The Loyalty Threshold - Part 1

It occurred to me, whilst standing on the terraces at Griffin Park, Brentford on Tuesday night (enduring another dose of dreadful League 1 football fare!), that whilst the sporting offer on show is in fact, for the most part dire, blind loyalty keeps a reasonable number of lower league football fans coming back for more weekly punishment.

One thing that struck me about Speedway when I first started attending my local track, was that once one removed the incentivised special offers, once the re-calculated rider averages enforced more line-up tennis, and as the onset of unfavourable weather took hold, sometimes (relative) reasonable attendances were quickly reduced, the numeric residue, being, in the majority of cases, very low; and critically, most likely not enough to allow most clubs to generate any kind of profit, thus blocking growth and lasting improvement.

So, you ask, what point am I trying to demonstrate? Well, my simple mind likes to categorise sports fans rather generically into two groups. Those that are unerringly loyal, and are prepared to follow their team home and away, whatever the weather, whatever the surroundings and whatever the quality of the action. Then, you have your fair-weather fan (from which I exclude the increasing number of those who simply cannot afford to attend!). The fair-weather/armchair fan is typified by intermittent attendance at only the most prestigious fixtures, usually providing the best facilities and most encapsulating action. The rest of the time they can usually be found on their favourite chair, Sky remote in hand and TV dinner on lap.

Now, I am not condemning this approach, as I am not naive enough to believe that everybody should purposely put themselves through the former scenario to achieve the 'loyal' tag, but, in my humble opinion, it does demonstrate that loyalty, not just in Speedway, but every sport, is largely a diminishing phenomenon, and I would argue that the 'Sky' generation (where all manner of sports are televised and readily available in the comfort of the home), the next generation of sports fan is spoilt to such an extent that so-called loyalty (translating into live attendance) needs to be, to an extent, bought.

So, the question is, how does one buy loyalty in Speedway? Well, in my opinion, the live offering needs to be so appealing as to prove unmissable....to the extent where the televised equivalent just will not do. My thinking is that this requires a combination of three principle elements...atmosphere (the ability to feel 'alive', part of the event, and excited regardless of the quality of the action), acceptable facilities (good quality concessions, ability to chose to sit or stand, protected from the elements and reasonable accessibility), and last but by no means least, fair pricing which is actually proportionate to the entertainment being offered.

With my eyes all but IT'd out for tonight, I shall end on that rather abrupt point, but in the second part of this post, I intend to run through each of the elements listed above, and briefly propose how the authorities and Promoters alike, can improve their chances of buying loyalty, and actually attracting consistently acceptable crowds.

Until then, please flood me with your much valued comment and opinion, and keep the debate going.

Evening all!

Sherif

Show your support...become a 'follower'!

Morning all (and a fine one it is panning out to be here on the sunny Essex riviera!). With the blog now up and running and generating a slow, but steady flow if interest (and some excellent and thought-provoking comments), I would dearly love to spread the word to a wider audience. The Speedway Revolution Blog is designed for debate on a large scale, and it is my hope that these views can be forwarded to those that currently control the sport...it may work, it may not work, but something has to be done, and proactivity will not harm anybody!

With this in mind, you will notice that a widget entitled 'Followers' has been added in the right hand sidebar. By adding yourself as a follower of the blog, you not only show your support but spread the word to other potential fans who may be interested in taking part in this interactive debate. You can do this by simply clicking the white 'Follow' button, and adding your details either using existing log-in details or signing-up for a new Google, AIM or Yahoo account. Any support I can gather is greatly received, and can help to really make this blog an exciting forum upon which to air your views!

Thanks, and enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Sherif

Template Changes :S

Apologies to any of you reading the blog tonight who may have experienced any disruption...I am currently in the midst of attempting to modify some of the html to improve the reading experience on the page, and hopefully this should be completed over the next couple of days...if you have any suggestions, or there is anything in particular which you find unwieldy or frustrating about the set-up of the blog, please let me know and I shall endeavour to accomodate these thoughts!

Evening all!

Sherif

Speedway Star facilities article added...

Afternoon all,

For any of you interested in how I became mixed up in this debate on the future of speedway, a copy of the article I sent to Speedway Star magazine is now available by following this link ---> http://www.driversjonas.com/img.aspx?CID=2046468&LangID=1&DocId=26119&DocVersion=16652&log=1
It should provide an insight into my views for the procurement of new and improved facilities, and how these can potentially be funded. Comments welcome as ever!

First poll added!

Evening all,

Whilst sitting on the PC reading about the success of relatively new/rejuvinated (and fairly basic) set-ups in Scunthorpe and Plymouth, it got me thinking.....what exactly would draw more spectators to view this fantastic sport? Of course, there are a plethora of reasons...chief amongst them being the poor marketing, promotion and understanding of the sport, coupled with stereotyping of the sport and its supporters from the 'outside' World; but, in terms of the facility housing the sport, what do you feel is the key driver in our small crowds in this country? What makes 45,000 spectators pay a minimum of £30 a ticket to watch the British GP which converseley often attracts less than 1,000 on a weeknight to pay half that amount to watch Elite (and National/Premier) League speedway?

Have your say and take part in my inaugural blog poll!

MotoArena Toruń

I had been following the construction of the MotoArena Toruń since the project started on site....completed in May of this year, it provides us with a sterling example of a new Speedway facility, and is a reflection also of the changing face of Speedway (and professional spectator sport in general) in Poland.



Capable of holding 15,500 spectators in a comfortable and weatherproofed environment, the fundamental construction itself is relatively basic, but it looks impressive nonetheless, and in my humble opinion, offers a glimpse of what can be delivered in this country with a different attitude from both the promoters and perhaps the sporting authority.
I would be very interested in hearing the views of anybody who has visited the MotoArena.

The blog is born!

Good Evening all, and may I be the first (obviously!) to provide a hearty welcome to one and all, and of course my deepest appreciation to you for your support in viewing this page.

My intention over the coming weeks and months is to blog what I see, hear and personally feel about the state of British Speedway and my thoughts on how to restore the sport to a healthier position in general, but predominantly focusing on improving the facilities infrastructure, thus changing perceptions, stereotypes and attitude toward what, in my humble opinion, is one of, if not the most exhilarating sports in the World.

Until next time (once I have familiarised myself with the whole blogging phenomenen!) followers, be good, be healthy and enjoy your sport!

Sherif