How To Make Speedway More Appealing To Younger Fans?

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Team suits don't come cheap, and usually don't make it to the end of the season, for example, the 2007 Rye House Rockets were all team kevlars right up until towards the end of the season where they were all ripped up from falls.

 

It's alright for teams like Swindon who have acquired sponsorship from a major sports clothing company, and they've got 'home' and 'away' kevlars this season, but for a team of 7, that's about 7 lots of £600 kelvars they've got to fork out for, £4200 is a lot of money.

So the riders just ride in jeans and t-shirt then do they? They have to have kevlars/leathers anyway so just make them matching!

 

Deano, thanks for confirming press officers do submit media reports. I guess I'm surprised then that the local media doesn't take advantage of the free copy more often.

 

On the subject of a programme app, if it updated the score in real time and had the facility to post messages then that pretty much matches what my kids do most evenings if left to their own devices (literally!) I realise this is what the live speedway updates forum does already, and if it looked more like Tumblr, Twitter or Facebook and less like a message board then I think it would appeal more to the screen-based community amongst us.

This is something I'm aiming for speedway-stats.co.uk (but with a name change!), people will be able to update the scores on the go and add comments to heats. So a sort of live updates by many people. The site already has facebook integration anyway. The idea though is you can be updating the result at the track and you can be told if others agree with you or not on the heat results. So you know if your programme is correct. Or you could just be lazy and watch it update as others fill their programme in!

 

In effect live updates but it'll be cleaner, more mobile/tablet friendly and as it will hopefully be being updated by many people it'll hopefully eradicate the chance of errors. My only issue is how to do it without taking away from live updates that already does a good job, I don't want to steal their concept.

[andrewrunagall 35]

So the riders just ride in jeans and t-shirt then do they? They have to have kevlars/leathers anyway so just make them matching!

Because sometimes riders can be injured (like long-term injuries, such as fractured bones) and replacements need to be brought in.

[Deano 1,318]

Deano, thanks for confirming press officers do submit media reports. I guess I'm surprised then that the local media doesn't take advantage of the free copy more often.

 

 

It usually depends if something more important happened at the local church tiddeley winks game.

 

My local Sutton Coldfield free paper will only print anything if it involves something or someone from Sutton coldfield. As Birmingham speedway isn't in Sutton coldfield, it just doesn't get in. The only time it did get in was when a Sutton lad got to sit on Smolinki's bike at Perry Barr.

 

So if Birmingham signed a Sutton Coldfield born rider.... but that would make him a Brit and local.. speedway doesn't do that.

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Because sometimes riders can be injured (like long-term injuries, such as fractured bones) and replacements need to be brought in.

Simple answer is that , as with the EL, riders kevars have to have black legs. you ride British League you ,must have black legs. That way clubs just need to have tops made up. And I mean properly made up, not the baggy crap some clubs use for guests.

 

How can it be taken serious as a team sport when there is no team identity? The bikes should all match too IMO. Peterborough generally look good with all rider with matching bike covers.

[andrewrunagall 35]

On the subject of a programme app, if it updated the score in real time and had the facility to post messages then that pretty much matches what my kids do most evenings if left to their own devices (literally!) I realise this is what the live speedway updates forum does already, and if it looked more like Tumblr, Twitter or Facebook and less like a message board then I think it would appeal more to the screen-based community amongst us.

 

Personally, I'd like to manually put in my own scores, times, etc… I don't always write notes of riders, but I think it'd be a good facility if it was there, the problem I can see with automatically updating programmes is people not paying enough attention to what's going on, not that I like making mistakes, but I learn a lot more if I write something rather than having something read to me, if you can see where I'm coming from.

[The White Knight 9,039]

Simple answer is that , as with the EL, riders kevars have to have black legs. you ride British League you ,must have black legs. That way clubs just need to have tops made up. And I mean properly made up, not the baggy crap some clubs use for guests.

 

How can it be taken serious as a team sport when there is no team identity? The bikes should all match too IMO. Peterborough generally look good with all rider with matching bike covers.

 

You don't need matching kevlars - all you need are Team Race Jackets as they used to be. The days when you could identify a Rider by his style are just about gone (they're all more or less the same these days). The Team Bibs as used from the 'fifties' onward made a clear statement as to which Team you rode for - didn't matter about the colour of Leathers you had the Club Logo writ large on the front of the Rider. Nowadays identifying Riders is not always that easy. Take the GPs for example - the Riders carry their National Emblems in about TWO INCHES of space on their shoulder - how can children, or anyone else for that matter, identify with that - you can't even see it from a distance. A Rider SHOULD be very proud to carry his Country's Colours - I know I would be. You look at old photographs of Freddie Williams, Ivan Mauger, Barry Briggs etc.. There was no doubting who they rode for - the flag was there for all to see.

 

Children DO like to identify with things, so do adults - perhaps one of the reasons crowds are dropping is because, apart from the Helmet Colour, you can hardly identify the Riders, never mind identify with them. Matching Riders may LOOK more professional (do we really have to judge everything by appearances) - but - it does away with the individualism which was once a part of our great Sport. The Red Devil, The White Ghost, and yes, even The White Knight - things like this kids can relate to - not a bunch of automatons all dressed the same. They are NOT Models, they are Speedway Riders and should be seen as such.

 

I have no doubt that there are those who will try to shoot me down in flames - but - just a thought - when things were as I have indicated years ago, Crowds WERE better - not doing so well now, are we? I'm am not daft enough to claim that this is all that is wrong - but it is, I believe, a contributory factor among many others......

[Long Eye 278]

 

Youngsters are into the digital age, times have changed. Speedway action is 15mins spread over 2plus hours. Kids find that boring these days i'm afraid.

 

What, even those kids that go to speedway and enjoy it?

[Trees 2,814]

Children DO like to identify with things, so do adults - perhaps one of the reasons crowds are dropping is because, apart from the Helmet Colour, you can hardly identify the Riders, never mind identify with them. Matching Riders may LOOK more professional (do we really have to judge everything by appearances) - but - it does away with the individualism which was once a part of our great Sport. The Red Devil, The White Ghost, and yes, even The White Knight - things like this kids can relate to - not a bunch of automatons all dressed the same. They are NOT Models, they are Speedway Riders and should be seen as such.

I'm totally with you on this one re the individual kevlars. I can totally understand the team kevlar concept though of course. Some riders are easily recognised style wise still but it's certainly more difficult with away riders in particular. I'm not sure it makes any difference to kids although invariably they have their favourites (we all did and do ) and like to watch them specially, even if you didn't have a programme years ago you'd know your rider ...............

 

It's great to read about modern technology being embraced by the clubs, it's the only way to go and might attract more fans

[Vince 9,459]

This is a myth that crops up time and again. For a business that only uses a stadium 20 days a year then renting is by far the best and cheapest option. Its the difference between having a mortgage or renting a house, in lots of circumstances renting is by far the better option. Renting stadia does provide problems with difficult landlords but in an ideal world of totally co operative landlords then Speedways business model is far better suited to renting than owning.

 

But the Chapmans aren't running a Speedway business they are running a stadium in the same way that the landlords who collect rent from Speedway promotions are.

[Daniel Smith 5,672]

I love the way people know what kids want without even asking them

 

Regarding my 2 nephew's who attend (12 & 9) & a friends niece & nephew ( both 11) what they want is very simple

 

Keep thing's moving. The constant waiting around between races is difficult for them. That is pretty much it.

 

They still do what I use to do, speak to riders, food & drink, watch the racing but the best bit for them? The freedom to move around the stadium & meeting up with other kids.

 

People these days think technology is the way forward, it isn't. It's knowing how to keep youngsters engaged.

[crazysue 613]

A lot of posters have said about the ageing fans, one of the reasons for this is the admission cost once a child hits 16 (I know some tracks are doing different pricing for them). My eldest son loves speedway but had to stop going once he hit 16, unfortunately, he hit 16 at the very start of the last year of compulsory education, so couldn't have a student card to get the concession rate and had to pay full adult price...goodness knows how the powers that be would think a 16 year old in compulsory education couild afford that, even if they had a part time job, it would have taken up pretty much all of the earnings!

 

Even the student concession rate is too excessive for those not at university but still in education (i.e. 6th form taking A levels), they still cannot earn enough to afford it....as a result, James goes to speedway very very rarely now and the sport of speedway has lost another attending fan.

 

The same thing will happen with my middle son, an even bigger fan of speedway than James was, he is another October born, is unable to find a suitable part time job to fit around his studies (not many will take on Aspergic children and the amount of homework he gets is eek) and there is absolutely no way he could or I, could afford to pay full rate for those months after he hits 16 but before he can get a student card, or concession once he finally starts at 6th form (only a month before his 17th birthday). He too, will then be lost to the sport.

 

Weirdly youngest, who has a later birthday and would not have so much of the same problem, cannot stand speedway and would rather gouge his eyeballs out than go.....

[2ndbendbeerhut 1,781]

Isn't compulsory education now or soon will be 18? Surely entrance fees should allow for that too....

[philfromcov 326]

i think this has come down to we are a "family sport" and we don't want to change that!

 

well thats a proud boast, but have to say dont see much evidence of that at all.

 

which mum would let there children into a filthy stadium? even the best are pretty rubbish.

 

the reality here is that speedway is no longer a family sport, for example i used to go with three kids and the wife, now they are all teenagers, so thats £85 entrance for 15 minutes entertainment.

 

when you then consider the sub rate teams we now have, its just not value for money, so lets get away from the family sport myth.

 

the facilities are poor

the food is generally terrible

the views at most tracks are not children friendly.

 

the price needs to come down considerably to attract family's at the moment, so you need family tickets, just like you get at the cinema, 2 adults 2 kids £35.

 

also what winds me up is having to stop and get cash to get into the stadium,

 

so i totally agree we need to make the sport family friendly again.

 

i mentioned betting earlier (i am not a fan, dont even do the lottery) but to completely remove that revenue stream away from the clubs seems a no brainier to me

 

also the comments on "we don't want children around betting" shows that people have no idea of the environment children grow up in these days, betting is the least of the problems.

 

personally for the meetings i cant make i would like an internet streamed service, quite happy to pay £3 to watch a home match on the internet, possible this could encourage at least "remote fans". this does not affect the sky money, before anyone says so. after the recent court case, you cannot own the rights to a live event, sky effectively can only "own" the commentary.

 

so it would be perfectly legal to have home meetings streamed on the net.

[pandorum 1,259]

Like TWK said speedway had 'teams' back whenwe were kids.

Not a bunch of people who fly in on a morning and are gone with the dawn.

Also the point about local riders is important.

 

Speedway shunned British riders in pursuit of foreign superstars and this must be a part of it's downfall.

Only by going backwards can this sport move forwards again.

Invest in British talent and forget about the Wards and Holders.

 

The sport is far too expensive and not really worth the outlay.

Drop down a gear and concentrate on making the sport 'exciting' and cheaper for all concerned.

The delusion that having the Gollobs and Hancocks of the world make our racing better is probably what is destroying it.

British Ice Hockey did just that and is beginning to reap the benefit so speedway needs to do it too.

Once SKY pull the plug it will be forced to do that anyways so perhaps a season of actual planning for the Big Day when what money there is dries up would be useful instead of mass panic next March.

 

Only the most deluded cannot see the sport is dying on it's feet and even the introduction of good ideas such as an end of season PO system can't really save it.

Look to the past and learn from it. The sport must have had something about it to be able to fill speedway stadia.

[Trees 2,814]

which mum would let there children into a filthy stadium? even the best are pretty rubbish.

Can't believe I'm reading this sentence, filthy stadiums!!! Dirt is a part of speedway, I never once worried about my children getting dirty at speedway or anywhere else come to that, it's what kids do!!!! Just dress them accordingly, take some wipes to clean their little dannies and go with it ................

 

I'm all for the kids entrance price being continued until youngsters are out to work really, they just need to show some evidence.