Fortythirtyeight 838 Posted November 20, 2021 (edited) 14 hours ago, Pieman72 said: I am having a severe Anorakking on here lol. I can see why it's all going wrong....reconstructing. Speedway is in a mess and obviously your more in the 'know' than me. How many times have I heard that. So if Wolverhampton have a successful programme of Second Halves why do they fill the team with non aligned foreign riders? Your reading things that aren’t there, again. I never said ‘successful’ as second halfers obviously aren’t good enough, yet, to be in a team , any team, that’s why they are second halfers and as for the make up of the Wolves team….ask CVS or Mr. Adam’s….it’s their business. Edited November 20, 2021 by Fortythirtyeight Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
customhouseregular 1,651 Posted November 21, 2021 When I started supporting West Ham in 1964 I had no inkling the Hammers would be no more just a few years later. Speedway seemed to be on a secure footing and we expected the tracks we visited would always be there. Contrast that with the situation now. Today’s fans must start every season wondering whether their team would be in action the following season. Very sad and also very frustrating. I don’t really have the means to research this, but I would probably be staggered to know how many teams and tracks followed West Ham in to the history books. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jonny the spud 2,281 Posted November 22, 2021 When the BSPA can’t even get a main league sponsor for a sport that has tv coverage you know you’re in trouble. you only have to look on here whenever trying to modernise speedway comes up, within a few pages it reverts to “eeeeh in 1958 we had Jap’s, black leathers and cinders…..and the fish & chips were served in real newspaper. When Adam first started (10 years ago next season ..jeeez) I remember suggesting on a thread, that sticking a questionaire Into a program and having a drop box at the exit is a good way of getting customer opinion. Plus if you added a draw for a free entry if they include an email address you automatically have a database that you can hit with offers / promotions etc. Almost everyone has access to a printer, image being able to print off a poster advertising the next home match ? It could be put up in shops, cars etc. Lots of free publicity at zero cost to the club. If you have 500 people on your mailing list and even a percentage of them print it off… result. That’s micro managing the problem, it needs leadership. The club’s websites all look the same and press releases seem to be written by a 1950’s newsreader. Ultimately, the lead needs to come from the top. Unfortunately the top ain’t listening. 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
heathen52 383 Posted November 22, 2021 (edited) 15 minutes ago, Jonny the spud said: When the BSPA can’t even get a main league sponsor for a sport that has tv coverage you know you’re in trouble. you only have to look on here whenever trying to modernise speedway comes up, within a few pages it reverts to “eeeeh in 1958 we had Jap’s, black leathers and cinders…..and the fish & chips were served in real newspaper. When Adam first started (10 years ago next season ..jeeez) I remember suggesting on a thread, that sticking a questionaire Into a program and having a drop box at the exit is a good way of getting customer opinion. Plus if you added a draw for a free entry if they include an email address you automatically have a database that you can hit with offers / promotions etc. Almost everyone has access to a printer, image being able to print off a poster advertising the next home match ? It could be put up in shops, cars etc. Lots of free publicity at zero cost to the club. If you have 500 people on your mailing list and even a percentage of them print it off… result. That’s micro managing the problem, it needs leadership. The club’s websites all look the same and press releases seem to be written by a 1950’s newsreader. Ultimately, the lead needs to come from the top. Unfortunately the top ain’t listening. Nope they aint listening and never seem to listen, the majority at the top seem to regard supporters as someone to be put up with rather than treated as customers, this is an attitude thats prevailed for far to long and continues to be the case, those at the top need only look to the Island near to you to see what can be done with a little effort, at least whenever Iv visited there the promoters have always made the effort to make me feel welcome, rather than someone who is there on sufference. With regards the websites again you are right, the first thing I would do is have a different website server rather than the standard thats the norm for most Teams, PR! do they even know what it is ?. Edited November 22, 2021 by heathen52 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ch958 2,393 Posted November 22, 2021 half price or free tix in return for email a/c- blast them regularly with info/ interviews, etc. Got to be worth a try. Somehow need to get to the casual/ don't go anymore folks. Of course once you get them there try to make sure its not a complete f/ up re track, ambulances, whatever Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Humphrey Appleby 13,942 Posted November 22, 2021 (edited) 20 hours ago, customhouseregular said: When I started supporting West Ham in 1964 I had no inkling the Hammers would be no more just a few years later. Speedway seemed to be on a secure footing and we expected the tracks we visited would always be there. Contrast that with the situation now. Today’s fans must start every season wondering whether their team would be in action the following season. Very sad and also very frustrating. I don’t really have the means to research this, but I would probably be staggered to know how many teams and tracks followed West Ham in to the history books. The answer is probably nearly a hundred. I've probably even missed a few tracks from this list (permanent tracks only), but it gives an indication of how many venues have staged speedway in the British Isles (at least 111 by my count). Some were of course very short lived or only raced a handful of open meetings, whilst other tracks were effectively replaced by another track. However, there are still quite a few on the list that staged regular racing for many years that are no longer with us... Aldershot Tongham Armadale Armadale Stadium Ashington Portland Park Barrow Holker Street Barrow Park Road Belle Vue Hyde Road Belle Vue Kirkmanshulme Lane Belle Vue National Speedway Stadium Berwick Shielfield Park Berwick Berrington Lough Birmingham Alexander Stadium Birmingham Bordesley Green Birmingham Perry Barr Boston New Hammond Beck Road Bradford Odsal Stadium Bradford Greenfield Stadium Brafield Brafield on the Green Bristol Knowle Stadium Bristol Eastville Buxton High Edge 1 Buxton High Edge 2 California Wokingham Canterbury Kingsmead Carmarthen United Counties Showground Castleford Whitewood Stadium Coatbridge Cliftonhill Stadium Coventry Brandon Stadium Cowdenbeath Central Park Cradley Heath Dudley Wood Crayford Crayford Stadium Crewe Earle Street Doncaster York Road Eastbourne Arlington Edinburgh Meadowbank Edinburgh Powerhall Ellesmore Port Thornton Road Exeter County Ground Glasgow Ibrox Glasgow Hampden Park Glasgow Blantyre Greyhound Stadium Glasgow Rutherglen Glasgow Ashfield Stadium Glasgow White City Hackney Waterden Road Halifax The Shay Harringay Green Lanes Highbridge Oak Tree Arena Hull The Boulevard Hull Craven Park Ipswich Foxhall Heath Ryde Smallbrook Iwade Ferry Road Kings Lynn Saddlebow Road Leicester Blackbird Road Leicester Beaumont Park Linlithgow Heathersfield Stadium Liverpool Stanley Stadium Long Eaton Station Road Lydd Belgar Farm Middlesbrough Cleveland Park Mildenhall West Row Milton Keynes Groveway Stadium Milton Keynes Elfield Park Motherwell Milton Street Neath Neath Abbey Nelson Seedhill Stadium New Cross Old Kent Road Stadium Newcastle Brough Park Newport Somerton Road Newport Queensway Meadows Newtongrange Victoria Park Norwich Firs Stadium Oxford Cowley Paisley Love Street Peterborough East of England Showground Plymouth Pennycross Stadium Plymouth Plymouth Coliseum Poole Poole Stadium Purfleet Arena Essex Rayleigh Arterial Road Reading Tilehurst Reading Smallmead Redcar South Tees Motorsport Park Ringwood Matchams Park Rochdale Athletic Ground Romford Brooklands Stadium Rye House Hoddesdon Scunthorpe Quibell Park Scunthorpe Normanby Road Scunthorpe Ashby Ville Sheffield Owlerton Shelbourne Shelbourne Park Sittingbourne Central Park Skegness Marsh Lane Southampton Banister Court St Austell Cornish Stadium Stoke Sun Street Stoke Loomer Road Sunderland East Bolden Swindon Abbey Stadium Trelawny Clay Country Moto Parc Wembley Wembley Stadium West Ham Custom House Weymouth Radipole Lane White City White City Stadium Wigan Poolstock Wimbledon Plough Lane Wolverhampton Monmore Green Wombwell Station Road Workington Derwent Park Yarmouth Caister Road Edited November 22, 2021 by Humphrey Appleby Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikebv 10,243 Posted November 22, 2021 (edited) 1 hour ago, Jonny the spud said: When the BSPA can’t even get a main league sponsor for a sport that has tv coverage you know you’re in trouble. you only have to look on here whenever trying to modernise speedway comes up, within a few pages it reverts to “eeeeh in 1958 we had Jap’s, black leathers and cinders…..and the fish & chips were served in real newspaper. When Adam first started (10 years ago next season ..jeeez) I remember suggesting on a thread, that sticking a questionaire Into a program and having a drop box at the exit is a good way of getting customer opinion. Plus if you added a draw for a free entry if they include an email address you automatically have a database that you can hit with offers / promotions etc. Almost everyone has access to a printer, image being able to print off a poster advertising the next home match ? It could be put up in shops, cars etc. Lots of free publicity at zero cost to the club. If you have 500 people on your mailing list and even a percentage of them print it off… result. That’s micro managing the problem, it needs leadership. The club’s websites all look the same and press releases seem to be written by a 1950’s newsreader. Ultimately, the lead needs to come from the top. Unfortunately the top ain’t listening. Always amazed me how so few tracks seem to have a "proper" marketing person to increase the awareness in the local areas... If all tracks could deliver just another 500 (a ludicrously low number which shows where the sport is), a night the whole spectrum changes re paying costs and being able to then pro actively develop the sport.. And it doesn't have to be the same 500, just any 500 each week... With those who attend now and again targeted (and incentivised) to visit more as they are the "quick wins".. My city of Manchester has well over 2.5 MIllion people all living with 45 mins of the NSS... Some living in the centre but most by far living in satellite towns around it... What an opportunity for someone to work to a performance related pay scale to try and entice just a minuscule percentage of that 2.5 Million to attend..? Give them a basic and a good percentage of any growth in income... Let them dish out free and reduced tickets to people who they know don't go now, as 500 non attendees paying even a tenner is an extra five grand if they go an watch., and you then push some multi meeting tickets at reduced rates to try and get them into the habit of going.. Knowing names, addresses, emails, phone numbers, birthdays of individuals and their families, sending Xmas cards etc etc etc is a very, very basic marketing technique used in the entertainment sector, to keep your business in contact with (and therefore remembered by) your customers.. Helping you to reward your most loyal customers while also giving you the chance to get back those who maybe have stopped going, or get the infrequent punters to attend more often... As for websites? Even if a track doesn't want to fork out for improvements, I am sure every track will have a college or a uni nearby that has graduates building them for masters degree passes and would jump at the chance of a 'real life' project to 'hand in' as part of their coursework.. Young, modern thinkers delivering a website to be aimed at people of a similar age and outlook.. However, as so many seem to have zero local marking, it is therefore no surprise that at national level there isn't some kind of joined up campaign to raise awareness of the sport generically, and tracks locally off the back of it.. As a collective they spend literally millions of pounds each season in costs, yet spend almost zilch in getting someone to help increase their income... As for a sponsor.? Sadly the ridiculous operating model will prevent any major brand being associated with it, (even if the fan numbers and their demographics were different), hence Poland wouldn't use it in their leagues as fans, media, and sponsors would simply walk away.. So much could be done at a local level for so little cost and given the ridiculously low numbers needed for 'success', I am always truly amazed so little is actually done.. Edited November 22, 2021 by mikebv 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pieman72 588 Posted November 22, 2021 51 minutes ago, heathen52 said: Nope they aint listening and never seem to listen, the majority at the top seem to regard supporters as someone to be put up with rather than treated as customers, this is an attitude thats prevailed for far to long and continues to be the case, those at the top need only look to the Island near to you to see what can be done with a little effort, at least whenever Iv visited there the promoters have always made the effort to make me feel welcome, rather than someone who is there on sufference. With regards the websites again you are right, the first thing I would do is have a different website server rather than the standard thats the norm for most Teams, PR! do they even know what it is ?. Were not customers were commodities to be used and abused. I can't believe what I am reading on the Wolves thread are these people for real. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
iris123 20,939 Posted November 22, 2021 16 minutes ago, Humphrey Appleby said: The answer is probably nearly a hundred. I've probably even missed a few tracks from this list (permanent tracks only), but it gives an indication of how many venues have staged speedway in the British Isles (at least 111 by my count). Some were of course very short lived or only raced a handful of open meetings, whilst other tracks were effectively replaced by another track. However, there are still quite a few on the list that staged regular racing for many years that are no longer with us... Aldershot Tongham Armadale Armadale Stadium Ashington Portland Park Barrow Holker Street Barrow Park Road Belle Vue Hyde Road Belle Vue Kirkmanshulme Lane Belle Vue National Speedway Stadium Berwick Shielfield Park Berwick Berrington Lough Birmingham Alexander Stadium Birmingham Bordesley Green Birmingham Perry Barr Boston New Hammond Beck Road Bradford Odsal Stadium Bradford Greenfield Stadium Brafield Brafield on the Green Bristol Knowle Stadium Bristol Eastville Buxton High Edge 1 Buxton High Edge 2 California Wokingham Canterbury Kingsmead Carmarthen United Counties Showground Castleford Whitewood Stadium Coatbridge Cliftonhill Stadium Coventry Brandon Stadium Cowdenbeath Central Park Cradley Heath Dudley Wood Crayford Crayford Stadium Crewe Earle Street Doncaster York Road Eastbourne Arlington Edinburgh Meadowbank Edinburgh Powerhall Ellesmore Port Thornton Road Exeter County Ground Glasgow Ibrox Glasgow Hampden Park Glasgow Blantyre Greyhound Stadium Glasgow Rutherglen Glasgow Ashfield Stadium Glasgow White City Hackney Waterden Road Halifax The Shay Harringay Green Lanes Highbridge Oak Tree Arena Hull The Boulevard Hull Craven Park Ipswich Foxhall Heath Ryde Smallbrook Iwade Ferry Road Kings Lynn Saddlebow Road Leicester Blackbird Road Leicester Beaumont Park Linlithgow Heathersfield Stadium Liverpool Stanley Stadium Long Eaton Station Road Lydd Belgar Farm Middlesbrough Cleveland Park Mildenhall West Row Milton Keynes Groveway Stadium Milton Keynes Elfield Park Motherwell Milton Street Neath Neath Abbey Nelson Seedhill Stadium New Cross Old Kent Road Stadium Newcastle Brough Park Newport Somerton Road Newport Queensway Meadows Newtongrange Victoria Park Norwich Firs Stadium Oxford Cowley Paisley Love Street Peterborough East of England Showground Plymouth Pennycross Stadium Plymouth Plymouth Coliseum Poole Poole Stadium Purfleet Arena Essex Rayleigh Arterial Road Reading Tilehurst Reading Smallmead Redcar South Tees Motorsport Park Ringwood Matchams Park Rochdale Athletic Ground Romford Brooklands Stadium Rye House Hoddesdon Scunthorpe Quibell Park Scunthorpe Normanby Road Scunthorpe Ashby Ville Sheffield Owlerton Shelbourne Shelbourne Park Sittingbourne Central Park Skegness Marsh Lane Southampton Banister Court St Austell Cornish Stadium Stoke Sun Street Stoke Loomer Road Sunderland East Bolden Swindon Abbey Stadium Trelawny Clay Country Moto Parc Wembley Wembley Stadium West Ham Custom House Weymouth Radipole Lane White City White City Stadium Wigan Poolstock Wimbledon Plough Lane Wolverhampton Monmore Green Wombwell Station Road Workington Derwent Park Yarmouth Caister Road Just at a glance seems a few just in London missing there like Stamford Bridge, Walthamstow,Crystal Palace and Lea Bridge...... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
M.D 462 Posted November 22, 2021 20 minutes ago, Humphrey Appleby said: The answer is probably nearly a hundred. I've probably even missed a few tracks from this list (permanent tracks only), but it gives an indication of how many venues have staged speedway in the British Isles (at least 111 by my count). Some were of course very short lived or only raced a handful of open meetings, whilst other tracks were effectively replaced by another track. However, there are still quite a few on the list that staged regular racing for many years that are no longer with us... Hastings? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
phillwhitewasmad 1,486 Posted November 22, 2021 1 hour ago, Jonny the spud said: you only have to look on here whenever trying to modernise speedway comes up, within a few pages it reverts to “eeeeh in 1958 we had Jap’s, black leathers and cinders…..and the fish & chips were served in real newspaper Exactly sport needs a more modern out look in all aspects. Speedway star in the last few weeks dedicates a minimum of 10 page each edition to events that happened between 50 and 70 years ago . Surely should be focused on more recent happenings Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
geoff100 1,420 Posted November 22, 2021 1 hour ago, phillwhitewasmad said: Exactly sport needs a more modern out look in all aspects. Speedway star in the last few weeks dedicates a minimum of 10 page each edition to events that happened between 50 and 70 years ago . Surely should be focused on more recent happenings Their the best bits 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gambo 1,338 Posted November 22, 2021 1 hour ago, Humphrey Appleby said: The answer is probably nearly a hundred. I've probably even missed a few tracks from this list (permanent tracks only), but it gives an indication of how many venues have staged speedway in the British Isles (at least 111 by my count). Some were of course very short lived or only raced a handful of open meetings, whilst other tracks were effectively replaced by another track. However, there are still quite a few on the list that staged regular racing for many years that are no longer with us... Coventry. Lythalls Lane. 1928-1936 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
phillwhitewasmad 1,486 Posted November 22, 2021 48 minutes ago, geoff100 said: Their the best bits Each to our own depresses me Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jonny the spud 2,281 Posted November 22, 2021 2 hours ago, phillwhitewasmad said: Exactly sport needs a more modern out look in all aspects. Speedway star in the last few weeks dedicates a minimum of 10 page each edition to events that happened between 50 and 70 years ago . Surely should be focused on more recent happenings I stopped my subscription to speedway star for that very reason. Most of their “news” has already been online before it’s published and if I wanted to look at speedway in the 50’s I’d look it up elsewhere. Someone said about marketing, I own two pubs. Nothing big but I have one full time and one part time member of staff handling social media, concert organisation, advertising, posters, liaisons with student groups / businesses etc. With the amount of money that’s spent in speedway it shouldn’t be too hard to get someone who’s forward thinking and internet savvy. But then again the will to do it needs to be there. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites