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I’m not about to read every post on this thread, and I apologise if this has been covered and discussed by you on previous posts, but I’ve seen enough to know that the silence coming out of Northampton is staggering. Unless someone who uses this forum that lives or works in Northampton can say any different, there appears to be absolutely zero noise in the local area. We are now in late March—barely five weeks away from the season starting for Northampton — and what have we actually heard? No confirmed team name, no full rider line-up, and next to no presence. How on earth do they propose to build a fan base from a standing start without drumming up any local support? Are they telling the Northampton public that they have a new Speedway team to follow? They will no doubt get a decent crowd level from existing speedway fans around the country at the beginning of the season for the novelty factor, but that won't last if they haven't done the groundwork locally. It feels like the management is just relying on disenfranchised Coventry and Peterborough fans to fill the void because we’re missing our own tracks, and the few Leicester fans that exist to pop along. I’ve personally started three different offices for companies from cold starts, and I can tell you now: this is not how you do it. You don't just open the doors and hope for the best. When you're launching in a new territory, you must be aggressive. You must get out into the local community, pound the pavement, and actually sell what you’re providing. If the person walking down Northampton High Street doesn't even know there's a world class sport (I use the term World Class loosely in the UK) appearing on their doorstep in five weeks' time, the marketing has failed before the first heat. And when those involved directly in the running of the sport and the decisions read things like this, they'll no doubt accuse me of being disruptive and moaning. They’ll claim we don’t understand the "complexities" behind the scenes. But in reality, there are plenty of Speedway fans who actually know how to run successful businesses, how to start a business from nothing, and how to keep it successful. In any other industry, if you launched a product this quietly, you’d be out of business in six months. You must create a "local anchor" — give the people of Northampton a reason to claim the team as theirs. If you don't build that local identity from day one, you aren't a club; you’re just a nomad team at a neutral venue. If they don't start shouting about this soon, they’re going to be racing in front of an empty stadium once that initial novelty wears off. I’d like to be proved wrong and see it be a massive success, and I might be wrong and all of the above is actually happening behind the scenes. But if the actual Speedway world doesn't know anything about it, I highly doubt it is.

Thank God we're back.... I almost had to start a conversation with the Missus!!!!

This northampton situation is the strangest business model I’ve ever seen annd I know I’m not alone,apart from buster and his digger what is going on ? Were they pushed into making a decision to run by the time scale but haven’t actually secured the finances to run yet ? How do they expect to attract a fan base from the local area when nobody knows it’s actually happening, opening a new sport to an area that’s not really got a history of it and making it a success is hard enough but they seem to be giving themselves the worst possible start to achieve it,

Following up on my post from yesterday, I think it’s important to clarify one thing: some people seem to confuse concern with criticism. My comments come from a point of genuine worry, not just for the situation at Northampton, but for UK Speedway as a whole. In Northampton's case, I can only assume the deal isn't fully over the line yet. As Karlito mentioned in his video, why wouldn't there be at least some social media activity? It’s free advertising, yet there’s a total vacuum. Speedway has been the backdrop of my life and my brother’s for over 40 years. We’ve had the highs and lows following Coventry, travelling the country together when we were younger. Mum and Dad taking us to Coventry away meetings in the 80’s are great memories. When the Bees weren't riding and we could drive, we’d be at Cradley or Stoke on a Saturday. Dad would take us to Long Eaton and Birmingham Wheels. When I moved to Woking for my first job after Uni, I was at Reading every Monday. Now living in Lincolnshire, I’m at Scunthorpe for every home meeting. This isn't just a hobby; it’s a lifetime commitment. My Dad is 80 this year and has been a regular since he was a boy. Now, he has nowhere to go. The sport hasn't even got a proper TV deal for him to watch — and yes, I know BSN exists, but it doesn't solve the visibility issue. If I were a promoter right now, I’d be turning to the one big asset every club has: its fans. I’d be appealing to the fans in the Speedway Star and the club programmes for help, because some of us might just have some good ideas on how to actually run a business and turn things around. Clubs seem to treat us as the enemy these days rather than engaging with us. I can think of one fan who runs a very successful business: Alex Brady. Yes, he’s been involved before, but I believe someone like that has incredible transferable skills. You only have to look at his company’s social media output to see that they know what they are doing. Both himself and his business partner, Jamie Minors, have gone from strength to strength from a cold start all those years ago. They are young people who know how to engage with a young audience as well. In my view, promoters and speedway managers should stick to building teams and using their contacts within the sport to do that. Yes, the promoter also puts his or her money in. But seek out people who actually know how to drum up paying customers. Not just wait for them to magically appear out of thin air. At Scunthorpe, I think they get a lot right. The price point is spot on, and the programme is a no-frills scorecard that does the job keeping cost down. Their biggest bonus is the track itself, which serves up terrific racing. They deserve bigger crowds. But the social media output and the website are poor. They could put some great races out on their social media as advertising from the EWR. I haven't been into the town centre, but I can’t imagine there is much around telling people the Speedway even exists, or in any out of town shopping areas. There is a big sign at the entrance to the car park....... It shouldn't just stop at Scunthorpe looking for fans, either. Lincoln isn't far away, and I’d be heading straight to Lincoln University and other UNI’s nearby as Lincoln isn’t the only one. I’d be seeking out the Media and Graphic Design courses and offering those students the chance to promote the club. Give them access to the social media channels and let them crack on. When I was at school, we were taught to keep a display book of our best work for interviews; this would give these students real-world results for their portfolios. I notice my own football team, Coventry City, have let Coventry Uni Graphic Design students handle some of their social media content and it looks superb. They also have a "City Unseen" video on YouTube—watch it, it’s brilliant. You could do the same at any Speedway club on a smaller scale. I’ve heard the "wait until May" argument for Northampton, but I try to imagine that logic in my own professional life. If my directors asked for an update on my latest £1.75m project and I told them I was just waiting until May to see what happens without telling anyone about it, I’d be out of a job. It’s not criticism; it’s concern for something that has been part of my life for four decades. If promoters stopped treating the fans like the enemy and tapped into the skill sets, we have, we might actually be able to help this sport thrive again.

I think "panic-merchant" is a bit of a stretch. As far as I can tell, nobody on here is actually from Northampton, so technically it isn’t "our" club and I suppose, in that retrospect, none of us should care. But we do care, and that is the point. It isn't about panicking; it’s about genuine concern from people who have a lifelong investment in this sport. The Star article might have made perfect sense to some, but for others, it still leaves a lot of silence where there should be activity. If pointing out a total lack of engagement or questioning a "wait and see" approach is considered demanding, then so be it. But most of us aren't looking for excuses to moan, we’re looking for signs of life in a sport we want to see succeed. There is a massive difference between being a "forum merchant" and being a concerned fan who understands how a modern business should actually communicate with its customers.

Did Bomber not guest for him instead?

This post is a classic case of demanding blind faith in a sport that’s already on its knees. The idea that fans should just "stop knocking them" and wait until May to see what happens is exactly how we ended up in this mess. In any other industry, if a business asked for your money but refused to tell you the name of the company, who the staff are, or what the product looks like until the last minute, you’d walk away.

They got the name following conversations with local people as the thing they kept hearing when mentioning Northampton speedway was ”wear the fox hat”.

Wouldn't be the worst idea for someone at Northampton Speedway to have a word with Karlito and see if he can help with spreading the word... I'm sure that the vast majority of posters on here are fully behind the venture at Northampton and hope it will go on to be a great success... Any perceived negativity is purely down to the fact that they don't seem to be giving themselves the best chance of succeeding... As Karlito says... it doesn't take a lot to get the interest started... and once it starts momentum can build... The total lack of news can only lead to many of us thinking that there are big problems that still need to be resolved and could be putting the whole thing at risk of ever happening...

As in a patchwork quilt of different racesuits with race jackets? Would be a massive backward step IMO.

It would be great, however, Poland would destroy every other league due to the money they pay out... Every "decent" rider would choose to ride over there... And any rider not riding over there, would happily leave their non Polish team and replace those who did... I think a UK/Scandinavian League could work though, particularly if/when Poland force in the one extra league rule... A more similar renumeration package across the three leagues and this would bring variety... Use the Danish model, (five rider teams), and you could get 22 teams, meaning 21 home meetings... It would also give a true "Elite" UK league for the UK teams to race in... And would mean "Polish wages" wouldn't need to be paid to attract Polish top riders,(like happens already in Sweden and Denmark)... As an example. Northampton opening in such a league would capture the imagination of the locals far more than a six team UK league would, I would suggest...

Another strange contradiction where Speedway is concerned... They're happy to ask for volunteers for menial things like track raking, stadium maintenance... etc... But when it comes to things that could actually have a positive influence on their business... advertising... marketing... promotions... they don't want to take advantage of the great wealth of knowledge that could be at their fingertips... Very odd...

Great heat on You Tube and Social Media from BSN - showing what Pickering will offer at Scunny,

It isn't really a professional sport (at ownership level in particular), though... More of a hobby than a pro sport for so many... Winning can even be detrimental to their plan as the costs can rise hugely, and close them down!!! We fans judge Speedway like proper professional sports, however these sports have professional marketeers, big sponsors, major media coverage, and an independent leadership team that are in position due to their personal skill sets and contacts, rather that just being an ex competitor in that specific sport... UK Speedway, has none of the above, hence it comes across as amateurish... Because, when it comes to marketing, promoting, administrating and managing optics, that is what it is..

As Bob Monkhouse once said "I havent spoken to my wife for years. I didnt want to interrupt her"

Over the last week I have received a message telling me the site is unsafe, a message saying the address does not exist and got into the site normally. Each alternative seems to appear about a third of the time. When I do get in the number of adverts has increased dramatically and is making the site almost unreadable. I know and accept that advertising is needed to keep the site financed but they are at a level that means I almost regret when I actually get into the site. Another thing that is totally out of hand is the abuse some people throw at anyone who has a different point of view. People need to understand that different points of view exist on most things. Because someone has a different point of view it does not make them a lesser form of life and those who suggest it does should be moderated until they learn some manners.

If you don't find yourself interesting to listen too, god help the rest of us 😜😀

Any chance you can tell us how Northampton's first season went?

There’s a Facebook page now for Northampton foxes speedway team

Down in Plymouth at the start of 2025, they forged a partnership with Marjon University in Plymouth, and that has grown in 2026. Many students are now a part of the club's media team and have lots of hands on experience working in many different areas at the club.

A nasty surprise.

The Star article made perfect sense to me. Without naming names, it answers enough questions to satisfy all but the most-demanding of forum panic-merchants.

The ultimate for me would be to make it 1 team per rider across the continent and introduce continental competition. Would allow UK to return to preferred race nights and introduce more TV deal opportunities, increase the number of meetings against different teams (more variety) and chances to see the best riders across the world when they compete in continental competitions.

You would think it's a common sense thing to do, considering all use the same riders... To be fair to Poland though, they do put fixtures out well in advance, and yet the UK will still plan in meetings knowing riders are missing as they can happily just bring a guest in.... Or even sign riders knowing 100% that their already planned in calendar will mean they will be missing... Meaning so many guests end up being used which are not for injury cover... The British Final being arranged on a night when three meetings are already planned in is a perfect example that whatever "common sense" agreements exist, there will always be something the UK can end up doing which rolls eyes...

I would like to see a rule implemented where riders have to prioritise the own country as part of their licence requirements and that includes riding in British final and the governing body’s from each country work together for the good of world speedway to avoid clashes

Northampton's catchy slogan is more likely to be , "Can you tell what it is yet ?" and hope they are more popular than the last bloke who used that catch phrase ?

What amazes me is the amount of negativity towards the new promotion team. They are sinking much money into getting things up and ready to be in a position to run by May. They will live and die by their decisions. Just because they are not jumping to the timelines desired by people without any financial involvement or backing them is very unfair to keep bashing them. People need to get behind them and stop knocking them for trying to bring speedway to Northampton. Soon the keyboard warriors will be complaining about whatever nickname they decide on, then it will be the seven riders signed, then the design of the racesuits, then the cost of entry, then, then, then, the list will go on which is grossly unfair. UK speedway is dying on its arse and people need to unite and stop with the negativity towards pretty much everything and everybody who tries to run and finance UK speedway tracks.

Maybe they are keeping it quiet because they don't want prospective patrons to type speedway into google and end up here reading all the negativity. Good things come to those that wait

With the way things are going they are probably going to be one of the weaker teams anyway... just what a new club needs to get the fans flocking in their thousands...!!! If they are then also told that they can't have a proper facility for one of their chosen riders that really would put the lid on it... Surely this should be a case of the famous... "In the best interests of the Sport"... rule... and this would be one of the more reasonable applications of it...

I can only presume it is to show those councils currently deciding on whether to give house building permission, on ex Speedway sites, that the sport isnt in steep decline and confidence is so high in its growth that a new track has opened... Those fighting the developers can point to both Northampton and Buxton as examples of people seeing a bright future... Personally, if they had a couple of hundred thousand to spend I would have used it to grow the businesses of the 14 current tracks through national marketing and special offers... An extra 500 at each would make a huge difference given the low starting point, and bring another 7,000 fans in to the sport.. Even if Northampton is a "success", there won't by anything like 7,000 there each meeting.... Fingers crossed it works, however, the optics of having your team compiled by your opponents doesn't sit well in a professional sport....

Such a shame and shortsighted of whoever decided to axe it.

I'm sorry I couldn't understand your accent, you're gonna have to repeat that

They were originally know as the brafield flying foxes, before the name was changed to the brafield badgers.

Having gone to meet the riders and having heard from the new promoters I have to say my first impression is that I think the club is in very good hands. Chris Louis had really pushed the club to new professionalism levels and commercial success. He and Julie deserve a lot of credit and I thank them both for their efforts Richard Coleman spoke very openly and honestly and he is definitely a very strong leader with a clear vision. He believes like most fans that the way forward is for an independent ruling body to stop the self interest ruining the sport. it’s going to be a very interesting seeing how the top table deal with this breath of fresh air.

Surely ‘Foxes’ is heavily associated with Leicester and Leicestershire???

And so cheap to do as well.... So many platforms to put it on also... That's another area where an independent leadership model would help, as such things should become compulsory to do.... I am sure every track would have a local college or university doing media and marketing courses that would jump at the chance of giving students a chance at such "work experience"... The populace doesnt have time now for watching hours of programmes, yet can be hugely engaged to watch 15 mins or so of "content".... Speedway enthusiasts will be happy to sit there for two hours lapping up every comment and interview, but it isn't them that needs targeting, as they already attend meetings... It's the 79,980,000 who don't attend each week who need to be engaged... (What an opportunity though!)...

Good for him. He take flak on here but I think he's a great commentator & enjoyable to listen to, better than a monotone nerd/dullard🙂

Co-inciding with Speedway Star's unmissable Season Preview issue, which will offer details of ALL the tracks and teams...... Worry-ye-not, folks. It's happening!

Disappointing no Brennan I agree. But they are all new suits for all riders just very similar design. You can tell by the 75 years anniversary logo on left chest on all not just the new guys. You can see it clearly on one of the pics of king. Mayfield wording also on arms.

Agreed 99.9% on here want this to be a resounding success that means the club can carry on for many years, the worry as the same 99.9% have said is it seems to be the standard speedway operating model of lets just open the gates on opening night and they will turn up. This semi works at existing tracks as the wealthier owners can underwrite the losses but its been a very slow death by a thousand cuts for the last 40 years, people on here desperately want it to succeed the concerns are it seems the owners are following the current operating model that we all know doesn't work unless you can cover losses elsewhere Poole and Ipswich excepted.

Great Post.... In my ex world of business we often, store to store, region to region, shared "best practice" and all, as one, benefitted from ideas that invariably came from people who were innovative... With the more pragmatic who didn't possess such a skill set, (like me), building on these ideas to ensure profitability and legal compliance... Before we launched this "New Way Of Working" into the Operating Model of the business.. Glasgow and Poole, in particular, seem to be able to engage people to watch their teams, therefore why not, nationally, make what they do part of the "Operating Model"?.. There may be others who also do "good things" individually that could work for others, eg social media sites, selling yourself to sponsors etc, etc.. The on track action is, in the main, decent to watch, it is very much the off track leadership and marketing which hold it back... There isn't an excuse though when some can demonstrate how they do it well...

When it comes to social media exposure Northampton and the rest of the premier league could learn a lot from the Buxton promotion, even using catchy slogans like get your backside trackside and tales from the dales

Listened to some of Fraser Bowes interview on the Poole 15 heats later videocast on Youtube Someone asked about the van incident late in the season that ended with him downing tools 😂 Knowing the story, it just shows how much of an entitled bloke the guy is, didn't come across very well at all, probably will fit in perfectly at Poole 😀 Him and Tate/Jacob for example are night and day in terms of personal character.

When weathers warmer I will be visiting Scunthorpe regularly to see Picko ride, along with other Sheffield riders. Great racing guaranteed and I always enjoy watching the national league riders coming through

The line up doesn't matter The cause does. It's an early season meeting where riders are blowing off the cobwebs and in my opinion since it was brought in one of the most important British meetings of the year.

More meetings will have guests this season? This time next year Rodney , Bomber will be a millionaire..

Ah right yeah, it did get known as “The podcast”, but yeah No Brakes No Fear is the actual name. Glad you enjoyed Bruce anyway, I’m hoping to do more stuff like that during the season this time rather than in the winter as has been the case. It’s great there are other podcasts around now which weren’t there 5 or 6 years ago. Personally I think we need more club specific podcasts / YouTube channels, either official club backed or just fan based ones. And for those podcasts to collaborate with each other and not see it as a competition. People will watch and listen to more than 1 thing, and what’s clear is if you watch or listen to 1 speedway show you’re probably going to listen to more, the stats prove that.

Tate vinnie and jamie putting in some good laps today.

Can’t beat a little piece of positivity