New Teams For Nl

[greyhoundp]

There are rumours, not without foundation that more than one team may be lost to the National League in 2011, Should there be a loss of say two teams, allegedly Bournemouth, and say Plymouth or 1 other, Then maybe an addition of Mildenhall, Sittingbourne and i would not be surprised to see Stoke re-enter a team as Crewe ??, then i expect the League to remain more or less the same number, or even see an increase, based on the following.

 

There may be other defunct Teams who may be encouraged by the success Dudley have achieved this season,I would say Dudley are argueably the most succesful <financially> team in British Speedway this season. I think it has opened up all sorts of possibilities in this respect for instance Long Eaton to ride at Leicester, Norwich to ride at Mildenhall or Kings lynn, Bristol at Newport or Somerset,Hull at Scunthorpe, Cornish/Exeter team at Plymouth and even dare i say Sunderland at either Redcar or Newcastle,Reading/Oxford at Swindon,maybe slight chances for Halifax or Bradford, but realistically there is maybe not a track close enough to support such a move, Yes i know Bournemouth have tried and failed to establish/attract sufficient crowds, but in all honesty Bournemouth do not really have a Speedway pedigree,i know Boston did it for a number of years then had to discontinue because there was not sufficient support, anyone think of any other teams that may be able to make a come back, along the lines of Dudley, i am CERTAIN there are other <formerly well supported> defunct teams who could make a succesful return in the NL.

Edited October 16, 2010 by greyhoundp

[davidba]

Interesting and unusually positive post! Where does the Crewe revival come from?Is there substance to this or just wishful thinking? Would love to see that happen on any level!

 

With Bournemouth and Plymouth set to not be in the third tier for very different reasons, and prospective buyers for Mildenhall and Weymouth both understandably cautious about commiting to buying, (Being unsure of how the league will look and if there will be enough teams to make it viable), most people are being pessimisitc about the third tier right now!

 

Hope you are right though, British Speedway needs a healthy 3rd tier, so hopefully your ideas about track sharing for former successful teams will catch on. Obviously Bristol have been looking for a home and run teams of late, as have Halifax(But as you say no open tracks that near to them). There is also some hope re Oxford again at present, though who knows what league any promoter would want to enter.

Leicester being so central and having unlimited access to the track does offer a real hope for a track share.

Just a shame that some huge areas have no tracks whatsoever to share around(London, Liverpool,Yorkshire come to mind)

[Diesel]

I think running a Bristol team out of Newport would be a non-starter. I just don't think the locals would support a team from 'over the water' and I don't see enough fans from Bristol coming across the bridge.

 

I think Dudley has worked so well because it was such a big club with a great history and clearly had a big dormant fanbase.

[Catalan]

There's very little chance a Bristol team would run at Somerset considering past dealings

[Halifaxtiger]

Bournemouth are 99% certain to close, Plymouth have applied to go PL (although whether they are accepted is anyones guess - I have never heard a good word about their promotion).

 

An informed source told me that the closure of Bournemouth is more about will than money.

 

I remain optimistic about Mildenhall for the simple reason that it is in the stadium owners interests to have speedway there, especially if he can get a few hard core fans to run it for him. I think his rental demands (£1,300pw) are totally unrealistic given the current economic situation but, bearing in mind that he receives the lucrative profits from the catering and bar at the track, it is better to have it open and make £200 pw than shut and nothing.

 

All that is dependant upon the court case regarding the closure of the stadium, but I simply refuse to accept that the will of a few individuals who moved in next to the place will prevail over that of the large numbers (for stock cares if not speedway)who regularly attend.

 

I think Weymouth will run. Gary May deserves a great deal of credit for coming forward to make a bid and seems to accept that the track will run at a loss, although I suspect gates will increase simply because the previous promotion are no longer involved. The asking price of £40k is still way too high, because you get virtually nothing for it.

 

The chances of another Dudley are slim. League entry(in a different league), a very attractive team, a stadium close to the place and a side that has not been out of action for that long all count in their favour and I am not sure that there is anywhere else like that.

 

At the risk of jumping the gun, there was a lot of talk when I was down at Plymouth recently about a prospective new track in Cornwall.

 

One thing I would like to see is northern clubs banding together to put a side in, maybe running at Redcar.

Edited October 17, 2010 by Halifaxtiger

[June]

I cannot see many people coming across via the bridge from Hull to Scunthorpe.....bridge costs far too expensive = £5.40 plus entry etc. and Scunny fans have their own teams to support.

[RedcarRacer]

Personally dont think NL will return to Redcar in the near future, one it isnt that viable plus if Havvy snr isnt running it, he wouldnt risk his own fan base with rival team running at STMP - no matter what league.

 

As I have said before I really hope that Plymouth come up, but hopefully that will not hurt the NL too much.

[25yearfan]

There are rumours, not without foundation that more than one team may be lost to the National League in 2011, Should there be a loss of say two teams, allegedly Bournemouth, and say Plymouth or 1 other, Then maybe an addition of Mildenhall, Sittingbourne and i would not be surprised to see Stoke re-enter a team as Crewe ??, then i expect the League to remain more or less the same number, or even see an increase, based on the following.

 

There may be other defunct Teams who may be encouraged by the success Dudley have achieved this season,I would say Dudley are argueably the most succesful <financially> team in British Speedway this season. I think it has opened up all sorts of possibilities in this respect for instance Long Eaton to ride at Leicester, Norwich to ride at Mildenhall or Kings lynn, Bristol at Newport or Somerset,Hull at Scunthorpe, Cornish/Exeter team at Plymouth and even dare i say Sunderland at either Redcar or Newcastle,Reading/Oxford at Swindon,maybe slight chances for Halifax or Bradford, but realistically there is maybe not a track close enough to support such a move, Yes i know Bournemouth have tried and failed to establish/attract sufficient crowds, but in all honesty Bournemouth do not really have a Speedway pedigree,i know Boston did it for a number of years then had to discontinue because there was not sufficient support, anyone think of any other teams that may be able to make a come back, along the lines of Dudley, i am CERTAIN there are other <formerly well supported> defunct teams who could make a succesful return in the NL.

 

 

Wishful thinking I suspect but it would be nice to see a stronger 3rd tier!

 

The Heathens are a different entity to any other club because they were the best supported club in the Country, their closure is still reasonably recent (1995 at Cradley) and they have 2 tracks Wolves and Birmingham that are 15-20 miles and under away from their heartland which is not such a chore for fans to get to!

 

The idea of resurrecting defunct clubs at neaby tracks sounds good in theory but in reality existing tracks are stuggling with poor crowds and one track supporting 2 teams has never been financially viable not even in better times. Also fans of defunct clubs don't really see their ressurected teams running at another team as being the real thing so don't support it.

 

The Boston operation of 2000-2008 was born out of a desire to persuade the local Council to provide them with land to build a new track. When that became obvious it wasn't going to happen interest in Boston home meetings at King's Lynn dropped big time!

 

Crewe last ran in 1975 so their can't be that many around who'd remember them although I know efforts were made a few years ago to build a new track in the area!

 

Leicester will have enough on their hands running for the 1st time since 1983 without having to worry about starting a 3rd tier team as well!

 

My old team Norwich last ran in 1964 and I don't think running a 3rd tier Norwich team out of King's Lynn or Mildenhall would see loads of fans flocking in from Norwich. Afterall I bet not that many fans from Norwich go to speedway anywhere at present. Mind you a new track in the Norwich area would be very well supported I suspect!

 

Running 3rd tier speedway at Iwade (who called themselves Sittingbourne) is difficult and I'm no sure if the owners wants to or not so I wouldn't hold my breath there!

 

As with any defunct track, reopening after closure is rarely straightforward so Mildenhall returning is not by any means guaranteed particularly with the rather awkward stadium owner who wants too much rent money!

 

I think Plymouth have now got to the stage where they need to move up in order to maintain/increase crowd levels but their promotor is well known for making big statements that end up not materialising!

 

Hopefully Weymouth will be bought out by people capable of making a good go of it!

 

Also hopefully the owners of Oxford stadium will see sense and let speedway return but again no guarantees!

 

I hope the 3rd tier survives but like in the past it has a struggle cause speedway as a whole in this Country is struggling at League level!

Edited October 17, 2010 by 25yearfan

[cityrebel]

with most nl teams except dudley and plymouth getting low crowds you really have to fear for the future of the sport at this level.

[Nikko]

with most nl teams except dudley and plymouth getting low crowds you really have to fear for the future of the sport at this level.

 

The key to the NL even surviving into next season is for the BSPA Management Commitee to start making decisions now, and not wait until January as they normally do.

 

Teams in the third tier should have same rights as those in the EL & PL and that includes all decisions, conferences etc being at the same time.

 

The third tier is the start of most riders careers, if it is not run professionally how can you expect them to be professional later on.

 

Until the BSPA concentrate on the NL and not leave it as an afterthought all the time it will struggle.

 

Personally I believe in the NL its the only league I want to be involved in.

 

Lets hope all those who feel the same have the chance in 2011.

[ancient mariner]

I think running a Bristol team out of Newport would be a non-starter. I just don't think the locals would support a team from 'over the water' and I don't see enough fans from Bristol coming across the bridge.

 

I think Dudley has worked so well because it was such a big club with a great history and clearly had a big dormant fanbase.

 

Let's face it, there aren't too many fans that take the trouble to support Newport at Newport, let alone a Bristol team riding at Newport

[BigFatDave]

Let's face it, there aren't too many fans that take the trouble to support Newport at Newport, let alone a Bristol team riding at Newport

I think you may have cause to eat your words in the next couple of years, AM. Newport have produced a play-off team in NL and a very promising PL team this season; the crowds will return next year. (If you build it they will come.)

The big advantages for them are that owning the stadium takes away a large percentage of costs; that and the existence of a dedicated, (mostly) united team of promotion, management and volunteers.

[greyhoundp]

Of course the NL will continue in 2011,I am still of the Opinion with at least the same number of Teams as in 2010, though reading some of the negative vibes on here one would be forgiven for thinking the NL is doomed.

 

I will give you an insite into two current esteemed promoters of our Great sport, aproximately three years ago CVS said to me personally, he could not see Heathens supporters supporting a NL team in any great numbers, how wrong he was. The former Cradley manager a certain C.Pratt said when aproached to rent Coventry stadium, I think Coventry Stadium being an A Grade track is not suitable for The Heathens in the NL maybe you should try Stoke, eat your heart out Colin.

 

Now these are two established promoters who help run our Sport, and even they showed varying degrees of negativity towards a return by the Heathens, so perhaps its understandable where supporters get the same type of pessimism from.

Edited October 18, 2010 by greyhoundp

[Parsloes 1928 nearly]

Of course the NL will continue in 2011,I am still of the Opinion with at least the same number of Teams as in 2010, ...

 

I really wish I could share this sentiment but I'm afraid I'd have to respectfully suggest that this is all but an impossible notion...

Yes the NL, I pray, shall be with us but it's a certainity to be with less teams than we started with in 2010. The question is: how many less...

[Kester]

I think you may have cause to eat your words in the next couple of years, AM. Newport have produced a play-off team in NL and a very promising PL team this season; the crowds will return next year. (If you build it they will come.)

The big advantages for them are that owning the stadium takes away a large percentage of costs; that and the existence of a dedicated, (mostly) united team of promotion, management and volunteers.

 

You're right with the second half of your post but Newport have built a promising team for the last 2 seasons and the crowds still haven't come. A succesful season would undoubtedly bring in a few more bodies but it seems pretty unlikely that hordes of Newport fans are busting to get through the gates as soon as there's a winning run.

[boz]

Would love to see a Northern track in the NL, whether it be the second team for one of the PL teams or an amalgamation of them all. Theres certainly a good few riders like Jack Hirst and Greg Blair who would certainly benefit from more regular competitive racing. Whether it would happen or not I dont know, but I thought the Nortern Academy League this season was fairly successful.

[CrystalCastles]

I think you may have cause to eat your words in the next couple of years, AM. Newport have produced a play-off team in NL and a very promising PL team this season; the crowds will return next year. (If you build it they will come.)

The big advantages for them are that owning the stadium takes away a large percentage of costs; that and the existence of a dedicated, (mostly) united team of promotion, management and volunteers.

BFD agree 100% with you.....

promotion of the club is a neccesity and something that has been put in place over the past few months

 

i.e. getting in for a tenner, the promotion of the club at local supermarkets with the riders who gave their free time to promote the club....& having a website again is going to be crucial.

 

The promotion showed willingness to try new things and i think they have done a brilliant job so far

 

for example...Ideas to look at if possible are making links with newports other sports clubs ie the dragons & county & the fans who attend their rugby & football matches, promotion amongst the students of newport.

 

 

You're right with the second half of your post but Newport have built a promising team for the last 2 seasons and the crowds still haven't come. A succesful season would undoubtedly bring in a few more bodies but it seems pretty unlikely that hordes of Newport fans are busting to get through the gates as soon as there's a winning run.

 

Kester you make some valid points......but

 

Its all very well saying that wev built a promising team for the last two seasons but last years team didnt do anything and no matter how good you look on paper they didnt do a lot and they wernt very good to watch, given the potential

 

This year we tried a totally different and far more riskier approach 4 newcomers(or 5 if you include Anders) and two riders coming back from major injuries

And for the last two months have had a fantastic team performance wise, as well as IMO overall the most entertaining team we have ever had from a viewing perspective.

We have a hardcore of loyal suppport who are true speedway fans, but we have been one of the best supported clubs in PL history for a number of years, sadly that support dwindled because of things like poor teams, no promotion, lack of investment and closure of the steelworks

 

For me the simple reasons we no longer have the great support we used too are the costs...every track is faced with the major problems of cost for supporters.

Im a student currently & i think ive probably missed about 6 meetings at home this year for both hornets & wasps and thats been generally £18 per week ive been spending which for me has been worth spending...its recaptured my interest in speedway since lastyear after losing interest when we closed down

 

 

Anything is possible though with the right promotion ....only have to look at newport county's season last year to see the difference in a winning team, having attended matches when i can as a student (£8 to get in last year....havent been over yet this year as speedway have had a longer season so dont know the ticket prices this season )at the start of the season they were ave between 800-1000 which they have averaged for a number of seasons, but they got attendances of over 4000 for the match that secured the promotion, & the title presentation last year....and this season their home crowds have been over 2000 i think every home game (or thereabouts)

 

Another sport but that is generally what fans in newport are like, a succesful side & fans will come back.....

 

The potential for this too happen is their.....whether it will is another question, but we as fans and as a club need to have a positive outlook on the prospects, with the effort that has gone in from the riders, promotion & management team,in the past few months they have made a huge effort to try to push things in a different direction

 

Hopefully this will go in the right direction and progress over the winter & into next season, & lead to us getting the fans back..

Edited October 19, 2010 by shirlmeister general

[ancient mariner]

I think you may have cause to eat your words in the next couple of years, AM. Newport have produced a play-off team in NL and a very promising PL team this season; the crowds will return next year. (If you build it they will come.)

The big advantages for them are that owning the stadium takes away a large percentage of costs; that and the existence of a dedicated, (mostly) united team of promotion, management and volunteers.

 

Hi BFD,

 

If I have to eat my words within the next couple of years as you suggest then that will be fine with me. It is a sad irony that Newport has a facility that many promotions would commit murder to own, has had a wonderfully successful team in the NL this year and has STILL failed to attract the support that it deserves. I base my view on the evidence of my last 5 visits

[greyhoundp]

We read constantly of Teams moving UP from the NL, i would not be surprised to see A Team come in the opposite direction, with all the alleged loses made by teams in 2010.

[thamesview]

Some of you have mentioned Sittingbourne in your notes, and state the Iwade track.

 

The thing is their is discussion with the Local council to run a team at a track inside the Greyhound stadium in Sitingbourne itself, which by its location a brief walk from the centre, that it would be well supported, better than the Iwade track, as you needed a car to get to the Iwade track anyway.

 

Think its just waiting a council review, but may be hopefully if granted in the next week or two.

 

So could be a new track there.