mikebv

Thats a definite possibility... There won't be 'safety net' Govt cash so venues will stand or fall by the uptake of the punters.. Personally after the 'all clear' I would go out, but not sure everyone would be in the same mindset..

Spot on.. Only had 'the flu' once, around 30 years ago and I remained in bed for a week with two visits from the doctor as there was no chance of me going out to see him.. My then girlfriend told me when I was back on my feet that the she knew I wasnt well when she asked me what I was doing and I told her that i was "washing the pots". And the sink was empty. She decided I wasnt quite fit to drive to work so put me to bed and given the amount of sweating and shaking also decided to phone the emergency doctor. I lost over a stone in a weeks bed rest through sweating.. Since then, as a supermarket manager, whenever anyone calls in sick with "I have this flu that's going around so wont be in today, but I will be in tomorrow" I do laugh....

That would be my plan.. There are millions out there who dont know what Speedway is but to try and get them to attend regularly is probably a non starter.. So target the many, many thousands of 40 and 50 somethings who 'used to go' and know Speedway exists but (previously) must have enjoyed going for at least some of the time.. Getting them back must be easier than recruiting new customers.. Providing or course you dont deliver the same satisfaction levels that saw them leave the sport in the first place... To attract the millions who dont go would always be the utopian plan, but that would take money, which those who run the sport seem loathed to spend on marketing, so try and connect with your ex customers and see if you can get them interested again..

I think Cheltenham was at the start of the 'finally realisation is dawning' period so got away with it. . One week later and it wouldn't have taken place. . And given the fall out as to how many who attended have since tested postive for the virus I wouldn't think it will be seen as a postive thing to have attended, it and may make others think twice post "the official all clear".. I think there will definitely be a week or two of plenty of people not wishing to put themselves back into crowded areas and will hang back a little to wait and see if actually all is really 'ok'.. Not to mention the financial hit on those who may have to start paying more for bills and mortgages as they have had a payment holiday... Can't see a "throng" of people attending unless other sports like football maybe have a phased increasing restriction on numbers over a period of time, which means some may want to get their sporting fix elsewhere.. Plenty more popular sports in the queue first though even if that happens..

When it comes to the very top riders I actually thinks its the away tracks that generally get the biggest uplifts and benefits.. When Jason Crump came back one year to the Aces we saw a 600 or so uplift initially. But many of those were fans who had stopped going as the team were so poor.. It lasted about two matches before crowds started to drift back and we ended up with only slightly more than were there pre Crumpys return as the 'novelty' wore off.. It would have been interesting to see NP's impact to Sheffield and JC's to Ipswich, to see if home crowds reduced as the season went by and the 'wow factor' wore off. I would suspect though that their planned four visits to the NSS however would have delivered their best crowds of the year.. If they didnt have a prior engagement obviously. It is noticeable isnt it how many top riders often miss away matches due to their wider calendar yet never seem to have any clashes at home? (Matej Zagar appeared to have a 'few' clashes of meetings when we visited Lakeside I seem to remember.) Strange that.... Maybe taking a leaf out of Rugby and Crickets operating model and centrally contract seven top riders could work..? One for each track.. Take a contract and you commit to racing every meeting. That way every track will benefit from having 'two stars' per meeting and a fan would go in confidence knowing they 'should' be there.. It would also mean the Promoters sharing costs and working together for the common good.. Having an 'odd superstar' here and there wont collectively make much difference crowd wise as the season progresses i would think, but maybe seven collectively would?

For me three things need to change massively if you want to keep 'team speedway' One. Credibility - You need an emotional attachment to 'your team'. When your own riders can assist your opponents to be more successful than your own team it simply doesn't engender any emotional attachment. eg Why spend all season following a team who ultimately don't reach the play offs because their best rider went out and won matches for opponents who did? Can't take that seriously. . Two. Marketing - Some people will say that lowering standards will lower attendances even further. Some will say we should just go it alone without GP stars as crowds are down to die hards now so won't drop significantly from the current position. The truth is bringing back GP riders will only bring back those who are aware of Speedway and used to go. Nikki P for example at Sheffield may put 500 on the gate in his first match. A huge increase for Sheffield but in reality a small actual number of fans. Fans, in the main, who used to go from Sheffield and stopped or/and fans from other 'local' clubs... Will that increase be sustained? Not a chance if it follows the usual 'novelty pattern' of 'top stars' returning which sees crowds drop back as the weeks go by.. The sport seems to spend hundreds and hundreds of thousands on riders who have zero impact to crowd levels as the vast majority of people living locally haven't a clue who they are, yet (it appears) hardly a penny is spent on a professional marketing company which could tangibly increase crowds through its output. Invest in this marketing to see if it works.. And Three - Race Nights. The sport has to take place on nights (or afternoons) that you can get most fans in. All business is defined by how many customers it has and any business which only opens when it's employees tell you they are available, so you end up with irregular opening times, is doomed to failure. For many, Speedway is 'entertainment first', so run it when most of your local population can attend. Get the opening hours right as a priority then decide on everything else after that as it doesn't matter what level of Speedway you put on if your opening times are barriers to your potential customers.. In short.. Make it credible so its worth fans actually investing their emotional loyalty into it. Invest in marketing to raise the profile of the sport and increase the awareness of non Speedway followers, as ultimately no matter what standard of rider or level you run at will make a difference if hardly anyone knows you exist. And finally, open your doors based on your knowledge of when your largest potential customer volume can get there and not when your employees' personal agenda allows you to do..

I presume the person concerned was seeking out the best deals on double glazing somewhere in northern Spain?

I'd also raffle off a few 'season tickets' too.. Say a fiver a ticket at the first three or four matches.. Just 250 sold per meeting would bring five grand in over four matches. . Not a bad return for four season tickets..

I think the riders would need as much racing as is possible given they would have budgeted for 60 to 70 meetings or so if doubling up I would suggest.. And the landlords too would want as much as possible I would think so maybe reduced rent could be applied given most keep the bar and car park takes..? Maybe running six times a month or so at £10 to £12 a night would be more beneficial than running once every other week at £18...? Fixed race nights will be off the agenda globally I would think given the race to get as much Speedway in as they can. With Mon and Thu still being the TV nights over here, but 'any other' night where they can get a decent crowd being targeted. The Aces for example would get around 1800 or so quite comfortably I reckon at around £12 on a Saturday night if they ran a Monday, Saturday, Thursday pattern. At a reduced admission though for all three as at £18 a night it wouldn't happen..

Nothing to stop the UK riding every night it wants I would say if others do the same.. Should Poland and Sweden want to cram as many meetings in as they can, you would think that the riders who ride in either (or both) leagues, and ride over here, would want to maximise their income and go where the money is best.. That would give plenty of UK riders lots or meetings over here and may prove a pointer towards a more 'going it alone' plan in the future..

If there is any racing, I can see the Poles pretty much using every night available, using all except maybe Tuesday.. The TV stations will want to show as much live sport as they can post lockdown and the sponsors will want as much exposure in whatever time is left to run a season. And riders obviously will want to ride as many times as they can for the clubs that will be paying the most..

And the more British riders that get success, the better the national team becomes.. And the better the national team becomes, the more the mainstream media are interested.. The more the mainstream media are interested, the more domestic speedway can feed off the back of it.. The cricket and rugby union's organisational leaders saw this year's ago and brought in central contracts for their elite so they could control their training, diets, health and well being etc, and development plans to bring through home grown talent to ensure that if the elite go off into other more lucrative playing zones, that a conveyer belt of talent is there to replace them... They knew that nothing generates high media interest in their respective sports more than a strong, successful national team, and then, on the back of that, they would get better crowds and sponsorship for their domestic game.. Saracens, Wasps, Leicester etc winning the Championship in Rugby, Lancashire, Yorkshire, Essex etc winning the County Championship in Cricket. Won't bring anywhere near the coverage for either sport that a World Cup win would bring for the national team. Their respective organisations knew this and did something about it.. UK Speedway instead seemingly must have had a plan to help train up every other Speedway riding nation's riders, often replacing UK riders to do so.. All to try and win a title, that the only recognition you get is a buffet in the town hall and a selfie with the mayor..

Even lots of "top class" boxing matches will have an under card of several "local lads".. The main reason being the promoters know that they will sell tickets.. Many of them will shift 250 and more and at that rate, having just four local lads on the bill will get you 1000 or more punters in. (Which even at a discount rate of 30 quid or so is still a pretty penny).. Speedway in the UK, instead of focusing on having local lads and building their profile, seems to spend hours rearranging fixture lists to ensure a boat load of average journeyman Frenchman, Swedes, Danes, Germans, Slovaks, Italians, etc etc etc all get to race when they tell us they are available.. Names that will mean very little in their own towns and countries never mind locally in towns and cities in England or Scotland.. A very strange plan..

Dont think anyone is having a go at '50 somethings' or even older fans to he honest. Being one of the 50+ brigade myself that age group is the life blood of the sport and pretty much keeps its struggling heart beating.. However, 10 years ago it was us then '40 somethings' that were the life blood of the sport and it's clear to see not all have continued with it since then.. Me included.. And those of us who no longer bother with domestic league racing, but still attend around 10 meetings a year (domestic FIM events, some overseas trips, and never miss a TV meeting including every Polish top division fixture), simply haven't been replaced by any demographic.. And that is the problem the sport in the UK has.. Personally for me I now get my 'live' Speedway fix at bona fide meetings which actually mean something, and then watch the domestic league via the TV, not ever caring who wins but with an attitude of "its Speedway racing so I will watch it" and I can watch it with zero emotional attachment to the outcome.. I wouldn't pay £18 quid a meeting to watch it live though..

There may be lots of spaces in teams in the Premier and Championship if everyone doesnt come back from overseas, or prioritises Poland and Sweden, upon the return of the Sport, which might negate the need for two teams at those clubs who plan to run them...

It does if you get the kids hooked on it.. McDonalds do a 'reasonable job' of targeting kids so I presume it works!! The issue UK Speedway has is that kids up to say 11 will go along maybe under suffererence, or maybe they do like it so put some pressure on parents to take them.. However post 11, and on into the teens, why would you want to go somewhere your Dad and Granddad goes for a night out? Dominoes and Crib in the interval maybe? Since I would say 2000, there are now more people living who 'used to go to Speedway' than currently do attend.. Therefore targeting their return has to be easier than getting someone who hasn't a clue about the sport surely?

"I wont be watching this pyjama cricket" was an often noted quote from 'the dinosaurs' who liked to watch the dying County 3 and 4 day game, with around 50 or so other die hards every day, in a 20000 seater stadium.. And also 20/20 over here doesnt market itself or pay out the same cash against the mega league of the IPL, or even the Aussie Big Bash.. Instead it uses a "good standard" of player, (mainly UK lads), paying less, but getting healthy attendances.. The same way that British Superbikes use a lower level of rider (again, based on UK lads in the main) than the WSB, yet still get very healthy crowds.. Both know that when the "big boys" come knocking for their best talent they will lose them to the higher standard. However they have a pro active plan to bring in replacements as they know it will be inevitable.. What they dont do is let their business plan be impacted by other competitions in the same sport.. Needs a complete re think and refresh British Speedway.. Get a brand identity, get a clear business plan, and then build a fit for purpose operating model based on its affordability and resource capability.. And then market the s**t out of it!!!

Probably running it late winter with 'anyone who would ride' didnt help? Running something similar over the August BH weekend, after loads of advertising to fans during the Speedway season, with some recognised riders riding, would get decent crowds I would think.. If space allows, then have camping facilities, music, bar, bbq etc... Like the old Grasstrack weekends for the big events.. Often wondered if letting track licences get bought for certain dates by 'anyone' would be a possible successful venture? One off big events ran by people who truly know how to promote any event..

Slough Speedway have just opened their new kiosk ready for when the season starts. . It's the future...

Whilst team speedway all over the UK attracts a few hundred 50, 60 and 70 something year olds rattling around in a four fifths empty stadium... Its working so well it's probably best we just carry on doing the same thing.... Over and over and over and over again..

I think Speedway (in this country) needs to get itself an identity.. Every single meeting should be a stand alone event, and promoted as such... There is too much Speedway that just unfortunately, blandly 'goes through the motions'.. The Supercross event I attended had loads of off track add ons to keep the fans engaged, many of which had minimal costs involved, yet targeted the younger element of the fanbase (which in turn pester the parents!).. Fan zones, meet and greets, up to date music, lights, colour, noise, an enthusiastic mike man, making personalities of the riders etc etc all can be replicated at a Speedway meeting.. The evening should be geared up with one simple objective. . And that's to get at least the same amount of people to go again... And if that gets delivered regularly, the next stage is to grow the attendance organically through the show it puts on... It can't deliver a 'team sport' in its purest form in the UK so, given the hiatus, maybe it's time to sell the 'spectacle' instead. A spectacle that can reach levels very few stadium sports can match. . High octane, adreneline fuelled action with an off track dynamic aimed at a demographic (at least) 20 years lower than the current average of regular follower.. However, instead of asking "How will we wow the punters tonight?" and put together an overall "great nights entertainment package at the Speedway" for its fans, it does often appear that some promoters spend more time, energy and emotion checking, double checking and treble checking whether the oppositions "guest" is eligible to ride against them or not.... All in the name of trying to win a match that often only a few hundred actually care enough about to bother attending..

Maybe less really is more? Putting in loads of second and third rate contrived team speedway undersells the sport's overall potential massively, so put on less meetings but 'bigger events'? Anything put out that's sub standard is pretty much 'brand damaging' yet it sometimes appears that "any Speedway is better than no Speedway" is the mantra followed.. Hence we applaud (quite rightly) people like Lee Kilby and Barry Bishop, who take a pro active approach to 'a night at the Speedway' and understand that it's the attention to detail that makes the overall entertainment package, not just the racing. . Maybe some good will come out of a reduced season by clubs trying something different to see if it works.. The 'same old, same old' certainly wasn't working looking at the evidence of the past 25 years or so, so why carry on with doing the same thing? It's possibly a real opportunity to reinvent itself and start again. . Fresh ideas, fresh start. .

I attended a three hour indoor supercross event at the Manchester Arena a couple of years ago that got a 7000 full house at £45 for me and £15 for my then 14 year old lad.. Didn't have a clue who any of the riders were, (and still dont).. Lots of local marketing, using billboards, flyers given out in the very busy city centre by 'quite attractive' young ladies, riders doing wheelies in the city centre in front of the local TV cameras and newspapers, and a three minute interview on the local news programme explaining what was on offer.. Paid £60, plus won a T shirt fired from an air gun into the crowd, my lad got a free poster signed by 'whoever', I spent a bomb on Coke and Hot Dogs, plus I spent £5 on texting my name to a number to try (unsuccessfully) to win a kids MX bike suspended from the ceiling. Me and about 3500 other Dad's looking at the amount of mobile phones that were taken out when the competition was announced. (The bike was worth around £1500 so they made a hell of pile of cash on this competiton).. Loads of merchandise stalls for the riders to sell their own gear and an autograph/selfie area where riders signed free posters of themselves... Loads of interviews of riders between racers to get an insight into their personality, with the local lads being the prime interviewees to illicit some local partisanship from us fans who didn't know them from Adam. Meaning we watched out for them more closely.. Three hours of noise, music, lights, colour, racing and a mike man who kept the whole thing moving at a break neck pace which befits a high octane, adreneline fuelled sport, and your attention never wavered... Do all that for a Saturday night at a Speedway meeting and you may just have a success on your hands...

It is very much down to marketing though isnt it? Speedway needs to think much bigger when it comes to selling itself. If an individual event had a decent prize fund then I am sure interest would be stirred in the casual follower. Maybe clubs could do a few 'indys' if the leagues cannot get finished and use sponsors cash to put on a 'biggie or two' which would remind the casual fans the place still exists and give the club a chance to see if certain race nights (with something tangible to ride for) do increase their revenue.. Almost a free hit for them if no team racing to try something different I would think..

2000 punters at 18 quid in would gross £36,000. Take out the vat and your still looking at the thick edge of nearly 29 grand.. And that doesnt include car park and bar take for those who own the premises, nor programme sales.. Once a week, using 12 lads of Championship Heat Leader and above standard with a minimum £1000 to ride and around £2500 to the winner of the meeting surely must be a possibility? As an example... Wolves Monday, Poole Wednesday, Swindon Thursday, Belle Vue Friday, Kings Lynn Saturday. Peterborough Sunday.. Tuesday can be left for Sweden and the riders to be used at weekend wont be needed in Poland.. Plenty of racing for the riders as there are obviously many more tracks to do the same, for all levels of riders..