Fortythirtyeight 841 Posted August 8, 2019 If you read Neil's response more carefully you will see he quoted £12000 average over two matches. So for the home match that makes your ' prize ' fund £7-8,000 tops? That isn't going to excite the public. I welcome any ideas that might improve attendances but this doesn't appeal to me never mind someone who hasn't seen the sport. I could be just old and set in my ways, what do you think of the idea Neil? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted August 8, 2019 All this comment on 'how to save speedway' (or presumably the British version) bewilders me. It has failed eventually in many countries after years of 'prosperity'. Recent years have seen it fold in New Zealand, South Africa, Canada and fade into virtual obscurity in Holland, Belgium. Here in the UK it staggers on (I nearly wrote 'stagnate on'). Total nationwide UK attendees on a weekly basis probably hovers overall between 20,000 - 22,000. Time was when one club/track had a regular following that size. Judged on comments on this forum most people who go to speedway are in the older age group with younger people not attracted to speedway. Opinions on how to recreate interest are continually put forward but in the end it's all akin to King Canute and his efforts to turn back the waves. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted August 8, 2019 22 minutes ago, mikebv said: But the money it pays out actually is.. Using Neil's estimates, and he is a man who will know, the Premiership alone will pay out over a Million quid!! Change "points money" to "prize money" and maybe Speedway will look a little bit more "big time".. So much of marketing is smoke and mirrors and staying just the right side of the truth.. Looking at the figs for the Championship that too will pay hundreds of thousands out... So shout out about how much you can win in British Speedway.. The numbers paid out must prick interest from outside the sport if pushed hard enough and often enough and it would also give every meeting something tangible to be raced for.. No point paying out so much and letting it fly under the radar of any publicity.. Use it to promote the Sport... Those money amounts are just small change these days in sporting terms. Look at the vast amounts paid to top class professional footballers. Several players are quoted as being paid £300,000-plus a week. Sadly in financial terms speedway is a very poor sporting relation. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
iris123 20,990 Posted August 8, 2019 A 15 year old won almost a million pounds by finishing 2nd in an e-sports tournament !!! As I posted a year or so ago, this is the future and maybe speedway should try and get in on the act, just as football clubs are... https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/british-teenager-wins-1million-fortnite-18790114 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JamesHarris 390 Posted August 8, 2019 Oddly enough a few years ago I was chatting to a few Polish lads and asking them of cause if they were into speedway or Zuzul as they call it. They were also shrugging their shoulders but one of them had heard of Tomasz Gollob. So even in countries where it is one of the biggest followed sports there are some that have hardly heard of it. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikebv 10,285 Posted August 8, 2019 15 minutes ago, Fortythirtyeight said: If you read Neil's response more carefully you will see he quoted £12000 average over two matches. So for the home match that makes your ' prize ' fund £7-8,000 tops? That isn't going to excite the public. I welcome any ideas that might improve attendances but this doesn't appeal to me never mind someone who hasn't seen the sport. I could be just old and set in my ways, what do you think of the idea Neil? £12k for both matches would equal £12k per meeting in that the home team puts the money up.. Exactly the same outlay.. The difference will be instead of £6k per meeting per team it could be £7k to one and £5k to the other. With the likelihood it swaps when the reverse fixture takes place.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chunky 6,094 Posted August 9, 2019 On 8/8/2019 at 2:48 AM, gustix said: Could it be speedway is like some items in a supermarket that are eventually 'taken down'? A question of it having reached its 'sell by' date? At least so far as Britain is concerned. It's 14 years since I last saw a live speedway meeting and don't have any desire to do so now. My main interest in speedway is what are known as 'the good old days' - a period that ceased for me sometime in the late !970s. You know, we wonder why speedway is struggling (in the UK, anyway), and then, we see posts like this... There are quite a few on the BSF wobbling on about how sad it is to see the sport in such dire straits, but are themselves part of the reason. When people say that they have no desire to go ever again (even if it was free, in some cases), whether it is to do with the quality of entertainment, or simply because of rules that no longer apply, then you are contributing to the decline. I'm not saying those people are wrong, but I find it a little disturbing that they still consider themselves speedway "supporters", when the reality is that WHATEVER changes and improvements are made, they are not prepared to watch because of simple stubbornness. For me, speedway is not what it used to be. Football, cricket, and F1 are not what they used to be. Tizer, cough candy, and the dear old Curly-Wurly are not what they used to be. You know what? I still prefer to partake than going without... Steve 7 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JamesHarris 390 Posted August 9, 2019 One question worth asking is does speedway need to re-brand itself (in the UK at least) to bring in a new audience? As I mentioned in my earlier post, the first thing people who are not familiar of have no knowledge of the sport think of is Speedway is some sort of car racing. A complete name change perhaps? One other thing that could be looked at to reduce cost and admission prices is to reduce the number of riders in a team. 5 a side has worked for Denmark. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chris116 756 Posted August 9, 2019 3 minutes ago, kelvinlapworth said: One question worth asking is does speedway need to re-brand itself (in the UK at least) to bring in a new audience? As I mentioned in my earlier post, the first thing people who are not familiar of have no knowledge of the sport think of is Speedway is some sort of car racing. A complete name change perhaps? It used to be called "Motorcycle Dirt Track Racing". No comments about needing some dirt on some tracks please! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
steve roberts 9,246 Posted August 9, 2019 37 minutes ago, chunky said: You know, we wonder why speedway is struggling (in the UK, anyway), and then, we see posts like this... There are quite a few on the BSF wobbling on about how sad it is to see the sport in such dire straits, but are themselves part of the reason. When people say that they have no desire to go ever again (even if it was free, in some cases), whether it is to do with the quality of entertainment, or simply because of rules that no longer apply, then you are contributing to the decline. I'm not saying those people are wrong, but I find it a little disturbing that they still consider themselves speedway "supporters", when the reality is that WHATEVER changes and improvements are made, they are not prepared to watch because of simple stubbornness. For me, speedway is not what it used to be. Football, cricket, and F1 are not what they used to be. Tizer, cough candy, and the dear old Curly-Wurly are not what they used to be. You know what? I still prefer to partake than going without... Steve Having been a staunch fan for over thirty years if a track was to open local to me (York) would I attend? I would probably pop along and have a look see but whether I would be re-converted I can't honestly say. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
orion 7,615 Posted August 9, 2019 1 hour ago, chunky said: You know, we wonder why speedway is struggling (in the UK, anyway), and then, we see posts like this... There are quite a few on the BSF wobbling on about how sad it is to see the sport in such dire straits, but are themselves part of the reason. When people say that they have no desire to go ever again (even if it was free, in some cases), whether it is to do with the quality of entertainment, or simply because of rules that no longer apply, then you are contributing to the decline. I'm not saying those people are wrong, but I find it a little disturbing that they still consider themselves speedway "supporters", when the reality is that WHATEVER changes and improvements are made, they are not prepared to watch because of simple stubbornness. For me, speedway is not what it used to be. Football, cricket, and F1 are not what they used to be. Tizer, cough candy, and the dear old Curly-Wurly are not what they used to be. You know what? I still prefer to partake than going without... Steve Good post Steve .. Thou I draw the line at the new Milky way Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mr. Clemens 646 Posted August 9, 2019 On 8/8/2019 at 7:24 PM, kelvinlapworth said: Oddly enough a few years ago I was chatting to a few Polish lads and asking them of cause if they were into speedway or Zuzul as they call it. They were also shrugging their shoulders but one of them had heard of Tomasz Gollob. So even in countries where it is one of the biggest followed sports there are some that have hardly heard of it. My wife is heavily involved in the Polish Community, here in the UK. I get to meet a large number of Poles on a regular basis. With every person I have met, I have brought speedway into the conversation. They all shrug their shoulders, laugh and say they are not interested in speedway. I asked a Polish friend, I worked with, if he was into speedway? He also said he wasn't interested and didn't know anyone who was. I told him that every Polish person I had talked with said they weren't interested in speedway and asked him why that was? He said that speedway wasn't has popular in Poland as people might think it is. He said there were places in Poland where it was very popular but on the whole , like most other countries, football is the most popular sport in Poland. One thing is true though, in all the 40 years I have been involved in the Polish community, I have only met one person who was a speedway fan. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
racers and royals 8,730 Posted August 9, 2019 6 minutes ago, Mr. Clemens said: My wife is heavily involved in the Polish Community, here in the UK. I get to meet a large number of Poles on a regular basis. With every person I have met, I have brought speedway into the conversation. They all shrug their shoulders, laugh and say they are not interested in speedway. I asked a Polish friend, I worked with, if he was into speedway? He also said he wasn't interested and didn't know anyone who was. I told him that every Polish person I had talked with said they weren't interested in speedway and asked him why that was? He said that speedway wasn't has popular in Poland as people might think it is. He said there were places in Poland where it was very popular but on the whole , like most other countries, football is the most popular sport in Poland. One thing is true though, in all the 40 years I have been involved in the Polish community, I have only met one person who was a speedway fan. Approximately 125000 Poles regularly go to the 22 league clubs in Poland- so every week over 60K go to Speedway Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
iris123 20,990 Posted August 9, 2019 5 minutes ago, racers and royals said: Approximately 125000 Poles regularly go to the 22 league clubs in Poland- so every week over 60K go to Speedway Not a lot in a country of over 38 million Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mr. Clemens 646 Posted August 9, 2019 6 minutes ago, racers and royals said: Approximately 125000 Poles regularly go to the 22 league clubs in Poland- so every week over 60K go to Speedway Never met one in this country Share this post Link to post Share on other sites