Eastbourne 2020

[Phil The Ace 2,860]

42 minutes ago, woofers said:

Would guess Lawson and Kerr were the two ‘leavers’, Kennett the retiree, and lionsfan2012 the first to state £50k on speedway updates.

Wonder which Promoter objected to the Team GB U23 fixture taking place, despite it being scheduled in an Eastbourne ‘protected slot’?

There is a wealth of information in this article that sheds new light on the actual running of speedway in Britain and locally at Eastbourne, some of which will put the ‘know all’s’ on here back in their box, but other aspects that have never been spoken about. It’s a fascinating and insightful Q&A session, and as far as I can make out, open, transparent and honest - something Ian Jordan has always been. I will miss his enthusiasm, bravado and telling it how it is.

Len silver is the man that objected to a team GB U23 meeting taking place

[woofers 467]

27 minutes ago, Phil The Ace said:

Len silver is the man that objected to a team GB U23 meeting taking place

Do you know why ?

[screm 8,054]

58 minutes ago, J-D said:

I know redevelopment was sort a few years back, but the facility should be looking to be purchased by British Speedway as a development centre. 

Not sure British speedway has that kind of money,. Remember there are already tracks sitting there doing little or nothing, Buxton for one.

[Fortythirtyeight 840]

5 hours ago, Skidder1 said:

Surely when a club folds their riders become the 'property' of BSPL?

They didn’t own most of the riders anyway.

[Fortythirtyeight 840]

9 minutes ago, screm said:

Not sure British speedway has that kind of money,. Remember there are already tracks sitting there doing little or nothing, Buxton for one.

Why would the BSPL buy a track on the south coast when all of the BSPL have their own tracks and there’s nothing in the kitty anyway?

[Phil The Ace 2,860]

46 minutes ago, woofers said:

Do you know why ?

Not sure why, but I had a conversation with someone about a month ago about it. And I remember them saying that they were fuming with len silver for stopping young lads race for team GB. 

 

Putting 2 and 2 together. I assume it's about what Eastbourne put 

[old bob at herne bay 828]

9 hours ago, hammer1969 said:

Agree, speedway could do with more people like Ian Jordan.

I don't think so  hammer 1969 ... we would like some teams to remain in business ! 

On  totally surprising fact that emerged from the Q and A was that neither speedway nor stocks could  have taken place in 2020 due the the condition of the stadium ( electrics)  !  One wonders why there was any money spent at all by the promotion in 2020 promoting a club that basically had no track to race on ?

[hammer1969 421]

1 hour ago, old bob at herne bay said:

I don't think so  hammer 1969 ... we would like some teams to remain in business ! 

On  totally surprising fact that emerged from the Q and A was that neither speedway nor stocks could  have taken place in 2020 due the the condition of the stadium ( electrics)  !  One wonders why there was any money spent at all by the promotion in 2020 promoting a club that basically had no track to race on ?

The stadium certificate was turned down in the Spring of 2020 as work was required before it could be issued and it appears to me that most of the promoting, rider retaining payments, vans advertising and other costs  etc for the forthcoming season had already been incurred during late 2019/early 2020 before the stadium problem of renewing the certificate due to the work needed became apparent to the owners of the stadium.  Presumably the owners then informed the Stockcar and Speedway promotions of the problem.

[marko 956]

I wonder if we will see the Thurrock Hammers promotion move to Eastbourne, they already sponsored the NL team, and are effectively a promotion without a track and Eastbourne is a track without a promotion.

Of course I would like to see Essex have a track again but I just cannot see it in the current climate, the only hope would have been had Arena Essex being developed into a sports park with the speedway staying.

[25yearfan 476]

Fair play to Ian Jordan for being very honest!

 

The bottom line is that without the Dugard family speedway in Eastbourne would have been nothing more than a training track facility like nearby Iwade or Lydd. It probably was sustainable in the 1970's 2nd Division then the 1979 move into the top flight saw the Eagles struggle financially until dropping down in the 2nd Division again in 1985 where they had a few years of sustainability although the emergence at the time of Martin Dugard would of no doubt made any losses more bearable to the speedway mad Dugard family.

 

Come 1990 and with Martin Dugard having flown the nest to the top flight the speedway promotion was sold to Gareth Rogers who only lasted a year. 1991 saw Eastbourne not start the season cause they wern't allowed into the newly amalgamated top flight until one of the promoted teams Wimbledon closed and moved in mid season. Top flight speedway was then staged regularly losing money until a few years ago when they made the sensible move into the 3rd tier to compete in more sustainable financial waters.

 

Bottom line is without rich benefactors Eastbourne speedway is only going to be viable in a League like the National League or a League thats inbetween the current 3rd tier and the Championship.

 

The time has come for speedway clubs in this Country to take a leaf out of Mildenhall speedways book and run at a level that is best for them financially and on a night/afternoon that is most ideal.

 

- Two Leagues next season -

 

No fixed racenights, 

 

Top flight consisting of up to 11 tracks that can still afford to run at that level.

 

Ipswich, King's Lynn, Peterborough, Wolves, Belle Vue, Poole, Sheffield, Glasgow and Leicester are the only 9 current tracks I believe capable of being sustainable/ have enough financial clout behind them to run in the top flight.

 

National League of a higher standard than the current NL featuring all the rest and any tracks brave enough to run a reserve team at this level.

 

Northern and Southern Conference Leagues consisting of 4 man teams running alongside senior tracks for riders not ready for National League racing.     

 

   

Edited August 30, 2021 by 25yearfan

[old bob at herne bay 828]

Nice thought Marko… but who would fund the Thurrock Hammers promotion to restart speedway at EB?

new air fence ( estimated £20k or more )

BSPL bond to be lodged

BSPL membership “fees “ 

2 promoters licence holders required 

 

[Fromafar 10,359]

8 minutes ago, 25yearfan said:

Fair play to Ian Jordan for being very honest!

 

The bottom line is that without the Dugard family speedway in Eastbourne would have been nothing more than a training track facility like nearby Iwade or Lydd. It probably was sustainable in the 1970's 2nd Division then the 1979 move into the top flight saw the Eagles struggle financially until dropping down in the 2nd Division again in 1985 where they had a few years of sustainability although the emergence at the time of Martin Dugard would of no doubt made any losses more bearable to the speedway mad Dugard family.

 

Come 1990 and with Martin Dugard having flown the nest to the top flight the speedway promotion was sold to Gareth Rogers who only lasted a year. 1991 saw Eastbourne not start the season cause they wern't allowed into the newly amalgamated top flight until one of the promoted teams Wimbledon closed and moved in mid season. Top flight speedway was then staged regularly losing money until a few years ago when they made the sensible move into the 3rd tier to compete in more sustainable financial waters.

 

Bottom line is without rich benefactors Eastbourne speedway is only going to be viable in a League like the National League or a League thats inbetween the current 3rd tier and the Championship.

 

The time has come for speedway clubs in this Country to take a leaf out of Mildenhall speedways book and run at a level that is best for them financially and on a night/afternoon that is most ideal.

 

- Two Leagues next season -

 

No fixed racenights, 

 

Top flight consisting of up to 11 tracks that can still afford to run at that level.

 

Ipswich, King's Lynn, Peterborough, Wolves, Belle Vue, Poole, Sheffield, Glasgow and Leicester are the only 9 current tracks I believe capable of being sustainable/ have enough financial clout behind them to run in the top flight.

 

National League of a higher standard than the current NL featuring all the rest and any tracks brave enough to run a reserve team at this level.

 

Northern and Southern Conference Leagues consisting of 4 man teams running alongside senior tracks for riders not ready for National League racing.     

 

   

I would reckon the Top Flight level would have to be equivalent to this years Championship level though.

[25yearfan 476]

2 minutes ago, Fromafar said:

I would reckon the Top Flight level would have to be equivalent to this years Championship level though.

Absolutely!

[cityrebel 2,960]

38 minutes ago, old bob at herne bay said:

Nice thought Marko… but who would fund the Thurrock Hammers promotion to restart speedway at EB?

new air fence ( estimated £20k or more )

BSPL bond to be lodged

BSPL membership “fees “ 

2 promoters licence holders required 

 

That's the stumbling block for any prospective promoter, 45k lay out before they start. I don't want to be pessimistic, but i fear for any Eagles revival.

[M.D 463]

17 minutes ago, cityrebel said:

That's the stumbling block for any prospective promoter, 45k lay out before they start. I don't want to be pessimistic, but i fear for any Eagles revival.

Ian Jordan has said there is interest in promoting Speedway at the venue and I know of one other..

I think a lot will depend on how speedway moves forward next season.

A structure of 3 leagues have clearly not worked at all. A top league of 6 teams and the a second division made up with most of the riders from the top division expecting a good wage in that tier will clearly not work or be appetising to fans.

There is a dwindling core of fans at first we need to look after, then bring back some lost support and then work on building a show that will entice new support.

As mentioned, the sport needs to restructure its league for a start. A top league running pro and a second division that is semi pro.

That would be a starting point to build on, but only a starting point mind..