Tai Woffinden's Views On Single Night Racing In Uk

[orion 7,621]

I said that the teams riding at Monmore and Kirky Lane wouldn't be able to ride at home on the Monday night

My point is, assuming a 10 team league on Monday, five tracks will not be operating each week

Speedway fans are in the main creatures of habit and turn up same night each week, stand/sit in the same place, meet the same fellow fans

Taking away that regular habit will risk losing some previously regular fans "Oh, on a Monday I can . . . . . ." instead of speedway - because, every other week, there isn't any at the local track!

Of course they would not be able to ride at home on the same night just like they don't in Sweden in Poland ,the idea is to have a home match every two weeks . Having racing every two weeks on set days in Poland and Sweden has worked so not sure why British fans would be any different to fans in Sweden and Poland who have got used to the habit of going every two weeks .

Edited July 21, 2014 by orion

[BWitcher 12,453]

Of course they would not be able to ride at home on the same night just like they don't in Sweden in Poland ,the idea is to have a home match every two weeks . Having racing every two weeks on set days in Poland and Sweden has worked so not sure why British fans would be any different to fans in Sweden and Poland who have got used to the habit of going every two weeks .

 

You could even see an increase in away support.

Edited July 21, 2014 by BWitcher

[OGT 612]

Cricket.

Now there's a thing. Essentially boring (imo) and tedious (also imo) at bread and butter level, but vastly more successful and exciting (?) at test and limited over levels.

But what really brings the money in and propels the game up to a totally different level of everything is 20/20 or whatever it's called now. Largely unpopular with the older generation, it's helped many clubs to survive financially (some still struggle though, granted) but it's created a whole new generation of, well, 20/20 fans.

 

So there you have the answer, 6 months of tedious bread and butter league speedway, with a month of an all singing all dancing, hyper exciting, over the top competition to pay for it.

 

Simple really.

[ColinMills 1,728]

 

You could even see an increase in away support.

think your positioning in the league with play off system has effected away support..take edinburgh for instance. why bother travelling to plymouth (for example) when they are nailed on for play offs, the old style lge system, in that instance, would maybe of got them out, as it was a different scenario..for edinburgh, i would guess some edinburgh fans even miss home meetings now, as they just got to wait for playoffs to start now

[FTM 146]

Interesting comments from both sides of the fence with Top Stars getting flak for wanting to earn money for themselves and family if they are married I Think British Speedway should change to one night a week on a two week cycle (1 home 1 away) with maybe a premier lge side or N/l side on the off week .

 

 

The ultimate non negotiable main point being if Poland/Sunday Sweden/Tuesday Denmark/Friday ( or whenever their racenight is ) have a rain off it is up to them to bite the bullet and accept British Speedway takes priority on our nominated race night ,not as happened with Eastbournes Cameron Woodward and Joonas Kylmokorpi last week .Also if the rider or riders decided to stay abroad with their other employer they would automatically be banned in all other leagues for 28 days for not upholding a binding contract. Gb promoters will only be paying big stars once a fortnight, fans will turn up if they only get a once a fortnight chance to see their favourites, and if (as Coventry/Cradley/Mildenhall etc etc ) promoters field a cheaper team on their second week it will be a success as the fans have voted with their feet /entrance money this season in the N/L where The Storm (coventry) have been riding in front of some very impressive crowds .

 

My last point is Track Curating must be improved and the shale has got to be the best ,which it has not been in the last few years ,this, although it is a major cost, if you only run top flight once a fortnight, you in theory shouldn,t use so much over the course of a season,and Curators must be paid decent money for the job .They (as far as I know ) have to be licenced by the control board and they are subject to at least one visit per year by the C/B inspector and they have their own rules and regs pages in the B.S.P.A. handbook which must be adhered to at all times .If they don,t do the job properly they can be banned .

Just a few points/ideas I have been mulling over for a few months be interested to know if you are in agreement or wish to shoot me down .

[hulvik 73]

Unlike others sports football and rugby league fo example speedway as never traditionally had a set night in this country. This isn't just as a few have stated down to ground shareing and landlords but local councils too, stating in planning permission nights and times which teams can run. How many teams have a cerfew ?. While it would be nice to see a set night in this country It will never happen. The other problem is sky it's self the only reason they want speedway on a Monday night is to fit in with the summer schedules. Anybody who as sky sports will see that as soon as the football season finishes rugby league is suddenly on the TV thursday to Monday in the few weeks were the seasons overlap your lucky to see an oval ball. Yes Sky bring money into the sport but at what cost you only have to look at the wage bills in other sky sports to see were the bulk of the money goes. A similar arugument is raging in football about the state of the national team with people saying limit wages and the number of overseas players only to be told if you cap the wages the top players will leave the domestic game and the perimer league will die as a result

Yes all of us on here love our speedway and if you ask each one of us we'd all have a differant way to fix the problems. But some of the problems we have these days are caused by desicions that were made with the intention to bring the sport to a wider audiance and like many other sports before us this as become a desicion we have lived to regreat

[Midland Red 2,383]

Another of the ridiculous old clichéd arguments presented.

 

Most other sports can cope with home one week, away the next, but oh no, not speedway!

 

All this boils down to is the same old stick in the muds wanting things the way they've always had it. Being able to go each week, being able to go to another track during the week. The same old stick in the mud promoters thinking that because those stick in the mud, ever aging and declining base of fans want it, everyone else does as well.

 

People are speaking with their feet. They're not coming anymore. So these creatures of habit you speak of aren't attending every week anymore, its an argument long past its sell by date.

 

A well presented, well marketed league run on a 1 home 1 away basis would make matches a must see and not have fans picking and choosing their meetings which they do now... those that still bother to pick and choose that is!

 

For what it's worth, I too would much prefer racing every week... but the reality is it's not working.

Using Brandon as an example, Saturday was/Friday is speedway night

You reckon the fans will come flooding back when every other Monday is speedway night

Think again, pal

And if Sky continue to broadcast live league matches, the armchair brigade will continue to exist/expand, to the detriment of clicks at the turnstiles

[BWitcher 12,453]

Using Brandon as an example, Saturday was/Friday is speedway night

You reckon the fans will come flooding back when every other Monday is speedway night

Think again, pal

And if Sky continue to broadcast live league matches, the armchair brigade will continue to exist/expand, to the detriment of clicks at the turnstiles

 

It doesn't matter what night the product is on if its something that people will buy into.

 

If you present crap, which is done now, people will stop coming, which they have.

 

If you present a good product it doesn't matter what night it is on, people will attend.

 

Do people only go to concerts at the weekend?

 

Premier League Darts, that's Thursdays, it will never work!

 

All of your arguments are based around the existing product so they are effectively null and void.

 

The PRODUCT has to change and it has to change radically to engage the public once again.

[Humphrey Appleby 13,974]

But what really brings the money in and propels the game up to a totally different level of everything is 20/20 or whatever it's called now. Largely unpopular with the older generation, it's helped many clubs to survive financially (some still struggle though, granted) but it's created a whole new generation of, well, 20/20 fans.

It don't think it helps to compare speedway with cricket. Whilst T20 helps counties to not play in completely deserted grounds, most/all counties live off the largesse generated from international fixtures, which is surely a lesson for the authorities who allow the SGP to skim off what little cream there is.

 

For most sports, it would be utter madness to play inconclusive matches in the middle of the day in the middle of the week, but cricket is fortunately one of those sports you can play every day, and if you're employing the players during the season anyway, you might as well open up the ground and get make a few quid from the old men and dogs. Cricket grounds also have the benefit of (usually) being quite attractive places to go and have a beer or two, so can tap into the higher class corporate market.

 

Speedway remains wedded to the used car salesman, sign writing and local plumbing-business-done-good type of corporate sponsorship, and therein lies the difference.

[E I Addio 15,854]

 

Another of the ridiculous old clichéd arguments presented.

 

Most other sports can cope with home one week, away the next, but oh no, not speedway!

 

All this boils down to is the same old stick in the muds wanting things the way they've always had it. Being able to go each week, being able to go to another track during the week. The same old stick in the mud promoters thinking that because those stick in the mud, ever aging and declining base of fans want it, everyone else does as well.

 

People are speaking with their feet. They're not coming anymore. So these creatures of habit you speak of aren't attending every week anymore, its an argument long past its sell by date.

 

A well presented, well marketed league run on a 1 home 1 away basis would make matches a must see and not have fans picking and choosing their meetings which they do now... those that still bother to pick and choose that is!

 

For what it's worth, I too would much prefer racing every week... but the reality is it's not working.

 

Bwitcher, this is a discussion forum and calling people stick in the muds because they happen to not agree with you does not advance the course of sensible discussion. If you wan to advance e a particular point of view then other forum are members are entitled to scrutinise it and play Devils advocate. That doesn't make them stick in the muds.

 

Speedway is beset with all kinds of problems and unless many of these are corrected then there is no evidence that changing to a single race night will make a scrap of difference.

 

To illustrate: I know two people who now take virtually no interest in the sport and the reason they give is that they are sick of the T/R rule. I doubt that is the only reason but to them the rule is what stands out in their minds in keeping them away. I have heard of other fans who say the same thing and some have posted on here and said so. It doesn't bother you because you happen to like the rule but changing the race night is not going to win those fans back . I am not talking about those fans in particular but merely illustrate the point that many fans are really fed up with similar things relating to the rules and especially the inconsistent application of them.

 

As another example there is another thread currently running about rolling at the starts which is an irritation to many fans. I was at a meeting recently where I heard that the Clerk of the Course actually pointed out to the referee that a particular rider was constantly rolling. The ref's answer was " Oh he's not rolling very much". No, not much , just enough to get a flyer and give the paying public a FTG win instead of a proper race. What's the point of having rules if referee's don't enforce them ? They are not going to suddenly enforce them because everyone races on the same night.

 

How many posts have there been on this forum even within the last few weeks where referees have made shocking decisions, sometimes calling all 4 back when someone goes down on their own and at other times doing the exact opposite and excluding a rider who was clearly knocked off by another when it should be all 4 back ?. You have even posted on some of these incidents yourself . None of that will suddenly change simply by everyone racing the same night. On the other hand if the rules were followed and followed consistently it is quite possible a lot of fans will be tempted back what ever night of the week.

 

Similarly meetings that drag on for ages on one night are not going to suddenly run to time another night.

 

So IMO as a potential stick in the mud I am not convinced that anyone will be tempted back by a single race night unless the basics are sorted out first. Changing the race night before getting the rest of it sorted is putting the cart before the horse IMO.

Edited July 22, 2014 by E I Addio

[BWitcher 12,453]

 

Bwitcher, this is a discussion forum and calling people stick in the muds because they happen to not agree with you does not advance the course of sensible discussion. If you wan to advance e a particular point of view then other forum are members are entitled to scrutinise it and play Devils advocate. That doesn't make them stick in the muds.

 

Speedway is beset with all kinds of problems and unless many of these are corrected then there is no evidence that changing to a single race night will make a scrap of difference.

 

To illustrate: I know two people who now take virtually no interest in the sport and the reason they give is that they are sick of the T/R rule. I doubt that is the only reason but to them the rule is what stands out in their minds in keeping them away. I have heard of other fans who say the same thing and some have posted on here and said so. It doesn't bother you because you happen to like the rule but changing the race night is not going to win those fans back . I am not talking about those fans in particular but merely illustrate the point that many fans are really fed up with similar things relating to the rules and especially the inconsistent application of them.

 

As another example there is another thread currently running about rolling at the starts which is an irritation to many fans. I was at a meeting recently where I heard that the Clerk of the Course actually pointed out to the referee that a particular rider was constantly rolling. The ref's answer was " Oh he's not rolling very much". No, not much , just enough to get a flyer and give the paying public a FTG win instead of a proper race. What's the point of having rules if referee's don't enforce them ? They are not going to suddenly enforce them because everyone races on the same night.

 

How many posts have there been on this forum even within the last few weeks where referees have made shocking decisions, sometimes calling all 4 back when someone goes down on their own and at other times doing the exact opposite and excluding a rider who was clearly knocked off by another when it should be all 4 back ?. You have even posted on some of these incidents yourself . None of that will suddenly change simply by everyone racing the same night. On the other hand if the rules were followed and followed consistently it is quite possible a lot of fans will be tempted back what ever night of the week.

 

Similarly meetings that drag on for ages on one night are not going to suddenly run to time another night.

 

So IMO as a potential stick in the mud I am not convinced that anyone will be tempted back by a single race night unless the basics are sorted out first. Changing the race night before getting the rest of it sorted is putting the cart before the horse IMO.

 

I've not at any stage ever said simply changing to 1 night a week racing will solve the problems.

 

I've always stated quite clearly that the product has to be overhauled and changes made. What I object to is the same old tired clichéd arguments put forward at the mere suggestion of change. You yourself have highlighted, change is needed and lots of it.

 

Speedway in this country is stuck in the mud, and the many of the fans who still attend are stuck in the mud too, I make no apologies for using that term as its the reality. Sometimes reality hurts. As I said before, I'm one of the stick in the muds too but I realise things have got to change.

Edited July 22, 2014 by BWitcher

[RPNY 608]

 

 

A good point spoiled by a bad example. Adam Skornicki is one of the best value foreign riders of the last 20 years. A cult hero at Monmore, he's popular just about everywhere he's raced and has been a great servant of British speedway.

 

Apologies, but I just meant 5 to 6 point foreigners!

[Midland Red 2,383]

 

I've not at any stage ever said simply changing to 1 night a week racing will solve the problems.

 

I've always stated quite clearly that the product has to be overhauled and changes made. What I object to is the same old tired clichéd arguments put forward at the mere suggestion of change. You yourself have highlighted, change is needed and lots of it.

 

Speedway in this country is stuck in the mud, and the many of the fans who still attend are stuck in the mud too, I make no apologies for using that term as its the reality. Sometimes reality hurts. As I said before, I'm one of the stick in the muds too but I realise things have got to change.

 

I think E I Addio will agree with me that stating that you "object to . . . the same old tired chiched arguments" is not the best choice of words - perhaps you really mean "I disagree with . . ."

I disagree with quite a lot of what is posted on this forum, but I don't object to people having their opinions

You say you want to see change - ever thought that changing back to something which worked in the past might be the way forward?

[BWitcher 12,453]

 

I think E I Addio will agree with me that stating that you "object to . . . the same old tired chiched arguments" is not the best choice of words - perhaps you really mean "I disagree with . . ."

I disagree with quite a lot of what is posted on this forum, but I don't object to people having their opinions

You say you want to see change - ever thought that changing back to something which worked in the past might be the way forward?

 

No, because times have changed, but thanks for once again reinforcing what I have said all along.

[topaz325 1,862]

The future ....just a few amateur meetings in Britain and left to watch Swedish League and GPs on the tv.