Plymouth speedway

[Islander15 1,062]

2 hours ago, HGould said:

I support a Wednesday track and a lot of fans at our Club prefer midweek as so many other attractions on a Friday/Saturday/Sunday especially family related.

Ask Barry Bishop why he races on a Wednesday and not a Friday or Saturday??

OK ours is a a centrally based City but Coastal place like Plymouth can be a mare to get to down m5 in summer due to holiday traffic and also have to consider tourists may be more likely to go midweek as come and go on weekends.

There are already 2-3-4 CL Clubs running on gates of 400-500 and surviving, if Plymouth could get 500 they could do OK.

Depends on building a compact team that can win at home at right price. Scunthorpe spring to mind as kind of crowd/team budget to aim at speedway wise.

Maybe Rob Godfrey can advise them.

 

Strange reply.

Barry Bishop races on a Thursday and Rob McCaffrey explains why. 

Im sure Plymouth must get a fair proportion of fans from holiday makers but by not riding on their traditional Friday night or alternative Saturday night then they’re missing out on those on a long weekend. That could even be a long weekend speedway holiday!

Looking up and down the country, fans get into a routine of what night to go and at some clubs that’s been midweek for years but other’s can only get them to come when it’s a Friday night or weekend. Look at Leicester & Rye House recently or Lakeside’s Sunday NL attendances.

Finally I wouldn’t regard Scunthorpe as a team that win at home. Only 6 home league wins from 10 this season. I recall a similar record last season. What they do is pride themselves on an entertaining track and sign relatable riders that are loyal. 

Edited September 26, 2019 by Islander15

[cityrebel 2,960]

17 hours ago, Richard Weston said:

Me thinks a very clever man is whispering in their ears when it comes to the business side of speedway.

Nudge, nudge, wink wink, say no more. One tracks loss could be a big gain for another club.

[cityrebel 2,960]

31 minutes ago, RobMcCaffery said:

The Isle of Wight operate on Thursdays. It has been stated that they have to run midweek to get the discounts on ferry travel for riders, officials and supporters at what is an off-peak time for Wightlink. That's a bad choice of example. 

The Islands traditional race night was Tuesday. Going up against Poole most Thursdays seemed a strange decision, maybe Wightlink played a part in that choice.

[HGould 2,213]

8 minutes ago, cityrebel said:

The Islands traditional race night was Tuesday. Going up against Poole most Thursdays seemed a strange decision, maybe Wightlink played a part in that choice.

I was sure I'd been to IOW on a Wednesday few years back.

Must have had a good time and forgotten which day!

 

[HGould 2,213]

14 minutes ago, cityrebel said:

Nudge, nudge, wink wink, say no more. One tracks loss could be a big gain for another club.

are we talking Barry Bishop here, seems only one qualified in that area??

Think he deserves a bash at a higher level as very innovative and charismatic.

[cityrebel 2,960]

Just now, HGould said:

are we talking Barry Bishop here, seems only one qualified in that area??

Think he deserves a bash at a higher level as very innovative and charismatic.

No I'm not!

[cityrebel 2,960]

3 minutes ago, HGould said:

I was sure I'd been to IOW on a Wednesday few years back.

Must have had a good time and forgotten which day!

 

I've seen meetings there on every day barring Wednesday (possibly) and Sunday (definitely). So it is possible.

[RobMcCaffery 2,752]

1 hour ago, cityrebel said:

The Islands traditional race night was Tuesday. Going up against Poole most Thursdays seemed a strange decision, maybe Wightlink played a part in that choice.

I was trying to explain why they raced midweek, not on the specific day. I certainly remember them racing regularly on Tuesdays. The logistics of running an amateur sports team in a national league from an offshore island (just) are extreme and the normal rules don't apply. Getting cheap ferry travel is essential so meeting Wightlink's needs is equally essential. So far it seems like the IoW management are keeping the balance well.

I just hope that Plymouth can plough the same path. They also have access problems in the form of distance but there's little prospect of getting help from someone like Wightlink. 

Having been to the SBA I do wonder if it has the physical capacity to pay for higher league racing. In many ways that was Rye House's downfall. Even if you could have filled the place (and that would have been a very tight fit even before the stadium became dilapidated) I wonder if the gate receipts could ever have been enough to cover costs at the highest level, but then they were relying on Sky money that was never going to come. 

Edited September 26, 2019 by RobMcCaffery

[lewy 2,319]

A Tuesday race night maybe favourable in respect of Fridays being change over day for tourists some arriving some leaving and the M5/A38 being extremely busy on a Friday whereas a Tuesday is alot quieter in the week making it a less daunting trek for riders and opposing fans maybe?

[ruckerroo 792]

If who we think is helping them commercially then thats a great start for plymouth for 2020. However getting numbers thru the gate is probably going to nearly have to  double to make it remotely profitable, the track is also a cause for concern.

[lewy 2,319]

31 minutes ago, ruckerroo said:

If who we think is helping them commercially then thats a great start for plymouth for 2020. However getting numbers thru the gate is probably going to nearly have to  double to make it remotely profitable, the track is also a cause for concern.

Who is helping them ?

[Halifaxtiger 5,318]

22 hours ago, lewy said:

Reportedly losing money hand over fist!Where has this been reported and by who,or is it just you and your know all attitude spreading gossip again, plus they have stated a change of race night would be required, I believe possibly a Tues or Saturday nite are being muted but not confirmed  however thier is alot of hoops to jump through before being accepted so nothing is definite atm.

 

That's what I have been told. Six figure sum since they took over, apparently.

However, maybe my sources (which are pretty good) have got it wrong. Care to put me (and others) straight ? Thought not

Edited September 27, 2019 by Halifaxtiger

[Halifaxtiger 5,318]

19 hours ago, Islander15 said:

ingStrange reply.

Barry Bishop races on a Thursday and Rob McCaffrey explains why. 

Im sure Plymouth must get a fair proportion of fans from holiday makers but by not riding on their traditional Friday night or alternative Saturday night then they’re missing out on those on a long weekend. That could even be a long weekend speedway holiday!

Looking up and down the country, fans get into a routine of what night to go and at some clubs that’s been midweek for years but other’s can only get them to come when it’s a Friday night or weekend. Look at Leicester & Rye House recently or Lakeside’s Sunday NL attendances.

Finally I wouldn’t regard Scunthorpe as a team that win at home. Only 6 home league wins from 10 this season. I recall a similar record last season. What they do is pride themselves on an entertaining track and sign relatable riders that are loyal. 

I know when Ashley Taylor was planning to try and open in Cornwall the two nights he would not consider were Friday and Saturday because holidaymakers would either be coming or going.

I can well appreciate why they might switch from a Friday (having travelled to Plymouth on that day) but you do run the risk of losing families due to school commitments.

Having said that, it is indicative that Somerset chose to stick with Wednesdays on returning to the Championship rather than going back to Fridays and Adrian Smith has said that in the school holidays Belle Vue get bigger gates on Mondays than Fridays.

Edited September 27, 2019 by Halifaxtiger

[lewy 2,319]

39 minutes ago, Halifaxtiger said:

That's what I have been told. Six figure sum since they took over, apparently.

However, maybe my sources (which are pretty good) have got it wrong. Care to put me (and others) straight ? Thought not

Who are your sources must be someone on the management/ promotion team if not they wouldn't be party to any facts it would be just idle gossip which you tend to quote more often  than not

I'll not put you right because I don't know the FACTS and don't quote gossip so who is your reliable source??

[Halifaxtiger 5,318]

2 hours ago, lewy said:

Who are your sources must be someone on the management/ promotion team if not they wouldn't be party to any facts it would be just idle gossip which you tend to quote more often  than not

I'll not put you right because I don't know the FACTS and don't quote gossip so who is your reliable source??

If you don't know the facts then you have no idea whether what I am saying is 'idle gossip'  or the truth of the matter (on this or any other occasion).

 I'll let others decide on the strength of my reputation as a poster if it is true or not and, unlike you, most of them will not let their club bias get in the way when they do.