Eastbourne Speedway

[HGould 2,213]

1 hour ago, Neila said:

If you were people at Eastbourne or wherever and planned to revive the sport,  your business plan would be to break even or better, on limited crowds the sport attracts. But the bspa are wanting this figure above the initial costs to start the sport up in a new location,  It does not encourage anyone taking a chance to restart speedway somewhere. 

That's exactly what happened in 2019

Brummies and Eagles went up and from figures quoted (certainly at Brummies and Eastbourne would have been similar) by time you've paid the Bond, the Asset List and other add on's that seem to be variable, you were looking then at around £30,000.00 before you are allowed in.

I remember well the "pending" status Brummies were given all winter 18 in to 19 and then suddenlt in late February both Clubs were "in". No time really to plan properly and new entrants start on the back foot.

It makes the success of Oxford all the more remarkable and praise worthy but in some ways they are helped by attracting Oxford, Reading, Swindon and Coventry fans.

I know from what's been said the Masons struggled in 2019 but got through it, they struggled massively week by week in 2021 and were at their wits end by the end of the season physically and mentally . At least they made it to the end when Eastbourne didn't and Newcastle, who also had a new Promoter for 2021 and issues all 2021 and didn't finish in 2022. Kent had to pay over the odds too but had the legend that is Len Slver to guide them.

Nigel (Tolley) has had to spend well north of £100,000 to set up and survive 2022 and by this time next year no doubt that could be double that. Money that enthusiasts who try to keep Speedway Clubs going once set up simply can't afford. 

Neila has hit the nail on the head.

Only a very rich man or consortium can now afford to start in CL . They don't get Eurosport money like PL do and it remains to be seen what British Speedway Network can distribute, if its 10k a Club it would be a massive boost but you have to factor in if clubs have actually lost walk up on nights BSF are there?

The new Workington set up looks superb and if it can go in to NDL and take small steps it can hopefully thrive. It's good to see Mildenhall and Kent hanging in there too at NDL level and whilst it would be great to see IOW v=back, why should they risk it, when their new product does well for them and they don't have the muppets at Rugby to answer too. 

[Wee Eck 703]

2 hours ago, Neila said:

If you were people at Eastbourne or wherever and planned to revive the sport,  your business plan would be to break even or better, on limited crowds the sport attracts. But the bspa are wanting this figure above the initial costs to start the sport up in a new location,  It does not encourage anyone taking a chance to restart speedway somewhere. 

The rules for joining the leagues are the same for everyone. Championship requires an entry fee, a bond payment and either riders on the club’s retained list to a certain level or else cash to make up the difference. 
The four supporters trying to relaunch Eastbourne said they needed £150,000 so they must have understood the costs involved. They also said they could raise £50,000 between them so must have tried, and failed, to find the other £100,000.

Better they save their money than going into an underfunded venture that has the potential to go the way of the previous promotions at Eastbourne. Full credit to them for trying but even more credit for admitting defeat before any harm was done. Perhaps promoting speedway is much harder - and more expensive - than us Forumites realise. 
UPDATE - HGould beat me to much of that!

Edited September 14, 2022 by Wee Eck

[M.D 463]

43 minutes ago, Wee Eck said:

The rules for joining the leagues are the same for everyone. Championship requires an entry fee, a bond payment and either riders on the club’s retained list to a certain level or else cash to make up the difference. 
The four supporters trying to relaunch Eastbourne said they needed £150,000 so they must have understood the costs involved. They also said they could raise £50,000 between them so must have tried, and failed, to find the other £100,000.

Better they save their money than going into an underfunded venture that has the potential to go the way of the previous promotions at Eastbourne. Full credit to them for trying but even more credit for admitting defeat before any harm was done. Perhaps promoting speedway is much harder - and more expensive - than us Forumites realise. 
UPDATE - HGould beat me to much of that!

Its not just the BSPL fees that I won't quote but its the other start up costs needed at Arlington

Air Fence (£30000)

Tractor

Shale

Possible track equipment (including new starting gate

Rider sign on fees

Upfront money for medical cover

insurances

the list gos on to start out new in the sport

However, The BSPL and the Dugard family have both been very helpfull and encouraging in trying to get us to tapes in 2023 but we have lost most if not all of the old clubs sponsors so sometimes one has to admit at this point, its a bridge to far..

[Wee Eck 703]

1 hour ago, M.D said:

Its not just the BSPL fees that I won't quote but its the other start up costs needed at Arlington

Air Fence (£30000)

Tractor

Shale

Possible track equipment (including new starting gate

Rider sign on fees

Upfront money for medical cover

insurances

the list gos on to start out new in the sport

However, The BSPL and the Dugard family have both been very helpfull and encouraging in trying to get us to tapes in 2023 but we have lost most if not all of the old clubs sponsors so sometimes one has to admit at this point, its a bridge to far..

I think you make my point for me - it’s expensive to set up a new promotion, and better to recognise that sooner rather than later. All credit to the four of you that you HAVE recognised that rather than carrying on only perhaps to suffer the same problems as the previous promotion (as well as the ex-Newcastle promoter).

Speedway in UK is hanging on by its fingernails - or rather the deep pockets - of most of the existing promoters. They are much maligned but, if there was a magic wand to sort it, I think they’d have found it by now. But then, if running a speedway team was the licence to print money that was the case in decades gone past, the barriers to entry would be far higher.

It may be that a multi million pound relaunch, used to give spectators better facilities amongst many overdue updates, might just help to rebuild the sport, but there’s no  guarantee that crowds would return. So why take the risk?

[Fromafar 10,363]

Don’t think any wisemen would dream of investing substantial amounts of money in the sport.

[Guest]

21 minutes ago, Fromafar said:

Don’t think any wisemen would dream of investing substantial amounts of money in the sport.

Wise words IMO!

Edited September 14, 2022 by Guest

[Hackett 220]

Unfortunate BUT no surprise. Would be no shock to see a planning permission for housing updated + announced in the next 12 months. 

 

 

[gazzac 1,015]

20 hours ago, Steve Shovlar said:

I don’t understand why the Dugards won’t allow NDL speedway at Arlington. As long as the rent is paid what’s the issue? Unless they just want the stadium to go for a period of non use so that planning permission for houses can be put in as no one wants to use the speedway stadium?

You've been around speedway long enough to know that won't be the case with the Dugards, it may be a final consequence if the stock cars go, but I think it's the unworkable structure and costs of the current leagues, all 3. NL is at such a low level now , where attendance will be so small any return will be minimal, another failure and it's definitely finished,  can you imagine NL at Poole( the Man Utd of speedway who should be Premiership ), would disappear in one season. 

[gazzac 1,015]

3 minutes ago, Hackett said:

Unfortunate BUT no surprise. Would be no shock to see a planning permission for housing updated + announced in the next 12 months. 

 

 

Maybe a safe guard if the stocks go I suppose, but assume that rent pays the bill's plus a bit? 

Edited September 14, 2022 by gazzac

[noaksey 345]

5 hours ago, Wee Eck said:

The rules for joining the leagues are the same for everyone. Championship requires an entry fee, a bond payment and either riders on the club’s retained list to a certain level or else cash to make up the difference. 
The four supporters trying to relaunch Eastbourne said they needed £150,000 so they must have understood the costs involved. They also said they could raise £50,000 between them so must have tried, and failed, to find the other £100,000.

Better they save their money than going into an underfunded venture that has the potential to go the way of the previous promotions at Eastbourne. Full credit to them for trying but even more credit for admitting defeat before any harm was done. Perhaps promoting speedway is much harder - and more expensive - than us Forumites realise. 
UPDATE - HGould beat me to much of that!

Absolutely agree with this. 

[ray c 2,299]

more and more you read our sport as a whole is slowly becoming more and more a dead duck .i fear for next season .what will be left 

[Fromafar 10,363]

10 minutes ago, ray c said:

more and more you read our sport as a whole is slowly becoming more and more a dead duck .i fear for next season .what will be left 

It’s certainly not in rude health as some would make out.

[eric i 617]

2 hours ago, gazzac said:

You've been around speedway long enough to know that won't be the case with the Dugards, it may be a final consequence if the stock cars go, but I think it's the unworkable structure and costs of the current leagues, all 3. NL is at such a low level now , where attendance will be so small any return will be minimal, another failure and it's definitely finished,  can you imagine NL at Poole( the Man Utd of speedway who should be Premiership ), would disappear in one season. 

Disagree I don't think there would much difference in attendance between NL and CL. Its been proven loads of times that clubs that have gone up and down the leagues have seen little change in their attendance. Its understandable clubs want to compete at the highest most prestigious level especially if they have had a lot of success in the lower league.

I also doubt that Poole would disappear if they moved to the NL, it would seriously annoy some of their fans and maybe put a few off from attending but I bet more than 90% of the fans would still attend. 

[gazzac 1,015]

25 minutes ago, eric i said:

Disagree I don't think there would much difference in attendance between NL and CL. Its been proven loads of times that clubs that have gone up and down the leagues have seen little change in their attendance. Its understandable clubs want to compete at the highest most prestigious level especially if they have had a lot of success in the lower league.

I also doubt that Poole would disappear if they moved to the NL, it would seriously annoy some of their fans and maybe put a few off from attending but I bet more than 90% of the fans would still attend. 

We'll agree to disagree, I'm pro NL as it was a few years ago, today's is such a poor product, as for Poole.....

[old bob at herne bay 828]

All sounds very predictable.  Who would invest circa £100k into a sport which is in clear decline in the UK.

As well as losing their main sponsors - they have by now surely lost a good number of regular supporters. Attendances were never great at Arlington in recent years - and speedway there never seemed to be viable on anything but a Saturday evening.   

Sad  - yet another defunct track to be added to those I have visited :-(