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Berwick Statement


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I have said this on the Berwick-Rye House thread, but I am saddened by this news and hope that a solution can be found.

 

I believe that John Anderson has tried very hard to make speedway in Berwick attractive enough to pull in sufficient customers to make it pay or make the losses sustainable. He deserves better.

 

Scunthorpe, Plymouth and now Berwick. Edinburgh had the begging bowl out in April. Workington's gates have been poor and only a week or so ago Brian Havelock was saying that Redcar are 150-200 down per week.

 

You really have to fear for the future of the PL (and I am an optimist) unless some radical changes are made.

 

Something tells me that there needs to be radical change if we to see all the current clubs come to the tapes next year, though some maybe in different leagues as I don't think the PL can sustain the amount of clubs it has now with the current system.

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Any lawyers out there want to take on Terry Lindon's case?? We can battle Glasgow next year with Lindon and Barrie against the Facenna's

Would they not be better going NL , Eastbourne did it this year and have had better crowds than they did in the elite league and from what you read it's affordable and the racing seems to be better

I would say the same but their is no northern NL teams so may not be as benificial as it was for Eastbourne and Birmingham
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Don't think you get a lot of traveling support in NL but think there would be less to pay out no flights big points money or vans etc and it's still speedway and it would keep the door opened rather than have to close it

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Something tells me that there needs to be radical change if we to see all the current clubs come to the tapes next year, though some maybe in different leagues as I don't think the PL can sustain the amount of clubs it has now with the current system.

maybe thats part of the problem the prem league is too big the eliette league is to small and still cant draw full teams of quality riders

the prem has been better value for money and entertainment for years but its dying fast unfortunatly there dosnt look like a solution im affraid

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We all know the solution is cheaper machinary, then cheaper wages will follow. We're told the riders don't want this, but I'm sure once they realise is this, or getting paid peanuts in an ever expanding National League, then they might have to change their stance.

But as usual everyone will bury their heads in the sand until it's too late.

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I would take National League speedway before none any day of the week.

Hopefully any investment into the club will be used wisely. Just for once and this applies to all promotions and not just Berwick, I would like to see promotions aggressively seek sponsorship. If you look on any of the Swedish club websites you will see they receive a lot of backing from local businesses. This could be a far better way of financing clubs going forward. If this needs a paid role in a club or the use of an advertising agency, then so be it. Sometimes you need to speculate to accumulate.

And like a few people have said above, I would like to think that the supporters club and promotion can put aside any differences which were created at the start of the season and work together for the good of the club. I would hate to think stubbornness would hinder any survival plans.


We all know the solution is cheaper machinary, then cheaper wages will follow. We're told the riders don't want this, but I'm sure once they realise is this, or getting paid peanuts in an ever expanding National League, then they might have to change their stance.
But as usual everyone will bury their heads in the sand until it's too late.

Excellent points, especially the last sentence.

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I would say anyone who doesn't own their own stadium will be struggling. Doesn't leave many - Glasgow, Somerset and Rye House would be the only safe ones in my mind. Even Redcar who own their own stadium are down to the diehards, can't survive on that.

 

The fight to be the best has led to this, overspending on riders coupled with spiralling external costs are burying the clubs. The riders are demanding more money as they want the best equipment and fancy van. When was the last time anyone saw a rider come with their bike on a trailer being towed by a car? I see them at Northside when I go there but even some of these young lads have loads of equipment, how do they afford it? In football if you want the best equipment it will cost £100 for boots, if it's cricket or golf it's £500, in speedway it's £2000 for a bike minimum then kevlars, spare parts and the van to cart it round in! It's become a spending race

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I'm sure that if the club went back to the Supporters Club and asked to settle their differences over a meeting then it would happen, at the end of the day everybody just wants the same goal and that is to see speedway at Shielfield park on a Saturday night

thats definitely the way forward if the club and supporters club/2012 group got together settled their differences and worked towards a common goal ie saving berwick speedway
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thats definitely the way forward if the club and supporters club/2012 group got together settled their differences and worked towards a common goal ie saving berwick speedway

I've said it before I think the way forward is for supporters clubs to run clubs. Like they do in Sweden and Denmark. They pay subs to become members of the club and have voting rights. Officials are appointed and are held accountable by the members. The club lives within it's means because it cannot spend money it does not have. I also think clubs run by basically volunteers would get more support from local businesses.

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