mikebv

Eg The British Final... In and around Manchester there has been virtually zero advertising either via visual adverts around the city, or local media audio and visual coverage since it has been there... 2.5 million people live within a 45 min travelling radius and a sporting national championship is taking part close to their homes.. At a track a stones throw away from a city centre which attracts 100's of thousands each week to work or play.. The flagship of the countries domestic calendar, and the pinnacle award for any GB rider domestically... Every team should be made to set aside budgets for these key meetings. Instead, massive sums are spent on riders collectively who make hardly any difference to a crowd level by their presence or not, yet very little is spent in comparison on advertising that may make a positive impact to crowd numbers... A strange plan indeed...

Yes..... But apart from all that? .....

In the top league it would work... Six man teams and eight or even nine man squads... Just 48 to 54 riders needed.... All DU anyway virtually, so all would have two jobs to cover not riding every week...

I think you are correct.., I remember in the 90's Sam Ermolenko riding at 3 for Wolves when their "No1" rider... Nicki P, Jason Crump and Leigh Adams were others I recall didn't ride as the No1 for their teams.. I would suggest it is circa the last 10 to15 years when an AGM decreed that the top two riders rode at one and five...

Always a possibility I suppose, but lets be honest, promoters cancel meetings days out using weather forecasts without a thought for fans.... And watching such a farcical situation as 3 guests and RR isn't worth much of a watch (nor financial outlay), I would suggest.. I was once working in London and the Aces were at Lakeside so thought I would go along as had never been to Lakeside.. The meeting was on the same weekend as (I think), 3 GP Qualifiers at various points around Europe, with the Aces having three representatives in them and one injury.. Needless to say I didnt bother to go as the 'Aces' had RR and three guests.. Who in the their right mind agreed to ride this meeting that weekend, knowing one team would have zero comparison to its usual septet? Well for one. The team that knew the Aces would need guests so put the fixture forward.. .. And for two. The Aces themselves who knew they could bring three track specialist ringers in to replace riders not too enamoured by the Lakeside track.. Pretty sure the 'Aces' won too... The sport on the other hand, definitely didnt win...

Dont organise the meeting....

Given the age of most of the competitors in ALL teams now, I am not sure whether the average age of them all put together is now much different from that of the crowd's.... Take away the RS's and most teams are made up of riders who have been around a fair old time... Given so few riders represent so many clubs, "Dads Army" teams may become the norm, with the odd "Chelsea Pensioner" one thrown in now and again too!!..

But certainly wouldn't be needed to feed the 5000 at any track...

His initial first couple of season averages were pretty much on a par with Hamill and Hancock when they first came over too I seem to remember.. Looked like he didn't have the same focus or discipline to match his undoubted ability...

Saw Ryan Fisher at Victorville in 1992 when he was about 10 I think... Started every race in the "juniors" from 50 yards back and hammered lads five years his senior.... Made a note of his name in the programme I bought given how good he looked and presumed he must go in to great things... Did pretty well over here initially too I seem to remember then dropped off....

Six man teams. . Nine heats where all pairs race against each other on alternate gates.. Then. Three heats of managers choosing pairs, winning team name theirs first, then losing team pick theirs, and losing team pick two out of the three gate positions, winning team then have what heat is left... Last three heats lowest to highest scorers, losing team choose their gates for one heat, the winning team then get the other available, then heat 15 is a coin toss.. No riders under 4.5pt averages, however each team can have two 'subs' signed below 4.5pt (RS's?), to replace missing riders (similar to how a Number 8 would now). So no guests needed, but instead a 'Number 7' allied to a fit for purpose RR facilty with each eligible rider allowed a max seven rides.. 15 heats in total, only one tac sub in heats 10 to 14 allowed if 8 behind, as gate positions are also used to gain an advantage, and all riders of a reasonable ability level to cover even a missing No1 if the RR facilty is fit for purpose....

Dont knock it... Gets you in Europe that...

Is there a four team tournament next season..? BV have enough to enter a team if you are correct... At the moment they have to hope for a Best Pairs event...

The top league is having to contrive some cup competition to stretch the season.. The 2nd Division include six teams in the play offs to offer up an extended season for clubs.. And hardly any non UK based riders now too, so plenty of nights available to run a season with zero fixture clashes with other countries meetings... They even clash with their own U21 Championship fixtures for crying out loud.. The bottom line is they have guests because they can, and it's far easier to do this than run the sport properly...

Should get a few of then to reconnect those power lines for the people still without power.... Would be able to get the water sorted too with just a simple diversion of a pipe....!!

Well they all do ride mostly for our entertainment..... I know this because I have read it so many times on here...

3rd Heat leader missing for me and one too many second strings. However, they should win plenty at home so that should see them through to the play offs.. Not sure if this team would score enough to win on aggregate over two legs though against Sheffield given their "four hear leaders" team..

Or pro actively, you could stop running meetings when you know well in advance that certain riders are elsewhere... Or you could run a fit for purpose RR system that allows all eligible riders to take seven riders max each at any meeting.. Many riders DU to make ends meet so, (given so few meetings run with full contracted teams), many would average around six riders an evening, which can only help their coffers.. And also, very importantly keep the meeting as a credible entity which may mean more punters go along to watch...

I think any crowd increases would be led by the 2nd Division clubs who basically had 1st Division riders which must have encouraged a few extra to go... Unfortunatley having no clear demarcation between the leagues is one of its major issues that hold it back, and Div 2 teams are not likely to accept their "real place" in the peckng order any time soon I would suggest.. Hence RS's have been disbanded already in Div 2... The RS plan was a laudible one, but clearly should have been aimed at 2nd Div teams so any 3rd Div riders could progress into those places.. And going back to those "increased crowds"... The sport lost Eastbourne, and almost Newcastle, whilst Birmingham took a sabbatical mid season and there isnt any guarantee they will be back this season.. Add to that the start of "Go Fund Me" pages and I would suggest the sport still faces serious challenges, which, as has been shown for a long, long, time, the approach they use in running it, wont ever solve..

Amazed this sport cannot get some major companies wanting to sponsor it.....

That's Geoff's team....

An no doubt like so many tracks they will have a very solid numbered fan base who still take an interest in the team, and in the wider sport itself, yet wont attend too many meetings, if indeed, any at all... If tracks could just get those who "follow them" to attend each week/more regularly, that, given such low numbers in real terms who do attend, 100% crowd increases wouldnt be out of the question for some, and well into double digit growth for many... I went to Birmingham about six years ago to watch the Aces and felt like a 48 year old 'spring chicken' when I entered the upstairs bar and saw the average age of their support... A tough ask to run Speedway there I would suggest, especially given the wider way the sport is ran in the UK will always negatively impact crowds and prevent potential from ever being delivered.. Best wishes to those who try...

100% this... Birmingham's problem is, like so many other tracks, that they get so very, very few people interested in watching Speedway from a huge conurbation on their doorstep.. If that issue ever got fixed then no council, no dog racing company, or even security guards being over officious, would have hardly any impact on it whatsoever.. Speedways problems are simply down to not enough people attending which, in the vast majority of reasons, is due to self inflicted issues rather than any external influences..

I would suggest that there is more money to be made by not losing at home than winning any of the leagues in UK Speedway, so teams will try and build septets that send their home fans happy every meeting.. Getting beat away costs less too... A solid seven riders for home meetings that I would think, and Ipswich can get 'big' crowds when they do well overall, so if they do win a few on their travels then those 'floating fans' may turn up more regularly to help pay for a 'successful' season...

Maybe you get to a point where you start to look to the following season...? No point ending the back end of the season flying and increasing your average... Especially in a team no where near a play off place... If you can afford to, best thing is to keep that average low and have some negotiating power the following season when discussing team positions with people who may feel your average doesnt truly reflect your capability...