The future of British Speedway after the 2023 season

[Fortythirtyeight 840]

6 hours ago, Sir Sidney said:

Maybe you haven't checked who is racing. National League standard racing and I am quite happy to pay to watch. 

On top of that I also get all the added value that isn't provided elsewhere. 

Give it a try. You might just like it. All delivered at pace and with first class customer service. 

I watch more amateur racing than most, and quite a bit of NDL, the IOW do have a sprinkling of NDL riders but so does Scunthorpe , Iwade and Redcar amateur meetings, doesn’t mean you get a viable crowd to watch.

[mikebv 10,278]

47 minutes ago, Fortythirtyeight said:

You sure ? making two dozen riders pay to ride and a hundred or so spectators half a dozen times a year isn’t go to make you a viable business.

How many have viable businesses under the current operating model?

If tracks were very profitable, running with 5000 crowds or so, and paid ten grand a night to landlords, then pretty much all those huge amount of tracks which have closed over the past decade would still be open...

Well meaning fans with deep pockets prop the sport up at several tracks to keep them open,, the operating model and marketing plan of the sport doesnt do that...

 

[uk_martin 1,606]

14 hours ago, BuxtonTiger said:

I would hope that the 2023 annual meeting will be preceded many early meetings to plan things. (I may well be in dreamland).

Nah, with their heads buried in the same sand as they were in back in the 1970's, the BSPZzzz will simply reduce the points limit to 35, pretend nothing's happening, "move along please, nothing to see here" and carry on in a state of perennial denial.

[Sir Sidney 292]

2 hours ago, Fortythirtyeight said:

I watch more amateur racing than most, and quite a bit of NDL, the IOW do have a sprinkling of NDL riders but so does Scunthorpe , Iwade and Redcar amateur meetings, doesn’t mean you get a viable crowd to watch.

IOW has more than 'a sprinkling of NDL riders' as you put it in the speedway based meetings.

Of course, as they run a varied programme, there are meetings that may attract a different client base.

Every promotion in the UK could benefit from watching how the IOW run meetings. As a customer I feel valued from the minute I arrive in the car park to the moment I leave, and often that is extended to the ferry trip home. 

[topsoil 2,498]

10 hours ago, Bryce said:

His decision in 2018 to force Lakeside and Workington to cancel established fixtures and then run on off nights (so he could have a better choice of guests) did huge financial damage to both clubs who both folded at the end of that season despite being in all the cup finals and in Worky's case winning a treble.

Lakeside arena was being sold. Workington were losing money hand over fist already. He wasn't the one to decide to overpay the riders. Already been discussed to death.

[topaz325 1,859]

2 hours ago, topsoil said:

Lakeside arena was being sold. Workington were losing money hand over fist already. He wasn't the one to decide to overpay the riders. Already been discussed to death.

Agree the fixture changes didn’t help at Worky , then running late into the year in cup finals with small crowds but the damage was done already years ahead of the Godfrey saga.

[B.V 72 1,054]

To me the only way things can work is for another club to move up into the Premier league. To take the league to 6 clubs like it was in 2021 and 2022 not great but it worked.If my memory is right Oxford wanted to start in the Premier league so fingers crossed they still wish to do so. Or Glasgow with possibly no derby with Edinburgh might change their mind who knows. The honest truth is if the league is to survive its a must the someone moves up.

That then leaves the Champ league with a team down and the chance that they will also loose Brum and Edinburgh if this is the worst case scenario then it leaves 6 teams to meet each other twice home and away just like the Premier league nowhere near ideal but beggars can't be choosers but until the next disaster it keeps things going.The only up side to this is that Champ sides will be stronger with the heat leaders from the three clubs gone shared between the 6 clubs.(Trying to look on the bright side re last sentence,)

[Skidder1 7,637]

21 minutes ago, B.V 72 said:

To me the only way things can work is for another club to move up into the Premier league. To take the league to 6 clubs like it was in 2021 and 2022 not great but it worked.If my memory is right Oxford wanted to start in the Premier league so fingers crossed they still wish to do so. Or Glasgow with possibly no derby with Edinburgh might change their mind who knows. The honest truth is if the league is to survive its a must the someone moves up.

That then leaves the Champ league with a team down and the chance that they will also loose Brum and Edinburgh if this is the worst case scenario then it leaves 6 teams to meet each other twice home and away just like the Premier league nowhere near ideal but beggars can't be choosers but until the next disaster it keeps things going.The only up side to this is that Champ sides will be stronger with the heat leaders from the three clubs gone shared between the 6 clubs.(Trying to look on the bright side re last sentence,)

For Oxford to 'move up', would they have an issue with moving away from their Wednesday race night?  Similarly Poole!

[False dawn 2,298]

26 minutes ago, B.V 72 said:

To me the only way things can work is for another club to move up into the Premier league. To take the league to 6 clubs like it was in 2021 and 2022 not great but it worked.If my memory is right Oxford wanted to start in the Premier league so fingers crossed they still wish to do so. Or Glasgow with possibly no derby with Edinburgh might change their mind who knows. The honest truth is if the league is to survive its a must the someone moves up.

That then leaves the Champ league with a team down and the chance that they will also loose Brum and Edinburgh if this is the worst case scenario then it leaves 6 teams to meet each other twice home and away just like the Premier league nowhere near ideal but beggars can't be choosers but until the next disaster it keeps things going.The only up side to this is that Champ sides will be stronger with the heat leaders from the three clubs gone shared between the 6 clubs.(Trying to look on the bright side re last sentence,)

It's seems inevitable we'll end up with one league. If not next season, then in the next 2-3 years. So why not bite the bullet sooner rather than later?

[Tinker 203]

21 hours ago, glenantony said:

This season started with so much promise - the return of Bewley, Sayfutdinov, Kasprzak and Pedersen seemingly signalling the return to a more glorious era with star names. The birth of a new Workington to add to the success of Oxford last season, Leicester taking the plunge in the top league again, and the promise of some British youngsters continuing their upward careers.

How could this turn so toxic and disappointing already? Peterborough's awful statement regarding their loss of Pedersen seemed to write off their season before it started, and now terrible news about Monmore Green has put another black cloud over the sport's future and it seems we're keen to discuss the death of British speedway again next season.

So many people were saying how they were looking forward to this season - a month in all optimism has gone! How about we revel in what we have for this summer? By all means protest and petition but let's enjoy what we have and spread a positive message - what this sport needs is fans, paying money over the gates and this negativity already this season isn't going to help. 

Couldn't have put it any better myself!

[Piotr Pyszny 206]

On 4/17/2023 at 11:31 PM, Daniel Smith said:

Whatever the plan is for 2024 & beyond, the most certain thing is, every club whose renting has to look to purchase it's own land. 

It doesn't matter if it's grass banks 'bring your own deckchair' stadiums, portaloos, bring your own picnic etc. Without this, closure is coming to you, very soon. Recent ( & predicted) closures:-

Swindon Robins

Lakeside Hammers

Coventry Bees

Peterborough Panthers 

Wolverhampton Wolves

Workington Comets

Birmingham Brummies

Edinburgh Monarchs

Newcastle Diamonds

Rye House Rockets

Reading Racers

Somerset Rebels

Just look at the stature of those names within this sport. It's a horrid horrid look. Pretty much all these closures not because they've gone bust, but the stadium being pulled from underneath them. 

 

Long been speedway's problem: clubs at the mercy of ruthless landlords.

That said, Buxton (AFAIK) owned their stadium (rudimentary though it was) - yet packed up.

Edited April 19, 2023 by Piotr Pyszny

[BuxtonTiger 122]

So, how about one league with five rider teams as they do in Denmark?

[Baldyman 6,243]

Maybe it should just be shut down before it has no choice,,, and if any promoter wants to carry on,, and a track is available,, they can run some individuals,,maybe get a sponsor and put up some decent prize money. 

It's a shame,,, as it finally looked like speedway was trying to move with the times with the streaming,,but probably all just a bit too late. 

 

[noaksey 345]

7 hours ago, Piotr Pyszny said:

Long been speedway's problem: clubs at the mercy of ruthless landlords.

That said, Buxton (AFAIK) owned their stadium (rudimentary though it was) - yet packed up.

And Somerset 

[mikebv 10,278]

On 4/18/2023 at 10:46 PM, M.D said:

The biggest issue if the UK goes for 1 league next season or a 2 way northern and southern league split is.

The UK has  protected race days in world speedway, Monday and Thursday. If we run with a different set up without a league that runs on those days then we loose that right for protective racing on those dates and then Poland can recall any rider they want or race on a Monday and Thursday.

We would loose our right as a major power in world speedway and become a second rate nation with no right over a power like Poland.

I maybe wrong but thats my take on it, shoot me down..

Brady Kurtz rides tomorrow in Poland and not at Leicester for Belle Vue..

The UK give up Thursday as a protected race night....

The UK is already very much a 2nd rate nation when it comes to Speedway when up against Poland..

Poland even dictates when FIM meetings takes place such is their power...

And, to be fair, with the money they pay out, they should dictate what happens and when, as without that money the riders wouldn't have the same income levels...