BSPL AGM 12th of Never

[ONTWOMINUTES]

Agm is a closed shop,  all sat round the table deciding how they can line their own pockets whilst the sport goes further into decline. 

[topaz325]

4 minutes ago, ONTWOMINUTES said:

Agm is a closed shop,  all sat round the table deciding how they can line their own pockets whilst the sport goes further into decline. 

Line their own pockets get real most racks lose massive amounts of money and barely survive each year 

[mikebv]

1 hour ago, truthsayer said:

'TV money' - LOL

When Sky first started showing the sport, the viewing numbers were "very good" and often in six figures.  

For such a small minority sport Sky would have been delighted by the numbers..

Back then though there was 24 tracks in the top two divisions plus several stand alone third tier teams...

Meaning a good "core" following for the sport, and many more people who maybe didn't follow the sport, but would see their town team racing that night on TV and watch...

Sadly as clubs shut, the prospective TV audience has seemed to have also reduced in line with the number who used to attend these tracks, and towns lost their Speedway to occasionally follow..

And, with the costs of the broadcast v the risk of the weather, you can see why contracts have either been not renewed, or paid up and finished early...

For me, it would be better if the sport just had itself a "magazine" highlights package which used the streaming companies content,rather than putting out two hours of, often, gate and go Speedway, in two thirds empty stadia, devoid of any "tribal atmosphere"....

Much cheaper for the TV company, and better, more positive optics for fhe sport, if edited well, and, if they could get it on one of the main five channels, a much greater chance of more people watching...

There won't be any six figure amounts paid out to tracks I would imagine, but at least it would deliver a platform from which to try and grow from...

Edited 12 hours ago by mikebv

[AndiCapp]

Surely then now with all the worries and lack of clarity for the 2026 season there has to be a statement released on Wednesday as to a lack of AGM if this is true and what the possible delay is. All clubs are expected to be transparent so surely the governance should lead by the same example

[AndiCapp]

.

Edited 13 hours ago by AndiCapp

[ONTWOMINUTES]

23 minutes ago, topaz325 said:

Line their own pockets get real most racks lose massive amounts of money and barely survive each year 

If that was true,  why would they continue to run the following season knowing they would loose money? Hardly sensible business projection is it ?

[gjcone44]

the government do it.🤣

[Neila]

2 minutes ago, ONTWOMINUTES said:

If that was true,  why would they continue to run the following season knowing they would loose money? Hardly sensible business projection is it ?

But it is true several clubs don't break even with the numbers of spectators coming through the gates, the sponsorship big or small helps to balance the books. Also,maybe more so in the past than now (due to financial rules) a speedway team was offset against a business to offset tax etc

[norbold]

1 hour ago, ONTWOMINUTES said:

Agm is a closed shop,  all sat round the table deciding how they can line their own pockets whilst the sport goes further into decline. 

That seems a bit contradictory. If they wanted to line their own pockets, surely the best way would be to stop the sport going into decline?

[heathen52]

Why the heck don't they just bite the bullet and just go to 1 professional league ? it is going to happen sooner rather than later, I would have thought it would be far easier to attract a TV company with a league that has more teams in it. The BSPL is again showing that it has it's head in the clouds by postponing the agm and delaying the inevitable.

[RoundTheBoards]

44 minutes ago, ONTWOMINUTES said:

If that was true,  why would they continue to run the following season knowing they would loose money? Hardly sensible business projection is it ?

If your theory were true, there would only be 10 professional football clubs in the country, not 92.

[Fromafar]

1 hour ago, AndiCapp said:

Surely then now with all the worries and lack of clarity for the 2026 season there has to be a statement released on Wednesday as to a lack of AGM if this is true and what the possible delay is. All clubs are expected to be transparent so surely the governance should lead by the same example

Pigs might!!!

[1 valve]

48 minutes ago, heathen52 said:

Why the heck don't they just bite the bullet and just go to 1 professional league ? it is going to happen sooner rather than later, I would have thought it would be far easier to attract a TV company with a league that has more teams in it. The BSPL is again showing that it has it's head in the clouds by postponing the agm and delaying the inevitable.

OK just a few of questions for the purpose of clarification

1. How many teams would you consider a suitable number for a " one professional league"?
2. What would be the race nights be - Monday & Thursday as current for the Top league or include (say) weekends?
3. What level of competition would you like to see in the one league, same as the current top flight, Higher or lower?

And if you were not already aware, the answers to all three questions are very much interlinked into the viability of "one league"

[Normski]

1 hour ago, Fromafar said:

Pigs might!!!

Speaking to someone who does know what is going on, looks lke AGM will take place on Wednesday.

[PersonalResponsibility]

3 hours ago, topaz325 said:

Line their own pockets get real most racks lose massive amounts of money and barely survive each year 

Yet we're always told that the primary reason clubs close down is due to external factors (e.g., development of stadium land), not lack of money or interest. This being the case, how do the majority of promoters manage losing massive amounts of money every year? There's exceptions to this, but most promoters come across as keeping fairly run of the mill businesses, so how can they afford such significant losses every season?

I'm asking this sincerely btw. I know most of them are fans and see it as a labour of love, but there must be something that keeps them coming back year in, year out?

[YeOldPitGate]

4 hours ago, ONTWOMINUTES said:

Agm is a closed shop,  all sat round the table deciding how they can line their own pockets whilst the sport goes further into decline. 

Line there own pockets the poor sods have empty pockets or holes in them the amount of money they must be losing season after season.

[YeOldPitGate]

4 hours ago, ONTWOMINUTES said:

If that was true,  why would they continue to run the following season knowing they would loose money? Hardly sensible business projection is it ?

Quite a few have other business that make money and they can offset some of the losses they make at the speedway end of things against tax at the successful business.

[heathen52]

7 hours ago, 1 valve said:

OK just a few of questions for the purpose of clarification

1. How many teams would you consider a suitable number for a " one professional league"?
2. What would be the race nights be - Monday & Thursday as current for the Top league or include (say) weekends?
3. What level of competition would you like to see in the one league, same as the current top flight, Higher or lower?

And if you were not already aware, the answers to all three questions are very much interlinked into the viability of "one league"

1. We currently have 14 which includes 1 that is for sale, so that would be the number.

2. Whichever racenight that suits that particular team best.

3. In the last 20 or so years only Belle Vue have stayed as a top flight club, all the remainder have spent time outside the top flight.

I hate to see any team close for whatever reason, Coventry and Wolves both closed through no Stadia not through lack of support, so the more teams the better for the sport as a whole.

As for racenights Poole have shown racing on a night that people prefer to attend can be the best solution for increased attendances, we are trying to save Speedway in the Uk and what Poland does should not dictate what is best for the Uk.

Standard of competition ? obviously the level would be reduced due to the lack of riders, but that should not detract from the racing entertainment provided, currently we could have Brady Kurtz racing against Sam Hagon (nothing against Sam) but with the reduced standard that difference should in theory be less.

  For goodness sake stop trying to hold on to something that has run it's course, in the early 1960's the top flight was down to about 5 teams, and the Provincial League had probably double that, the 2 Leagues amalgamated to form the British League (weaker standard but better) that is what needs to happen now, it does not need to be 7 man teams due to rider shortage, obviously not everyone will be happy least of all the riders, but this is a move that has to be made for the good of the Sport long term, the Sport has to put itself first and individual teams have to fit in with that.

 I have tried to answer your 3 questions as best that I can, their will be issues of course and it's not one answer that fit's every Team but by working together British Speedway can dig itself out of the hole that it finds itself in, and while we are at it why can we not find a Sponsor and Tv company that can support a British GP series with a round to be held at every Track ?, the Sponsor to provide prize money at every round and the TV company to pay for the rights at each track, or something along those lines.

[Neila]

7 hours ago, YeOldPitGate said:

Line there own pockets the poor sods have empty pockets or holes in them the amount of money they must be losing season after season.

Yes a lot of them plead poverty or say they want the fans to back them in numbers, but every year at the AGM they vote to run the following year, a bit like turkey farmers voting for Xmas 

Edited 1 hour ago by Neila

[RoundTheBoards]

Just now, Neila said:

every year at the AGM they are all like turkey farmers voting for Xmas 

Turkey farmers are obviously going to vote for Christmas.   It's their most profitable time of year by a long way!