What about Northampton?

[YeOldPitGate]

2 hours 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 

Thats my worry if true Dean taking on two tracks at the same time one of which has no speedway heritage is a massive risk.

I really hope if its true they make an outstanding success of it as we would all on here be happy to have eggs on our faces this time next year. I just think whoever it is could end up doing a 100k-200k loss, lose interest and if it is Mayfield Ipswich are back in the melting pot next year and Northampton ends up being never touched again.

You read about Leicester who have heritage, had Fricke, but still by all counts losing bucket loads of money (all be it racing on a night that suits the riders not the public doesn't help).

[Hawk127]

4 hours ago, M.D said:

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.

It is a shame that Eastbourne is not available having just watched a video of a recent banger meeting at Arlington. I am sure you have many detractors from the idea that a former track could run temporarily if the funds are guaranteed and the covenant is good even if it is for one year while someone develops Northampton. Money speaks volumes if the right figure is on the table and it could be that Swindon, Newcastle and even Wolverhampton could be an option as along as it is temporary. I am sure that more contributors on this forum could come up with other options. Even Iwade or Kent could be thrown into the mix as a short term solution. I just feel that in the case of Northampton a fool and their money will be soon parted if they dive in to the league at this late stage in the preparation for the new season.

[Sadman]

6 hours ago, norbold said:

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

Can you say where the track was? ex ringwood boy from the 50`s

 

[norbold]

8 minutes ago, Sadman said:

Can you say where the track was? ex ringwood boy from the 50`s

 

Matcham's Park.

[Sadman]

Just now, norbold said:

Matcham's Park.

Ah that makes sense Poole did training day around the Stock car track 20+ years ago. A short distance out of town.

[THE DEAN MACHINE]

47 minutes ago, Hawk127 said:

It is a shame that Eastbourne is not available having just watched a video of a recent banger meeting at Arlington. I am sure you have many detractors from the idea that a former track could run temporarily if the funds are guaranteed and the covenant is good even if it is for one year while someone develops Northampton. Money speaks volumes if the right figure is on the table and it could be that Swindon, Newcastle and even Wolverhampton could be an option as along as it is temporary. I am sure that more contributors on this forum could come up with other options. Even Iwade or Kent could be thrown into the mix as a short term solution. I just feel that in the case of Northampton a fool and their money will be soon parted if they dive in to the league at this late stage in the preparation for the new season.

I believe Wolverhampton could be persuaded if they had the right person to talk to entain on speedways behalf, you know like someone on the board of the greyhound association, I wonder who is on that board that could possibly help speedway out ? https://www.gbgb.org.uk/sir-philip-davies-appointed-next-chair-of-gbgb/

Edited 14 hours ago by THE DEAN MACHINE

[Neila]

5 hours ago, Tapewrecker said:

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

Personally I don't think it was ever going to happen, my opinion is them in charge kept talking about or dropping hints about Northampton to divert most people attention from the bigger issues of a 4 or 5 ? team premiership and now 4 weeks before the official start of the season (klindt testimonial) NO fixtures have yet been released 

[piston197]

2 hours ago, YeOldPitGate said:

Remember Ian nothing happens with speedway until the building is on fire and the roof your standing under is at the point of collapsing on your head.

Sounds like Hayley Stadium Newport, don't want anyone else to run it, set it on fire !

[Hamish McRaker]

1 hour ago, Neila said:

Personally I don't think it was ever going to happen, my opinion is them in charge kept talking about or dropping hints about Northampton to divert most people attention from the bigger issues of a 4 or 5 ? team premiership and now 4 weeks before the official start of the season (klindt testimonial) NO fixtures have yet been released 

I think there should be a march organised around Rugby next weekend, to protest for the release of the Premiership fixture lists. Get Amnesty International involved, surely this illegal detention must be drawn to the national attention!! 

[hasta la vista]

Mayfield are not the prospective promoters at Northampton.

Foam fence ordered.

Plenty of work to be done.

[noaksey]

2 hours ago, hasta la vista said:

Mayfield are not the prospective promoters at Northampton.

Foam fence ordered.

Plenty of work to be done.

And Dollars to be spent 

[mikebv]

7 hours ago, Hamish McRaker said:

I think there should be a march organised around Rugby next weekend, to protest for the release of the Premiership fixture lists. Get Amnesty International involved, surely this illegal detention must be drawn to the national attention!! 

At the rate they are going,  Manchester City will be found guilty before the fixtures are out...

[Steve Irving]

9 hours ago, hasta la vista said:

Mayfield are not the prospective promoters at Northampton.

I’m personally glad about that. Not a fan of the same people running two clubs in the same division. 

[YeOldPitGate]

10 hours ago, Hamish McRaker said:

I think there should be a march organised around Rugby next weekend, to protest for the release of the Premiership fixture lists. Get Amnesty International involved, surely this illegal detention must be drawn to the national attention!! 

Is Greta free that weekend ?

[PhilTheAce]

8 hours ago, noaksey said:

And Dollars to be spent 

all this just so his son got a track to race at when hes old enough. what a father 

[PhilTheAce]

Northampton is happening so lets get behind it and stop being negative about it.

 

good luck to them 

[Bagpuss]

3 minutes ago, PhilTheAce said:

Northampton is happening so lets get behind it and stop being negative about it.

 

good luck to them 

Completely agree, the negativity on here has been pretty staggering. At least let it happen before slagging it off!

Its been happening for a long time, all the best to everybody involved.

[IainB]

5 minutes ago, PhilTheAce said:

Northampton is happening so lets get behind it and stop being negative about it.

 

good luck to them 

What we say on here will have zero effect. I for one will be going, when the Lions aren't racing, as it's only an hour down the road but it's very high risk. I can see the first season being a relative success, due to novelty factor, the limited fixtures these days and probably most importantly the catchment of defunct and existing tracks (Leicester, Coventry, Peterborough, Oxford, Birmingham) all within an hours travel.

Good luck to 'em 🤞

[Aries]

47 minutes ago, PhilTheAce said:

Northampton is happening so lets get behind it and stop being negative about it.

 

good luck to them 

That’s good to hear Phil. People have said on here one extra track makes little difference but I totally disagree. One more/less club in a division with a high number of clubs I agree makes little difference, but the lower number you go, the bigger difference that one club makes. 
 

A six team Premiership is far far better than a five team Premiership no matter what some naysayers will tell you.

Just hope they can put something decent together team wise to make it a reasonable success. Nobody wants a weak marooned team at the bottom that everybody else is beating every week

[hasta la vista]

Will only be able to put together a team of 6 pointers as that's all there is.

No top riders interested in riding in UK, especially without TV.

Could be like KL last year with Mulford/Harrison as RS?