Post by Deleted on Jun 2, 2008 21:43:04 GMT
Well if Matt Ford has his way we will be seeing 1 home meeting a fortnight:
Taken from BSF:
Todays Echo.
PIRATES chief Matt Ford believes it is only a matter of time before the British Elite League follows their continental cousins' lead by introducing once-a-week speedway.
The Swedish Elite competition, which comprises 10 teams, stages the majority of its meetings on Tuesdays.
In Poland, the eight-strong ExtraLeague runs mainly on Sundays, with most exceptions being on Bank Holidays.
Swedish top-flight clubs only race 18 fixtures - nine home, nine away - before the play-offs.
Polish tracks have even fewer - 14 ahead of the play-offs.
Both leagues alternate their fixtures, with a club at home one week and away the next so there is a gap of a fortnight between each club's home matches.
Crowd figures, which are published in both countries, are much bigger in Poland, where attendances on May 11 were Leszno (19,000), Gorzow (8,000), Czestochowa (8,000) and Tarnow (7,000).
They are smaller in Sweden, probably more comparable with Britain, with their May 13 figures being Lejonen (3,564), Vastervik (1,883), MasarnaAvesta (1,835) and Piraterna (1,775).
Poole chief Ford, who believes attendances in Britain would rise under the once-a-week formula and halving of the number of fixtures, said: "I think it's inevitable we're heading that way.
"I think the first step would be we would go probably two nights a week."
Ford, who has 10 years' experience as a promoter, added: "Playing devil's advocate I would say that would be Wednesday and Thursday first so not to conflict with Sweden and Poland.
"The only thing I would say to anyone considering going to a Wednesday with the amount of live sport on TV is I don't deem Wednesday to be an acceptable alternative to anyone else's race day.
"Having said that, if we were to have one home, one away and were to run on a fortnightly basis we could schedule our calendar to avoid clashes with Champions' League and that would still give us the option of running on a Wednesday."
Ford added: "As far as I'm aware every clubs crowds are down but it's not just speedway, it's all sports.
"Take a look at cricket. We were all led to believe Twenty20 would be the saviour of the sport but I know less than 300 people paid to see a Championship cricket match this season.
"Clearly the whole country is struggling at the moment. Everything is rising in price.
"Filling your car with petrol is costing more and more. London to Poole and return costs £71 and was £54 last year.
"That was quoted as a government fact on ITV News - it's not Matt Ford saying it.
"You're looking at a 25 per cent increase in food bills in the past eight weeks.
"It isn't just speedway. Everything in our lives is changing.
"Something has to give.
"Many of our supporters are struggling to afford to come on a weekly basis so perhaps if we were to run once a fortnight, it would be beneficial to them because they still wouldn't have to miss a meeting."
MATT Ford is to canvas Pirates' fans' opinion as to whether the club should switch from Wednesday to Thursday racing.
Poole Castle Cover's chief also feels they may have to race at home on alternate Thursdays in future to beat off the counter attraction of live Champions' League football on TV.
Ford believes attendances have dropped worryingly at all speedway tracks in Britain this year, regardless of which division.
And, with the country currently in economic turmoil with food and petrol prices spiralling, he believes something drastic has to be done to combat the downward trend in crowd levels.
Ford, whose club does not publish official attendance figures, admitted they were down at Poole this year, although he declined to disclose by what amount.
Ford, whose club are believed to have averaged about 3,000 per meeting last year, said: "Next year there will have to be some changes because I believe running approximately 30 meetings in one year is too many.
"Visiting fans are almost non existent in speedway now so you have to stay loyal to your home supporters, of which 90 to 95 per cent come from your surrounding geographical area.
"If people have a chance of seeing the same opposition four to five times in a season like they currently do, you won't achieve the crowd levels you would wish for or need to sustain Elite League speedway.
"So I think at the next BSPA annual meeting we'll see one or two major changes in the sport.
"On a more local basis we'll have to consider certain aspects of our business, and by that I mean our race day.
"With football being the country's number one sport and with the emergence of the big four English clubs in the Champions' League, something has to be done about our Wednesday race day.
"At this point in mid-May, we have come up against it on seven or eight occasions already this season.
"You can't beat that form of entertainment on TV which people can stay at home and enjoy.
"I've spoken to Poole Stadium manager Shaun Spencer-Perkins and touted the idea that perhaps we would have to consider Thursday speedway at the stadium to give ourselves every opportunity of attracting a suitable crowd.
"Some people will point to the fact the Elite League points limit went down this year as being one of the reasons why crowds haven't been so good at all speedway venues but the problem isn't just in the Elite.
"It's in the Premier and Conference leagues as well and clearly for people to even get to a stadium now with rising costs of fuel etc it's hard on everyone's pocket to afford to go on a weekly basis.
"Perhaps if we rode only once a fortnight it would be a little less strain on their purse strings and may also entice some of the world stars who chose not to ride in England, the likes of Nicki Pedersen, Tomasz Gollob, Peter Karlsson and Rune Holta, to come back.
"The likes of those riders who just don't want to do 50 meetings a season over here but would be happy to do 20 to 25."
Ford, whose club last switched race day from Tuesday to Wednesday in 1992, added: "The emergence of football on Wednesday isn't going to be getting any better for us. We realise that but no decision will be made straight away.
"We'll ask for people's thoughts, probably through a questionnaire handed out when people go through the turnstiles during one of our next few matches, to see if there is a significant difference between who favours Wednesday or Thursday.
Taken from Evening Star:
IPSWICH Evening Star Witches promoter John Louis today agreed that his club could be staging just one home Elite League meeting a fortnight next season.
This revolutionary move has been proposed by Poole Pirates supremo Matt Ford, who says it is the only way to keep top level speedway going in this country.
And if it was to be brought in it would transform the shale sport after over 50 years of regular weekly action at Foxhall Stadium.
Ford, one of the country's top promoters for the past ten years, believes economic turmoil has hit speedway fans' pockets hard and that they cannot afford to attend every seven days.
Ipswich's attendances have held up well and after winning their last seven meetings to go top of the table the club is on a high.
But Louis has some sympathy with Ford's plans. “If you asked me now how I would vote on running at home once a fortnight I would have to say that I don't know,” said Louis. “It would depend on a number of factors.
“But there are moves afoot to go down this route, and it is something we have to consider.
“At Foxhall we have an agreement with our landlords Spedeworth to stage a minimum number of meetings, and this would have to be looked at.
“Whether staging a Conference League home meeting every other week would be a success - I have my doubts.
“In my 40 years in the sport, British speedway has existed on a home every week basis. But times do change.”
Ford believes the Elite League must switch to the same successful formula as their Swedish and Polish counterparts.
His crowds have dropped worryingly, and the only way he can see speedway getting out of its slump is to stage alternate home and away weekly fixtures.
“Attendances would rise again, counteracting a halving of the league programme,” said Ford.
“I feel it's inevitable we're heading that way with Wednesday and Thursday night fixtures.
“Clearly the whole country is struggling at the moment. Everything is rising in price. Filling your car with petrol costs more and you're looking at a recent 25 per cent increase in food bills.
“Many of our supporters are struggling to afford to come on a weekly basis and next year there will have to be changes because running approximately 30 meetings is too many.
“Visiting fans are almost non existent in speedway now so you have to stay loyal to your home supporters. If people have a chance of seeing the same opposition four or five times a season, you won't achieve crowd levels you would wish for or need to sustain Elite League speedway.”
Ford, who brings his Poole side to Foxhall Stadium for a televised meeting next Monday feels his plan would help entice world stars who chose not to ride in England to come back.
“Those riders who just don't want to do 50 meetings a season but would be happy to do 20 to 25,” he said
Taken from BSF:
Todays Echo.
PIRATES chief Matt Ford believes it is only a matter of time before the British Elite League follows their continental cousins' lead by introducing once-a-week speedway.
The Swedish Elite competition, which comprises 10 teams, stages the majority of its meetings on Tuesdays.
In Poland, the eight-strong ExtraLeague runs mainly on Sundays, with most exceptions being on Bank Holidays.
Swedish top-flight clubs only race 18 fixtures - nine home, nine away - before the play-offs.
Polish tracks have even fewer - 14 ahead of the play-offs.
Both leagues alternate their fixtures, with a club at home one week and away the next so there is a gap of a fortnight between each club's home matches.
Crowd figures, which are published in both countries, are much bigger in Poland, where attendances on May 11 were Leszno (19,000), Gorzow (8,000), Czestochowa (8,000) and Tarnow (7,000).
They are smaller in Sweden, probably more comparable with Britain, with their May 13 figures being Lejonen (3,564), Vastervik (1,883), MasarnaAvesta (1,835) and Piraterna (1,775).
Poole chief Ford, who believes attendances in Britain would rise under the once-a-week formula and halving of the number of fixtures, said: "I think it's inevitable we're heading that way.
"I think the first step would be we would go probably two nights a week."
Ford, who has 10 years' experience as a promoter, added: "Playing devil's advocate I would say that would be Wednesday and Thursday first so not to conflict with Sweden and Poland.
"The only thing I would say to anyone considering going to a Wednesday with the amount of live sport on TV is I don't deem Wednesday to be an acceptable alternative to anyone else's race day.
"Having said that, if we were to have one home, one away and were to run on a fortnightly basis we could schedule our calendar to avoid clashes with Champions' League and that would still give us the option of running on a Wednesday."
Ford added: "As far as I'm aware every clubs crowds are down but it's not just speedway, it's all sports.
"Take a look at cricket. We were all led to believe Twenty20 would be the saviour of the sport but I know less than 300 people paid to see a Championship cricket match this season.
"Clearly the whole country is struggling at the moment. Everything is rising in price.
"Filling your car with petrol is costing more and more. London to Poole and return costs £71 and was £54 last year.
"That was quoted as a government fact on ITV News - it's not Matt Ford saying it.
"You're looking at a 25 per cent increase in food bills in the past eight weeks.
"It isn't just speedway. Everything in our lives is changing.
"Something has to give.
"Many of our supporters are struggling to afford to come on a weekly basis so perhaps if we were to run once a fortnight, it would be beneficial to them because they still wouldn't have to miss a meeting."
MATT Ford is to canvas Pirates' fans' opinion as to whether the club should switch from Wednesday to Thursday racing.
Poole Castle Cover's chief also feels they may have to race at home on alternate Thursdays in future to beat off the counter attraction of live Champions' League football on TV.
Ford believes attendances have dropped worryingly at all speedway tracks in Britain this year, regardless of which division.
And, with the country currently in economic turmoil with food and petrol prices spiralling, he believes something drastic has to be done to combat the downward trend in crowd levels.
Ford, whose club does not publish official attendance figures, admitted they were down at Poole this year, although he declined to disclose by what amount.
Ford, whose club are believed to have averaged about 3,000 per meeting last year, said: "Next year there will have to be some changes because I believe running approximately 30 meetings in one year is too many.
"Visiting fans are almost non existent in speedway now so you have to stay loyal to your home supporters, of which 90 to 95 per cent come from your surrounding geographical area.
"If people have a chance of seeing the same opposition four to five times in a season like they currently do, you won't achieve the crowd levels you would wish for or need to sustain Elite League speedway.
"So I think at the next BSPA annual meeting we'll see one or two major changes in the sport.
"On a more local basis we'll have to consider certain aspects of our business, and by that I mean our race day.
"With football being the country's number one sport and with the emergence of the big four English clubs in the Champions' League, something has to be done about our Wednesday race day.
"At this point in mid-May, we have come up against it on seven or eight occasions already this season.
"You can't beat that form of entertainment on TV which people can stay at home and enjoy.
"I've spoken to Poole Stadium manager Shaun Spencer-Perkins and touted the idea that perhaps we would have to consider Thursday speedway at the stadium to give ourselves every opportunity of attracting a suitable crowd.
"Some people will point to the fact the Elite League points limit went down this year as being one of the reasons why crowds haven't been so good at all speedway venues but the problem isn't just in the Elite.
"It's in the Premier and Conference leagues as well and clearly for people to even get to a stadium now with rising costs of fuel etc it's hard on everyone's pocket to afford to go on a weekly basis.
"Perhaps if we rode only once a fortnight it would be a little less strain on their purse strings and may also entice some of the world stars who chose not to ride in England, the likes of Nicki Pedersen, Tomasz Gollob, Peter Karlsson and Rune Holta, to come back.
"The likes of those riders who just don't want to do 50 meetings a season over here but would be happy to do 20 to 25."
Ford, whose club last switched race day from Tuesday to Wednesday in 1992, added: "The emergence of football on Wednesday isn't going to be getting any better for us. We realise that but no decision will be made straight away.
"We'll ask for people's thoughts, probably through a questionnaire handed out when people go through the turnstiles during one of our next few matches, to see if there is a significant difference between who favours Wednesday or Thursday.
Taken from Evening Star:
IPSWICH Evening Star Witches promoter John Louis today agreed that his club could be staging just one home Elite League meeting a fortnight next season.
This revolutionary move has been proposed by Poole Pirates supremo Matt Ford, who says it is the only way to keep top level speedway going in this country.
And if it was to be brought in it would transform the shale sport after over 50 years of regular weekly action at Foxhall Stadium.
Ford, one of the country's top promoters for the past ten years, believes economic turmoil has hit speedway fans' pockets hard and that they cannot afford to attend every seven days.
Ipswich's attendances have held up well and after winning their last seven meetings to go top of the table the club is on a high.
But Louis has some sympathy with Ford's plans. “If you asked me now how I would vote on running at home once a fortnight I would have to say that I don't know,” said Louis. “It would depend on a number of factors.
“But there are moves afoot to go down this route, and it is something we have to consider.
“At Foxhall we have an agreement with our landlords Spedeworth to stage a minimum number of meetings, and this would have to be looked at.
“Whether staging a Conference League home meeting every other week would be a success - I have my doubts.
“In my 40 years in the sport, British speedway has existed on a home every week basis. But times do change.”
Ford believes the Elite League must switch to the same successful formula as their Swedish and Polish counterparts.
His crowds have dropped worryingly, and the only way he can see speedway getting out of its slump is to stage alternate home and away weekly fixtures.
“Attendances would rise again, counteracting a halving of the league programme,” said Ford.
“I feel it's inevitable we're heading that way with Wednesday and Thursday night fixtures.
“Clearly the whole country is struggling at the moment. Everything is rising in price. Filling your car with petrol costs more and you're looking at a recent 25 per cent increase in food bills.
“Many of our supporters are struggling to afford to come on a weekly basis and next year there will have to be changes because running approximately 30 meetings is too many.
“Visiting fans are almost non existent in speedway now so you have to stay loyal to your home supporters. If people have a chance of seeing the same opposition four or five times a season, you won't achieve crowd levels you would wish for or need to sustain Elite League speedway.”
Ford, who brings his Poole side to Foxhall Stadium for a televised meeting next Monday feels his plan would help entice world stars who chose not to ride in England to come back.
“Those riders who just don't want to do 50 meetings a season but would be happy to do 20 to 25,” he said
