champs99 103 Posted August 25, 2013 The only blow to me is that i wouldn't go as often or be interested in supporting a PL standard team. The current so called Elite League is no better than a second rate league anyway 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
orion 7,615 Posted August 25, 2013 The current so called Elite League is no better than a second rate league anyway Second rate to want league in the uk ? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stevebrum 6,824 Posted August 25, 2013 The current so called Elite League is no better than a second rate league anyway Which is ten times superior to the PL anyway. For rider quality. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Daniel Smith 5,666 Posted August 25, 2013 Which is ten times superior to the PL anyway. For rider quality. So it's rider quality over quality racing for you then??? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
orion 7,615 Posted August 25, 2013 So it's rider quality over quality racing for you then??? So do most people otherwise if the Pl racing was better (and that open to debate )the crowds would massive rather that the small numbers who watch it now . 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tellboy 3,662 Posted August 25, 2013 Which is ten times superior to the PL anyway. For rider quality. Can't see it being 10 times better,especially as we seem to to see more Pl riders in it nowadays. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gemini 4,894 Posted August 25, 2013 ......stevebrum......My only point is that any watering down and further loss of top riders is going to see some (myself included) lost to watching regular Speedway. Goodbye to the 'some' then. Doesn't bother me not seeing top riders - in fact I have enjoyed watching the National League matches at Coventry more than the Elite League. 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stevebrum 6,824 Posted August 25, 2013 So it's rider quality over quality racing for you then??? I never fail to be excited watching EL speedway at Monmore Green so i am probably spoiled. So i am lucky to say i have both Quality and Quantity. Have been to many tracks (PL/NL) throughout the years and some (Scunthorpe, Somerset, Stoke) have offered superb racing whilst i can name double those that offered the odd good heat. You are trying to make it into a PL = better quality racing scenario. It isn't. The best prepared tracks offer the best racing - irrespective of leagues). Goodbye to the 'some' then. Doesn't bother me not seeing top riders - in fact I have enjoyed watching the National League matches at Coventry more than the Elite League. This is part of the problem we have Gemini. Can speedway really afford to say goodbye to a good percentage of its clientele? Too be honest i am with you on the NL part. I would be much more interested watching young and up and coming riders than regular PL. However i wouldnt go week in week out to watch it tho. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Skidder1 7,637 Posted August 26, 2013 I never fail to be excited watching EL speedway at Monmore Green so i am probably spoiled. So i am lucky to say i have both Quality and Quantity. Have been to many tracks (PL/NL) throughout the years and some (Scunthorpe, Somerset, Stoke) have offered superb racing whilst i can name double those that offered the odd good heat. You are trying to make it into a PL = better quality racing scenario. It isn't. The best prepared tracks offer the best racing - irrespective of leagues). Hard to disagree with that point SB, but its not the whole issue is it? Its also about what the paying public (or non-paying public) believe is value for money, whatever the level of racing. Its a fact that top speedway in this country is currently unsustainable in its present form. The sport has to take a few steps back in order to re-establish its financial footing. (ps. Imo this also applies to the Swedish leagues and to a lesser extent the Polish ones too.) and reducing basic costs has got to be a good starting point for everyone involved, although I can't see it all happening for 2014!! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MattK 3,447 Posted August 26, 2013 As dump that clutch has eloquently put it in the preceding post the immediate problem is how to get more meetings per season. The question of who is going to ride in them comes after that. The problem is, if a club is losing money every time they hold a meeting, where is the incentive to run more meetings? You say dropping the points limit will help reduce cost, but is there any evidence of this? Do the number ones in the Elite League this season earn any less than the number ones from five years ago when the majority were world class GP riders? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
uk_martin 1,606 Posted August 26, 2013 (edited) One of the biggest instant-results cost savings would be to have UK based riders only. A team (e.g. Wolves) that has 5 foreign based riders would incur air fares for the Swedes, Poles, Danes etc, of, (let's say for round figures) £100 each way, thus £200 return, thus £1,000 per meeting. Yes I know you can get air fares to some places, below £100 each way, but given that there are a lot of rearranged fixtures taking place, that a lot of air fares have to be bought at the last minute, and therefore be at much much more than the lowest fares that airlines offer for advance bookings, so I'm thinking that an average of £100 each way won't be far off the mark. So for a 30 meeting season, that's £30,000 off the season's running costs. Anyone else got any ideas as to how to trim the costs as effectively? Edited August 26, 2013 by uk martin 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MattK 3,447 Posted August 26, 2013 (edited) One of the biggest instant-results cost savings would be to have UK based riders only. A team (e.g. Wolves) that has 5 foreign based riders would incur air fares for the Swedes, Poles, Danes etc, of, (let's say for round figures) £100 each way, thus £200 return, thus £1,000 per meeting. Do foreign riders demand the same points money as their British equivalent though? Edited August 26, 2013 by MattK Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
T.N.T. 355 Posted August 26, 2013 One of the biggest instant-results cost savings would be to have UK based riders only. A team (e.g. Wolves) that has 5 foreign based riders would incur air fares for the Swedes, Poles, Danes etc, of, (let's say for round figures) £100 each way, thus £200 return, thus £1,000 per meeting. So for a 30 meeting season, that's £30,000 off the season's running costs. Anyone else got any ideas as to how to trim the costs as effectively? Don't have the big earners in the league. 30 meetings at roughly £2,500 per meeting = £75,000 per season also take off the air fares and possibly two of these riders in each team, that's roughly £160,000 a year saving SWINDON; Troy Batchelor 8.31, Jason Doyle 7.15, Edward Kennett 6.48, Nick Morris 5.32, Ashley Birks 3.77, Kyle Howarth 3.69, ...... 3.00 = 37.72 WOLVES; Tai Woffinden 9.22, Adam Skornicki 6.23, Ty Proctor 5.78, Ricky Wells 5.55, Jacob Thorssell 4.60, Ashley Morris 3.00, Tom Pery 3.00 = 37.38 Still get to see some top clas riders that entertain and also see the young stars of tomorrow coming through the ranks ..... and cost effective !! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
uk_martin 1,606 Posted August 26, 2013 Do foreign riders demand the same points money as their British equivalent though? I dare say that every rider will "demand" what they are worth. How about the theory that being "spoilt" with continental pay rates, they may even consider asking for more to make it worth their while being in the UK. SWINDON; Troy Batchelor 8.31, Jason Doyle 7.15, Edward Kennett 6.48... Oi !!! Just thinking about these air fares...isn't it time that Ryanair, Wizzair, or in the case of Martin Smolinski, Singapore Airlines started to give something back to the sport that earns them, between all the riders in the EL and PL somewhere between £250,000 and £300,000 per year? How about a Ryanair British League, next year? Or maybe "Speedway" could be rebranded as "Wizzway"? Or maybe the fans can all get nice oriental massages off the Singapore Stewardesses Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stevebrum 6,824 Posted August 26, 2013 Hard to disagree with that point SB, but its not the whole issue is it? Its also about what the paying public (or non-paying public) believe is value for money, whatever the level of racing. Its a fact that top speedway in this country is currently unsustainable in its present form. The sport has to take a few steps back in order to re-establish its financial footing. (ps. Imo this also applies to the Swedish leagues and to a lesser extent the Polish ones too.) and reducing basic costs has got to be a good starting point for everyone involved, although I can't see it all happening for 2014!! Agreed its not the whole issue. But if you offer an inexpensive cheaper option it wont attract the numbers required to sustain it as a credible sport. Obviously if all leagues cut their cloth accordingly then there would be no leagues for the top boys to race in! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
