What about Northampton?

[THE DEAN MACHINE]

47 minutes ago, BTFC LION said:

Having worked at Northampton last year I would say its not quite as simple as you suggest. 

No changing rooms,  no showers, no refs box,(but is a building that could be used) .

Foam fence is needed,  but also wooden fencing to be made for the straights as that is steel plate aswell, plus some way of padding out the rope and post on top of the outer fence.

Earth mounds with steel plate would all need removing on the inside of the bends. 

Then after all of that you need staff, licenced officials. 

Don't get me wrong,  I would love to see it happen.

 

And all that in a month 

[Sir Sidney]

8 minutes ago, THE DEAN MACHINE said:

And all that in a month 

And with ground saturated.

It does make it more likely they would have to start the season elsewhere 

[berniev123]

14 hours ago, TB1 said:

• Leicester Hounds/Leicester Stadium (1931 & 1937): Folded mid-season in 1931, with further issues in 1937.
• Liverpool Merseysiders/Chads (1937 & 1953): Withdrew mid-season in 1937; record expunged. Also closed in 1953.
• Ashfield Giants (1952): Closed during the 1952 season.
• Cradley Heath Heathens (1953): Disbanded mid-season in 1953 following the withdrawal of the promoter.
• Hackney Hawks (1983): Folded mid-season in 1983.
• Long Eaton Invaders (1997): Closed during the 1997 season.
• Trelawny Pitbulls (2003): Folded mid-season in 2003.
• Oxford Cheetahs (2007): Folded mid-season in 2007.
• Mildenhall Fen Tigers (2010): Experienced a mid-season closure in 2010. 

From Wikipedia, any takers in the Den?

From my knowledge Cradley Heath shut at the end of 1952 then moved across to Monmore as the Wolverhampton Wasps! They did not close in mid season 1953.

[Sotonian]

14 hours ago, TB1 said:

• Leicester Hounds/Leicester Stadium (1931 & 1937): Folded mid-season in 1931, with further issues in 1937.
• Liverpool Merseysiders/Chads (1937 & 1953): Withdrew mid-season in 1937; record expunged. Also closed in 1953.
• Ashfield Giants (1952): Closed during the 1952 season.
• Cradley Heath Heathens (1953): Disbanded mid-season in 1953 following the withdrawal of the promoter.
• Hackney Hawks (1983): Folded mid-season in 1983.
• Long Eaton Invaders (1997): Closed during the 1997 season.
• Trelawny Pitbulls (2003): Folded mid-season in 2003.
• Oxford Cheetahs (2007): Folded mid-season in 2007.
• Mildenhall Fen Tigers (2010): Experienced a mid-season closure in 2010. 

From Wikipedia, any takers in the Den?

Plenty more:

Southampton 1951

New Cross 1953

Edinburgh 1954

Wolves 1954

Brafield 1955 (The proposed Northampton)

Ringwood 1955

West Ham 1955

[Sadman]

Thought Ringwood Aces was a cycle speedway team track off eastfield lane.

[norbold]

13 minutes ago, Sadman said:

Thought Ringwood Aces was a cycle speedway team track off eastfield lane.

Ringwood was a speedway track which operated in the Southern Area League in 1954 and then partly in 1955 before closure.

[JOS50]

Hull 1949.

[IainB]

2 hours ago, THE DEAN MACHINE said:

And all that in a month 

When you consider that this topic was started on July the 15th 2025 and that the track that Phil Morris mentioned at the Coventry hearing a number of years ago was thought to be Northampton... you have to wonder what they're faffing about at? 🤔

[TB1]

As Carl Johnson had stated on 360 that Peterborough had been approached. Could it be that Peterborough could run out of Lynn? After all there are minimal restrictions and presumably Buster would earn extra revenue from it. Surely it's far more likely than other options.

[Bald Bloke]

17 minutes ago, TB1 said:

As Carl Johnson had stated on 360 that Peterborough had been approached. Could it be that Peterborough could run out of Lynn? After all there are minimal restrictions and presumably Buster would earn extra revenue from it. Surely it's far more likely than other options.

I can't see that working tbh. Im not sure PB would get enough fans to make it pay. Plus if PB was to be the better team, Buster would only have to loose 100 fans, who would rather watch the Panthers, to loose any money he would make by charging rent. To risky imho.

Edited 2 hours ago by Bald Bloke

[BTFC LION]

2 hours ago, Neila said:

Re showers and changing rooms, they have  portacabins that are pre built as showers and toilets, worky use them and no complaints as far as I'm aware 

Yes i am aware of them, they also have them at Leicester 

I was just saying its alot of work needed,  with various things, in a short space of time.

Track wise it would need someone like Buster to go in and do the initial setting up of the track, 

I'm sure whoever is thinking about going in there as a speedway promoter has already thought about it all.

[THE DEAN MACHINE]

28 minutes ago, IainB said:

When you consider that this topic was started on July the 15th 2025 and that the track that Phil Morris mentioned at the Coventry hearing a number of years ago was thought to be Northampton... you have to wonder what they're faffing about at? 🤔

I was told it’s the same company as taking over Ipswich, could it be a case of they are putting the money up and getting someone else in to run it and maybe the money on offer to run it isn’t a good enough deal to attract a potential management team, with his MotoGP team the GPs and 1 or potentially 2 teams there is no way they could run it themselves, they have been in the GP series 5 minutes and have already cut the riders salaries, it has got to be a case of finances somewhere as both Northampton and the potential buyers both want it, I can’t see anything but failure written all over this, it was going to be a tough sell to the public if it was done back in November but a month before the season and not even the location has been announced, this whole thing smacks of desperation because imo they know they should of tried to make one big league but they dug their heels in for their own self reasons and have now gone too far to back down, I just hope this doesn’t have ramifications for speedway itself if it does backfire 

[M.D]

6 minutes ago, THE DEAN MACHINE said:

I was told it’s the same company as taking over Ipswich, could it be a case of they are putting the money up and getting someone else in to run it and maybe the money on offer to run it isn’t a good enough deal to attract a potential management team, with his MotoGP team the GPs and 1 or potentially 2 teams there is no way they could run it themselves, they have been in the GP series 5 minutes and have already cut the riders salaries, it has got to be a case of finances somewhere as both Northampton and the potential buyers both want it, I can’t see anything but failure written all over this, it was going to be a tough sell to the public if it was done back in November but a month before the season and not even the location has been announced, this whole thing smacks of desperation because imo they know they should of tried to make one big league but they dug their heels in for their own self reasons and have now gone too far to back down, I just hope this doesn’t have ramifications for speedway itself if it does backfire 

I think the only way a 6th club would work is to revive a defunct track, like Eastbourne, but of course that track is not possible.

Edited 1 hour ago by M.D

[Tapewrecker]

I’ve got my doubts it will be Northampton. Can’t see a club whose not been around before, make a bold venture.

[mikebv]

1 hour ago, THE DEAN MACHINE said:

I was told it’s the same company as taking over Ipswich, could it be a case of they are putting the money up and getting someone else in to run it and maybe the money on offer to run it isn’t a good enough deal to attract a potential management team, with his MotoGP team the GPs and 1 or potentially 2 teams there is no way they could run it themselves, they have been in the GP series 5 minutes and have already cut the riders salaries, it has got to be a case of finances somewhere as both Northampton and the potential buyers both want it, I can’t see anything but failure written all over this, it was going to be a tough sell to the public if it was done back in November but a month before the season and not even the location has been announced, this whole thing smacks of desperation because imo they know they should of tried to make one big league but they dug their heels in for their own self reasons and have now gone too far to back down, I just hope this doesn’t have ramifications for speedway itself if it does backfire 

There must be a few riders retiring if the sixth team doesn't manifest itself.....

[Hackett]

5 hours ago, BTFC LION said:

Having worked at Northampton last year I would say its not quite as simple as you suggest. 

No changing rooms,  no showers, no refs box,(but is a building that could be used) .

Foam fence is needed,  but also wooden fencing to be made for the straights as that is steel plate aswell, plus some way of padding out the rope and post on top of the outer fence.

Earth mounds with steel plate would all need removing on the inside of the bends. 

Then after all of that you need staff, licenced officials. 

Don't get me wrong,  I would love to see it happen.

 

Exactly - As quoted in the Speedway Star stated costs could vary between £130,000 - £200,000. So before the SCB could even issue a license it would need work on a pits area, changing rooms for riders, removing obstructions and acquiring a foam safety fence. Would be throwing £200k down the drain before the actual losses of a speedway season.