British Speedway Promoters Meeting

[seanmuffe 105]

QUOTE

Elite League:

10 teams: Belle Vue, Birmingham, Coventry, Eastbourne, King’s Lynn, Lakeside, Leicester, Poole, Swindon, Wolverhampton.

Points limit 32 (top five riders); National League riders at No.6 and No.7

Teams meet each other twice home and away - minimum 18 home fixtures, 36 in league programme.

Play-offs as before (for top four teams).

 

Do we know what constitutes a NL rider yet? or is that still being drawn up

depends whose press release you read!

[george.m 3,063]

How many NL riders are over the age of 25?

Would they qualify for an EL/British league or whatever it's name is?

Defeats the purpose if they do.

[g13webb 4,254]

 

I think you have to anaylyse what people say from a perspective of semantics.

I think the BSPA are idiots but that does not mean I think they are particularly unintelligent.

 

Let's face it for 15 years they had a massive boost from TV but failed to attract one single sponsor for thier league.

Are you certain that there are no sponsors of any team in the EL who are there because of the TV coverage? I am 100% certain there are! Quite possibly there is valid criticism in their not finding a major title sponsor.

They failed to use the TV to thier advantage in promoting the sport to a wider audience.

In reality we have no idea of how many people watch Speedway on TV who would never have seen the sport otherwise. However they have failed to convert them into spectators

They have made no attempt to showcase the sport by picking carefully matches to be shown on TV and were quite happy to fill the screen with dross that put off thier core speedway audience let alone brought a new audience to the sport.

Do they have any say in the selected matches? I always assumed Sky picked them not least based on location and availability of their equipment.

They don't have a clue how to use the latest media to promote the sport.

Guilty

 

They oversaw shambles after shambles with rules being bent, twisted, ignored and even made up on the fly to suit the favoured few.

They were selfish, greedy and spiteful and with thier petty point scoring were quite happy to see teams go out of existence rather than work together for the good of the sport.

That's an opinion and in some cases appears to be true, however we don't know the reason these things happened and there must be for the majority to accept it.

 

They ignore thier core customers even to the point of treating them as the enemy.

I think you are guilty of thinking the people who post on here as the core customers when they are a small but vocal minority. They often haven't helped themselves with public displays of petulance it I would agree.

They have squandered thier TV bounty and the goodwill between fan and promoter.

It would appear so but in their defense it would seem for most it was pure survival rather than p***ing it away.

Now they realise they are in the s### and are asking the kids to pull them out of it.

Or, in my opinion they may have just made the boldest and best move the sport has seen in decades (if it is done properly)

 

To me that is a bunch of idiots.

To me, that is generally a bunch of people passionate about the sport, putting their money where their mouth is and doing their best.

 

 

 

I must say what ' Pandorum' has said is pretty much an accurate picture of this sport. 'Vince' in his attempt to defend the acquisations has even highlighted it more so. But nobody can argue the shambles and the terrible decisions made, have taken this sport to the brink of extinction. .

Edited November 22, 2013 by GRW123

[pandorum 1,259]

 

I think you have to anaylyse what people say from a perspective of semantics.

I think the BSPA are idiots but that does not mean I think they are particularly unintelligent.

 

Let's face it for 15 years they had a massive boost from TV but failed to attract one single sponsor for thier league.

Are you certain that there are no sponsors of any team in the EL who are there because of the TV coverage? I am 100% certain there are! Quite possibly there is valid criticism in their not finding a major title sponsor.

Well yes I am absolutely certain that the BSPA failed to secure a sponsor for the Elite league unless you know something the rest of us don’t. What do you think I meant by 'thier league'? Obviously a rhetorical question.

 

 

They failed to use the TV to thier advantage in promoting the sport to a wider audience.

In reality we have no idea of how many people watch Speedway on TV who would never have seen the sport otherwise. However they have failed to convert them into spectators

In other words what I said

 

They have made no attempt to showcase the sport by picking carefully matches to be shown on TV and were quite happy to fill the screen with dross that put off thier core speedway audience let alone brought a new audience to the sport.

Do they have any say in the selected matches? I always assumed Sky picked them not least based on location and availability of their equipment.

If they don't then they are clearly idiots.

 

They don't have a clue how to use the latest media to promote the sport.

Guilty

Again what I said

 

They oversaw shambles after shambles with rules being bent, twisted, ignored and even made up on the fly to suit the favoured few.

They were selfish, greedy and spiteful and with thier petty point scoring were quite happy to see teams go out of existence rather than work together for the good of the sport.

That's an opinion and in some cases appears to be true, however we don't know the reason these things happened and there must be for the majority to accept it.

Again in other words what I said. of course it's an opinion. That is a major factor of what we call a discussion where I come from.

 

They ignore thier core customers even to the point of treating them as the enemy.

I think you are guilty of thinking the people who post on here as the core customers when they are a small but vocal minority. They often haven't helped themselves with public displays of petulance it I would agree.

So again what I said. I admit I am not a core customer although I used to be but I think we can agree that a great many here and on FB and Twitter etc are exactly that and represent a good proportion of the tiny amount of people in the UK that watch speedway live each week..

 

They have squandered thier TV bounty and the goodwill between fan and promoter.

It would appear so but in their defense it would seem for most it was pure survival rather than p***ing it away.

Again what I said and there is no defense for any of it. They are imbiciles. What they had was gold dust and they p##sed it away. I was not just talking about MONEY in that sentence.

 

Now they realise they are in the s### and are asking the kids to pull them out of it.

Or, in my opinion they may have just made the boldest and best move the sport has seen in decades (if it is done properly)

I have been waffling on about just that with many other here for years now. But only the most blinkered fool thinks this is being done for the 'right' reason. They are doing it because they are in the s###. And using the kids to save money. Yes it is the right thing to do and should have been done 10 years ago. Hopefully the kids will benefit but it has been handled cack handedly so far. It remains to be seen if they can do this in a way that does help the kids. I hope they manage it I really do.

But how long will this last? It should be the template for British speedway for the next 20 years at least. It should be standard in the PL as well. #6 and #7 Brits only.

 

To me that is a bunch of idiots.

To me, that is generally a bunch of people passionate about the sport, putting their money where their mouth is and doing their best.

Luckily I was expressing MY opinion then and not YOURS. What you say may well be true but the idea these fools know what they are doing dissapeared years ago.

They have never really set the agenda simply reacted to circumstances as they did at the weekend. Vision and foresight are whats needed but this lot (with one or two exceptions) don't have that. One of the best examples of this is Rob Lyon and his blueprint for the GB team.

Of course my term 'bunch' is a general term that does not include them all but as a collective body idiots is being rather complimentary to this crew.

 

Edited November 22, 2013 by pandorum

[high edge 103]

At long last b s p a members have woken up i dont want to make anything out of it but ,i have been saying for years that only british riders should be at reserve in both the Elite and Premier leagues , and at last they have gone half way but come on make it a rule in the Premier as well stop playing about.Also i think we should have at least two Britts in the top five lets get back to helping ourselves its the only way we might get back to being a world power in speedway.

[Skidder1 7,637]

Pandorum, I think you'll find Sky Sports have been the League Sponsor, as well as televising meetings!!!

 

One of the potential problems of having a Main Media Sponsor - of anything, not only speedway - is that other media tend to avoid giving their competition any exposure!!

 

Its a bit like a Daily Mirror-sponsored event not being given coverage by the Sun, Times etc!!

[pandorum 1,259]

Pandorum, I think you'll find Sky Sports have been the League Sponsor, as well as televising meetings!!!

 

One of the potential problems of having a Main Media Sponsor - of anything, not only speedway - is that other media tend to avoid giving their competition any exposure!!

 

Its a bit like a Daily Mirror-sponsored event not being given coverage by the Sun, Times etc!!

That's just getting daft now Skidder.

You know as well as I do what I meant and know that it stands as an argument.

Sky Sports no more 'sponsored' the EL than I did. They simply filled in a void that with any other sport would have been filled by a named company.

 

And the idea that the media did not give speedway any exposure because Sky Sports 'sponsored' it is frankly silly.

The media did not give speedway any coverage because it is a minor sport even among minor sports which has hardly any supporters, has not a clue how to push itself forward even with the brilliant coverage SKY gave it and is pretty much dying and irrelevant here sadly.

Edited November 22, 2013 by pandorum

[Fromafar 10,375]

Can't believe the Pl Teams are going to race each other home and away THEN pick 3 Teams they want to race against as extra fixtures,will the extra fixture count towards aTopSix place for Play -offs if it does the it's farcical.I'm I reading the article in SS wrong.

[TwoMinuteWarning 69]

Can't believe the Pl Teams are going to race each other home and away THEN pick 3 Teams they want to race against as extra fixtures,will the extra fixture count towards aTopSix place for Play -offs if it does the it's farcical.I'm I reading the article in SS wrong.

Nor can I, it's not necessary.

Make the PL league cup 2 groups of 6, instead of 3 groups of 4, and that gives each team 2 of the extra home meetings that they seem to want.

 

In a similar way there should be an EL League Cup to start the season, with 2 groups of 5, instead of extra league matches. The EL needs an extra competition to help maintain interest.

[Fromafar 10,375]

Nor can I, it's not necessary.

Make the PL league cup 2 groups of 6, instead of 3 groups of 4, and that gives each team 2 of the extra home meetings that they seem to want.

 

In a similar way there should be an EL League Cup to start the season, with 2 groups of 5, instead of extra league matches. The EL needs an extra competition to help maintain interest.

Jon Cook says EL fans will delighted that they have dropped these extra fixture of choosing who you race against yet Pl introduce it.You could not make it up!!!!!!!

[The White Knight 9,039]

Jon Cook says EL fans will delighted that they have dropped these extra fixture of choosing who you race against yet Pl introduce it.You could not make it up!!!!!!!

 

 

This turns our League in to a complete JOKE!!

 

Surely these Meetings will not count towards the Play Offs or for Points in the League. If you need Points pick the BOTTOM Team.

 

If you need Money - pick your local rivals (the most likely).

 

WHAT ARE THEY TRYING TO DO TO SPEEDWAY!!! :sad:

[pandorum 1,259]

 

 

This turns our League in to a complete JOKE!!

 

Surely these Meetings will not count towards the Play Offs or for Points in the League. If you need Points pick the BOTTOM Team.

 

If you need Money - pick your local rivals (the most likely).

 

WHAT ARE THEY TRYING TO DO TO SPEEDWAY!!! :sad:

TWK you should know by now that the BSPA are contractually obliged to introduce one insane idea per year to offset any good they may have inadvertently done.

It's probably the fault of you PL fans who have been saying for years how sensiblely run the PL is. The EL promoters will now be able to say 'how do you like them apples' to the PL after lumbering you with such a silly format.

Edited November 22, 2013 by pandorum

[Alan_Jones 1,005]

As a long time 2nd & 3rd division supporter I have to say how disappointed I am at the outcome of the AGM. We've been saying for years that we don't want the EL needlessly embroiling the PL in their problems but this time around the PL promoters seem to have made their own efforts to alienate the fans and possibly have an adverse effect on the EL & NL.

 

The EL lose the Mickey Mouse PYO opponents idea and the PL bring it in. The prospect of seeing Ipswich, Somerset & Plymouth 3 times each at Rye House doesn't thrill me, as good as those teams may prove to be.

 

For whatever reason, the EL have addressed the young British rider development problem but the prospect of all but the very best NL standard riders having to leapfrog the PL and go straight into the EL is a worry. The only way for those riders to address that situation will be to treble up which leads to all sorts of rider availability/guest/R/R issues. I dread to think of the sort of rules being dreamt up to 'solve' those potential problems.

 

The EL have a workable quick-fire play off system which works while the PL stick with the unwieldy mini leagues and, thanks to the extra league matches, have less time to fit them in.

 

Add to that lot the dogs breakfast of a Rye House team just announced and I shall be a bit more choosy when I attend. Thankfully, a change of hours at work means I'll be able to get to see 'my' NL team, which was kidnapped and held hostage at Sittingbourne, for the first time for a while.

[Shale Shaker 106]

As pandorum previously and correctly asserted - "idiots" !

[Parsloes 1928 nearly 495]

How many NL riders are over the age of 25?

Would they qualify for an EL/British league or whatever it's name is?

Defeats the purpose if they do.

Not sure what you mean?

Why would it necessarily be a bad thing for a rider as 'old' (shock! horror!) as 26 to be given a chance in the upper division(s)?