customhouseregular 1,651 Posted January 15, 2015 Many people have commented upon the decline of British speedway via various threads on this forum. Using the Speedway Researcher web site I found the following statistics of interest. In 1967, the year I attended the most meetings there were 585 speedway meetings in the UK. In 1985, the year I attended my last meeting there were 1,025. On the face of it this would suggest our sport was more popular in the 80's than in the 60's, though of course these stats do not take attendance figures in to account. In 1996 the total number of meetings had fallen to 670, a 25-year low but by 2004 had risen to 1,095. The last year shown by Speedway Researcher is 2010 when the total number of meetings had fallen to 828. Without attendance figures it is difficult to comment properly on the sport's decline, but the above would suggest the current decline started after 1996. I would hazard a guess that 2014 saw more meetings than 2010, but not necessarily higher attendance. I think this shows that speedway's popularity is cyclical, but I would like to have attendance numbers over the decades to comment factually on the sport's decline in this Country. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BWitcher 12,453 Posted January 15, 2015 Interesting figures, but not sure how you use those to come to your conclusion that the current decline began in 1996, if in 1996 there were only 670 meetings, but had risen to 1095 by 2004? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
daveallan81 330 Posted January 15, 2015 I make it 613 matches in 2014, including 44 abandoned fixtures. The result stood in 31 of those abandonments. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
arnieg 3,718 Posted January 15, 2015 What are the highlighted matches on the 2013 list? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
daveallan81 330 Posted January 15, 2015 What are the highlighted matches on the 2013 list? A mystery! Possibly matches for which I hadn't located an official scorecard, or matches that required some more information. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
25yearfan 476 Posted January 15, 2015 Interesting you state you haven't been to a live speedway meeting since 1985, almost 30 years ago which I feel hits the nail on the head! Theres thousands of lapsed supporters like yourself who still retain an interest in the sport but never go, or like more than a few thousand only go to Cardiff once a year! I reckon if only 25% of these lapsed supporters returned to watching live speedway again and we got more kids going to meetings then speedway would be doing great! 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cityrebel 2,960 Posted January 15, 2015 Two of my neighbours still get the speedway star from the local newsagent, but have not been to a meeting since Wimbledon closed in 2005. They know that I still go on a regular basis, but show little interest of ever going again themselves. Reading the star and watching it on sky seems to be enough for a lot of fans these days, and who can blame them! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The White Knight 9,039 Posted January 15, 2015 Interesting you state you haven't been to a live speedway meeting since 1985, almost 30 years ago which I feel hits the nail on the head! Theres thousands of lapsed supporters like yourself who still retain an interest in the sport but never go, or like more than a few thousand only go to Cardiff once a year! I reckon if only 25% of these lapsed supporters returned to watching live speedway again and we got more kids going to meetings then speedway would be doing great! Perhaps if the Sport could be made more attractive to the outsider somehow? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
customhouseregular 1,651 Posted January 16, 2015 Interesting figures, but not sure how you use those to come to your conclusion that the current decline began in 1996, if in 1996 there were only 670 meetings, but had risen to 1095 by 2004? 2004 is after 1996, although quite a way after!. Did not want to use too many stats and bore the readers. Interesting you state you haven't been to a live speedway meeting since 1985, almost 30 years ago which I feel hits the nail on the head! Theres thousands of lapsed supporters like yourself who still retain an interest in the sport but never go, or like more than a few thousand only go to Cardiff once a year! I reckon if only 25% of these lapsed supporters returned to watching live speedway again and we got more kids going to meetings then speedway would be doing great! I agree with you. In my case personal circumstances prevented me from watching speedway, but there must be thousands who stopped going out of choice. My son took me to Cardiff last year. It was his first time at a speedway meeting and he hated it. He could not get his head around 54 second races and only 20 minutes actual racing in a 3 hour event. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BWitcher 12,453 Posted January 16, 2015 2004 is after 1996, although quite a way after!. Did not want to use too many stats and bore the readers. Yes, but you said 1996 was the lowest in terms of meetings, so that isn't the 'start' of a decline in meetings.. that is the end of a decline. My son took me to Cardiff last year. It was his first time at a speedway meeting and he hated it. He could not get his head around 54 second races and only 20 minutes actual racing in a 3 hour event. I bet he can't get his head round most sports then. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
customhouseregular 1,651 Posted January 16, 2015 Yes, but you said 1996 was the lowest in terms of meetings, so that isn't the 'start' of a decline in meetings.. that is the end of a decline. I bet he can't get his head round most sports then. He supports Tottenham and plays Golf!. I take your point re 1996...my phraseology may be at fault. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SCB 15 Posted January 16, 2015 He supports Tottenham and plays Golf!. I take your point re 1996...my phraseology may be at fault. Which for me shows what a funny old World we live in. Golf, holds 0 interest to me, I don't get it, even the whacking the ball a long way at the start bit, really? Now crazy golf could be a decent sport to watch at least there's a skill. But I get that there are loads of people out there who enjoy it for all sorts of reasons but it's just not for me. Most sports are stop and start though. Like golf, 18 holes so 18 starts. Cricket, whats happens when the balls not being throw and hit? Snooker is a lot of looking at the table (and while I can watch it on tele, why would anyone want to go and watch it live?!) but I do get why a lot of people think I'm a bloody weirdo for liking speedway because even I think I (we?!) am. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wiseguy 214 Posted January 16, 2015 I make it 613 matches in 2014, including 44 abandoned fixtures. The result stood in 31 of those abandonments. Is it your site Dave? If so, I think its fantastic, I have spent hours looking at it, Just one request, I am desperate for the 1984 British League, any idea when you will be working on that year? Regards Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
daveallan81 330 Posted January 16, 2015 Is it your site Dave? If so, I think its fantastic, I have spent hours looking at it, Just one request, I am desperate for the 1984 British League, any idea when you will be working on that year? Regards No I am merely a contributor. If you're talking about a full 1984 season review file, I don't know if anyone is currently tackling that. If it's something more specific you're after fell free to PM me and I'll see if I can help. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wiseguy 214 Posted January 16, 2015 No I am merely a contributor. If you're talking about a full 1984 season review file, I don't know if anyone is currently tackling that. If it's something more specific you're after fell free to PM me and I'll see if I can help. Only really interested in Exeter that season being there only one in the british league through the 80s, I attended every meeting at home and would like to look back and see who I actually saw that season riding for visiting teams, as I cant locate the programmes Not to worry though, I can imagine how painstaking it would be to get a whole seasons results Keep up the good work 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
