New Teams For Nl

[boz 316]

Would love to see a Northern track in the NL, whether it be the second team for one of the PL teams or an amalgamation of them all. Theres certainly a good few riders like Jack Hirst and Greg Blair who would certainly benefit from more regular competitive racing. Whether it would happen or not I dont know, but I thought the Nortern Academy League this season was fairly successful.

[CrystalCastles 292]

I think you may have cause to eat your words in the next couple of years, AM. Newport have produced a play-off team in NL and a very promising PL team this season; the crowds will return next year. (If you build it they will come.)

The big advantages for them are that owning the stadium takes away a large percentage of costs; that and the existence of a dedicated, (mostly) united team of promotion, management and volunteers.

BFD agree 100% with you.....

promotion of the club is a neccesity and something that has been put in place over the past few months

 

i.e. getting in for a tenner, the promotion of the club at local supermarkets with the riders who gave their free time to promote the club....& having a website again is going to be crucial.

 

The promotion showed willingness to try new things and i think they have done a brilliant job so far

 

for example...Ideas to look at if possible are making links with newports other sports clubs ie the dragons & county & the fans who attend their rugby & football matches, promotion amongst the students of newport.

 

 

You're right with the second half of your post but Newport have built a promising team for the last 2 seasons and the crowds still haven't come. A succesful season would undoubtedly bring in a few more bodies but it seems pretty unlikely that hordes of Newport fans are busting to get through the gates as soon as there's a winning run.

 

Kester you make some valid points......but

 

Its all very well saying that wev built a promising team for the last two seasons but last years team didnt do anything and no matter how good you look on paper they didnt do a lot and they wernt very good to watch, given the potential

 

This year we tried a totally different and far more riskier approach 4 newcomers(or 5 if you include Anders) and two riders coming back from major injuries

And for the last two months have had a fantastic team performance wise, as well as IMO overall the most entertaining team we have ever had from a viewing perspective.

We have a hardcore of loyal suppport who are true speedway fans, but we have been one of the best supported clubs in PL history for a number of years, sadly that support dwindled because of things like poor teams, no promotion, lack of investment and closure of the steelworks

 

For me the simple reasons we no longer have the great support we used too are the costs...every track is faced with the major problems of cost for supporters.

Im a student currently & i think ive probably missed about 6 meetings at home this year for both hornets & wasps and thats been generally £18 per week ive been spending which for me has been worth spending...its recaptured my interest in speedway since lastyear after losing interest when we closed down

 

 

Anything is possible though with the right promotion ....only have to look at newport county's season last year to see the difference in a winning team, having attended matches when i can as a student (£8 to get in last year....havent been over yet this year as speedway have had a longer season so dont know the ticket prices this season )at the start of the season they were ave between 800-1000 which they have averaged for a number of seasons, but they got attendances of over 4000 for the match that secured the promotion, & the title presentation last year....and this season their home crowds have been over 2000 i think every home game (or thereabouts)

 

Another sport but that is generally what fans in newport are like, a succesful side & fans will come back.....

 

The potential for this too happen is their.....whether it will is another question, but we as fans and as a club need to have a positive outlook on the prospects, with the effort that has gone in from the riders, promotion & management team,in the past few months they have made a huge effort to try to push things in a different direction

 

Hopefully this will go in the right direction and progress over the winter & into next season, & lead to us getting the fans back..

Edited October 19, 2010 by shirlmeister general

[ancient mariner 540]

I think you may have cause to eat your words in the next couple of years, AM. Newport have produced a play-off team in NL and a very promising PL team this season; the crowds will return next year. (If you build it they will come.)

The big advantages for them are that owning the stadium takes away a large percentage of costs; that and the existence of a dedicated, (mostly) united team of promotion, management and volunteers.

 

Hi BFD,

 

If I have to eat my words within the next couple of years as you suggest then that will be fine with me. It is a sad irony that Newport has a facility that many promotions would commit murder to own, has had a wonderfully successful team in the NL this year and has STILL failed to attract the support that it deserves. I base my view on the evidence of my last 5 visits

[greyhoundp 990]

We read constantly of Teams moving UP from the NL, i would not be surprised to see A Team come in the opposite direction, with all the alleged loses made by teams in 2010.

[thamesview 0]

Some of you have mentioned Sittingbourne in your notes, and state the Iwade track.

 

The thing is their is discussion with the Local council to run a team at a track inside the Greyhound stadium in Sitingbourne itself, which by its location a brief walk from the centre, that it would be well supported, better than the Iwade track, as you needed a car to get to the Iwade track anyway.

 

Think its just waiting a council review, but may be hopefully if granted in the next week or two.

 

So could be a new track there.

[Parsloes 1928 nearly 495]

Some of you have mentioned Sittingbourne in your notes, and state the Iwade track.

 

The thing is their is discussion with the Local council to run a team at a track inside the Greyhound stadium in Sitingbourne itself, which by its location a brief walk from the centre, that it would be well supported, better than the Iwade track, as you needed a car to get to the Iwade track anyway.

 

Think its just waiting a council review, but may be hopefully if granted in the next week or two.

 

So could be a new track there.

 

Good to point this out. But I know for a fact that Roger Cearns would not consider opening his new track in the third tier. It would be PL for the Kent side.

If the Central Park operation turned out to really invigorate interest in the town I think it possible that Iwade might consider re-entering the NL (this is the kind of words used in the prog. at their recent 40th. anniversary meeting) but one does wonder what the Speedway authorities and fellow Clubs would think about that. Too many times crying wolf I fear...

[Steve Ribbons 2]

Good to point this out. But I know for a fact that Roger Cearns would not consider opening his new track in the third tier. It would be PL for the Kent side.

 

 

I think you may find that the goal posts have shifted on this point Derek, ..well if you speak to Graham that is.......

[PTDragons 22]

Carmarthen Dragons to return at Newport by any chance?!

[Parsloes 1928 nearly 495]

Carmarthen Dragons to return at Newport by any chance?!

 

How about Carmarthen operating out of Ammanford instead..? Now THAT would be interesting...!

[Swift Saint 186]

Carmarthen Dragons to return at Newport by any chance?!

 

Well since they could not get a decent crowd at Carmarthen and with two teams at Newport already who would be attending?

 

Malcolm Vasey

Edited November 12, 2010 by Proud Potter

[PTDragons 22]

Well since they could not get a decent crowd at Carmarthen and with two teams at Newport already who would be attending?

 

Malcolm Vasey

Me!!

 

Seriously though, you're quite right Malcolm about the poor crowds at Carmarthen but if (and a big if) a track could be located at somewhere like Swansea / Neath then I think that this would be a more viable option.

[BurningRubber 0]

I think there is a nice fan base in Crewe and the prospect of the sport returning nearly happened a few years back but few down at the last minute.

 

In recent years Crewe Kings has had a book launch and a plaque unveiled outside the Kings Arms Pub, also check the two links below.

 

 

 

Crewe Kings Speedway

 

Crewe Kings

[Topcat 58]

Realistically there are lots of riders that would like to take part in the NI or any other form of competition.

Costs are part of the reason that this doesn't happen plus the reluctance of some promoters.

Don't forget,there are more amateur riders in the UK than there will ever be professionals.

[Parsloes 1928 nearly 495]

Don't forget,there are more amateur riders in the UK than there will ever be professionals.

 

There's certainly been a boom in the number of amateur riders in recent years; but how many, I wonder, would be able (work and finances being the issues..) to commit to the time and vigours of competing in a national league with tracks from Plymouth to Buxton and several race days/nights involved..?

Surely for many it would be impossible to commit fully to riding in an NL team - meaning that possibly we need a more flexible, less demanding approach to 'third' and, we could call it, 'fourth' tier Speedway..?

[greyhoundp 990]

There's certainly been a boom in the number of amateur riders in recent years; but how many, I wonder, would be able (work and finances being the issues..) to commit to the time and vigours of competing in a national league with tracks from Plymouth to Buxton and several race days/nights involved..?

Surely for many it would be impossible to commit fully to riding in an NL team - meaning that possibly we need a more flexible, less demanding approach to 'third' and, we could call it, 'fourth' tier Speedway..?

 

This is where "Promoters" need to get the race day/night right, i noticed at The Heathens meetings, there were very,very few away supporters, understandable really as i myself find it difficult to attend mid week meetings home or away due mostly to work. I can see NO great or understandable reason why MOST if not ALL NL meetings cannot be held on a Weekend, when most people can attend most meetings, is there any reason for instance if Buxton ride against another Sunday team they cannot hold there home fixture for that week on that Saturday ??, now we may only be talking here about 50 or so extra supporters per meeting, but thats an extra £500 per week "Mildenhall" and others would be glad of that £500 per week over the season, my own team The Heathens are able to race on a Sunday, and i would almost guarantee even they would have more through the gate if they raced on a Sunday, but due to Greyhound racing it would prove almost impossible to have an alternative raceday on Saturday, so maybe main raceday Sunday, with the alternative day being Friday or Tuesday.

 

With NO Elite League racing being held on weekends here is an Oportunity for enterprising EL/PL Promoters to test the water as The Heathens have done, and run a NL team under a <Defunct Near track name> Reading/Bristol at Swindon as an example, and offer reduced admission if they attended the EL meeting prior to the NL meeting.

 

Bournemouth would have more people attend on a Saturday/Sunday than what they get on Wednesday nights,of that i am certain. A weekend in Poole/Bournemouth is far more attractive than a weekday meeting of taking time off work driving down to Poole over 3 1/2 to four hours, then a 3 1/2 hour drive back, and waking up after a few hours sleep to go to work the next morning, not very attractive for anyone really, and almost impossible for ordinary working people, the days of 8 till 5 jobs are increasingly on the decrease, and more often than not they involve shift work of all types including my own Continental shift pattern which i hate.

 

This IMO is where the Promoters need to focus some of there attention ON getting race Days/Nights right, and for me weekend NL racing is the way forward, even Bournemouth may prove viable were they to try this.

 

Lets look at the Plus points for spectators and riders, and promoters;

 

1. Easier for most supporters to attend due to less work commitments on weekends.

2. For the most part it is easier to travel around the Country on weekends.

 

Both of these points apply to riders and spectators alike, and one of the minor plus points for Promoters is there will be no need for Saturday/Sunday afternoon meetings to use Floodlights in early/late season meetings.

 

Whilst I am on the subject; I am surprised no one else picked up on my point of JOINT promotions with there Landlords at <Greyhound race Tracks> Speedway on the whole has far larger attendances than Greyhound nights, and for a reduction in rent joint promotions could be offered by both parties, as i feel Greyhound racing would have far more to gain from this in attendance figures than Speedway, but the real benefit would be in reduced rental for Speedway promotions.