Birmingham Future In Doubt ? Alan Phillips Has Had Enough!

[ruckerroo 792]

the rental is a killer,but this years team was biult a bit on the bare bones, shame reaaly

[ch958 2,396]

Spoke with the BSPA's Jon Cook this evening and - as announced - he is hopeful of a positive announcement being made next week as to the immediate future of the Brummies.

 

In the meantime the BSPA are covering the rider wages for tonight and next Monday's meetings.

Why does 15 heats of speedway need an interval?

Sell beer

Sell chips

[MattK 3,447]

Sell beer

Sell chips

 

I appreciate that watching tractors go round can be fascinating, but I'd have thought there were ample gaps during a meeting for chips and beer runs. Intervals do seem like an unnecessary delay where most people stand around waiting for the racing to resume.

[weatherwatcher 664]

Intead of the dull boring old music coming over the speaker system they should make it 30 mins and put on a local ive group, in the central area. It could give some local band the break they need if the right people are there and it was also live on SKY. Lets entertain the crowds not bore them to death, with the promoter rabbiting on about how good the team could be even if they are bottom or third from bottom. We need something to draw the crowds not get all the races over with as soon as you can and then get them out so they can lock up and switch of the lights. Good night all see you at the next meeting. We are now turning all the lights off, don't break your necks going out as we are stapped for cash and our insurance might not cover you.

Let the promoter make the most of the meetings and try to bring speedway in the 21st century

[Skidder1 7,658]

Sell beer

Sell chips

Not forgetting the chance for the sun to go down and out of the riders' eyeline!!!!

 

and to give the track staff and St.Johns the chance for a p comfort break!!

Edited June 26, 2014 by Skidder1

[Tommy Sweetman 480]

And the strange comments Alan Phillips now makes "The prospects for next season being extremely bright with the new sponsorship deals agreed."

 

 

But was unable to carry on putting money into the club,to cover the shortfall.

[New Science 1,059]

I appreciate that watching tractors go round can be fascinating, but I'd have thought there were ample gaps during a meeting for chips and beer runs. Intervals do seem like an unnecessary delay where most people stand around waiting for the racing to resume.

Lets be honest, last year Birmingham had the perfect storm,finished top of the league,hand picked their local rivals for a play off semi final,rode against speedways biggest club Poole in the final,had a relatively cheap team,had 2 promoters,had a good commercial manager attracting good sponsorship,had a good team manager Phil Morris,had people with speedway experience(the Drurys), had cheap deals on tickets and STILL they could not make it work ! With respect their problems are much deeper than bringing back the 2nd half or cancelling the interval.It may please the current punters but is the equivalent of rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic when it comes to getting another 500 punters through the gate every week in order for Birmingham to continue !

[scoobydoo 2,259]

Why does 15 heats of speedway need an interval?

Edinburgh fans would say it's an H&S requirement

 

Speedway these days isn't value for money it's effectively £1 to watch each race these days and when they orsky want to bring a holt to meetings it's even more per race, for that £1 you get in some cases just one minute of action and over the whole meeting just 15 minutes of action you can see why people look elsewhere for they enjoyment

[New Science 1,059]

Edinburgh fans would say it's an H&S requirement

 

Speedway these days isn't value for money it's effectively £1 to watch each race these days and when they orsky want to bring a holt to meetings it's even more per race, for that £1 you get in some cases just one minute of action and over the whole meeting just 15 minutes of action you can see why people look elsewhere for they enjoyment

If that's the argument nobody would bother to watch Usain Bolt, hell you regularly get less than 10 seconds but he's the biggest crowd puller and highly paid athlete in the sport.Seen plenty of good 15 heat Elite league matches taking between 1.5 / 2 hours.If the quality is right people wont moan its only 15 minutes,they only moan when the quality is not up to scratch, which is most often the case these days !

[ch958 2,396]

I appreciate that watching tractors go round can be fascinating, but I'd have thought there were ample gaps during a meeting for chips and beer runs. Intervals do seem like an unnecessary delay where most people stand around waiting for the racing to resume.

I agree I'm just saying that's why they have them

[Crump99 4,478]

Edinburgh fans would say it's an H&S requirement

 

Speedway these days isn't value for money it's effectively £1 to watch each race these days and when they orsky want to bring a holt to meetings it's even more per race, for that £1 you get in some cases just one minute of action and over the whole meeting just 15 minutes of action you can see why people look elsewhere for they enjoyment

 

They look elsewhere because that 15 mins isn't enough unless it's top notch action throughout which it rarely is. Good efficient presentation for the rest of the time isn't that difficult really. Get that right and then see if things improve.

[OGT 612]

If that's the argument nobody would bother to watch Usain Bolt, hell you regularly get less than 10 seconds but he's the biggest crowd puller and highly paid athlete in the sport.Seen plenty of good 15 heat Elite league matches taking between 1.5 / 2 hours.If the quality is right people wont moan its only 15 minutes,they only moan when the quality is not up to scratch, which is most often the case these days !

TBF, there are a few other events to watch other than whatever Bolt is running in.

 

One of Brum's big problem's is their restricted revenue stream, with basically just the gate, progs and merch (maybe) money going into the club's coffers. Food drink and parking goes to the GRA on top of the high rent, that's a sizeable disadvantage against many other clubs, which is where the myriad of sponsorship deals have been a huge help over the last few years. So as has been said, losing Joe Mc along with the Drury's and Wizzer has been a massive blow and the club will do well to survive at all let alone in a lower league without any of those names being replaced with experienced heads.

[Brummie Kev 519]

I am not sure if there is ever going to be a solution to the Brummies problem. They have tried hard not this year but other years to get the public to come and support them. Not sure what the problem is there but it looks like the general public in and around Birmingham are just not interested in the sport. It may be Britains second largest city, but what is the make up of the population of the city and do they really care about going to watch the sport what ever league they are in.

They could probabbly better cutting thier loses get in some new blood to run the place and move the whole set up to an area where they could draw in a good crowd week in week out.

They could even consider going along the lines of a joint venture with Coventry and build a new state of the art stadium and sharing it on alternate days to get the most out of it. Just a though as they are not to far apart. I am sure there is land far enough from housing that a new stadium could be built that is also near enough to keep the fans of both sides happy.

 

We have numerous problems in attracting people to watch the sport. The people of Birmingham are obsessed with football, neither of our clubs Aston Villa and Birmingham City are in good shape, but despite that Villa's average crowd went up last year despite almost getting relegated. The Birmingham Mail do give speedway coverage but its usually 8 pages in and not always a full page. Football always gets back page even during the off season, others sports don't get much of a chance, certainty not minority ones like speedway.

 

Its not only speedway that has struggled other small sports have. The Birmingham Bullets basketball team is no longer around because it went bankrupt in 2006, don't think the support was there. Birmingham & Solihull Rugby club a few years back went into Voluntary Liquidation, their situation was then similar to us. They were spending too much money on players wages and expenditure generally and not getting enough people through the turnstiles to compensate. Even look at Cricket, in the T20 this year we have the "Birmingham Bears", its stupid. It was only done because they want relate more with the Birmingham public, so they must have been concerned support locally to have done that.

 

Despite all that, I believe speedway has a place in the city. What I think is needed is a massive advertisement campaign. Billboards in the city centre, newspaper ads, radio ads ( the gra advertise greyhound meetings) and a pretty extensive leaflet campaign in may areas of the city. That might sound unrealistic due to the costs involved, but we are a small fish in a big pond. To get significant improvements in the crowds we need significant advertising. There are man people in the city that dont know a speedway club exists, how sad is that?

 

 

And the strange comments Alan Phillips now makes "The prospects for next season being extremely bright with the new sponsorship deals agreed."

 

 

But was unable to carry on putting money into the club,to cover the shortfall.

 

Was this in todays local paper?, this was mentioned a week or so back by the commerical manager Victoria Pyke on the Brummies forum. Apparently the sponsors want a full season and not come in part way through. If Phillips is mentioning it now despite clearly wanting to sell, then he will more than likely use it to bump up the price to the person hes selling to. Just hope it dont end in tears.

Edited June 26, 2014 by Brummie Kev

[scaramanga 908]

Cheers for sticking the boot in Vog, nice to see some fans actually care.

never been to perry bar but i have been to tracks that i proberbly wont go back to for the very reasons vog listed

i dont want any speedway track lost to the sport but we pay to be entertained if the track dosnt produce entertainment then people wont get that bug that makes us return week in week out

its not about a winning team for me its about excitment if thats not there then you cant expect people to give up there spare cash

Edinburgh fans would say it's an H&S requirement

 

Speedway these days isn't value for money it's effectively £1 to watch each race these days and when they orsky want to bring a holt to meetings it's even more per race, for that £1 you get in some cases just one minute of action and over the whole meeting just 15 minutes of action you can see why people look elsewhere for they enjoyment

unless your meeting gets called off after heat 9 then you only get a reduction for the next meeting bassed on 1 heat reduction as the call off point is now heat 10

i thought we paid for 15 heats not 10 the promotion save 5 heats points money if its called of after 10 but we get nothing back ?

[Tommy Sweetman 480]

 

We have numerous problems in attracting people to watch the sport. The people of Birmingham are obsessed with football, neither of our clubs Aston Villa and Birmingham City are in good shape, but despite that Villa's average crowd went up last year despite almost getting relegated. The Birmingham Mail do give speedway coverage but its usually 8 pages in and not always a full page. Football always gets back page even during the off season, others sports don't get much of a chance, certainty not minority ones like speedway.

 

Its not only speedway that has struggled other small sports have. The Birmingham Bullets basketball team is no longer around because it went bankrupt in 2006, don't think the support was there. Birmingham & Solihull Rugby club a few years back went into Voluntary Liquidation, their situation was then similar to us. They were spending too much money on players wages and expenditure generally and not getting enough people through the turnstiles to compensate. Even look at Cricket, in the T20 this year we have the "Birmingham Bears", its stupid. It was only done because they want relate more with the Birmingham public, so they must have been concerned support locally to have done that.

 

Despite all that, I believe speedway has a place in the city. What I think is needed is a massive advertisement campaign. Billboards in the city centre, newspaper ads, radio ads ( the gra advertise greyhound meetings) and a pretty extensive leaflet campaign in may areas of the city. That might sound unrealistic due to the costs involved, but we are a small fish in a big pond. To get significant improvements in the crowds we need significant advertising. There are man people in the city that dont know a speedway club exists, how sad is that?

 

 

 

Was this in todays local paper?, this was mentioned a week or so back by the commerical manager Victoria Pyke on the Brummies forum. Apparently the sponsors want a full season and not come in part way through. If Phillips is mentioning it now despite clearly wanting to sell, then he will more than likely use it to bump up the price to the person hes selling to. Just hope it dont end in tears.

Yes Kev,in thursday,s Express & Star.

 

Also,today Nigel Pearson is saying next wednesday,s fixture is in doubt,as the stadium is no longer available to speedway until new owners are put in place and money owed to the landlords is paid in full.