In the first part of this 'stream of consciousness' (reference courtesy of crafty cockney lethario
Russell Brand), I stated that to spread the sport's appeal, the authorities and promoters alike would need to combine minds to figure out ways of improving the general spectator offering, not necessarily just from a sporting perspective, but, more holistically, encapsulating the event offer over the 90 minutes or so. This would then enable Clubs to generate more revenue and therefore retain more control over their own futures, rather than being dictated to by self-concerned stadium owners, whether they be an individual or company, such as the Greyhound Racing Association.I had cited three key areas which could be improved, to give Clubs a better chance of attracting and retaining new and more diverse support bases. Atmosphere, facilities, and admission prices.
Let me summarise each in turn…
Atmosphere - When referring to atmosphere, I am not specifically talking about the creation of noise…the unified chanting of a crowd or the shriek of the Speedway supporter’s weapon of choice, the trusty air-horn. Yes, this is important in contributing to what we know as ‘atmosphere’ per-se, but one must remember that Speedway of all sports has the capacity to send even the most hardened fan to sleep during the intervals. No other sport I can think of has as many scheduled gaps as ours. Can you name one?! 
Promoters need to realise that over 90 minutes of action, punters are actually only paying to watch around 15 minutes of racing. Why not, then, follow the example of the British Grand Prix at the Millenium Stadium, and put on a real show….provide us with an event; a day out for people. Reward loyalty and encourage new fans to return by keeping them fixated for that 90 minutes, and make them leave wanting more.
Just how one can achieve this is open to comment and debate (and please do leave your thoughts!), but initial ideas are local bands, BBQs, fun-fayres for the family and children alike, and stalls, perhaps selling local produce/products. All of these ideas would likely cost little or nothing, and help to build the reputation of the Club at the hub of the community.
Facilities – I have previously written at length about facilities, and how new mixed-use facilities can provide a way forward for struggling promotions, and this principally involves Speedway Clubs being able to control their own futures through owning, part-owning, or leasing a mixed-use facility, possibly underwritten by the Local Authority. This is most certainly a long-term vision, and will provide Speedway with the tools to re-invent itself completely, but what is the short-term fix?
Well, Speedway needs to create a more acceptable face. We all know that for the most part, the existing stadium stock across all three leagues is largely decrepit and wholly inappropriate. Ideally, in this situation, you have to make the best of a bad situation. Rugby League is an example of a sport whereby, though it is only regionally popular, Clubs attract relatively large crowds, and some of the stadiums are far from lavish. When a stadium is clearly dated, and the views can be described no more lovingly than 
‘restricted’, Promoters need to do their best to make the rest of the offering acceptable. This means providing the most fundamental of facilities, such as clean, working toilets, treating fans to good quality catering, and probably obtaining a licence to sell alcohol on the premises. Promoters also need to get with times, following the example of other sporting arenas, and ensure that paying customers are able to purchase their tickets, food and merchandise either by card or cash!Admission Prices – I will not labour on this point, but in my humble opinion, it is better to attract 3,000 spectators paying £5 every fortnight, (keeping them coming back, and encouraging
them to bring their friends and family along for the rest of the season) than attract 1,000 or less at £15 per head.On average it appears that tracks in the Elite League charge around £15-£20. Given the facilities they are providing, and the quality of some of the track preparation, and therefore predictability of racing, this is simply not good value for money.
If you are trying to promote the sport across the board, at least start from a position of strength, with full terraces. This gives the impression that the sport is well supported, and the importance of giving this impression should not be underestimated, particularly given the weekly Sky coverage. I often cringe at the fact that meetings are being filmed in front of virtually empty stadiums, live on prime time slots.
There I shall end, but hopefully this has provided some food for thought, and ammunition for further debate.
Next time, I intend to look around at the current situation of Clubs across the leagues and see how some have managed to succeed in the face of sport-wide adversity. Until then, take care, and keep the faith!
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"No other sport I can think of has as many scheduled gaps as ours. Can you name one?!"
ReplyDeleteI recently attended a horse race meeting at one of the sport's premier venues--Santa Anita, near Los Angeles. It was my first experience of horse racing, and I was surprised to see that about 45 minutes of track grooming took place between each heat. A schedule of fewer than a dozen races took six or seven hours to complete. Mind-numbing boredom set in well before the half-way point, and I have no plans to return any time soon.
As far as speedway is concerned: I don't know whether there is anything like this problem in the U.K. but in the U.S. there is now a tendency to have too many heats. I sat through nearly fifty speedway races one night at a southern California track early this season. After the first three hours, I was desperate to go home, but reluctant to walk out before the meeting was over. My bottom ached for days. In the prime years of American speedway, the 1970s and 1980s, a meeting comprised twenty-four races. Oh, how I wish promoters would return to that format!
Well...in short, there are only 15 heats over here (that applies to both the league and the European GPs), the difference being that I suspect the British public are perhaps more intolerant of breaks, and traditionally, very little tends to happen in sporting intervals over here! In the States, the culture is very commercial, and entertainment and advertising is maxed-out at every opportunity and break in play. I could be over-stating this somewhat, perhaps you can verify this scenario? That is not to say, the commercial benefits would not be a welcome revenue-generating addition to the sport in the UK!
ReplyDeletePersonally, I can take or leave the intervals, but a lot of people I know would be put off by waiting around in an asbestos shed, with nothing interesting or engrossing to take their minds off the fact that they are positioned next to a dirty shale track in high winds whilst a bowser douses them and the track in water!
British League matches used to have 13 heats plus a second half, I believe. Now I hear it's 15 heats and no second half, but I'm not sure of that. The current GP meetings have 20 heats, two semi-finals, and a final. That, to me, is about the perfect number.
ReplyDeleteAt speedway meetings in California, I would hardly say entertainment and advertising are maxed-out at every opportunity. There are painted signs advertising local sponsors placed around the stadia, but little other advertising goes on during meetings (other than what is plastered all over the riders' kevlars, body colours, and bikes, which is similar to what I see in the U.K. and Europe). In days long past, there was a formal interval, but now there are usually around four shorter breaks when the track is dragged and watered. Sometimes there is some type of non-speedway entertainment during one of these breaks (e.g., motocross trick riders, or races between street riders on their bulky Harley-Davidsons). But usually there is silence, announcements of upcoming meetings, or a rider interview. Most speedway meetings include several heats for juniors (from very small children on mini-bikes to older kids on scaled-down speedway machines), and some meetings include half a dozen races for Australian-style sidecars (I could get on very well without those).