uk_martin

Update: I walked past this morning, but couldn't get close enough to have a proper look due to the Heras Fencing that surrounds the stadium, due to the road works in the area. From what I could see though is that the safety fence has been disassembled, but the shale on the track looks exactly the same as it did at the end of last season. Maybe someone who's going there today to buy their season ticket (on sale between 10am and 1pm) can let us know?

It's been a fair few years since Poultec started their speedway apprenticeship programme. Can anyone list out the riders who have benefited from it, and which new faces to the sport have been introduced by way of this scheme, that may otherwise not have become speedway riders?

Dunno, will have a look tomorrow. One thing that's progressing very nicely though are the roadworks around the stadium. You can come off the A34 Walsall Road, and swing a right straight into the One Shop Stopping Centre car park now, rather than having to go all the way to the Crown & Cushion roundabout, do a 180 and come back on yourself to gain access the old way. That'll be a major improvement in convenience. You never know, this fact may feature in a new web page on the Brummies site, to give the fans some more good news whilst they are kept waiting for news of more signings.

You can buy the beers in

Great news... The Brummies web site has a new page with a profound quote from Paco Castagna on it... ...should fill in the gap and keep people happy until another signing is announced.

As Fantasy #1's is the order of the day, how about giving Philip Hellström Bängs a spin?

A reaction to the robbery that took place at the stadium entrance a few years ago, maybe?

Obviously a reaction to the BSF Predictions thread that seems to unanimously foresee doom and gloom for the Brummies...and timed to placate fears in advance of the sale of season tickets. What else would you have expected?

Does one of them include "know your market"? Which includes doing research into what people want, what they expect, etc etc? Ever seen a speedway promotion doing market research? And, no, not of the existing fan base, but of people who aren't fans? Finding out what it will take to convert a passer-by into an attendee? Surely to grow the fan base, that's an essential first step. After that, mould the product to what the public are prepared to buy into, and NOT just regurgitate the same product that was offered up in the 1970's on a take it or leave it basis.

Following the Riss / Grobauer / Castagna non-payment of wages episode, my guess is that the Birmingham name is like mud in Germany.

Kids with their own social circles tend to be in the 10-11-12-teenage age groups. Speedway promotions targeting kids tend to go for the toddler to primary school age group. I can remember going on my own and meeting my group of mates, as a 12yo, paying kids admission. Sadly, that's the age group no longer targeted by speedway promotions. That needs to change IMHO.

Yes they can, but parents are a savvy lot, if speedway as a product does not offer up value for money, they will do one of the plenty of other things that they can spend their money on to entertain their kids.

In other words people who let their heart rule your head when making their decisions. And that's what the promotion are relying on. But are there enough such people out there right now?

"A touch more"??? What do you earn a week for not putting life & limb on the line? To make it worthwhile, how about the following calculation? An above average start point, say £35,000 Plus £500 x number of meetings = £15,000 minimum (based on 30 meetings) Thus, would you expect any rider to look to earn less than £50,000 to make just taking part worthwhile for them? Any less than that, and a career as a plumber or a bricklayer would make much more financial sense.

What would you consider to be an acceptable attrition rate in riders who would choose to ride in the French, Danish or German leagues rather than allow their earnings be affected? How many Australian riders will choose to ride in Britain if the return on their considerable investment in getting here isn't matched by the prospect of a worthwhile return? As a matter of interest, at what figure would you set your cap at?

I've said for a while that the BSPZzz should adopt the American sports business model, and become the sports promotion organisation that oversees all clubs. Existing promoters would be co-shareholders according to their contribution into the pot and "franchisees" for their original teams. If that were to happen then the risks would be shared, as would the rewards. Not to mention the abolishment of self centred attitudes. That said, I'd still venture to guess that finding a venue these days, is a whole site easier than finding 7 or 8 additional riders to make up a competitive team.

Starting to sound like that line in the Pink Floyd song "If you don't eat your meat, you can't have any pudding". So there we have it...no new product ranges until the investment in the 2020 stock has been recouped. It doesn't matter what people want, they'll get what's offered to them, whether they want it or not.

And for every new stadium, how about suggesting 7 or 8 new riders who can make up new teams.

According to her Facebook post, Tracey has come down with Covid. With the incubation period being what it is, there's a possibility that transmission could have taken place at the meeting. It may not be a bad idea, if you were at the meeting too, that you get yourself tested...just in case.

Did they explain the mathematics about that? Did they mean 1,000 fans paying full fare (£16.50) at the gate, i.e. they need £16,500 in revenue per meeting? My guess is that 75% of the fans won't be paying full fare, as they are paying concessionary admission @£14 a pop. That difference of £2.50 x 750 = £1,875 per meeting, which over a (20 match) season makes a difference of £37,500, or in other words the difference between make or break. If they can survive at £14,625 per meeting in revenue, then happy days, but if not.... I just hope that they haven't got their figures in a twist.

Not to mention being the "Tracey" that text's the updates to the Updates site.

I guess that most of the stuff is sold out because it was the 2020 range. Daft as it seems, (and even more unbelievably) there doesn't seem to be a 2021 range, let alone a SoN Winners range. Still, this is British Speedway, what do you expect?

With theatres closed for lockdown last year, people needed to get their Xmas Pantomime fix somehow...

Congratulations to Team GB - World Champions at winning play-off's. Ironic in a way, coming from a country whose footballists can't win a penalty shoot-out to save their lives.

Football players are employees of their clubs who play and train for their employer 7 days a week and get paid on a weekly basis whether they play or not. Speedway riders are self-employed contractors with the ability to ply their trade to whoever hires them in whichever country, and only get paid if they ride for a team. That's a huge difference. Expecting a contractor to ride for one team in the Britain ONLY, where they might only get out on track once a fortnight, depending on the fixture list, would be unreasonable, and if it was part of his contract, would probably fall foul of restraint of trade laws.