This Saturday’s Silver Helmet really feels like a test for British speedway to see whether there is still a place for open meetings.
Not so long ago, it was commonplace for most tracks to hold an individual meeting, normally towards the end of the season. The Scottish Open, the Bordernapolis and the Cumbria Open all spring to mind, but in recent years those meetings have dwindled. To my knowledge, the Silver Helmet is the only end-of-season individual at Championship level or above taking place this season.
It’s easy to understand why. Over the last three seasons, our attempts to run it have been thwarted for various reasons. Last year, we were in the enviable position of still being involved in all competitions, which left very few available dates. Another attempt fell victim to the weather, and on another occasion we simply couldn’t put together a competitive rider line-up.
With this being my last meeting as promoter, I’ve bent over backwards to make this year’s Silver Helmet happen. Even then, we were nearly foiled again when the Premiership Grand Final was moved onto our planned Friday race night. Racing on a Saturday when Boro are playing at lunchtime is far from ideal, but it was October 17 or not at all.
There are so many moving parts involved in getting a meeting on and trying to make it profitable—or at least avoid losing the club too much money—that I would bore you by going through them all!
Streaming is a huge part of what keeps a meeting in the black. Going up against the Premiership Grand Final, which many streaming viewers had already paid to watch, was simply a non-starter. Moving the meeting meant more work and changes to the line-up, but it gave us a chance to make it happen.
I’ve done my best to give you a competitive and interesting field, although, as I write this, I still need to fill the final position. So far, I’ve contacted 77 riders, mostly riders active in the UK, but also some new names we haven’t seen here before. That has ranged from world champions to youngsters whose 16th birthday falls on the day of the meeting, and every level in between.
Sadly, the most common response has been no answer at all. That is frustrating when some of those same riders complain they don’t have enough meetings these days.
With that said, I must thank the riders who have agreed to be here, those who took the time to reply, and those who went to great lengths to try to make it, only to find there were too many hurdles. I really appreciate their efforts.
So, the first test is almost passed: we have the riders. Now comes the bigger test—will we draw a crowd large enough to support it?
We’ve managed to get this meeting together with some exceptional sponsorship, for which I’m hugely grateful, but that doesn’t pay for the entire event. If it makes a loss, I would be very surprised if future promotions were willing to take the same financial risk again.
If you want more of these types of meetings in the future, please do everything you can to support this one. Come along if you can, bring someone with you, spread the word, or support the stream if you can’t be there in person. Every bit of support helps.
I expect it to be an outstanding meeting to bring the curtain down on the season. It would mean a lot to me to finish my time as promoter with a great night of racing and a crowd that shows there is still an appetite for occasions like the Silver Helmet.
See you at the ECCO Arena on Saturday, October 17, at 7.30pm.
Jamie Swales