Teromaafan Posted 9 hours ago Report Share Posted 9 hours ago 55 minutes ago, FishersGate said: The premiership with 6 teams is still a joke. Northampton have no fans as of yet. These are stone wall hard truths. I'm really hopeful Northampton gets thousands turning up week in week out but there aren't even any fixtures out yet. No advertisement. No news. Nothing told to the locals of Northampton speedway. Just rumours. So the people turning up are already speedway fans but they don't even support Northampton. I'm positive there is a new club, but I'm not exactly jumping for joy either. That's because we've lost so many clubs in recent times. Sorry for the negativity but if we all stop moaning nothing changes. Everything just carries on as normal. The fact that many fans online have voiced there concerns of a 4/5 team league has forced Phil Morris to add a new club. I honestly think if everyone pretended everything is great they would have done a 4 team league. Without us negative trolls things would get even worse. Fans have a voice and I'm using it to force change. Change like Northampton which is great news. Shame this couldn't have been sorted months ago... Good post. Promoters are always bleating about the lack of punters coming through the gate despite their (apparent) efforts to promote the sport, yet here we are with a team supposedly ready to compete in the next few weeks and nobody in the area is aware of what is going on! If this was a business venture, you'd expect the owner to at least make the public aware of their intent and efforts to be up and running this season, with a back up scenario of being ready for the following season if time runs out. This happened when Leicester returned, with the initial intention of running in 2010, but did not come to tapes (can't remember the reason) until 2011. The difference here though is that Leicester had a fan base in place because their campaign to brought the sport back to the City. The situation is being totally driven by the BSPA. My glass remains half empty, but like everyone else on the forum, I'd love to see it work. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noaksey Posted 8 hours ago Report Share Posted 8 hours ago 6 hours ago, IainB said: 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 🤞 Its about the same distance for me as Ipswich so I'll certainly be attending a few at both 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluPanther Posted 8 hours ago Report Share Posted 8 hours ago 6 hours ago, IainB said: 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 🤞 I think regularly attracting any worthwhile amount of supporters from defunct tracks is a myth... 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJC Posted 7 hours ago Report Share Posted 7 hours ago 10 minutes ago, BluPanther said: I think regularly attracting any worthwhile amount of supporters from defunct tracks is a myth... I agree. We would pick and choose meetings at Somerset and Swindon after Newport closed down but it never felt the same. Probably 5 a year at Somerset and even less at Swindon. I actually think we went to Somerset more when Newport were running than after 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikebv Posted 7 hours ago Report Share Posted 7 hours ago (edited) 2 hours ago, BluPanther said: I think regularly attracting any worthwhile amount of supporters from defunct tracks is a myth... Birmingham, with Cradley, Coventry and Wolverhampton, (and even Stoke), within reasonable commutable distance, certainly would back up that opinion... Getting a new track should be something to celebrate, but you do feel that there is a certain amount of desperation with this venture, with allowing riders to double up (as we know how important that is), being the main reason for another top tier team... Let's hope whoever takes over can truly promote a high octane, adrenaline fuelled, exciting and dangerous sport, which brings in plenty of fans who then become regulars... If they can, then maybe it can become a template for others to do the same...? Edited 6 hours ago by mikebv 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamish McRaker Posted 6 hours ago Report Share Posted 6 hours ago Is there a possibility that having 6 teams could salvage a tv deal (albeit a limited one) in 2026, thus providing a contribution towards the setting-up costs? But as well as the question of lack of support base and lead-up promotion & marketing, theres also the question of product quality. Whilst the sub-surface of the track should be fine (no hidden nappies), the first season at a new track is notorious for revealing previously unforseen problems. So many new tracks throughout speedway's history have failed due to such problems being insurmountable. And whereas Ipswich should be okay once their supporters get dialled into their new-look team, you do wonder about the possible quality of a 6th team, after the recent experiences of Birmingham, Kings Lynn and Oxford coming to mind. A 6-team league that features a lame duck side is asking for big trouble, not just for that club Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piston197 Posted 6 hours ago Report Share Posted 6 hours ago 1 hour ago, DJC said: I agree. We would pick and choose meetings at Somerset and Swindon after Newport closed down but it never felt the same. Probably 5 a year at Somerset and even less at Swindon. I actually think we went to Somerset more when Newport were running than after Likewise, hardly missed a new era Newport meeting, went to a few at Somerset, ( awful drive down a regularly jammed M5) standing on a cold slippery bank and a circuit that was basically a big doughnut, never compared favourably to Newport, went to a few at Swindon as well, poor atmosphere looking through wire fencing across a dog track did not compare favourably either, once your team is gone it is hard to switch allegiance. I would rather attend a grass track now, slick operation, lots of good close races, but if Newport was to return I would be back in a heartbeat / Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben91 Posted 2 hours ago Report Share Posted 2 hours ago I just cannot, and will not be able to square away the fact that a track can be opened where nobody is calling for it, yet there have been multiple clubs that it would have been much easier to save but weren't rescued over the last let's call it a decade or so. It's compounding years of bad business with some more bad business. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikebv Posted 1 hour ago Report Share Posted 1 hour ago 4 minutes ago, Ben91 said: I just cannot, and will not be able to square away the fact that a track can be opened where nobody is calling for it, yet there have been multiple clubs that it would have been much easier to save but weren't rescued over the last let's call it a decade or so. It's compounding years of bad business with some more bad business. At last three, and probably more, riders get to "Double Up"... The key reason for two leagues... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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