mikebv

Read it a while back.. Some very astute observations as you say... All though, (as per all previous astute observations made), will be totally ignored... For me, the only chance the Sport has is to collectively market itself... Stop spending thousands individually on riders whom the local populous have never heard of, and therefore have no wish to see ride, for a Speedway Team they don't know actually exists... Instead, spend thousands nationally with a marketing company who may be able to make riders better known and, if nothing else, make the Teams and Sport better known within its own locale... The NSS, for example, delivers great Speedway racing... However many of the population even within a one mile radius of it, have never heard of the Belle Vue Aces, and have never heard of Speedway.. This I am sure can be said for the vast majority of tracks around the Country (the lack of awareness rather then the great Speedway possibly?!)... Bottom line is.... If no one knows about you, no one will visit you... And if that stays the case then you can have Tai, Emil, Bartosz and Majic lining up at the tapes.. The stadium will remain no where near full enough to pay for them..

I take it you must have read a leaked copy of some far reaching, root and branch investigation in to the future of the Sport RD? No? My apologies... I just presumed you were quoting its final recommendation!!!

As you say Scunthorpe could have run with a half a team of NL riders.... Or they could have scoured Europe for replacements if not enough available in the UK.. Or they could have pulled out of the League... And if they did that they would have at least freed up their non injured riders to replace other injured riders in other teams.. Bottom line is... Maintaining guests = Maintaining zero credibility.. Maintaining zero credibility = Maintaining almost zero mainstream media interest.. Maintaining almost zero mainstream media interest = Maintaining low crowds due to the lack of the publics awareness of it.. Maintaining low crowds due to the lack of the publics awareness of it = Maintaining zero interest in sponsoring it from large national companies.. Other sports have injuries to competitors, often several competitors from the same team. And they have to carry on.... Speedway cannot use 'ahh but this is speedway' as its catch all bollocks, get out of jail card.. If there are too many teams and not enough riders then completely change the dynamic.. Put simply, dont keep on using the same failed operating model over and over again.... As guess what? It doesn't work!

Ironically on this occasion ALL of them will be guests... I take it all are available for this? Any of them due on another pre planned break at the same time elsewhere in the World?... If they did need to invite replacements, would their luggage need to weigh less than the rider they are replacing or as it will be a big plane can they carry an extra 5% more.? I'll get me coat..

Followers of any Sport can never complain about a lack of mainstream media coverage when that Sport they follow allows 'horses for courses' ringers to be brought in.. It simply isn't (and can never be) a true sporting contest when teams are contrived and cobbled together, and farcically often done so using competitors who are competing for the same prize.. And there is no way the guest system can be used without the accusations of manipulation.. There is zero chance of any blue chip sponsors getting involved either.. Imagine one of them sponsoring this year's play off final and getting the decision to allow Adam Ellis to ride for both teams explained to them? And then later getting told that instead of that ludicrous situation now being allowed, two Swindon team mates will go head to head instead representing both clubs... This would be a major company who will be having its name associated with such brand damaging carnage... If theres not enough riders then reduce the number of teams... Or keep the same number of teams and reduce the number of team places per team.. Either way, you need to have supply exceeding demand to ensure replacements are available, just like in other Sports, (they have injuries too amazingly!).. Maybe the top league could be ran 'properly' with any replacements needed coming from the lower league? With the caveat being that once a rider rides for a top league team he cannot ride for any other that season and can only represent that team again if needed.. And on that basis put all the focus on the top league, and try selling it as a bona fide Sporting Championship with the aim to gain media coverage and sponsorship which could have a reflective positive fall out to the other leagues...

If you cannot run it properly as a Team Sport then don't... You will never be a success...

Selling any Speedway track as a going concern will be like selling a shop currently sat in any one of hundreds of dilapidated high streets, precincts and parades around the country... You will be selling that business surrounded by dusty window fronted shops displaying signs saying 'closed', 'for rent' or 'for sale'.. With several more, who are still open, displaying 'everything must go' and 'closing down' signs. With the actual building itself, in line with virtually every other building adjacent, having an interior and exterior that's hardly changed in the past fifty years.. And if you do consider purchasing the business, your planned opening hours, a fundamental part of your business plan, have to be agreed to by the businesses adjacent and by your employees who will tell you when they are available... Hardly going to inspire you to invest in a location or business like that is it..?

Correct... No point in buying into a business where all the businesses around you are closing down.. Retail businesses often close due to foot fall dropping due to other outlets adjacent going bust... Put Simply, Team Speedway needs teams (and a wide variety to maintain interest)... The Sport desperately needs a clear direction and an injection of radical ideas... With I would suggest a collective 'Brand Speedway' marketing plan... Instead of individually paying thousands out each week to riders who put hardly a bottom on a seat, pay a marketing company to achieve exactly that.. Work together and not against each other... It might already be too late but has to be worth a go..

Spot on... British Superbikes and World Superbikes both have successful operating models with differing rules and regs... And from time to time they even 'share riders'... The same sport, with two differing levels... Both successful because the smaller of the two doesn't try and compete with the larger one. It just runs its own operating model with a fixture list driven only by their agenda, with no constantly adhoc moving meetings around to appease others. Lesser riders in overall standard maybe but with many of them being of a similar level it provides great racing and therefore entertainment.. British Speedway should model itself to become the Speedway equivalent of the BSB.... And let Poland and Sweden together be the WSB equivalent.. British Speedway cannot compete, so why bother trying? Plough its own furrow and at least stand or fall by controlling its own destiny.. At the moment it is sinking and often it's due to the appeasement of the other more powerful leagues, which means fixture lists get compiled to suit riders and foreign clubs, rather than being planned in for nights when you can generate your best crowds.. When tracks inevitably face closure in Britain by using such a ludicrous business plan, will these foreign leagues offer financial assistance to save them in thanks for all the forelock tugging appeasement shown by the teams over here? I think I know the answer..

Fans' leverage? Stop going... You could argue that tens of thousands may have already stopped and nothing has changed....? But it's different now.. Whilst fans left in their droves, Promoters didnt listen, because quality could be cut to reduce costs, and inflation busting price rises were being accepted by those left who still attended. Attending in 'just enough' numbers.. Now, those numbers are no longer 'just enough'... Now, the quality cannot be cut much further... And now, inflation busting price rises will take the cost of entry to ridiculous levels for what is actually on show... It really is at its 'tipping point'... Fans by their attendance are endorsing what they are watching and giving Promoters the green light to keep doing more of the same.. Fans by their attendance are colluding with Promoters that the competition they are watching is a credible one.. And fans by their attendance are getting the sport their endorsement and collusion deserve so shouldn't moan about it.. Customers are a very powerful group in business. Maybe it's time for speedways customers to harness that power and use it for positive change?

The most disappointing thing Arthur is I think hardly anyone is jealous.. If your team win a national competition you should be delighted... If your team fail to win a national competition you should be disappointed... Sadly winning a national speedway competition in Britain brings very little positive or negative reaction as deep down us fans know it's just far too contrived and Mickey Mouse ran to be taken seriously... 'Everyone is apathetic, get over it, Poole Pirates the 2018 Premier League Champions' may have been a more accurate comment...

Well, glad that's over.. Well done Poole, a nation rejoices... I am sure lots of coverage in the Daily's tomorrow and on the National news bulletins, given the amount of kudos gained from becoming a British Speedway Team Champion..... It must be soon time to start the 'Most important AGM ever, ever, ever" thread surely?

Well, not long to wait now, just around an hour or so to tapes up... Any last minute changes to the teams? Woffy not been drafted in for either of them? Or Zmarzlik maybe? No? No last gasp rule changes which will allow any other random riders currently within an hours drive to KL to join in the fun? Come on BSPA, this is British Speedway, let's have one of those good old fashioned bits of nonsense before the season ends.. Its a long time till March before you get another chance to do it.... Come on... You know you want to...

I admire your optimism that it has a future.... Isn't one of the central characters in this farce the same person who rode into his position on a white charger telling everyone that it was time to being integrity and credibility to the domestic scene? I've not heard how that went, presume its all gone very well?

Phil, it isn't common sense... Common sense would be both teams running with RR.. It is a Grand Final of the showpiece domestic competition in Britain, and has two riders who are team mates from a team that had competed in the same competition but were not good enough to reach the Final, and has them both now riding in direct opposition to each other... Which is a farce any way up anyone tries to dress it... But granted marginally better than the alternative plan (which must have been rendered initially perfectly acceptable by the MC don't forget to get it announced).. As fans when we tolerate such nonsense we really do get the sport we deserve... Which is exactly the reason we have what we have today... Decades of colluding with Promoters and pretending 'this is real' has led a phenomenally exciting sport to become nothing more than a Mickey Mouse minority sport which deservedly, at British Team Speedway level, gets about as much mainstream media coverage and respect as 'synchronised bog snorkelling' or 'clay pigeon shooting for the blind' would.. Having a ridiculously sh1te idea (but a bit less ridiculously sh1te than the one they thought of before). Is truly no measure of success...

Excellent post.. Speedway in Britain doesn't have 'proper competitions' due to its nonsense system anyway so losing in one of the 'competitions' shouldn't be seen as any disaster.... Similar to winning any of them doesn't bring any great glory... Remember, the authorities think 'credibility' is to have two Swindon riders in opposition in a Grand Final featuring Poole and Kings Lynn... And that is because it was seen as better than the original plan. A plan devised, within the rules, by those who run the Sport.... Lets just reflect on that for a moment and be honest to ourselves.. Winning such a competition that allows such nonsense has no kudos does it really?

Mickey now booked in to appear in Denmark on Wednesday... Donald Duck is guesting.... The Final therefore truly will be Donald Ducked...

Thank goodness it's deemed completely credible to watch two Swindon riders racing against each other, after spending all season long riding as Swindon team mates, who will now try and win titles for two teams, neither of which are Swindon... Phew... Well done the BSPA... Could have been a tad embarrassing if they hadn't sorted it so well...

Sweden and Poland have the same issue.. But they handle it very, very differently.. Hence their respective Championships carry kudos, gravitas and credibility.. With the subsequent crowd levels, national media interest and blue chip company sponsorship..

Maybe to help Nige and Kelvin explain this nonsense he could be called Adam Ellis in the first match... And Edam Allis in the second... They could tell the audience that the 'new man' is the Dutch No1...

By attending either Final every fan who does so will 100% endorse the Promoters policies and processes... Just like they do all season... Is this situation really much more of a farce than say Brady Kurtz putting in a man of the match performance to help BV knock Swindon out of the very same play offs? Kurtz riding for them because the meeting was arranged (and agreed to by both teams) to be ran on a night when Craig Cook was scheduled to ride elsewhere for Glasgow! I think there is a certain synergy in what will happen... A Season long farce has a Season ending farce... A fitting tribute and ending... And one several thousand will support, and therefore by being in attendance, provide their very own stamp of approval and blessing to allow more and more of the same.. ad infinitum...

But a fit for purpose RR system would lessen the blow... Two rides for Lambert and two rides for the next rider below NKI in the averages.. Poole could do the same with Kurtz. Two rides for the rider above him and two for the one below.. You could even split it for home and away meetings Eg Kurtz is No1 in the averages at home so all riders below him could take two rides up to a max of seven each.. When away as the number three in the away averages the rider above him two and the one below him two. (Harris and Grajczoneck).. Still, no point in trying to bring in credibility, that would never do..

To save some credibilty could someone quickly knock up some 'half n half' kevlars for Adam to use..? Kings Lynn Pirates/Poole Stars special Green/Blue, Yellow/White ones? That way he will score exactly the same for both teams in every race he has... We would also obviously need some 'half n half' helmet covers too for when he comes out in Red/White, Blue/Yellow, Red/Yellow, Blue/White... Thank God there isn't a Black and White anymore... That would be quite ridiculous wouldn't it...?

Yet the same Promoters will spend all season using Mickey Mouse rules and see nothing wrong with them.. And fans will spend all season colluding with them, pretending what they are watching has some semblance to a bona fide national sports championship... And pay circa 20 quid each for the privilege each time they attend... The fans therefore 100% get the sport they deserve.. No point complaining now.. On the plus side, the Sport (in Britain) has no credibilty left so hasn't lost any by its latest self inficted nonsense... Incredible in what should be a huge positive week for the sport with Tai's win will end up being a huge embarrassment...

Correct.. When the Sport had it's most mainstream media coverage, it was due to individual and international team events being shown/written about in the main.. The icing on the cake was a rider like PC who could thrill the generic sport watcher with his endeavour and success which naturally attracted the media who love a British success story.. The coverage didn't transcend to domestic speedway in the main so it's 'dodgy' rules didn't impact the overall domestic crowds like they do today in the modern instant news, internet age... It's ironic that as the Sport in Britain has become more and more less credible over the past 20 years or so, the Sport has enjoyed the most coverage domestically it ever has.. A shame, and a huge opportunity missed... Especially when you have a rider like Tai who ticks so many boxes re demographic, personality and above all, talent..