Grand Prix Speedway In Finland 2014-2016

[f-s-p 832]

I would love for the GP to expand anywhere but have some reservations about what sort of spectacle Finland could provide that would enhance the series. I fear a similar debacle to the Hamar, Norway GP's.

Don't get me wrong i avidly look for threads on here concerning speedway internationally and the first thing i seek is the attendance levels and media coverage in the hope that the sport thrives.

If i remember fairly correctly i get the impression that 'tragically' crowd levels in FInland have fallen to consisting of the family and friends of riders involved in a meeting!

Is the sport enjoying a resurgence in FInland that i'm unaware of (pleasssse someone tell me so)?

??? Can't see any mention of speedway, it's just the home/news page of the site.

I've been taking the back seat on this thread to see what people think, and I've seen a couple of really good posts... D_M's Berlin post was absolute top drawer and this one quoted is almost as good.

 

Why would a GP in Finland be like Hamar, or Berlin 2001? That was 11 years ago, raining like never before... I havent done any digging on this, yet, but cant see why this would not happen. A week ago I was in the belief that one would have to pay closer to/over 7 figures to get the rights, now it's down to just over 6 figures and even though I dont know The Know he has my respect and trust until further notice. Thats a lot less money and by being a lot less it's much more realistic to see it happen some day. Also I believe that Ole and his crew will come and build the track, nothing left to chance there, then take it back again afterwards. Only one problem with the trackwork is that the local newspaper (the one quoted on page 1), or atleast the writing in it, is now saying that in total it would take 6 weeks of tracktime to have it done and taken away. The athletics people went crazy after 4, 6 is not a better. The people behind the project need to step up now and say the right things, not leave things hanging...

 

Ratina full of people (for speedway probably 14-15k?) is much better TV than Terenzano. Crowds have been crap in Finland for years, but in the league (avg 229) and the Finnish final (700+ this year) they were allright this year. Not the same as in Poland, but this is Finland. There's been a shift in power in most clubs, younger people are taking over and some right things are being done instead of how it was done in the seventies. Also Ratina is only 400 meters from the legendary Eteläpuisto, thats the place that saw all the worlds top riders in the 70's and 80's. It would be a return of speedway to Tampere, a nice way to get some boost to the other speedway projects in Tampere area. Also I guess worth mentioning is that they did scramble racing and speedway (of that time) at Ratina in the late 40's, before moving to Eteläpuisto.

 

Wikipedia pics of Ratina "here".

 

EDIT: One thing more is that Ratina is in the centre of the city. I havent been to all the GP's stadiums of today, but would say that probably only Cardiff is better located regarding the city. 15 mins to the local airpoirt, 2 hours to HEL, trains to both ports (1,5 to 2 hours) that bring in people from Stockholm by ferries.

Edited October 16, 2012 by f-s-p

[manchesterpaul 447]

Very interesting to read your comments on the influx of young people within the clubs. At the end of the day you can't deny that young(er) people do have more drive and get up and go.

 

One thing that most of us can tend to be guilty of is judging sporting crowds using football as a yardstick and in particular the major leagues. I posted on here a few years ago when someone was critical of one of the GP attendances, i went and studied attendances for all sports in that country including the National football team and it compared favourably. Speedway often receives scant mention in the national media and does not get the mass multiple media daily coverage heaped upon our senses from birth to death that football receives in most countries lol.

[iris123 20,989]

Well in Finland we should judge the crowd against Ice Hockey rather than football.....or something called Bandy

[f-s-p 832]

Well in Finland we should judge the crowd against Ice Hockey rather than football.....or something called Bandy

Actually it was salibandy, if you ask about bandy from ghostwalker he'll probably tell of an outside sport you play with skates on on a field of ice the size of a footie pitch.

 

A month ago I did some research of crowds in mens sport in Finland. The story would have looked so bad for speedway that it was best forgotten. = ) Still, ice hockey is #1 and thats (EDIT: WAY) below 10k, football had a lot less. Average crowd, top league.

 

EDIT: The facts gathered by this one site from the federations different databanks last year (2011), average crowds in mens sport.

#1 Ice hockey - 4981

#2 football - 2159

#3 finnish baseball - 1732

 

Speedway SM-liiga would last have Finnished between rink bandy (282) and handball (230) at the bottom end of the list.

 

From teams sports football is the number #1 sport with 357 000 players and salibandy #2 354 000 players. Speedway is a team sport, right? There was no salibandy 20 years ago, no such sport. It's this one - > HERE LOL, in that game Finland beat Sweden for the World Championship.

Edited October 16, 2012 by f-s-p

[iris123 20,989]

Actually it was salibandy, if you ask about bandy from ghostwalker he'll probably tell of an outside sport you play with skates on on a field of ice the size of a footie pitch.

 

A month ago I did some research of crowds in mens sport in Finland. The story would have looked so bad for speedway that it was best forgotten. = ) Still, ice hockey is #1 and thats below 10k, football had a lot less. Average crowd, top league.

Not far away ......with my few words of Finnish.What was that nice red-haired woman in the hotel called again? Kiiita???

[f-s-p 832]

Not far away ......with my few words of Finnish.What was that nice red-haired woman in the hotel called again? Kiiita???

Kitka... = ) direct translation in to/from Finnish would be "friction".

[Ghostwalker 1,859]

Well in Finland we should judge the crowd against Ice Hockey rather than football.....or something called Bandy

Actually it was salibandy, if you ask about bandy from ghostwalker he'll probably tell of an outside sport you play with skates on on a field of ice the size of a footie pitch.

 

A month ago I did some research of crowds in mens sport in Finland. The story would have looked so bad for speedway that it was best forgotten. = ) Still, ice hockey is #1 and thats below 10k, football had a lot less. Average crowd, top league.

 

yeah Bandy is the ice version with skates and a small red/orange ball. Then there's innebandy and Landhockey (just like Bandy but no ice and no skates = Field hockey)

 

To stay on topic surely there would be enough ineterest in a city of Tammerfors' size (250-300000)?

[f-s-p 832]

To stay on topic surely there would be enough ineterest in a city of Tammerfors' size (250-300000)?

I believe so, definately.

[f-s-p 832]

Like it says in Speedwaysanomat, the Finnish track racing magazine thats again out tomorrow, things are looking positive for the Ratina Grand Prix between 2014-2016. According to promoter Jarno Kosonen the talks with BSI have more or less been finalised with a positive outcome. A lot if not everything depends on the outcome of a meeting within the city council held in mid December. Thats when (I'm led to believe) the terms of the use of the stadium are discussed and told.

 

Also the time of the GP has been switched from around August to May to better fir the stadium calendar.

 

Kosonen has also set up a support facebook page >>>HERE<<<

[Mark 1,497]

Anyone know how expensive the cost of living is in Finland. Food, beer, hotels etc

[f-s-p 832]

Anyone know how expensive the cost of living is in Finland. Food, beer, hotels etc

There's a friendly saying Finland called KVG, kato vitsi googlesta.

 

Hotel room is around 80 to 120 euros, a pint from 4,50 upwards, pizza from 6 euros, hamburger meal at our mdonalds from 7 euros upwards, single bus ticket 2,40, train between Helsinki and Tampere around 35...

[Mark 1,497]

There's a friendly saying Finland called KVG, kato vitsi googlesta.

 

Hotel room is around 80 to 120 euros, a pint from 4,50 upwards, pizza from 6 euros, hamburger meal at our mdonalds from 7 euros upwards, single bus ticket 2,40, train between Helsinki and Tampere around 35...

 

thanks,sounds on a par with Denmark and Sweden

[f-s-p 832]

Actually I find Denmark/Copenhagen expensive and Sweden (been around a lot more) a bit cheaper than Finland.

 

The two hotels to stay at are Hotel Ilves and Cumulus Hämeenpuisto. Both within 500 meters from the stadium.

[DutchGrasstrack 804]

The organizers are having meetings with the BSI tomorrow and friday :)

[manchesterpaul 447]

One thing that most of us can tend to be guilty of is judging sporting crowds using football as a yardstick and in particular the major leagues. I posted on here a few years ago when someone was critical of one of the GP attendances, i went and studied attendances for all sports in that country including the National football team and it compared favourably.

 

A month ago I did some research of crowds in mens sport in Finland. The story would have looked so bad for speedway that it was best forgotten. = ) Still, ice hockey is #1 and thats (EDIT: WAY) below 10k, football had a lot less. Average crowd, top league.

 

EDIT: The facts gathered by this one site from the federations different databanks last year (2011), average crowds in mens sport.

#1 Ice hockey - 4981

#2 football - 2159

#3 finnish baseball - 1732

 

Speedway SM-liiga would last have Finnished between rink bandy (282) and handball (230) at the bottom end of the list.

 

The major sport in England, as in most countries, is football and in it's elite competition the Premier League the average attendance last season was 34,601. Now, if you compare Finnish speedways attendance percentage of that country's top sport Ice Hockey (226 v 4,981) it would equate to UK speedway having average crowds of 1,590.

 

So whilst 226 may sound ( or is) pitiful, so does 1,590. I'd also hazard a guess that Finnish speedway 'crowds' of 226 (4.5% of their top sport Ice Hockey) are a little higher percentage than UK ones using this yardstick, as i don't think UK speedway averages 1,590??? I'm only guessing UK speedway doesn't average that high because it was recently revealed that Manchester's Belle Vue average 1,000-1,100 a meeting. OK admittedly nobody is claiming Belle Vue have the highest attendances but i still wouldn't necessarily think UK speedway could make the 4.5% average of Premier League crowds? Either way clearly Finnish speedway couple of hundred fans isn't as atrocious as it first appears and they rival UK crowds in percentage of sports fans.

 

Going on the percentage of population who attend speedway, Finland's crowds of 226 equate to the UK needing to attract 2,622 per meeting in order to reach level terms.

 

Yayyyyyyyy! i was struggling to get to sleep but the above has done the trick way more efficient than counting sheep etc... not only has it got me sleepy i on the verge of bordering comatose lol.

Edited April 25, 2013 by manchesterpaul