mikebv

Given how positive all the information has been about the Eurosport contract you would hope that it is something along the lines of showing live Speedway, with or without crowds.. The inference has been that they are in it for the 'long haul' and want to see the Sport grow both here and abroad, so maybe they will have decided that they may as well take the plunge now, Covid or not... They are part of a truly huge organisation so may see funding the excercise worth doing to reap reawards in the coming years..? Let's hope so... There has been a real focus, from the comments made by several promoters, on making the top league 'clearly different' so maybe the reason has been to ensure that TV coverage can start as agreed in the contract...

Serious question Geoff.. Have you had the jab recently? If so, are these the side effects you've been demonstrating the past few days? If you have, and they are, I am not sure if I will have one now to be honest..

Not looking great, however... Some innovative, radical thoughts around meeting formats, team numbers, and how best to provide the UK lads with lots of racing to maximise earnings, and get lots of track time with which to improve, could still mean the season goes ahead... Promoters will be given a 'free pass' if their plan involves running on 'the best nights to get a crowd', and setting a 'reasonable' entrance fee to reflect what could be a heavily watered down product from the last few years'.... 'Any Speedway' will be seen as better than no Speedway by many, and supported by them too... The irony is that Speedway has always been a 'bit' contrived in the UK, so we as fans are used to 'making it up as you go along' regulations. Therefore, we will all be well used to any sort of 'happenings' as the season progresses and will, in the main I am sure, give it plenty of acceptance... Remember that this is a sport in the UK that as recent as 2018 decided that their flagship meeting could include two Swindon riders in a Final that involved Poole and Kings Lynn. And initially decided that they could 'swap sides' at 'half time' and both represent both teams!!! Not even a Covid impacted season, that sees lots of contrived rules to ensure it gets completed, could top that surely? But if it did, we as fans would accept it this following year I am sure..

So a "complete fixture list" would be OK, but one that wasn't would run at a loss? Confused.... Maybe they could run some 'open meetings' when (if) crowds are allowed in? Seems daft having tracks lie idle at a time when Speedway starved fans will be very interested in attending Speedway meetings..

I think our Fortnum and Mason range left these shores a long time ago.. Get what you say 100%, but if ever there was a unique time to make 'real change', it is now.. Speedway followers will never have so much understanding and goodwill towards the promoters, and will accept a fair amount of radical change I would think given the difficulties we all know they face.. Going back to the examples re running a business model, the bottom line is that if your product availability, or your employee availabilty, means you have inconsistent, customer confusing openng times, or even worse cant even open at all when your customers want you to, then you have serious issues to overcome if you want to be successful.. No point therefore self inflicting these problems.... Especially now..

Well said.. Basic Business Practice.. An example I can give where the UK's business plan was incredibly flawed was when the Aces had Matej Zagar.. The Slovenian Championships were ran over several Finals so Matej would miss several Aces meetings to attend.. (Coincidentally they seemed to always be meetings away from home, and usually on tracks he didnt like so they could bring a track specialist guest in!! Who mentioned credibility?) Anyway I digress.... If my shop sold Slovenian goods and I paid "top dollar" for them, but they were my best selling products, I would be pleased to carry on selling them as "it worked for me".. However, if my Slovenian suppliers told me that for several weeks of the year they were concentrating on other markets, and couldn't supply me, thus meaning I couldn't open my shop, thus pissing my customers off who subsequently went elsewhere, I would eventually have to face the facts that they had a far too unhealthy impact on my business, and source suppliers who could guarantee supply every single week.. Now, these products may be of inferior quality, but would still be 'pretty decent', and would be cheaper to purchase for me and therefore my customers. And may even be deemed better value for money overall with a better margin for me.. With obviously the biggest positive being that my customers could attend regularly due to being confident that (a) I was actually open and (b) that they could get what they wanted each time.. A Speedway meeting full of lads from the UK is as exciting as any other Speedway meeting using "international" riders.. The No1 aim of the BSPL, way, way above any other aims, has to be to make GB the best Speedway team in the World, as that is the one guaranteed way to increase the public profile of the Sport through wider media coverage.. Domestic Speedway can then subsequently feed off this awareness and reflect in its global success.. However to do this means UK riders getting scores of meetings to improve their capabilities, and the chances to earn the money needed to compete at the very top level.. Therefore, let's just create that opportunity for them...

Spot on.. In other words, a huge opportunity to reset the operating model and business plan, to where it should have been reset donkeys years ago, as soon as it became obvious that the increase in FIM events, better paying leagues, and national federations themselves, had started to dictate to the UK who could ride when and where, and ultimately meant the UK had lost control over their own destiny.. Many years too late it maybe for action, but the pandemic has given them a gift horse... Let's hope they dont just look at its mouth...

Spot on... The following season is affectively a free pass given to them from all the fans desperate to see some Speedway... They could have 'relaunched' the sport in the UK, with innovative, fresh, exciting, new ideas for the Sport in the UK.. Some which would work, some which wouldn't. . However, those that worked could then be built on for future success, and those that didn't replaced with other ideas... Going it alone was never more such a huge opportunity to be taken, becoming truly in charge of your own destiny, not being beholden to anyone other than their responsibility to FIM events.. Be interesting to see what innovative, fresh, exciting new ideas they have come up with with this huge opportunity for a reset and relaunch..

You always have the feeling at Speedway AGM's that even though 'The Success Of The Sport' is the only thing that they should focus on (and even more so currently), that "taking your bat and ball home" for some is never too far off the agenda.. Due to the Mickey Mouse rules they themsleves have implemented, it has pretty much devalued all their own competitions to not much more than a worthless' level, yet, for some, I would imagine, "winning" one of the Comps is still their overall objective, and "getting their way" at the AGM may just swing things in their favour to allow them to 'bask in the glory of victory' with a 'massed throng' of a few hundred people joining them... And all the while the Sport as a collective sinks lower and lower... Note to those in charge. . A great many fans of Speedway don't care who wins your Mickey Mouse structured Competitions... But a great many fans do care about the Sport they love...

Ring Ring, Ring Ring.... "Hello', Plymouth Speedway"... "Hi, Plymouth Speedway, it's the BSP, No! No! Don't put the phone down,! No! Please!"..... Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...... Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep........... Please replace the handset and try again...

Those three meetings when the lockdown restrictions were a lot lower than the current ones?

Used to be £10, in total, for me and my lad at the NSS to watch the Colts. . If anyone was sat next to me who didn't know about Speedway, they truly wouldn't have questioned the standard.. Brilliant racing. Brilliant value for money. And Brilliant to see the genuine, clear, body language, (delighted or devestated) reactions of the riders as they crossed the line, dependent on their finishing position.. I have thought for a good few years now that the NDL model is the way forward for the sport to grow.. Use it as the 2nd Division, with an "Elite" 8 team, 6 per team, top league which uses their own riders. . For many tracks, if an NDL team was their 'only ticket in town' to watch Speedway, I would suggest crowds wouldn't be too different from their current levels, and with costs so very much cheaper, it should mean potential admission cost reductions too.. "They" seem to get it right, so join them..

Don't you mean, "Wait a minute - wasn't he riding for Belle Vue, Sheffield, Somerset and Poole last week?"

'The Purple Helmet' Match races could be introduced... Sponsored by Viz.....

The 'Championship mix'? Will that be four double uppers/downers from the 'top league' and two double uppers from the NL, per team, I wonder...? With the 'top league' running pretty much the same, but replacing the NL riders with two riders who don't DU but ride overseas as well? That would keep the demarcation between the leagues that the 'top league' seem to desperately want.... Although no idea why this is given for the past several years a great many riders in every top league team ride outside the top league for lower league teams over here too... Not much difference in ability level when it's the same rider....

Given the ever changing position re 'air bridges' , I am amazed any business would recruit 'key employees' who may not be able to get to their place of work.... At any given moment, as we have seen, any country can prevent visitors coming in from any other countries, so to utilise riders who could very easily be 'stranded' overseas at literally a few hours notice seems ridiculous.. The riders who ride in Poland in particular will be instructed clearly not to leave the country should quarantining be enforced upon their return, and also if their own country (or next meeting destination country) is running at a high risk so likely to have the air bridge removed, they will be told they must not travel I would suggest.. And given that this will be their main contract financially I have no doubts all will obey..

I can see 'some' racing happening around September or October... The 'high risk' categories will have all hopefully been vaccinated by then twice (if all goes to plan).. And many of those age groups covered will form the majority of most Speedway crowds I would think so maybe if restrictions allow (as they will still be in place I would think until everyone has the jab), then maybe some individual and/or made up team events could take place in front of a 1000 or so? With the SON in Manchester in October actually happening too..

As long as plenty of guests are available..

About 85-90% object too.... Be good if everyone on here, and all other club forums, added their names and comments to it..

Maybe the superdome is being used to keep the new stadium dry?

Done....

With the "top six" qualifying for the play offs??

I did think this was a possible solution a while back so all teams come to the table, and ensure enough riders to go round, however.. My only negative to it was paying for 16 riders per meeting... Although I do think by grading riders and altering race formats that may be affordable? ie. 4 grades, A to D (with D level being riders 4 AND 5)., and (radical elert), the grades just race against each other 4 times from each gate position so the disparate level of riders on show shouldn't impact the closeness of the racing, as every race takes place with those of similar ability.. Stick down a maximum mean average for the team and that would mean no team could use the "best" of each grade.. Standard from Prem HL to Champ Reserve/NL Heat Leader., 96 points over 16 heats @ £75 a point average, (actual individual deals based on ability obviously), would mean an outlay of £7200 on average for each team to cover all four matches.. Eg per point, No 1 = £100, No 2 = £80, No 3 = £70 and No 4 = £50. (No. 5 same as 4 if he rides).. With no crowds nothing happens obviously, but if we do get fans in again, maybe doing 4 teams per match (one league) would mean lots of Speedway for the riders, and different teams visiting for the fans? (And four lots of Speedway starved fan bases to try and attract per meeting). Maybe even North and South Conference the league so you ride against more local teams more often than those at the opposite end of the Country, with a North v South playoff (similar to the way the NFL does it).. The NL could possibly still run the traditional format of two teams, 7 per team, to ensure lots of rides for those still progressing through, or, if enough teams are interested, also run 4 team tournaments meaning 16/20 developing riders get track time each night.. I am sure riders would prefer to ride four times per week (16 heats to earn money), in smaller team numbers, than run twice a week (and sometimes just once) in a seven man team

Can't run too many meetings on Saturday nights as there won't be enough guests to go round, (see Workington and Fridays), and we know guests are really important to the success of Speedway in this country.. You would also have to replace all the riders who will be riding in the GP,s the GP challenges, the SON, the SEC, the various Nation's own National Championships who use Satiurdays, and of course Poland the day previous, and the day after.... Unfortunately they are completely hamstrung by someone else's agenda, and there is absolutely nothing else they can do about it, they are simply unavoidable victims of circumstance, who can do nothing more but stick to the same operating model that has been followed for the past couple of decades or so... Although, radical as it may seem, maybe they could possibly set their own agenda? Maybe they could possibly take control over their own business again? Maybe they could possibly run an entertainment business more often at a time of the week most entertainment businesses get their largest customer numbers? You know, something like "Here is next seasons fixture list, riding on nights/days each track have decided they can get their largest crowds in, if you want a contract to ride you need to make yourself available to be at each meeting, and we will give you a fortnight to get back to us with that comittment in writing"... That sort of thing... Nah, what am I thinking... That wouldn't work would it? As you were, same again please, rinse and repeat ad infinitum...

Spot on.. These lads are 'self employed' whose only 'loyalty' should be to themselves and their families... If teams wanted 'loyalty' then they would tie them down on exclusive contracts meaning that they only rode for them.. They don't do that, so no one, fans or clubs themselves, can have any cause to complain as to any path each rider takes..