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Pieman72

Extortionate Admission Prices

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On 7/31/2021 at 1:55 PM, Geordie78 said:

My first post on here so go easy! 

I was at a bit of a loose end last Sunday so I suggested to the wife and bairn that we'd go along to watch the Speedway to fill in an afternoon. Probably worth mentioning that the last time I went to watch the Newcastle Diamonds would have been around 1990 and I still remember a rider called David Bargh being their best rider (he's the only one I remember). After some strange looks and a bit of persuasion the 3 of us went along. Cost £17 each for the 2 adults and £3 for my 8 year old and the £3 I paid for a programme made it a straight £40. Good value I'd say compared to other sports in our area;

For example;

£100 to watch Newcastle United

£70 to watch Newcastle Falcons

£50 to watch Newcastle Eagles 

£45 to watch Newcastle Thunder 

What we got was a cracking 2 hours of entertainment. Yes the Diamonds were pretty rubbish and Redcar won easily but my son loved it and has been badgering me ever since to take him back and even the wife admitted she enjoyed it. Drinks were also reasonably priced compared to other venues we've visited. Can't complain about what we spent for what we got in return, that's for sure.

 

Not sure how many people were there as they didn't announce it but it looked a very healthy amount and the start was delayed to let all the spectators in. 

 

At Poole last week for me and my 18 year old lad it was £27...

That to me was "more like it"...

Not sure I would pay much over £30 for two adults and think its VFM to be honest, and never understand why clubs dont heavily discount the price to at least 16 years of age (say a fiver max),  as so many get lost to the sport in their teenage years when £12 and more is bandied about as admission..

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25 minutes ago, mikebv said:

At Poole last week for me and my 18 year old lad it was £27...

That to me was "more like it"...

Not sure I would pay much over £30 for two adults and think its VFM to be honest, and never understand why clubs dont heavily discount the price to at least 16 years of age (say a fiver max),  as so many get lost to the sport in their teenage years when £12 and more is bandied about as admission..

nobody earns anything til at least 16 so if you want them you have to entice them. But do you know what you have to do more than anything? Don't make them embarrassed to be there or say they were there because its perceived to be naff or uncool

Edited by ch958
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12 minutes ago, ch958 said:

nobody earns anything til at least 16 so if you want them you have to entice them. But do you know what you have to do more than anything? Don't make them embarrassed to be there or say they were there because its perceived to be naff or uncool

Spot on..

Personally if with a paying adult I would make 16 and under completely free..

As many as the adult wants to bring so they can do what they want together as mates...

Hardly any are there now so it will make almost zero difference to income and the more who attend together the less of an 'old fogies' reputation will exist..

And who knows, when they get jobs some may actually want to return...

Nothing to lose and something possibly to gain has to be worth a go surely?

NB. And no one uses social media like teenagers do, with most of their sharing being done showing all the friends, followers etc where they have been or currently are...

So you will get free advertising hitting thousands within hours...

Edited by mikebv

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4 minutes ago, mikebv said:

Spot on..

Personally if with a paying adult I would make 16 and under completely free..

As many as the adult wants to bring so they can do what they want together as mates...

Hardly any are there now so it will make almost zero difference to income and the more who attend together the less of an 'old fogies' reputation will exist..

And who knows, when they get jobs some may actually want to return...

Nothing to lose and something possibly to gain has to be worth a go surely?

All under 16s free at Berwick

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I've always found speedway to be good value for money compared to other entertainment like football, bowling, cinema etc. The difference nowadays is that their is just so much more choice to spend your money on. Hefty mobile phone packages, sky tv deals etc seem more important to people than live sport and meeting people in the fresh air. 

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15 minutes ago, The Dog said:

I've always found speedway to be good value for money compared to other entertainment like football, bowling, cinema etc. The difference nowadays is that their is just so much more choice to spend your money on. Hefty mobile phone packages, sky tv deals etc seem more important to people than live sport and meeting people in the fresh air. 

Speedway is every week and a family sport which becomes very expensive. Football is predominantly a male domain every fortnight and in the winter. On my own fine with the family expensive. With the demise of Greyhounds stadiums will be glad of the income. Birmingham operated a dictatorial policy regarding the Grandstand with security guards now you just pay a quid. How times have changed I really feel for the promoter he's inherited years of mismanagement. Families just don't have the disposable income with rents of £500 per month there can't be much left.

Edited by Pieman72
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On 8/3/2021 at 6:32 PM, Pieman72 said:

Speedway is every week and a family sport which becomes very expensive. Football is predominantly a male domain every fortnight and in the winter. On my own fine with the family expensive. With the demise of Greyhounds stadiums will be glad of the income. Birmingham operated a dictatorial policy regarding the Grandstand with security guards now you just pay a quid. How times have changed I really feel for the promoter he's inherited years of mismanagement. Families just don't have the disposable income with rents of £500 per month there can't be much left.

I disagree!

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3 hours ago, Skodaman said:

I disagree!

Possibly at non league level, but Premiership grounds are awash with women!

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On 8/3/2021 at 6:32 PM, Pieman72 said:

Speedway is every week and a family sport which becomes very expensive. Football is predominantly a male domain every fortnight and in the winter. On my own fine with the family expensive. With the demise of Greyhounds stadiums will be glad of the income. Birmingham operated a dictatorial policy regarding the Grandstand with security guards now you just pay a quid. How times have changed I really feel for the promoter he's inherited years of mismanagement. Families just don't have the disposable income with rents of £500 per month there can't be much left.

I've seen just as many Women at a football game than blokes. Same as Rugby. I wouldn't say families don't have the disposable income but it all comes down to individual circumstances and what they want to spend that money on. If you work hard for your money then you want to spend that cash on a good night out and like I've said before, sadly British Speedway in it's current state does not offer that value. Greyhound racing just like Speedway is a typical working class form of entertainment but unlike Speedway, Greyhound racing is all but dead and will certainly be history within the next 10 years. Going to the dogs boomed in the pre and post war years because for the flat capped man it  was a cheap night out and the only way to have a legal bet (unless they went to the more expensive gee gees)  until the opening of betting shops in 1961. It's dragged on since but it no longer appeals to the general public. Speedway shares a lot of common ground though. The sport was extremely popular with the working class in the post war boom. It still has life and can be saved but if it carries on as it is then it won't be far behind the dogs. 

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33 minutes ago, JamesHarris said:

I've seen just as many Women at a football game than blokes. Same as Rugby. I wouldn't say families don't have the disposable income but it all comes down to individual circumstances and what they want to spend that money on. If you work hard for your money then you want to spend that cash on a good night out and like I've said before, sadly British Speedway in it's current state does not offer that value. Greyhound racing just like Speedway is a typical working class form of entertainment but unlike Speedway, Greyhound racing is all but dead and will certainly be history within the next 10 years. Going to the dogs boomed in the pre and post war years because for the flat capped man it  was a cheap night out and the only way to have a legal bet (unless they went to the more expensive gee gees)  until the opening of betting shops in 1961. It's dragged on since but it no longer appeals to the general public. Speedway shares a lot of common ground though. The sport was extremely popular with the working class in the post war boom. It still has life and can be saved but if it carries on as it is then it won't be far behind the dogs. 

I'd agree with some of that however as I posted elsewhere when I went to Wembley some years ago to witness two Wembley "Bowl" American Football matches I was bored to tears! All the off pitch entertainment appeared to be more important than what was taking place on the pitch. I used to quite enjoy watching American Football highlights on Channel Four but watching it live killed it off for me personally.

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