Speedway programmes provide an intrinsic link to the observable action and, unlike many other professional sports, they enshrine a detailed and contemporaneous record of the event. But to the well-informed fan, contemporary publications are more than just a racecard. They are an anthology of data, drama, and disclosure.
Furthermore, the reach extends to a record of social history, as the trade in old programmes will testify. Yet, to the discerning purchaser, the literature alone is insufficient to portray the raw emotion of a sport that pivots around risk. Imagery is the essential element that seeks to capture the unique thrill of speedway. However, it is more than simply acknowledging the proverb “a picture paints a thousand words,” as the right branding can, amongst other commercial benefits, embed attachment and loyalty.
Recent studies by the Journal of Consumer Research conclude that visual labelling can also invoke the pleasure of a more rewarding life, where sporting passions have their rightful place. And in a crowded entertainment sector, speedway promotors should heed the sage words of Sir Richard Branson who pulled no punches when he asserted, “The way a company brands itself is everything – it will ultimately decide whether a business survives.” Nowadays, it is more likely than not that the branded trackside publication fans purchase is the creation of one company: West Midlands based Curtis Sport.
In an effort to better understand the journey from the basic speedway scorecard to a key marketing tool, I caught up with Managing Director, Stuart Curtis.
The roots of business growth are firmly embedded within three distinct arenas: his passion for collecting sporting programmes, a previous position within the commercial team at West Bromwich Albion Football Club, and a West Midlands delicacy. As Stuart explained, “I worked at West Brom for over twenty years before incorporating Curtis Sport in 2009, (pardon the pun) kicking off with a couple of football programmes.” His speedway lineage began in childhood when his dad and uncle regularly took him to Dudley Wood – home of the famous Cradley Heathens. “Bruce Penhall was my hero, although I have to admit that the hot pork sandwiches were just as big a pull in those early days!” He long believed that speedway fans were being short-changed when it came to the almost compulsory purchase of the programme. “Fans have to buy a racecard, and back in the day the efforts were no more than a local yellow pages – if you were lucky; a glossy cover and obligatory scorecard, but no real content. I wanted to duplicate the big match football programme feel.”
Harnessing the sage advice of fellow Baggies (nickname of his former employer’s football team) fan, the late Nigel Pearson, in 2012 he contacted every speedway promotion with only two respondents: Birmingham and Somerset. His brand soon caught the imagination of other clubs and a couple of years later he had added several other high-profile teams.
Today the total dominance of Curtis Sport is almost complete. They promote the big ticket BSPA events, key international meetings on behalf of the FIM, and in the UK the big events, with arguably the must-buys – the British Grand Prix and the Speedway of Nations. But the Curtis Sport footprint has a much larger portfolio, with a pan-European operation that engages with football, darts, snooker, rugby league and union.
Stuart’s driving ambition remains value for money for the purchaser. “We have our own team of in-house journalists, including speedway fans Joe Appleton and Jamie Denley who are absolutely nuts about the sport!” He excitedly added, “They conduct rider interviews and club features and are responsible for the 16-page syndicated Speedway Review, produced on a weekly basis, including all the key statistics and up to date news.” Innovative additions have also included a speedway sticker album.
With team changes often taking place at short notice, I was keen to establish how the Curtis Sport team ensure that programme content remains current. Stuart was emphatic: “When we started with speedway it was evident that some club programmes had out of date information. For example, the fixtures could be weeks out of date, with results missing. This was because they were being printed a week and upwards in advance.” The Curtis approach mandates that club programmes are printed the day before, ensuring that current lineups, averages, and league tables are as bang up to date as is humanly possible. Action shots are also drawn from the previous meeting.
Although the central racecard adds to the formulaic feel of a speedway programme, uniqueness is at the heart of each production. As Stuart explained, “We provide each club with a page plan in which they can accommodate, amongst other things, regular contributors.” The bold imagery – a trademark of the business brand – is carefully choreographed by Curtis Sport. “We listen to the club’s vision and provide several cover concepts over the winter, although ultimately it is the individual promotor who chooses the final artwork.”
Advertising revenue is a crucial consideration and I wondered if there was a science behind the split between content and commercial opportunities. “The rough rule of thumb is a 75% bias towards editorial content, although with double page features and agile editing we can balance the needs of readership and income generation.”
Looking back at the Curtis Sport programme legacy, Stuart reserved special acknowledgement for Joe McGlaughlin, commercial manager at Birmingham, and Debbie Hancock at Somerset, where in 2013 both programmes heralded a new concept in racecard provision and supporter engagement. The former went one step further and asked Stuart to put his money where his mouth was by becoming a club partner. Last season Curtis Sport also became the headline sponsor of the Brummies. However, one of the most spine-tingling personal experiences took place at the Friends Arena, Sweden, when his company produced the Grand Prix programme. “I was sat in the stands with a Swedish family in front of me transfixed to the programme! Four days earlier that programme had been in our warehouse in Aldridge and I felt an immense sense of pride, followed by a flashback to the time when, as an excited kid, I had picked up my first football programmes.”
The business has had to adapt to change; this was evident during the pandemic lockdown where football programmes were produced for fans who had to watch remotely. This innovative mindset led to a book publishing arm that has, to date, launched in excess of twenty sporting related titles with a major summer speedway release edging ever closer. “We are honoured and delighted to be publishing the autobiography of Scott Nicholls: “Sliding Through Life,” that will be launched at the British Grand Prix in Cardiff on Saturday 17th August (although pre-ordering is available now via the Curtis Sport website). I’ve read the early chapters and I know it’s going to be an absolutely fascinating read.”
As I reflected upon the transition of the humble speedway racecard – and the ultimate responsibility of taking over the scoring from my dad as an excited kid on the terraces at Sandy Lane, Oxford, all those years ago – into a captive work of art, I wondered whether, if he were still alive, Greek philosopher Aristotle, whilst awaiting the start of heat one, would attribute his declaration of, “The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance,” to the programme he clutched in his hand!
© Ian Kirke 2024
@ianjkirke
All images courtesy of Curtis Sport.