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Farewell Newport Hornets


BigFatDave

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Bit of bad news from Speedway 365: - here.

 

Sad but no surprise to regular followers of the National League. Very surprised that Newport did not give any thought to running National and dropping Premier like Stoke did this season. Clearly the financial situation has hit Newport hard so really struggling to understand why they have dropped the more financially viable option.

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Sad but no surprise to regular followers of the National League. Very surprised that Newport did not give any thought to running National and dropping Premier like Stoke did this season. Clearly the financial situation has hit Newport hard so really struggling to understand why they have dropped the more financially viable option.

 

Its a question I asked Main Man earlier in the season when I was down there and his response was that supporters just would not turn out for NL speedway.

 

Its something I have never understood because the quality of the racing is certainly no better and it seems to me that a choice of NL speedway or no speedway at all is a no brainer.

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Sad but no surprise to regular followers of the National League. Very surprised that Newport did not give any thought to running National and dropping Premier like Stoke did this season. Clearly the financial situation has hit Newport hard so really struggling to understand why they have dropped the more financially viable option.

I don't think it is viable to run just a NL side. I would imagine it would be very poorly supported.

 

I find it odd that they are moaning about the crowd for the last meeting. A nothing match contested by 2 woefully understrength teams was never going to attract people.

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I don't think it is viable to run just a NL side. I would imagine it would be very poorly supported.

 

 

That was the concern at Stoke, and I know that quite a few dropped out, but the crowds in the end were as good and often better - if its a case of NL or no speedway, for many that's a no brainer ! I have to say I have enjoyed the season - whether I'd be saying that if we had finished towards the bottom of the table (as someone has to) is another matter ! The riders have given it 100% and have been very approachable - hope to see as many as poss back next season.

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any speedway promoter that runs two teams in this financial climate must have very deep pockets. i don't think the hornets will be the last casualty of this winter. :(

I think the problem is that in any other sport supporters aren't expected to come out and pay for what is essentially a youth/reserve team. Can you imagine a football team binning it's reserve side because they only got 50 people in to watch it?

 

Great for the hardcore fans if they want to watch a second side, but the majority are just interested in watching the best that's on offer.

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I am sure Newport must have discussed going NL, sometimes dropping down works,sometimes it doesnt, Mildenhall have struggled,IOW have struggled but seem to have steadied the ship, Stoke 1st season seems to have been a success, Supporters would always choose NL over No speedway at all,but it needs to be viable, and i suppose it all depends on the costs of rental at Queensway Meadows, maybe this could be re-negotiated.

Alternative income streams need to be investigated, and Stock Cars have already been mentioned, two others could be Stunt events such as Eddie Kidd in my day,maybe 2/3 per year, when we held them at Cradley, as Main Man knows the support for these were FANTASTIC, ques outside stretched 100,s of yards/metres, also a very good money spinner are Sunday Markets, LSD,s Bescot Market is a very good money spinner for Walsall FC, and there are operators out there who will run them for Newport Speedway. :wink: Possibly Car Auctions.

 

Whatever, may i wish Newport Speedway all the best in there endeavors to keep Speedway alive in Wales.

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any speedway promoter that runs two teams in this financial climate must have very deep pockets. i don't think the hornets will be the last casualty of this winter. :(

 

With the financal situation a lot of people including myself could only afford one meeting a week, two is just too expensive, I'm sorry I just couldn't afford it a lot of the time.

 

I think these two sum it up. Running a NL team will not attract any new supporters, unless you have a clever marketing ploy (like calling your team Dudley), therefore you are totally reliant on your core supporters going to two meetings a week, a habit that clearly could get very expensive.

 

The worst case scenario is if your supporters choose to only attend NL meetings, rather than the main team, which by the sounds of it Newport may also have suffered with.

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I think these two sum it up. Running a NL team will not attract any new supporters, unless you have a clever marketing ploy (like calling your team Dudley), therefore you are totally reliant on your core supporters going to two meetings a week, a habit that clearly could get very expensive.

 

The worst case scenario is if your supporters choose to only attend NL meetings, rather than the main team, which by the sounds of it Newport may also have suffered with.

 

 

Matt K ,,,they called the team Dudley as it was in reality the old Cradley Heathens --with their superb support base coming out in large numbers on a Tuesday night after many years without speedway.....so not actually a clever marketing ploy as such.

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Matt K ,,,they called the team Dudley as it was in reality the old Cradley Heathens --with their superb support base coming out in large numbers on a Tuesday night after many years without speedway.....so not actually a clever marketing ploy as such.

I bet it wouldn't have been half as popular if the team was called the Wolverhampton Wolf Cubs or the Birmingham Baby Brummies, though would it?

 

Either way it was a very clever idea to resurrect the Heathen name.

 

As for Newport (both big and little teams), I am at a loss to explain their lack of local support. A cracking little stadium and a good track for racing. I have always enjoyed my albeit very cold trips for the NY classic. And let's be honest, there can't be that much else to do in Newport, can there?

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I bet it wouldn't have been half as popular if the team was called the Wolverhampton Wolf Cubs or the Birmingham Baby Brummies, though would it?

 

Either way it was a very clever idea to resurrect the Heathen name.

 

As for Newport (both big and little teams), I am at a loss to explain their lack of local support. A cracking little stadium and a good track for racing. I have always enjoyed my albeit very cold trips for the NY classic. And let's be honest, there can't be that much else to do in Newport, can there?

 

Well Mothercare is always kept busy :P

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I bet it wouldn't have been half as popular if the team was called the Wolverhampton Wolf Cubs or the Birmingham Baby Brummies, though would it?

 

Either way it was a very clever idea to resurrect the Heathen name.

 

I hope you dont take this the wrong way, because I certainly mean no malice, but you clearly don't understand the situation with the Dudley set-up at Wolverhampton. As has been said previously, the Dudley fan base is made up of largely of die-hard ex Cradley fans who have been looking for a home for donkeys years. Very few fans go to both Wolves & Dudley matches. You make it sound like the Wolves 2nd team, which it certainly is not. We have a team to support at a temporary home until we can find our own stadium. For that we are certainly most grateful to the people at Wolverhampton Speedway and Ladbrokes, but to imply that resurrecting the Heathens name is just a marketing gimmick is a very poorly informed point of view.

 

'Ommer 'Um

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I hope you dont take this the wrong way, because I certainly mean no malice, but you clearly don't understand the situation with the Dudley set-up at Wolverhampton. As has been said previously, the Dudley fan base is made up of largely of die-hard ex Cradley fans who have been looking for a home for donkeys years. Very few fans go to both Wolves & Dudley matches. You make it sound like the Wolves 2nd team, which it certainly is not. We have a team to support at a temporary home until we can find our own stadium. For that we are certainly most grateful to the people at Wolverhampton Speedway and Ladbrokes, but to imply that resurrecting the Heathens name is just a marketing gimmick is a very poorly informed point of view.

 

'Ommer 'Um

 

After 2 years at Monmore Wood I can say that in my eyes that the Heathens ARE NOT the "Wolf Cubs"! 99% plus on a Tuesday are true Heathens fans and NEVER wear anything Wolves and are NOT Wolves fans in any way.

I attended all the Wolf Cubs matches when they ran in the CL with the excellent Graham Jones as the captain and the support was never, ever, the same as we get on a Tuesday or away from Monmore Wood.

If the Hornets & Wasps shut please DO NOT blame the Heathens in any way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :mad:

Edited by berniev123
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