Ben91

Remember a coming together between Vissing and I want to say Chris Neath at Rye. Vissing somehow ended up on the other side of the fence which was bowed to about half its usual height, he got up and ran to hurdle what was left of the fence but his feet didn’t clear it and he face planted.

Heartbreaking. RIP Danny, a true entertainer on tracks, a character the sport needs these days. My thoughts go to his family and friends, I hope Danny has found peace.

Surely Speedway would bring more revenue than flat track or speedway practice on a Saturday afternoon do. I think it’s very important to do what will bring the most fans into the stadium and therefore the most revenue. By all means look to see what has happened in the past and use it as a barometer but the 70s and 80s are far too long ago to be of any significance as to what would be a successful business model in 2020. The sport is nowhere near as popular as it was then for one. The lesson to be learned, and heeded, is the one that killed the club most recently. Saturday is the best night to draw a crowd and don’t race any higher than the second tier. Weeknights are a turn off for many prospective fans, as is afternoon racing.

Friday is a traditional working day. People need to get home from work, eat and change potentially and then get to the track. If you live any further than half an hour away you’ll be pushed for time if you finish 5-6pm. Saturday is better and has worked at Rye when we were in the Premier League. Some of our potential fan base now could be former Lakeside/Arena Essex fans, it was a nightmare getting there when they ran on a weeknight (including Friday as it is a weeknight). Doing the journey in the opposite direction would be just as much of an issue.

I’m close enough to the track that any night would be fine for me. In fact a weeknight would be best for my social life as I’d be able to attend every meeting rather than picking and choosing weekend meetings depending on what other plans I have, the weekend is always busier when it comes to other things to do. I know plenty of others who travelled from further afield and the switch to midweek was the death knell for them attending however. Ideally we want to race on the best night for business to make sure any comeback remains viable.

Link doesn’t seem to be working at the moment. Assume Poole won’t be taking part in the play offs then if they qualify and draw a team north of Sussex.

Saturday night makes most sense I’d say. The catchment area for Rye could potentially encompass the M25, M11 etc. and it would be easier for most people to negotiate those on a Saturday as opposed to during Friday night rush hour. Never been a fan of afternoon racing at Rye, would like to think the track can continue to use Sunday as a revenue stream from training and hold meetings on Saturday nights if we do reopen.

I wouldn’t say it’s speculation, more known facts about Len’s base. I have no idea who is behind the plans to bring Rye back, but I’d be surprised if it was Len.

Rye have a proven track record of running in the second tier and not going under. The trouble started when we stepped up. With all due respect, Plymouth have tried and failed in the second division before.

Len has been based in Kent for a long time. I think he sold up at Rye in the first place because of his interest in Kent, which is closer to home for him. Would love to see the Rockets back on track, my only request would be the return of the blue and yellow with the traditional rocket on the race suit. The BMR rebrand was garbage. I’d probably attend more in the third tier too. The price shouldn’t be as expensive (hopefully) and the top two divisions are a shadow of what they used to be.

I’m out of touch when it comes to who is a good prospect and who isn’t these days. Since Rye House closed my interest has dwindled (it was heading that way before we closed in fairness). But there seems, and always has been this way, to be the opinion that being Australian makes a rider better than a Brit automatically. Some are, some aren’t.

This is speedway, someone with a stopwatch will do. If that fails then use the second hand on the time keeper’s watch.

Being Australian isn’t any guarantee of being good.

John Sampford. Was Rye House team manager while Len was promoter of the Rockets.

Lawson can’t ride Championship and NL as I understand it as he’s had an average of over four in the second tier.

They don’t have to make a three point average these days, the minimum is two.

You didn’t say that initially though, you said this: Over the years there have been plenty of riders in the second tier who haven’t been up to scratch. Jenkins, and to a lesser extent Phillips, aren’t in that bracket.

Jenkins is five years younger and has been involved in league racing since 2016, Phillips started in 2012. Jenkins has more potential IMO.

Would rather have Jenkins than Danny Phillips...

Perhaps Charles Wright’s performances in recent times have reignited James’ interest in riding. To my mind James was certainly the better of the two for quite some time. That won’t be the case now but if he’s up for it then there’s no reason he couldn’t maintain a four point average I’d say.

Nobody is saying you have to have another form of entertainment but plenty of other fans of the sport are looking elsewhere for their entertainment because they are fed up of the way the sport is governed and “promoted.”

The fan experience at speedway, facilities etc. is comparable to non-league football which doesn’t cost £40 to watch. Even at your price of £40 that makes a minute of football cost just under 45p. If we say a speedway heat is one minute long (they’re usually less than that) then at the £16 Somerset were charging last year equates to over £1 a minute. Speedway is not dirt cheap.

There are umpteen other forms of entertainment that offer better value for money.

I found a nice restaurant a number of years ago, I’d go there regularly to eat. Over the years the prices started to rise and the standard of food started to slip. The last time I went I was served a steaming pile of turd in a bun. I told the proprietor I wasn’t going to eat it or pay for it, he told me to take it or leave it so I left.

Perhaps the books don’t balance because the riders demand too much in the way of wages. Speedway is dirt track racing, it shouldn’t be considered a professional sport if the crowds coming through the door can’t support just that. Most sportsmen practice their chosen discipline as a hobby until such a time as they reach a standard where their skill merits that they are paid to do it as a full time job. It strikes me that Speedway riders expect a living from the sport and the promoters are happy to go along with it to the detriment of the fans (doubling up being a salient point here). There will always be enough riders about, there won’t always be fans of the current trend of putting prices up and lowering standards continues. I’m sure Najjer would go to watch NL standard racing if the entrance fee represented the standard of racing on offer.