Manchester – at least in my personal experience – has a reliability and permanency of one facet: rain.
And I wasn’t to be disappointed during the qualifying rounds and the Under-21 final of this year’s Speedway of Nations tournament held at the National Speedway Stadium in Belle Vue, Manchester. Thankfully, the proceedings brightened up for World Cup final day when Great Britain clinched the title after a day of scintillating action.
Beforehand I was privileged to catch up with the trio who represented the host nation: Robert Lambert, Dan Bewley, and Tom Brennan. Citing that the “world was on their shoulders” is perhaps a lazy journalistic narrative, although it is fair to say that these young athletes had significant pressure bearing upon them. Nevertheless, they were articulate, authentic and, more importantly, accessible without obvious and less than enduring egos.
Warner Brother Discovery Sports have to be heartily congratulated for bringing the shazam of Hollywood to proceedings, with choreographed fireworks, big screen video feeds, and music that propelled the visuals to new heights. This is supported by incredible social media posts that capture the atomised adrenaline action that is uniquely speedway. High octane dives, rip roaring passing, and dramatic crashes capture the essence of the headline action. But as I surveyed portions of the terracing bereft of fans, especially during the qualifying rounds – the equivalent of football’s World Cup group stages – I wondered if this alone was sufficient to sell the sport to the masses and had we collectively missed the biggest selling point.
Before I offer up my opinion, let me make it plain that I am not a promoter, nor do I have any marketing experience in relation to selling any global brands; but I am a committed fan and – surprisingly to some – an academic researcher.
While drawing the threads together as I reflected upon a truly phenomenal climax to the Speedway of Nations, I was drawn to the following marketing mantra: sell the sizzle not the sausage – a phrase coined in the 1930s by entrepreneur Elmer Wheeler.
In this context, the on-track action can be framed as the sausage meat: the obvious and exciting end product. But has the sizzle been overlooked? I concluded that the missing element was the riders themselves and the wonderful accessibility that I experienced before the grand final. Indeed, the easy access that I have consistently encountered from all riders – especially our own Tai Woffinden – who have always displayed an effervescent engagement. They are – collectively – the sizzle.
Acknowledging that there are various partner organisations that collaborate on the event management side, I nonetheless wanted to cut through the red tape and explore how the greatest motorsport experience (in my opinion anyway!) could be better sold to the local community. The Speedway of Nations in particular represented a glorious opportunity to engage with the pockets of the world who inevitably underpin our rich and vibrant communities surrounding speedway stadia. World unity is often harmonised by sport, although ongoing conflicts can be better processed by celebrating sporting prowess. On this occasion the Ukrainian team proudly celebrated this observation.
As I struggled with this conundrum a chance conversation with a friend, former colleague, and fellow speedway fan, offered a potential solution. As a former senior police officer in Cheshire Constabulary, Alan Fairclough had once been tasked by his then Chief Constable to go out there and “make friends with the community,” with the poison chalice of selling the seemingly toxic proposition of marketing community intelligence. In other words, encouraging people to engage with outing the criminal element living within their localities. Initially, I was keen to establish how sustainable partnerships work.
“The key was identifying mutual benefits. Working out what the police objectives were and seeking to align them with other local partners; for example, existing organisations and charities. The easier it was to land the partnership, the more energy and momentum were created for the wider community, which in turn gave the police access to resources, more contacts, and intelligence.”
So that was the win for the police but what benefit did the public at large receive. Alan explained, “Policing is not just about capturing the baddies and throwing them in prison. The police cannot just arrest their way out of a lot of the difficulties we face since they are complex public and socio-economic problems. Positive community engagement provides a richer intelligence picture of what’s going on and where the pinch points are.” Alan acknowledged that historically the police may have been too narrowly focused on the actual commission of a crime and consequently failed to appreciate the impact of anti-social behaviour and criminal activity. “I’m a big subscriber to what Robert Peel – the founder of modern-day policing – said: the real measure of the police is the absence of crime.”
Homing in on the necessity to establish a mutuality of benefit, I asked Alan to explain what these might be. For example, at Belle Vue, Manchester, the overarching gain for the promotion would ideally be more bums on seats. “Pride is crucial and it’s an often-overlooked element. What a magnificent sporting arena it is! Events also bring in much wider income generation too, with, for example, a boon for Airbnb, food outlets, and carparking revenue. But, in my opinion, the real community prize is having the potential to access inspirational young adults who ride speedway. What they have achieved is absolutely magnificent, and if only a small fraction of this energy can rub off on some of the local kids to inspire them to be the best they can possibly be, that is an enormous community benefit.”
Are there any common approaches that speedway can utilise to spread the word? Alan responded enthusiastically: “Approaching the existing fanbase is obviously an easy win, but engaging with the local gatekeepers in those disparate local organisations can give a promoter access to tens, hundreds, or even thousands of potential customers. Centres of education are a must; while standing in the carpark I could hear school children literally just across the road. Creating a narrative with those who live within walking distance is crucial too. Arguably they have to endure some disruption, so why not turn that into a positive and invite them to participate in the event organisation and whilst doing so incentivise them to attend.” Alan summed up this approach as “doing with, rather than doing to.”
Reflecting on the Speedway of Nations, I was curious to establish how his policing skillset could have been used to bolster the crowd levels, especially in the earlier rounds. “Common pathways. The network of local charities are a rich source of community contact and as a dedicated foodie I found that the owners and staff of businesses that offer international cuisine can actively do the groundwork for you.” Referencing the current conflict in Ukraine, Alan wondered what a difference there may have been in the atmosphere of the first semi-final if a few hundred locals of Ukrainian descent had been invited along as guests. What a publicity coup this could have been, along with the advertising potential for the subsequent meetings.
Having also witnessed the raw sizzle of the athletes who put on a terrific show, I asked Alan how this ingredient could be better harnessed to fill the spaces in the impressive temporary stand. “The privilege of press access changed it all for me. I was excited about attending this international event, however having the personal access was incredible.” Although he acknowledged the well-crafted fan zone, the genuine approachability of the riders was perhaps not used to its maximum advantage. “Sell the sizzle – the impact the riders had on me as a 55-year-old man was amazing. Just imagine how they would be in front of a much younger audience – at a University, school or vocational training venue, where the elements of sporting achievement are transferable across all domains: ambition, handling failure, teamwork, and work ethic; following your dreams and how you can motivate your passions to achieve success.”
Alan then pointed out another noteworthy benefit for the community. “Motor sport has the ability to forge meaningful exit strategies for young people as a diversion away from crime. Social services would be another important port of call.” Alan added that educational partnerships yield even more wins: “Competitions are a great way of connecting with the young person’s extended family too (discounted tickets?) and many qualifications include projects that can be framed around all manner of problem-solving issues (how to market speedway?).”
Along with joint team manager, Olly Allen, the host nation riders joined in the fun of a series of spoof interviews that I conducted to celebrate my 5-year-old grandson Arthur’s fabulous feat of jettisoning the stabilisers on his bike. Alan was quick to pick up on the powerful message this portrayed. “Only a matter of days before the World Cup final, these young men were able to deal with significant pressure whilst maintaining a healthy grip on reality. I was lucky enough to speak to Tony Rickardsson too and his sage advice really resonated with me – to win, everything has to be right: finance, emotion, diet, relationships, and a myriad of other pressures. The sharing of this intelligence can have immensely positive outcomes.”
Finally, I asked Alan if he could provide a list of the go to contacts for any event organiser who wishes to get under the skin of the local community. “Pop the local postcode into Police.uk and you will immediately be introduced to your local neighbourhood policing team. Speaking directly to elected council members is an easy win, as is contact with the local council community lead.”
Thanks Alan. I look forward to seeing you trackside again very soon!
© Ian Kirke 2024 & all uncredited photographs.
@ianjkirke