hasta la vista Posted July 5 Report Share Posted July 5 Why are they volunteers and not paid? It's a top division professional sport. It's not training at Iwade or Lydd. Were there no volunteers this week to prepare the stadium for an event then? If no volunteers turn up do you have to call meetings off? Not sure these excuses make it acceptable but everyone entitled to their own opinion. 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IainB Posted July 5 Report Share Posted July 5 7 minutes ago, hasta la vista said: Why are they volunteers and not paid? It's a top division professional sport. It's not training at Iwade or Lydd. Were there no volunteers this week to prepare the stadium for an event then? If no volunteers turn up do you have to call meetings off? Not sure these excuses make it acceptable but everyone entitled to their own opinion. No volunteers, no speedway. Just like F1 Marshals, they're all volunteers 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petecc Posted July 5 Report Share Posted July 5 1 hour ago, hasta la vista said: Why are they volunteers and not paid? It's a top division professional sport. It's not training at Iwade or Lydd. Were there no volunteers this week to prepare the stadium for an event then? If no volunteers turn up do you have to call meetings off? Not sure these excuses make it acceptable but everyone entitled to their own opinion. You are right but, no volunteers, no flag marshals, start marshals,pit marshals, ticket sellers,no gate operators and many other jobs such as laying sheets on a dog track,painting kick boards,cleaning air fence, sweeping pit/cleaning changing rooms and toilets. I'm sure I've missed a few, however the jobs listed are done by a small band of die hards who can only do so much. Sometimes when it's very hot or in a holiday season those few become less. If it wasn't for volunteers British Speedway would have closed years ago. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hasta la vista Posted July 5 Report Share Posted July 5 1 hour ago, IainB said: No volunteers, no speedway. Just like F1 Marshals, they're all volunteers Volunteers don't prepare infrastructure for F1 events. You are comparing completely different roles. Marshalls in speedway and F1 yes they are comparable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeedwaySlider72 Posted July 6 Report Share Posted July 6 21 hours ago, hasta la vista said: Why are they volunteers and not paid? It's a top division professional sport. It's not training at Iwade or Lydd. Were there no volunteers this week to prepare the stadium for an event then? If no volunteers turn up do you have to call meetings off? Not sure these excuses make it acceptable but everyone entitled to their own opinion. You must be intentionally looking to be provocative to ask this or not understand the current financial plight of the sport in Britain 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hasta la vista Posted July 6 Report Share Posted July 6 1 hour ago, SpeedwaySlider72 said: You must be intentionally looking to be provocative to ask this or not understand the current financial plight of the sport in Britain Not at all. Drop Zagars gtee by 50 quid a meeting and that would pay for a cleaner to clean a few areas. Not rocket science. 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OGT Posted July 6 Report Share Posted July 6 1 hour ago, hasta la vista said: Not at all. Drop Zagars gtee by 50 quid a meeting and that would pay for a cleaner to clean a few areas. Not rocket science. So Birmingham have around 6 meetings left before the club disappears, maybe for good. Are you really serious or on the wind up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitten2502 Posted July 6 Report Share Posted July 6 I believe the changing rooms are cleaned by the greyhounds staff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petecc Posted July 7 Report Share Posted July 7 9 hours ago, kitten2502 said: I believe the changing rooms are cleaned by the greyhounds staff. The greyhound staff do nothing towards speedway. In fact they mostly make it more difficult. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GiveusaB Posted July 7 Report Share Posted July 7 On 7/5/2025 at 8:08 PM, Petecc said: You are right but, no volunteers, no flag marshals, start marshals,pit marshals, ticket sellers,no gate operators and many other jobs such as laying sheets on a dog track,painting kick boards,cleaning air fence, sweeping pit/cleaning changing rooms and toilets. I'm sure I've missed a few, however the jobs listed are done by a small band of die hards who can only do so much. Sometimes when it's very hot or in a holiday season those few become less. If it wasn't for volunteers British Speedway would have closed years ago. Trouble is, there are more volunteers than paying spectators and we all know that the volunteers get to watch/see the meeting for free...I bet there's not a volunteer who pays to watch ? I'm not saying that they should pay, but if you add up how much the club would get if they did, then it would help towards the cause..... So, whilst helping to keep the club going, they're also helping towards its financial demise... 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THE DEAN MACHINE Posted July 7 Report Share Posted July 7 25 minutes ago, GiveusaB said: Trouble is, there are more volunteers than paying spectators and we all know that the volunteers get to watch/see the meeting for free...I bet there's not a volunteer who pays to watch ? I'm not saying that they should pay, but if you add up how much the club would get if they did, then it would help towards the cause..... So, whilst helping to keep the club going, they're also helping towards its financial demise... As I’ve said before check out the list on the pit gate of who doesn’t pay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Stadia Posted July 7 Report Share Posted July 7 38 minutes ago, GiveusaB said: Trouble is, there are more volunteers than paying spectators and we all know that the volunteers get to watch/see the meeting for free...I bet there's not a volunteer who pays to watch ? I'm not saying that they should pay, but if you add up how much the club would get if they did, then it would help towards the cause..... So, whilst helping to keep the club going, they're also helping towards its financial demise... I marshal for a Moto X club. I get paid and I'm given a voucher for the burger van. Even though we receive this, they still have trouble finding marshals. I think I earn my pay, as it is hard work. Mind you, I do help in taking down the track, which I don't have to, but feel I should do. I don't think speedway track volunteers should pay to enter, definitely not. If the club needs their entry fee to 'break even', or for the club to exist, then the club is definitely in financial trouble. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*JJ Posted July 7 Report Share Posted July 7 1 hour ago, THE DEAN MACHINE said: As I’ve said before check out the list on the pit gate of who doesn’t pay Dean, please don't feed the troll! 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W9 Lion Posted July 7 Report Share Posted July 7 1 hour ago, GiveusaB said: Trouble is, there are more volunteers than paying spectators and we all know that the volunteers get to watch/see the meeting for free...I bet there's not a volunteer who pays to watch ? I'm not saying that they should pay, but if you add up how much the club would get if they did, then it would help towards the cause..... So, whilst helping to keep the club going, they're also helping towards its financial demise... OK, so if you do away with the volunteers who is going to do the following jobs? Clerk of Course, Pits Marshal, Environmental Marshal, 2 Start Marshals, 6 flag marshals, Track Curator, 2 Tractor Drivers, Time Keeper (incase the transponders do not work), Incident Recorder, 2 Announcers, PR, Stewards x 12, Gate Stewards, 4 Ticket Office Staff, 3 on General Admission Gates, Grounds Man, 2 Cleaners, 4 Odd Job People (often the hardest Working) and say 10-12 occasional volunteers in the winter helping with general maintenance, painting etc. So thats about 45 people to keep a club running plis the most welcome occasional volunteers throughout the winter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GiveusaB Posted July 7 Report Share Posted July 7 23 minutes ago, W9 Lion said: OK, so if you do away with the volunteers who is going to do the following jobs? Clerk of Course, Pits Marshal, Environmental Marshal, 2 Start Marshals, 6 flag marshals, Track Curator, 2 Tractor Drivers, Time Keeper (incase the transponders do not work), Incident Recorder, 2 Announcers, PR, Stewards x 12, Gate Stewards, 4 Ticket Office Staff, 3 on General Admission Gates, Grounds Man, 2 Cleaners, 4 Odd Job People (often the hardest Working) and say 10-12 occasional volunteers in the winter helping with general maintenance, painting etc. So thats about 45 people to keep a club running plis the most welcome occasional volunteers throughout the winter. Nobody is suggesting that you do away with volunteers....they're the 'un-sung' heroes of all clubs...I'm just pointing out that 45 or so (as you suggest) would have an effect on gate receipts.... I just wonder how many volunteers would pay to attend, if they wasn't volunteers? I volunteered for a few seasons and loved every minute of it until they started asking us to stay behind after the meeting to rake the track....meaning a very late finish, with a fair journey home.... Its the ones who volunteer and don't get to see the meeting (club shop staff etc...) they're the ones who deserve a pat on the back! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GiveusaB Posted July 7 Report Share Posted July 7 50 minutes ago, *JJ said: Dean, please don't feed the troll! Says the 'pr#tt' who puts a bit of methanol in a riders bike and then thinks he's the clubs official sponsor! 😀 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hasta la vista Posted July 7 Report Share Posted July 7 37 minutes ago, W9 Lion said: OK, so if you do away with the volunteers who is going to do the following jobs? Clerk of Course, Pits Marshal, Environmental Marshal, 2 Start Marshals, 6 flag marshals, Track Curator, 2 Tractor Drivers, Time Keeper (incase the transponders do not work), Incident Recorder, 2 Announcers, PR, Stewards x 12, Gate Stewards, 4 Ticket Office Staff, 3 on General Admission Gates, Grounds Man, 2 Cleaners, 4 Odd Job People (often the hardest Working) and say 10-12 occasional volunteers in the winter helping with general maintenance, painting etc. So thats about 45 people to keep a club running plis the most welcome occasional volunteers throughout the winter. Not all of those roles are volunteers. If they are at Brum the gtees to riders should have been lower and money made available to pay some of those positions. A track curator being a volunteer at a Premiership club is a very strange concept.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petecc Posted July 7 Report Share Posted July 7 11 minutes ago, hasta la vista said: Not all of those roles are volunteers. If they are at Brum the gtees to riders should have been lower and money made available to pay some of those positions. A track curator being a volunteer at a Premiership club is a very strange concept.... Track curators are paid licenced staff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W9 Lion Posted July 7 Report Share Posted July 7 28 minutes ago, hasta la vista said: Not all of those roles are volunteers. If they are at Brum the gtees to riders should have been lower and money made available to pay some of those positions. A track curator being a volunteer at a Premiership club is a very strange concept.... At the club I volunteer at all the roles I stated are done by unpaid volunteers. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W9 Lion Posted July 7 Report Share Posted July 7 17 minutes ago, Petecc said: Track curators are paid licenced staff. Track Curators are licenced as are Clerk of Course, Start Marshal etc. But are not paid at the club I volunteer at. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.