- This topic has 8 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 12 years, 5 months ago by
.
- Posts
An interview with Barry Hearn came on Radio Scotland this morning. It was largely based on his involvement with the World Darts and how he has marketed that sport (and others like snooker).
He was asked if other sports could follow his lead. His answer was ultimately you need the people to attend the event. You can spice up a sports event as much as you want but without the crowd supporting the event it falls flat on its face. I think of the all weather meetings which are mainly added to the fixture list to satisfy bookmakers demands but attract minimal crowds.
I found it a really interesting 5 mins interview. He made some really good points in it. I’ve attached a link – the interview with him is about 47 mins in.
He could turn it in to a glitzy circus.
On the plus side, seeing what Ryan Moore made of it would be entertaining.
I quite frequently attend race meetings dressed as either a) Genghis Khan or b) a banana, and accompany this with a chant of:
"Stand up if you love the three mile handicap hurdle for conditional jockeys, stand up if you love the three mile…"
(etc etc)
I’m currently banned from Newbury racecourse.*
Mike
*Sorry, I mean
The Racecourse Newbury
natch.
I was out for a few (too many) beers with some guys a couple of weeks ago. When I mentioned I was into horse racing the phrases "It’s fixed" and "The trainers and jockeys have it all sewn up" were thrown at me.
How does racing change the general public’s opinion of the sport?
Or more to the point…who can change that attitude? Who can improve the marketing of the sport? Not the Management behind the Racecourse Newbury IMO….gee I hate that pompous change of name.
I’m a football fan too and hate the fact that every moron walking the planet is now seemingly a Liverpool / Manchester United ‘fan’ and a tactical genius, after watching SKY / Townsend’s ill-fated Tactic Truck.
I love the fact most people know zero about Racing, long may it continue.
He has turned darts into a night out on the ale with the actual game of darts a side show to anything else.
He hasn’t been so successful at snooker with that a shadow still of how it was in the 80’s.
Would someone like Hearn put up with the farce we witnessed at Lingfield an hour ago? (Ambulance stuck in the mud, race delayed 10 mins.)
I’ve said it before and will say it again, racing needs to run a much slicker marketing operation if it’s going to attract and maintain the leisure pound, be it via ownership, racegoers or betting shop punters.
How many punters laughed at the goings on at Lingfield and bet on the Southampton vs Spurs match instead?
Racing can’t rely on the fading memories of Frankel and the greatness of AP forever.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.