IainB

Abi Stephens has left the coverage

Nicely done 😂👍🏻

Ai goes for Badgers 🦡🦡 I quite like Northampton Nitro's though... may chime with some Santa Pod punters? Since the official nickname is still under wraps, we can have some fun with the local history and culture. Northampton has a surprisingly specific "vibe"—ranging from its world-famous shoe industry to its heavy-metal music scene and folklore. Here are some options for what the new team could be called, categorized by their link to the town: 1. The Industrial Heritage (The Most Likely) Northampton was once the shoe-making capital of the world. * Northampton Shoemakers: (Or simply "The Cobblers," though that is heavily claimed by the football club). * Northampton Soles: A bit punny, but fits the history. * Northampton Cordwainers: A "cordwainer" is a historical term for a shoemaker who works with fine leather. It sounds prestigious and unique. 2. Nature & Local Icons The stadium is located in Brafield-on-the-Green, which opens up some rural and historic options. * Brafield Badgers: This is the "legacy" option. It’s what the team was called in the 1960s. Many traditionalists are hoping for this one. * Northampton Red Kites: These birds of prey are a common and majestic sight in the skies over Northamptonshire after a successful reintroduction program. * Northampton Oaks: Referencing the ancient Rockingham Forest and the county’s floral emblem. 3. Culture & "Edge" Speedway teams often go for "tougher" sounding names to match the dirt and noise. * Northampton Metal: The town is the birthplace of the legendary gothic rock band Bauhaus and has a massive heavy metal scene. * Northampton Phantoms: A nod to the (supposedly) haunted history of the town and its many ancient buildings. * Northampton Hogs: Referencing the "Northamptonshire Hog," a local nickname for residents that dates back centuries. 4. Speed & Motorsport Given its location in the "Motorsport Valley" (close to Silverstone): * Northampton Nitros: Lean into the high-octane energy of the Premiership. * Northampton Gears: A nod to the engineering prowess of the region. My Top Pick: The Northampton Badgers In the world of speedway, tradition is king. Since they are returning to the same site where the Badgers once raced, it’s the "sentimental" favorite. However, if they want to sound like a modern Premiership powerhouse, don't be surprised if they go for something sleek like the Northampton Kites. Would you like me to look into the history of the original Brafield Badgers to see what their old colors and logos looked like?

Do you think the local elections in May could have any effect to the local plan etc?

As most Speedway clubs these days seem to only be able to run with an army of volunteers, I wonder where the volunteers for the Badgers/Cobblers will come from? Peterborough and Coventry maybe?

I was genuinely setting up a thread to discuss everything now it's official that they exist, although the new fans bit was a bit tongue in cheek, although hopefully they'll come, the other thread did get rather clogged up with all the speculation on whether they'd actually come to the tapes, all the other clubs have their own 2026 section, so it's only right Northampton do 🙂 👍🏻

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Welcome to all of their fans... it's only fair they have their own topic thread 👍🏻

Northampton "Tolleys Badges" Badgers? 🦡🦡

It wasn't meant to be funny... I found it funny that Speedway was under promoting itself again by only putting a few pictures on socials of some bent poles when trying to raise £10,000. If there's been 10 grands worth of damage I'd expect to see more, I've seen more damage to the fence after some crashes!

Not for long if he gets involved in British Speedway financially 😂

I don't know but they're going to have to do better than posting a few pictures of some pushed over poles to reach that number! 😂

There has been a lot of (justified) concern as to the viability of such a project, especially with the timescales involved and with the sport being in its lowest ever position. Surely nobody really thinks a new track is a bad thing... closing mid season, having an uncompetitive team, running in front of poor crowds with an expensive team are all bad things which many have been and still are concerned about. Good luck to them though, I for one can't wait to get down there at some point 👍🏻

They've set up a go fund me and want £10k!!!

Now that is an interesting question 👍🏻

I can't recall seeing a single post saying that the addition of Northampton would be anything other than a good thing 🤷‍♂️

Now the 2026 PL season finally seems to be settled with the announcement of Northampton and the fixtures due out tomorrow... is it too early to start thinking about the 2027 PL season?

At least until July last year, when this topic was stated... or the Coventry hearing a couple of years ago 😉😁

Touché 😆

😉

Fair point, some clubs are synonymous with their race night, Wolves on a Monday for example, Poole on a Wednesday, Ippo on a Thursday. Obviously you ride on the night you think you can get your best crowd... unless you're in the PL of course 🤷‍♂️ To suggest that all clubs riding in one league be limited to a Monday or Thursday is madness.

Kvech and PHB are very far from top riders but are the type of foreign riders that UK Speedway can currently afford. And as for having NDL level riders in a one league format meeting is the ideal way to develop young riders, that's not to say they should be riding against the likes of Kvech and PHB but certainly riders around their level. Monday and Thursday clearly doesn't work for the fans even though it may for the riders but the tail is wagging the dog.

Especially when you've got 3 39+ year olds "bike blockers" in your team, who really should be seeing out their days in the CL at this stage of their careers.