Cardiff 2022

[Grand Central 2,654]

30 minutes ago, customhouseregular said:

Granted, but a drop of this size should be a cause for concern, particularly as it was a 2 meeting weekend.

Well … they will never run the SGP2 again same weekend will they ?

Now a provenly misconceived once-only attempt at something new.

[OveFundinFan 4,140]

3 hours ago, Grand Central said:

Well … they will never run the SGP2 again same weekend will they ?

Now a provenly misconceived once-only attempt at something new.

They did it in Prague early in the season, and they doing it in a Torun in a few weeks time.

[OveFundinFan 4,140]

12 hours ago, Neila said:

Not sure that's correct Warsaw GP weekend holiday Inn 4* with breakfast 3 nites £145 premier Inn Cardiff room only £335 3 nites, far cheaper to go to Poland, but better craic in Cardiff . Unfortunately due to holiday commitment next September Cardiff a no go. So looks like another trip abroad for a GP 

What is the price in Warsaw on a non GP weekend ie any other time of the year?

we normally holiday in the uk and in recent years it been at Premier Inns. We notice the nightly rate changes during the week, Tuesday night more expensive, as is Friday night, Sunday night being a lower priced night. Last year we got 6 nights averaged out at £35 per night, no breakfast. 

[foreverblue 6,089]

It was a great shame that the attendance was so poor and if there were any newbies they probably got fed up with all the waiting between races although nowhere near as bad as the Gp2. Rarely stay in Cardiff,  this year stayed near Pontypridd and got the train, well done Wales for keeping the trains running. 

 

 

[TINYS 292]

12 hours ago, customhouseregular said:

19,000?.Really?.. is this a new low for Cardiff?. Sad state of affairs if yes. I know the days of Wembley WF’s are long gone, but 19,000 for the premier meeting is abysmal. People are asking for a second GP!.

We don't need a second GP we just want one with a decent race track, it was so bad i heard they didn't run the full meeting on Sunday as the track was deemed as dangerous.

[cinderfella 865]

On 8/15/2022 at 10:11 PM, customhouseregular said:

Are you suggesting 11 host countries with 2 rounds each?. It’s proving impossible to find 11 countries able to host 1. Or are you suggesting Poland have 11 and the 5 other countries that consistently stage GP’s have 2 each?. 

Well if the organisers are struggling to get venues they've got to ask themselves why that is?

Maybe it's time we returned to days of the old one off finals and all the qualifying routes.

Mind you I doubt we will ever return to the days of British and Commonwealth riders doing 3 qualifying rounds, two semifinals and then the British Final and onwards.

We struggle to find enough Brits to make up a British Final as it is these days.

So where did it all go wrong?

In my opinion certain parties got too greedy and overly enthusiastic about having a GP series and it screwed up British Speedway.

Old dinosaur rant over

 

 

[topaz325 1,855]

Here are my thoughts after the weekend away at Cardiff.

It's an expensive weekend away (3 nights) but I knew that, and it always has been at Cardiff, the racing on Saturday seemed even more processional than usual   this year, (is it different track staff under Discovery) , the only saving grace is that fellow Cumbrian and former Comet Dan Bewley was magnificent and won the meeting.

The atmosphere in the stadium felt slightly subdued (national anthems!) was this due to the alleged low attendance of a reported 19000 people, I thought it was probably more than that though.

As for the meeting on Sunday... well in hindsight maybe it should have been cancelled in the morning due to the condition of the track which was highlighted on Saturday.

The meeting if not called off should have been halted after the riders had had three or four rides each but it carried on and more and more riders were injured in nasty crashes.

Someone stated on Facebook "Don't let anyone tell you, you are not a true Speedway fan if you have just endured GP2"

Will I be going next year, no, probably give it a miss for a year or two and go to a polish GP meeting and get my enthusiasm back.

[auntie doris 2,339]

17 minutes ago, topaz325 said:

Here are my thoughts after the weekend away at Cardiff.

It's an expensive weekend away (3 nights) but I knew that, and it always has been at Cardiff, the racing on Saturday seemed even more processional than usual   this year, (is it different track staff under Discovery) , the only saving grace is that fellow Cumbrian and former Comet Dan Bewley was magnificent and won the meeting.

The atmosphere in the stadium felt slightly subdued (national anthems!) was this due to the alleged low attendance of a reported 19000 people, I thought it was probably more than that though.

As for the meeting on Sunday... well in hindsight maybe it should have been cancelled in the morning due to the condition of the track which was highlighted on Saturday.

The meeting if not called off should have been halted after the riders had had three or four rides each but it carried on and more and more riders were injured in nasty crashes.

Someone stated on Facebook "Don't let anyone tell you, you are not a true Speedway fan if you have just endured GP2"

Will I be going next year, no, probably give it a miss for a year or two and go to a polish GP meeting and get my enthusiasm back.

We saw a great GP full of passing in nearly every race, especially when Pete Kildemand was involved, think it was 2015 when NKI won, 40000 there. Must be serious concerns about the future, if 20000 disappear. Great that Dan, the Maryport marra won, happy faces leaving the stadium, saved the day.

Despite the crap racing, and all the other hassles, still the best speedway day out for us, with the carnival atmosphere. May go next year, may not.

Edited August 17, 2022 by auntie doris

[False dawn 2,298]

13 minutes ago, topaz325 said:

.....Someone stated on Facebook "Don't let anyone tell you, you are not a true Speedway fan if you have just endured GP2"......

I guess I must be a "True Speedway Fan" then?  Especially as I now believe I was suffering from a touch of heat stroke after Saturday (seriously).

But I do have a few observations. Where did the 19000 figure come from? And please don't say FaceBook. Is that an official attendance figure? Because if it is, that's the first time I've ever seen an official figure for any Cardiff GP (or any GP, I think). I did, during the day on Saturday believe that numbers were significantly down. At the fan zone, in the favourite pubs etc. But we came to the conclusion on the night that maybe a lot of folks didn't do their two nights in a hotel stay and opted to travel in for the Saturday meeting and go home. If the "norm" in the stadium on previous years was between 30 and 40 thousand, I estimate there was between 20 and 25 thousand there this year. It's always hard to be precise, even when you're there (I only found recently that there were 130 thousand at Katowice in 1973 when I was there!). Seriously, without reliable gate figures how can we really judge the level of support. This event was in the middle of a perfect storm. Massive concern about inflation, some lingering concern about COVID (sorry BP) and a heat wave that should have kept any sensible unfit person over 50 at home (I never was sensible).

The racing was rubbish, we all know that. We also all know that the racing at Cardiff GPs is never great. The track was kind of okay (only kind of) but when you try to run another World Class meeting on it, less than 24 hours later, you should not be surprised when it doesn't hold up. Hindsight maybe. But don't do it again. I was happy to get the prospect of 46 races for my money (only 43 in reality) but Sunday has to be one of the worst meetings I've ever attended in more than 50 years.

[topaz325 1,855]

7 minutes ago, False dawn said:

I guess I must be a "True Speedway Fan" then?  Especially as I now believe I was suffering from a touch of heat stroke after Saturday (seriously).

But I do have a few observations. Where did the 19000 figure come from? And please don't say FaceBook. Is that an official attendance figure? Because if it is, that's the first time I've ever seen an official figure for any Cardiff GP (or any GP, I think). I did, during the day on Saturday believe that numbers were significantly down. At the fan zone, in the favourite pubs etc. But we came to the conclusion on the night that maybe a lot of folks didn't do their two nights in a hotel stay and opted to travel in for the Saturday meeting and go home. If the "norm" in the stadium on previous years was between 30 and 40 thousand, I estimate there was between 20 and 25 thousand there this year. It's always hard to be precise, even when you're there (I only found recently that there were 130 thousand at Katowice in 1973 when I was there!). Seriously, without reliable gate figures how can we really judge the level of support. This event was in the middle of a perfect storm. Massive concern about inflation, some lingering concern about COVID (sorry BP) and a heat wave that should have kept any sensible unfit person over 50 at home (I never was sensible).

The racing was rubbish, we all know that. We also all know that the racing at Cardiff GPs is never great. The track was kind of okay (only kind of) but when you try to run another World Class meeting on it, less than 24 hours later, you should not be surprised when it doesn't hold up. Hindsight maybe. But don't do it again. I was happy to get the prospect of 46 races for my money (only 43 in reality) but Sunday has to be one of the worst meetings I've ever attended in more than 50 years.

Can't remember where I heard 19000 but it was not an official figure, I would think more like 30000 people in attendance.

I was in Cardiff on Friday night, and it did seem quiet, but many were either at Oxford or just staying one or two nights (Sat/Sun) 

[customhouseregular 1,651]

19,000 was extremely disappointing, 30,000 isn’t exactly wonderful. I accept Cardiff has the contract but can’t help thinking a London stadium would attract a far bigger crowd. 

[cinderfella 865]

2 minutes ago, customhouseregular said:

19,000 was extremely disappointing, 30,000 isn’t exactly wonderful. I accept Cardiff has the contract but can’t help thinking a London stadium would attract a far bigger crowd. 

If London cannot support a league team as things stand (I know neither does Cardiff) surely the significant difference in accommodation costs etc would put doubt in holding a GP there?

The difference between travelling to Cardiff or London from Scotland for me is negligible but other factors such as cost would certainly influence me.

[cinderfella 865]

Just out of interest what would folk make of Odsal Stadium being used again?

The capacity is approx 30,000 and the track has been relaid albeit for stockcars.

There used to be some great meetings there so why not again?

Be nice to get a team riding there again too.

[False dawn 2,298]

5 minutes ago, cinderfella said:

Just out of interest what would folk make of Odsal Stadium being used again?.....

I went to Odsal for league meetings and a World Final. And I went to the old Wembley more times than I remember, including the 1981 World Final. There were some great meetings in amoungst all of that. But Cardiff is different. I love the NSS, but I wouldn't go to Manchester for the weekend. Or London, for that matter, if the GP was there. 

Here's a novel thought. Is there no one out there that could improve the Cardiff track so that the racing is up to scatch? A change of material, a bit more banking, a change of shape (there is scope for this, I was looking on Saturday).

[Grachan 7,361]

People are unbelievable really. We get one chance a year to have a Speedway meeting in the UK that feels like a proper sporting event and people don't want to know about it.

Yes, the track was bad this year. But the event itself was still great even though speedway fans decided they don't want a proper sports stadium inconveniencing their schedule and stayed away.

Watch Chris Harris winning in 2007. The riders were bouncing all over the place, but they still went for it. Jason Crump and Greg Hancock both seemed of the opinion that this track was no worse than the older Cardiff tracks. It had improved in recent years, though, which, I guess, is why this one seemed particularly bad.

I also wonder if having the practice the day before added to the track cutting up.

If Cardiff ends up being dropped because fans decide to stay away then it just proves that Speedway fans really are completely nuts.