Promoters Conference

[Skidder1 7,637]

2 minutes ago, Speedtiger said:

Point taken but just look back over the past 10-20 years and all clubs that have gone, now only 7 teams in premiership and 9 in championship is rather pathetic, take look on the terraces and see the age demographics, the sport doesn’t promote and attract young fans of the future.
Sorry but you could hardly consider things to be going well and the people running the sport a success!
Speedway is still in free fall and from what it appears the BSPL doesn’t have the acumen or capacity to stop it. 

Yes but looking back 10-20 years which of those clubs actually went bust and how many were kicked out of their stadia? I know of a couple that went through financial mismanagement by the speedway promotion but others??

[Bojangles 594]

1 hour ago, Speedtiger said:

Point taken but just look back over the past 10-20 years and all clubs that have gone, now only 7 teams in premiership and 9 in championship is rather pathetic, take look on the terraces and see the age demographics, the sport doesn’t promote and attract young fans of the future.
Sorry but you could hardly consider things to be going well and the people running the sport a success!
Speedway is still in free fall and from what it appears the BSPL doesn’t have the acumen or capacity to stop it. 

Not too sure what terraces you’ve visited, but the three venues I went to last season - all of them had loads of kids running about. In fact, Oxford and Poole I’d say there are/were far more kids than over 60s, with a crowd predominantly made up of 25-40 year olds. 

[old bob at herne bay 828]

5 hours ago, frigbo said:

So what position is the Swindon licence now in after the Conference?

In the freezer with many others.... 

[tonyd 165]

1 hour ago, Speedtiger said:

Point taken but just look back over the past 10-20 years and all clubs that have gone, now only 7 teams in premiership and 9 in championship is rather pathetic, take look on the terraces and see the age demographics, the sport doesn’t promote and attract young fans of the future.
Sorry but you could hardly consider things to be going well and the people running the sport a success!
Speedway is still in free fall and from what it appears the BSPL doesn’t have the acumen or capacity to stop it. 

With the comment of "the sport doesn't attract young fans I beg to differ, yes the sport can always do with more fans young and old but the problem is how do you get them to attend the sport? Back in the 60/70s when I started going it was mostly a family outing, these days how many family's do things together apart from watch tv? The first meeting I attended on my own was Wembley 71 and I could walk from home to the stadium in 45 mins and the same home again after the meeting. I was 14 that year and lets be honest how many of us would let our son or daughter do something like that these days? Yes the latest generation need to be tempted to speedway but exactly how?

In 2022 my grandson was gifted a couple of free passes for Sheffield speedway by the Bluebell Woods charity  and he asked me if I would go with him and his family to a meeting as he knew I was a speedway regular at one time. From that meeting in May that year to the end of  the 2023 season I think we have missed one match and we have also attended a few away tracks as well. He is obsessed with the sport and on the phone to me daily with speedway updates he has found out, AND to go with his obsession he  has a subscription to the Speedway Star and he had a 2023 subscription to BSN. The lad is not into football as much as he is his speedway and its all down to Sheffield speedway and the Bluebell woods Charity for those couple of tickets. 

 

[iainb 5,017]

2 hours ago, tonyd said:

With the comment of "the sport doesn't attract young fans I beg to differ, yes the sport can always do with more fans young and old but the problem is how do you get them to attend the sport? Back in the 60/70s when I started going it was mostly a family outing, these days how many family's do things together apart from watch tv? The first meeting I attended on my own was Wembley 71 and I could walk from home to the stadium in 45 mins and the same home again after the meeting. I was 14 that year and lets be honest how many of us would let our son or daughter do something like that these days? Yes the latest generation need to be tempted to speedway but exactly how?

In 2022 my grandson was gifted a couple of free passes for Sheffield speedway by the Bluebell Woods charity  and he asked me if I would go with him and his family to a meeting as he knew I was a speedway regular at one time. From that meeting in May that year to the end of  the 2023 season I think we have missed one match and we have also attended a few away tracks as well. He is obsessed with the sport and on the phone to me daily with speedway updates he has found out, AND to go with his obsession he  has a subscription to the Speedway Star and he had a 2023 subscription to BSN. The lad is not into football as much as he is his speedway and its all down to Sheffield speedway and the Bluebell woods Charity for those couple of tickets. 

 

I've said it before and I'll say it again you cannot be failed to be impressed when you first attend a Speedway match (Unless you've attended a shambles that we occasionally get). It's when you take a deep dive into the sport as you become more interested in it that it starts to let you down. It'll be interesting to see how your grandson retains his interest as he gets more into it and dare I say it Sheffield don't manage to put a serious challenge in to retain their title

Edited November 19, 2023 by iainb

[tonyd 165]

10 hours ago, iainb said:

I've said it before and I'll say it again you cannot be failed to be impressed when you first attend a Speedway match (Unless you've attended a shambles that we occasionally get). It's when you take a deep dive into the sport as you become more interested in it that it starts to let you down. It'll be interesting to see how your grandson retains his interest as he gets more into it and dare I say it Sheffield don't manage to put a serious challenge in to retain their title

I think his interest in the sport of speedway will keep him going (well I hope it does) because apart from following Sheffield he is a supporter of speedway in general as many times since he has started going we have taken a trip down the M1 to Leicester for matches (Lions and Cubs) and also down the A1 to Peterborough. Its funny the wife and I can see that he has the same enthusiasm for the sport that we both had back in the 70s only these days he has the internet, YouTube and the likes of BSN to keep his interest going (which is a lot better than just the speedway Star and mail along with programme notes and word of mouth going around the terraces that we had )

[mel 19]

2 hours ago, tonyd said:

I think his interest in the sport of speedway will keep him going (well I hope it does) because apart from following Sheffield he is a supporter of speedway in general as many times since he has started going we have taken a trip down the M1 to Leicester for matches (Lions and Cubs) and also down the A1 to Peterborough. Its funny the wife and I can see that he has the same enthusiasm for the sport that we both had back in the 70s only these days he has the internet, YouTube and the likes of BSN to keep his interest going (which is a lot better than just the speedway Star and mail along with programme notes and word of mouth going around the terraces that we had )

That's great to hear my friends lads 14 and doesn't get to go as much as he likes and always watches the live streams with me also, but as a brand obsessed 14 yr. old he's rarely not got his oxford shirt on absolute loves it. I think speedway as a has a bigger growing youth support basis than they realise I see the same kids week in week out at oxford all with there horns etc.

Edited November 20, 2023 by mel

[bigcatdiary 3,165]

On 11/11/2023 at 11:18 PM, Skidder1 said:

So who out of Godfrey , Louis, Bates and Danny Ford are 'the mafia'?

Godfrey, Louis and Bates, Ford makes the tea and sandwiches

[bigcatdiary 3,165]

On 11/17/2023 at 9:13 PM, mikebv said:

How very dare you...

Maybe they could stream it in action and let us watch it on our smart phones during the meeting?

We could also maybe have a competition called "Guess the start time" measured from the Green light to tapes up...

And also publish the mean start time averages of the 15 heats in the Speedway Star each week...

I also presume the refs now get paid less as they no longer risk their lives pressing a start button for our entertainment a minimum 15 times a night..? 

If refs get paid less they wouldn’t get anything.

[bigcatdiary 3,165]

On 11/18/2023 at 10:29 PM, GWC said:

Len Silver ran second half racing consistently for years. It gave track time to the NL side Rye House ran alongside the rockets.

It was professional but I’m told it didn’t come cheap but then Len was totally committed to young GB riders.

Just a shame he wasn’t committed to shale on a track and watering it to prevent dust.

[KevtheRev 122]

Talking Crap again.

I remember, Len coming out after every heat on his tractor, 2 laps and in again. Never delayed meetings as always finished within 90 mins. If there was a break he's be out with the hose.

[topaz325 1,859]

Was there a Plan B if Birmingham and Oxford did not join the Premiership?

[old bob at herne bay 828]

Yes, the BSPL would rescind the track licences of Birmingham and Oxford and put them "on ice"

I will watch to see what help Oxford and Birmingham receive from the other promoters.

 

[topaz325 1,859]

1 hour ago, old bob at herne bay said:

Yes, the BSPL would rescind the track licences of Birmingham and Oxford and put them "on ice"

I will watch to see what help Oxford and Birmingham receive from the other promoters.

 

How could that  do that to Oxford ....will there be help to fulfil all rider places at all tracks....

[1Tsunami 33]

On 11/12/2023 at 6:28 PM, Fromafar said:

While you might be correct,I would also add the many Supporters Clubs have contributed just as much to keep certain Clubs alive over the seasons.

Those days are long gone.