mikebv

The tides I believe have been given as a reason previously..

Kelvin having a bit of a dig there about the AGM priorities...?

I would suggest the biggest % drop off in fans was from around 1995 to 2005.. Anecdotal evidence as it is but.. I stopped around 1995 and started again ten years later and was amazed at how crowds had dropped off.. And in that time Britain had a World Champ and all the world's best still rode here which suggests the level of rider isn't such a huge fan attraction.. I would suggest that the % drop in the past five years to ten years is way lower than the one for the timeline I mentioned.. Admittedly it is because crowds have been generally crap but it shows that the weakened product still attracts the die hards in reasonable numbers which can only be a positive for the sport if it wants to reduce costs by weakening again.. Bottom line is, you can't spend what you haven't got and most tracks look like they don't have much spare from what they pay out now. Therefore finding six grand a night (or maybe even more given they will have an expectation based on earnings elsewhere?) for two World Class No1 riders would be a 'tad' difficult I reckon..

Bet 365 used to stream the matches didn't they? Therefore maybe getting a betting company involved will help with production costs through sponsorship of the whole process? Link say a £10 access charge with a free bet on the match, winnings paid as they usually do in other free bets by another free bet which this time could generate cash winnings.. Maybe the bet could be on the +/- handicap team score? (Or how many guests will be riding)? And as always, as they do with free bets, it will be seen as their investment/ hook to get you chasing the dream long term. A decent big name in the betting industry aligned to the sport will help the sports brand reputation standing too.

For me its purely down to the lack of crowd shown on TV, and where they do exist the demographic of them, as well as the often Mickey Mouse nonsense that is allowed to happen, as that can never persuade a major sponsor to come on board.. Perception is so much part of the modern psyche when it comes to deciding what is 'current' and what isn't, and sadly Speedway (in Britain) isn't seen as 'current' enough to get investors on board.. Ironically the same sport, often featuring the same riders, is very much 'current' with a much younger average fan base of males and females in Poland.. Thus, the advertisers are actually queuing up to come on board.. When you watch the Polish league the adverts actually feature the riders as they have public recognition, and the products they help advertise are often aimed at the younger market. Beer and Energy drink producers being two in particular that sees Speedway as something they need to be associated with for growth and success.. Sadly in the UK there isn't that youthful vibrancy that generates the interest that might stimulate major companies to join in.. And as I have said previously, should a major player come to support the sport and invest plenty, they definitely wouldn't want to be associated with swapping riders in a final, or be aligned with any team that can let their best rider effectively ruin his own chances of success, and that of his own team by putting in a rider of the night performance for a rival team.. What you could get away with years ago, you simply cannot now in the modern media era where any tweet can go viral within seconds.. (And if Poland allowed such nonsense does anyone really think they would have the following they do?) Filling the TV matches with fans would 100% help, especially if you filled the stadiums with a clear mixed demographic of the population.. Giving 1000's of tickets away if you have to as it would be all about the 'long game' Doing that might get any major potential sponsor to at least take notice and see if they could get any mileage out of associating with the sport given it will look like its fan base is something more than a SAGA get together which it does look like far too often.. As Poland proves, there is potential there, so all hope isn't lost. The sport is still exciting, adrenaline fuelled, and fast and furious.... It just needs its fan base to reflect the same to bring in some corporate interest..

Will Kenny be fit for the 2ng Leg? What did the World Class Medical team at Brussels' Airport diagnose?.. Strange place, and a long way to go with an injury to an Airport but he must trust the Doctors there I suppose.. And got the chance to take some photos of planes too, so all in all not a bad afternoon for KB..

Too open to subjectivity. A major inherent problem in UK Speedway's rules.. (a perfect example of this is your opinion of Lamberts reasons).. Make the rules clear.. You don't turn up, you get banned for 28 days You produce a sick note, you miss 14 days to help you convalesce. (A caring organisation).. You produce a 2nd sick note in a season, you miss 28 days (a very caring organisation).. Poland seem to have all their riders arriving in time, from all parts of Europe every Friday, Saturday and Sunday.. I presume they just must be lucky mustn't they? Or are those (consequential) contracts they make the riders sign making Poland 'lucky'?

?? So it's ok for the sport to be nothing more than contrived nonsense? In a Final too? Fair enough if so, but no one can moan when crowds then reflect this nonsense.. (Like they appear to do each week of the season).. I wonder if anyone in authority has actually ever given serious thought to running Speedway in the UK properly? You never know. It might be worth a go... As let's be honest, it looks like they have tried just about everything else..

He was at Brussels Airport and his flight got delayed to post 7pm... Nice photo of the runway from Kenny as he waited.. No mention of injury.... Until it was obvious he wasn't going to make the meeting. .

I believe Kenny went from Denmark to Brussels Airport specifically to get diagnosed by their world famous medical team...... Such is there popularity though it took him four hours before he got seen... Bloody Belgian NHS...

Had none for years Steve. Complete, Mickey Mouse, contrived nonsense.. (But given the operating model they have devised, that's the best they can offer)...

Due to how long Kenny was sat waiting at Brussels Airport for his flight, it gave him time to remember he was injured....

Is there time for a flood? Kennys condition must have deteriorated significantly after taking that photo at Brussels airport this afternoon.. To be honest, GB Speedway should start using those airlines that Poland use... Amazingly given the UK problems, all the riders seem to land in plenty of time over there....

In my role I do quite a few appeals on disciplinary matters which involve dismissal, and spend quite a lot of my time reviewing the process followed before either over turning or up holding the decision made.. It does appear something quite obvious may have happened/been missed, for him to a) not get banned soon after the incident like the others and b) not get banned after the appeal hearing when all the facts had been reviewed.. What obviously appeared to be an 'open and shut case' in the 'trial by social media' looks like it wasn't quite what it seemed.. As you say, maybe someone should be now getting some 'feedback'...

Agreed,. I haven't been to an Aces meeting all season as given up Mickey Mouse domestic top two leagues Speedway, (been to a few Colts matches though and they have been spot on), however if I had been attending all year then I would have gone tonight.. Just because it would seem a bit OTT to make a stand against the promoters, and decide not to go to the last match of the season, when you've been all year.. I reckon 1200 to 1400 or so will still be in attendance especially as Swindon are taking a good few.. And if they get that many it won't be a bad crowd I would suggest.. Edit : just read the info re Kenny... If he doesn't make it then maybe s few might get knocked off the attendance..

For one so young and still very early in his career, he does seem to have more than his fair share of "issues" when it comes to attending all his scheduled Speedway meetings in the UK doesn't he? Must be just unlucky...

I think most will not really be bothered either way.. British Speedway can get you like that.. Good luck to Craig, if the system allows it then fair play to him for escaping a ban.. It certainly won't resonate outside of the tiny GB Speedway bubble so no harm done to the Sport..

At last... Justice has been done... Everyone move along please, there's nothing to see here, mind you don't trip on that carpet we've lifted up to brush under on your way out.. Hope Craig sets up a 'just giving' page to help with the fine.. British Speedway

Or short circuit bike racing people...?

A toxic brand sadly BM... You only have to look at many of the TV matches... Rows and rows of empty seats, standing areas bereft of anyone actually stood there.. Companies want only positive brand association, as their name will resonate in the sub conscious of those watching.. Add also the fact that a company could sponsor a team with a significant sum of money and then find that their support will be rewarded by their number one rider (who will invariably be the chief beneficiary of their patronage), being actively allowed to destroy his own team's chances of winning the league by riding for any other team in the league, and you really have a hard sell to persuade any self respecting nationally known business to come on board..

But having a fan base like that would help any application for being allowed to move elsewhere within the same area... Sadly as it stands now, it would be difficult at most venues to make out to the local councils that the loss of them would have a huge impact on too many people...

He best not ever go to NK then as Kim is the only one allowed to have that particular 'style'..

All clear and obvious points and opportunities.. But as you say, no chance of anything changing... I do actually think that they probably do realise that their operating model and business plan is crap, but, bless them, they are simply incapable of doing anything about it to radically develop the sport... Hence we will have the same old, same old next season, and the season after, and the season after etc etc, until it all eventually becomes not worth doing as one by one the tracks disappear.. It has simply two clear options.. One. To do a 'Poland' and go balls out to attract the best in the hope fans will come back to the sport. (personally not a chance in hell they could deliver this).. Or Two. Set clear demarcation between two leagues where reaching the highest level is aspirational, with one being a mix of a few professional (but in the main), semi professional competitors, and the other being very much a development league to help supply the top tier over the long term. With all meetings ran when punters can get there not around when riders can fit it in their non UK schedule.. To keep doing the same thing again though surely isn't an option even to those currently doing it?

Sadly failing to adapt and move with the times has pretty much delivered its own demise.. If tracks could generate great crowds and thus deliver lots of rent money then maybe they would have had a chance.. Or better still, used these great crowd levels to lever a 'place of their own', somewhere in the locale , which reflected the local counciil's environmental plans but also provided the club with no rent to pay but all the income to use.. However. It must be hard to convince a local council that you are a much needed leisure pursuit, and an integral part of the community, when the crowd levels suggest very much the opposite... Woolworths, BHS, House Of Frazer, Debenhams, etc etc have all been established businesses that have failed to follow trend and move with the times, hence they are either no more, or hanging on by a thread.. Speedway, Stock Cars and Greyhounds are very much of the same ilk.. If no one uses your services then sadly there really is no need for your existence.. And if some landowner can earn so much more by selling up now than they can ever hope to receive over say the next ten years or so, then why would they not do so..? Speedway (in the UK), sadly isn't relevant anymore, with much of this irrelevance directly down to the lack of leadership, vision and capability of its custodians, many of whom have simply fiddled for years whilst Rome has burned around them... Who will be next to get engulfed by the flames?

If you have a crap haircut I believe there is now a little known rule that says no barber necessarily needs to be criticised for it...