IainB

Already taken by their American Football team... Go Nitros! 😁

I remember the cat park incident, can't remember the other incidents... that's not to say they didn't happen.

What the £30 or the posh northerners? Yes, a premium adult grandstand ticket for a league match says £30 on their website.

This May

Up to £30 at Belle Vue for those posh rich northerners 😉

I thought they did doubling up in Sweden also, I'm pretty sure they used to at least?

Reading the Leicester website, it read as if all adult PL admission would be £25 this year... "Racenight admission prices have been set in line with the other Premiership clubs and will be as follows: Adults £25, Concessions £23, Children (12-16) £5, Children (5-11) £1, Under-5s Free." Which is up 2 quid for us... and no Max Fricke!

Getting to Northampton International Raceway (Brafield) via public transport is challenging due to its rural location between Brafield-on-the-Green and Horton. The closest town is Northampton, which has extensive bus links, but no direct public transport serves the track directly, making a taxi from Northampton (approx. 6 miles) necessary.

From Los Angeles? 😂

While I kind of agree with you, they've smashed their 10 grand appeal... hopefully if there's any money left after they've straightened those poles out (😉), they'll Invest in some kit in making the site more secure. It's a miracle it's not been targeted before now really in it's 15 year existence.

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 🙂 👍🏻

You might need to change the way you view the forum to Desktop mode from mobile mode on the browser you use, that way you can see the full features of the forum site

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 👍🏻