BSPA Conference

[Genghis]

schumi said:

genghis said:

Yes, and now any rider who demands the earth can be chucked out on their arse and replaced by a rider with a greater commitment to British Speedway.

Wages have now spiralling out of control and this should put an effective cap on them.

There are already lower averaged riders demanding an increase in money. We've effectively forced out the top riders, we have riders leaving the country anyway, and now the fans are unhappy. Eventually there won't be enough riders to fill all the teams, and fans aren't going to want to pay £15 to watch riders of a lesser quality than they are used to - they can go to the PL for that and pay less. Speedway can't sustain itself without the riders and the supporters.

Schumi, three and four point riders are ten a penny. One asks for too much money, you kick them into touch and find another one.

After a couple of weeks, riders will rise to fill the positions left by the missing riders and nobody will notice they're gone.

[schumi]

genghis said:

Schumi, three and four point riders are ten a penny. One asks for too much money, you kick them into touch and find another one.

After a couple of weeks, riders will rise to fill the positions left by the missing riders and nobody will notice they're gone.

Oh come on. Are you telling me that no-one's going to notice the world champion's gone? That's a serious blow, unless you're Trees.

If the fans wanted to watch three and four point riders they'd be watching the premier league. Not that I'm saying there's anything wrong with PL racing, just I prefer to keep up with the EL for the big names primarily, and I know I'm not alone in that. Suddenly the GPs are becoming even more attractive.

Just let me moan quietly, okay? Schumacher and now Pedersen and I'm a bit deflated right now.

[admin]

schumi said:

Just let me moan quietly, okay?

Well, not too quietly, darling.

[Genghis]

schumi said:

genghis said:

Schumi, three and four point riders are ten a penny. One asks for too much money, you kick them into touch and find another one.

After a couple of weeks, riders will rise to fill the positions left by the missing riders and nobody will notice they're gone.

Oh come on. Are you telling me that no-one's going to notice the world champion's gone? That's a serious blow, unless you're Trees.

If the fans wanted to watch three and four point riders they'd be watching the premier league. Not that I'm saying there's anything wrong with PL racing, just I prefer to keep up with the EL for the big names primarily, and I know I'm not alone in that. Suddenly the GPs are becoming even more attractive.

Just let me moan quietly, okay? Schumacher and now Pedersen and I'm a bit deflated right now.

Schumi - OK - I'll ease up - although, eventually the GP riders will disappear anyway, once IMG extend the series beyond Europe. You'll have to watch Sky to see Nicki by that point anyway.

[Deleted]

They don't have to bring in the "one GP rider per team" ruling that so many were expecting, they've done that by the points limit,which i suppose was the intention?

[admin]

Interestingly, there's a team in the second tier of Polish speedway with two GP riders for next season. Ostrow have Chris Harris and Lukas (Damian or Saint, take your pick) Dryml for 2008, while Bydgoszcz and Gdansk are other teams in the second tier with GP riders signed for next season, Jonsson and Bjarne Pedersen, respectively.

[Deleted]

schumi said:

There are already lower averaged riders demanding an increase in money. We've effectively forced out the top riders, we have riders leaving the country anyway, and now the fans are unhappy. Eventually there won't be enough riders to fill all the teams, and fans aren't going to want to pay £15 to watch riders of a lesser quality than they are used to - they can go to the PL for that and pay less. Speedway can't sustain itself without the riders and the supporters.

The sad reality is that speedway can't sustain itself now, even with most of the top riders. Most fans just don't want to hear or believe it, but the top riders simply do not justify the wages they're paid in terms of bringing fans through the door. Not totally the riders' fault of course, but that's the way it is.

It just isn't a sustainable business model to have to keep relying on speedway promoters to subsidise loss-making enterprises, and the quick turnover of BEL promoters in recent years is evidence of this. The 'super league' has been tried at various times in the past 10 years, and it just hasn't worked. I therefore think the sport needs to go back to basics, radically cut its costs, and try to rebuild as an cheap, affordable sport.

As for lower-end riders charging more, well that was just Peterborough saying that and, given their track record, one shouldn't pay too much attention to what they say. In any case, as Genghis says, there are more riders around that level than there are at the top-end.

[Deleted]

schumi said:

If the fans wanted to watch three and four point riders they'd be watching the premier league.

Well in fact they are, as several BPL tracks get better crowds than some BEL tracks. In fact, one BCL track is getting better crowds as well.

[schumi]

wibblemuis said:

schumi said:

If the fans wanted to watch three and four point riders they'd be watching the premier league.

Well in fact they are, as several BPL tracks get better crowds than some BEL tracks. In fact, one BCL track is getting better crowds as well.

Could that not be because some of the EL fans watch both leagues, whereas the PL fans are happy where they are? I'd still say there's a big enough market to sustain the top riders, but making them effectively redundant could be the end of the elite league. My point being, you can't have an elite league without the elite riders, and with a points limit lower than the second tier. It's a complete misnomer.

[Genghis]

schumi said:

with a points limit lower than the second tier. It's a complete misnomer.

It's not. There's a conversion factor of 2.00 between the leagues, so the Elite League teams can build much, much stronger than Premier League teams.

Problem is most fans have failed to grasp that bonus points are now excluded from averages, and don't realise that 38.85 is not as low as it looks.

[Deleted]

schumi said:

I'd still say there's a big enough market to sustain the top riders

But there isn't, and that is precisely the problem. Fans at the majority of teams are not coming to watch the top riders in sufficient quantities to cover the costs of employing them. Sad, and we can debate the reasons why, but at some point you have to cut your cloth.

[schumi]

genghis said:

Problem is most fans have failed to grasp that bonus points are now excluded from averages, and don't realise that 38.85 is not as low as it looks.

Now? They were last year too when they increased the points limit, weren't they?

[Genghis]

schumi said:

genghis said:

Problem is most fans have failed to grasp that bonus points are now excluded from averages, and don't realise that 38.85 is not as low as it looks.

Now? They were last year too when they increased the points limit, weren't they?

Schumi, since 2004 actually, but some people are slow to catch on. You still get some saying "but the points limit used to be 45", etc.

[Genghis]

schumi said:

I'd still say there's a big enough market to sustain the top riders

What on the crowds of Belle Vue, Ipswich and Eastbourne?

[schumi]

genghis said:

Schumi, since 2004 actually, but some people are slow to catch on. You still get some saying "but the points limit used to be 45", etc.

Uh?

But the points limit used to be 42.5 and now it's lower under the same set of circumstances. They're not comparing it with ten years ago, they're comparing it with five minutes ago.

That's why they're complaining. I think. I don't care about all that anyway, just give me Nicki back.