Is anyone losing interest

[Trees 2,814]

56 minutes ago, cityrebel said:

They are like subcontractors, with a van full of different teams race jackets.

It's up to promoters, teams managers and fans to encourage their riders to care about their club, many do imo

[cityrebel 2,960]

10 minutes ago, Trees said:

The promoters are in charge lol  The promoters make up the BSPL, they are all struggling to keep their clubs going ...... thank christ there's more enthusiasm from the fans attending than from many people posting on here.  I hope NO potential fans come across this forum either, JEEEEEEZ!  How I wish speedway fans were like football fans, fans for life, who pay out what is it £500+ every year for a season ticket for fear of never being able to go again if they don't ...... however good or bad their team is performing!

 

 

 

 

So fans should accept an expensive sub standard product and be grateful for it. This is 2021, people generally expect and demand value for money. Unless speedway promoters look outside their tiny little bubble, it hasn't got a chance.

[Trees 2,814]

8 minutes ago, cityrebel said:

So fans should accept an expensive sub standard product and be grateful for it. This is 2021, people generally expect and demand value for money. Unless speedway promoters look outside their tiny little bubble, it hasn't got a chance.

What do you suggest then?  What product do you want?   You've obviously fell out of love with the sport, promoters are struggling, if we want our sport to survive we need to support it, riders are still giving their best, it's still 4 riders racing in each race, 15 heats ........... no different to over the years.  It's you who have changed ......you don't want to support your club, you're not interested any more, so be it, rubbish happens, my husband is the same ........

[Sings4Speedway 3,246]

34 minutes ago, Trees said:

The promoters are in charge lol  The promoters make up the BSPL, they are all struggling to keep their clubs going ...... thank christ there's more enthusiasm from the fans attending than from many people posting on here.  I hope NO potential fans come across this forum either, JEEEEEEZ!  How I wish speedway fans were like football fans, fans for life, who pay out what is it £500+ every year for a season ticket for fear of never being able to go again if they don't ...... however good or bad their team is performing!

 

 

 

 

Some promotions are in charge, others don't have a voice or vote on the product that they are trying to sell to the public whilst others are pulling the strings and forcing changes onto others. I wish that Speedway was a bloodline sport, that it appealed to the masses and people attended however their team was performing (although lets not cloud facts that football fans are just happy to turn up, they too are looking for a certain standard and complain royally if that is not achieved). 

The problem is that many of those 'on here'  were regular attending fans but have been driven away for a number of reasons and there is almost nothing done to entice them back. Calls of use it or lose it don't matter to those who already think its over priced, strung out, mixed quality racing. They have already made up their minds that they can live without. There is no one size fits all and until the powers that be realise that the sport will keep sinking

[Halifaxtiger 5,318]

17 minutes ago, Trees said:

What do you suggest then?  What product do you want?   You've obviously fell out of love with the sport, promoters are struggling, if we want our sport to survive we need to support it, riders are still giving their best, it's still 4 riders racing in each race, 15 heats ........... no different to over the years.  It's you who have changed ......you don't want to support your club, you're not interested any more, so be it, rubbish happens, my husband is the same ........

One thing's certain here.

If Cityrebel has indeed fallen out of love with speedway,  its in deep trouble. I'm not quite sure how many meetings he attended every season, but it was a lot. 

 

[cityrebel 2,960]

29 minutes ago, Trees said:

What do you suggest then?  What product do you want?   You've obviously fell out of love with the sport, promoters are struggling, if we want our sport to survive we need to support it, riders are still giving their best, it's still 4 riders racing in each race, 15 heats ........... no different to over the years.  It's you who have changed ......you don't want to support your club, you're not interested any more, so be it, rubbish happens, my husband is the same ........

I've been to ten meetings already in this stop start season. I've paid my money, so I'm allowed an opinion. 

[Bagpuss 10,755]

35 minutes ago, Trees said:

What do you suggest then?  What product do you want?   You've obviously fell out of love with the sport, promoters are struggling, if we want our sport to survive we need to support it, riders are still giving their best, it's still 4 riders racing in each race, 15 heats ........... no different to over the years.  It's you who have changed ......you don't want to support your club, you're not interested any more, so be it, rubbish happens, my husband is the same ........

My argument would be that it's  more likely to be the product that has changed rather than all the people who no longer go because they don't love it any more. It's a shame because when speedway is spot on there is arguably nothing better but it's so rarely like that any more unfortunately. 

[old bob at herne bay 828]

FORGET race nights

FORGET crappy little or large stadiums

FORGET admission charges.

 

What can be changed .......

STOP gardening at the tapes

STOP practice starts all over the track prior to every race.

STOP riders jumping every other heat causing a restart

STOP delaying every heat until the ref puts on the 2 minute warning

STOP delaying meetings waiting for riders having 2 races in a row

STOP delaying meetings for endless grading of the track.

Tell the riders they are paid for by the spectators , tell them they are there to ENTERTAIN, not piddle about re adjusting chains back wheel nuts, cooling clutches, and refuelling the bike after every false start. IT'S BORING TO WATCH. 

 

 

[mikebv 10,234]

4 hours ago, Trees said:

The promoters are in charge lol  The promoters make up the BSPL, they are all struggling to keep their clubs going ...... thank christ there's more enthusiasm from the fans attending than from many people posting on here.  I hope NO potential fans come across this forum either, JEEEEEEZ!  How I wish speedway fans were like football fans, fans for life, who pay out what is it £500+ every year for a season ticket for fear of never being able to go again if they don't ...... however good or bad their team is performing!

 

 

 

 

I think you would find that if football ran itself using the UK Speedway operating model it too would be struggling very badly to attract fans..

In fact, a better analogy might be if Poland ran its Speedway the way the UK ran theirs, it would also be on its backside.. 

It would have..

No tribal following of hundreds of thousands of fans..

No one club riders who are synonymous with certain tracks to help build that fundamentally vital loyal emotional attachment to the club and individual...

No major individual and team sponsorship from national companies to fund the paying out of 'Superstar wages' to 'Superstar riders". 

And. No TV companies having to tender (willingly given the size of prize on offer), for the rights to broadcast a 'ratings winner' into millions of Polish homes every weekend.. 

"I say Gregorz, old bean, could I borrow Tai on Friday because Bartosz is riding in the GP Challenge Saturday night?"..

"Sorry Marek, Tai is already racing for Leszno agsinst you that night because Emil is in the same meeting as Bartosz. I do believe Patryk may be available though if you call FZG"..

"Be quick though, I believe Lublin are after him to replace Michelsen on Sunday"...

Can't see the Polish fans, sponsors, or TV broadcasters going for that somehow..

 

Edited June 28, 2021 by mikebv

[Star Lady 5,400]

2 hours ago, Trees said:

 if we want our sport to survive we need to support it, riders are still giving their best, it's still 4 riders racing in each race, 15 heats ........... no different to over the years.  ...

15 heats....says it all really. In my days, not that long ago, it was 13/15 heats and a second half of at least 8 more heats. Sometimes a Rider of the Night comp, sometimes a junior match , sometimes .... heavens above....both. If you were lucky you even got 3 Golden Helmet races thrown in as well.

[chunky 6,081]

1 hour ago, old bob at herne bay said:

Tell the riders they are paid for by the spectators , tell them they are there to ENTERTAIN, not piddle about re adjusting chains back wheel nuts, cooling clutches, and refuelling the bike after every false start. IT'S BORING TO WATCH. 

1) They are NOT paid for by the spectators; it hasn't been that way in years. They are paid for by the promoters, who bankrupt themselves in doing so. If they truly were paid for by the spectators, they'd be riding for 7 quid a night...

2) They USED to go out to entertain. Unfortunately, speedway has gone the way of many other sports, and the only thing that's important to most riders is making money. Oh, and pretending they are some international sporting superstar.

3) Readjusting chains is NOT boring. In fact, it can compare quite favourably to some of the racing I see...

[OveFundinFan 4,137]

15 races taking 2 hours or more is not on. It’s ridiculous, certainly not entertaining, bores people stiff, how on earth are promotors going to attract younger ones (or anyone) on that basis. They are not, but they don’t seem to understand.

[Crump99 4,474]

On 6/27/2021 at 1:05 PM, ruckerroo said:

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

Horse racing does seem to be one on the few non woke places of Covid sanity these days.

[iris123 20,922]

11 minutes ago, Crump99 said:

Horse racing does seem to be one on the few non woke places of Covid sanity these days.

It's not really about woke or non woke though is it. Horse racing don't make up the rules. But they might have better connections in high places, just like tennis

[Crump99 4,474]

11 minutes ago, iris123 said:

It's not really about woke or non woke though is it. Horse racing don't make up the rules. But they might have better connections in high places, just like tennis

It certainly is if your a football fan or Sky subscriber. I think that common sense and focus is the phrase that you're looking for.