Fortythirtyeight

Any weather updates please before traveling from Cumbria?

Then you are misinformed. That's why there is a leagal challenge trying to get The BSPA's money back ( which was never authorised by the BSPA in the first place but done covertly by the top table members) and why there is so much penny pinching going on by the BSPA ( withdrawing funding for youth championship, selling Team GB , etc)

Do you think we just threw it all way and ignored it? Without going into every avenue of our findings here's a few tasters. New fans found their first time experience very enjoyable but expensive in reality. A suggested acceptable adult price was £12-14. They wanted more entertainment between races such as modern music ( not 70's hits) interaction with the crowd ( centre green chats with riders/ fans/ management ) Mascots were often mentioned. They wanted more races, more explanation of the basic rules and better viewing platforms with more interaction with the riders. They appear to enjoy ' 2nd half ' type races , when they took place, when kids were involved as the younger ones could connect with children their own age having a go. None of them could get their head around ' guests ' or R/R or ' excluding a rider but putting him back in off 15m. Car parking was an issue. The ' used to go years ago ' feedback was always harping about bikes on the back of cars, riders in the bar after meetings, ' characters ' starting fights on the track ( riders and team managers) old format 13 heats and ' junior scurry's' and match races between two top stars visiting the track. 74% of fans who completed the surveys had attended speedway for more than 20 years and 65% of those thought that the standard of race meetings now was better than the past. I still have all the feedback sheets and have shared the information with 3 different promotions all of which have tried to implement some of the findings with varying success levels. One track improved their 'new' fan attendance over one season by 45%. Some fans are harder to please than others.

Having handed out questionnaires at meetings, stood in town centres giving tickets away and gone around schools promoting the sport I think I've asked the right questions. '

Not the case at all. I have assisted on promotional events promoting speedway and offering free tickets. The number of ' former fans ' who turned them down was phonominal but new ' fans ' took them and 65% of those actualy attended the next meeting. The older generation are now like you, too sceptical and want £5 admission, free programme and want to see world champions every week. The sport needs new fans , with their children and listen to them about what they liked or did not like. The old brigade who no longer attend are three time as hard to get back so concentrate on new and hope for the future. The comments on here tell you why they don't want to come back, because they went to a bad meeting years ago and now don't have the habit anymore! There are good promoters and good clubs out there,, Belle Vue, Ipswich, Berwick, Glasgow, and Redcar to name a few, read their threads, their fans appear to be very content with their lot.

Nothing, as long as they were at the meeting to form their own opinion. These people haven't been to a meeting in years by their own admission yet still think they have a valid opinion on what's happening now. Its their choice not to go, that's fine, but I've lost my local track because of ' non-attenders' who all went years ago and still feel free to slag the sport and then bemoan the state of the sport and the fact tracks are closing. Ludicrous!

And it looks like neither of you were there so you will never know! Your just ' sheep ' making judgements based on other peoples opinions. Ludicrous.

Then how can you comment on meetings you've never been to? How do you know how good/ bad things are? Its fine following the sport via the Internet but that only gives you a biased opinion of what's happened, either by the author or the club that releases it. As can be seen on here regularly everybody sees things differently , some like what they see, some don't . People on here moaning and haven't been to a meeting for 2 years for gods sake.

Can't for the life of me work out why ' fans '(?) who haven't been to a meeting in two years are actually on this forum? It appears Kings Lynn have more of them than anybody. whilst I fully understand the lack of interest if you are unfortunate enough to live near a track that doesn't provide value for money or even decent racing but why constantly go on this forum? Especially after two years??? I no longer have a local track so travel to Glasgow, Edinburgh, Berwick , Belle Vue and Redcar to get my fix and whilst one or two of these tracks do not provide great racing week in , week out, I still have the desire so pick and choose which fixtures to attend and therefore get my ' value for money ' fix. If you don't go to meetings, there'll be no meetings ! Ask Workington fans!!!

Terry ( can't even try to spell his surname as its Polish) took over the main reigns several weeks ago ( think Harry was ill ) but I understand Harry is still around assisting when able.

Then you will be aware of his strengths and his weakness's.

That's because the Trackman is the afore mentioned Terry!

Ex rider, built Somerset , Redcar and possibly Leicester . Who were you referring too?

Who? Hope your not talking about short cut G.T.?

How can something be sorted if there isn't qualified/ experienced people to sort it? There is no ' training scheme ' for the skill of track preparation. The few good ones still around are constantly bombarded with calls begging them to sort a track out somewhere in the country, usually for a pittance of a fee , and they are getting on in age doing a very physical job. The Wolverhampton curator, Terry , does Wolves, Redcar and up until a week ago Birmingham. He has been asked to 'sort out' Stoke, Isle of Wight, Glasgow and a few others over this season already by the SCB and promoters and he is just one man relying on the track concerned to provide him with the machinery and the shale to do the job right. It has taken him years to learn his trade ,mainly from Doc Bridgett, but there is no apprentice scheme so when he retires who takes up the role? The powers that be can't sort out the rule book never mind the tracks.

What modern track curators? Their average age must be 60 plus! Only one you could consider as being young is Jonathan Swales at much slated Newcastle ( the track shape is not his fault ) My nearest track tell me they are still getting their shale from the same source they have used for the last five years and never had an issue with supply . It's more a case of transport costs of the shale than the article and knowing how to lay it once you have it. Too many tracks lack a proper, time experienced track man who actually knows how to lay, repair and prepare a track rather than just grade it and water it. its a ' black art' and a dying one at that.

They make no secret of the break even crowd figure and have quoted it many times. Their wage bill alone is three times that of other clubs ( Mr.Cook does not come cheap ) and their have often stated they will not go on forever suffering losses. They have invested heavily and good on them for doing so but 1200 is still losing them money. They are very approachable gentleman so you can ask them yourself . P.S. Scotland is a very nice place, I live nearby and drive into it most days.

Then you live in cloud cuckoo land with the advertising they do, the investment they have made ( all good ) and the over the top wages they pay ( compared to every other track in their division ).

At the last count there are less than 20 GTR engines in the country and only 4 being used in competitive racing by just two Riders ( NL riders ). Mr.Godfrey has actually given engines away to juniors as no one will buy them and last I heard the BSPA were trying to get their money back ( good luck with that). I think the NICE 2v experiment has potential but I still don't think the muppets on the top table have the numption to get their £300,000 back and go in a completely different direction.

Some people on here really are dillusional if they think the BSPA/SCB (who licence the tracks ) are going to allow a rival engine company to hold a series of race meetings on their tracks when they have a ' contract ' ( however idiotic it is ) with GTR . Unless of course there's something in it for them.

You really are showing yourself up now.

As above statement , unfortunately the connection is not working

For someone who claims to be a speedway ' fan' you don't seem to know much about your own team never mind the sport itself? As for " stating a fact, IMHO"??? then its not a fact is it?.... It's an opinion , a silly one at that.

I wasn't slagging the lad off, anyone who gets on a speedway bike should not be slagged off by us ' terrace Warriors '. I was simply pointing out half his points were gifted, end of.

There's no new TV deal being offered by BT or Sky. The BSPA are seeking ways of possibly ' streaming ' matches or possibly having a ' highlights ' programme as part of a combined Motor Sports programme on one of the minor subscription channels but it's early days and current viewing figures are about one third of the Sky days so don't think any major station will be cueing for speedway.