RIP British Speedway

[chunky 6,092]

6 minutes ago, iainb said:

We go because we know that when it's good there is nothing to beat it, yet we have seen all the fluff around it deteriorate over the years, many opportunities to see improvement blown, tracks close down, attendances drop. If I didn't have 40 years under my belt I wouldn't give it the time of day if I was a noob.

I started to go to Leicester in 1977, closed in 83, then Coventry,  closed, and Long Eaton, closed, used to regularly goto to Cradley, closed, Oxford, closed, Bradford, closed, Milton Keynes, closed, Stoke,  closed, enjoyed my trips to Lakeside, closed, Swindon, closed, Reading, closed, Exeter, closed, Somerset, closed.

I used to watch the world's top stars competing on well prepared tracks in front of large crowds 

But occasionally, very rarely, I'll luck a good match or see a fantastic race like the one at Leicester, of all places, the other week and as stupid as it may seem I think to myself it's going to be like that again next week... and of course invariably it isn't. I'd say for me the overall package is 75% rubbish but it's that 25% that keeps me coming back, or the hope of the 25%.

What keeps you going?

I don't... Then again, it's a little difficult when I live 4000 miles away.

However, if I could, I certainly would. When I was making regular trips back to the UK, I was taking in as much speedway as I could. Even though I haven't been in a few years (I haven't been back in a few years), I still follow the sport. I watch it live whenever I can, and I spend a lot of time watching stuff on YouTube.

Despite having a lengthy career in another sport, speedway always was - and still is - my favourite sport. While I was still in the UK, I would drive all over the country to take in meetings.

No, speedway is not what it was - nothing is - and particularly in the UK, we have ALWAYS had a tendency to shoot ourselves in the foot. Having said that, a lot of our major problems aren't actually speedway-related. Not owning our own stadia has obviously been an issue, and unfortunately, what was very much a city-centre sport (visible to everyone) has now been forced out into into the sticks. Plus (and we have discussed this on here before), speedway is no longer "cool".

I have always been a very tolerant person (idiots excepted), and can overlook the niggling things that apparently seem to drive fans away, like tac doubles, helmet colours, kevlars, gardening etc. I still view it as four blokes racing, and just because it isn't always fantastic (it never was ALWAYS fantastic, a fact borne out by watching YouTube vids), it is still worth it.

[iainb 5,016]

8 minutes ago, chunky said:

I don't... Then again, it's a little difficult when I live 4000 miles away.

However, if I could, I certainly would. When I was making regular trips back to the UK, I was taking in as much speedway as I could. Even though I haven't been in a few years (I haven't been back in a few years), I still follow the sport. I watch it live whenever I can, and I spend a lot of time watching stuff on YouTube.

Despite having a lengthy career in another sport, speedway always was - and still is - my favourite sport. While I was still in the UK, I would drive all over the country to take in meetings.

No, speedway is not what it was - nothing is - and particularly in the UK, we have ALWAYS had a tendency to shoot ourselves in the foot. Having said that, a lot of our major problems aren't actually speedway-related. Not owning our own stadia has obviously been an issue, and unfortunately, what was very much a city-centre sport (visible to everyone) has now been forced out into into the sticks. Plus (and we have discussed this on here before), speedway is no longer "cool".

I have always been a very tolerant person (idiots excepted), and can overlook the niggling things that apparently seem to drive fans away, like tac doubles, helmet colours, kevlars, gardening etc. I still view it as four blokes racing, and just because it isn't always fantastic (it never was ALWAYS fantastic, a fact borne out by watching YouTube vids), it is still worth it.

Perhaps less is more in your case. When was the last time you did a full season of attendance?

[chunky 6,092]

3 minutes ago, iainb said:

Perhaps less is more in your case.

You need to stop digging for excuses...

3 minutes ago, iainb said:

When was the last time you did a full season of attendance?

My last year in the UK - 1989. I emigrated to the Netherlands in early 1990, and was still a regular. I moved to the US in 1992. My first trip back (during the season) was in May 1994, and as I said, making two or three trips a year back after that, my dad and I still travelled around the country as much as we could.

[iainb 5,016]

1 minute ago, chunky said:

You need to stop digging for excuses...

My last year in the UK - 1989. I emigrated to the Netherlands in early 1990, and was still a regular. I moved to the US in 1992. My first trip back (during the season) was in May 1994, and as I said, making two or three trips a year back after that, my dad and I still travelled around the country as much as we could.

1991 your last season! That's 30 years ago! You're on the wrong forum my chunky friend. 

It's almost not worth engaging with you because you're so far out of touch with the reality of Speedway in the UK.

Speedway was great in 1991 but has taken a sharp decline in the UK, especially in the last 5 or 6 years. So much so that we were binned off by Sky Sports.

Come back and try doing a season, actually paying out your hard earned and then come back with an opinion. 

[chunky 6,092]

19 minutes ago, iainb said:

1991 your last season! That's 30 years ago! You're on the wrong forum my chunky friend. 

It's almost not worth engaging with you because you're so far out of touch with the reality of Speedway in the UK.

Speedway was great in 1991 but has taken a sharp decline in the UK, especially in the last 5 or 6 years. So much so that we were binned off by Sky Sports.

Come back and try doing a season, actually paying out your hard earned and then come back with an opinion. 

You really are a pr*ck then?

All the f*cking years - and money - I've put into speedway over the years - including the time since I've been gone - and you just think I'm a worthless piece of sh*t...

[iainb 5,016]

2 minutes ago, chunky said:

You really are a pr*ck then?

All the f*cking years - and money - I've put into speedway over the years - including the time since I've been gone - and you just think I'm a worthless piece of sh*t...

Oh stop it, you're making me laugh. 

I really can't take you seriously anymore. 

How is it there, back in 1991? Say hello to Bill Clinton for me 

[chunky 6,092]

1 hour ago, iainb said:

Oh stop it, you're making me laugh. 

I really can't take you seriously anymore. 

How is it there, back in 1991? Say hello to Bill Clinton for me 

Wow... You really think you are something special, and think that your opinion is remotely important - including your view of me and my life. That is not on - seriously.  You reckon I'm not worth talking to? Look in the mirror...

I am not the tw*t that you clearly think I am. My wife is seriously ill (I've almost lost her a couple of times), and hasn't worked in over two years. She has NO income. I work two jobs, and both have been greatly impacted by covid. The one good thing is that I have been able to spend more time with my wife. And you reckon I should put in a year back in Britain?

I come on to the BSF for fun, not to deal with ignorant trolls like you. I'm done...

Edited August 21, 2021 by chunky

[iainb 5,016]

8 hours ago, chunky said:

Wow... You really think you are something special, and think that your opinion is remotely important - including your view of me and my life. That is not on - seriously.  You reckon I'm not worth talking to? Look in the mirror...

I am not the tw*t that you clearly think I am. My wife is seriously ill (I've almost lost her a couple of times), and hasn't worked in over two years. She has NO income. I work two jobs, and both have been greatly impacted by covid. The one good thing is that I have been able to spend more time with my wife. And you reckon I should put in a year back in Britain?

I come on to the BSF for fun, not to deal with ignorant trolls like you. I'm done...

Wow Indeed... so you've stooped down to emotional blackmail now!

For some reason you seem to have taken against me after you sided with everyone's favourite Bwitcher when he made, at best disrespectful and at worst despicable, comments about the death of my Father, when I had the misfortune to stray onto the Covid thread, before it became the home of the nutjob that it is today. Now you can't separate what I say from who you think I am... So if we're going down the emotional blackmail route...

I don't know you, I have no opinion of you, a lot of what you say I agree with, some I don't, but I've never called you a tw*t, I've never called you a worthless piece of sh*t... but you have called me small minded and you have also called me a pr*ck.

You know we all have our problems... I'm not going to go into mine on here, just to say that covid has also taken it's toll in my life circumstances. I also come on here for a bit of fun and for the most part I have it. I've tried to make our spats a bit of fun but you seem to have had a bit of a sense of humour failure.

As for putting a season in, it's clearly not possible at the moment, but you did wonder why people still go to Speedway while they criticise it on here, I engaged with you, gave you a full and lengthy account of what Speedway has been like in this country over the last 30 years since you last regularly attended... and then the toys come out of the pram.

I am most certainly not an ignorant troll. I am passionate about my Speedway and will stand up for my opinion on it even when the insults and name calling comes my way. My opinion counts just as much as yours... for nothing. 

All the best to you and to Mrs Chunky, I hope she recovers well soon.

Edited August 22, 2021 by iainb

[Moranboys 411]

1 hour ago, iainb said:

Wow Indeed... so you've stooped down to emotional blackmail now!

For some reason you seem to have taken against me after you sided with everyone's favourite Bwitcher when he made, at best disrespectful and at worst despicable, comments about the death of my Father, when I had the misfortune to stray onto the Covid thread, before it became the home of the nutjob that it is today. Now you can't separate what I say from who you think I am... So if we're going down the emotional blackmail route...

I don't know you, I have no opinion of you, a lot of what you say I agree with, some I don't, but I've never called you a tw*t, I've never called you a worthless piece of sh*t... but you have called me small minded and you have also called me a pr*ck.

You know we all have our problems... I'm not going to go into mine on here, just to say that covid has also taken it's toll in my life circumstances. I also come on here for a bit of fun and for the most part I have it. I've tried to make our spats a bit of fun but you seem to have had a bit of a sense of humour failure.

As for putting a season in, it's clearly not possible at the moment, but you did wonder why people still go to Speedway while they criticise it on here, I engaged with you, gave you a full and lengthy account of what Speedway has been like in this country over the last 30 years since you last regularly attended... and then the toys come out of the pram.

I am most certainly not an ignorant troll. I am passionate about my Speedway and will stand up for my opinion on it even when the insults and name calling comes my way. My opinion counts just as much as yours... for nothing. 

All the best to you and to Mrs Chunky, I hope she recovers well soon.

Jesus Christ....blah,blah,blah,give the bloke a break....sad...!!!

[ch958 2,395]

weapons down boys. 

[iainb 5,016]

51 minutes ago, ch958 said:

weapons down boys. 

My weapon was never up fnarr fnarr 

[ch958 2,395]

1 hour ago, iainb said:

My weapon was never up fnarr fnarr 

its just people react on here they never would face to face, I've done it myself. Viagra works a treat btw

[mikebv 10,276]

On 8/21/2021 at 12:17 PM, ouch said:

The problem is these new fans become regulars who read the programme, the Star and forums such as this. They learn about the constant rule breaking or reinterpretation of the rules. They visit a track, wait in the rain for an hour and then get told it’s off, etc, etc, etc. 

UK speedway hasn’t just lost fans, it’s actively driven them away. 

Incredible to even think that isn't it?

But it's 100% true..

When "ignore everything around it and just watch the racing" is a key part of your "marketing", then you may have a fair few fundamental problems to overcome, I would think. ..

 

 

[cowboy cookie returns? 747]

7 minutes ago, mikebv said:

Incredible to even think that isn't it?

But it's 100% true..

When "ignore everything around it and just watch the racing" is a key part of your "marketing", then you may have a fair few fundamental problems to overcome, I would think. ..

 

 

It's truly amazing & unbelievable however at the same time 100% correct. 

Ignore everything around it and just watch the racing is what I do now. Although this approach has ment at best I attended once a season. The problem is without the rivalry between the competitors, clubs & supporters it becomes 4 blokes on bikes. Which sadly for me Makes it extremely boring!!

If you're running a team sport, those in your team cannot ride for every other club at some point during the season. You can't make any type or rivalry and form any form of attachment to 'your team' if those in you team might be riding for the opposition tomorrow or some one from the opposition is in 'your team' next week.

Speedway as a proper team sport or as an individual event can still be on its day the best sporting event going & highly marketable.

However the UK version at present is a very poor version of what it could be, because you really do have to 'just watch the racing' which sadly makes it very dull & boring!

 

 

[mikebv 10,276]

6 minutes ago, cowboy cookie returns? said:

It's truly amazing & unbelievable however at the same time 100% correct. 

Ignore everything around it and just watch the racing is what I do now. Although this approach has ment at best I attended once a season. The problem is without the rivalry between the competitors, clubs & supporters it becomes 4 blokes on bikes. Which sadly for me Makes it extremely boring!!

If you're running a team sport, those in your team cannot ride for every other club at some point during the season. You can't make any type or rivalry and form any form of attachment to 'your team' if those in you team might be riding for the opposition tomorrow or some one from the opposition is in 'your team' next week.

Speedway as a proper team sport or as an individual event can still be on its day the best sporting event going & highly marketable.

However the UK version at present is a very poor version of what it could be, because you really do have to 'just watch the racing' which sadly makes it very dull & boring!

 

 

Crystal clear isn't it?

But not to everyone who runs the sport it would seem...

A truly Great sport...

Just so poorly delivered and mismanaged...