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JanAndersen

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I think most people would agree that British Speedway isn’t in great shape and needs something of a kick start. 
 

A couple of suggestions for starters from me:
 

I feel much of reason for the situation is there not being any sort of strategic vision for the sport because we sit and wait for the promoters to make up rules/league structure etc each winter. British Speedway needs a two/five/ten year plan that would allow potential sponsors, supporters and riders to see the direction of travel. Targets for measures such as percentage of riders home grown, British representation at GP level, sponsorship ambition etc. 

Secondly I believe there should be significant supporter representation at board level. This would help hold promoters to account and also ensure our voices are being heard officially. 
 

There’s a million things we could change but what would your suggestion be?

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6 minutes ago, JanAndersen said:

I think most people would agree that British Speedway isn’t in great shape and needs something of a kick start. 
 

A couple of suggestions for starters from me:
 

I feel much of reason for the situation is there not being any sort of strategic vision for the sport because we sit and wait for the promoters to make up rules/league structure etc each winter. British Speedway needs a two/five/ten year plan that would allow potential sponsors, supporters and riders to see the direction of travel. Targets for measures such as percentage of riders home grown, British representation at GP level, sponsorship ambition etc. 

Secondly I believe there should be significant supporter representation at board level. This would help hold promoters to account and also ensure our voices are being heard officially. 
 

There’s a million things we could change but what would your suggestion be?

It’s hard to believe anything will change  given what has been said over the last few years.Everything seems Rosie in the BSPA.

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British speedway and it's clubs are in such precarious positions that it's impossible to have long term plans, promoters have to plan season to season?  Of course they'd all love to have long term, big TV deals, long term, big money sponsorship deals etc etc but they don't exist for them?

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5 minutes ago, JanAndersen said:

I think most people would agree that British Speedway isn’t in great shape and needs something of a kick start. 
 

A couple of suggestions for starters from me:
 

I feel much of reason for the situation is there not being any sort of strategic vision for the sport because we sit and wait for the promoters to make up rules/league structure etc each winter. British Speedway needs a two/five/ten year plan that would allow potential sponsors, supporters and riders to see the direction of travel. Targets for measures such as percentage of riders home grown, British representation at GP level, sponsorship ambition etc. 

Secondly I believe there should be significant supporter representation at board level. This would help hold promoters to account and also ensure our voices are being heard officially. 
 

There’s a million things we could change but what would your suggestion be?

Your right about a lack of an apparent plan for the future but your point on fan representation on the ‘ board ‘ is one that will not be welcomed by the people in control. Why would individuals who own their own clubs and therefore fund it, with all its is current stress and financial loses, want a fans rep saying “ your doing it wrong “ ?. Your ( our ) voices are heard, every home match if you actually speak to the promoter before or after a meeting. Happens every week at Redcar , usually over a pint after the meeting, but you have to take into account that the promoters voice is one of many at AGM’s and the like so whatever point you put across has to be agreed by ‘ the board ‘ and even if your club promoter agrees with you, it might not get accepted higher up, which is possibly why there’s been a recent trend of new promoters not lasting long in the sport and giving up bashing their heads against the wall. 
 

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18 minutes ago, Trees said:

British speedway and it's clubs are in such precarious positions that it's impossible to have long term plans, promoters have to plan season to season?  Of course they'd all love to have long term, big TV deals, long term, big money sponsorship deals etc etc but they don't exist for them?

Don’t you think the clubs being in precarious positions is linked to the fact no-one knows what is happening one year to the next? Fear of laying down commitments because things might change in 12 months time. 
 

It’s baby steps on things but for instance I’d like to see the clubs get together and work out a plan for a streaming service. Let’s bypass the tv deals and manage it ‘in-house’. Some sort of season pass allowing you to watch x number of meetings per season would be popular IMO. 

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19 minutes ago, Fortythirtyeight said:

Your right about a lack of an apparent plan for the future but your point on fan representation on the ‘ board ‘ is one that will not be welcomed by the people in control. Why would individuals who own their own clubs and therefore fund it, with all its is current stress and financial loses, want a fans rep saying “ your doing it wrong “ ?. Your ( our ) voices are heard, every home match if you actually speak to the promoter before or after a meeting. Happens every week at Redcar , usually over a pint after the meeting, but you have to take into account that the promoters voice is one of many at AGM’s and the like so whatever point you put across has to be agreed by ‘ the board ‘ and even if your club promoter agrees with you, it might not get accepted higher up, which is possibly why there’s been a recent trend of new promoters not lasting long in the sport and giving up bashing their heads against the wall. 
 

I get what you’re saying and I have great admiration for (most) promoters - it is a thankless task for the majority of the time. While they do finance it I would argue that fans finance it more or just as much - albeit not with the same pressures and risk. 
 

I just feel a fresh and different perspective in the BSPA meetings would help. 

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I'd agree that every organisation needs to have a target for where they want to be and a plan for how they want to get there. I'd say that one of the biggest problems facing British speedway now is to bring through more British riders, or more riders who will commit to riding in this country. The Rising Star system is a start and, I think, has worked quite well, but it needs to be sustained over a period of times and not dropped as the Fast Track scheme was after a couple of years. Mike Tyson famously observed that everyone has a plan until they're punched in the mouth and British speedway has taken some brutal punches lately; Covid, Swindon, Somerset, Eastbourne, Kent and maybe Birmingham are all thing that might change the best laid plans.

I'm not so sure about having supporter representation. Any survey of opinions expressed here will show a bewildering variety of views; one big league, two leagues, three leagues, regionalisation, second halves, tactical substitutes, aggregate bonus points and so on. You have to assume that the promoters know what works for them. If they don't, well there's no future for the sport.

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Stop complaining on what other people do. Contact your local track and start organising practise sessions for youngsters between 14-20 on 500cc bikes. If the club wont finance it, find the money yourself and DO IT.

Lack of domestic riders in the UK is the very basic problem of speedway, been that way for 30 years. 

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9 minutes ago, f-s-p said:

Stop complaining on what other people do. Contact your local track and start organising practise sessions for youngsters between 14-20 on 500cc bikes. If the club wont finance it, find the money yourself and DO IT.

Lack of domestic riders in the UK is the very basic problem of speedway, been that way for 30 years. 

Is that directed at me? Odd take. 

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8 minutes ago, f-s-p said:

Stop complaining on what other people do. Contact your local track and start organising practise sessions for youngsters between 14-20 on 500cc bikes. If the club wont finance it, find the money yourself and DO IT.

Lack of domestic riders in the UK is the very basic problem of speedway, been that way for 30 years. 

Sad thing is there is plenty of opportunity for young riders to practice and train just a lack of people wanting to do it 

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1 minute ago, phillwhitewasmad said:

Sad thing is there is plenty of opportunity for young riders to practice and train just a lack of people wanting to do it 

Can see their point ,what is the point of trying to break into a sport where most of the Competitors have 2 Clubs and chance of aTeam place is a long term prospect.The leagues need a restructure to help riders break into Teams.It won’t happen though.

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53 minutes ago, JanAndersen said:

I get what you’re saying and I have great admiration for (most) promoters - it is a thankless task for the majority of the time. While they do finance it I would argue that fans finance it more or just as much - albeit not with the same pressures and risk. 
 

I just feel a fresh and different perspective in the BSPA meetings would help. 

A fresh and different perspective has been put across by just about every new promoter for the last several years, the problem being they may get listened too but don’t get a vote on affairs and the old guard just plod on doing whatever suits them no matter what. Buster Chapman had a new perspective, didn’t change anything, Godfrey …same so far.

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14 minutes ago, Fromafar said:

Can see their point ,what is the point of trying to break into a sport where most of the Competitors have 2 Clubs and chance of aTeam place is a long term prospect.The leagues need a restructure to help riders break into Teams.It won’t happen though.

Isn’t that what they have done with the NDL this year ? and everybody is moaning about it.

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34 minutes ago, Fortythirtyeight said:

Isn’t that what they have done with the NDL this year ? and everybody is moaning about it.

Welcome to speedway, moaning is what the fans do best. 

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10 hours ago, JanAndersen said:

Is that directed at me? Odd take. 

It’s directed to everyone complaining how badly things are run.

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