gjcone44 Posted 6 hours ago Report Share Posted 6 hours ago over 35 yrs ago did have a girlfriend who watched Manchester storm, i did go to a match with her, good atmosphere but not for me, so i dumped her 😁 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikebv Posted 6 hours ago Report Share Posted 6 hours ago (edited) 32 minutes ago, ouch said: When the second division started accepting journeyman foreigners, it was a step back for British speedway as a whole but good for them. Like wise when they moved from double uppers to double downers around 2017/18 it was good for them but bad for British speedway as it led to our rider shortage. Championship fans are constantly referring to the predictable nature of the top league which is laughable given the championship is now the Poole & Glasgow show and has been for years. Add in the supposed variety you get in the Championship compared to the Premiership even though we are only taking two more teams and the fact that two of their teams met each other 10 times also slips the mind. Ten years ago there were 13 teams in the championship but that is down to 9. When it comes to losing teams from then to 2025, it’s 4-1 to the championship. I post this to balance things up and shine a light on the them and us mentality that has blighted our sport for longer than I care to remember. WE ARE IN THIS TOGETHER and need to leave our competition out on the track and not in the boardroom. It’s a symbiotic relationship where what happens to one massively affects the other. 100% When Poole went into Div 2 they were quite open that their fans could still get to watch around 70% of the same riders that they could in Div 1, but they were not paying out the same money.. That only could be done due to these riders still being in Div 1 at the same time.. What we have now is the obvious result of minimal long term planning around rider development, with each year, no one looking further down the line than "getting to October"... With the obvious lack of independent leadership to prevent teams pretty much doing what they wanted, when they wanted, to suit their own agenda and not the overall sports' agenda.... However, given that agenda pretty much didn't exist, you cannot blame them.. Poole, as an example, have certainly shown that Div 2 is profitable, and they even, if memory serves, reduced admission when they went into the 2nd tier.. If it's profitable without riders getting a Div 1 wage is probably the million dollar question, however riders can also get another job (like the majority used to), particularly if they only are riding for one team in the UK, rather than two... Edited 6 hours ago by mikebv 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveLyric2 Posted 6 hours ago Report Share Posted 6 hours ago 1 hour ago, mikebv said: When you look at other "small sports" in the UK, eg Basketball and Ice Hockey, one getting a similar amount of fans for league matches, (Basketball), (although the Basketball play offs did get 15,000 there), and the other (Ice Hockey), a good number more than UK Speedway gets. (Last season UK Ice Hockey averaged over 3600 per game).. Neither though use "World Stars,", as, simply they couldn't afford them.. Therefore they use "decent" players from overseas and, in the main, UK lads... With both sports knowing that bigger European and Scandinavian teams can offer more money to the best talent as they progress through the UK system, with these lads often moving into Europe and Scandinavia to ultimately try and get an NBA or NHL contract... In short, like BSB do in motorbike racing, they "know their place"... They know they have a product to sell which isn't on the level of other bigger competitions within their own sport, and accept that they pretty much end up as a "feeder system" for these more financially rewarding competitions... So they have plenty of UK lads coming through to replace those who move on to bigger things .. UK Speedway still wants to seemingly use "World Stars", even though their presence has seen a reduction in crowd numbers, and an increase in costs ... And, has spent decades replacing journeymen foreigners with journeymen foreigners... And all done to win something they personally hugely devalue due to a ludicrous set of operating regulations... Meaning any "success" attained resonates amongst very few people, and delivers little in financial rewards... A truly "unique" way of running a business... I presume the AGM has been put back to January so they can have time to unpick all the inherent, obvious flaws in the plan...? And, instead ,put together a plan for the future that is actually fit for purpose..? Aside from the comparison of indoor vs outdoor sports, is there a huge financial prize for winning the Basketball or Ice Hockey leagues/cups as they also don't generate much publicity nationally? As for getting better crowds than speedway that's as much to do with plusher, comfortable indoor stadia and the reliability of a regular fixture list - unless the ice melts of course!😉 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikebv Posted 6 hours ago Report Share Posted 6 hours ago (edited) 10 minutes ago, SteveLyric2 said: Aside from the comparison of indoor vs outdoor sports, is there a huge financial prize for winning the Basketball or Ice Hockey leagues/cups as they also don't generate much publicity nationally? As for getting better crowds than speedway that's as much to do with plusher, comfortable indoor stadia and the reliability of a regular fixture list - unless the ice melts of course!😉 Only went once, my mate got me a freebie... Didn't take to it so never went again... However, the overall presentation was light years ahead of UK Speedway, use of lighting, music, fans interaction etc, and there were a couple of hundred kids in attendance I would think... (Mind you. It was weekend!)..😉 Edit . Yes, they have an advantage of not ever being rained off... But. They also have never paid £3k to £5k for any on their team for one match, never mind two of their team... Edited 6 hours ago by mikebv 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phannan Posted 6 hours ago Report Share Posted 6 hours ago 33 minutes ago, ouch said: When the second division started accepting journeyman foreigners, it was a step back for British speedway as a whole but good for them. Like wise when they moved from double uppers to double downers around 2017/18 it was good for them but bad for British speedway as it led to our rider shortage. Championship fans are constantly referring to the predictable nature of the top league which is laughable given the championship is now the Poole & Glasgow show and has been for years. Add in the supposed variety you get in the Championship compared to the Premiership even though we are only taking two more teams and the fact that two of their teams met each other 10 times also slips the mind. Ten years ago there were 13 teams in the championship but that is down to 9. When it comes to losing teams from then to 2025, it’s 4-1 to the championship. I post this to balance things up and shine a light on the them and us mentality that has blighted our sport for longer than I care to remember. WE ARE IN THIS TOGETHER and need to leave our competition out on the track and not in the boardroom. It’s a symbiotic relationship where what happens to one massively affects the other. Totally agree. The thing that strikes me about speedway is the lack of ambition to be successful at the top level . Certain clubs with decent fan bases are happier to pick and choose where and when they want to operate. Dosent matter what the level of opposition is. Then when they achieve success they celebrate it like they’ve won the World Cup. Big deal. They’re hollow victories. Race at the highest level against far better opposition. Track a winning team if at all possible. That will attract more people through the gate as people love to follow winners. Look at Man City for an example. Then victories are meaningful. Ambition? No . Let’s just be a big player in a lesser league. It’s sad how far our sport has plunged with that attitude. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IainB Posted 5 hours ago Report Share Posted 5 hours ago 1 hour ago, mikebv said: They also have never had "World Stars" so their fans (and maybe more importantly) the owners, don't have any expectations that they need to rub shoulders with the best of the best. ... and I bet their players can't be seen turning out for another team in this country let alone abroad and I believe that there is no individual championship for players either, their player plays for their club only, maybe also at international level for their country, forgive my ignorance I have zero knowledge of the sport but I'm guessing that's the case because that's how team sport is run. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJA Posted 5 hours ago Report Share Posted 5 hours ago 21 hours ago, TTT said: Could be anyone. Including the CHAMP Clubs who are making signing announcements because every deal would be null and void if the League Structure Collapses. The fact that they're announcing Riders suggests that progress has been made and the Team has been found otherwise they're just getting their fans hopes up for no reason by announcing Riders who more than likely won't even be riding for them. Having seen a 2024 riders contract unless the wording has changed it would NOT be null and void. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikebv Posted 5 hours ago Report Share Posted 5 hours ago 2 minutes ago, IainB said: ... and I bet their players can't be seen turning out for another team in this country let alone abroad and I believe that there is no individual championship for players either, their player plays for their club only, maybe also at international level for their country, forgive my ignorance I have zero knowledge of the sport but I'm guessing that's the case because that's how team sport is run. Spookily.... Correct. .😀 Averaging over 3600 a match are numbers that Speedway would kill for.... And would also mean the current situation wouldn't exist.... Imagine getting over £70k in revenue each meeting? You could even pay £15k to £20k out in rent and the landlord might even consider letting you stay then, and not selling up... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kieran22222 Posted 5 hours ago Report Share Posted 5 hours ago 8 minutes ago, IainB said: ... and I bet their players can't be seen turning out for another team in this country let alone abroad and I believe that there is no individual championship for players either, their player plays for their club only, maybe also at international level for their country, forgive my ignorance I have zero knowledge of the sport but I'm guessing that's the case because that's how team sport is run. That is something I have always hated about speedway. How can a rider ride for multiple different teams. Also the constant forced changes to teams due to points limits would often make it hard to keep the same riders year in year out for the fans to build a connection to - especially the newer fans 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikebv Posted 5 hours ago Report Share Posted 5 hours ago 8 minutes ago, Kieran22222 said: That is something I have always hated about speedway. How can a rider ride for multiple different teams. Also the constant forced changes to teams due to points limits would often make it hard to keep the same riders year in year out for the fans to build a connection to - especially the newer fans There is no other way Kieran. Seemingly.... Well, that is what many "die hards" tell me anyway... Although, other Speedway leagues seem to survive, and even thrive, by not sharing riders in the same league... Strange.... You are of course 100% correct, and it is directly aligned to a lack of UK rider development, meaning the same "few" riders keep turning out for Uncle Tom Cobley and All.. And also has meant meetings run regardless of whether the actual team is there or not. Meaning Promoters just put "any Speedway" out as their only objective is to get 14 (utopia), riders there... There is obviously major issues currently, but we cannot be far off having an average age of 40 for a significant portion of riders... With these being the riders who mainly Double Up and take Guest booking after Guest Booking... And that will then be another major problem just a few years down the line.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fromafar Posted 4 hours ago Report Share Posted 4 hours ago (edited) 2 hours ago, ouch said: When the second division started accepting journeyman foreigners, it was a step back for British speedway as a whole but good for them. Like wise when they moved from double uppers to double downers around 2017/18 it was good for them but bad for British speedway as it led to our rider shortage. Championship fans are constantly referring to the predictable nature of the top league which is laughable given the championship is now the Poole & Glasgow show and has been for years. Add in the supposed variety you get in the Championship compared to the Premiership even though we are only taking two more teams and the fact that two of their teams met each other 10 times also slips the mind. Ten years ago there were 13 teams in the championship but that is down to 9. When it comes to losing teams from then to 2025, it’s 4-1 to the championship. I post this to balance things up and shine a light on the them and us mentality that has blighted our sport for longer than I care to remember. WE ARE IN THIS TOGETHER and need to leave our competition out on the track and not in the boardroom. It’s a symbiotic relationship where what happens to one massively affects the other. Don’t understand your 4-1 quote to the championship about losing Teams in the last 10 years.Premiership have lost Wolves,Swindon.Somerset Coventry and Arena Essex..?? Edited 4 hours ago by Fromafar 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IainB Posted 4 hours ago Report Share Posted 4 hours ago 7 minutes ago, Fromafar said: Don’t understand your 4-1 quote to the championship about losing Teams in the last 10 years.Premiership have lost Wolves,Swindon.Somerset Coventry and Arena Essex..?? Peterborough, Birmingham, Rye House 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikebv Posted 4 hours ago Report Share Posted 4 hours ago (edited) Imagine trying to find riders for all those tracks that have closed in the past decade?!!! The Landlords and Developers may have actually helped!!!! Edited 4 hours ago by mikebv 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ouch Posted 4 hours ago Report Share Posted 4 hours ago 33 minutes ago, Fromafar said: Don’t understand your 4-1 quote to the championship about losing Teams in the last 10 years.Premiership have lost Wolves,Swindon.Somerset Coventry and Arena Essex..?? Overall number of participants. 13-4=9 8-1=7 2015/2025 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1 valve Posted 4 hours ago Report Share Posted 4 hours ago 13 hours ago, YeOldPitGate said: I do get your arguement TTT but if you were Poole you would most likely want 100k passed over upfront or put in a bank account controlled by someone other than the bspa. It’s called an escrow account. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeedwaySlider72 Posted 4 hours ago Report Share Posted 4 hours ago 1 hour ago, Phannan said: The thing that strikes me about speedway is the lack of ambition to be successful at the top level . Define successful? Is winning the top league but losing a mountain of cash more successful than running a profitable enterprise at a lower level? There are different definitions of success but unless the Premiership can offer a financially sustainable model then Championship clubs appear to be sensibly choosing to stay at a level that is viable. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YeOldPitGate Posted 4 hours ago Report Share Posted 4 hours ago 12 hours ago, IainB said: That's my channel... Hope you gave it a "like" 👍🏻 Cause I did Iain 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1 valve Posted 4 hours ago Report Share Posted 4 hours ago 15 hours ago, THE DEAN MACHINE said: Firstly just let me say I’m disgusted at the way the public is being treated by the bspl, I won't say this particular rumour because it betrays the trust of those at the coal face so to speak and they will know where it came from and wouldn’t tell me anything else, I also like to see if anyone else has heard anything along the same lines on here ,once something becomes public knowledge then I’m ok with it, what if the rumours are not true ? It spreads like wildfire and people end up with egg on their face I understand your sentiment. But since it adds nothing positive to the discussion even if it was bad news. Maybe best to leave posts relating to something that can’t be revealed until they can be? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THE DEAN MACHINE Posted 4 hours ago Report Share Posted 4 hours ago Not that’s it worth anything but my opinion is if we wait till January and then it’s announced a 5 or even 6 team premier with or without tv money then the speedway is in big trouble next year, nobody wants a premier league to see the same teams over and over, last year with 7 teams it was repetitive,let’s hope something happens in the coming week/s to force it to be 1 league and we can get on with making that keague work to the best of its ability, I’d of liked the top 5 teams to have wanted to have 1 league by choice but if it is forced then so be it, the fans want it and from what I hear British riders want it too 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THE DEAN MACHINE Posted 4 hours ago Report Share Posted 4 hours ago Just now, 1 valve said: I understand your sentiment. But since it adds nothing positive to the discussion even if it was bad news. Maybe best to leave posts relating to something that can’t be revealed until they can be? Ok I’ll keep it to my opinion then 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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