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NEXT SEVEN HOME MEETINGS ARE CRUCIAL TO FUTURE OF SCORPIONS SCUNTHORPE promoter Rob Godfrey has revealed that the meeting on Bank Holiday Monday, August 31st could be the final-ever Scunthorpe Scorpions’ fixture at the Eddie Wright Raceway, unless there is a telling increase in attendance levels at the North Lincolnshire venue for the rest of the 2015 season. Godfrey first revealed the club’s plight to supporters in his final programme notes of 2014. He promised them one more season, but that support needed to increase during 2015. In a statement, Godfrey says: “First of all, I’d like to thank our loyal supporters across the last ten years, the people who have turned up week-in, week-out. “Scunthorpe Speedway, in its previous incarnation from 1971 to 1985, nearly always tracked a poor team. We’ve banished that reputation, not only winning the Conference/National League three times, but also the Premier League championship in 2012. The latter, in particular, is something that still fills me with tremendous pride. We showed that Scunthorpe Speedway could be a success. “There’s so much we can look back on and be proud about. The current World Championship leader, Tai Woffinden, started his professional speedway career racing for the Scunthorpe Scorpions. “Our supporters are fantastic, but the bottom line is that we simply don’t have enough of them. Last year, I informed our fans that we needed around 100 more people through the gate a week. This year, the situation has worsened, maybe because we haven’t been successful on track. The Bank Holiday crowds have been OK, but our Friday night attendances have been very poor. We no longer need another 100 fans a week, we now need another 200. “Whether we’re finished as a club, I don’t know. It’s no secret that our crowds need to be better, like most clubs. I don’t want this to be our last season, but I have to say we’re fighting for survival now. “I really don’t know what else we can do to try to get people along on a Friday evening at 7.30pm; we’ve tried everything. “I firmly believe we have the best racetrack in the whole country. The fact we’ve been awarded Premier League Track Of The Year three times (2010, 2012 and 2014) suggests I’m not the only person who thinks that. “Some other tracks sometimes come under fire for long, drawn-out meetings, so we make sure we avoid that. We start on time, and then get on with the meeting. “I believe a speedway meeting at the Eddie Wright Raceway is a good night’s entertainment, yet for whatever reason, we simply can’t get enough people to come along to watch our meetings. It appears to be a problem with speedway across the country, rather than a unique problem to Scunthorpe. I can’t speak for other tracks, but I can speak for mine, and we simply don’t have enough people on the terraces to sustain the current level of Premier League Speedway.” The FluidAir Power Scunthorpe Scorpions, supported by Henderson Insurance, currently sit bottom of the 2015 Premier League, and Godfrey admits the on-track struggle has probably not helped with attendances. He adds: “Basically, we’ve had ten reasonably successful years on the track up to now, but this year we’re just having a terrible year. It happens, you have good years and bad years. In the 10 years we’ve been running, this is the first really bad season we’ve had and it’s not through choice. “What can I do to change it? All I can do is hope the riders get it together and start banging in some scores. I don’t think our team is as bad as our current league position shows. Once Josh (Auty) and Ryan (Douglas) are back and fully fit and healthy, I think we have a decent team, and visiting teams will struggle to take any points away from the Eddie Wright Raceway. “But it’s been one thing after another this year. There has been times this season when I’ve hated speedway and can’t wait to get out of it, and I’ve had many a sleepless night. But there are also times when I realise how much I would miss this sport. “We have seven home meetings left, starting with Peterborough on Friday (7.30pm). And as long as the weather doesn’t intervene, we’ll close for this season with the Bank Holiday Monday fixture on August 31st, against Sheffield Tigers, followed by the Midland Development League Riders’ Championship. People have those seven meetings left to show that there is sufficient interest out there to sustain the Scorpions into 2016 and beyond. “No decision has been made yet, but I need to know that people still want speedway in Scunthorpe and that we’re going to get the level of support we need to make it viable to continue. “In my heart, I still believe that Scunthorpe Speedway is worth saving. I hope there are enough other people who do as well”, Godfrey concludes. SCUNTHORPE’S REMAINING HOME MEETINGS IN 2015: Friday, July 10th – Scorpions vs Peterborough Panthers (7.30pm) Friday, July 17th – Scorpions vs Ipswich Witches (7.30pm) Friday, July 24th – Scorpions vs Plymouth Devils (7.30pm) Friday, August 7th – Scorpions vs Newcastle Diamonds (7.30pm) Friday, August 14th – Scorpions vs Redcar Bears (7.30pm) Friday, August 21st – Scorpions vs Berwick Bandits (7.30pm) Bank Holiday Monday, August 31st – Scorpions vs Sheffield Tigers followed by Midland Development League Riders’ Championship (3pm) PLEASE COME ALONG TO THE EDDIE WRIGHT RACEWAY TO HELP SAVE THE SCUNTHORPE SCORPIONS

Result: Redcar 49 Scunthorpe 41 Scorpions so close to point, despite losing Alex Davies through injury in Heat 4. All the best Rob

I will again have my random bottle of water with me this year to see if I can smuggle it in by simply walking between the security chaps All the best Rob

Gavan, this is what you said. That Pedersen dominated Rickardsson. He didn't. While they were both in the GP (2001-2006), Rickardsson won three won titles and Nicki P one. Nicki P is a fine triple World Champion, and I think any rider enters the realms of a 'great rider' once they win a third World title. But you're starting to stray into the realms of fantasy with some of your statements. All the best Rob

Grachan, I agree it's being very selective indeed. Not only that, but if you look at the years they were both in the Grand Prix (2001-2006), Rickardsson won three titles (2001, 2002 and 2005), and Nicki P only one (2003). Not that I'm belittling Nicki's achievements as a three-time World Champion at all. But Gavan's claims that Nicki P dominated Rickardsson in the Grand Prix is somewhere out of the realms of fantasy. All the best Rob

I'm not sure if I can see any comparison between Nicki P and Ward. Nicki P is extremely professional in his approach to speedway, is very clever, and he is utterly ruthless and cunning once he puts on his crash helmet. Darcy is not at all professional, is a bit of an idiot, but is something of a natural talent on a bike. I can't see much common ground there at all. Both are a bit controversial, but for totally different reasons. All the best Rob

MPT is the guest for Scunny in this one, while R/R operates at No 1. All the best Rob

While I'd be perfectly happy if Scunny lose by 15 points on Sunday, I'm just quoting Dantodan's post, so that if the Scorpions do pull off a surprise on the night, then he goes along with the pledge to eat his hat. All the best Rob

Or mebbe no. Blobby, can you let me know the 43 numbers most likely to come out in the lottery on Saturday, and I'll put my money on the other six. All the best Rob

Cheers Mr Rising. I appreciate it was informal, but someone must have been keeping score, because it's known that 3 riders top scored on 11. Speedway is a very statistic-driven sport, and supporters do like having results. I know I do. In fact, I always read the Speedway Star backwards - the match reports first and then the rest of it. All the best Rob

Great attitude. Someone must know the result of the meeting, and it would only take a couple of minutes to post a result on the Speedway Grand Prix website. All the best Rob

Gathered that much, but what did the other 13 riders score and what were the heat details? All the best Rob

Yeah, I know that. I'd still like to have a butchers at the results, though. All the best Rob

Sounds like a very sensible and good idea, and hopefully the track will be all the better on July 4 because of it. I hope that Garrity and Lambert somehow get a last-minute call-up and their experience can be put to use. One request, though. What was the full result of the meeting? There are no details of the result on the Speedway Grand Prix website, where I’d expect to find them. All the best Rob

I don't think Josh will be back yet... I think he's still got metalwork in his hand. He's hoping to be back for Scunny's next home meeting on July 10th. All the best Rob

That'll do. All the best Rob

This is speedway. And the way that the loan rules have operated for a very long time is that once you obtain a rider on loan for the season, he effectively becomes your asset for that season, and any subsequent further loan, must have the approval of that club. Scunthorpe, out of good will, gave Glasgow permission, assuming that the Tigers would return that good will. All the best Rob

Fantastic to hear that Ricky Ashworth was at Berwick last night. All the best Rob

Arnie, thanks for coming on here and giving the view of a neutral. As for any gratitude from the Glasgow fans towards Scunthorpe for their help in loaning out David Howe, it seems in extremely short supply. All the best Rob

Exactly, Scunthorpe gave permission! They co-operated and helped Glasgow. And got stabbed in the back in return. All the best Rob

In the past, numerous clubs have slapped 28-day bans on riders moving elsewhere. Rob Godfrey is not that sort of character. He bent over backwards so that you could get David Howe into your team while you still could. The rulebook is not the be-all and end-all. There is also sportsmanship, integrity and acting in good faith. All the best Rob

Gaz, did you hear what Rob Godfrey said last night? Fair play to Glasgow for winning on the night. But to use a guest when Rob G requested rider replacement, after he allowed you to track David Howe last night, is poor form. As well as written rules, there are unwritten ones. A gentleman's agreement should be just that. Instead the Tigers management have shown themselves to be win-at-all-costs. As you know I'm often sympathetic to Glasgow, but not in this case. All the best Rob

http://scunthorpescorpions.co/?p=3654 All the best Rob

Dave, I do have a complete set of 1978 Oxford home programmes, most were filled in by an uncle and I think they are largely accurate. I will go through and check when I have a minute. It's probably not going to be straight away though. All the best Rob

Arnie, I might have been referring to the appearance of a certain rider at the EWR, but please feel free to add to the atmosphere as much as possible. All the best Rob