More On The Decline Of British Speedway

[Guest]

A little off beat but how can women's international attract more spectators than (1) The GP in Cardiff or (2) the overall total for all tracks in one week.

At Wembley this afternoon, where Germany beat England 3-0 in a women's international, there was a 55,000 attendance. Why does speedway no longer match those sort of attendances?

My theory: because British speedway has "lost its way" and sadly there does not appear to be a way to reverse the trend. And for my part I can see no answer as to the best way to halt the downward spiral.

Edited November 23, 2014 by Guest

[pugwash 3,208]

Rugby Union's IRB show how to promote the sport. I love watching the Rugby test matches, and the Rugby World Cup. This is what I miss most in Speedway. When was the last time that ENGLAND (not the bloodless "Team GB") rode in an official Speedway Test Match? A long time ago.

Why don't we have a proper Speedway World Cup with team vs team matches instead of a four-team-tournament? This is poor.

Not so long ago, Speedway used to enjoy the same popularity as Rugby Union, but look at the difference now.

Not so if we're talking about club matches! Until not long ago very few people watched senior club rugby matches apart from a few clubs (Quins, Leicester). A good crowd anywhere else would have been sub 1000.

[Skidder1 7,637]

A little off beat but how can women's international attract more spectators than (1) The GP in Cardiff or (2) the overall total for all tracks in one week.

At Wembley this afternoon, where Germany beat England 3-0 in a women's international, there was a 55,000 attendance. Why does speedway no longer match those sort of attendances?

My theory: because British speedway has "lost its way" and sadly there does not appear to be a way to reverse the trend. And for my part I can see no answer as to the best way to halt the downward spiral.

1. Football - no matter who is playing it - is still the 'national' sport.

2. Its played in a decent stadium.

 

 

ps.Maybe we should go for Women's Speedway??

[Bavarian 767]

Or stage an England v Germany Speedway Test Match at Wembley - I wonder if that would attract a 55,000 crowd?

[Guest]

A little off beat but how can women's international attract more spectators than (1) The GP in Cardiff or (2) the overall total for all tracks in one week.

At Wembley this afternoon, where Germany beat England 3-0 in a women's international, there was a 55,000 attendance. Why does speedway no longer match those sort of attendances?

My theory: because British speedway has "lost its way" and sadly there does not appear to be a way to reverse the trend. And for my part I can see no answer as to the best way to halt the downward spiral.

 

I wonder if there is such a thing as a sport's popularity table where speedway is/would be placed? How does it place against sports like horse racing, hockey, even table tennis?

I would add to my original comment that the England v Germany women's football match was also shown live on BBC TV.

 

1. Football - no matter who is playing it - is still the 'national' sport.

2. Its played in a decent stadium.

 

 

ps.Maybe we should go for Women's Speedway??

 

The BBC also gave peak Sunday afternoon TV time to the women's international, and they have also given time recently to Women's Premier League football matches. When did BBC TV last screen a speedway meeting?

As for a women's speedway match - is there such a thing?

 

Or stage an England v Germany Speedway Test Match at Wembley - I wonder if that would attract a 55,000 crowd?

I doubt very much - if speedway was even allowed at Wembley again - that the speedway match you suggest would get anywhere near that attendance. My guess at the attendance for such a speculative encounter would be not more than 600!

Edited November 23, 2014 by Guest

[Skidder1 7,637]

 

 

 

 

 

As for a women's speedway match - is there such a thing?

 

 

 

No there isn't (I should have put a wink at the end of the post!) - however there wasn't an England Women's Football international at Wembley a few years ago either!!!

 

I am sure there would be loads of women keen to experience 500 ccs of throbbing power between their thighs and with no brakes!! Looking at some of the German team yesterday, they would be ready-made!!!

Edited November 24, 2014 by Skidder1

[Guest]

 

No there isn't (I should have put a wink at the end of the post!) - however there wasn't an England Women's Football international at Wembley a few years ago either!!!

 

Women's football has progressed - sadly one can't say the same for British speedway.

[Humphrey Appleby 13,960]

I wonder if there is such a thing as a sport's popularity table where speedway is/would be placed? How does it place against sports like horse racing, hockey, even table tennis?

It depends. In terms of live audiences, television audiences, or just generally following?

 

Football is obviously top in all categories, but I'd think rugby union would be second in term of live audiences (if you include the Six Nations which has highest average attendance of any sports competition in the world), following by rugby league and cricket. Maybe motor racing (non-speedway) might be up next, followed by horse racing, ice hockey and then perhaps speedway. Three-day eventing gets a reasonable following though, and might beat speedway.

 

In terms of television audiences and following, tennis and athletics would undoubtedly rank more highly. Probably snooker and darts too, if you count them as sports.

Edited November 24, 2014 by Humphrey Appleby

[Guest]

It depends. In terms of live audiences, television audiences, or just generally following?

 

Football is obviously top in all categories, but I'd think rugby union would be second in term of live audiences (if you include the Six Nations which has highest average attendance of any sports competition in the world), following by rugby league and cricket. Maybe motor racing (non-speedway) might be up next, followed by horse racing, ice hockey and then perhaps speedway. Three-day eventing gets a reasonable following though, and might beat speedway.

 

In terms of television audiences and following, tennis and athletics would undoubtedly rank more highly. Probably snooker and darts too, if you count them as sports.

Where would these sports relate in regard to popularity - horse racing, boxing, golf (main spectator events)? Ahead of or behind speedway (and dare I say it is accepted that more people attend stock car meetings than go to speedway - and stock cars are not generally accepted by die-hards as motor racing.

[Vince 9,458]

It depends. In terms of live audiences, television audiences, or just generally following?

 

(if you include the Six Nations which has highest average attendance of any sports competition in the world), following by rugby league and cricket.

 

69,000 average attendance can't even be close to F1 which had 294,000 over 3 days at Silverstone alone in 2013.

[Guest]

 

69,000 average attendance can't even be close to F1 which had 294,000 over 3 days at Silverstone alone in 2013.

Rugby Union top class matches 69,000 average attendance compares strongly against an average 1,500 (is that too high?) for speedway? Even the 40,000 (about) for the Speedway GP at Cardiff palls against these figures. We can only dream of that massive 80,000plus for a 1946 Wembley v West Ham National Speedway League match.

 

My main memories of crowds at London tracks: when I first started following the sport at New Cross in April 1946 the 22,000 average gates. Then the last days at Wimbledon in 2005 with an average 700 attendance - yet also at Wimbledon in the late 1940s I stood among 20,000 plus spectators. .

 

Where have all the speedway the fans gone? Can the downward spiral be reversed - and how?

Edited November 24, 2014 by Guest

[Humphrey Appleby 13,960]

69,000 average attendance can't even be close to F1 which had 294,000 over 3 days at Silverstone alone in 2013.

I think the British GP is considered a single event, whilst the Six Nations is a tournament. There are of course many one-off events with larger attendances than 69K - the FA Cup Final being the prime example.

Where would these sports relate in regard to popularity - horse racing, boxing, golf (main spectator events)? Ahead of or behind speedway (and dare I say it is accepted that more people attend stock car meetings than go to speedway - and stock cars are not generally accepted by die-hards as motor racing.

I'd imagine that horse racing, boxing and golf would be somewhere behind rugby league and cricket, but ahead of speedway. Boxing probably doesn't really count many live spectators all told, but has a larger following on television.

[Mike.Butler 601]

it would be more relevant to compare our attendances to this

http://calendarcustoms.com/articles/tinsley-green-world-marbles-championships/

[Humphrey Appleby 13,960]

Where have all the speedway the fans gone?

I'd think they've mostly died.

 

The whole demographic of sport watching has changed anyway. Football has subsumed just about every other sport in the hearts and minds of the general populace, whilst for other sports, higher prices and other forms of entertainment has pushed potential patrons to watching on television or not at all.

 

Sadly, speedway was probably always something of a down-at-heel sport compared to the likes of cricket and rugby union which enjoyed the patronage of the rich and influential. Most other (all) sports suffered downturns throughout the eighties, but whereas they were able to re-invent themselves to some extent because they could leverage backing, speedway was just not able to move with the times.

[Mike.Butler 601]

we'll always have our memories...worth an awful lot