Shame on Sheffield

[foreverblue 6,096]

I don't know how you can cmpare Belle Vue to Sheffield, completely different, Sheffield is a multi use stadium not owned by the club and that causes many issues with the running of the team. Slagging off the promotion doesn't help anyone. 

[topsoil 2,498]

21 hours ago, Hawk127 said:

Even if the season ran from January to December the way the sport is managed, fixture lists compiled and the book of excuses called rules are used, you would still have clubs who could not complete a fixture list. Time to run one home one away league fixture with play offs in August and fill the rest other forms of meaningless meetings and an individual  British championship given that most of the riders are only interested in riding for themselves and would need to ride well to make a living rather than rely on clubs to finance what in effect is the riders business. Failing all that just let the riders and clubs pick and chose the meetings and days they want to race. Forgot they already do this!

Sounds like a good business plan, especially the 'meaningless' part. That should attract the fans back 

[Roger Jacobs 554]

1 hour ago, foreverblue said:

I don't know how you can cmpare Belle Vue to Sheffield, completely different, Sheffield is a multi use stadium not owned by the club and that causes many issues with the running of the team. Slagging off the promotion doesn't help anyone. 

Except that it seems wherever there is a multi use stadium where speedway is a tennant, it is way down the priority. It's not that long ago teams were staging racing most weeks now it's barely half of their available "fixed" race nights.

It really is only the promoters who can be blamed (slagged off in modern parlance) for not providing an entertainment package that makes their tenancy more attractive.

[GeneralMelchett 482]

Just to add - it’s been absolutely belting it down here today - tomorrow doesn’t look that great weather wise either - could well be off 

[Hawk127 1,359]

4 hours ago, topsoil said:

Sounds like a good business plan, especially the 'meaningless' part. That should attract the fans back 

Other than major wholesale changes (which will never happen) the chances of attracting those fans who have drifted away, back to the fold are next to zero.

The sports controllers have brought the problems on themselves and the riders look after number one and sometimes dictate whether a meeting will go ahead. The fans are bottom of the pile when it comes to being part of any thought process in terms of it being value for money or providing entertainment so that the punters go away wanting more. 

Where else would you maintain a scenario of having seven man teams but rarely race with seven, more like six and Mr R/R. They cannot even complete the fixtures. You have several months to fulfil the meetings but yet again here it is October and the options for completing fixtures are getting fewer thanks to the weather or the non availability of stadia and probably the doubling up which meant some meetings could not take place earlier in the season because of rider availability.

The current business model does not work and those with disposal income who have been going to meetings for many years have decided it is just not worth it and over the years the promoters have failed to make it an attractive form of entertainment for a younger generation.

Get rid of the BSPL and start again on an amateur basis with a five year plan to rebuild the rider base. Some stadia will fall by the wayside but it would happen anyway with the current set up and with very few if any local authorities interested in having a track on their door step the chances of new tracks appearing is fairly low.

To sum up, the BSPL would have you believe the sport is in good shape. How many fans believe that one?

[Rob B 1,257]

6 hours ago, foreverblue said:

I don't know how you can cmpare Belle Vue to Sheffield, completely different, Sheffield is a multi use stadium not owned by the club and that causes many issues with the running of the team. Slagging off the promotion doesn't help anyone. 

Stock cars and greyhounds don't use it on Thursday and Monday.

[Rob B 1,257]

4 hours ago, GeneralMelchett said:

Just to add - it’s been absolutely belting it down here today - tomorrow doesn’t look that great weather wise either - could well be off 

Seeing as its stock cars today not a chance tomorrow would be on.

[The Third Man 2,217]

15 minutes ago, Rob B said:

Stock cars and greyhounds don't use it on Thursday and Monday.

 

15 minutes ago, Rob B said:

Seeing as its stock cars today not a chance tomorrow would be on.

You seem to have answered your own point as to the reason the stock cars are a problem even though they only run Sundays

[Rob B 1,257]

1 minute ago, The Third Man said:

 

You seem to have answered your own point as to the reason the stock cars are a problem even though they only run Sundays

That would only be problem riding on a Monday the day after stock cars which they wouldn't generally do anyway as Thursday their night., 

[topsoil 2,498]

3 hours ago, Hawk127 said:

Other than major wholesale changes (which will never happen) the chances of attracting those fans who have drifted away, back to the fold are next to zero.

The sports controllers have brought the problems on themselves and the riders look after number one and sometimes dictate whether a meeting will go ahead. The fans are bottom of the pile when it comes to being part of any thought process in terms of it being value for money or providing entertainment so that the punters go away wanting more. 

Where else would you maintain a scenario of having seven man teams but rarely race with seven, more like six and Mr R/R. They cannot even complete the fixtures. You have several months to fulfil the meetings but yet again here it is October and the options for completing fixtures are getting fewer thanks to the weather or the non availability of stadia and probably the doubling up which meant some meetings could not take place earlier in the season because of rider availability.

The current business model does not work and those with disposal income who have been going to meetings for many years have decided it is just not worth it and over the years the promoters have failed to make it an attractive form of entertainment for a younger generation.

Get rid of the BSPL and start again on an amateur basis with a five year plan to rebuild the rider base. Some stadia will fall by the wayside but it would happen anyway with the current set up and with very few if any local authorities interested in having a track on their door step the chances of new tracks appearing is fairly low.

To sum up, the BSPL would have you believe the sport is in good shape. How many fans believe that one?

So you want to get rid of the BSPL and replace them with who?

So you want the sport here to become amateur. And fall way behind the likes of leagues in Poland, Sweden and Denmark. It's funny that the BSPL get stick every year for watering down the product and here you want to take the ultimate watering down decision.

Good luck selling that to the current riders, who have spent a lot of money on machinery. Who, out of the current riders, would be willing too ride for only expenses? Good luck getting crowds to watch amateur racing, when they've been used to professional standards.

And you're okay that "some stadia will fall by the wayside"? 

Sounds like a plan to me...

[Hawk127 1,359]

33 minutes ago, topsoil said:

So you want to get rid of the BSPL and replace them with who?

So you want the sport here to become amateur. And fall way behind the likes of leagues in Poland, Sweden and Denmark. It's funny that the BSPL get stick every year for watering down the product and here you want to take the ultimate watering down decision.

Good luck selling that to the current riders, who have spent a lot of money on machinery. Who, out of the current riders, would be willing too ride for only expenses? Good luck getting crowds to watch amateur racing, when they've been used to professional standards.

And you're okay that "some stadia will fall by the wayside"? 

Sounds like a plan to me...

Yep to all of that.

Sob stories about riders spending a fortune on machinery get real, the sponsors partly fund that and the riders have no chance of making it big time without support from benefactors. 

Stadia falling by the wayside is inevitable otherwise tell us who was willing to put money Into saving Rye House, Arena Essex, Eastbourne, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Somerset, Swindon, Buxton, Stoke and many more.

No one with half a brain would invest in a club or track given the current state of the sport and having a group of managers at the level of BSPL who expect you to invest on their terms and conditions without any say in how you run your business and they appear to have an attitude that says sod you in terms of how much money you piss up the wall buying into a failed business model. The BSPL do not allow open licences so that tracks could survive as was the case years back. 

You need an independent body to run the sport and if that goes against the grain as far as the current crop of promoters is concerned then it shows what a poor business model they have simply to satisfy the egos while pretending to have the best interest of the sport at heart. The halcyon days have long gone and what you see in this country today is a the sad demise of what was once a reasonably supported spectator sport.

Everyone is entitled to an opinion and your optimism is to be admired.

[GeneralMelchett 482]

This match is still on it seems - so hopefully will get to be both my teams for the final time in 2022! 

[one of clubs 116]

It is not Sheffield's fault that the stadium is repeatedly unavailable. They have just got to put up with it. Sadly, as we all know, not very many clubs own their own stadium.

[dontforgetthefueltapsbruv 10,706]

2 hours ago, one of clubs said:

It is not Sheffield's fault that the stadium is repeatedly unavailable. They have just got to put up with it. Sadly, as we all know, not very many clubs own their own stadium.

If you can't satisfy the basic requirements to fulfil your fixtures then don't bother entering 

The sport would be better off without these useless shysters

[Justgotmecpc 1,059]

On 10/21/2022 at 1:04 PM, Chris116 said:

I fully agree that teams who do not complete their fixtures should be penalised but I don't think you can always blame the home team. There have been a number of times this season when it appeared that the visiting team refused dates, often due to rider availability. 

There needs to be a central, independent office that compiles the fixture list. Teams should have to confirm dates they can run home meetings and any dates they do not want to travel. This would have to be done before the end of February so the fixture list could be issued before the end of March.

Should start next season pointless even if they win there 1st 4 fixtures or even better start off minus 10 points & that goes for every team who doesn't complete there fixture lists ie league/ cups etc