Birmingham Speedway

[mikebv]

On 5/25/2025 at 8:24 PM, eric i said:

You have to take your hat off to Tolley, a nice bloke who is willing to throw some money at speedway.

In his interview he said that hardly anyone in Birmingham knows that speedway exists, and it's similar around the country...

And I thought it was his, and his other promoters' job to ensure that wasn't the case..!!! 

They had ONE job....😁

 

 

[ShanoXtra]

10 minutes ago, mikebv said:

In his interview he said that hardly anyone in Birmingham knows that speedway exists, and it's similar around the country...

And I thought it was his, and his other promoters' job to ensure that wasn't the case..!!! 

They had ONE job....😁

 

 

That’s so true though to be fair, as a PROMOTER surely you have to be good at promoting the sport as well as just your team. How much can it cost to even put signs around each city about the local meetings taking place. In Gorzów, before every meeting they have the Stał flags waving on all the buses and signs on every main entry route into the city. That doesn’t really take that much planning does it?

Edited May 29, 2025 by ShanoXtra
Spelling

[Hawk127]

8 minutes ago, mikebv said:

In his interview he said that hardly anyone in Birmingham knows that speedway exists, and it's similar around the country...

And I thought it was his, and his other promoters' job to ensure that wasn't the case..!!! 

They had ONE job....😁

 

 

Promoting stopped back in the late 70’s. I can remember seeing posters etc around Rayleigh and on the A127 etc on most race nights and plenty of articles in the local press. Saturday night and bank holidays at the Weir were packed with families in the stadium and a good smattering of away fans on the back straight. Best were Eastbourne, Ipswich, Canterbury and Crayford  but you also had Bradford, Sunderland, Crewe, Ellesmere Port and others who made the journey. Alas this has all gone now and we are left with a shadow of what it used to to be.

[mikebv]

1 hour ago, ShanoXtra said:

That’s so true though to be fair, as a PROMOTER surely you have to be good at promoting the sport as well as just your team. How much can it cost to even put signs around each city about the local meetings taking place. In Gorzów, before every meeting they have the Stał flags waving on all the buses and signs on every main entry route into the city. That doesn’t really take that much planning does it?

Several million will be paid to riders this season across both pro leagues ..

Who hardly anyone on their own street would recognise for most of them .

Yet hardly one penny will be spent on some professionals generating an increase in crowd numbers and an awareness of the sport and it's riders ..

Absolute madness. 

[IainB]

1 hour ago, ShanoXtra said:

That’s so true though to be fair, as a PROMOTER surely you have to be good at promoting the sport as well as just your team. How much can it cost to even put signs around each city about the local meetings taking place. In Gorzów, before every meeting they have the Stał flags waving on all the buses and signs on every main entry route into the city. That doesn’t really take that much planning does it?

The trouble is, these days, they're not promoters, they're badge makers and scrap metal merchants etc. that have bought a speedway club. I'm not sure there are any promoters left in the game. 

[mikebv]

Just now, IainB said:

The trouble is, these days, they're not promoters, they're badge makers and scrap metal merchants etc. that have bought a speedway club. I'm not sure there are any promoters left in the game. 

It's no surprise that those whose livelihood depends on speedway often produce the best teams...

No "expensive hobby" for them...

[S4r4h]

1 hour ago, ShanoXtra said:

That’s so true though to be fair, as a PROMOTER surely you have to be good at promoting the sport as well as just your team. How much can it cost to even put signs around each city about the local meetings taking place. In Gorzów, before every meeting they have the Stał flags waving on all the buses and signs on every main entry route into the city. That doesn’t really take that much planning does it?

There were adverts placed on the back of Birmingham buses a couple of seasons ago. Not sure which areas of Birmingham the advertising buses covered. I live approximately 2 miles from the track and didn't see one bus with a speedway advert on it. They have also promoted with a small stand and a couple of bikes at One Stop where the old track was, but again it may raise numbers for a couple of meetings but few people seem to return when they have to pay full price.

[mikebv]

30 minutes ago, S4r4h said:

There were adverts placed on the back of Birmingham buses a couple of seasons ago. Not sure which areas of Birmingham the advertising buses covered. I live approximately 2 miles from the track and didn't see one bus with a speedway advert on it. They have also promoted with a small stand and a couple of bikes at One Stop where the old track was, but again it may raise numbers for a couple of meetings but few people seem to return when they have to pay full price.

And that goes back to the fundamental issue of the admission price being set too hight just to pay competitors to be fully professional...

The sport also charges an admission fee that it feel reflects it's standing amongst its peer sports...

The truth is, it is miles away from even Ice Hockey attendance wise..

Asking a couple to pay out well over fifty quid to watch 15 mins of action is truly a major ask, and a definite hard sell, even for a marketing professional let alone someone with a zero skill set in marketing and event promotions..

And throw in that ludicrous operating model whereby, should you actually get hooked on the sport, you can spend many hundreds of pounds in a season, and your reward is to see your best rider helping someone else on an ad-hoc basis which can help prevent his own, (and your), team from resching the play offs..

Thanks for your money, roll on next season for more of the same..!!!!😁

[IainB]

34 minutes ago, mikebv said:

Thanks for your money, roll on next season for more of the same..!!!!😁

... with (at least) one club less

[Fromafar]

42 minutes ago, mikebv said:

And that goes back to the fundamental issue of the admission price being set too hight just to pay competitors to be fully professional...

The sport also charges an admission fee that it feel reflects it's standing amongst its peer sports...

The truth is, it is miles away from even Ice Hockey attendance wise..

Asking a couple to pay out well over fifty quid to watch 15 mins of action is truly a major ask, and a definite hard sell, even for a marketing professional let alone someone with a zero skill set in marketing and event promotions..

And throw in that ludicrous operating model whereby, should you actually get hooked on the sport, you can spend many hundreds of pounds in a season, and your reward is to see your best rider helping someone else on an ad-hoc basis which can help prevent his own, (and your), team from resching the play offs..

Thanks for your money, roll on next season for more of the same..!!!!😁

Have to agree.

[GiveusaB]

13 hours ago, S4r4h said:

There were adverts placed on the back of Birmingham buses a couple of seasons ago. Not sure which areas of Birmingham the advertising buses covered. I live approximately 2 miles from the track and didn't see one bus with a speedway advert on it. They have also promoted with a small stand and a couple of bikes at One Stop where the old track was, but again it may raise numbers for a couple of meetings but few people seem to return when they have to pay full price.

Its not the cost for me? 

Its the 'shi#e' team that Rogers keeps putting together! 😀

Edited May 30, 2025 by GiveusaB

[SuperStarsFan91]

14 hours ago, MRJHP said:

Any news who we might sign to replace MJJ?

Will end up being MPT I bet 

[ShanoXtra]

9 hours ago, mikebv said:

And that goes back to the fundamental issue of the admission price being set too hight just to pay competitors to be fully professional...

The sport also charges an admission fee that it feel reflects it's standing amongst its peer sports...

The truth is, it is miles away from even Ice Hockey attendance wise..

Asking a couple to pay out well over fifty quid to watch 15 mins of action is truly a major ask, and a definite hard sell, even for a marketing professional let alone someone with a zero skill set in marketing and event promotions..

And throw in that ludicrous operating model whereby, should you actually get hooked on the sport, you can spend many hundreds of pounds in a season, and your reward is to see your best rider helping someone else on an ad-hoc basis which can help prevent his own, (and your), team from resching the play offs..

Thanks for your money, roll on next season for more of the same..!!!!😁

The last paragraph is far to true, to invest in YOUR team and then watch the same riders guest for someone else and help them is so backwards for a competitive sport. And I get it, riders need to make a living and all that jazz, it just doesn’t sit right with me. Nothing against kings Lynn, but I’m an Ipswich fan and to watch some witches riders guest for Lynn was weird. Imagine a Norwich player getting injured so town loan them a player to help out! 
It’s another reason why I don’t like the averages (but fully understand why for competitiveness), you build a team over years which you feel is yours then have to break it up just because you’re too good. 

[GiveusaB]

2 hours ago, SuperStarsFan91 said:

Will end up being MPT I bet 

Till July 12th?

Nick Morris will be back on the scene!

[Teromaafan]

3 hours ago, GiveusaB said:

Till July 12th?

Nick Morris will be back on the scene!

People often comment on riders being spaced out during a race. The likes of Morris and Worrall were banned for being in a similar state before taking to the track! Who is going to offer either of them a team place? Ah…. forgot….it’s a Brum thread!

[orion]

18 hours ago, mikebv said:

And that goes back to the fundamental issue of the admission price being set too hight just to pay competitors to be fully professional...

The sport also charges an admission fee that it feel reflects it's standing amongst its peer sports...

The truth is, it is miles away from even Ice Hockey attendance wise..

Asking a couple to pay out well over fifty quid to watch 15 mins of action is truly a major ask, and a definite hard sell, even for a marketing professional let alone someone with a zero skill set in marketing and event promotions..

And throw in that ludicrous operating model whereby, should you actually get hooked on the sport, you can spend many hundreds of pounds in a season, and your reward is to see your best rider helping someone else on an ad-hoc basis which can help prevent his own, (and your), team from resching the play offs..

Thanks for your money, roll on next season for more of the same..!!!!😁

Not again ..speedway was massive when we had guests in its hey day and also had stupid ts rules..Wembley had massive crowds for world finals when half the field were not even the best in the world.no one cared due to . They said the same again next year and it still filled up.

[mikebv]

1 hour ago, orion said:

Not again ..speedway was massive when we had guests in its hey day and also had stupid ts rules..Wembley had massive crowds for world finals when half the field were not even the best in the world.no one cared due to . They said the same again next year and it still filled up.

What you got away with donkeys years ago you cannot do know...

The internet would literally rdicule and destroy the sport should there ever be mainstream coverage now...

Years ago you turned up and only then found the best rider scheduled was missing, and a decent rider from another team had been booked to replace him....

Now, you know three days out, and many then go on line to either take the pee as to how a team can actually improve themselves, or simply many just dont turn up to watch something which now becomes contrived..

Not great in selling the event..

The sport was clearly built on ITV coverage of England's success at international level, which then led to domestic interest by fans who formed part of the literally millions who tuned regularly in to watch given only 3 channels existed..

The domestic racing basically piggy backed off the ITV International coverage..

The decline of the sport can be directly linked to the early 80's when the Danes and USA started to beat England on ITV regularly...

With the fans then attending tracks to watch dozens of journeymen Scandinavians, Yanks and Aussies, rather than "local lads" which had been the norm..

There is a reason Poland won't use guests and that is their leagues will have the same lack of credibility that the UK ones do, meaning fans, sponsors and TV would turn the backs on it...

Guests are clearly here to stay given the lack of riders, and followers paying in to afford a squad system, but, by using such a system each season and expecting the sport to have any credibility, is like Usain Bolt choosing to have worn a running vest with 2 stone lead weights added to it, and him expecting to have been an Olympic Champion.... 

 

 

[Sir Sidney]

1 hour ago, mikebv said:

 

The sport was clearly built on ITV coverage of England's success at international level, which then led to domestic interest by fans who formed part of the literally millions who tuned regularly in to watch given only 3 channels existed..

The domestic racing basically piggy backed off the ITV International coverage..

The decline of the sport can be directly linked to the early 80's when the Danes and USA started to beat England on ITV regularly...

With the fans then attending tracks to watch dozens of journeymen Scandinavians, Yanks and Aussies, rather than "local lads" which had been the norm..

 

 

 

The decline started way before the 80s. 

I started to go to Wimbledon in 1969 and the crowds, whilst large by today's standards, were way lower than for example the 50s 

[mikebv]

50 minutes ago, Sir Sidney said:

The decline started way before the 80s. 

I started to go to Wimbledon in 1969 and the crowds, whilst large by today's standards, were way lower than for example the 50s 

The post was years were "boom" years given the public's desire for entertainment after the war...

The late 60's and 70's, with the onset of major TV ownership, were though the years that elevated the sport with it's 'main sports' slot on ITV many times a season, providing the perfect advert for the domestic version of the sport to build their own business on..

When "England" started to lose regularly and their riders didn't challenge for the World Championship often, it then became a slow decline which has sped up significantly over the past two decades..

Personally, for me, a myriad of opportunities to change the operating model, to a fit for purpose one that reflects the modern digital era, have come and gone, and where we are now is pretty much "rock bottom" with so few teams, and so few "ideas people" involved who have the required skill set to sort out the clear and obvious issues..

I can still remember a KO Cup Final in 1973 against Reading at Hyde Rd where there were over 23,000 there..

I wouldn't imagine there will be 23,000 watching speedway in a week in the UK, if every track ran one meeting a week now..

That is the size of the decline and you will struggle to come back from that level of drop off...

 

[orion]

3 hours ago, mikebv said:

What you got away with donkeys years ago you cannot do know...

The internet would literally rdicule and destroy the sport should there ever be mainstream coverage now...

Years ago you turned up and only then found the best rider scheduled was missing, and a decent rider from another team had been booked to replace him....

Now, you know three days out, and many then go on line to either take the pee as to how a team can actually improve themselves, or simply many just dont turn up to watch something which now becomes contrived..

Not great in selling the event..

The sport was clearly built on ITV coverage of England's success at international level, which then led to domestic interest by fans who formed part of the literally millions who tuned regularly in to watch given only 3 channels existed..

The domestic racing basically piggy backed off the ITV International coverage..

The decline of the sport can be directly linked to the early 80's when the Danes and USA started to beat England on ITV regularly...

With the fans then attending tracks to watch dozens of journeymen Scandinavians, Yanks and Aussies, rather than "local lads" which had been the norm..

There is a reason Poland won't use guests and that is their leagues will have the same lack of credibility that the UK ones do, meaning fans, sponsors and TV would turn the backs on it...

Guests are clearly here to stay given the lack of riders, and followers paying in to afford a squad system, but, by using such a system each season and expecting the sport to have any credibility, is like Usain Bolt choosing to have worn a running vest with 2 stone lead weights added to it, and him expecting to have been an Olympic Champion.... 

 

 

 You have no idea in Poland if sponsors tv etc come on board because of  no guests etc . Guests in fact and a much better that having to replace heat leaders  with no hopers like they do in Poland  .. Do you really think if Poland had guests and Uk never someone we would be  have the massive crowds and Poland would not ..The polish play off final two seasons ago when one team had all its heat leaders and replaced with Charles Wright etc and that allowed the most sided final over lwo legs  was of the worst things i had even see sport it was complete Joke .. That was like Usain Bolt getting into the  Olympic final  and then having  to start 50 yards behind .

 

Edited May 30, 2025 by orion