mikebv

It is a strange buisness plan isn't it? With the ultimate result of course being that not many people actually really care who wins a Speedway title in Britain, as a) the sports following is very small, and b) given the often contrived way the comps are ran there is very little kudos in 'winning'.. Yet promoters, in their own bubble, seem to take things very seriously and expect riders to have the best kit available to help their teams win the leagues... Kit that costs many thousands of pounds... Which means many more thousands of pounds need to be paid to the riders to pay for the kit and then maintain it... Kit they all buy from pretty much the same place, and then buy upgraded parts from pretty much the same places, and get their bikes tuned often using the same tuners.. Meaning very little advantage for anyone as they are mostly doing exactly the same thing.. Hundreds of thousands of pounds each paid out by riders and promoters.. With all effectively running to stand still... All to win something hardly anyone gets excited about, and hardly anyone outside the sport will even notice.. A true race to the bottom isn't it?

Many riders were more than happy to ride Speedway whilst holding down another job.. Riders could earn a weeks money (and even more) from their other job in just one night of Speedway.. Ride for just four nights and you had the same as your months salary from your other job, and many rode four or five nights a week.. But then again, back then, not many spent fortunes on engine tuming, the latest carbs, clutches, etc etc etc, like so many seem to do now for their ever growing stable of bikes that they use in various countries... The costs seem to have grown year on year whilst the income to pay the riders to pay these costs has eroded away almost annually... Higher salary costs to help riders cover their costs, often results in admission cost increases which then means less fans attending, which then results in more admission cost increases to cover the shortfall, which then results in less fans attending, and on and on it goes.. The tipping point can't be far away, (If it hasn't already happened)..

FWIW (not much), here is my take.. If any team racing takes place I would suggest it will be littered with guests as so many riders either won't come back as it won't be worthwhile, or Poland and Sweden will be wanting the same riders and paying more, or both leagues will want the same riders on the same night as they cram fixtures in.. Therefore, maybe it's best to scrap the team aspect this season altogether and see if running well promoted (and sponsored) individual events, on the nights each club would like to run, could be a money maker? Riders will want to race as much as they can in a very short space of time so maybe giving the majority of them all seven nights a week to earn their corn could work? A format such as this maybe could work? 12 riders, 3 groups of four, four races per group so all have a start position from every gate. Winner of each group goes to the final, runners up of the three groups and highest scoring third place rider go into a race off. Four play off races later the finalists are known... A four race final and that's 20 heats of Speedway. (Maybe more if run offs are needed for the best third place rider, play off, and any ties in the Final.. Minimum £1000 a rider meaning the 'fourths' earn £3k, £1200 for the two third place riders meaning £2400, the two 'seconds' who failed to reach the final, and the top scoring third place rider earn £1400 meaning £4200, and the finalists earning £1600, £1800, £2000 and £2500, A total of £17500, (is that similar to what clubs pay out now for the home and away costs from their one home meeting for their seven rders?). Could the Premiership clubs get 2000 or so on their best night? Paying circa £18 to watch 12 riders Premiership Heat Leader/Second string level or Championship heat leader standard? If so they would make a fair few quid. . Championship clubs might need to reduce the prize fund accordingly to suit their income (and bring in a lower level of rider), but each track using 12 riders would mean several of them being able to ride four of five times a week (and maybe more).. Should we get say a 10 week season then 40 or 50 or so meetings for some of the riders would help them offset some of their season losses I would think. . And maybe racing on nights that the clubs feel can bring in most fans might prove to be a pointer for the future..?

Spot on.... The operating model simply doesn't work, as has been proved by the sports' ever diminishing following whilst it has stubbornly been continually followed, so what a gilt edged opportunity to re look at every facet of the way the sport is ran in the UK and deliver something better.. Less could really be more for British Speedway.. Less meetings maybe, but if everyone of them were credible, worth winning and tangibly mean something, then what a leap forward it could be..

Looking at the UK Gov guidelines the conundrum for me will be whether the riders are self employed or not.. I suppose that will flush out the asset system once and for all maybe? With so many riders riding overseas I cant see their UK earnings being enough to cover them, even if they are regarded as employees and the clubs claim the Gov assistance to pay 80% of their salary.. (Another question will be thrown out as salaries are often earned in many instances on performance rather than a basic so maybe difficult to calculate?).. Are Poland and Swedens Govts doing the same and protecting a large amount of salaries?? You would think that for many riders it would be vital for them to do so? That is obviously if they are regarded as 'employees' and not 'self employed'

For me that's the biggest threat.. if you own a stadium and your overall business is potentially going to the wall, or the stock market crashing has impacted you severely, then selling off the place for housing would be the 'quick cash fix' you may need...

The BV v Wolves matches of the early nineties were great... Big crowds and fantastic racing... Mark and the Woflcry gang used to stand next to us and the verbal (mostly good natured) banter between the two sets fans was always a huge part of the evening... RIP Mark..

Didn't Leicester increase their fan base by dropping down and losing Jason Doyle? They did it by simply riding on a Saturday rather than a Monday or a Wednesday or a Thursday as it was then... People's leisure time is traditionally weekend, therefore run when most people can watch you.. Let's be honest who cares who wins most speedway meetings given the way many teams end up as the season goes by as made up adhoc septets, so just run it by selling the entertainment you can get by watching four riders of similar skills racing against each other on nights most punters can get there... I would suggest the Aces for example would get 400 more at least on a Saturday to watch BV v Wolves with three or four guests on show than two full teams on a Thursday night... Each club will have its traditional 'best night' to run.. So just run then..

Suggest there would be significantly more watching at the NSS if they ran at weekends... 400 to 500 a week more I would think when you compare what crowds they were getting on the odd Fridays and Saturdays that they ran on in their first year.. 400 extra at 20 times a season would be an extra 8000 punters... At circa £20 a go that's £160k more in the coffers... 400 punters per week extra is, in the grand scheme of things, hardly any number, yet it would make a world of difference to some clubs.. Maybe a few weekends could be incorporated into any restructured fixture list?

At least no one has blamed Poole for this... (Yet)...

Thats probably the best to be hoped for I would think.. Logistically putting together a fixture list will be a nightmare given how many meetings will need to take place in such a short time, (especially with so many riders doubling up).. You will end up with teams full of guests which whilst giving the riders time to catch up some of the lost earnings will deter a sizeable number of fans I would think.. Running individual meetings will at least have credibilty and maybe could be ran using some of the team sponsors' money that hasn't been spent this year? Meaning some decent prize pots?

My biggest concern for the sport is more to do with how many people will have to take unpaid leave, or business owners suffer as people dont leave their homes.. You cant help thinking that as their disposal income crumbles then Speedway (and indeed sport in general) will become very, very low down their list of priorities.. It's fine getting 'payment holidays' but bill's will still need to be paid.. Premier League football is pretty much bomb proof given their sponsorship and level of season ticket holders, however not sure about the other leagues and sports.. And you also have to factor in the way several Speedway clubs are often subsidised by the promoters' other business's so these other streams of income may also be impacted, not to mention possible sponsors' other income streams being hit.. A bit random, but maybe Speedway would he better off writing the season off completely..? Many, it is often said, lose money anyway so maybe an hiatus would help the following year? A year to regroup, iron out its obvious flaws and start again with some modern publicity/marketing blaze 12 months in the making.. And a 12 month gap might mean the public are in better shape financially next year to attend once more?

Buddum Tish...

That would make sense.. I would imagine all ambulances will be instructed to be on standby 'just in case'... Having one parked up for the best part of three hours or more wouldn't be seen as being best use I would think..

I had two women literally fighting over the last packet of paracetamol in my shop last night.. One woman picked it up and another snatched it from her as she had gone for it at virtually the same time.. They kicked off an argument and the one who got there seconds late wouldn't give it to the other woman so the one who had got there first gave the other a proper good right hander to the head, knocking her clean over and she landed like a snotty heap on the floor.. I would suggest she needed the paracetamol after all.. A certain irony. .

Does their work Visa detail a specific role to be done over here? Would make sense if they are going home as they may not be able to get alternative employment? Hence 'no work' no income? It would also suggest that this isn't going to be a 'few weeks' of an issue..

Gutted...

I was selling Andrex 24 packs yesterday at £10.60!!! Found one in the back of the warehouse and put it on sale and less than 10 mins it was gone...

I can see every country closing their borders.. The W.H.O. have been focused on ensuring the poorer countries that have poor medical care. Eg In Africa, Far East Asia, Sub Continent etc dont get it in great numbers as that will lead to many deaths.. However, the 'first world' simply dont now/wont going forward, have enough capability to deal with their own people never mind ''visitors'...

I think its significant the way 'smaller' sports have reacted.. eg lower league football and rugby.. They are still playing domestic games with around 500 to a few thousand watching.. And for me it's because they dont have massive sponsorship to fall back on and wages need to be paid whether playing or not.. Speedway may be bomb proof from this if only paying out points money but riders will have spent lots of money on kit, (maybe on finance/credit) so will need income from somewhere.. And landlords will want the agreed rent I am sure.. Worrying times I would suggest for a sport which many sometimes sees 'survival' as a measure of success even in a 'normal' year...

Can't believe they would run any meeting without fans.. Given the rules they make up, the sport pretty much only exists in this country to allow riders to earn money, rather than be a bona fide sporting competition, so there wouldn't be any point letting them do that with zero income stream. Allied to the fact that most only rent where they race, so many would surely struggle to pay the costs of putting a meeting on without any fanbase paying to attend.. Maybe some '500 max' individual meetings may get organised in the interim to keep riders earning and venues receiving rent from their Speedway tenants?

Can't be long before this country does the same re banning mass gatherings.. When so many nations are starting to do it then it will leave you open to much criticism if you stay out and do your own thing.. And could look like a dereliction of duty should it become a major disaster..

If Carlsberg made Premier Leagues..

Be "devastating" if Liverpool win their first title in 30 years in front of 'nobody'. I will be gutted for them.... In reality of course there will be thousands who attend the occasion outside the stadium to celebrate, so not really sure what the point would be?

Will certainly bring a new meaning to being known as a 'hard rider'..