Speedway to reinvent itself?

[mikebv 10,263]

2 minutes ago, HackneyHawk said:

I very much don't think Speedway is being run the right way, hence my post.

Try to be adult and objective and see Speedway in the context of other professional sports.

The Isle of Wight sounds a great day out and the promoter seems very creative and dynamic (fantastic!)

Is Speedway an exhibition event much like a wall of death, where you see it amongst other exciting motorsport demonstrations and a bit of a 'one off'

Or is it an organised semi-pro/pro team sport which hopes to make it back into the national consciousness through media/social media?

And there is the issue..

It tries to be the second option but fails by a long way..

And all down to its very own operating model, that they seem to want to protect come what may. 

Regardless of all evidence that it simply doesnt cut it..

Several countries over the years have been successful from a world class rider perspective without a "league system" eg's. USA, Australia, and New Zealand..

With their operating model in those countries being very much a full evenings entertainment, allied to serious racing, as well as showcasing other types of motorsport and covering all age groups... 

The riders that become "too good" within this system then moved to Europe (ironically the UK at that time given it was the "Elite" of all leagues)..

But those days are gone, hence some now go direct to Poland and Sweden to seek their improvement to the next level..

Whatever UK Speedway currently is, it simply "isn't working", if you take so many "cries for help" as a barometer, so whatever it decides to do, "doing nothing" can't be an option on the table surely? 

It missed a golden opportunity during the Covid lockdowns to reinvent itself, be innovative, and set out a brand new operating model fit for a 2021 audience..

Instead it came back with the "same old, same old" that has been around for 90 years or so...

Apart from dismantling the NDL model which appeared to work for a fair few clubs...

Got to give them that, they did action some change there...

 

[cityrebel 2,960]

3 hours ago, mikebv said:

And there is the issue..

It tries to be the second option but fails by a long way..

And all down to its very own operating model, that they seem to want to protect come what may. 

Regardless of all evidence that it simply doesnt cut it..

Several countries over the years have been successful from a world class rider perspective without a "league system" eg's. USA, Australia, and New Zealand..

With their operating model in those countries being very much a full evenings entertainment, allied to serious racing, as well as showcasing other types of motorsport and covering all age groups... 

The riders that become "too good" within this system then moved to Europe (ironically the UK at that time given it was the "Elite" of all leagues)..

But those days are gone, hence some now go direct to Poland and Sweden to seek their improvement to the next level..

Whatever UK Speedway currently is, it simply "isn't working", if you take so many "cries for help" as a barometer, so whatever it decides to do, "doing nothing" can't be an option on the table surely? 

It missed a golden opportunity during the Covid lockdowns to reinvent itself, be innovative, and set out a brand new operating model fit for a 2021 audience..

Instead it came back with the "same old, same old" that has been around for 90 years or so...

Apart from dismantling the NDL model which appeared to work for a fair few clubs...

Got to give them that, they did action some change there...

 

Merlin couldn't reinvent this sport!

[Pieman72 588]

How can speedway re-invent itself. There aren't enough teams and speedway fixtures after August are getting thin on the ground. What's more inviting than watching speedway under floodlights on a crisp October evening. What a mess. Still CVS can save on the electricity bill.

Edited August 16, 2021 by Pieman72

[steve roberts 9,242]

26 minutes ago, Pieman72 said:

How can speedway re-invent itself. There aren't enough teams and speedway fixtures after August are getting thin on the ground. What's more inviting than watching speedway under floodlights on a crisp October evening. What a mess. Still CVS can save on the electricity bill.

Personally I used to prefer watching speedway under lights especially at Oxford where the lighting was second to none!

[Pieman72 588]

I remember the British League Riders Championship at the old Belle View Hyde Road Stadium before that Huddersfield crook Bamforth sold it down the river. Splattered with granite dust and washing myself off at Keele Services. The lighting was a bit iffy but what a spectacle. We were very fortunate to have watched speedway in that era.

[JamesHarris 390]

The British final tonight was a good advertisement for Speedway. Some really good racing and the riders entertained the crowds. Far better than any league meeting I've seen this year.  

[CountArthur 74]

I've watched a bit of The Hundred on TV and got the chance to go this afternoon to Headingly. No thanks.

Grown men and women in pyjamas having a slogging competition, five balls a set instead of six an over, fireworks going off when someone scores a boundary, some unknown singer on a stage... God help us if that's entertainment.

I'm not saying that the sport needs a freshening up and more thought putting into the presentation, track preparation, endless spending by riders to gain a tiny extra amount of speed which is unsuitable for most tracks etc, but some of the comments on here remind me of when the kids were little and it was a party where you had to fill the three minutes between pass the parcel and the magician turning up.

For me, speedway is the entertainment that I pay for. In between races I read the programme, chat to my friends who I stand with, watch the activity at the pit gate and I'm happy. I don't need a Take That cover band and mascot racing.  I would be even happy chatting to the stranger next to me if he wasn't at home on a keyboard telling everyone that speedway was dying.

 

[HackneyHawk 64]

I would suggest that The Hundred example in Cricket is exactly what Speedway needs, however in the hands of speedway promoters it would be embarrassing and probably make things worse...

To the posters who like the idea of Speedway as part of a mixed motorsport agenda, I feel that 'team riding' (though very rare now) is one of the exciting and marketable aspects of Speedway and it's the club aspect that sets Speedway aside from other hobbyist motorsports and could be it's salvation (if handled properly)

[cowboy cookie returns? 747]

1 hour ago, CountArthur said:

I've watched a bit of The Hundred on TV and got the chance to go this afternoon to Headingly. No thanks.

Grown men and women in pyjamas having a slogging competition, five balls a set instead of six an over, fireworks going off when someone scores a boundary, some unknown singer on a stage... God help us if that's entertainment.

I'm not saying that the sport needs a freshening up and more thought putting into the presentation, track preparation, endless spending by riders to gain a tiny extra amount of speed which is unsuitable for most tracks etc, but some of the comments on here remind me of when the kids were little and it was a party where you had to fill the three minutes between pass the parcel and the magician turning up.

For me, speedway is the entertainment that I pay for. In between races I read the programme, chat to my friends who I stand with, watch the activity at the pit gate and I'm happy. I don't need a Take That cover band and mascot racing.  I would be even happy chatting to the stranger next to me if he wasn't at home on a keyboard telling everyone that speedway was dying.

 

But speedway is dying in this country, sadly too many people like yourself can't see it.

 

[CountArthur 74]

I can see it, I just don't think that gimmicks is going to rescue it.

[Midland Red 2,383]

21 hours ago, steve roberts said:

Personally I used to prefer watching speedway under lights especially at Oxford where the lighting was second to none!

Speedway was always better under lights.  And in black and white!!!!!

[Grachan 7,360]

2 minutes ago, Midland Red said:

Speedway was always better under lights.  And in black and white!!!!!

Something occurred to me last night while watching the telly. I'm not sure why it occurred last night, but it did.

Remember when all the house lights used to go off when a race was on, so the stadium was in darkness and only the track was lit up? When did that stop? Probably about 30 years ago, but it just came to me last night!

[iainb 4,993]

2 hours ago, CountArthur said:

I've watched a bit of The Hundred on TV and got the chance to go this afternoon to Headingly. No thanks.

Grown men and women in pyjamas having a slogging competition, five balls a set instead of six an over, fireworks going off when someone scores a boundary, some unknown singer on a stage... God help us if that's entertainment.

I'm not saying that the sport needs a freshening up and more thought putting into the presentation, track preparation, endless spending by riders to gain a tiny extra amount of speed which is unsuitable for most tracks etc, but some of the comments on here remind me of when the kids were little and it was a party where you had to fill the three minutes between pass the parcel and the magician turning up.

For me, speedway is the entertainment that I pay for. In between races I read the programme, chat to my friends who I stand with, watch the activity at the pit gate and I'm happy. I don't need a Take That cover band and mascot racing.  I would be even happy chatting to the stranger next to me if he wasn't at home on a keyboard telling everyone that speedway was dying.

 

The trouble with all that though is you're wrong... look at the crowds The 100 has been attracting compare to even that of the British Final.

Edited August 17, 2021 by iainb

[Midland Red 2,383]

3 minutes ago, iainb said:

The trouble with all that though is you're wrong... look at the crowds The 100 has been attracting compare to even that of the British Final.

But it not proper cricket. 

[iainb 4,993]

2 minutes ago, Midland Red said:

But it not proper cricket. 

If you strip all the cr@p away... it's still cricket. It may be the sacrifice you have to make to watch 4 riders race each other on dirt tracks riding 500cc motorbikes without brakes at a professional level... assuming anybody has the gumption to do anything with the sport... which is highly unlikely.