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Rob B

Why speedway is failing

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39 minutes ago, cowboy cookie returns? said:

Doubling up is one of the major reasons in this country along with guests that is driving people away and makes it impossible to find any national sponsor. It makes the sport non credible.

 

I disagree.

Poorly marketed product, high cost compared to alternative entertainment, meeting presentation 30 years out of date, dated stadia, lack of  household names/world class riders, tracks that don'tproduce good racing...these are all far bigger issues than doubling up imo. 

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2 hours ago, waiheke1 said:

I disagree.

Poorly marketed product, high cost compared to alternative entertainment, meeting presentation 30 years out of date, dated stadia, lack of  household names/world class riders, tracks that don'tproduce good racing...these are all far bigger issues than doubling up imo. 

It has to go... if you want to get more people through the turnstiles, it won't be long before they'll start wondering why it happens.

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18 hours ago, Gemini said:

It may not have been invented as a team sport but that has always been the main thing that attracted me for 70years and I don't think I am the only one who has no interest at all in individual meetings. 

I was correcting the inaccuracy of another post not expressing anything about personal preferences for or against team racing.

Edited by Grand Central
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6 hours ago, cowboy cookie returns? said:

Doubling up is one of the major reasons in this country along with guests that is driving people away and makes it impossible to find any national sponsor. It makes the sport non credible.

The sport in the uk needs to become a mix of semi pro/amateur with standard equipment in use in our leagues.

It needs a major overhaul.

 

 

Not specifically doubling up, but I was listening to Stephan Katt commentating on a meeting Friday night. The meeting was delayed for about 90 minutes due to rain and one of the topics being discussed 'for the newcomers' was riders turning out one night for one team and the next for another.Katt recalled his Somerset days sharing a van with Matten Kröger and racing with him in the UK and then parting at the airport and they could be racing against each other the next day. And in his opinion that was one of the great things about the sport !!! :blink:

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6 hours ago, cowboy cookie returns? said:

Doubling up is one of the major reasons in this country along with guests that is driving people away and makes it impossible to find any national sponsor. It makes the sport non credible.

The sport in the uk needs to become a mix of semi pro/amateur with standard equipment in use in our leagues.

It needs a major overhaul.

 

 

An excellent viewpoint. I watched Belle View v Sheffield and the grandstands were half empty with little or no atmosphere  very worrying. I can remember Hyde Road with 30,000 spectators and bursting at the seams with people and atmosphere.

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19 hours ago, waiheke1 said:

I disagree.

Poorly marketed product, high cost compared to alternative entertainment, meeting presentation 30 years out of date, dated stadia, lack of  household names/world class riders, tracks that don'tproduce good racing...these are all far bigger issues than doubling up imo. 

I disagree although the other items you mention play a part.

You have to get some form of credibility back into the sport to try & attract new investment both though more spectators but more importantly through sponsorship & awareness though the media both digitally & print.

I used Chris Harris as an example a couple of weeks ago elsewhere on here. During one week in late August he rode for Peterborough, Birmingham & Ipswich. His week was completed by riding for Peterborough against Ipswich. That sort of thing is destroying any form of credibility the sport has.

To improve the issues you mentioned tracks, stadia etc you need the investment which requires credibility.

Doubling up & the guest fest also makes it impossible to have the emotional attachment supporters of team sport need with their team.

Lastly on the point of world-class riders the sport in at such a low point in this country that those world class riders aren't known outside of speedway over here.

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1 hour ago, cowboy cookie returns? said:

I disagree although the other items you mention play a part.

You have to get some form of credibility back into the sport to try & attract new investment both though more spectators but more importantly through sponsorship & awareness though the media both digitally & print.

I used Chris Harris as an example a couple of weeks ago elsewhere on here. During one week in late August he rode for Peterborough, Birmingham & Ipswich. His week was completed by riding for Peterborough against Ipswich. That sort of thing is destroying any form of credibility the sport has.

To improve the issues you mentioned tracks, stadia etc you need the investment which requires credibility.

Doubling up & the guest fest also makes it impossible to have the emotional attachment supporters of team sport need with their team.

Lastly on the point of world-class riders the sport in at such a low point in this country that those world class riders aren't known outside of speedway over here.

I agree and I think the only way the sport can do this is by having a 2 league structure.

A top league of 8 or more clubs

a second league made up of semi Pro riders with the rest of the teams who wish to join with some form of pay structure

Any other teams can run amateur challange matches and open events

The top riders now in the championship will have to ride in just the pro league but they wont like it so this could be the stumbling block along with finding at least 8 teams who want to go pro

 

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6 hours ago, cowboy cookie returns? said:

I disagree although the other items you mention play a part.

You have to get some form of credibility back into the sport to try & attract new investment both though more spectators but more importantly through sponsorship & awareness though the media both digitally & print.

I used Chris Harris as an example a couple of weeks ago elsewhere on here. During one week in late August he rode for Peterborough, Birmingham & Ipswich. His week was completed by riding for Peterborough against Ipswich. That sort of thing is destroying any form of credibility the sport has.

To improve the issues you mentioned tracks, stadia etc you need the investment which requires credibility.

Doubling up & the guest fest also makes it impossible to have the emotional attachment supporters of team sport need with their team.

Lastly on the point of world-class riders the sport in at such a low point in this country that those world class riders aren't known outside of speedway over here.

Difficult to pinpoint why fans are leaving, it's just a collaboration of lots of things and probably just personal opinion for most. 

My beef is the amount of messing about that goes on at each and every meeting, whether it be riders at the tapes, adjustments at the Pit gate or tractor racing. That all combines to me eventually walking away. 

As we're using Harris as an example, it doesn't bother me that he rides for Peterborough in a different league because I'm only interested in what he does for Birmingham as well as the other Birmingham riders. Your affiliation is with whoever rides for your team. 

We'll always agree to disagree on why speedway is failing and all the issues are valid points, how we combine to make it all viable is the tricky part... 

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1 hour ago, The Dog said:

Difficult to pinpoint why fans are leaving, it's just a collaboration of lots of things and probably just personal opinion for most. 

My beef is the amount of messing about that goes on at each and every meeting, whether it be riders at the tapes, adjustments at the Pit gate or tractor racing. That all combines to me eventually walking away. 

As we're using Harris as an example, it doesn't bother me that he rides for Peterborough in a different league because I'm only interested in what he does for Birmingham as well as the other Birmingham riders. Your affiliation is with whoever rides for your team. 

We'll always agree to disagree on why speedway is failing and all the issues are valid points, how we combine to make it all viable is the tricky part... 

I personally don't see doubling up as a major issue...

It isn't ideal, but we don't have cross league cup comps so no major drama for me...

But being allowed to ride for all and sundry? With the operating model being drawn up to actively encourage it?

Now that's a completely different matter and is ludicrous...

Over the past few days we have seen a rider decide to not race for his own team after riding for a few others as a guest in the week leading up to their meeting, as he was tired, and needed rest. So a guest was brought in...

And tonight a rider cannot ride for his own club because the rules say he has to sit it out, as a rider who has replaced him for 28 days only must ride instead...

But that rider is now iinjured so instead a guest will come in...

Barmy on both accounts...

Lets face it, if those who run it don't take it seriously you have zero chance of the fans doing so...

Edited by mikebv
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Doubling up is definitely 'an issue' for me.

Funilly enough it does not (to my knowledge) affect my frequency of attendance, at the moment ... But it just thoroughly pisses me off, all the time, like toothache.

Anything that consistently antagonises a lifelong supporter who is still attending MUST be a bad thing to be avoided ... In the end it will piss me off too much, I bet.

Edited by Grand Central
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14 hours ago, Grand Central said:

Doubling up is definitely 'an issue' for me.

Funilly enough it does not (to my knowledge) affect my frequency of attendance, at the moment ... But it just thoroughly pisses me off, all the time, like toothache.

Anything that consistently antagonises a lifelong supporter who is still attending MUST be a bad thing to be avoided ... In the end it will piss me off too much, I bet.

Look at Peterborough, they're already running R/R for a rider who got injured riding for Glasgow, can't find (or weren't allowed to depending on who you believe) a replacement and could easily lose Scott Nicolls riding for Kent, Chris Harris riding for Birmingham, MPT riding for Redcar, Hans Andersen riding for Leicester or Bjarne Pedersen riding for Plymouth... or any of the other clubs they may ride for around Europe

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Everyone focuses on "credibiity", but that his little or nothing to do with it. If it was an enjoyable and entertaining night out, most wouldn't give a toss about credibility...

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Next season:

One league. 5 riders per team of which one must be a British rising star at reserve (no.5). 15 heats. This will give the top 4 a minimum of 6 rides (unless replaced by a reserve) each and the no.5 a minimum of 4 rides. Then there will be the nominated heat 15 so 2 of the riders will have an additional ride. Possibly no tactical rides but a reserve may come in twice.

This will end all the doubling up nonsense and riders will have more rides during a meeting therefore cutting out the need to ride for 2 teams.

More variety of teams to watch for the fans and a team of their own to identify with instead of watching all these 'select' teams.

Also introduce a handicap ko cup competition for teams to compete for, you want more passing? Well handicap racing is the way to go and this would be a fantastic introduction to go alongside the standard league format (with the changes suggested above). 

Also of course keep the NDL running.

Edited by PirateShip
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