Too Many Clubs?

[van wolfswinkel 635]

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For me WK that half hour at Swindon from 6.30 to 7.00 on race night is very very important the fans can look in the pits get a few autographs have a look at the bikes the young ones love it i still do.Often these riders now have to dash off so don't have a drink in the bar after and mingle with the fans it really annoys me when sky is there it is stopped.

Years ago you could actually go right into the pits and get the autographs of the likes of Briggo, Ashby, Kilby, Broady etc., most of the riders were local and the fans had an affinity with them. The security is stricter now. Most locals could name the team, who rode for them for years. Seems to be little rapport with the fans now, it's good when the riders can go into the crowd and chat with the fans, especially the youngsters, doesn't happen enough. Last year the riders went into the crowd collecting for the SRBF, had chat with Killer and Gustafsson, was so popular with the fans the announcers had to appeal for them to return to the pits. Why do they bother having a victory lap, maybe a couple of hundred stay and applaud, most riders offering half-hearted waves or checking their phones, then off they go to their next meetings overseas.

Doesn't attract younger fans, the ice-hockey and football clubs seem to make a lot more effort with community-based events, what happened to the local school visits by the speedway club? Rosco has a truck-driving job so aint got the time. Give out free air-horns, very little atmosphere at all at Blunsdon. Seems the fans at Blunsdon are kept in the dark, and told they are negative if they get concerned about the new stadium.

 

Do yerselves a favour Swindon Speedway get the fans more involved if you want bigger crowds, and promote it more.

Edited August 26, 2015 by haydon hat

[stratton 1,491]

I used to love it at Plough Lane to get into the pits or wait outside in the car park or outside the grandstand bar for a chance to get autographs.You had to be quick to get Ivans Some were miserable though even in those days.But now I don't really care to mix with riders.Just like Gemini.She doesn't.That Iversen,does he ever smile?Nicki is great though,especially with the youngsters.Like chalk and cheese those two

Yes you are quite right for me to get an autograph look at the bikes really made me take to the sport and which made me love it.I suppose it is a different world now,but i love it when kids get the buzz and hopefully feel about the sport the way i do.It worries me when the likes of myself WK and even you Iris go is there anough of the younger generation coming through to support it i have my doubts.

Years ago you could actually go right into the pits and get the autographs of the likes of Briggo, Ashby, Kilby, Broady etc., most of the riders were local and the fans had an affinity with them. The security is stricter now. Most locals could name the team, who rode for them for years. Seems to be little rapport with the fans now, it's good when the riders can go into the crowd and chat with the fans, especially the youngsters, doesn't happen enough. Last year the riders went into the crowd collecting for the SRBF, had chat with Killer and Gustafsson, was so popular with the fans the announcers had to appeal for them to return to the pits. Why do they bother having a victory lap, maybe a couple of hundred stay and applaud, most riders offering half-hearted waves or checking their phones, then off they go to their next meetings overseas.

Doesn't attract younger fans, the ice-hockey and football clubs seem to make a lot more effort with community-based events, what happened to the local school visits by the speedway club? Rosco has a truck-driving job so aint got the time. Give out free air-horns, very little atmosphere at all at Blunsdon. Seems the fans at Blunsdon are kept in the dark, and told they are negative if they get concerned about the new stadium.

 

Do yerselves a favour Swindon Speedway get the fans more involved if you want bigger crowds, and promote it more.

Great post everything spot on.

[Chadster 221]

I was quite impressed with Belle Vue interviewing the riders after the match and then having them walk back to the pits through the crowd. The riders seemed to enjoy it and it was very popular with the youngsters (and the not so youngsters).

[RobMcCaffery 2,752]

Years ago you could actually go right into the pits and get the autographs of the likes of Briggo, Ashby, Kilby, Broady etc., most of the riders were local and the fans had an affinity with them. The security is stricter now. Most locals could name the team, who rode for them for years. Seems to be little rapport with the fans now, it's good when the riders can go into the crowd and chat with the fans, especially the youngsters, doesn't happen enough. Last year the riders went into the crowd collecting for the SRBF, had chat with Killer and Gustafsson, was so popular with the fans the announcers had to appeal for them to return to the pits. Why do they bother having a victory lap, maybe a couple of hundred stay and applaud, most riders offering half-hearted waves or checking their phones, then off they go to their next meetings overseas.

Doesn't attract younger fans, the ice-hockey and football clubs seem to make a lot more effort with community-based events, what happened to the local school visits by the speedway club? Rosco has a truck-driving job so aint got the time. Give out free air-horns, very little atmosphere at all at Blunsdon. Seems the fans at Blunsdon are kept in the dark, and told they are negative if they get concerned about the new stadium.

 

Do yerselves a favour Swindon Speedway get the fans more involved if you want bigger crowds, and promote it more.

Some very valid points but speedway must be the only team sport in Britain where competitors regularly appear for multiple teams, either through doubling-up or by racing overseas. With the annual merry-go-round of riders it's impossible to build a true team spirit let alone spread that into the community. We used to have part-time riders with full commitment to one team. Now we have full-time riders with negligible commitment to a team.

 

Just how many Swindon riders would be in the country let alone be free to help? It's proving nigh on impossible to get the seven riders together for a speedway meeting so what chance do you have of getting them involved in wider non-speedway appearances?

 

Riders simply don't stay in one place long enough now. You can't socialise with most after the meeting because they're off to an airport.

 

Of course all speedway tracks need to reach out to the community but how can they when the stars are almost certainly not even in the country?

[barncooseboy 237]

Trevor Redmond used to run a very successful short season of open meetings at The Cornish Stadium St Ausell in the late 50s/early 60s then in 63 they joined the Premier League and only lasted a short time. You need to knmow your audience.ly lasted

[mickthemuppet 976]

Trevor Redmond used to run a very successful short season of open meetings at The Cornish Stadium St Ausell in the late 50s/early 60s then in 63 they joined the Premier League and only lasted a short time. You need to knmow your audience.ly lasted

He also ran Speedway at Wembley as well and that did not last with gates up to 20,000

[StevePark 2,781]

That is something that Egon Müller often points to as a problem with modern speedway.He uses his own career as an example,that he often used to stay behind after the meeting and mix with the fans and even do his singing on stage.Ok that was in Germany at the weekend.But he say's that nowadays the riders turn up an hour before the meeting,get ready,race,pack up and are off to the next country ad infinitum.Don't really think it is one of the major problems,but every little helps

 

 

Might not appear to be a major problem for Speedway iris123.

 

It may be a big problem for the Supporters though. If Speedway Supporters cannot relate to their Riders, they see the Sport as impersonal. That, to me is a shame, and if they see it that way they may wonder whether going to Speedway is worth it. I would suggest, that to quite a lot over the years, it hasn't been, and that is at least part of the reason the Sport is hemorrhaging Supporters at an alarming rate.

 

Some teams do it right, other clubs do it wrong. Berwick and Newcastle (just two examples I can think of, there will be others) send the team through to the fans after the victory parade/interviews, to sign autographs and get selfie's took.

Edited August 27, 2015 by Steve Park

[michaelcroucher 30]

When I was younger and lived in Kingston, Wimbledon was my nearest stadium. I use to love it. It was great there. There used to be a man that use to go around selling the newspaper and magazine shouting out SPEEDWAY MAIL. The atmosphere was great. It was a night out and affable. I also use to go to Oxford, Reading, and other clubs. Of course I was a youngster and my dad use to take me. I have followed speedway for quite a few years now and still enjoy it, but I have moved over to grasstrack racing. This weekend im racing near Oxford and i was telling my wife about Hans Nielsen and how he use to ride at Oxford. Since I have moved over to grass and been speaking to people at work about it and showing them my bike ect I have few people who attended the meetings. They never new about Speedway and Grasstrack but now they do. Its all about promoting the sport. With going back to speedway they need to look at it more in depth, what about the music they use to have when the riders come out, i still even sing the tune for Wimbledon speedway in my head when getting ready for a meeting. I don’t think they do that anymore. I have shown my wife what speedway use to be like compare to now. By watching the dvd she prefers the late 70s and 80s rather than the sport is now. The other thing is that riders ride in Europe now but years ago it was UK summer time and Down under winter time. Now they ride all over the place. Something’s have come good out of speedway but I don’t think UK will never be the same again like it used to be.

[teaboy279 1,038]

Have said for years that there are too many.At least for league speedway.It would be better imo if some "clubs" just ran maybe 4 or 6 meetings per season and not have to do a whole league season.Run once a month during the summer months and let the other clubs do a full league season.Would never be allowed even if some clubs wanted to do that though.......

Do you do stand up at weekends, how many clubs could afford to only run once a month. How many stadiums are gonna keep Speedway as tenants for 6 events worth of rent.

[iris123 20,984]

Do you do stand up at weekends, how many clubs could afford to only run once a month. How many stadiums are gonna keep Speedway as tenants for 6 events worth of rent.

Ok,how many of the existing clubs can afford to run a whole season at the moment? Think in the recent past we have had Matt Ford and Bob Dugard both saying they would like to hold less meetings and they lose money every time the open the stadium.Like I said before I don't think the idea would suit all or most,but maybe a couple.It might save one or two clubs from closing all together.Why couldn't they re-negotiate their agreement?Why can other sports hire a stadium for 1 meeting?Flat track for instance or the recent sidecar meeting at Brandon

http://www.sidecartrackracing.co.uk/

 

If sidecars can do it for a meeting,why shouldn't speedway be able to do it for 6 meetings.Surely the owner would be far happier with 6 meetings than 1.And i'd guess he would be far happier with 6 meetings than none! I don't imagine there is a long list of sports waiting in the wings to hire some of the stadiums.Just a thought

 

A club like the Isle of Wight seemed to struggle outside of the summer season,so they could well be a possibility to run just around the summer holiday period with maybe a couple of side car and flat track meetings thrown in

Edited August 27, 2015 by iris123