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Edinburgh 2016


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Money money money......name trophies for all that

I certainly hope that the Facennas do not go down the Edinburgh route of trying to buy league titles, just because they can. O.K. Monarchs have been successful but have, reportedly, come close to financial ruin, trying to keep paying the wages. They have had some terrific sponsors over the years but with the sad loss of Brian Gray and the retirement of long time saviour, Ronnie Anderson, raising cash outwith the turnstiles is not getting any easier. I would prefer to build year on year to a solid team base and developing some young lads, possibly Scots (eventually, if they follow up with the training track).

Winning trophies is a great feeling in any sport but it has to be sustainable. A moderate or mediocre season could chase away a lot of fans, further reducing income and increasing financial pressure on the club. I do not suggest that this only applies to Edinburgh. Glasgow struggled in 2012 and I cannot see businessmen like the Facennas continually pumping money in without return.

In truth, both promotions have to concentrate on improving the quality of the product they are trying to sell. Monarchs have to significantly improve the viewing facilities and, if possible the general facilities in the stadium. OK, it was always assumed that they would only be there for a season or two so that was acceptable. However, after 18 seasons, someone is definitely ripping the proverbial out of the fans.

Glasgow must concentrate on improving the racing room and surface on the track to enable proper racing. The product is advertised as 'speedway racing' implying that there will be lots of passing. True, there have been some meetings this season with great racing - just not enough of them! There is not a lot of scope to extend the track - but there is some scope. The banking helped but may be overdone providing one usable line

One track with racing that cannot be viewed - another with good viewing but little worth seeing. Neither an ideal product to attract and keep new fans.

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Was waiting for a question like this. One year is a short term view, name a team who is in a better position than Glasgow going forward. They are growing the whole time, fan base, media exposure, own their own stadium. Nearly every other team has had doubts about its future. And I'm not even close to being a Glasgow fan. But I can see a successful club there.

 

And meetings that take over 3 hours

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I certainly hope that the Facennas do not go down the Edinburgh route of trying to buy league titles, just because they can. O.K. Monarchs have been successful but have, reportedly, come close to financial ruin, trying to keep paying the wages. They have had some terrific sponsors over the years but with the sad loss of Brian Gray and the retirement of long time saviour, Ronnie Anderson, raising cash outwith the turnstiles is not getting any easier. I would prefer to build year on year to a solid team base and developing some young lads, possibly Scots (eventually, if they follow up with the training track).

Winning trophies is a great feeling in any sport but it has to be sustainable. A moderate or mediocre season could chase away a lot of fans, further reducing income and increasing financial pressure on the club. I do not suggest that this only applies to Edinburgh. Glasgow struggled in 2012 and I cannot see businessmen like the Facennas continually pumping money in without return.

In truth, both promotions have to concentrate on improving the quality of the product they are trying to sell. Monarchs have to significantly improve the viewing facilities and, if possible the general facilities in the stadium. OK, it was always assumed that they would only be there for a season or two so that was acceptable. However, after 18 seasons, someone is definitely ripping the proverbial out of the fans.

Glasgow must concentrate on improving the racing room and surface on the track to enable proper racing. The product is advertised as 'speedway racing' implying that there will be lots of passing. True, there have been some meetings this season with great racing - just not enough of them! There is not a lot of scope to extend the track - but there is some scope. The banking helped but may be overdone providing one usable line

One track with racing that cannot be viewed - another with good viewing but little worth seeing. Neither an ideal product to attract and keep new fans.

How do you come to the conclusion that Edinburgh tried "buy" League titles the last couple of seasons?
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I certainly hope that the Facennas do not go down the Edinburgh route of trying to buy league titles, just because they can. O.K. Monarchs have been successful but have, reportedly, come close to financial ruin, trying to keep paying the wages. They have had some terrific sponsors over the years but with the sad loss of Brian Gray and the retirement of long time saviour, Ronnie Anderson, raising cash outwith the turnstiles is not getting any easier. I would prefer to build year on year to a solid team base and developing some young lads, possibly Scots (eventually, if they follow up with the training track).

 

 

Buy league titles. comical, you tried to do it last year and won nothing. If you seriously believe that Edinburgh buy league titles you are one seriously deluded person.

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Buy league titles. comical, you tried to do it last year and won nothing. If you seriously believe that Edinburgh buy league titles you are one seriously deluded person.

 

No you are.

Announce the 2015 team, keep biggest drain on financial resources and then threaten closure unless someone fills the begging bowl.

All before a wheel is turned.

Do the maths.

Edited by george.m
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Buy league titles. comical, you tried to do it last year and won nothing. If you seriously believe that Edinburgh buy league titles you are one seriously deluded person.

Deluded .......... believing things that are not real or true

 

You believe that a team with 4 heat leaders (3 current or recent no.1s) and a world longtrack champion pay only basic points money. You believe that having a home track which guarantees you 50 - 70 points per meeting has costs covered by gate receipts.

Unless gates are way above those reported or witnessed, I am not the deluded one.

However, there appears to be no crime in using sponsors money to purchase titles - Monarchs are not the first team to do it and it is quite possible that Glasgow may elect to do the same thing - my comment was that I hope that they do not - I doubt that they will ask my opinion. As I said, it is not really a sustainable position - only a deluded person would believe that it was.

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Let’s remind ourselves of what we have achieved in the past two seasons, in terms of national trophies and also topping the League, which I reckon no other club has come near to, since the inception of the Premier League.

 

In 2014, the Monarchs topped the Premier League table, won the Premier League Play-Off, won the KO Cup, won the Premier Trophy, and were also PL Pairs winners.

 

With success came the requirement to break up a brilliant septet to meet the overall team building limit total GSA of 42.5 for 2015.

 

So out went Derek Sneddon (retired), Max Fricke (to Belle Vue), Stevie Worrall (to Newcastle), and Aaron Fox (returned to USA), to be replaced by Kevin Wölbert (returning to the Monarchs from a hostile time at Glasgow), Rob Branford (resuming his career in the UK after injury in 2013), Max Clegg (doubling up from NL Cradley Heath) and finally Erik Riss, (a 19 year old German, with very little experience of riding conventional Speedway)

 

Having experienced the euphoria of supporting Edinburgh to their best ever season in 2014, I was happy enough to settle for that forever, and did not expect similar success this season.

 

But, to my surprise and possibly most other Monarchs fans, we probably did as well, topping the Premier League table again, winning the Premier League Play-Off again, retaining the Premier Trophy, plus winning the Premier Fours and Premier Shield in 2015.

 

We will yet again have to break up another Magnificent Seven for 2016, but it’s a price worth paying to have experienced such stellar success in consecutive seasons.

 

I do not expect us to win anything next season and will be happy if we continue to see good quality racing on the excellently prepared Armadale track.

 

I will leave others to speculate on the composition of the 2016 Edinburgh Monarchs but win, lose or draw, I will continue to support my team at home, and sometimes away.

 

Whoever wins the medals in 2016 we will graciously acknowledge their achievements, rather than adopt the “anyone but them” attitude displayed by certain jealous parties towards the Monarchs over 2014 – 2015.

 

It would however be nice if some side that has not achieved much success at second tier level were to gain major national success, such as Berwick or Plymouth.

 

 

 

 

 

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I certainly hope that the Facennas do not go down the Edinburgh route of trying to buy league titles, just because they can. O.K. Monarchs have been successful but have, reportedly, come close to financial ruin, trying to keep paying the wages. They have had some terrific sponsors over the years but with the sad loss of Brian Gray and the retirement of long time saviour, Ronnie Anderson, raising cash outwith the turnstiles is not getting any easier. I would prefer to build year on year to a solid team base and developing some young lads, possibly Scots (eventually, if they follow up with the training track).

This is such utter dross. No doubt it is comforting for a Glasgow fan to put Edinburgh's success down to 'buying trophies' but anyone trying to sign riders at the moment knows very well where the really big money is being offered. Edinburgh's difficult times have been when weather has been bad (as it often is in central Scotland) or crowds have fallen for other reasons. Certainly riders who improve year on year have to be offered better deals, and Edinburgh have had more than a few like that. This year Edinburgh's finances are the best they have been for many years (sorry to disappoint anyone hoping otherwise).

 

Brian Gray and Ronnie Anderson have been part of a great organisation but only part. Brian is missed mainly for his personality, not his finance, and while Ronnie has been talking about retirement for many years, he never does it.

 

Your last sentence that I quote ironically describes fairly well what Edinburgh have done over the years!

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Nice one drosser that has to be down as the most ill informed post I have ever read on here and that is saying something.

 

The basis of monarchs success over the last 10 years was the dale devils and it was a privilege to watch the lads in that team go from novices to champions! Unfortunately 2 teams were not sustainable and that source dried up and deek was the last of them to finish up. So we moved on to attracting potential

 

THJ

Craig Cook

Kevin Wolbert

Max Fricke

Erik Riss

Ryan Fisher

Joszef Tabaka

Kalle Katajisto

Justin Sedgmen

Stevie Worrall

 

 

None of these guys were big hitters when they signed but all had potential and look what racing for Edinburgh has helped them achieve.

 

The only rider we have signed in that period who you could describe as an established PL heat leader was Sam masters and the visa problem screwed that although big Claus did an honourable job in his place and we only fell just short that year. With Sam we might have won it although we wouldn't have had last year's dream team so I am happy with how it turned out. Then Edinburgh showed another fantastic trait, loyalty, we got Sam in the next year and boy has he rewarded us for that decision. Without even looking I know we are the only team to finish with the same 1-7 2 years in a row so they show belief in their riders and back them all the way.

 

They don't get it right every time but they do a lot more often than not and that is one of the reasons the monarchs are at the right end of the table.

 

Everyone on the forum loves having a pop at Edinburgh but like it or not that is a massive compliment and says all you need to know. It had been achievement after achievement over a sustained period of time and that is what I judge them on and I Look forward to seeing what the promotion produces for next year.

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Let’s remind ourselves of what we have achieved in the past two seasons, in terms of national trophies and also topping the League, which I reckon no other club has come near to, since the inception of the Premier League.

 

In 2014, the Monarchs topped the Premier League table, won the Premier League Play-Off, won the KO Cup, won the Premier Trophy, and were also PL Pairs winners.

 

With success came the requirement to break up a brilliant septet to meet the overall team building limit total GSA of 42.5 for 2015.

 

So out went Derek Sneddon (retired), Max Fricke (to Belle Vue), Stevie Worrall (to Newcastle), and Aaron Fox (returned to USA), to be replaced by Kevin Wölbert (returning to the Monarchs from a hostile time at Glasgow), Rob Branford (resuming his career in the UK after injury in 2013), Max Clegg (doubling up from NL Cradley Heath) and finally Erik Riss, (a 19 year old German, with very little experience of riding conventional Speedway)

 

Having experienced the euphoria of supporting Edinburgh to their best ever season in 2014, I was happy enough to settle for that forever, and did not expect similar success this season.

 

But, to my surprise and possibly most other Monarchs fans, we probably did as well, topping the Premier League table again, winning the Premier League Play-Off again, retaining the Premier Trophy, plus winning the Premier Fours and Premier Shield in 2015.

 

We will yet again have to break up another Magnificent Seven for 2016, but it’s a price worth paying to have experienced such stellar success in consecutive seasons.

 

I do not expect us to win anything next season and will be happy if we continue to see good quality racing on the excellently prepared Armadale track.

 

I will leave others to speculate on the composition of the 2016 Edinburgh Monarchs but win, lose or draw, I will continue to support my team at home, and sometimes away.

 

Whoever wins the medals in 2016 we will graciously acknowledge their achievements, rather than adopt the “anyone but them” attitude displayed by certain jealous parties towards the Monarchs over 2014 – 2015.

 

It would however be nice if some side that has not achieved much success at second tier level were to gain major national success, such as Berwick or Plymouth.

 

Where is the BSF "your thread is too long, keep them more concise in future" schoolteacher when you need him?

Oh forgot.

Cyclone is.

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