Chadster Posted October 19, 2024 Report Share Posted October 19, 2024 Test matches in the summer would be very difficult to organise now bit I have wondered if we could organise somthing at the start of our season, before other counties get started. A 3 match series against, say Denmark would be a great way to highlight the start of our season. You might even try to link it into the Ben Fund meeting. I thought the Danes rather than the Aussies as it would be arare chance to see the top Danes in this country and might attract more fans. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IainB Posted October 19, 2024 Report Share Posted October 19, 2024 (edited) 6 minutes ago, Chadster said: Test matches in the summer would be very difficult to organise now bit I have wondered if we could organise somthing at the start of our season, before other counties get started. A 3 match series against, say Denmark would be a great way to highlight the start of our season. You might even try to link it into the Ben Fund meeting. I thought the Danes rather than the Aussies as it would be arare chance to see the top Danes in this country and might attract more fans. Trouble is British Speedway has been stripped down to its absolute bare bones and with the national team being "subbed out" there's clearly no appetite to stage home meetings so we just have to read about GB's appearances on the continent via social media... what a terrible state of affairs for the world "team" champions! Edited October 19, 2024 by IainB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IainB Posted October 19, 2024 Report Share Posted October 19, 2024 What's the point in having a successful national team if you're not going to use that for the betterment of the sport in your own country? The way things stand at the moment with the non appearance of Team GB... in GB, are that they are just entries in the history books. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andout Posted October 20, 2024 Report Share Posted October 20, 2024 (edited) Love it seeing the USA v GB but I have to correct the history statement about being the first time for GB to race there, its not the last time was 1971 and the US won the series of three 2-1 GB team was Mauger, Briggs, Airey, Harkins, McMillan, Hunter and Gifford.....not an Englishman among them!!!!! Edited October 20, 2024 by andout 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andout Posted October 20, 2024 Report Share Posted October 20, 2024 1 hour ago, IainB said: What's the point in having a successful national team if you're not going to use that for the betterment of the sport in your own country? The way things stand at the moment with the non appearance of Team GB... in GB, are that they are just entries in the history books. True statement that one!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bavarian Posted November 24, 2024 Author Report Share Posted November 24, 2024 Watching the Rugby Union Test Matches in the Autumn International Series this November it hurts to see what we once also had in Speedway, but and sadly neglected and eventually lost. The sport is the poorer now without any full strength International test matches. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris116 Posted November 24, 2024 Report Share Posted November 24, 2024 Sadly, it is the fans who have caused the loss of international matches by us not turning up in sufficient numbers to make them profitable. We have also lost most of the big individual meetings due to lack of support caused in some cases by promotions reducing their costs with cheaper riders or running with only 12 riders instead of running a full 16 rider 20 heat meeting. Costs being reduced by those methods give the promotion a higher profit the first year but further reduce the attendance in following years which leads to more economies, further loss of attendance and then the loss of what used to be a well attended meeting. I can understand why the promotions did what they did as I suspect that the rise of Polish speedway meant some riders started asking for more money. At the other end of the sport, we often read how much we need a thriving Development league but such comments are often followed by the same correspondents saying that they don't want to watch Development league standard racing as they only follow professional team racing. I used to enjoy the international matches, both top level and junior level. Equally I can enjoy meetings in all three leagues run in this country. I have seen good and bad meetings in all three leagues. How the promotions get the sport back to what it was I don't know and I fear none of them have the cash backing to be able to run big meetings in half empty stadiums. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IainB Posted November 24, 2024 Report Share Posted November 24, 2024 (edited) 6 hours ago, Chris116 said: Sadly, it is the fans who have caused the loss of international matches by us not turning up in sufficient numbers to make them profitable. We have also lost most of the big individual meetings due to lack of support caused in some cases by promotions reducing their costs with cheaper riders or running with only 12 riders instead of running a full 16 rider 20 heat meeting. Costs being reduced by those methods give the promotion a higher profit the first year but further reduce the attendance in following years which leads to more economies, further loss of attendance and then the loss of what used to be a well attended meeting. I can understand why the promotions did what they did as I suspect that the rise of Polish speedway meant some riders started asking for more money. At the other end of the sport, we often read how much we need a thriving Development league but such comments are often followed by the same correspondents saying that they don't want to watch Development league standard racing as they only follow professional team racing. I used to enjoy the international matches, both top level and junior level. Equally I can enjoy meetings in all three leagues run in this country. I have seen good and bad meetings in all three leagues. How the promotions get the sport back to what it was I don't know and I fear none of them have the cash backing to be able to run big meetings in half empty stadiums. I disagree... whenever I've seen GB/England ride it has always been very well attended SWC/SoN, test matches seem to have ceased since the inception of these competitions. As for individuals when they're run and promoted correctly (PCMT) it's almost a sell out at the NSS. As the BSPL have washed their hands of the national team it seems to be left to the company running Team GB Speedway to stage test matches which they apparently have no appetite for. So we have the situation where we are current World Champions and are not using that for the promotion and betterment of the sport at all. Edited November 24, 2024 by IainB 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikebv Posted November 28, 2024 Report Share Posted November 28, 2024 (edited) On 11/24/2024 at 9:35 PM, IainB said: I disagree... whenever I've seen GB/England ride it has always been very well attended SWC/SoN, test matches seem to have ceased since the inception of these competitions. As for individuals when they're run and promoted correctly (PCMT) it's almost a sell out at the NSS. As the BSPL have washed their hands of the national team it seems to be left to the company running Team GB Speedway to stage test matches which they apparently have no appetite for. So we have the situation where we are current World Champions and are not using that for the promotion and betterment of the sport at all. 100%... As has been said.. Start the season with three Test Matches. Before Poland starts.. Speedway fans, starved of six months without Speedway, will want to attend.. "Top" riders get some competitive racing before Poland kicks in.. And. The UK can then advertise their launch of the domestic season off the back of it.. Tracks in places like Glasgow, Manchester, Sheffield, Ipswich and Poole, (and maybe some others?) would get 2500 plus crowds I would suggest.. Edited November 28, 2024 by mikebv 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gavan Posted December 16, 2024 Report Share Posted December 16, 2024 An England V Australia match mid season would be so one sided and not a spectacle Doyle Kurtz Holder Fricke Holder Masters Pickering Douglas Tungate Bewley Woffinden Ellis King Lawson Brennan Harris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IainB Posted December 16, 2024 Report Share Posted December 16, 2024 (edited) 2 hours ago, Gavan said: An England V Australia match mid season would be so one sided and not a spectacle Doyle Kurtz Holder Fricke Holder Masters Pickering Douglas Tungate Bewley Woffinden Ellis King Lawson Brennan Harris You've left Robert Lambert out. I'd probably have Charles Wright ahead of King and/or Ellis. And I think Harris has retired from Team GB. 6 man teams, 18 heats, none of this 15 heat nonsense. Edited December 16, 2024 by IainB 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bavarian Posted Saturday at 11:03 AM Author Report Share Posted Saturday at 11:03 AM On 12/16/2024 at 7:42 PM, Gavan said: An England V Australia match mid season would be so one sided and not a spectacle Doyle Kurtz Holder Fricke Holder Masters Pickering Douglas Tungate Bewley Woffinden Ellis King Lawson Brennan Harris I don't agree that this would be totally one-sided. It coud even be quite a spectacle and a highlight of the UK season! Anyway, it is such a shame we don't get to see a proper GB v Aussie speedway test series. The wait continues. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andout Posted Saturday at 01:41 PM Report Share Posted Saturday at 01:41 PM 2 hours ago, Bavarian said: I don't agree that this would be totally one-sided. It coud even be quite a spectacle and a highlight of the UK season! Anyway, it is such a shame we don't get to see a proper GB v Aussie speedway test series. The wait continues. Agreed! I like to see GB win but even if they don't even get close its still experience for the younger guys AND an International always brings in the fans. Me? I have been suffering from International withdrawal for years!!!! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IainB Posted Saturday at 05:41 PM Report Share Posted Saturday at 05:41 PM The people who are running the GB Speedway Team seem to have zero interest in staging any test matches in the UK, they do seem quite happy to deplete the domestic clubs of riders to put in mediocre performances abroad throughout the season though. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andout Posted Saturday at 06:21 PM Report Share Posted Saturday at 06:21 PM 39 minutes ago, IainB said: The people who are running the GB Speedway Team seem to have zero interest in staging any test matches in the UK, they do seem quite happy to deplete the domestic clubs of riders to put in mediocre performances abroad throughout the season though. Well said! 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fortythirtyeight Posted Sunday at 04:52 PM Report Share Posted Sunday at 04:52 PM 23 hours ago, IainB said: The people who are running the GB Speedway Team seem to have zero interest in staging any test matches in the UK, they do seem quite happy to deplete the domestic clubs of riders to put in mediocre performances abroad throughout the season though. As ‘ Team GB ‘ is a private business it assumably needs to turn a profit, staging a test match in the UK with UK based riders isnt likely to make them a big sum and attracting the big stars to ride costs big wages. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bavarian Posted Sunday at 05:09 PM Author Report Share Posted Sunday at 05:09 PM Maybe so, but all of the Aussies and most of the Brits are based in the UK, which would make it fairly easy to run a test series in the summer. Where there's a will, there's always a way! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IainB Posted Sunday at 05:12 PM Report Share Posted Sunday at 05:12 PM (edited) 3 hours ago, Fortythirtyeight said: As ‘ Team GB ‘ is a private business it assumably needs to turn a profit, staging a test match in the UK with UK based riders isnt likely to make them a big sum and attracting the big stars to ride costs big wages. Easy to make a profit with other company's assets. I find it strange, and well done to them for doing it, that their sponsors stay on board when all they seem to get for their money is being tagged in on social media posts and exposure in the arse end of Europe. Once a year they'll get Bewley, Lambert and possibly Woffinden riding for them. If they want to keep costs low and probably still attract a decent crowd run some U24 tests against Aussie, they've obviously got the promotional nouse, they may even get more sponsorship out of it. As things stand at the moment I can't quite see the benefits British Speedway is getting from it? Having a successful GB Speedway Team has had zero effect on British Speedway that I can think of. Can you imagine the Lionesses now not appearing in England again until an English staging of the World Cup? Edited Sunday at 08:36 PM by IainB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikebv Posted Monday at 05:36 AM Report Share Posted Monday at 05:36 AM 12 hours ago, IainB said: Easy to make a profit with other company's assets. I find it strange, and well done to them for doing it, that their sponsors stay on board when all they seem to get for their money is being tagged in on social media posts and exposure in the arse end of Europe. Once a year they'll get Bewley, Lambert and possibly Woffinden riding for them. If they want to keep costs low and probably still attract a decent crowd run some U24 tests against Aussie, they've obviously got the promotional nouse, they may even get more sponsorship out of it. As things stand at the moment I can't quite see the benefits British Speedway is getting from it? Having a successful GB Speedway Team has had zero effect on British Speedway that I can think of. Can you imagine the Lionesses now not appearing in England again until an English staging of the World Cup? Every sport ensures its National Team is as successful as possible as they know it has a direct positive knock on impact to the public interest, media coverage and domestic league... Hence, both Cricket and Rugby Union, who were struggling to compete with Football's cut through, went down the route of central contracts... They knew that the likes of Middlesex or Saracens winning their respective leagues wouldn't drive the sport forwards, but a successful National Team would... Speedway has a different idea than using a successful National Team to drive their domestic leagues forward.... A good idea.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IainB Posted Monday at 07:43 AM Report Share Posted Monday at 07:43 AM 2 hours ago, mikebv said: Every sport ensures its National Team is as successful as possible as they know it has a direct positive knock on impact to the public interest, media coverage and domestic league... Hence, both Cricket and Rugby Union, who were struggling to compete with Football's cut through, went down the route of central contracts... They knew that the likes of Middlesex or Saracens winning their respective leagues wouldn't drive the sport forwards, but a successful National Team would... Speedway has a different idea than using a successful National Team to drive their domestic leagues forward.... A good idea.... ... and having a successful national team and then not using them to benefit the sport domestically . The difference being that others sports national teams have not farmed out the running of their national team to a 3rd party company and then just forgot about them, there doesn't seem to be any tie in to the domestic leagues other than riders going missing for many weekends. GB Speedway Team's management have done wonders for the national team... British Speedway as a whole? I'm trying to think of any benefits 🤷♂️ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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