Deano

With the old system, if my chain bust in one ride or some stupid idiot fenced me and I got excluded, I was probably out of the competition until next year. As a rider I would have been well and truly pee'd off with that. Thankfully with the current GP system, as a rider, I will get another opportunity.

How on earth can you promote with those constraints? TM is only going to know the traditional methods.

To be fair though Martin, yes Birmingham need to do it, but it also needs doing on a national level. Individual promoters can't be expected to be responsible for every marketing need. Take normal francise businesses like McDonalds for example.

I find it odd how british Speedway is always the poor relative, yet pulls the biggest GP crowd.

I think they do participate Martin, just not enough. I think most of the energy goes into "getting the speedway on" and the daily running of the sport. Perhaps UK speedway clubs need a more proffessional organisational structure giving people specific roles. But, with so much work to do and so little money coming in, money is spent on riders and rent before any salaried position can be considered. You only have to look at successful companies and they remain successful while at the front of the consumers mind. Once they drop off the radar, next time you hear about them, is when they are in trouble.

So just to clear it up.. You aren't related to neither Martin Johnson, Martin Hagon or Martin Sheen?

lol... that reads scarily accurate.

Didn't we do two in one week once a Wednesday and a Sunday then did the next Wednesday? I thought if rain offs came into the equation we could race twice a week? I could have been dreaming though.....

Thank you Kipper. So not quite so radicle. £13.6's worth of cost for every £17 ticket. Potentially £100K profit over a season isn't going to go very far re-invested. It's a tough one, but I think it really needs to be done to get more investors on board and not "rich fans".

I could be wrong, but I believe the most decent run companies have a cost base of around 25% of the selling price, giving 75% clear profit before tax. This helps balance out the poor sales months with the better sales months. If speedway used the same theory it's cost need to be around the £4 to £5 bracket per ticket sale if it wants to start re-investing in itself. That I think is going to require some radical change.

I think speedway continually either struggling to break even financially or ultimately losing money is one major factor. If the BSPA sat down and worked out a profitable model for both rider and businessman, then things may change. It may attract new investment and may encourage more chancers moving into stadiums away from dumpy dog tracks.

Take a happy tablet Stan you depressing old sod. We have our team back, they still have theirs for gods sake. As long as they don't use airhorns the council won't listen to any complaints as a previous poster has said. Ignore him matey, he's probably only on here because he's forgotten the password to his redtube account.

RIP Antonin. I remember Jnr better from his premier league days and his own struggle from injury, still a shame though.

Having watched and supported Cradley during our wilderness years and cheering on the likes of Hamill, Hancock, Nahlin, Cross, Forsgren, Scudd, Phillips, Knott, Checketts, Boyd, Meridith, Walker, Handberg etc.. it'll be quite a season watching the two side by side!

Thank you to Tony Mole and everyone else who has played a part in saving my club.

Who was Shawcross? Was he an independent or a speedway promoter at the time?

TWK, just tell the lecky board to top up the "rolling credit", apparently that gives you the right not to pay, without calling it debt. You can then tell everyone, you owe nothing and you have the money in the bank just to rub salt in the wounds. When they switch you off, just blame the meter reader or claim the meter wasn't working correctly. You could even blame the postman, call it a sham, blame the wife too (worth a try) .. just about anyone really, just not yourself.

Never been to an amateur meeting, but if what you are saying is true then the BSPA should be looking at ways to make more people access league racing. Lets promote a system that encourages the semi proffessional rider, with reduced cost machinery that this thread talks of. This could draw more local riders, ones who are Tesco stackers by day and the clubs 2, 6's and 7's by night. If it means scrapping points limit and averages to maintain team consistency then so be it. The richest clubs always seem to end up a the top end of the league anyway. Poor clubs just end up paying a wage they can't afford if they have the misfortune to end up doing well! lol.

I was of the understanding it will be owned by a consortium of previous sponsors. Mole would be a co-promoter and play a relatively small part, but an important enough role to help co-ordinate a revival. Therefore, nothing for him to sell on, but a huge amount of goodwill should come with his name linked to the business.

Great to see the Birmingham "B" back on track again. Thank you to Cradley for giving us the opportunity. Enjoyed it, although it was cold.... I wonder how long it has been, prior to last night, a full 15 heats has been raced between these two teams?

Seems odd how the commitee were allowed to vote on something that ultimately the commitee were confused what the applicant was asking for. Perhaps this should make an appeal easier to plan. Simple one liners in the next application. "I want an extension to the curfew"

Forced to drink in rounds with Paulco???? Sounds cool!

Why stop at Berwick? March down to Cumbria, Tyne and Wear then onto Teeside......

But Scotland helped crank up the debt? It'll be up for negotiation, it won't be used as a threat.

I hope it isn't the man in bold, if it is I can't believe he'd have the cheek to try again. Anyway, I'll hold my hands up as you will know more about the commercial running of speedway more than I'll ever know. Fingers crossed you'll be making the trip to brum again next season (be good to catch up again ) the good news is both fanchises working together for one goal. Just for food for thought though, Tony Mole bought the rights to Birmingham Speedway while it was at the wheels project and he closed it at the end of the season. Someone somewhere may have done the same when Milton Keynes folded.