27 years on

[cowboy cookie returns? 747]

Came across this BBC documentary on you tube from 1997. Such a shame that nothing has changed in 27 years, although I well remember that many thought a brighter future was just around the corner.

[mikebv 10,277]

Watched it again on YT not long ago..

A lack of a clear vision of travel as to where they saw the sport was the ultimate issue, which meant non stop short term fix, after short term fix..

The Sky millions being the huge opportunity missed...

Using that money for example could have allowed squad systems, which would have meant Mickey Mouse didnt have any control over the sport, and the titles then had credibility...

And who knows, maybe could have attracted  sponsors from "outside" its fanbase..

Instead the sport paid out "the Sky money" to No1's, who then missed the most meetings as the GP's evolved hugely at that time, meaning credibility destroying guestfests after guestfests with inferior riders replacing them, thus peeing off the public..

A public who then got inflation busting increases to admission prices to not only pay for the level of riders, but also to cover the shortfall from disillusioned fans leaving the sport annually...

Those left, ultimately paying more to watch less quality as the GP riders had to be "elsewhere" many weeks..

UK Speedway basically bent over backwards to the top riders, often, it appeared so the promoters could bask in the reflective glory of rubbing shoulders with them..

And then of course when the money stopped the No1's showed their loyalty and appreciation to the promoters by foxtrotting and oscaring as quickly as those planes to Poland and Sweden could carry them..

And only came back when the schedule was changed to accommodate their wishes..

Even so many years later, 2024 will see rinse and repeat..

Still no clear direction of travel..

Still no clear leadership..

Still no "outside" sponsorship nor major businesses interested in sponsoring the league or individual clubs..

More opportunities for guest riders though, so, you know, not all bad eh? 

 

Edited February 3 by mikebv

[Bagpuss 10,780]

1 hour ago, mikebv said:

The Sky millions being the huge opportunity missed...

Absolutely. Just think where speedway could be today if that money had been spent properly and wisely. The decision makers throughout those years should be ashamed.

 

[iainb 5,017]

34 minutes ago, Bagpuss said:

The decision makers throughout those years should be ashamed.

 

They're probably sitting on a beach somewhere sipping on pina colada's 

[GiveusaB 1,145]

Other sports have bettered their product!

Speedway hasn't!

[Deano 1,318]

There are still opportunities though. So many sports have disappeared behind pay per view, so much rubbish thrust in our faces on terrestrial, I include obscure live FA cup matches controlling the tv schedule all the time. The six nations might be the the next tournament to disappear as it isn't protected like the Rugby World Cup is. I hate football with a  passion there are many tens of millions like me out there.

[truthsayer 234]

18 hours ago, Bagpuss said:

Absolutely. Just think where speedway could be today if that money had been spent properly and wisely. The decision makers throughout those years should be ashamed.

 

I'm not sure. Not for one second am I saying that speedway is well run, it is nowhere near well run, but it is always going to be up against it, as all motorsports are.

Speedway is a very specialist sport. There are environmental, cultural and financial reasons why it faces a bleak future.

Lack of venues is the key one and it is hard to see how any landowner can see value in a speedway track over commercial or residential property. 

The country has, in all aspects of life, relied on imported labour for many years and this is coming home to roost after the self imposed annexing of 2016. Speedway's lack of homegrown competitors, combined with a lack of facilities, an outdated business model and an almost complete absence of a grassroots/amateur system is creating its long and painful death as a professional sport. It's something being witnessed in other areas of industry too.

The Sky money could potentially have been invested into a grassroots and developing a new business model, but frankly the base product isn't good enough for modern TV.

If I watch other sports on TV, they start on time, conclude when expected and are not cancelled because conditions are bad. The base product sucks for the modern consumer and I just don't see how that can change until the sport dies and it is forced to reinvent itself.

[piston197 194]

Can't even spell Documentary correct in the title, let alone make one ?

[BluTiger 21,697]

Wasting a whole evening to watch 15 mins of action is never going to work in the modern digital age. Times have changed since the 'good old days'...

[E I Addio 15,845]

52 minutes ago, BluPanther said:

Wasting a whole evening to watch 15 mins of action is never going to work in the modern digital age. Times have changed since the 'good old days'...

I think there is much more to it than that. Sitting in a freezing cold stadium for two months of a six months season is not going to get modern punters through the doors, especially the times when you are 30 minutes into the meeting and have only run maybe three or four races due to delays.  Most people have fairly comfortable homes these days and a variety of TV channels and choices. It’s not like the ‘50’s when people had at best poorer quality homes and BBC only on TV. No incentive to stay at home in those days. And all that is before we even get to what goes on at the track . Dog racing is the same. There were around 40 dog tracks  in London alone in the ‘40’s and 50’s but only one I think left today. People just don’t want that sort of stadium based entertainment anymore.

In many ways the sport has shot itself in the foot but I very much doubt whether it would even be big again in the modern world but even if the sport got its act together

. I think less and less people want that sort of entertainment. 

Edited February 4 by E I Addio

[mikebv 10,277]

2 hours ago, E I Addio said:

I think there is much more to it than that. Sitting in a freezing cold stadium for two months of a six months season is not going to get modern punters through the doors, especially the times when you are 30 minutes into the meeting and have only run maybe three or four races due to delays.  Most people have fairly comfortable homes these days and a variety of TV channels and choices. It’s not like the ‘50’s when people had at best poorer quality homes and BBC only on TV. No incentive to stay at home in those days. And all that is before we even get to what goes on at the track . Dog racing is the same. There were around 40 dog tracks  in London alone in the ‘40’s and 50’s but only one I think left today. People just don’t want that sort of stadium based entertainment anymore.

In many ways the sport has shot itself in the foot but I very much doubt whether it would even be big again in the modern world but even if the sport got its act together

. I think less and less people want that sort of entertainment. 

All working independently to try and win something that they themselves devalue to the point of almost worthlessness, (by their own operating model) is almost madness isnt it? 

Laughable if it wasn't so sad to see the negative impact that the operating model has had on crowds..

Maybe one day they will pool resources, put up some big prize money, and relaunch the sport collectively with some professional marketeers involved..

Or maybe they wont....

[Deano 1,318]

39 minutes ago, mikebv said:

All working independently to try and win something that they themselves devalue to the point of almost worthlessness, (by their own operating model) is almost madness isnt it? 

Laughable if it wasn't so sad to see the negative impact that the operating model has had on crowds..

Maybe one day they will pool resources, put up some big prize money, and relaunch the sport collectively with some professional marketeers involved..

Or maybe they wont....

It will happen. When one person owns and operates the last two remaining clubs, sharing the only rider available.

[mikebv 10,277]

4 hours ago, Deano said:

It will happen. When one person owns and operates the last two remaining clubs, sharing the only rider available.

Bomber....

[one of clubs 116]

At the moment a former BV Colts rider is on BBC's the apprentice and the only thing we hear is that his company supplies pies to MCFC. Yet another example of poor promotion, the powers that be should be right on that by way of taking advantage of free publicity. Shocking really. Terry Russell and his violin case brigade have alot to answer for with the Sky sports money.They did very well out of it thankyou and most of his associated tracks are no more.

[*JJ 512]

17 hours ago, truthsayer said:

 an almost complete absence of a grassroots/amateur system

Which was almost completely destroyed by the BSPA for some reason ... The is a small amount of amateur speedway, but only in a couple of stadiums now, noticably those actually owned by the speedway team.