueherb777 said:

I have to agree with most of above.

With a late start the weather has been pants....Kent`s team started the season quite weak (getting weaker)...Scotty the only rider really worth watching there...meetings called off for football reasons.....having to wear a mask even though an outside event.....getting tickets in advance.....and agree the NDL is overpriced and not appealing to go to.

Basically I have written off this year and hoping next year is much more appealing!!!!!

 

Let's hope there are some Teams left for that to be a feasible option.

 

[ruckerroo 792]

The NDL price at kent is a 24 carat liberty 

[KIRKYLANE 537]

23 hours ago, steve roberts said:

I certainly wouldn't be enticed back to speedway if £20 is the going rate...and add petrol on top of that?

£20 may seem a lot.... but compared to a top football match I am sure it is relatively cheap..... I have no idea what the cheapest prices are for Premiership football