mikebv

To find out why so many fans of the sport don't go to UK Speedway anymore, the Promoters would first have had to notice that their crowd levels had dropped... And I can only presume they haven't quite noticed this yet as otherwise they would have stopped doing what has driven so many away and started doing something that would entice them back.... Although there could also be a sneaking suspicion of course (given their penchant for doing the 'same old, same old, ad infinitum) that they don't see anything wrong at all with the way the sport is ran.. And it's the many missing fans (who still closely follow the sport), who are just delusional...

I believe Poole have several boxes left over somewhere from the year when Cov beat them.. Might be worth a call? Could get them very cheap...

There needs to be an "Elite" league.. Ran with credibility and integrity.. A "standard bearer" to focus the wider sporting public on... The best you could get to deliver that is, as has been said many times, (and should have been done this year), 8 teams of five riders each.. (The top 40 in the averages).. The rest (circa 40 riders?), can then replace missing riders or they run a fit for purpose RR system, with a Number six added.. The issue though is two fold... Firstly. The top 40 riders will, in the main, need to ride in the 2nd Division to make it pay (and not leave a huge hole in their wages from this years' "ride every night/have bike will travel" situation that has been allowed to pervade by the BSPL.. And secondly. Will Div Two Promoters still want to keep rubbing shoulders with the "best available" (at a reduced price), so therefore wont be willing to drop down significant levels in rider quality? As just using the "next 40" riders will do just that.. In a perfect scenario there would be eight top tier teams, and eight 2nd tier teams... With a clear demarcation in standard between them.. (Based on nothing else other that crowd levels if needs be).. With the rest of the teams riding at a NDL/Development level, with some "reserve teams" similar to BV Colts.. The top using the next tier for replacements and the 2nd tier using the teams left in the 3rd tier for their replacements.. With all teams, (as fixed race nights wont be required) all riding whenever their crowd levels will be at the best.. But there is not a chance riders and promoters will go for that..

Peterborough have shown they have enough to win at any of the teams they will come up against.. However, Scott would be the 'ideal' reserve for Wolverhampton away, the one track widely dissimilar to the other two they could face.. If I was running Peterborough I would be making sure he ends the regular season at reserve...

BV would be better running Fri or Sat.. The original business plan when they moved was based on that.. The last time I went earlier this year, I was surprised to see so many kids in attendance on a Monday night, (during the summer hols), and since they have gone back to school crowds have been appreciably lower... Friday night for me, given all other rider individual ambition distractions would be ideal.. Fixed race nights are now solely in place to ensure the top league riders can 'double down'... As we often say, "open" on the best night (or day), you can get your largest crowd.. Anything else is madness from a business perspective..

It would have to be factored in, of course, however getting "guaranteed money", rather than "maybe they will turn up"... Or "if we run tonight the crowd will be crap'... Is a much better option I would suggest.. £800 is effectively 40 matches you are paying for in real terms, at £20 a match, however, there only will be around 20, so the money will go a long way to paying all the costs of staging the home meetings with the excess to help pay the away matches salaries.

I think you would need Rob on board and give him the security of guaranteed income, but dont know obviously how his Company is set up to be able to do a share scheme... March to October would be 8 months of payments, £800 in total, (or do it over 10 months at £80 a month), like the Council Tax)... 250 putting £20 a week over 8 months would generate £200k.. (Less than two packets of fags). If it makes money (I laugh), then each get a dividend... Basically you would be buying "free admission" but these 250 could get access to the VIP suite, with each getting at least two matches in there, free programmes each week, free car parking etc. And maybe give them a free ticket each week to invite their partner, and up to five tickets a match to sell at a tenner to their family and friends? People who wouldnt ordinarily be there.. Ambassadors for the club if you like.. Another 400 a week paying "£x" to get in might then be enough if you are starting with a £200k guarantee, and the price to get in could come down if the guarantee covers enough of the costs.. Pipe dream I am sure but maybe worth at least a coat of looking at..

Could you get 250 people/companies paying £25 a week/£100 a month by DD for 100 shares per month. ? That's £25k a month coming in if you could. Maybe offering "Free" admission for that "investment" to each fan. And "Free" advertising for the companies around the stadium . Surely 250 people in a conurbation the size of Newcastle could be found who would like the sport to continue and could stump up £25 a week? Might need local media involvement and a certain Premier League Football Club may be able to help get the message out/put their hands in their pockets. Nothing ventured, etc etc NB. Maybe get Nicki P contacted to do some media work around the closure, someone must have a contact for him. He might also be the first to stump up some cash, given the push the Diamonds gave his career; and start the ball rolling. ..

And my employees will dictate to me how much I pay them because they want to have the best equipment to do the same job for somebody else, who will pay them more than me... And they will be allowed to branch out on their own, to fulfil their own ambitions, using the equipment I helped pay for by their salary demands.. My business is heavily reliant on good weather to be successful and my customer profile target will be families with young kids to ensure further growth.... So to that end I will mainly open during the week rather than weekends, on school nights, and hardly open at all during the summer holidays when the weather is better, instead I will open during the darker and colder autumn months... I am looking to offer you no more than a 50% stake in the business, and for that I want no less than £48.60....

3-2-1 gone....

Lets be honest, Speedway has always had its "Mickey Mouse" rules (in the UK), however the crowds still flocked to the tracks as PC, Ivan, Ole, Bruce, Michael, Kenny etc etc etc were all there on show. Similar to WWE in the way that the true "Superstars" being on show gets the crowds in... If WWE had its competitors from well down the roster, or if the roster was actually bereft of "Superstars", then the whole charade would be played out in Town Halls and Civic Centres rather than the multi million dollar stadia, packed to the rafters, that they currently play their trade in.. Hype and Marketing.. Now there's a thought...

My first is in Eat but not in Cat... My second is in Duck but not in Pack... My third is in Igloo but not in.. Oh sod it.. It's in the Edinburgh v Brum KO Cup thread, Ian...

But you get a full day there.. With the adrenaline rush of having a few bets.. (When the fun stops, stop!) Kids.. And get to possibly see Status Quo, Rick Astley and Tony Hadley...

To be fair, they did bring in the Green Helmet Cover... Pretty damn radical... Couldn't move at the old Kirky Lane track the night they introduced that.. Queues back to Levenshulme..

From 1971 to 1984, Great Britain/England won 16 World Titles at Individual, BP and WTC level.. All won by very well known sporting personalities.. I would suggest that this kept the sport very much front and centre in the minds of the TV companies.. As they knew an audience was out there to watch it... With the domestic leagues getting huge knock on benefits..

And therein lies another issue.. Salaries are needed to maintain kit that needs to be at a level to fund individual ambitions.. Individual ambitions that feed nothing directly back to the clubs through increased numbers, even if they have someone who has achieved something on their books.. And personally, if they want to run the sport as a team sport, and the rider wants to ride full time, then all sponsorship should go into a pool for the club to use.. Even in F1, some drivers have to bring £x amount of sponsorship to the team just to get to drive the car.. Obviously with two/three/four teams each, some in different countries, dividing up the sponsorship may be a tad difficult though... A recent example of a theft from a young "junior" making his way in the Speedway World highlighted just how ridiculous things have become.. According to his team manager in the SS, to buy the kit stolen from his van, from scratch, would be £20k... A van that was ultra professionally finished on the outside with a superb action shot of the rider painted on the side... When a "junior" feels he needs all that just to compete in a sport ran in front of several hundred people, then it truly is in trouble..

The 70's and (very early), 80's were dominated by Englands success at WTC, Best Pairs, and Individual level with PC and Michael Lee, two sportsmen known as well as any in the country.. PC must have been worth the admission alone at most tracks domestically after watching him thrill the watching millions on World Of Sport throughout the Speedway season, with several 100 (at least), going just to see him.. And even when not winning England always were in with a chance of success so would keep the watching viewer interested by being in contention... Then the foreign contingent took over.. And some may have engaged crowds by their colourful antics and cheery disposition, and also no doubt raised standards significantly given the talent of some of them.. However, it was then the free for all that took place whereby any number of foreign journeymen riders were brought over to replace any number of other foreign journeymen riders ad nauseam that set the rot in.. People just lost interest because there wasnt enough to keep them interested... Riders you had no affinity with, being replaced with riders you had no affinity with, was not a great fan engagement plan.. Nor were the regular price increases to pay for the overseas lads and the drop in crowds.. And of course having so many places filled by non GB riders impacted internationally as GB started to struggle due to a lack of talent coming through.. Football brings dozens of foreign players over because they have the money to invest/speculate.. Speedway spent its money from Sky (millions and millions), on ensuring the top riders rode here, rather than investing in some stand alone infrastructure.. And the top lads promptly cleared off when the Sky money dropped... There are a plethora of reasons of why we are where we are today but there is no doubt so much of it is down to those who have ran it.. Death by a thousand cuts is usually done to others and not to yourself..

But back then you got to watch the worlds best on TV on one of only three channels most Saturday afternoons, with many of them household names.. And then had your tea... And then went to watch the same lads ride at your local track.. For a small dent in your disposable income.. With England ruling the roost in the Speedway World... Meaning the domestic leagues fed off the international success being beamed into (literally) millions of homes.. And if PC or Ivan were "elsewhere" and a guest replaced them, you found out at the track, after you had paid to get in, not days in advance.. Then the USA and the Danes took over.. So Promoters brought more of them over.. And then more Swedes, Norwegians, Aussies, Czechs, NZ's, Finns, Poles, etc etc etc.. And then viewing figures dropped because England were no longer winning, nor even looking like winning.. So the TV companies stopped beaming the sport into millions of homes... So then crowds started to drop in domestic racing.. Meaning inflation busting admission fees started to rise to pay for all these overseas stars, and the drop in crowd levels.. And that was 35 or so years ago.. Yet the same operating model has taken place all that time until today where we now seem to have realised that a successful national team might help fill some domestic league meetings with fans.. Yet that is undermined by all that nonsense that still exists with "guests", ridiculous made up rules, poor track prep etc, but is now done in a 24/7 social media glare which (quite rightly), holds it up to the ridicule it deserves.. People's disposable income has shrunk due to so much modern technology in the home and life in general being "a basic need", and not a luxury, with monthly outgoings very high in many homes.. Nowadays a Speedway meeting doesnt leave a small dent in the disposable income anymore, but a significant one.. What you could do and get away with in the 70's and 80's you cannot now.. The Worlds moved on, but UK Speedway didn't, and to a huge degree, still hasn't. .

But if you want to sell it as a team sport there has to be emotional attachment to that team.. Or simply no point in doing it... UK Speedway obviously cannot/choose not to (delete as applicable), run it as a team sport "properly" therefore their operating model cannot do anything positive whatsoever, but can only impact it negatively.. Only the riders benefit from the operating model, team sponsors and fans definitely dont.. I 100% agree if what you had was entertaining then it could work, sadly when what you are watching comes under the word "contrived", getting people to buy into in more than once or twice initially will take some doing.. The lack of any league sponsor, or major company team sponsorship speaks volumes for its operating model as no company would want to put their name to something so made up.. Riders can pick and choose when to turn up, and have a night off as they are tired... Or get stopped from riding for their own team when fit, after representing their other team several times in the previous few days.. Both scenarios resulting in guests, as shown this week.. Teams will go into the play offs not allowed to sign replacements for genuinely injured riders out for the season, and instead get to use track specialist ringers as guests.. You would need a seasons worth of full on entertainment in every meeting to make all the above nonsense get accepted.. Speedway should just either decide to do "it properly" or not at all, as the current "fudge our way through" simply wont cut it.. And by "doing it properly" either run (at least) the top league with credibility, or run individual meetings similar to Grass tracks, Superbikes, MX and MotoGp, with decent fields and prize money.. When you have to collude with the promoters that what you are watching is "real" they have a serious problem, however.... The raw product of Speedway racing can be uniquely exhilarating from a spectating perspective... So THAT is what they should sell.. Meaningful meetings, with a decent standard of rider, all racing for a decent prize pot, on days or nights when the healthiest crowd can be attracted to generate some atmosphere, at a price point conducive to attract, rather than prohibit, the fans from turning up.. If that's within a team framework then fine, and if it isnt, then also fine...

£35 to £40 is good value fo a family of four however, the vast majority wont do it more than once a month, at most, as more often and it becomes far too expensive as you add on the "extras" of food and drink.. Many seem to equate a night out at the Speedway to a night at the Cinema or TP Bowling however, again, they wont do this regularly, but as a "treat"... And by definition you are then regarding a night at the Speedway as pure entertainment rather than a "sport".. With the other issue then of course being that clubs are trying to, and are dependant on, fans becoming emotionally attached to the club... Yet they choose to run an operating model that can never encourage it... The sport is simply knackered by self inflicted nonsense isnt it?

It would be far simpler, and better than current, and credible, when using RR, if the riders above and below the missing rider in the averages could take two rides each.. All the way through the team.. With a No1 missing having his rides taken by anyone the team manager nominated up to 7 rides max each, but no more than two each of his rides for any individual.. And if a No7 in the averages is missing, then nominate an unattached No8 and let him and No6 ride two races each, with the No8 having a minimum three rides per night... Its ridiculous how many guest riders are used to fill spots that dont need filling if you ran a proper RR system.. The No1 nowadays isnt the powerhouse of old so doesnt need replacing as riders 2nd and 3rd in the averages are now much, much closer.. Riders want races to earn, so keep that opportunity within the team, and not bring outsiders in to take these money making opportunities, and also at the same time, add some credibility and integrity to the meeting..

Baled out rather than locking up behind HA and following him round...

I would suggest that there are far more people who still follow the sport pretty closely who WON'T be attending any meeting this week than the amount who do.. Many, many thousands more followers not attending than those who actually will... And it will be all down to the ludicrous way it is ran, and the ridiculous cost to get in for no more than 16 mins actual entertainment...

It's Wolverhampton... Four laps, clutch start, four riders.... All finishing a straight from each other from first to last... You CAN take your eyes of this Nige..

He/She/They (it is 2021), will be waiting for the New York exchange to close and then the Far East exchanges to open.. You snooze, you lose....