mikebv

The plan they have should defintely include a consistent weekly fixture list to get people back into the habit and routine for going.. And also do some discounted "bulk buy" tickets, say five meetings for fifty quid? Getting people there is key so all incentives should be used to get them back in the stadiums. Maybe also raffle off a season ticket at each of the first five meetings? £1 a ticket or 10 for a fiver, would see a good many fivers being spent I would suggest and make far more per season ticket than selling one would for ten matches or so..

It's a full blown Turkey Foil one needed.... Three layers...

I think that if the tracks can keep their pre Covid crowd levels then they will have done well... Two main reasons.. One, the demographic of the fan base and the % level of it that is in the higher risk categories, there are still many questions to be answered around how the various vaccines will cope with the usual mutant strains that evolve from a virus, let alone deal with the original one... And two, the financial hit to everyone that will inevitably have to be taken to pay for the huge black hole in the countries finances... Speedway (and sport in general) will be a long way down the priority order as to how money is spent I would think.. And a possible third impact is a bit more random, but my mates and I have all had Season Tickets at Old Trafford for a few years but probably won't be renewing.. The reason? Not particularly financial for us, but simply we have got out of the habit of going, and pretty much decided that watching the game in the comfort of your own armchair is "fine" and that spending over a grand a year, plus circa £100 a match getting there, eating and drinking, isn't really money well spent.. Many ex fans say on here how after a month or so of not going to Speedway that they didnt miss it, and that they too often simply attended out of habit... In marketing it is reckoned that if you do something/or stop doing something, for 28 days it becomes your 'new normal, hence campaigns are often around four weeks in length to try and influence that change.. Getting people to go back to doing something after well over 18 months has passed will be a serious challenge and will need a very strong campaign of advertising I would say... Lets hope with Eurosports involvement and support the campaign can be successful.. But the size of the challenge certainly shouldn't be underestimated..

And around another 58 contributors also went at exactly the same time....

As I say, no criticism, (or comparison), it was just I saw Cook at No1 and presumed I was in the Glasgow thread, (forgot he had gone to KL).. As you say, the PL team will still hammer a Champ team due to the Champ team being diluted to maintain the gap.. It was just a bit of shock to see how weak the top league had become, 'if' that is a confirmed PL team obviously... Could still be a competitive season though if all teams are truly similar from the outset so let's hope they can all put out such teams and get some decent racing for the first year of Eurosports coverage.. If it takes off then 'new stars' will be found, and the 'old stars' won't be known to any new audience watching anyway, so their absence won't diminish the standard perception to them.. And that type of team must be more affordable surely? Which can only be a positive...

I think for the good (or maybe even survival) of the sport, the fans in this country will have to go along with 'whatever' is served up this season.. And lets face it if you are still a regular, it means you are pretty much immune to the many years of nonsense that has passed and are therefore willing to accept what you are given, so hopefully will be relied upon to back the promoters.. A possible free pass maybe this season for the promoters, where some slack is given as they try and deliver the sport (and the Eurosport contract)...

Re the comments about team strengths.. I read this post at the time and thought "that looks a good team, no wonder Glasgow were fighting to keep their side together".. It was when I came out of the thread I realised I was in the Kings Lynn one... Not any criticism by the way, but just an observation as to how team strengths are now unrecognisable from just 5 years ago, never mind 10, never mind 20... For me though, as long as the leagues have credibility and integrity, and each team are allowed to build a competitive team, then it is 100% the right thing to do.. I would suggest though if any price increases are planned, then maybe they should leave it for this year...

And lots of doubling up and down....

I was there that night at Leicester.. Coincidentally it was one of the last league meetings (in the UK), that I went to... Can't think why... Watching him 'paddle with his feet' around the track whilst getting lapped was a particular "highlight" that night. . Almost as enjoyable as the nigh on one hundred quid hole in my wallet after Petrol, Food, Drink and Admission for me and my lad.. Luckily, I have saved miles more by not attending since so he actually did me a favour. ..

About 20 years too late, but, better late than never... At last it appears that those who have routinely year on year helped reduce the sport to an almost irrelevance at domestic league level by using such a ludicrous operating model and business plan, have either been outnumbered and have no choice but to lump it, or have finally seen the hand in front of their face reality that whatever they did to help their own team win a title, it made zero impact to the sports long term success, as basically, it mattered not one jot to so many given the lack of a credible offer that they provided each week... Getting the GB team successful consistently has to be the overriding priority of the BSPL, with all three of their leagues providing an end to that means, with hopefully also the assistance of Poland and Sweden in providing places for UK riders deemed sufficiently good enough to get those place offers as they progress.. Teams full of UK lads has to be the target for the sport over here to once again get the publicity it so badly needs, and there really is no better way for a sport to awaken the public's consciousness towards it than bringing national success into their homes via the TV and media regularly... Lets hope it's the start of promoters finally bringing some reality to what their roles really are, (which is to grow the sport as a collective), and the end of them feeling that their own team winning any UK speedway title was 'the be all and end all', because it truly isn't... Good luck to all who are giving it go and let's hope any bumps in the road are taken as such and don't get used as an excuse for any abandonment of the scheme.. Who knows, maybe in a few years time the domestic titles in the UK will have credibility due to being ran 'properly' and the teams that win the comps gain some 'proper' national coverage (and financial rewards), for their endeavours, and it will be all down to having generated interest in the sport through having plenty of British world class riders dominating the sport at the highest level.. It will be a long old road, but the journey has to start somewhere...

Great news re bringing on the young riders.. A successful GB team will deliver miles more coverage, publicity and therefore awareness of the sport, than any individual team success ever could.. 5 years though is a long time, and we have had plans of this length before.. So let's hope this time they stay solidly behind the plan.. Although, given some of the people now involved, I think we can have a bit more confidence that such a plan will now get carried through...

Let's be honest the main reason for fixed race nights was simply to ensure plenty of guests for both leagues would be available and provide plenty of Double Up/Down opportunities for riders who need to ride in two or more leagues to make it pay... A quite incredible operating model to devise, nail your mast to, and expect it to deliver a successful business..

However, fixed race nights did ensure that all the top riders in the world came back to ride over here..... Oh, hang on......

Without going down the 'all our yesterdays' route... During the 'halcyon days' of the 70's, teams had 'overseas' riders but they weren't generally (as you correctly describe), the 'modestly talented' ones... They were pretty much the top riders from their own countries, who rode in World Finals, World Pairs, World Team Cups and Test Matches.. The 'elite' of their respective nations.. Many British League Div One team's had overseas "top level" riders amongst their septet but, in the main, most had at least five UK riders too, and that was at a time of around 16 or so teams in the First Division... Whilst hardly a 'youth policy', if it means meetings take place regularly, and thus stop getting moved around to pander to rider's own agendas all the time, then as many British lads per team will be a positive.. And for the long term good of the sport, the more we give opportunities to the 'modestly talented' UK riders to try and improve, rather than their equally 'modestly talented' overseas counterparts, the better it should turn out to be going forward....

Imagine ensuring that having enough guests are available as one of your main priorities when planning a fixture list? Rather than planning one that takes every opportunity possible to run Speedway meetings at weekends... "Please take us seriously fans, media and sponsors".....

I actually think Poland have learned from what the UK failed to do when it was the No1 Speedway league on the planet, and built their plan around not having the same outcome the UK ended up with... Unlike the UK, they haven't allowed a free for all whereby foreign riders come in and take spaces over Polish lads, and by ensuring that young riders in particular get guaranteed slots they have invested in what they hope is future success.... The reason being is that they know how much of Polish Speedways domestic growth has been built on a successful national team which has ignited the interest of the public and, most importantly, meant mainstream media and major sponsors getting involved in the leagues over there.. Their determination to keep Poland as No1 is clear and, quite rightly, will do whatever is needed to keep themselves there.. The UK had its chance, following a system that worked, then opened the floodgates to everyone, and basically spent years training up overseas riders to knock the 'England' team off their perch and they swiftly become also rans on the world stage.. And as that happened, quite naturally, the media coverage and major sponsors dwindled away accordingly... Can't see those in charge in Poland allowing the same thing to happen to them..

A lot of people are telling me that.... Good people.... A lot of them...

Or roll their eyes collectively and say "what does he know?"...

Fair play for still believing that winning any UK competition actually has relevance or kudos. You are, I believe, in an ever decreasing number but can't knock you for keeping the faith... But as for all starting level? A myth sadly. As always happens, within a month the team who everyone on here will have said that they have 'no chance' before the season starts, will be cut miles adrift and spend the rest of the season changing riders but never actually improving (due to the restrictive rules), and, again as always happens, will end up finishing bottom 40 or 50 points behind the top team.. For me, if ever there was a season when absolutely everything must be done to create a Speedway season where every race, never mind every meeting, should deliver a positive for the sport then this is it.. Whoever may win the 'titles' is pretty much irrelevant (particularly this year), and should be very much secondary to every team putting a competitive unit out on the track every meeting, and winning any title should also be miles behind delivering entertainment that inspires fans to want to go back and attend the next meeting...

You can only imagine that one, or maybe more, teams think they are sat on a 'killer team" which will allow them to win the league.. A victory that may even see them mentioned in the local "Gazette" or "Tribune", with maybe even a photo of them (possibly even in colour!), being put in just below the local Darts and Crib League results.. Who knows, their local mayor may hold a "buffet lunch" for them (post Covid obviously), which could attract up to 100 or so followers to attend and celebrate such a momentous, globally resonating achievement... Name in the local paper? With maybe a photo too? And a buffet lunch with the local mayor? Now that's got to be worth potentially f×××ing up a whole seasons Speedway for hasn't it? Hasn't it?

Difficult times, beyond anything faced before, even WW2 didn't stop Speedway taking place... Therefore... Time to all come together and compromise if needed for the good of the sport as a whole, (it might actually only be one year of 'doing something different' after all?)... Every team that is left actually coming to the tapes, 'whenever' the season starts, has to be the objective, with every team having an opportunity to put out a competitive team being just as important.. From what you say, I can only presume there must be some involved in Speedway who are not aware of the pandemic yet? Or maybe some just simply didn't get the memo sent around 'working together'....

Wouldn't that be an obvious part of the BSPL's remit to inform all riders of Brexit implications? Or maybe even the ACU? Surely any umbrella organisation will know the regulations and share them with everyone registered?

In the Speedway Star of 2nd Jan it mentioned a Working For The Future Committee.. Mark Lemon, Chris Louis, Dale Allitt John Campbell, Stewart Dickson and Ben Duffill.. The brief being to deliver some forward looking blueprint for UK Speedway.. Wonder if it (or any part of it) has been used to reach decisions at the AGM? Some of the names on the committee are people who seem to have some modern ideas and understand change is needed...

I do sometimes wonder to myself what it would be like if a couple of BSPL members went on the Dragons Den with their operating model and business plan.. "We only can open our doors when our employees dictate to us when we can do so, because we share them with other similar businesses, some of which pay them much more than we can, so they get first call and our employees prioritise them" "We are in the entertainment industry but will open mainly during the week rather than at the key times for the entertainment industry. (weekends and bank holidays), to allow our employees to work in their other jobs".. "Our customers tell us we are too expensive to attend as regularly as they would like, but we need to charge so much because our employees expect us to pay them a certain amount of money to turn up, this results usually in a downturn in customers annually so we cover the cash shortfall by increasing prices to keep paying our employees the money they need".. "Our opening hours won't be consistent, but will be subject to constant change, and we may even go weeks without opening at all, with the key summer school holiday time in particular seeing several weeks of closure due to not being able to staff the business, as many of the staff are elsewhere" "We will use many overseas employees whose own personal agendas we constantly work around, rather than use mainly local people, they are admittedly more expensive in the main, and have less flexibility, but overall we think they are of a higher standard (possibly) than the local people who are available" The Dragons would be fighting over each other to invest wouldn't they?

I remember when I first saw Jason Crump race at the old dog bowl... He was truly incredible... He 'howled' into the tight turns at a speed not seen before, and one night smashed the track record by miles... As a long time fan of the sport, and someone who could therefore really appreciate the level of ability, I was truly in awe of what he could do and felt quite privileged to see him do this time and time again every week.. However.. If I had been there watching the racing as a potential new fan of the sport, Jason winning races by such huge distances wouldn't probably have motivated me to go back and repeat the experience, and as for anything else that happened in the races he won 'by miles' I wouldn't have a clue.. And after watching him do this time and time again it did eventually become 'quite boring' to be honest and you started to hope he would miss the gate and have to pass.. And also, even though one of the true 'all time greats' of the sport was in attendance every meeting, (racing against other top stars of the day), crowds dropped away annually... An entertainment industry needs to consistently entertain to be successful, and Speedway entertains through close racing where ideally (but not specifically) riders pass each other. And to do that is simply down to having all riders of a similar level racing against each other. As an example the Youth Championships served up great racing from Jordan Palin v The Thompson Twins in particular, easily on a par with anything else served up at any level. With the simple reason being their similar ability levels. It really doesn't need to cost promoters a fortune to provide great racing. It's the similar levels of the riders that's the key to entertaining racing, not the names on their kevlars..