Too Many Clubs?

[Shale Searcher 1,264]

Nothing will change until the Elite League and Premier League sit down and work together as one sport...

Not like the WBA, WBC or Rugby Union and Rugby League..

Yes, promotors are going to want the best for themselves/their club, but the two main Leagues in the UK need to be symbiotic...

 

Elite is division 1

Premier is division 2

The national league would be a 3rd division with strict controls on team ages, proper training, and links with the Premier league, which would also be a stepping stone to the 1st division, not a den where 2nd rate foreigners and unambitious elite league riders race as a second job which can take up team places where the best of the National league riders should be aspiring to move up to.....

 

Uniting the league's into a single entity, 1st div (best) 2nd div (2nd best) and 3rd div (for new starters) with clear upward progression routes for British speedway riders first is paramount.. The single entity would be The British Speedway Leagues.

Edited August 25, 2015 by Shale Searcher

[New Science 1,059]

Don't you get it?The sport is commiting suicide!!!!.Something needs to change and a "one size fits all" idea isn't working.Maybe if some clubs only ran a few meetings a year it might make the event a bit more special and might be able to gain more sponsorship.I used those examples as an extreme to combat the rgument that would people support something that only happens 4 - 6 times per year.The more often something is held doesn't mean people will attend.They might well just pick and choose.As for your counter argument about throwing live music out a pub,well just your usual crap.Now comeback with a better idea or throw your toys out of your pram and bleat on about how you used to commentate on some tv channel,so you must know everything there is to know about the sport and should be in charge as you have all the answers

Just imagine the potential crowds if these clubs ran 1 meeting a year

[Humphrey Appleby 13,974]

Cricket with minimal attendances at county games and counties hugely indebted, however they don't seem as negative about their future as speedway.

There are two primary differences with cricket. Firstly, international cricket generates large revenues which is distributed to the grassroots of the sport, unlike speedway where the revenues from the premier event go to a private US corporation.

 

Secondly, cricket interests rich and influential people and can therefore always leverage better sponsorships and even bailouts if necessary. Such people are barely aware of the existence of speedway, if at all.

[iris123 21,073]

Just imagine the potential crowds if these clubs ran 1 meeting a year

Cardiff runs one meeting a year Brighton ran 1 meeting a year as did Telford etc.They were all a bit special,at first anyway.But that isn't the point.My point was to try and save some clubs from going totally out of existence,could a season of say 4,6 or so meetings help save them?I only went as extreme as 1 event to try and answer TWKs good point of would people get out of the routine.Look to Poland,Denmark and Sweden and most other countries(in fact all countries apart from the UK) and a season of 2-10 meetings seems to do the job,so why should the UK be so much different to the rest of the world?I am not even saying it is the answer for all or even most,but maybe,just maybe for a few

 

It is quite obvious speedway is on a big downturn.We have been having the discussions on here for over a decade.We have been told that the promoters know best and it is after all their money.But what has happened in the last decade?Has the sport got its house in order and started to re-group or has it stumbled from one problem to the next?Belle Vue getting a brand new stadium is one light at the end of the tunnel,but I don't think that alone is going to save the sport from even more problems in the near future

[PHILIPRISING 7,298]

WE need to get back to regular speedway nights, whether that be weekly or fortnightly, so that fans get into a routine, something that is sadly lacking amongst Elite League fans at least.

[stevehone 3,435]

a lot of the disjointed fixture list is down to TV or riders being at their other clubs so usual racenight is changed i.e Kings Lynn Thursdays instead of Wednesdays.

[customhouseregular 1,651]

Riders doubling-up and riding in more than one league is a major problem. It's not so much too many clubs but not enough Permanent riders to compete for the clubs. If clubs had a maximum 2 foreigner rule and riders had to compete for British clubs first, and only one team at that, British speedway could get back on a proper footing.

 

Nobody said we had too many clubs in the late 60's/early 70's. It's riders not being available that is the real problem.

[iris123 21,073]

Riders doubling-up and riding in more than one league is a major problem. It's not so much too many clubs but not enough Permanent riders to compete for the clubs. If clubs had a maximum 2 foreigner rule and riders had to compete for British clubs first, and only one team at that, British speedway could get back on a proper footing.

 

Nobody said we had too many clubs in the late 60's/early 70's. It's riders not being available that is the real problem.

Maybe nobody said there were too many clubs in the 60s/70s because circumstances were different like you say.But the problem has been that not enough was done by promoters to attract youngsters and train them up.It became easier to get some youngster over from the continent rather than try and do the work themselves.We became over reliant on foreign riders and are paying the price nationally and internationally(Tai excluded).Now we are stuck in a situation where promoters just say we can't do anything as we don't own the stadium.We can't choose our race night and we can't train up riders.Basically as Harkess said,"we see the problems,but we can't do anything......."

[KN1 168]

Fortnightly, same team home and away with the following blank week set for rain offs if the current amount of teams in el continues , riders and fans alike know what to put in their diaries. Imo the 3 leagues need to work out a way to become 2.

 

In Poland there is also a growing opinion to have 2 leagues instead of 3 as well due to lack of fixtures. Also 2 polish riders i spoke to are talking of packing in at the eos due to having only 15 meeings as they say its not worth the effort and expense. And they have both had good seasons.

Edited August 26, 2015 by KN1

[customhouseregular 1,651]

I don't have an answer Iris.

 

Perhaps we should scrub the EL and have a British League of 2 tiers staffed by British riders who only ride in Britain.

 

It is a ludicrous situation when only 12 riders are available for a league fixture and 6 of them are guests, with r/r making up the shortfall.

 

How can we expect fans to get behind their teams when they have no idea who will be riding for their teams, or when?.

[The White Knight 9,039]

I don't have an answer Iris.

 

Perhaps we should scrub the EL and have a British League of 2 tiers staffed by British riders who only ride in Britain.

 

It is a ludicrous situation when only 12 riders are available for a league fixture and 6 of them are guests, with r/r making up the shortfall.

 

How can we expect fans to get behind their teams when they have no idea who will be riding for their teams, or when?.

The simple answer is you can't.

 

You also need your Supporters to build up relationships with their Riders. You could, and did do that years ago - it seems impossible now sadly. The pressure for the Rider to get away to the next part of the 'Circus' is just too great.

[iris123 21,073]

The simple answer is you can't.

 

You also need your Supporters to build up relationships with their Riders. You could, and did do that years ago - it seems impossible now sadly. The pressure for the Rider to get away to the next part of the 'Circus' is just too great.

That is something that Egon Müller often points to as a problem with modern speedway.He uses his own career as an example,that he often used to stay behind after the meeting and mix with the fans and even do his singing on stage.Ok that was in Germany at the weekend.But he say's that nowadays the riders turn up an hour before the meeting,get ready,race,pack up and are off to the next country ad infinitum.Don't really think it is one of the major problems,but every little helps

[The White Knight 9,039]

That is something that Egon Müller often points to as a problem with modern speedway.He uses his own career as an example,that he often used to stay behind after the meeting and mix with the fans and even do his singing on stage.Ok that was in Germany at the weekend.But he say's that nowadays the riders turn up an hour before the meeting,get ready,race,pack up and are off to the next country ad infinitum.Don't really think it is one of the major problems,but every little helps

Might not appear to be a major problem for Speedway iris123.

 

It may be a big problem for the Supporters though. If Speedway Supporters cannot relate to their Riders, they see the Sport as impersonal. That, to me is a shame, and if they see it that way they may wonder whether going to Speedway is worth it. I would suggest, that to quite a lot over the years, it hasn't been, and that is at least part of the reason the Sport is hemorrhaging Supporters at an alarming rate.

[stratton 1,491]

Might not appear to be a major problem for Speedway iris123.

 

It may be a big problem for the Supporters though. If Speedway Supporters cannot relate to their Riders, they see the Sport as impersonal. That, to me is a shame, and if they see it that way they may wonder whether going to Speedway is worth it. I would suggest, that to quite a lot over the years, it hasn't been, and that is at least part of the reason the Sport is hemorrhaging Supporters at an alarming rate.

For me WK that half hour at Swindon from 6.30 to 7.00 on race night is very very important the fans can look in the pits get a few autographs have a look at the bikes the young ones love it i still do.Often these riders now have to dash off so don't have a drink in the bar after and mingle with the fans it really annoys me when sky is there it is stopped. Edited August 26, 2015 by sidney

[iris123 21,073]

For me WK that half hour at Swindon from 6.30 to 7.00 on race night is very very important the fans can look in the pits get a few autographs have a look at the bikes the young ones love it i still do.Often these riders now have to dash off so don't have a drink in the bar after and mingle with the fans it really annoys me when sky is there it is stopped.

I used to love it at Plough Lane to get into the pits or wait outside in the car park or outside the grandstand bar for a chance to get autographs.You had to be quick to get Ivans Some were miserable though even in those days.But now I don't really care to mix with riders.Just like Gemini.She doesn't.That Iversen,does he ever smile?Nicki is great though,especially with the youngsters.Like chalk and cheese those two

Edited August 26, 2015 by iris123