Killing the sport

[dontforgetthefueltapsbruv 10,706]

2 hours ago, Trees said:

Same except I'm not a huge fan of the GPs, like to see our Brits do well ....... 

What the 3 Brits who have abandoned the British League........

[cowboy cookie returns? 747]

1 hour ago, Trees said:

So the Championship promoters would be happy to promote a league with all NL riders in would they whilst the Premiership have all the best riders prepared to race here? Bloody Championship promoters won't even embrace the Rising Star scheme!  

Are you coming up with the readies to pay 2/3 riders extra in each team to allow for injuries during the season and for them to train to keep race fit etc?

The structure used to be there but the short sighted promotors ditched it. I well remember the national League running with no guests they were banned. My team Ipswich suffered Dave Norris was out injured and it cost us the chance of the league title. However in every sport injury & luck plays a part.

You may disagree and think doubling up & the guest fest is ok but for every one Trees who accepts it there are 1000s who don't.

I want to see this sport become successful I want to see it survive & I want to support it again. However in its current guise it does nothing for me and thousands like me.

[mikebv 10,273]

8 hours ago, cowboy cookie returns? said:

The structure used to be there but the short sighted promotors ditched it. I well remember the national League running with no guests they were banned. My team Ipswich suffered Dave Norris was out injured and it cost us the chance of the league title. However in every sport injury & luck plays a part.

You may disagree and think doubling up & the guest fest is ok but for every one Trees who accepts it there are 1000s who don't.

I want to see this sport become successful I want to see it survive & I want to support it again. However in its current guise it does nothing for me and thousands like me.

The (tens) of thousands who make up the "silent majority" and have walked away...

Cardiff will have approx 100% more British Speedway fans in attendance than will colllectively attend all UK meetings on any week..

Passionate fans of the sport who, in many cases, have "given up" watching Mickey Mouse nonsense like Bomber riding for heaven knows how many teams, with those who run the sport allowing it and thinking "that's ok that, makes perfect sense"..

(At the current rate of guesting, Bomber is going to get "Rider of the Season" at several clubs' end of season awards nights)..

Not enough riders of a certain level? Then have less clubs at that level, or less team places per team, thus creating a surplus of riders to replace injured riders or poor performance..

Make the supply exceed the demand by making changes to your infrastructure..

In other words. "Basic business practice"...

Run the sport "properly", thus making the competitions actually worth winning, and who knows, maybe many of the thousands of fans who have walked away, but still love watching the sport either via TV, or in person at "proper events", will come back to domestic Speedway?  

And who knows also, if the competitions became worth winning, the league's themselves may attract headline sponsors happy to be associated with them..?

Something that would be a "hard sell" under the current way of running things I would imagine.. 

 

Edited June 18, 2022 by mikebv

[cowboy cookie returns? 747]

11 hours ago, Trees said:

So the Championship promoters would be happy to promote a league with all NL riders in would they whilst the Premiership have all the best riders prepared to race here? Bloody Championship promoters won't even embrace the Rising Star scheme!  

Are you coming up with the readies to pay 2/3 riders extra in each team to allow for injuries during the season and for them to train to keep race fit etc?

Promote the league to whom? Currently the sport is attracting the hard core of supports that are left like yourself who will happily pay hard earned money watch something that has no meaning.

Time is running out to save the sport but those in charge have to admit that there is a problem first, something that seem unable to do even with all the evidence.

In terms of me coming up with the readies I can't justify the investment of £20 to watch so I'm out.

[topsoil 2,498]

Crowds have gone up at Berwick over the past two years. Loads of kids there every week with parents. Championship, National League and Northern Junior League teams. That's not 'killing the sport'.

[iainb 5,011]

13 hours ago, moxey63 said:

Individual meetings became unpopular decades ago, but now we're having a bunch of individuals thrown together to pretend we have a team sport.

Personally I'm not sure they became unpopular... The quality of the line-ups certainly lessened, clubs closed and race nights changed. If you get a decent line-up and promote it well you can still draw a decent crowd for an individual meeting. I keep mentioning it but the Peter Craven Memorial held on a Monday night in Manchester in March drew a near sell out crowd.

12 hours ago, THE DEAN MACHINE said:

speedway is and has always been a team sport on bikes not a motorcycle sport,

Has it? Maybe in this country but not everywhere, USA and Australia spring to mind. The very first match I attended was the Silver Jubilee individual meeting at Leicester in 1977, it was the spectacle, the noise, the smell that drew me in, 4 riders, 4 laps, dirt flying, no brakes... quite a hook! Was a part timer for around a season and a half before really getting into it and that's when the problems start, the more you know about Speedway the more you wish you didn't. For me it's still those very reasons that hooked me in that keep me going today... I just have to put up with all of the other crap and at the moment for me it's still just about worth it.

11 hours ago, Deano said:

I took my lads friend to Perry Barr for the first time this week, he 13 and a keen motorsport fan. My lad wanted to go and I said why not take some of your school mates. Anyway, He really enjoyed it and wants to go next week. Fingers crossed none of the guests for Plymouth this week ride for the Brummies next week or vice versa and ride for Redcar as I’m going to struggle to explain that one away .

I wouldn't worry, I'm sure at this stage he doesn't really know who is who. It's only when he gets to look into the detail that you'll have some explaining to do... but hopefully by then he'll be addicted!

[iainb 5,011]

3 minutes ago, topsoil said:

Crowds have gone up at Berwick over the past two years. Loads of kids there every week with parents. Championship, National League and Northern Junior League teams. That's not 'killing the sport'.

Great! the year is 2030 and this week it's Berwick A vs Berwick B, with the return fixture next week to decide the final 2 play off spots in the 2 team league to decide the Super Elite Premier Championship Summer League Knock Out Cup.

Seriously though... Berwick do seem to be a bit of a go ahead promotion, do they do a lot of promotional activities? And what are the alternatives in the area?

[Gemini 4,894]

On 6/13/2022 at 6:53 AM, Sidney the robin said:

.... surprised Gemini that you don’t visit Leicester speedway anymore anyway hope you are keeping well.

I am keeping very well thank you but my 4 wheels these days is a mobility scooter as I no longer have a car.  Even if I did I dont think I would bother  though. Sad but I couldn't cope with all the hanging around these days.

[iainb 5,011]

8 hours ago, Gemini said:

Sad but I couldn't cope with all the hanging around these days.

That's a shame as it really does depend on what track you go to... there is a hell of a lot of hanging around at Leicester and it's generally a 2 hour package, depending on the sun. Peterborough are generally done and dusted in 90 mins... with a 10 min interval

[steve roberts 9,246]

2 hours ago, iainb said:

That's a shame as it really does depend on what track you go to... there is a hell of a lot of hanging around at Leicester and it's generally a 2 hour package, depending on the sun. Peterborough are generally done and dusted in 90 mins... with a 10 min interval

Again it never bothered me as I regarded it as a full night out and was in no hurry to get back home (I only lived round the corner) Used to groan when Frank Ebdon was on the button as one never had time to digest and discuss the previous/forthcoming race action!

[iainb 5,011]

30 minutes ago, steve roberts said:

Used to groan when Frank Ebdon was on the button as one never had time to digest and discuss the previous/forthcoming race action!

Haha... I was the exact opposite when Mr Ebdon was officiating, knew I'd be able to get away early, different folks, different strokes. Living in Leicester I was without a local track for about 30 years, so had to travel for my Speedway, so was always happy to get on the road early before the road network closed down for the night

[Trees 2,814]

On 6/18/2022 at 3:07 AM, mikebv said:

The (tens) of thousands who make up the "silent majority" and have walked away...

Cardiff will have approx 100% more British Speedway fans in attendance than will colllectively attend all UK meetings on any week..

Passionate fans of the sport who, in many cases, have "given up" watching Mickey Mouse nonsense like Bomber riding for heaven knows how many teams, with those who run the sport allowing it and thinking "that's ok that, makes perfect sense"..

(At the current rate of guesting, Bomber is going to get "Rider of the Season" at several clubs' end of season awards nights)..

Not enough riders of a certain level? Then have less clubs at that level, or less team places per team, thus creating a surplus of riders to replace injured riders or poor performance..

Make the supply exceed the demand by making changes to your infrastructure..

In other words. "Basic business practice"...

Run the sport "properly", thus making the competitions actually worth winning, and who knows, maybe many of the thousands of fans who have walked away, but still love watching the sport either via TV, or in person at "proper events", will come back to domestic Speedway?  

And who knows also, if the competitions became worth winning, the league's themselves may attract headline sponsors happy to be associated with them..?

Something that would be a "hard sell" under the current way of running things I would imagine.. 

 

You need to persuade the Championship promoters that they need to promote weaker teams, they are sitting pretty!

[steve roberts 9,246]

41 minutes ago, iainb said:

Haha... I was the exact opposite when Mr Ebdon was officiating, knew I'd be able to get away early, different folks, different strokes. Living in Leicester I was without a local track for about 30 years, so had to travel for my Speedway, so was always happy to get on the road early before the road network closed down for the night

When I used to go to White City on a Wednesday/Tuesday night travelling from Oxford was always a pleasure driving back along the M40 after the meeting. Visits to Wolves/Cradley was never an issue and trips to Eastbourne meant an evening walking along the prom after the meeting. Wouldn't wish to take those sort of journeys now with the increase in traffic however!

[bruno 1,790]

Only been to 4 aways this year and everytime the journey home turned into a nightmare, with petrol prices etc it certainly makes you wonder if it's worth it. Monmore Green is only up the road for me, don't think I'd travel great distances for home meetings

[steve roberts 9,246]

1 hour ago, bruno said:

Only been to 4 aways this year and everytime the journey home turned into a nightmare, with petrol prices etc it certainly makes you wonder if it's worth it. Monmore Green is only up the road for me, don't think I'd travel great distances for home meetings

Cowley was walking distance for me. My nearest track now, I guess, is Scunthorpe across the bridge...wouldn't contemplate going if I'm honest.