Premiership 2027 - Are You Interested??

[Arthur73]

2 hours ago, mikebv said:

The very fact we often mention changing race nights on here to "attract a crowd" speaks volumes doesn't it?..

And, as Plymouth has shown, it can work when moving to a weekend...

The major issue of what they are actually racing for won't be resolved though...

At the moment the only prize worth winning in UK Speedway the "Decent Crowd In The Play Offs"...

However, how many of those attending the PO's  have given "dead rubbers" a miss during the season is a valid point to raise, so the extra punters on the night isn't a total gain...

Without something "really worth winning" UK Speedway simply won't get enough cut through in a world of huge prizes for a large number of sports...

Given how the sport is set up, you can't help thinking that UK Speedway is just there to enable riders to earn by doing the sport, and to give Speedway loving people  a chance to run a Speedway team as an expensive hobby..

With finishing positions in any of the leagues irrelevant due to no major prizes, no relegation, and, you can even swap your leagues if you so wish...

Changing nights to weekend racing should give a short term boost, but changing much more will also be needed if long term improvement is the vision...

I do think changing the racing nights could in the long run lead to more meaningful meetings and seasons.

Glasgow and Poole may be more inclined to move up as their race nights match Premiership ones. Also, if this is paired with new reduced doubling up rules the championship will reduce in quality so both teams may want to move up to keep higher quality riders. 8 teams in the prem is already increases legitimacy.

For relegation and promotion you then need all championship sides to want to move up. If Glasgow and Poole see a good increase in sales or return of results that will help massively.

Edinburgh, Scunthorpe, Redcar and Oxford all race Monday-Friday so that's a good start. The other 3 teams race Saturday so might need more convincing however saying do you want to switch to Friday is much better than do you want to switch to Monday!

[1 valve]

36 minutes ago, Arthur73 said:

I do think changing the racing nights could in the long run lead to more meaningful meetings and seasons.

Glasgow and Poole may be more inclined to move up as their race nights match Premiership ones. Also, if this is paired with new reduced doubling up rules the championship will reduce in quality so both teams may want to move up to keep higher quality riders. 8 teams in the prem is already increases legitimacy.

For relegation and promotion you then need all championship sides to want to move up. If Glasgow and Poole see a good increase in sales or return of results that will help massively.

Edinburgh, Scunthorpe, Redcar and Oxford all race Monday-Friday so that's a good start. The other 3 teams race Saturday so might need more convincing however saying do you want to switch to Friday is much better than do you want to switch to Monday!

Yes. Have a league that runs on Friday & say good bye to all those Australians & Poles who ride in Poland, Danes, Swedes , Czech etc leaving enough riders for nine teams made up of current lower scoring Championship and NDL riders. 
Not a healthy recipe to ensure the continuation of speedway in Uk
 

[tonyd]

1 hour ago, 1 valve said:

Can’t see that being a relevant point for Howarth.
As a rider who doubles up, he would ride at fifteen different tracks during the season including the two “home clubs” he’s left. 
There’s more behind his reason for quitting than taking a break - there’s sufficient time between October and March next year to rest up.


 

I think its very relevant myself, Kyle has said that he and many other riders are fed up / sick of racing the same tracks. As a speedway rider (or any motor sport competitor) if they feel pi$$ed of and there head is not in the right place then a break from the sport is needed for there own sanity and there's and others safety.   I'm sure a rider of Kyles quality and dedication he did not take this decision lightly.

Edited 2 hours ago by tonyd

[1 valve]

11 minutes ago, tonyd said:

I think its very relevant myself, Kyle has said that he and many other riders are fed up / sick of racing the same tracks. As a speedway rider (or any motor sport competitor) if they feel pi$$ed of and there head is not in the right place then a break from the sport is needed for there own sanity and there's and others safety.   I'm sure a rider of Kyles quality and dedication he did not take this decision lightly.

Howarth said he was fed up racing the same four tracks. That statement is irrelevant because he would ride 16 tracks 

[ouch]

 

The fact that speedway nowadays is ran by fans (albeit rich ones) shows by way of this forum how and why it is where it is. Imagine these very discussions taking place at the AGM.

The main takeaway is, I can’t be bothered building a new track/stadium, spending time & money on a youth policy, improving the racenight experience, nurturing talent to the point they become world beaters, etc, etc, etc.

Let’s throw the baby out with the bath water and continue to dumb down and kid the fans that by doing that we will overnight become interested in all the things mentioned that could actually improve the sport.

 

[1 valve]

11 minutes ago, tonyd said:

I think its very relevant myself, Kyle has said that he and many other riders are fed up / sick of racing the same tracks. As a speedway rider (or any motor sport competitor) if they feel pi$$ed of and there head is not in the right place then a break from the sport is needed for there own sanity and there's and others safety.   I'm sure a rider of Kyles quality and dedication he did not take this decision lightly.

Howarth said he was fed up racing the same four tracks. That statement is irrelevant because he would ride 16 tracks 

[Arthur73]

33 minutes ago, 1 valve said:

Yes. Have a league that runs on Friday & say good bye to all those Australians & Poles who ride in Poland, Danes, Swedes , Czech etc leaving enough riders for nine teams made up of current lower scoring Championship and NDL riders. 
Not a healthy recipe to ensure the continuation of speedway in Uk
 

I understand that there will be a drop off in talent that is true. With the polish league + 1 league rule coming in this will happen to a smaller extent anyway.

We will likely still retain Jason Doyle, Tom Brennan, Chris Holder, Ryan Douglas, Tobiasz Musielak who all race on Saturdays or Sundays in the 2nd polish league. 

I don't accept that the premier league will become poor quality enough that it will be full of national league riders

[ouch]

41 minutes ago, tonyd said:

I think its very relevant myself, Kyle has said that he and many other riders are fed up / sick of racing the same tracks. As a speedway rider (or any motor sport competitor) if they feel pi$$ed of and there head is not in the right place then a break from the sport is needed for there own sanity and there's and others safety.   I'm sure a rider of Kyles quality and dedication he did not take this decision lightly.

As a doubling up rider competing at all tracks in the UK, how would one league offer him any more variety?

[ouch]

1 hour ago, Arthur73 said:

I do think changing the racing nights could in the long run lead to more meaningful meetings and seasons.

Glasgow and Poole may be more inclined to move up as their race nights match Premiership ones. Also, if this is paired with new reduced doubling up rules the championship will reduce in quality so both teams may want to move up to keep higher quality riders. 8 teams in the prem is already increases legitimacy.

For relegation and promotion you then need all championship sides to want to move up. If Glasgow and Poole see a good increase in sales or return of results that will help massively.

Edinburgh, Scunthorpe, Redcar and Oxford all race Monday-Friday so that's a good start. The other 3 teams race Saturday so might need more convincing however saying do you want to switch to Friday is much better than do you want to switch to Monday!

In 1976 less than half the teams in the league rode on a Saturday (6). 3 rode on a Friday with the other 10 riding mid week. This was at the height of the sports popularity yet most CHOOSE to open mid week.  Moving to alternate nights to gain the biggest crowd happens in all industries. Film distributors will not go up against the blockbusters, bands will swerve dates when big hitters are in town and pubs will arrange theme nights on dates to attract the most punters. It’s not a case that Saturday is the holy grail and we need to avoid the negative connotations currently being associated with mid week.