Olsen Wants Eighteen In 2012

[Humphrey Appleby 13,969]

IMO BSI/IMG have already been carrying out the good work getting the sponsors in and then building on them season after season.... and if the big name brands start to come in.. the money involved will gush and there should be a trickle down process

 

I couldn't really care less what sponsors IMG/BSI bring in. No more money goes to the riders, tracks or the sport as whole, and just ends up in the pockets of IMG(UK) to be wasted on the likes of golf courses and Olympic Stadiums.

 

Moreover, the SGP has been running for 15+ years now, with BSI involved for more than 10, and yet we're still to see any of these big name brands come in. No doubt we'll again be told that the current handful of sponsors pay big money to be involved, but they're hardly multinational brands.

 

I also dont understand the negativity in this thread.... the simple fact of the matter is that when you look around at other motor sports it becomes obvious that speedway is an untapped resource..... it is still nowhere near to fulfilling its potential

 

The same could be said about many sports, but I think speedway's problem is that it really only has limited fanbases in a very small number of countries. I suppose if it's exposed enough on television it might attract a cult following around the world, but in practical terms how much does that really help the sport? Watching ski jumping on Eurosport doesn't suddenly make me want to go to Norway or Finland to stand in the cold to watch it.

 

I do think it's a reasonable approach to try and take the GPs to countries like Oz and NZ where there's already a core fanbase and where the local scene might benefit from the exposure, but they're still small markets and it seems a bit of stretch to think they'll encourage big sponsors to get involved.

 

I personally believe that its the team side of it that we all know and love that holds it back because the rules are too complex and potential fans are just not used to the concept.....

 

For me the opposite holds true. I find individual racing to be very one dimensional, and the tactical aspects of team speedway is the appeal for me.

 

I've always thought though, that as with cricket you can watch team speedway at different levels. The basics are easy to grasp for the casual viewer, and it's not really necessary to have an in-depth knowledge of the more complex rules unless you really interested.

 

first things first though...... the GP's could start a month earlier ..... i'm sure in some cases they dont have to run fortnightly...... and southern hemisphere GP's can run in the off season........ so where is the panic and drama thats in this thread?

 

Would have thought the riders would want to get some practice in before starting racing GPs.

[PHILIPRISING 7,298]

Would have thought a roof was the most effective way of ensuring a GP goes ahead, but this is speedway we're talking about...

 

OF course but they are few and far between! Two new stadiums in Stockholm have them. If a rook was an absolute necessity then there would be only two events, or perhaps four now that Torun and Gorzow have done the next best thing. Promoter in Gorican is thinking about it ...

 

Strange that Poles were talking about the German GP being moved to Bydgoscsz at least a couple of weeks in the advance of the Gelsenkirchen fiasco, which makes it all a bit of mystery.

 

HAVE said this until I am blue in the face and people can believe or not believe. There was no pre-meditated attempt not to run the Gelsenkirchen meeting. Does anyone seriously believe that a company of IMG's stature would be party to a complicity to defraud ... would the stadium have gone ahead with huge catering arrangements knowing that they wouldn't be required ... the cost of restaging in Bydgoszcz was huge, especially the requirement to televise at such short notice ... ticket refunds ...I could go on and on.

 

As for the sustainability of meetings in NZ, with respect to The know and others, our opinion counts for nothing. The ones that matter are Rob Armstrong, who sees the SGP series as a global event, Paul Bellamy and (as far as NZ is concerned) Bill Buckley. As already stated, I spoke to Bill at length, he wants it but he wants his costs and promotions amortised over at least three and preferably five years. And with a fixed weekend every year.

 

The cost of sourcing, mixing and transporting the materials to lay a suitable track will probably amount to around 250,000 NZ dollars. Obviously that is unsustainable for a one-off... spread over five meetings it immediately becomes more viable.

 

IMG's vision for venues is not restricted to 'speedway countries' and their growing involvement in countries like China and India reflects where they believe new and emerging commercial and TV markets exist. That is not to say speedway will be going there any time soon but who knows in five or ten years time.

[June01 270]

As for the sustainability of meetings in NZ, with respect to The know and others, our opinion counts for nothing. The ones that matter are Rob Armstrong, who sees the SGP series as a global event, Paul Bellamy and (as far as NZ is concerned) Bill Buckley. As already stated, I spoke to Bill at length, he wants it but he wants his costs and promotions amortised over at least three and preferably five years. And with a fixed weekend every year.

I'm a huge fan of the GPs, and I'd love to see this come to fruition, but I've seen it all before, I'm afraid, and nothing's ever come of it.

I picked on this part of your post to quote because wanting it to happen and making it do so are different entities.

 

The riders (at least a few) have said they couldn't afford to travel so far - both financially and time-wise - and no matter how many of us want the series to expand, without the riders it means nothing. Indeed, Richardson wasn't bothered by not qualifying as he said it saved him money, and Holta nearly pulled out of the GPs this year because of finances, and that's without the extra venues to travel to. I'm pretty sure I read one of the riders say they were out of pocket by £1,000 a GP?

 

At the moment the prestige of the title is enough to keep them interested, but I'm certain that if there were more GPs we'd see the field cut by at least a third. Unless a major sponsor comes onboard and pumps a lot of money into the series, giving them the incentive to ride (especially) if they're not up there winning prize money, I suspect it's nothing more than pipe dreams.

Edited April 15, 2011 by June01

[ladyluck 1]

HAVE said this until I am blue in the face and people can believe or not believe. There was no pre-meditated attempt not to run the Gelsenkirchen meeting. Does anyone seriously believe that a company of IMG's stature would be party to a complicity to defraud ...

 

Would anyone seriously believe that a company of the stature of the Royal Dutch/Shell Group would overstate reserves?

[Tim Templeton 43]

I have kept the "Radio Times" for 11 - 17 October 2008, and was there an explanation ever given as to why the usual two or three repeats of the meeting on Sky were never listed on Sky1,2,3, or "Extra", for the first time ever, either previously or subsequently for every GP?

 

I'm not making any judgments on the facts, simply asking for an explanation.

[PHILIPRISING 7,298]

I have kept the "Radio Times" for 11 - 17 October 2008, and was there an explanation ever given as to why the usual two or three repeats of the meeting on Sky were never listed on Sky1,2,3, or "Extra", for the first time ever, either previously or subsequently for every GP?

 

I'm not making any judgments on the facts, simply asking for an explanation.

 

OFF the top of my head I don't have one but now it is being inferred that Sky were party to the conspiracy. Please!

[ladyluck 1]

OFF the top of my head I don't have one but now it is being inferred that Sky were party to the conspiracy. Please!

 

Around 39% of BSkyB is owned by News Corporation, which has a wholly owned subsidiary called The News of the World.

I always believed Gelsenkirchen was down to gross incompetence and stupidity, but the Polish rumours, publicised and ridiculed in your magazine, nagged a little and your protests on this thread haven't helped matters.

Edited April 15, 2011 by ladyluck

[ImpartialOne 160]

I believe eventually, the GP's WILL be independent from the rest of world speedway like F1 and race every fortnight.

 

I've said it before, maybe teams will rise into the world stage like F1 & MOTO GP.

 

Works Jawa

Works GM

Works Honda

Team Rickardsson

Team Gollob

Redbull Racing

Monster Racing

etc etc

 

Then you have 4 independent qualifier spots each season.

The team thing has been tried and failed.

 

Team Exide

Team Owen Bros

Team Nilsen

Team Tatum

Team Hagon

 

Personally I don't see the point in having teams in an individual championship.

[Tim Templeton 43]

OFF the top of my head I don't have one but now it is being inferred that Sky were party to the conspiracy. Please!

I've made it plain in my post that I'm only seeking an answer, without making any suggestions of a conspiracy theory. If I was trying to stir things up, I would have raised the issue a couple of years ago.

 

As issues were being raised about the scenario, I thought it was the right time to post a question about the situation that I did not understand.

 

I appreciate that you cannot answer "off the top of my head", and I would not expect you to do so.

 

But I would like to know, at any convenient time, why not one repeat, let alone several as normal,were scheduled for the first time ever in the history of the GP's. I suspect that there is a straightforward answer, but I'd like to know what it is.

 

Tim.

[PHILIPRISING 7,298]

I've made it plain in my post that I'm only seeking an answer, without making any suggestions of a conspiracy theory. If I was trying to stir things up, I would have raised the issue a couple of years ago.

 

As issues were being raised about the scenario, I thought it was the right time to post a question about the situation that I did not understand.

 

I appreciate that you cannot answer "off the top of my head", and I would not expect you to do so.

 

But I would like to know, at any convenient time, why not one repeat, let alone several as normal,were scheduled for the first time ever in the history of the GP's. I suspect that there is a straightforward answer, but I'd like to know what it is.

 

Tim.

 

I DON'T know who could provide you with that information other than Sky themselves.

 

I can only tell you what I do know. I sat in on all the rider briefings and many of the attempts to resolve the situation. At one stage Scott Nicholls's sponsors (who have considerable expertise in road building) came up with a possible solution that involved a machine that lays and dries tarmac at the same time. But, while efforts were being made to locate such a machine, the stadium authorities had kittens fearing that such a heavy piece of equipment would severely damage the runners on which their pristine football pitch was brought in and out of the arena.

 

We have been over all this before. Just as some people deny the Holocaust or that Neil Armstrong ever walked on the moon or that the Twin Towers were destroyed by terrorists piloting hijacked aircraft, there are those who remain convinced that the intent had always been to abandon the meeting.

 

That simply isn't true. But, frankly, it is pointless trying to convince those who even at this stage refuse to accept what actually went on that weekend.

[Tim Templeton 43]

I DON'T know who could provide you with that information other than Sky themselves.

 

I can only tell you what I do know. I sat in on all the rider briefings and many of the attempts to resolve the situation. At one stage Scott Nicholls's sponsors (who have considerable expertise in road building) came up with a possible solution that involved a machine that lays and dries tarmac at the same time. But, while efforts were being made to locate such a machine, the stadium authorities had kittens fearing that such a heavy piece of equipment would severely damage the runners on which their pristine football pitch was brought in and out of the arena.

 

We have been over all this before. Just as some people deny the Holocaust or that Neil Armstrong ever walked on the moon or that the Twin Towers were destroyed by terrorists piloting hijacked aircraft, there are those who remain convinced that the intent had always been to abandon the meeting.

 

That simply isn't true. But, frankly, it is pointless trying to convince those who even at this stage refuse to accept what actually went on that weekend.

I emailed Sky at the time, but never received a reply, and left things there. Hence, as the topic has been brought up again, I've taken the opportunity to ask what, I think, is a reasonable and specific question. In answer to your comments,I am not refusing to accept what actually happened, quite the reverse, I want to know what happened. Thank you for giving me the details of what happened behind the scenes. With your position within speedway, presumably you were aware of the one unanswered issue I raise regarding, I repeat, no scheduled Sky repeats. This was presumably questioned by Speedway Star, as it was an issue being debated on various forums at the time. Was there an outcome, or did you not address the issue?

[Humphrey Appleby 13,969]

HAVE said this until I am blue in the face and people can believe or not believe.

 

I didn't say I didn't believe you, but frankly it would have been better if it had all been an elaborate conspiracy. Having a meeting 'rained-off' in an indoor stadium represents incompetence of the highest calibre, and in speedway there's a lot of competition for that...

 

BTW - there are quite a few domed stadiums around the world, particularly in North America. However, there are at least two in the Netherlands and three in Germany I can think of, as well in Australia which are speedway countries.

[ladyluck 1]

Was there ever an investigation into the events at Gelsenkirchen? I recall that at the time it "wasn't the time for investigations and recriminations" (that might even have been a Rising phrase), but did the time ever come? How many heads rolled at BSI and the FIM as a result? Why were BSI happy to tear up the Gelsenkirchen agreement after the supposed success of the first staging? From what Mr Rising has said I get the impression that, apart from the track problems, the second staging was going to be another success. Or were ticket sales really terrible for 2008?

Mr Rising, of course, dances to the tune played by whoever calls the shots. BSI when it comes to the GPs and Sandhu domestically, regardless of the anarchy and chaos they cause. Alas, he probably can't even see the anarchy bowing to the will of Sandhu has caused speedway in this country.

[iris123 21,041]

Why were BSI happy to tear up the Gelsenkirchen agreement after the supposed success of the first staging?

Mr Rising has already addressed this point.It was according to him,regime change that were not in favour of speedway.Must say though that they seem to be ok with Stock Cars.A week after the speedway GP that was staged 20,000 turned up to see a tv staged Stock Car meeting.This has been a yearly event from before the speedway GP up until the latest staging last October

 

Stock Cars in Veltins Arena

[PHILIPRISING 7,298]

I didn't say I didn't believe you, but frankly it would have been better if it had all been an elaborate conspiracy. Having a meeting 'rained-off' in an indoor stadium represents incompetence of the highest calibre, and in speedway there's a lot of competition for that...

 

I cannot really argue with that but lessons were learned (especially that the material used for track building, which was at the root of the problems, has to be stored under cover and in a temperature controlled environment), many new procedures put in place, and a directrve from on high that this must never happen again.

 

BTW - there are quite a few domed stadiums around the world, particularly in North America. However, there are at least two in the Netherlands and three in Germany I can think of, as well in Australia which are speedway countries.

 

Just because a stadium has a roof doesn't necessarily mean it fits all the criteria. The covered stadium in Melbourne (which I looked at in February) is a superb facility but is (a) hugely expensive to rent and ( only available at certain times of the year, none of which coincided with SGP requirements.