Compiling The Fixture List

[22A]

Time was when ice hockey authorities in this country realised the sport doesn't have too big a following and tried reducing travelling costs. For example Peterborough would play at Edinburgh on a Saturday and Dundee the Sunday to cut down on trips up & down the country. When the Scottish clubs came here they'd play Peterborough one day and Milton Keynes the next.

There are several posts on this forum mentioning low attendances and even some stating speedway is dying. Now I realise clubs have "historic and traditional" days of the week when they host meetings, but would it work if there was some overview?

Under this clubs would travel to (say) Edinburgh and Berwick on consecutive days whilst Rye House and Ipswich might host the same team on successive days.

This idea might not be popular at first, but if it cuts down on long distance travel, that's a cost saving and if the riders stayed at the same Travel Lodge/Premier Inn etc, that might even engender better team spirit.

This was just a thought, but I'm interested if anyone else agrees with it, or why the idea's a nonstarter.

[Crump99]

I'm sure that they think like that anyway but stadium/rider availabity must make it rather difficult these days. Not impossible but plenty of variables to put a spanner in the works.

 

Do ice hockey players play for anyone else (either inside or outside of the UK) and all live in this country.

Edited May 2, 2016 by Crump99

[allthegearbutnaeidea]

Time was when ice hockey authorities in this country realised the sport doesn't have too big a following and tried reducing travelling costs. For example Peterborough would play at Edinburgh on a Saturday and Dundee the Sunday to cut down on trips up & down the country. When the Scottish clubs came here they'd play Peterborough one day and Milton Keynes the next.

There are several posts on this forum mentioning low attendances and even some stating speedway is dying. Now I realise clubs have "historic and traditional" days of the week when they host meetings, but would it work if there was some overview?

Under this clubs would travel to (say) Edinburgh and Berwick on consecutive days whilst Rye House and Ipswich might host the same team on successive days.

This idea might not be popular at first, but if it cuts down on long distance travel, that's a cost saving and if the riders stayed at the same Travel Lodge/Premier Inn etc, that might even engender better team spirit.

This was just a thought, but I'm interested if anyone else agrees with it, or why the idea's a nonstarter.

It already happens, just not all of the time

[George Dodds]

Think it already happens with a lot of the clubs coming to the north and Scotland. However, savings assume that all the riders live near the track they represent - think you might find that a lot of Glasgow, Edinburgh and Berwick riders travel as far - further in Ben Barker's case - than most of the visiting riders.

Accept that it might work from a fan's point of view.

[Paulco]

I think the fixture compilers do what they can , cant be an easy juggling job with rider availability etc . But they try their best , next week I'm following Glasgow to Sheffield and Somerset , not exactly next door , but it's two away fixtures together and doable . Next month I'm at Ipswich and Peterborough on consecutive nights , which is a sensible arrangement . August has us at Plymouth and Rye House together , which although a fair distance apart , they're are both in the south and it makes sense to have them together .

One off meetings with a bit of travelling are more difficult , but cannot be helped sometimes

[RobMcCaffery]

Tours have long been a part of the second tier of racing, going back to the days of British League Division 2. At Rye House in the 70s-90s the northern tours were highlights of the season, say Middlesbrough, Edinburgh or Glasgow, then Berwick, or shorter tours like Workington and Stoke.

 

In turn many teams would visit Rye House having been at Canterbury the previous night. Other tour pairings were Exeter and Weymouth/Poole. It's certainly not a new idea - just that the tours aren't quite as central to the league schedule as they once were.

 

I seem to remember the likes of Canterbury doing four matches in a row in the north and Scotland.

 

For the fans it was a great time to have fun together (what goes on tour stays on tour) and a chance to get to meet the riders if they were in the same hotel.

 

I'm sure supporters of a certain age at Hoddesdon will smile warmly at mentions of the Bystock Hotel in Exeter or the Golden Circle in Bathgate (what goes....etc. etc. )

 

By the time the Rockets used to get to Berwick it was a case of a day in the car park trying to clean and generally sort out bikes. One year a rounders match broke out involving the supporters and a couple of youngsters called Bob Garrad and Ashley Pullen. I can still remember the latter shouting at me (for good reason) "faster, faster!"

 

Precious memories of very good times.

Edited May 2, 2016 by rmc

[Shadders]

Northern tours have always been the highlight of my speedway season. Edinburgh/Berwick/Newcastle or Glasgow. The 2005 title winning season was a great weekend.

[tyretrax]

Teams on Northern tours used to spend the day at Beaton's bus garage doing their bikes.

[RobMcCaffery]

The hazard with tours of course that a bad performance the night before might adversely affect the attendance at the next track on the tour and by the end you could be getting low on all kinds of resources, human and mechanical.

 

The 1980 Rye House northern tour to Middlesbrough and Glasgow will of course always be a fond memory for many - 40-38 on Teesside to win the title.......then a 57-21 defeat at Blantyre. I think there might have been a good reason........

[Shadders]

The hazard with tours of course that a bad performance the night before might adversely affect the attendance at the next track on the tour and by the end you could be getting low on all kinds of resources, human and mechanical.

 

The 1980 Rye House northern tour to Middlesbrough and Glasgow will of course always be a fond memory for many - 40-38 on Teesside to win the title.......then a 57-21 defeat at Blantyre. I think there might have been a good reason........

The 2005 Western tour to Newport & Exeter is probably my favourite. A massive win at Exeter, a track we'd always struggled on, all but gave us the title

[RobMcCaffery]

The 2005 Western tour to Newport & Exeter is probably my favourite. A massive win at Exeter, a track we'd always struggled on, all but gave us the title

Yes that would have been very satisfying.

 

At the County Ground I once asked a Rocket how the track was looking. He looked at me and said "I won't even look at the track before I go out". Another time I was down there interviewing Bruce Crib when he was Falcons' number one. I asked him about the fence. He said "It's simple, don't hit it". He then went on to tell me which rivet he used to look for to know when to turn.

 

Some of my happiest memories in speedway were the tours - then I made the mistake of getting involved seriously....

[Ben91]

Both 2005 tours were great, for the northern tour we left after a Friday night home meeting against Berwick, two meetings on the Saturday, Raiders at Armadale in the afternoon and then Rockets at Berwick in the evening with Glasgow on the Sunday. Southern tour was also great as it sealed the league title at Exeter and it meant I got the Monday and Tuesday off school, bonus.