penchev Posted July 27, 2015 Report Share Posted July 27, 2015 Presume you got your newsletter, interesting statement from John and certainly to the point. Honesty without any spin always goes down better with the fans Yes, and fingers crossed, the right person/persons can be found to either work alongside the current promotion or take over completely. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allthegearbutnaeidea Posted July 27, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 27, 2015 I have to agree with Shadders imo it's going to be new owners or shutdown, hope it's the first one of those and if not then I will definately go NL, I personally prefer the NL to the EL as you get to see young Brits trying it out in the sport instead of watching people like Matej Zagar not try for Belle Vue. I also think Taffy's point of 2 leagues split by how fonancially stable the club is is a brilliant idea Lets all have our fingers crossed that someone throws some money at it then, John has put his cards on the table here and fair play for that statement 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halifaxtiger Posted July 27, 2015 Report Share Posted July 27, 2015 (edited) Its now on the club's facebook page: AN ANNOUNCEMENT :On behalf of his fellow-directors, John Anderson today issued a statement regarding the future of speedway at Berwick. “Speedway has been an integral part of the fabric of life in and around Berwick for nearly fifty years, and we want this to continue – but it might be time for fresh attitudes, people with newer, younger ideas to take over the task and help us share a burden which has become very, very heavy to carry”. “I don’t want to be thought of as scaremongering – this isn’t us saying that we are closing down, we’re not!” “But when I look back, I see the previous custodians of this great club – the Taylor family, the Fairbairns and Peter Waite – all had a burn cycle of around a decade, and maybe our own ownership has reached the point where new blood is required”. “This is about owning the club, paying the bills – not about promoting or managing the team”. “Myself, my son Ryan, George Hepburn and George Fairgrieve are the shareholders, the ones who have to ensure the club comes up with the money each week – and we are proud to say we have always paid our riders, and our bills, right on the nail”. “In the past, this speedway has been able to soldier on through thick and thin, and we truly, deeply want the club to continue into the next fifty seasons – but we just can’t do it alone any more”. “It isn’t just the financial burdens we are carrying, heavy though these are, it is a terrible strain on our mental and physical health, and when that begins to take its toll it has to be time to take a step back”. “So what I am saying is, there are two ways to go from here”. “We would welcome further investment from interested parties who might share our wish to see the sport remaining as a vital, irreplaceable part of a Saturday night out in Berwick-upon-Tweed and who might want to take on a part of our shareholding and stand beside us, working with and taking some of the load off the present directors and in time perhaps taking more and more control”. “Alternatively, we would be prepared to sell the company outright. Lock, stock and barrel to a new custodian who -- and I make this clear – we feel could be trusted to serve the Bandits and their fans in the way of our honoured predecessors”. “If a total sale was to happen, this would be required to be decided well in advance of the BSPA’s AGM in mid-October, so any new owner could decide who should represent their interests as promoter(s) at the AGM and other meetings”. “I said there were two ways to go from here, but there is a third option”. “Our dearest wish is that speedway continues at Shielfield Park, but to be honest, we could close the doors at the end of the season and cash in. Take the money and run!” “We’d take our share of the League’s profits from big events, sell off the rider-assets, the safety-fence and regain our bond – and by doing so, our company would almost certainly end up well in profit for the year!” “But this is the last thing we want to do, despite the obvious financial advantage”. “We really want new partners to join us to take the club forward, or we want to sell it on as a going concern to a suitable buyer”. “We are saying this now, at the end of July and with a three-week gap before we race again, to allow any interested parties to make contact while we aren’t too busy preparing for matches”. “But we have to make clear that if we don’t find new investment, or we don’t find a viable purchaser before October then the dreadful alternative of closure has to be contemplated as a serious and very final option”. I am genuinely saddened by this because as far as I am concerned John Anderson and his fellow directors have tried very hard to make Berwick Speedway a success. Some clubs - with their team, their track, their racing and, often most importantly, their attitude - simply don't deserve to attract the kind of support that makes the sport pay or at least make it sustainable. In my view, Berwick isn't one of them. Edited July 27, 2015 by Halifaxtiger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goodiepatchie Posted July 27, 2015 Report Share Posted July 27, 2015 Will anyone come in or buy it ? Probably not Think this is the end Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coolcol Posted July 27, 2015 Report Share Posted July 27, 2015 Will anyone come in or buy it ? Probably not Think this is the end will b with ppl like you goin on like that God seeing a statment from the club wit out stupid jokes init straight to the point big john get behind him heppy n the lads Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goodiepatchie Posted July 27, 2015 Report Share Posted July 27, 2015 will b with ppl like you goin on like that God seeing a statment from the club wit out stupid jokes init straight to the point big john get behind him heppy n the ladsjust facing facts Colin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinh88 Posted July 27, 2015 Report Share Posted July 27, 2015 like the idea of nl under a new promotion... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clambo71 Posted July 27, 2015 Report Share Posted July 27, 2015 Strikes me one duty of the promoter is to keep up the spirits of his riders and not issue match reports like Saturday against Rye House where he selected certain riders as the future of speedway with no mention of TJ who has worked his way up to be the teams No 1 next month. The guy has a poor match by his standards and seems to be told he's surplus to future requirements. Check out his statement on Facebook. This from a young man who never shouts his mouth off but is clearly upset and probably has had his confidence shattered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadders Posted July 27, 2015 Report Share Posted July 27, 2015 PR disaster 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
screm Posted July 27, 2015 Report Share Posted July 27, 2015 Strikes me one duty of the promoter is to keep up the spirits of his riders and not issue match reports like Saturday against Rye House where he selected certain riders as the future of speedway with no mention of TJ who has worked his way up to be the teams No 1 next month. The guy has a poor match by his standards and seems to be told he's surplus to future requirements. Check out his statement on Facebook. This from a young man who never shouts his mouth off but is clearly upset and probably has had his confidence shattered. Would have been nice to get a mention in the latest statement from Berwick Speedway. I have given 110% all season, one off on Saturday, the track didn't work in my favour and I couldn't gate. No offence to Kev but I'm the one who has kept the team up too Do you mean this one, Jorgensen has been arguably Berwick`s best rider this season, upped his average and helped to earn many points for Berwick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coolcol Posted July 27, 2015 Report Share Posted July 27, 2015 like the idea of nl under a new promotion... wood you go? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goodiepatchie Posted July 27, 2015 Report Share Posted July 27, 2015 PR disastermonumental PR disaster Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparks123 Posted July 27, 2015 Report Share Posted July 27, 2015 Strikes me one duty of the promoter is to keep up the spirits of his riders and not issue match reports like Saturday against Rye House where he selected certain riders as the future of speedway with no mention of TJ who has worked his way up to be the teams No 1 next month. The guy has a poor match by his standards and seems to be told he's surplus to future requirements. Check out his statement on Facebook. This from a young man who never shouts his mouth off but is clearly upset and probably has had his confidence shattered. I haven't seen either the newsletter or TJ's statement so probably shouldn't comment. I think that Thomas has been mentioned in every newsletter I have read (and rightly so). He has done well for us this year and if we were to continue would surely be one of the first riders considered. Surely you want to boost the confidence of other riders when they do well (especially when they are new to UK speedway). I would think the other statement would put missing a rider from a match report into perspective. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allthegearbutnaeidea Posted July 27, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 27, 2015 Well do you think all of the riders knew? I'm almost certain that they had no clue that they were trying to sell, John and Ryan told me in April that they wanted out and wanted to sell so why have they left it this late to openly say so Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heedthebaw Posted July 27, 2015 Report Share Posted July 27, 2015 Will anyone come in or buy it ? Probably not Think this is the end Goodiepatchie, I've looked at your posts these last few days and you seem hell bent on wanting to see Berwick Speedway close down !Negativity will help no one, yes Saturday was a bad day for Berwick as have been the last few weeks, but constant moaning is not going encourage the riders or promotors very much is it ? Berwick Speedway has seen worse times than we have now and bounced back, hopefully it will again this time. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinh88 Posted July 27, 2015 Report Share Posted July 27, 2015 Remember the average fan lives in the now and goes on what they are told or read.... Hopefully something is worked out for the continuation of the Club Time for a change regardless.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fromafar Posted July 28, 2015 Report Share Posted July 28, 2015 Your right, but after Saturday night we should be a million miles closer than some to winning the KOC at least.Not closer than Rye though!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadders Posted July 28, 2015 Report Share Posted July 28, 2015 Not closer than Rye though!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Not a chance in hell, but it extends the interest for a few weeks at least 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bandit59 Posted July 28, 2015 Report Share Posted July 28, 2015 PR disaster Specially as it was TJ that recommended Mathiaus can someone explain how hes been riding Sam Masters bikes who pays for that ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crescent girl Posted July 28, 2015 Report Share Posted July 28, 2015 e-Newsletter is pretty clear, I think: Saturday's result, perhaps more than other defeats this season, brought a feeling of gloom and despondancy to us all. Thomas Jorgensen, who has been such a star for us this season --- so much so he has swept into the No 1 race-jacket next month -- may have felt the bitter taste of defeat more than most, given that he has been the leader of our pack so often this year. "I truly felt for Thomas" said John Anderson yesterday. "He was so keen to go for it, and had put a brand new engine into his bike for the cup-tie -- but the new engine just wouldn't perform as it should have". "Poor Thomas was just devastated, it was terrible to see him struggling to make his bike work -- so unlike the young man who has been such a credit to the club since joining us this past winter". "He was trying everything, but nothing was happening for him -- I'd put it that TJ's attitude was right, as it always is, but his engine was wrong!" John went on to say that, if anyone thought he was referring to Thomas Jorgensen when he was quoted over 'lack-lustre showings from some areas of the team' they are very much mistaken. "TJ has been a brilliant and refreshing shaft of bright sunlight shining through the darker days here this year, and I know -- and he knows I know -- that one under-performing engine on one difficult night for the club won't draw criticism of any kind from anyone here within the Bandits' organisation". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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