UK speedway slowly dying

[moxey63 1,785]

16 hours ago, THE DEAN MACHINE said:

Tonight wolves were at home to Kings Lynn, I live 2 miles from the track, I had nothing else to do, I was brought up a wolves fan, while I think it’s too expensive in general money is not an issue for me, I am speedways greatest fan, always have been and yet I didn’t want to go tonight,It just didn’t grab my attention enough to attend, I watched it on tv but that didn’t really stop me going either and I missed the first 3 heats as I was watching something else, it’s just not grabbing me, I can’t affiliate with a team of mercenaries who parade as my team, there is no point in having a league with teams that are filled with riders that ride for someone else, I know I am sounding like a broken record but if the sport can’t grab someone like me what chance does it have for a new audience, when I watch British speedway now I feel like I’m watching something else, on track speedway is full of bad annoying habits like starting offences, gardening, adjusting chains etc after a restart, it’s not needed it’s habit and annoying habit at that, 

Much of what you've mentioned is how I feel. 

I don't think speedway tried hard enough to keep the fans it already had, and I mean going back decades. I know it didn't try hard enough to win disillusioned fans back. The make-do attitude, live-for-today mentality, and pick-any-rider rules have brought the sport to its current state. 

[moxey63 1,785]

On 7/25/2022 at 11:17 AM, Wessexbobcat said:

Not interested without a club to follow.

That' is the point. How many aren't interested anymore simply because the team aspect has gone. Most of us don't follow speedway because it's motorbikes; we follow it because it's a team sport.

Your local track may still be there, but the lure to get you from your house to wanna go and support the local "team" isn't, because, deep inside, you don't feel it's actually a team.

[THE DEAN MACHINE 4,738]

1 hour ago, moxey63 said:

I hadn't been to a speedway meeting for about five years. About a decade back Dean Felton organised an air-fence meeting at Buxton containing ex-riders and those merely riding in it for the love of the sport. I thought "I'll have a bit of that" and went along to it. It was really enjoyable. I knew the riders did it because, like me, they love the sport and not to see what THEY could cream off it. I don't get that feeling from today's crop of riders. It was last event I attended. 

Glad you enjoyed it mate, certainly was a fun day up in them hills, sadly buxton is no more, well the track is still there and used for the ride n skid days but not for meetings anymore, I was up there last saturday and did some laps round there trying out an engine, it did get me thinking ?, maybe ? Who knows 

[THE DEAN MACHINE 4,738]

21 minutes ago, moxey63 said:

That' is the point. How many aren't interested anymore simply because the team aspect has gone. Most of us don't follow speedway because it's motorbikes; we follow it because it's a team sport.

Your local track may still be there, but the lure to get you from your house to wanna go and support the local "team" isn't, because, deep inside, you don't feel it's actually a team.

That is spot on 

[moxey63 1,785]

4 minutes ago, THE DEAN MACHINE said:

Glad you enjoyed it mate, certainly was a fun day up in them hills, sadly buxton is no more, well the track is still there and used for the ride n skid days but not for meetings anymore, I was up there last saturday and did some laps round there trying out an engine, it did get me thinking ?, maybe ? Who knows 

It was great, thanks. Used to enjoy the occasional trip to Buxton. Reminds me that you don't have to have a flash stadium to provide a few hours of entertainment. The way you could get right close up to the riders near the fence reminded me of the old Hyde Road days.

 

[steve roberts 9,244]

1 hour ago, moxey63 said:

It was great, thanks. Used to enjoy the occasional trip to Buxton. Reminds me that you don't have to have a flash stadium to provide a few hours of entertainment. The way you could get right close up to the riders near the fence reminded me of the old Hyde Road days.

 

Sadly one track I never got to.

[customhouseregular 1,651]

31 minutes ago, steve roberts said:

Sadly one track I never got to.

 I got to Hyde Road for the BLRC 1965-1970. Great meetings. Rye House c.1960…you could reach over the fence and almost touch the riders. I always stood up against the fence on the first bend.

[Sings4Speedway 3,247]

3 hours ago, moxey63 said:

That' is the point. How many aren't interested anymore simply because the team aspect has gone. Most of us don't follow speedway because it's motorbikes; we follow it because it's a team sport.

Your local track may still be there, but the lure to get you from your house to wanna go and support the local "team" isn't, because, deep inside, you don't feel it's actually a team.

I think Speedway is definitely split down the middle with fans of a team and fans of the sport. Team fans want continuity of riders, a bond with the club and a feeling of belonging. Sport fans want entertainment,  close matches a little controversy and excitement.  Rarely these days do either group get anything close to what they desire and hence the mess the sport is in. 

[steve roberts 9,244]

1 hour ago, customhouseregular said:

 I got to Hyde Road for the BLRC 1965-1970. Great meetings. Rye House c.1960…you could reach over the fence and almost touch the riders. I always stood up against the fence on the first bend.

Remember on a visit to Exeter being able to stand right up to the fence and as three riders passed I lent over only for Olle Nygren to pass by terrifying the life out of me! He was so far back I had forgotten that he was still in the race!

[RS50 359]

Personally, I don't think I will ever go to a match that is on Eurosport. Not because of any need to save the money, but they do seem to make it drag out. Much rather record it, start watching around 9pm and fast forward all the boring bits.

[dontforgetthefueltapsbruv 10,706]

1 hour ago, Sings4Speedway said:

I think Speedway is definitely split down the middle with fans of a team and fans of the sport. Team fans want continuity of riders, a bond with the club and a feeling of belonging. Sport fans want entertainment,  close matches a little controversy and excitement.  Rarely these days do either group get anything close to what they desire and hence the mess the sport is in. 

Spot on!

And the sport could prosper if either was achieved

[steve roberts 9,244]

8 hours ago, RS50 said:

Personally, I don't think I will ever go to a match that is on Eurosport. Not because of any need to save the money, but they do seem to make it drag out. Much rather record it, start watching around 9pm and fast forward all the boring bits.

I never enjoyed watching "live" transmissions on SKY...too much padding. Always preferred watching edited highlights of speedway on TV. Different when at a match live as I had my mates to talk to in between races enjoying some banter but difficult to replicate that at home sat by yourself!

[Grachan 7,362]

9 minutes ago, steve roberts said:

I never enjoyed watching "live" transmissions on SKY...too much padding. Always preferred watching edited highlights of speedway on TV. Different when at a match live as I had my mates to talk to in between races enjoying some banter but difficult to replicate that at home sat by yourself!

I think it depends on how the meeting is covered. I always prefer to watch a match live, but there is a lot of time to fill in.

Sky and BT used to cover the spaces well, but meetings do seem to drag on more on Eurosport. I'm not sure if that's due to less interesting coverage or the fact that there are only six teams in league and I don't have one that I support any more.

[secsy1 211]

1 hour ago, Grachan said:

I think it depends on how the meeting is covered. I always prefer to watch a match live, but there is a lot of time to fill in.

Sky and BT used to cover the spaces well, but meetings do seem to drag on more on Eurosport. I'm not sure if that's due to less interesting coverage or the fact that there are only six teams in league and I don't have one that I support any more.

Could not agree more, presentation is useless using too many meaningless ex riders commentating or seen in pits that no one cares about and they do not even know who the riders are and get everything wrong.

Had to switch off on Monday after heat 6 due to the waffle.

[iainb 4,999]

15 hours ago, moxey63 said:

That' is the point. How many aren't interested anymore simply because the team aspect has gone. Most of us don't follow speedway because it's motorbikes; we follow it because it's a team sport.

Your local track may still be there, but the lure to get you from your house to wanna go and support the local "team" isn't, because, deep inside, you don't feel it's actually a team.

You say that, but is the lure the team for most of us? I don't know... the biggest attended meetings I've been to have been individual meetings, World Finals, British Finals, BLRC's, WC Qualifiers, Golden Hammer etc. The only team meeting that comes close to some of those attendances in the past (during my time following Speedway) was the Cov v Hull decider double header.

The following of a team probably led to the following of a rider for that team, that has completely gone now thanks to doubling up, which if memory serves me was originally brought in to help progress British youngsters.