Viper

A fantastic move from Redcar to offer Newcastle fans a last chance to support their side this season on Friday. Any Newcastle fans out there please support this meeting as Redcar are taking a huge financial hit by putting on this meeting. Let’s get behind the Diamonds for one last time this season and show the club does have a long term future.

I’m not 100% sure but I believe that Dave Tinning became a promoter to help with the workload ect and has not added any financial input other than his normal sponsorship. I may be wrong here but I am such a fan of Dave that I would hate to give the wrong position in terms of any investment he has made. If only Dave had more influence in how the club was run then we probably wouldn’t have been in the position we find ourselves today.

So I have to give the management some credit for finally providing a proper factual update tonight. Well done and hopefully it continues moving forward. Welcome to the Diamonds Kyle, not the answer to the teams problems but he is certainly an upgrade in the reserve department. Fingers crossed we can secure one or two more changes in the top 5 positions.

Are you really surprised? The way forward apparently is just say nothing about anything at all! No comment about the performance on Sunday No comment about progress with team changes No injury update on Paul or Matty No thank you to the fans for still paying their money to watch two consecutive home drubbings. Just stay silent and put out a few adverts for the Poole match and that will suffice.

I honestly believe that In this case an experienced speedway person would be the best fit, which is not the area of expertise I have to be honest. I do have some experience in the areas that would (in my view) need addressing but given the position of the club I do feel an experienced hand would be the best option for them. In terms of approaching Rob, I have a few times offered assistance in which ever way I can and have also supplied potential links to another North East sports club to help with increasing the fan base but neither offer has been taken up. I love the club so have always had a willingness to help fight for survival and have volunteered my time in the past for a number of years. However, like THJ I think that ship has now sailed and I would not be interested in working within the current management structure as my own opinions are so far away from that of the current owner. He has his way and runs the club as he sees fit. It is his club and he has that right to do so and I totally respect that point but it’s not for me.

The club need a public face, someone who can engage in all aspect of the club. As I have said before, the club lacks leaders and unless this is rectified very quickly I can sadly only see one outcome. We have just been thrashed at home for the second consecutive meeting and we still have had no comment from the promotion. This isn’t just a speedway thing, it’s key to any successful business that you keep you customers on side. The silence just adds to the frustration of the fans and will only add to the huge gulf that is being forged between the promotion and the fan base. Sadly, I can only see the current status quo for the remainder of the season.

Summers to Oxford! Local, Experienced and no Polish blockers but still no chance of him coming to Newcastle despite us being desperate for a change and Jack Thomas only getting injured last week! Oxford have found an experienced heat leader in 7 days and Berwick have found a SGP2 calibre rider and had the visa approved. Where are we looking?

Beat me too it Its an easy excuse to use when a rider is attached to a Polish side but in reality it isn’t a total blocker to signing them. After all if it was how did we sign BWD given he has a Polish contract.

Good on Berwick for managing to find two riders when apparently there aren’t ANY that want to ride in the UK. Maybe it’s just how you ask the question and what you offer?

To me the team need a change in dynamics whether it on paper looks to strengthen us or not. There appears no team spirit and that is being shown on track with less commitment being shown into the first turn. Ty and Kyle wouldn’t be my first choice due to the Brough Park record but I would snap your hand off for both if they could come into our side as the reserve pairing (or push James into that spot)

So what an absolute shambles that was last night. I can forgive a team for losing to a better one but not one of those lads (Kasper apart) were giving 100%. That may be a tough statement in terms of Lee as he does try but even he seems to have totally lost his way with his home track. I have tried to be constructive in my posts these last few weeks about where I feel the club can make positive changes, even if it’s difficult to bring new riders in but again we get no management comment either in the stadium or in the press release. The presentation remains poor (and that is not aimed at either Barry or Roy who do their best in the circumstances), the product is shocking and the atmosphere is non existent. I was first taken to Newcastle in the 70s as a small child and have only missed a hand full of meeting since. I have travelled home and away with the club and spend over a decade volunteering for them. I would classify myself as a speedway nut who would stand for hours just watching a rider practice on track but at this point I feel I have made my final visit to Brough Park to watch this club which is a very sad position to be in. Three generations of my family attend home meetings at present and not one of us can understand the reason for us sleepwalking into a ultimate demise. The current promotion seem to believe that the only thing they need to do is put on a meeting, that is only one element of running a club and especially when the meeting is of such poor quality then the wider product needs to provide the customers with some value. There were a number of events last night that have sickened me and I won’t air some of them here for the good of the club but unfortunately the way the club is currently is an embarrassment. After 40+ years of living for the Diamonds I honestly feel last night was the final chapter for me.

Really? So when have this management or promotion been considered top dogs then considering we have only won a few matches in a season and a half? It always makes me laugh this attitude that for some reason anyone involved in speedway is doing supporters a favour; unlike any other sport. Supporters are entitled to their own opinions, it’s what makes sport so great. Let’s not forget that speedway is no different and anyone is entitled to have their views on teams, riders or how the team is set up. Yes the promotion don’t make money and some work on a voluntary basis to help the club and good on them for doing that but let’s not forget that is their own choice to do so. If you are involved in sport at any level you will get people questioning decisions ect. Even as a junior football coach at under 7s you get questions and challenged by parents on line ups and tactics. So why should speedway be any different? The RR one for today is certainly a strange one but at the end of the day it is the managers call.

I respect your opinion but don’t totally agree. I have watched some terrible sides in the late 80s and early ninety’s and again under the old promotion but the key was that George, Darryl, Dave ect used to use their voices to control the messages going out. I have been going to Newcastle since the late 70s and have worked for the club for a lot of years in George’s era. A bad team isn’t the only reason why people have walked. I know of at least 30-40 people who have stuck by Newcastle for years, even through those terrible years and who now watch their speedway elsewhere on a weekly basis. As I say you are entitled to your own opinion and I totally respect that but I have spoken to a lot of supporter at Brough when issues have arisen (Berwick protest and the Glasgow match are just two) and the absolute silence has angered people.

I totally see your point but as I’ve stated before a lot of the issues you have raised could be controlled if the club had a proper communication and engagement strategy to bring fans into what is happening, especially around some of these events you have quoted. I have nothing but admiration for the work that Rob and the promoter put in just to get a meeting on at Brough and I know we need to cut our cloth accordingly but (and it’s a big BUT) the poorly worded statements, split platform messaging and lack of fan interaction either at meetings or between them to discuss barriers, blockers and future plans is where our supporters lose the faith. I know Rob has had a lot of issues since picking up the club, continues to have issues with other things but the fans can only judge on what they see and are told. The latest post on Facebook is the prime example. Poorly worded with no context and being used to right incorrect information published in another media form. I see some additional context has now been added but the confusion has already been created from the original post as to what it’s about. It’s simple stuff and is so frustrating that it can cause loyal fans like yourself to get frustrated, especially if you had the opportunity to understand some of the drivers that have led to the points you have raised. I’ve posted this so many time, the club need Rob to keep running but without a fan base it hasn’t got a chance. It’s time to look at how this area can be improved but honestly I can’t see that happening.

Risky approach not editing the content before publication.