Attendances

[The White Knight 9,039]

Yes and the reason is because most tracks are not conducive to good racing! And they never have been, but it is even more apparent with today's bikes/engines.

Do you not mean 'rocket ships' compared to the old days?

 

The introduction of the fast track/ sorry cheap riders, seems to correspond with the fast decline in attendance, did the powers that be really think the fans would accept it.

Those few who remain have accepted it and I suppose that is part of the problem. Had someone stood up and said 'no' to certain changes within the Sport years ago - we would not be where we are now.

[macinter 158]

In my view the life of speedway racing in its present form is limited because the product does not attract youngsters, apart from the riders. We have a sport which is rooted in the past, as most oldies are really and I should know because I am one of them. And as you get older it becomes more and more difficult to accept anything new. Things such as pop music, for instance, sounds like total crap, perhaps because most of it is anyway, but it proves a point. And I have yet to read or hear of anything which is likely to improve this situation, as even Tai winning his second world title failed to attract the majority of the UK press or TV stations. A glimmer of hope may be the introduction of the new track at Belle Vue but it is hard to comprehend how this could make a huge difference outside of Manchester. On this forum most of the conversations appear to be conducted mainly between men over sixty which is OK on the bowling green but not on the speedway track and the stark truth is that unless speedway gets a foothold with the younger generation it is not going anywhere, even with Tai striving mightily. I thing that first of all speedway should set a date when two riders racing against two riders is transformed into four riders racing against each other. Which means the end of speedway as we know it and the introduction of a new format. We can then get rid of daft gimmicks such as Jokers or tactical riders as they are sometimes called. Individual meetings, in my opinion anyway, almost always provide better racing and if speedway is going to survive every view must be taken into account. And I still believe this to be true even on top of some top class racing in the play offs. Comments appreciated, even if they are critical. We need to have a proper civilized debate about where we go from what is just about nowhere at the present. In the face of some fierce opposition the GP's have begun to transform world championship racing, it is now time for the domestic version to take along hard look at where it is going.

[steve roberts 9,246]

Very interesting observations! Not sure where one goes with the younger generation however? Trying to attract them will be difficult whatever is put in place. I was taken to my first meeting by my brother. Father and Grandfather used to go and I re-introduced my dad after I caught the bug. The interest was passed down from father/mother to brother/sister (I'm sure that this scenario was the case with many fans of a certain age) but the world today is very different with all the alternative attractions now available. Younger people seem obsessed with computer games, ipods etc etc and appear no longer to enjoy things that my generation appeared to get excited about. I've worked within a museum environment for the last ten years and seen how they've had to change to attract the younger generation. I hate the term 'dumbed down' but that's exactly what they've had to do as the attention level does seem limited within a certain age group.

 

Speedway is/was a great product but I fear that the concept now appears not to enthuse many younger people. The BSPA come up with daft rules that haven't helped and often alienates those who already regularly attend. During my days working at the museum I often met people who used to go but no longer do due to the way that the sport has been run (I'll not even attempt to list the reason why...read the late John Berry's many comments on the subject)

 

Personally I think that speedway has totally lost its way at domestic level and I can't see a way back for it.

[cityrebel 2,960]

You make some very valid points, but football seems to have crossed the age divide. Both of my kids are lapsed speedway fans, but can't get enough of premier league football.

[steve roberts 9,246]

I can only assume that because football enjoys such a high profile thru' the media and is a sport that most are able to participate (I remember kicking a stone around the play ground with jerseys used as goalposts!) that most younger people are more able to identify with it. Personally it's a sport that I can not patronise because of the vulgar amounts of money that 'circulates' within the game but I can understand how others are drawn towards it with all the merchandise readily available. As a teenager I used to ride cycle speedway on a roughly carved out track trying to emulate my heroes but can't imagine youngsters doing that today!

[Tsunami 10,219]

The introduction of the fast track/ sorry cheap riders, seems to correspond with the fast decline in attendance, did the powers that be really think the fans would accept it.

That's just rubbish. Crowd numbers have been declining for the last two decades. Part of the reason the fast track system(copying both Poland and Sweden) was to bring youngsters on, as well as cheapen the wage bill.

[van wolfswinkel 635]

You was bloody lucky then lad. Aye....we were lucky if we 'ad food.

You should have eaten gravel like what we had to lad

[Lord Skid 425]

It certainly wasn't two decades ago that Gollob was riding for Ipswich, and wherever they visited the crowds were very healthy, biggest problem has been with the over reliance on Guests.

[ColinMills 1,728]

It certainly wasn't two decades ago that Gollob was riding for Ipswich, and wherever they visited the crowds were very healthy, biggest problem has been with the over reliance on Guests.

with ricko and Louis in his prime....were other track gates up though when witches weren't in town?..you picked the exceptional team here

[Tsunami 10,219]

with ricko and Louis in his prime....were other track gates up though when witches weren't in town?..you picked the exceptional team here

Quite agree. The 3 number 1's team, who did the treble, were a one off. In the early 90's numbers were continuing to fall.

[Stoke Potter 242]

That's just rubbish. Crowd numbers have been declining for the last two decades.

Shouldn't that be more like 3 decades?

Interesting to see a list of promoters who have been involved for those 3 decades.

The decline happened on their watch, a large portion of the blame should be put at their door...

[Guest]

Shouldn't that be more like 3 decades?

Interesting to see a list of promoters who have been involved for those 3 decades.

The decline happened on their watch, a large portion of the blame should be put at their door...

Can you be more specific in regard to your comment?

[Stoke Potter 242]

Can you be more specific in regard to your comment?

The more specifics you are after are those who have been involved over that time.

And no, I couldn't name them, but there are likely to be little more than a handful I would guess.

[sparkafag 746]

Those few who remain have accepted it and I suppose that is part of the problem. Had someone stood up and said 'no' to certain changes within the Sport years ago - we would not be where we are now.

 

Absolutely spot on, if things hadn’t changed there is every chance there wouldn’t be a sport at all.

 

Speedway is a sport that is attended by on average 700/2,000 people and it has been for the best part of 15 years, running a sport for crowds of 5/6,000 + is completely and utterly illogical.

It’s always great when people position how things might have been in a best case scenario, they rarely caveat that with a possible worst case scenario.

Edited October 29, 2015 by sparkafag

[topsoil 2,498]

Speedway hasn't moved with the times, the sport, after from mechanically, is stuck in the previous century. Very basic stadiums, very basic levels of entertainment apart from the actual races, very little, if any promotion. Look at the way promoters tried to ban updates. Every other sport embraces developments such as social media and the internet. Some promoters even wanted to ban live TV meetings.

The sport has shot itself in the foot too many times to recall, with meetings postponed, abandoned, run in terrible conditions, without any thought given to fans.

The sport isn't dying, Glasgow have proved that put on a show and fans will come. The sport will die out, however, if the status quo remains and heads are buried in the sand.