Survival of The Premiership?

[Bald Bloke 3,294]

4 minutes ago, mikebv said:

Have you seen the size of some of those old blokes who go to Speedway?

They can keep their overcoats on for me...

Who mentioned blokes 

[mikebv 10,355]

1 minute ago, Bald Bloke said:

Who mentioned blokes 

Cannot just have a wet T shirt comp for ladies anymore...

In fact, you may need around 18 different categories...

 

[kevin bass 274]

15 minutes ago, mikebv said:

Have you seen the size of some of those old blokes who go to Speedway?

They can keep their overcoats on for me...

The "old" word is the biggest problem way i c it tho, we all know a large majority of the current fans have been going for yrs and are mostly pensioners and getting on a bit, the trouble is when they stop going for whatever reason who's gonna take their place on the terraces, if the younger generation can't be tempted to turn up who's gonna be left when the "old" un's have all gone.

[Bald Bloke 3,294]

23 minutes ago, mikebv said:

Cannot just have a wet T shirt comp for ladies anymore...

In fact, you may need around 18 different categories...

 

I hear what your saying...

 

[Colinspeedway 42]

4 hours ago, kevin bass said:

The "old" word is the biggest problem way i c it tho, we all know a large majority of the current fans have been going for yrs and are mostly pensioners and getting on a bit, the trouble is when they stop going for whatever reason who's gonna take their place on the terraces, if the younger generation can't be tempted to turn up who's gonna be left when the "old" un's have all gone.

Feel like there needs to be more effort with this. Going into schools/colleges/universities to promote (could take a bike in etc). The good thing about getting new younger children into speedway is they will have to bring a full fare paying adult with them too!

[Sings4Speedway 3,249]

11 hours ago, Arthur73 said:

I listened to Lee Colemans views on the situation and I think his idea to remove intervals, have more lap of honours and more entertainment in grading breaks is a good start.

Possible structure:

Before meeting: Junior riders doing some warm up or even a few races

Heat 4-5 break: Interview with some crowd members, possibly some planned

Heat 7-8 break: Some sort of game on centre green, if possible speedway related. E.g. get a few guys from crowd and some tired speedway tires, see who can get the most tires from one place to the other in one minute. Winner gets a rider shirt/hat 

Heat 11-12 break: Rider/team manager interviews 

After meeting: Winning team go round the track together and possibly some more practice rides from juniors 

In all other heats I think a general speedier turn around between heats would help.

I wonder which Island lee borrowed those ideas from....

[steve roberts 9,247]

7 hours ago, Colinspeedway said:

Feel like there needs to be more effort with this. Going into schools/colleges/universities to promote (could take a bike in etc). The good thing about getting new younger children into speedway is they will have to bring a full fare paying adult with them too!

I did a few presentations at schools during the Wagstaff era but it wasn't particularly well structured and having a bike would have improved things dramatically. Having since worked within the tourism industry I could have improved the presentations and recommended a better way of doing things.

Edited July 7, 2023 by steve roberts

[paulrickett 15]

1 hour ago, steve roberts said:

I did a few presentations at schools during the Wagstaff era but it wasn't particularly well structured and having a bike would have improved things dramatically. Having since worked within the tourism industry I could have improved the presentations and recommended a better way of doing things.

We did tons of promo work at Sheffield, free kids/fetes/ schools/flyers/posters/a whopping big screen ad at the end of the Parkway seen by thousands … but if the product is rhubarb then you’re wasting your time. It all needs a MASSIVE rethink, top to bottom.

[kevin bass 274]

4 minutes ago, paulrickett said:

We did tons of promo work at Sheffield, free kids/fetes/ schools/flyers/posters/a whopping big screen ad at the end of the Parkway seen by thousands … but if the product is rhubarb then you’re wasting your time. It all needs a MASSIVE rethink, top to bottom.

Exactly this, plus young un's get bored quick enough as it is and don't wanna watch more tractor racing then actual racing plus listen to music from the 70's/80's at best

[Najjer 2,901]

16 hours ago, barrybishop said:

hey, firstly thanks for attending.... and you are right, how we run speedway it's not for everyone. We aim for mainstream fans of speedway and motorcycling, and of course tourists. I dont agree with your comment of poor racing, we all have different expectations for that I guess but the overwhelming feedback, despite all the challenges we face external to Nora and what we want to do, is that the racing was great, entertainment was brilliant and its was non stop action. If you come down for the second leg be sure to introduce yourself to me and lets discuss it further. All the best and i really hope that we've kickstarted more interest in RH returning where no other club would even consider helping.

Compare this response to the Kings Lynn team manager’s reply on another thread about “come and see me in the pits and I’ll put you right!!” And this is the difference between good/poor communication and success/failure - Keep up the good work.

[pleasureboy60 123]

16 minutes ago, kevin bass said:

Exactly this, plus young un's get bored quick enough as it is and don't wanna watch more tractor racing then actual racing plus listen to music from the 70's/80's at best

Rubbish tracks, poor amenities, constant rule changes, lack.of quality riders, antiquated stadiums,lack of investment, greedy promoters, non value for money, poor product........just a few of the issues with speedway and why it is rapidly going down the pan !

[Sings4Speedway 3,249]

1 hour ago, paulrickett said:

We did tons of promo work at Sheffield, free kids/fetes/ schools/flyers/posters/a whopping big screen ad at the end of the Parkway seen by thousands … but if the product is rhubarb then you’re wasting your time. It all needs a MASSIVE rethink, top to bottom.

Perhaps that way round is part of the problem. Shouldn't the rethink be bottom to top......sort the grassroots levels out and filter the success up not down? There are scores of riders who still drive around the country at amateur, development and NL level at big personal losses purely because they enjoy the sport. There are scores of riders in the Prem who could/should/would have packed up a while ago had the level been higher but instead they are able to milk every drop from the ageing cash cow and know the sport is reliant on them. All the while the money is thrown at riders pension pots rather than the emerging talents UK speedway will never recover.

[truthsayer 234]

2 hours ago, pleasureboy60 said:

Rubbish tracks, poor amenities, constant rule changes, lack.of quality riders, antiquated stadiums,lack of investment, greedy promoters, non value for money, poor product........just a few of the issues with speedway and why it is rapidly going down the pan !

Curious to understand why you think promoters are greedy. I'd suggest most, if not all, are losing money. If I was out to make a quick buck, speedway would be the last thing I'd think about.

[truthsayer 234]

1 hour ago, Sings4Speedway said:

Perhaps that way round is part of the problem. Shouldn't the rethink be bottom to top......sort the grassroots levels out and filter the success up not down? There are scores of riders who still drive around the country at amateur, development and NL level at big personal losses purely because they enjoy the sport. There are scores of riders in the Prem who could/should/would have packed up a while ago had the level been higher but instead they are able to milk every drop from the ageing cash cow and know the sport is reliant on them. All the while the money is thrown at riders pension pots rather than the emerging talents UK speedway will never recover.

You speak the truth my man.

In motorsport around the world, competitors pay to participate in their hobby with maybe less than 1% actually making a living.

Speedway is a sport where riders are paid, with almost nothing else. Speedway needs facilities for competitors to race as a hobby. I would happily be a club racer, with a bike in the garage and doing five or six meetings a year if the facilities were there and the events offered value. The focus should have been on developing a proposition for competitors, not spectators.

A strong amateur scene develops more riders at a higher level, and creates an economy around the sport. The death we are witnessing is a result of the short term view speedway has had, in failing to move with the times and its focus on being almost solely a team sport designed for spectators.

 

[Sings4Speedway 3,249]

7 minutes ago, truthsayer said:

You speak the truth my man.

In motorsport around the world, competitors pay to participate in their hobby with maybe less than 1% actually making a living.

Speedway is a sport where riders are paid, with almost nothing else. Speedway needs facilities for competitors to race as a hobby. I would happily be a club racer, with a bike in the garage and doing five or six meetings a year if the facilities were there and the events offered value. The focus should have been on developing a proposition for competitors, not spectators.

A strong amateur scene develops more riders at a higher level, and creates an economy around the sport. The death we are witnessing is a result of the short term view speedway has had, in failing to move with the times and its focus on being almost solely a team sport designed for spectators.

 

If i personally owned/leased a track im darned if i would promote a speedway team from it. Id keep it solely as a practice venue, private hire and allow amateur meetings to run on it. Everyone of those events sees riders turn up with £40-50 to willingly hand over and have very limited expectations of what is required for their money. 

Contrast that with a being a promotor who has to pay riders to attend, then put up with the list of diva grumbles about the track, weather, pit bay lighting levels and square meterage not being to everyone exact liking, then often watch riders under perform or deliver questionable effort and then have to pay them again at the end. 

Take the two business plans to the bank managed and see what they have to say