Apologies if the following wall of text is of little interest.  I just figured I'd post a few snippets on the off-chance that others, perhaps less PC literate, might be so inclined.  It always amazes me how many people haven't had any exposure to AI.  If nothing else it hopefully demonstrates something that might be of interest.  For those who don't use X, the Grok AI is temporarily available for free via https://x.ai/.  There is also https://chat.openai.com (ChatGPT).

Q: Please describe the evolution of British speedway over the last 50 years, anticipate what the next decade might look like and the steps that the sport might take to re-grow its popularity

<initially talks about the history, summarising the ups and downs of each decade before taking a punt at what it thinks the next decade might entail.  I cut this to focus instead on what the AI might suggest (much already discussed in various topics on here)>

### Steps to Re-Grow Popularity

To reverse decline and thrive, British speedway could take these steps:

1. **Nationwide Promotion Campaign**: A unified marketing push—beyond individual clubs—selling speedway as a thrilling, affordable night out. Think TV ads, social media influencers, and partnering with motorsport brands. Highlight its edge: bikes with no brakes hitting 80mph in 60 seconds.

2. **Affordability**: Slash ticket prices (£10 for adults, free for kids under 16, as fans suggest) to fill stands. Subsidize this with sponsorships (e.g., extending deals like Leicester’s Watling JCB) and merchandise.

3. **Youth Engagement**: Expand the NDL and academies (like Belle Vue’s) to develop British talent. Host school outreach programs, junior races, or “try speedway” days to hook kids early. Celebrate young stars like Tom Brennan, who raced 109 meetings in 2024.

4. **Event Innovation**: Beyond league racing, stage high-profile events—revive the Daily Mirror Tournament’s festival vibe or create a “Speedway Weekender” with music and family activities. Leverage the SGP Cardiff model domestically.

5. **External Leadership**: Bring in a dynamic promoter (à la Eddie Hearn) to shake up the British Speedway Promoters’ Association’s conservatism. Focus on spectacle, storytelling, and media deals to rival Poland’s slick production.

6. **Community Roots**: Strengthen ties with local communities—e.g., Berwick’s “underdog” narrative or Ipswich’s decade-long Tru7 sponsorship. Make tracks multi-use hubs (concerts, markets) to boost revenue and visibility.

7. **Digital Push**: Livestream all meetings on a dedicated platform, affordable and interactive, targeting global fans and younger viewers. Pair this with rider-driven content (vlogs, behind-the-scenes) to build personalities.

### Conclusion

British speedway’s last 50 years chart a fall from glory to grit, driven by societal shifts and internal inertia. The next decade offers a fork: fade further or fight back with bold reinvention. By blending affordability, youth focus, and modern promotion, it could reclaim some lost ground—not to 1970s heights, but as a vibrant niche sport with a future. The roar of methanol-fueled engines still has a pulse; it’s up to the sport to amplify it.

Q: Bearing in mind that most tracks exist entirely due to the contents of the promoters pockets and/or sponsors, the usual pushback to the proposals are that an advertising campaign would be expensive and dropping admissions which, unlike football, are the bulk of the sports lifeblood, would likely see gate receipts diminish alarmingly. I’ve often advocated for £10 entry plus enticements to encourage the bringing of kids. The same suggestions have been made for decades. What makes you think that they could succeed?

You’re absolutely right to highlight the financial realities of British speedway—promoters’ pockets and sponsors are indeed the sport’s lifeblood, and gate receipts are a non-negotiable core of revenue, unlike football with its TV deals and merchandise empires. The pushback against a nationwide ad campaign or dropping admissions to £10 (with free or cheap kids’ entry) is grounded in legitimate fears: upfront costs for marketing could drain already thin budgets, and lower ticket prices might slash income without guaranteeing bigger crowds. These concerns have stalled similar ideas for decades, as you’ve noted. So why might they succeed now, or how could they be made to work? Let’s unpack this with a practical lens, leaning on evidence, trends, and a bit of calculated optimism.

### Why These Ideas Could Succeed Now

1. **Shifting Economics and Leverage Points**

Speedway’s reliance on gate receipts reflects a static model that’s been bleeding fans since the 1970s. What’s changed? Digital tools and data offer cheaper, targeted ways to boost attendance without betting the farm. For instance, Poland’s Ekstraliga thrives partly because it’s embraced modern promotion—TV deals, slick online streams, and sponsor-heavy events. British speedway doesn’t need Poland’s scale, but it can borrow tactics. A £10 entry trial, paired with enticements like free kids’ entry, could be tested at a few tracks (say, Belle Vue or Ipswich) with minimal risk, using local sponsors to offset losses. If attendance jumps 50%—not unrealistic given nostalgia and curiosity—it could break even or profit, proving the case.

2. **Critical Mass and Momentum**

Past suggestions for £10 entry or big ad pushes often fizzled because they were piecemeal—individual promoters couldn’t shoulder the cost or risk alone. Today, the sport’s at a tipping point: fewer tracks and teams mean a unified effort is more feasible. The British Speedway Promoters’ Association (BSPA) could pool resources for a modest campaign, say £50,000-£100,000 (chump change compared to football’s ad spends), funded by a mix of existing sponsors (e.g., Watling JCB, Tru7) and a levy on clubs. If it doubles average crowds from 1,000 to 2,000 at £10 a head, that’s £20,000 per meeting versus £15,000 at £15 tickets—revenue up, not down. Success breeds momentum; one good season could attract bigger backers.

3. **Kids as the Long Game**

Your idea of enticing kids isn’t just sentimental—it’s strategic. Speedway’s fanbase is graying; without new blood, it’s toast. Free or £1 kids’ entry with a £10 adult ticket shifts the math: a family of four pays £20 instead of £60 (at £15 adult, £7.50 kids). Promoters balk at the drop, but if it pulls in 100 extra families per meeting (not a stretch with basic outreach), that’s £2,000 more, plus future fans hooked early. Data backs this: sports like rugby league have seen junior schemes lift long-term attendance by 10-20% over a decade. Speedway’s visceral thrill—noise, dirt, speed—is kid-catnip; get them in, and parents follow.

4. **Digital Amplification**

An ad campaign doesn’t have to mean pricey TV spots. Social media—X, TikTok, Instagram—offers dirt-cheap reach. A £5,000 budget on targeted ads (geo-locked to track towns, aimed at 25-45-year-olds with motorsport interests) could hit 50,000+ people. Add rider-driven content (e.g., Dan Bewley doing a 30-second “Why I Love Speedway” clip) and you’ve got viral potential for pennies. Pair this with a £10 “First Timer” deal, and you’re not gambling on empty stands—you’re fishing with better bait. X posts from 2024 show fans begging for affordability; they’re primed to respond if the offer’s loud enough.

5. **Evidence of Elasticity**

Demand for speedway isn’t as rigid as promoters fear. The SGP Cardiff event packs 40,000 fans at £20-£50 tickets because it’s marketed as a must-see spectacle. Domestic meetings lack that hype, but a £10 price point—half the SGP’s low end—could tap latent interest. Historical dips in attendance correlate more with poor promotion and rival entertainment than price alone. A 2023 X thread on speedway pricing saw fans lament £18-£20 tickets as “too steep for what it is”; £10 feels like a psychological sweet spot, especially with kids’ perks (free hot dogs, rider meet-and-greets) as enticements.

### Making It Work: Mitigating the Risks

Here’s how to dodge the “diminishing receipts” trap and counter promoter skepticism:

- **Pilot It Smart**: Start small—three tracks, three meetings. Belle Vue, with its modern stadium, could lead, alongside a Championship struggler like Scunthorpe. Track every penny: ticket sales, concessions, parking. If it flops, losses are capped; if it works, scale up.

- **Sponsor Buy-In**: Pitch it as a win-win. A sponsor covering a £2,000 shortfall for a £10 trial gets branding on every ticket, a banner, and a shoutout. Local firms (e.g., Manchester’s car dealerships) love community cred; they’ll bite if crowds grow.

- **Revenue Diversification**: Gate receipts rule, but concessions and extras can plug gaps. A £10 ticket with a £3 beer or £2 program ups per-head spend. Poland’s tracks rake in cash from food and merch; British venues could too with minimal effort.

- **Fan Feedback Loop**: Use X and local forums to ask fans directly: “Would you come at £10 with free kids’ entry?” If 500 say yes per track, that’s data to sway promoters. Crowdsourcing buy-in reduces guesswork.

### Why Now’s Different

The same suggestions have echoed for decades, true—but the context has shifted. Speedway’s on the brink; inertia’s no longer an option. Digital tools slash ad costs, fan frustration (visible on X) signals pent-up demand, and a generation of kids raised on YouTube stunts might just dig brakeless bikes if they’re cheap and cool enough. Promoters’ pockets are shallow, but survival demands a leap—£10 entry plus kids’ enticements isn’t a silver bullet, it’s a calculated jab. If it lifts attendance 30-50% (conservative, given rugby’s precedent), it pays for itself. If it flops, the sport’s no worse off than now—closing tracks anyway.

The clincher? Fans like you have been right all along: affordability and kids are the lifeline. What’s new is the toolbox—cheap tech, desperate urgency, and a blueprint from abroad. It’s not a sure thing, but it’s got a better shot than the slow fade of the last 50 years.

Q: Another argument might be that a few season ago, Glasgow were acquired by owners who had fairly deep pockets. They invested substantially in advertising, albeit I think this may have been more the traditional kind with advertising boards, etc, and seemingly their attendances remained unhealthy. After running as a loss-maker for several years there has been talk of them cutting the cloth accordingly. The worry is that the interest just isn’t out there, no matter how hard the promoters try to entice people. Many from the glory days will still have fond memories but, with any of these typically working class, many count the pennies just to exist. Even with cheap prices the sport would be an unaffordable luxury. Whilst I’m reasonably affluent I rarely go these days, mainly due to having children whose hobbies and need to get up for school make the trip to Belle Vue on a Monday evening an unlikely one. Rush hour traffic challenges to get there. Arrival home at 9:30/10pm too late for 7 and 9 year olds

Your points about Glasgow’s experience and the practical barriers—like working-class economics, family schedules, and travel logistics—cut straight to the heart of why British speedway’s revival isn’t a simple fix. The Glasgow case is a sobering counterpoint: deep-pocketed owners, heavy investment in traditional advertising (billboards, local outreach), yet crowds stayed stubbornly low, and losses piled up. It’s a stark warning that chucking money at the problem doesn’t guarantee bums on seats. Pair that with your own story—affluent but sidelined by kids’ routines and Manchester’s rush-hour grind—and it’s clear the sport’s facing a perfect storm of disinterest, cost-of-living pressures, and lifestyle shifts. Let’s dig into why Glasgow’s flop doesn’t kill the £10-plus-kids pitch, and how speedway might still claw its way back, even for penny-counters and busy parents like you.

### Glasgow’s Lesson: Advertising Alone Isn’t Enough

Glasgow Tigers, taken over by the Facenna brothers around 2018, had cash to burn—relative to speedway’s shoestring norm. They splashed out on track upgrades, signage, and local ads, aiming to rekindle the buzz of Ashfield’s past. Attendance crept up slightly (from sub-500 to maybe 700-800 on good nights, per fan chatter on X), but nowhere near enough to offset costs. By 2023, rumors swirled of downsizing—fewer big signings, leaner budgets—because the numbers didn’t add up. Why’d it fail?

- **Wrong Tools, Wrong Target**: Billboards and posters are old-school, scattershot, and pricey—£5,000-£10,000 could buy a month of ads but hit mostly indifferent locals. Speedway’s niche now; it needs sniper-precision marketing (digital, cheap, aimed at motorsport fans or nostalgic 40-somethings), not a shotgun blast.

- **No Hook**: Investment focused on infrastructure and visibility, not the experience. Fans on X griped about unchanged ticket prices (£18ish) and a lack of “event” vibe—nothing to lure the curious beyond “it’s speedway, come watch.” Compare Cardiff’s SGP: £20 gets you a spectacle, not just a race.

- **Timing and Context**: Late 2010s Scotland was no 1970s Britain—working-class disposable income was squeezed by stagnant wages and rising costs. Even diehards from the glory days, now in their 60s or 70s, couldn’t justify regular trips. Glasgow’s urban sprawl didn’t help; Ashfield’s not a quick jaunt for most.

This doesn’t mean interest is dead—it means the approach was off. Glasgow proves you can’t just shout louder; you’ve got to sell smarter.

### The Interest Is There, It’s Just Buried

Your worry—that the appetite’s gone, even at £10—has teeth. The glory-days crowd, mostly working-class, is battered by today’s economy: 40% of UK households earning under £25,000 have zero savings (per 2024 stats). A night out, even cheap, competes with food and bills. Meanwhile, younger fans are distracted by Netflix or gaming, and families like yours juggle packed schedules. But there’s evidence the spark’s not extinguished:

- **Nostalgia’s Pull**: X posts in 2024 show fans waxing lyrical about Belle Vue’s 1980s heyday or Ipswich’s 1998 title. That emotional tie lingers—thousands still care, they just need a nudge.

- **Latent Demand**: Cardiff’s 40,000-strong SGP crowd isn’t all tourists; Brits pack it out. Leicester’s 2023 relaunch drew 1,500 for opening night at £15ish—above average—before settling lower. People show up for a reason to care.

- **Kids’ Appeal**: Your 7- and 9-year-olds might not drag you to Belle Vue, but speedway’s raw energy (dirt flying, engines screaming) is kid-friendly if timed right. The NDL’s youth races get cheers—there’s a seed to grow.

The catch? It’s a fragmented, dormant fanbase—tough to reach, tougher to mobilize. Glasgow’s failure wasn’t proof of no interest; it was proof of misfired execution.

### Reframing £10 Plus Kids for Today’s Reality

Your situation—affluent but deterred by Monday-night logistics—mirrors the working-class struggle: it’s not just cash, it’s time and access. Rush hour to Belle Vue, late nights for schoolkids, and no easy fix like football’s weekend slots (speedway’s midweek tradition ties to greyhound track leases). Here’s why £10-plus-kids could still work, tweaked for 2025’s harsh truths:

1. **Price Isn’t the Only Lever**

Glasgow didn’t slash tickets—they banked on ads to pull full-price payers. A £10 trial, with free kids’ entry, isn’t about bleeding gate receipts—it’s about volume. If 500 fans at £18 (£9,000) become 1,000 at £10 (£10,000), you’re ahead, even before beer sales. For the penny-counters, £10 feels doable where £18 doesn’t; add a freebie (kids’ drink, sticker), and it’s a bargain night out.

2. **Timing Fix**

Monday at Belle Vue kills families like yours—4pm traffic, 10pm home. Shift some meetings to Saturdays or Sundays (tough with track-sharing, but doable at owned venues like Manchester’s National Speedway Stadium). Or trial 5pm starts—home by 8:30pm, kids in bed by 9:30. Leicester’s Sunday move in 2023 bumped crowds; it’s not fantasy.

3. **Micro-Enticements**

Your kids’ hobbies and school rule your life—fair. But a £10 family ticket with a rider autograph session or a “junior race” pre-show might tip the scales for a one-off. Belle Vue could lean on its academy—let kids meet Tom Brennan, snap a pic. It’s not weekly, it’s occasional—a gateway drug.

4. **Community Tie-In**

For the working-class base, bundle speedway into survival networks. Partner with local pubs or unions for £10 “night out” vouchers—beer at the bar, ticket to the track. Tap food banks or councils for free kids’ passes—PR gold and a foot in the door. It’s not charity; it’s planting seeds.

5. **Digital Lifeline**

Glasgow’s billboards wasted cash. A £500 X ad campaign targeting Manchester dads (or Glasgow workers) with “£10 Family Night” hits harder. Stream meetings free on YouTube—lose gate for one game, gain buzz for ten. Fans like you might watch, then plan a rare trip.

### Why It’s Not Hopeless

Glasgow’s deep pockets didn’t crack it because they missed the mark—traditional ads, no price play, no lifestyle fit. Your £10-plus-kids idea, refined, sidesteps those traps. It’s not about flooding stands overnight; it’s about small wins—700 fans instead of 500, a dozen new families like yours showing up twice a season. The working-class core can’t splurge, but £10 isn’t a splurge—it’s a bus fare. Your own barriers (traffic, kids) ease with scheduling tweaks and a personal hook (say, a Saturday “Kids’ Day” your 7-year-old begs for).

The sport’s not dead—it’s dormant. X chatter in 2024 shows fans itching for a reason to return; 2023’s Leicester spike hints at curiosity. Promoters fear losses, but a £10 pilot—subsidized by a sponsor, tracked ruthlessly—risks less than another year of empty terraces. Glasgow didn’t prove disinterest; it proved half-measures flop. With smarter targeting, family-friendly tweaks, and a price that screams “try me,” the next decade could see speedway inch back—not to 1970s glory, but to something sustainable. You’d go if it fit your life; thousands might too if it fit theirs.

Q: Whilst advertising on X sounds like a great idea, we have no idea how many active users of X live in the catchment area, how many of those would have any interest in motorsport or how many could travel or afford it. Even if advertised and a healthy number of supporters do use it, with so much content fighting for attention, what chances of them actually seeing it?

You’re absolutely right to poke holes in the X advertising idea—it’s not a slam dunk. We’re flying blind on exact user numbers in speedway catchments, their motorsport leanings, or their ability to show up and pay, even at £10. And with X’s content flood—tweets, memes, outrage cycles—there’s a real risk any ad gets buried. These are fair challenges, and they demand a hard look. Let’s wrestle with the unknowns, lean on what we can infer, and figure out if this can still work, or if it’s just a shiny distraction.

### Breaking Down the X Unknowns

1. **How Many Active X Users in Catchment Areas?**

We don’t have precise, public X data for, say, Manchester’s M25 radius (Belle Vue’s patch) or Glasgow’s G postcode sprawl. Globally, X claims 436 million daily active users (2024 estimates), but UK-specific figures hover around 19-20 million monthly actives (Statista, 2023). Scale that to population—UK’s 67 million means about 30% are on X monthly. Manchester metro area (2.8 million) might have 800,000-900,000 X users; Glasgow (1.7 million metro) maybe 500,000-600,000. Daily actives are trickier—assume a third, so 250,000-300,000 in Manchester, 150,000-200,000 in Glasgow. No hard catchment stats, but these are plausible baselines. Most speedway tracks sit near urban hubs; a 20-mile radius likely captures 100,000+ X users per venue.

2. **Interest in Motorsport?**

No X survey says “raise your hand if you like bikes.” But proxies help. The SGP Cardiff draws 40,000, many local—suggesting tens of thousands in the UK care about speedway alone. Broader motorsport? Formula 1’s UK TV audience hit 3.7 million for the 2023 British GP; MotoGP pulls 200,000-300,000 viewers per race (BARB data). If 5-10% of X users in a catchment follow motorsport (conservative, given F1’s mass appeal), that’s 5,000-30,000 per track area. Narrow to speedway’s niche—maybe 1-2% (1,000-6,000) have some interest. Nostalgia boosts this; X posts in 2024 show older fans reminiscing about Belle Vue or Ipswich. Not a flood, but a pool to fish from.

3. **Can They Travel and Afford It?**

Here’s the rub: interest doesn’t mean action. Manchester’s rush-hour crawl or Glasgow’s bus fares deter even keen fans. UK cost-of-living stats (2024) show 40% of low-income households (£20,000-£25,000) skip leisure entirely—£10 might still sting. But £10 isn’t £20; it’s a cinema ticket, not a night out. If 20% of that 1,000-6,000 can swing it (200-1,200), that’s a start. Kids free sweetens the deal—your 7- and 9-year-olds tip the value scale for families. Travel’s tougher: public transport to tracks like Belle Vue (a mile from Piccadilly) is doable, but rural venues like Scunthorpe? Car-only, shrinking the pool.

4. **Will They See It Amid the Noise?**

X’s a firehose—2,500 tweets per second (2023 data). Organic posts drown fast; even targeted ads compete with Elon’s rants and cat videos. X’s ad platform claims 5-15% engagement on well-crafted campaigns (clicks, likes), but speedway’s not selling iPhones—it’s niche. A £500 budget might reach 10,000 users (50p CPM, cost per thousand impressions), with 500-1,500 seeing it (5-15% view rate). Of those, 1-5% clicking (5-75 people) is typical. Conversion to tickets? Maybe 10-20 show up. Grim? Not if it’s hyper-local—target “Manchester + motorsport” keywords, and those 10-20 become new faces, not just likes.

### Making It Work: Probability and Tactics

So, chances are slim—let’s not kid ourselves. If 100,000 X users live near Belle Vue, 1,000-2,000 might care about speedway, 200-400 could afford and reach it, and 10-50 might see and act on an ad. That’s 1-2% of a typical 500-fan crowd—not a revolution. But here’s why it’s not DOA:

- **Low Cost, High Upside**: £500 on X ads isn’t Glasgow’s billboard bonanza—it’s a promoter’s weekly petty cash. If 20 extra fans show (£200 at £10), it’s half-paid; 50 (£500) breaks even. Concessions (beer, pies) tip it to profit. Compare: a £5,000 poster campaign needs 300+ new fans to wash. X scales better.

- **Targeting Precision**: X lets you hit “motorsport + Manchester” or “speedway + Glasgow” users—billboards can’t. Add a hook—“£10 Family Night, Kids Free”—and it’s not random noise. X data (2024) shows fans begging for deals; they’re scrolling, just ignored by clunky ads.

- **Amplification Hack**: Don’t rely on ads alone. Get riders like Dan Bewley (Premiership star) to tweet it—“First 50 kids free at Belle Vue, see you Monday!” His 5,000 followers amplify for free; 100 retweets reach 10,000+. Organic beats paid if it’s personal.

- **Test and Tweak**: Run a £100 ad for one meeting—track clicks, ticket sales. If 5 show up, ditch it. If 25 do, double down. Glasgow didn’t test; they splurged. Small bets dodge big flops.

### Why It’s Still a Long Shot—But Not Zero

Your skepticism’s spot-on: X’s a crapshoot. Most users won’t see it—scrolling past in seconds. Even interested ones might balk at traffic or cash. Your own story—affluent but skipping Belle Vue—shows lifestyle trumps price sometimes. And Glasgow’s flop looms large: money didn’t move the needle when it was loud but vague.

Yet the difference is intent. Glasgow chased ghosts with broad strokes; X can snipe the willing. It won’t pack stands—50 new fans, not 500—but it’s growth, not stasis. Pair it with your £10 pitch, a Saturday slot (not Monday slog), and a kid-friendly gimmick (your 7-year-old waving at Tom Brennan), and it’s not just X—it’s a package. The interest exists—X proves it daily with fans griping yet yearning. It’s buried under life’s grind, not gone. A cheap, sharp jab on X might unearth it, where Glasgow’s blunt hammer didn’t. Odds? 20-30% it adds a trickle of fans. Worth £500 to find out? You’d say yes if it got you back trackside once.

Speedway needs to attract lots more paying customers/fans , agreed .

To a newbie , the sight of (hopefully) thousands of people scribbling away doing their homework / sorting out their stamp collection must be very disturbing .

merry xmas

I wondered if efforts have been done to try and get the sport back in Yarmouth or around the local area as the holiday season would help boost the crowds and also possible Norwich fans would have a team to cheer on again?

How about a thread that offers up all our ideas (hopefully with the emphasis on the positive...) on how to improve sppedway

It doesn't have to be a grand thought out plan, or necessarily restricted to league speedway just your ideas on any aspect of speedway... you never know the promoters that read this forum might just take on one of our ideas...

So I'll set the ball rolling.

For starters get away from using averages to build each new season's team. There is too much controversy, time and effort revolving around them. IMO we should just have a free for all but am also not averse to using a system similar to that in Poland (which I think is something along these lines).

Your reserves have to be under 21, thereby keeping the life blood of speedway going

Maximum number of GP riders is 2

Minimum number of local riders (i.e. UK) in your team 2 or 3.

I also feel that UK speedway teams should be allowed to construct a squad system, which they turn to in order to replace an injured rider. i.e. thereby getting rid of Guests and R/R and also getting away from the constant back biting about the eligibility of certain signings.

These changes would allow a bit of continuity for teams and importantly for riders it will allow them to potentially build up a number of local sponsors i.e. at the minute with riders dotting between tracks it can be awkward for riders to start from scratch in a new area and attract sponsors.

Anyway that's one for starters.

I'd be interested to hear others.

Are all local BBC stations up and down the country the same or are some worthy of praise?

Has anyone tried to complain to the BBC?

I am at the point of complaining, any tips from successful complainants?

After 90 years of relatively successful commercial operation, Speedway racing is facing a tide of challenges which threaten its long-term continuity. Virtually every branch of UK motor sport is enjoying sustainability and continued success, with the exception of Speedway racing. From a point of being second only to football as a UK spectator sport in the 1950s and 60s, Speedway has endured a steady decline to the point where its long-term survival is under threat, which makes its current dilemma a rare anomaly in field of motor sport.

THE CHALLENGES

The major challenges which British speedway racing faces are as follows:

• Promoters are facing the challenge of falling attendances. This is due in large part to the ageing profile of traditional supporters and the failure to attract a younger audience. The sport must therefore present a programme of league and cup competitions that will be appealing and attractive to both the existing cohort of supporters and a new generation of younger supporters.

• Team promoters are facing the dilemma of spiralling costs, set against a backdrop of consumer-sensitive limitations on admission prices and minimal opportunities to boost revenue through sponsorship or other commercial activities. It is therefore of vital importance that means are found to reduce costs in areas that are controllable, whilst simultaneously identifying new streams of commercial revenue.

• It is perceived that the overall standard of British Speedway Racing is falling behind that of some other countries. Improving the skill and experience of British riders is therefore seen to be a priority. It is acknowledged that skills will only improve as a result of riders competing at the highest level in order to broaden their racing experience and “raise the bar” .

• Supporters of Championship clubs are dissatisfied with the low number of fixtures being offered, with 2018 having been the shortest season in the history of league speedway in Britain.

• There is much controversy around the use of guest riders in official league and cup fixtures and the use of Rider Replacement regulations in some circumstances.

• There is a perception within speedway that there exists a growing shortage of available riders of a consistently high calibre to maintain the level of competition which supporters demand. This has led to a significant proportion of riders competing concurrently for different clubs in both the senior leagues (“doubling-up”). Whilst there is certainly a case for allowing emergent talent from the National League to also compete at a higher level to gain greater experience, the practice of relatively senior riders representing two clubs concurrently in different leagues is generally perceived by the sporting fraternity – as well as most speedway supporters - to be an unsatisfactory arrangement which conflicts with the natural sporting ethos of allegiance to a single team. In most professional sporting circles the notion of participants representing more than one team would be anathema to the spirit of competition.

PREVAILING CIRCUMSTANCES

In 2018 there were in reality approximately 340 riders registered with the Speedway Control Bureau. Of these, approximately 240 were registered professionals and 100 were either registered as amateurs or youth riders.

Of the 240 professional riders, their activities in 2018 were broken down as follows:

o   25 riders took part in Premier League racing only               

o   29 riders took part in Champion League racing only            

o   46 riders took part in both Premier and Champion Leagues 

o   1 rider took part in both Premier and National Leagues

o   14 riders took part in both Champion and National Leagues

o   3 riders took part in all three Premier, Champion and National leagues

o   66 riders took part in National League racing only              

o   69 professional riders remained unlinked to any league team

o   Of the professional riders linked to league teams, 12 are over the age of 35 (7 in Premier and Champion leagues, 5 in National league). Against this, there are 53 riders under the age of 16 taking part in youth competitions.

2019 RECOMMENDATIONS

It is strongly recommended that British speedway racing in 2019 should be consolidated into two leagues: a) the National League (NL), run on much the same formula as in 2018 and consisting of the same 9 or 10 teams; b) the British Speedway Champions’ League (BSCL), which will consolidate the previous Premier and Championship teams into a single league, consisting of 18 – 20 teams.

Considering the numerical limitations on the availability of experienced riders, this proposal will require a radical change to the way team strengths are compiled by promoters and club management. However it will also open opportunities for emerging NL talent to compete at a higher level and gain greater experience.

It is therefore proposed that the BSCL teams will in 2019 sign a team of five riders in the main body of the team. These will be predominantly riders who have had experience in previous years’ Premier and Championship teams. Based on 2018 Champions League averages, it is proposed that the combined averages of the five team members will not exceed 34 points.

In addition, the teams will sign a “reserve team” of three riders, taken predominantly from the NL, and whose combined average (based on 2018 National League averages) will not exceed 22 points.

It is suggested that matches in the BSCL will be contested over 13 heats, but will be preceded by a match of three heats contested between the two teams’ reserve riders, with each of the three reserve riders having two races. Having viewed their respective three reserve riders in action, team managers will then nominate two reserves to fill the no. 6 and 7 places in the main team.

The five riders in the main body of the team will have four scheduled rides and the two reserves will have two scheduled rides each (but may be nominated for additional reserve rides). Riders in Heat 13 will be nominated by team managers.

Most importantly, it is recommended that from 2019 the practices of using guest riders and rider replacement in league and cup competitions will be completely abandoned. It is considered vital for the integrity of the sport that teams are seen to compete on their own strength. Riders who leave the team’s service or suffer long-term injuries can either a) be replaced by new signings of riders on equal or lower averages on either permanent or temporary contracts, or b) be replaced by promoting one of the three reserve riders to the main body of the team and replacing the reserve rider with a NL rider of equal or lesser average.  

To facilitate the efficient operation of two leagues it will be necessary to establish a fixture demarcation arrangement to avoid conflicting demands on riders’ services. It is suggested therefore that NL matches should take place on Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday, whilst BSCL matches will take place on Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

IMPROVING ATTENDANCES IN THE LONG TERM

UK speedway has an exciting product which could improve its attendances enormously if it could be more ambitious about reaching out to new mass markets with an effective message. Speedway has been singularly unsuccessful in engaging with the non-sporting community and could take lessons from many other sports in the ways their respective interests are promoted to a non-sporting population. Some useful suggestions:

The business community: There are over five million small and micro businesses in the UK. Every speedway promoter should make a point of joining the local Chamber of Commerce and other business groups such as the Federation of Small Businesses. This gives opportunities to address the massive business market with offers of sponsorship packages and group discounts for social speedway racing evenings. Clubs with decent bar facilities could offer to host regular business networking evenings to enable local businesses to promote their products and services to their fellow members, staying on afterwards to watch an evening’s racing and enjoy a social sporting event. Until speedway is established as a mainstay of the local business community it will be viewed as a ‘poor relation’ and a no-go area for businesses seeking serious promotional opportunities.

Education: Clubs should be arranging for riders to make visits to local schools with talks, films and presentations. Signing autographs, handing out invitation flyers and offering free tickets as raffle prizes all helps engage with the younger community.

Shopping Centres: All shopping malls and Town Centre managers present periodic features and displays to interest the shopping public. By contacting the marketing department of the local shopping mall, clubs will be able to secure opportunities to set up displays for the shoppers to see films, sit on a bike, meet the riders, collect autographs and invitation handouts, etc. This helps to bring speedway into the public arena and engage with a potential audience that has probably never considered speedway as a serious leisure proposition.

Local and National Press: most newspapers feature results and match reports, but there the speedway coverage ends. Clubs should be regular contributors to letters columns and the occasional submission of feature articles looking behind the scenes of speedway and giving a view which extends beyond the run-of-the-mill match reports.

Local influencers: Town Councillors, MPs, Mayors, industry leaders and sporting heroes: all are influential and clubs should never miss an opportunity to invite them along to present prizes, ‘Rider of the Night’ awards, etc., making sure their photograph and endorsing statement appears in the press.

I sat down and penned a 9 page Plan to take speedway forward. Speedway Star have this and at least one promoter.

We all know; its a major exercise to put carry speedway forward in these challenging times. Tai Woffinden has made his contribution to the platform by bringing home the World Individual Championship for the first time in 13 years. Like Gary Havelock, and Mark Loram before him; he lifts the title when so much uncertainty shrouds the UK Speedway scene. It cannot be left to Tai alone to try and raise the sport up; his World Title helps, but others ( including the fans ) have to respond and do their bit.

In writing my A Plan, I have given thought to many aspects of the UK Speedway scene. It is by no means exhaustive; and indeed their are people; maybe yourself included who may be better placed to speak. I have watched Speedway largely over a 30 year period to the late 90's when my own club Bradford folded. I took another look at it two years ago at Scunthorpe and do not regret that. Its a great product when it all comes together - especially at Premier League level where I think the 'hope lies'.

Anyhow; back to the A Plan - have a read; try and stick with it if you can there may just something in there that we can take forward into next seaon and those to come.

I have followed speedway for over 40 years, but with less frequency in the years 1997-2011 due to the demise of the sport in West Yorkshire. In the past two seasons I decided to make a ‘comeback’ with the Scunthorpe Scorpions and how pleased am I that I chose to do so.

Friday nights trip down the M62/M18 to the Eddie Wright Raceway has become a ‘must do’ and in return I have been richly rewarded with some fantastic speedway action.

However I am unable to ignore the fact that I am probably in the minority of ‘returnees’ to the sport and if I take a more objective view; speedway right now seems to be in a somewhat jumbled state.

I am not going to ramble on about what I think has gone wrong down the years. We are where we are and we can only influence what is to come. So I got thinking about the direction I would like to see speedway take in the future – The ‘A’-Plan ( if you will allow me ).

My first thought is; that from my experience at the EWR; week in and week out there is nothing wrong with ‘ four riders, racing four laps on an oval track’ the way it was always meant to be. The quality of the action is top draw; thanks to a usually well prepared track and absolutely no lack of rider commitment week in week out.

For me; speedway’s problems are more to do with what happens away from the track than what happens on it. I realise that any recommendations will have to be balanced against the financial cost of implementing. But I also fear that failure to address the current problems may ultimately see things slide further into decline.

So here are a few ideas I have to start to arrest the decline.

The Leagues

The present three tier structure is unsustainable economically or practically

The idea of the Sky Sports Elite League is to showcase the top racing talent in the UK. Well that may have been the idea, but check out the latest Sky Sports Elite rider averages and try listing twenty ‘elite riders’ ?. Indeed the absence of so called ‘elite talent’ is such that Birmingham are challenging for the Elite League title by borrowing three of their seven riders from the Premier League – the UK’s second tier of speedway.

To argue that the Elite League attracts the world’s top riders is wrong. Most of the Grand Prix circuit riders do not race in the UK regularly. In fact many of them choose to miss out on racing in the UK in favour of more lucrative European league deals, and prefer to base themselves there. In many cases the ‘scattered meetings’ held in the UK throughout the week; make it impossible for riders based in Europe to commit to the Elite League without losing out financially.

The result is a sub-standard Elite League, which without the benevolence of Sky Sports TV, would be unsustainable, and serves only a handful of ‘elite riders’ who commit to riding in it.

British Speedway’s strongest league competition is the ‘second tier’ Premier League. There can be no better endorsement of the Premier League product ; than Elite League clubs calling into action at ‘every turn’ the riders who make their main living as Premier League riders. Birmingham are the real example of this using Jason Doyle ( Somerset ), Ben Barker ( Ipswich ) and Josh Auty ( Scunthorpe ) as regulars in their team.

This being the case I am calling for the abolition of the Elite League on the grounds that it no longer serves the purpose for which it was originally created ie: that of bringing the world’s elite riders to race in the UK. I would contend that the British Speedway in the current economic climate is served best by its ‘second tier’ Premier League and therefore speedway in the UK needs to re-structure at its ‘strongest and sustainable level and this is the Premier League.

In these difficult times; ensuring that a small handful of ‘elite riders’ can hang onto earning a living here in Britain can no longer be a priority. If the abolition of the Elite League means that these riders choose not to race here then that is a price we have to pay if speedway is to survive and thrive.

With the abolition of the Elite League, I am advocating a new three league structure under the umbrella of the ‘British Speedway League’.

A regionalised league competition – British Speedway League ( North / West ) and British Speedway League ( South / East ). Similar to the Skrill Conference ( North/South ) in football which operates a similar regionalised competition. The third league a ‘second tier’ training league titled the British Speedway Academy League ( abolishing the current title of National League ). I believe that the current ‘National League’ sends out a confusing message. The term ‘national’ would imply a higher echelon when in fact it is a ‘training league’ competition. So I am keen to give our speedway ‘training league’ a clear identity as the British Speedway-Academy-League.

Looking at the speedway track directory I have been able to form the two new regionalised leagues roughly along geographical lines, with eleven/twelve clubs to each region. An even split might yet be achieved should a new venture come to the tapes in March 2014.

North/West; Belle Vue, Scunthorpe, Sheffield, Glasgow,Edinburgh, Berwick, Workington, Newcastle, Redcar, Wolverhampton, and Birmingham.

South/East; Coventry, Leicester, Kings Lynn, Peterborough, Ipswich, Rye House, Lakeside, Eastbourne, Poole, Plymouth, Somerset, Swindon,

In difficult economic times it makes sense to reduce costs for everyone, so promotions, riders and supporters will all benefit from the new regionalised British Speedway League structure. Expenses will be cut as long trips to the other end of the country with the possibility of rain off; are reduced.

Regionalised leagues will help strengthen speedway in the two regions, could lead to better crowd attendances. Certainly it cannot make crowds worse; for example; Plymouth Speedway would not be greatly affected by the loss of a visit from Scunthorpe but would definitely benefit from the visit of the like of Poole and Eastbourne.

Riders

In recent seasons this is fast becoming a major issue. Injuries, retirements, unavailability, overseas commitments, speedway’s ever more complex rules, you name it and it is likely to be limiting the ambitions of your speedway team. There appears to be a serious shortage of available riders, so to ease this problem I am suggesting that teams consist of a 1-6 rather than 1-7. A similar team 1-6 structure existed in the Elite Leagues first season 1997 and was successfully used.

However each club should have a squad of 8 riders, that would include two ‘new’ rider designations a) the Affiliated Rider and the Academy Rider.

The Affiliated Rider

Each team to secure the services of a declared ‘7^th man’ who could be called upon in the event of rider injury or unavailability due to international or other call. The average of the Affiliated Rider must not cause the combined average of the team to exceed the maximum combined team average ( if he was to be included in the original declared 1-6 ).

Use of the Affiliated Rider

In all appropriate circumstances the Affiliated Rider could be utilised to cover the absence of a rider of equal or higher average. However it will be at the promoter’s discretion to apply, to utilise the Affiliated Rider or use the Rider Replacement rule to cover absence.

The Affiliated rider partially ends the use of guest riders, as he would always be ‘first port of call’ in case of need otherwise the teams would need to use the rider replacement facility. It may not be possible to eliminate entirely the use of the guest rider. However the current level of reliance upon the guest is such that it undermines the credibility of the league when a rider can appear in the colours of a rival club within a matter of days after racing for his own club.

The Academy Rider

Each track to secure the services of one Academy League rider ( Grade E rider ) and to afford development opportunities to this rider. Such a rider may be sourced from the existing National League.

Academy League riders may be included as 7^th man at the discretion of the club and appear as a programmed 7^th rider to take the place of riders listed 1-6 as appropriate. In the event of rider absence teams may use rider replacement and additionally declare their Academy Rider as the 7^th member of the team.

I see the involvement of the Academy Rider at each club to be integral to the growth of British Speedway in the future. However this is not the sole effort clubs will be making towards rider development as each meeting will include two development standard races with the return of the Rider of the Night second half race card.

Team Structure/Rider Averages

The application of averages to build team strength is fine in principal. However it can actually leave riders frustratingly on the sides lines for a hairs breadth of a point. Instead I propose to place the riders into a grading system A to E. Grade A riders would be posting the highest average down to Grade E the lowest with Grades B to D between. Grade E riders are essentially Academy League riders but this Grade would include riders arriving from overseas who had no previous league experience.

Grading will be arrived at by first merging the riders and their final green sheet averages ( Oct 2013 ). For the purposes of the British Speedway League ( N/W & S/E ) the accepted average will be based on the green sheet average achieved with their primary club. If the parent club is an Elite League club the Elite League green sheet average will apply. Where the primary club in 2013 is a Premier League club the average will be reduced by 25%. Note all averages will be rounded up or down to the nearest point to eliminate the ‘hairs breadth’ of a point disputes over rider averages.

How will this work

Example; Josh Auty’s average ( at the time of writing ) for Scunthorpe is 8.46. For British Speedway League purposes this would be rounded down to 8.00 and then reduced by 25% to 6.00. To check the legitimacy of this consider Josh’s average in the Elite League for Birmingham = 5.98 ( at time of writing ) which rounded up to nearest = 6.00. Therefore the principal of the 25% reduction of Premier League averages to effect a ‘league merger’ is substantiated.

The Teams

It is concerning to cut loose those riders in the Elite League that can rightly lay claim to the term elite. I am thinking here of Grand Prix standard riders, and recognised Grade A riders.

There may be financial reasons to deter the inclusion of such Grade A riders in the new regionalised British Speedway Leagues. But there may be a way to retain their presence by employing them on central contracts with the British Speedway League. I am thinking that each BSL ‘franchise’ should have one ‘Marquee Rider’ to act as each ‘ambassador rider’. If Sky Sports supported the BSL with TV coverage it may be possible to contract centrally 24 Marquee Riders and allocate one to each track.

As I say I am proposing this without knowing the maths behind it, but the principal of each BSL track having an ‘ambassador rider’ has an appeal and this way it may be possible to keep at least some of the ‘elite rated’ riders involved in the sport in Britain.

Rider Grading

Rider grading could be introduced as follows;

A Grade = 9.00 +

B Grade = 7.00 +

C Grade = 5.00 +

D Grade = 3.00 +

E Grade = 3.00/ no league experience

How would this work in practice

The points limit would need to be arrived at, but for the purposes of this exercise I am assuming a combined point’s limit in the British Speedway Leagues of 40.00.

Example:

Birmingham would need to adhere to a 40 point team building limit. Based upon current averages ( as at 27 August Speedway Star )

Grade A - Marquee Rider – Smolinski 8.59 = 9.00, Grade B – King 8.04 = 8 Grade B – Harris 7.40 = 7.00, Grade C - Covetti 6.09 = 6.00 Total combined = 30.00 two riders required = 10.00

Scunthorpe

Grade C – Birks 6.00, Grade C – Jorgensen 5.00, Grade D – Douglas 4.00 Total combined = 15.00 required = 25.00 ( Grade A Marquee Rider – 9.00, Grade B - 7.00, Grade B – 7.00 )

The league fixture programme

To consist of each team racing 11 home league meetings and 11 away league meetings.

Play-Offs to be retained from previous structure; but reduced to top 6 from North/West – top 6 South/East qualifying for the regionalised group stage. The top 2 from each region to the regionalised Semi-Final, leading to the Grand Final ( winner North v winner South ).

The play-offs guarantee a further 5 home and 5 away meetings for each qualifier.

Challenge Cup ; teams finishing out of play-off places contest ‘the challenge’ as with the play-off in two regionalised leagues, Top two from each region to the challenge semi-final and winners to the Challenge Cup Final.

Race Format

I believe we have to offer a meeting race card of a minimum of 20 Heats. If you look back to the sports halcyon days the race card consisted of a 13 Heat match followed by a 7 Heat Rider of the Night second half. In recent years the race card has been reduced to a 15 Heat match. I am attracted to a 13 or 15 Heat Match followed by the 7 or 5 Heat Rider of the Night. I am sure it is not beyond speedways leadership decide the best option of the two. However for the Rider of the Night to be successful and interesting it has to have significance. To achieve this I would propose that riders accumulate Championship points towards qualification for a ‘Grand National Trophy’ to be held at the end of the season.

The Track Open Championship ( Individual )

Each track will stage an Individual Open Championship over a 20 Heat race card. In the ‘old days’ every track held an individual championship and it was part of the staple diet of the fixture list bringing together some of the league’s top riders to race against the top 3 or 4 home riders.

The 4 Team Tournament

A Regionalised Group Qualifying Stage ( 6 Groups of 4 ), each track will stage one group fixture.

The 4 Team meeting has become a centre piece on the British Speedway calendar, and with 4 local teams riding at the same time local fans should respond in numbers at each of the staging venues.

The Group Winner’s, and best two runners up progress to the Grand 4TT Final at Peterborough.

British Speedway Champions Cup – the ‘national knock- out cup competition’

Group Stage: 4 groups of 6 with top 4 from each group to Round of 16. ( 5 meetings home 5 away ).

Round of 16, Quarter Final: 8 teams in the draw, 4 winners to Semi-Final, 2 winners to Grand Final

The Seasons Fixtures

Remarkably for Scunthorpe, because the team failed to make the Play-offs, the season effectively came to a close at the end of August. It has to be said that the exceptional summer weather in 2013 has allowed racing to go ahead almost unhindered by rain. In more ‘usual summers’ rain decimates the fixtures and it actually becomes difficult to find re-staging dates for cancelled meetings.

Considering all of the suggested competitions above, each track under my proposals would have a minimum of the following schedule of meetings in 2014:-

11 British Speedway League fixtures.

5 Play-off / Challenge Cup fixtures

5 British Speedway Champions Cup fixtures

1 Four Team Tournament Round

1 Individual Open Championship

A total of 22 guaranteed meaningful competitive meetings for each track. Meetings that are varied in nature, competitive and keep and ensure all teams/riders are involved to the end of the season.

Bikes / Tracks / Safety

I am certain there are those who can speak with greater authority and knowledge than I in this area. However; I would make the following observations.

Riders nowadays appear to make a start and then put the ‘hammer down’ for 4 laps. To me it appears at times as if a rider is literally ‘hanging on’ to a machine that might otherwise ‘take off’ without him. So; there might be a case for slowing the bikes down. As a consequence maintenance costs might be reduced. Standardised engines might be worth considering as the drive to get the edge on opponents will always force costs up.

Slowing the bikes down; may also mean that riders are more able to ‘dictate the race’. It is rare today to see two riders team riding , or for one rider to attempt to control a race to allow his partner to join him in a race winning position. It is all well and good for a rider to make a great start and go flat out to win the race; but there are times when the situation is crying out for a more skilful and team orientated approach. Often the sheer pace of a race, rules out the idea of riders partnering each other to the finish line. Speedway is at its best when the riders are closer together and so anything that can be done to make this happen more often in matches has to be worth considering.

Taking Scunthorpe as the example; I would say that the track is generally well prepared and race fit. But inconsistency comes in with the unreliability of the weather. To be fair we have been blessed with the weather this summer, but this is not usual.

Track conditions are non-negotiable for me; the surface has to be the very best condition it can be to help make for the most entertaining meeting. It is a high risk strategy to leave such a key area of the business in ‘the lap of the gods’ so something has to be done to try and protect the racing surface ahead of meetings. Everyone will benefit having confidence that the meeting will go ahead and the knowledge that the track is ‘race-able’ and not just ‘ride-able’. So some form track cover has to come in to protect the track. We owe it to riders who risk their lives to entertain us, the promoters risking fortunes to keep tracks afloat, the sponsors and media who continue to support speedway and the fans who part with their hard earned cash in difficult financial times week in week out.

I believe that the air fence was a move forward for health and safety in speedway ; but the number of injuries during the current season is still at an alarming level . I am sure the incidence of serious injury was less back in the 70’s and 80’s. Remember, back in those day’s a number of tracks were bordered by ‘steel and concrete’.

For me the problem with the air fence is the tendency for riders to be ‘sucked in’ to it when riding a close line against it. I imagine it is easy for the footrest to become entangled in the skirt of the air bag and fetch the rider off. So I think this needs to be looked at. Should the skirt be made of firmer material so that contact has a deflecting effect?.

As I say; these are my observations, in areas that will be far better understood by the riders and the promoters themselves.

A Common Race Day

I recommend the introduction of a ‘common race day’ for all tracks in the British Speedway Leagues. This would bring our leagues into line with those in Europe where all meetings take place on the same day. Swedish Elite League – Tuesdays, Danish Super League – Wednesday, Polish Extra League – Thursday , so why not British Speedway Leagues – Friday’s ?.

Personally I would avoid a weekend race day; as this invites clashes with counter attractions. We know there will be issues around riders racing in the Grand Prix and European Championship series.

Surely British Speedway Leagues is more saleable if all meetings go ahead on the same race night. It has to be worth a thought as it appears to work in Europe. Yes I know that this may open the exit door for one or two riders who ride on the European circuit. But as I pointed out earlier we cannot run the British Speedway Leagues for the benefit of a handful of riders who would be negatively affected by this change.

I have been trying to think of the benefits of a ‘common race day’ and offer these thoughts

Greater market-ability ‘ Friday Night Is Race Night’ for example.

All tracks racing; and the interest is immediate on ‘who’s done what where’’

League tables will mean something. Unlike now when one team has raced 5 meets and another 10 ?

There may be fewer meeting lost to the weather; granted every meeting may be affected if all meetings were held on the same night. But I would like to bet that there would be more meetings lost to the weather if all meetings were staged across an entire week; than if the same meetings were all staged on the same night of that week.

I think that many speedway meetings go under the radar to the general public, simply because they cannot keep track of when and where meetings are being run. If all meetings were held on a common race day it creates a focus for the supporters. If there was one common race day for the British Speedway Leagues and the media/sponsors/supporters can plan around that.

My recommendation to regionalise the British Speedway Leagues; would probably suit the introduction of a common race day. It is the norm for speedway supporters to visit their local track every week. However regionalisation and the ‘common race day’ may see clubs race at home one week and away the next. So you only visit your local track once a fortnight.

With meetings once a fortnight at home; and a regionalised league structure it may lead to a culture of supporters travelling to see their team ride ‘away from home, thereby boosting attendences.

If meetings were fortnightly; with the senior team away from home next week would that create an opportunity for each track to run an Academy League fixture.

These are just a few ideas around the ‘common race day’, but by no means are they exhaustive.

The Rules: even for die-hard fans are far too complex and open to mis-interpretation. At Scunthorpe this season I heard Rob Godfrey say “speedway was about 4 riders, 4 laps on an oval track” and that says it all. We come to the speedway to be entertained; and not to worry about the latest rule change or a riders average been .001 over the limit. So de-cluttering the Speedway Rule book would help.

I would definitely scrap the farcical ‘tactical ride’, which is in the realms of awarding a penalty in football; simply because one team is losing. It might well be termed ‘playing the joker’ because it does make the sport a joke. I do support the inclusion of the tactical substitute ride, when a team falls six points or more behind . But to award double points for the tactical ride, can so badly skew a match it turns it into farce. Please scrap the tactical ride.

If you were to ask the speedway public what concerns them most in the sport ?, the response would likely be; the tactical ride, rider averages, guest riders, poorly prepared tracks and value for money from the fixtures on offer. The proposals I am making I feel go some way to addressing all those concerns

Race Day / Presentation

The most important ingredient on Race Day will be the 20 Heats of four laps on the Race Card. Promoters will have little difficulty selling that to the speedway public. However we have to make the effort to grow the general public interest in the sport and so promoters may have to concede that they need to work harder. So I have been giving a thought to this and here are a few of them

Presentation

I have to admit that the presentation of meetings often leaves a lot to be desired. At Scunthorpe promoter Rob Godfrey personally takes charge of the presentation between the heats. Any Scorpions supporter will tell you Rob is a great character on the microphone, and his amusing and at times irreverent style from the centre green definitely adds to the meeting entertainment.Robis passionate about the sport and that comes across very clear. He is also informative and honest ; often sharing news about the team and riders right there on the spot. He tells it as it is for sure, and because he is close to the riders he can interview them with ease between heats. Not every track has Rob, but it would help if they did. Where it does occasionally fall down at Scunthorpe is in the announcer’s box where Rob has even gone as far as to replace the fellow during the meeting ! For me the meeting announcer is a vital point of engagement with the paying public, so this person needs to be personable, informative and clear. I do think that promotions underestimate the importance of this role.

So what else can we offer

I would like to see the Riders permitted to ‘warm up’ prior to the main event. So if the meeting starts at 7:30pm the Riders are allowed to take to the track individually for a four lap rolling start practice if they desire. It always takes the away team a couple of races to dial into the track, by which time the home team has stolen the march. So in the interest of everyone I do think some form of limited practice between 6:45pm-7:15pm has merit.

Pit lane access

Fans of motorcycle racing like to get up close to see the bikes and the riders, so every track should offer spectator viewing for a period of half an hour ahead of the meeting. Unlike football, speedway followers can actually get close to their ‘hero’s’ and very often speedway riders prove to be intelligent and articulate ambassadors for the sport. So if there was the opportunity for riders to engage with the fans prior to the meeting that ‘connect’ could be valuable to growing the interest of fans old and young alike.

Themed race days

I am interested to see the way things operate in the USA, where a baseball match seems to have so much more going on around it than just the match itself. I realise that we are there to watch the speedway, but for some people that may not be enough. At baseball matches food and beverage play a big part in the event, so I would be interested to look more closely at how this could help make the speedway compete with alternative entertainment. During the better weather could we have a barbeque night, curry night, and maybe with sponsorship offer a free beer. I am not sure of the licencing rules for food and drink but it is worth considering.

Themed nights could also be reflected in the presentation; with say 60’s 70’s 80’s music from the centre green. Co-ordinate the music with the racing ( yes I know this has been done before ), but it does make things more dramatic and capture the mood if events are played out to a backing track. Here the chap in the announcers box is vital; at Scunthorpe all too often Rob is pleading for Barry to play that tune “That’s The Way I Like It” when the Scorpions come home 5-1 only for Barry to be fumbling around trying to ‘stick the needle on the record’.

We do not want the paying public to think they have just walked into Fred Carnos Circus.

Let me conclude by reaffirming my personal belief in the sport. There can be few more spectacular sights than four riders, racing speedway bikes on an enclosed oval circuit. However somewhere along the way officialdom has lost sight of that; and bogged us all down in a soup of rules and regulations that so often seem to work against getting those riders and bikes out and onto the track.

I commend the ‘A-Plan’ to speedways authorities and hope that there is something in here that can be taken away and worked on in the months and weeks ahead.

Ray Allen Bradford

Speedway Historian

Scunthorpe Speedway Supporter

There should be a North/South split. Nothing to do with saving costs as riders live all over Europe, never mind the UK, but it does give more competitive derby matches and reducing travelling for away fans might see a slight rise in attendances

It gives Sky TV their perfect end of season, rabble rousing, easily promoted, North v South Champions playoff for the overall title.

Midlands clubs who think they are North or South can be rotated between the regions per season as is done in the NFL

I'm not going to pitch at what level this should run regards averages and GP riders blah blah blah. That is for the promoters to work out who and what they can afford.

For me it make the sport simpler for a tv or non regular audience to understand and having one league split into 2 equal standard divisions does away with the impossible conundrum of promotion and relegation that no-one has been able to resolve.

I'm not in the habit of writing unnecessarily (to newspapers and so on) but I've recently written an open email to the BSPA - transcript below. I'm certain others will have similar experiences and more useful observations - why not drop 'em a line too?

office@speedwaygb.co