barncooseboy Posted October 8, 2016 Report Share Posted October 8, 2016 Plymouth Albion rugby club were in serious financial problems about a year ago and currently are drawing about half the crowds of 3 or 4 years ago, Plymouth Argyle gates have fallen from over 20,000 to in the region of 7000. The people of Plymouth have long been a fickle lot and currently seem to have fallen out of love with all sporting events. Promoting any spectator events in the city in order to make money you run them once, do a lot of publicity, take the money and run. Plymouth people only turn out for events that are FREE Local media don't help, only TV coverage has been when things have gone wrong and newspaper coverage has concentrated on the negative all year. a brilliant marketing deal with McDonalds was dumped by the so called new marketing manager because it didn't bring in cash, just publicity aimed at young people in every branch in Plymouth together would have been Devils flyers, with incentives for speedway fans at Mcs branches bring the programme for a free coffee and the william anchor dumped it . PROMOTE is a word not understood in Plymouth, no advertising anywhere in the city, 15000 flyers printed by me where are they. I am now too old and too disabled to take it on, it needs an Ian Thomas to grab it by the scruff of its neck, accentuate the BS, get a professional centre green presenter who can work a crowd, and give them a SHOW every week. Certain people behind lthis years promotion look down on my views, such as getting a press battle going with Somerset, just as Colin and myself did for 6 weeks 15 years ago, it brought more people through the gates at both tracks. SPEEDWAY IS ENTERTAINMENT and has to be promoted as such NOT too much as a sport OH for a Vic Lonsdale, Frank Evans, Chris Julian, Clive Hitch and the runaway Lynx from Dartmoor Zoo. . 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackadder Posted October 8, 2016 Report Share Posted October 8, 2016 Vic Lonsdale. What a character. Controversy on 2 wheels and so entertaining to watch. He once drove to Nuneaton, looking for the Station Road stadium, only to discover that he should have been in Long Eaton. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torpointfanatic22 Posted October 8, 2016 Report Share Posted October 8, 2016 There is and will always be more than meets the eye to all stories. Plymouth has closed for the second time in a season and quite frankly it's down to poor management and poor promotion. Imagine where the club would have been if the fans hadn't raised circa £25,000!? Crowds haven't been great for a few seasons and perhaps that is down to a lack of success - That said on paper I thought we had one of the most exciting teams in the PL at the start of the year. Top to bottom we need fresh faces - People who know how to run a speedway club, people who manage effectively and transparently and ultimately make PL speedway viable, because it can be! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cityrebel Posted October 9, 2016 Report Share Posted October 9, 2016 I hope it's not too late for that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barncooseboy Posted October 9, 2016 Report Share Posted October 9, 2016 one thing I forgot from my earlier post, since Peninsula Promotions took over from Mike Bowden, every single team sponsor has found an excuse/ reason (in THEIR mind) to not pay the club their agreed sponsorship money. Plymouth are therefore at least £20k short of of where they should be. Suspect the administrator will be chasing those companies for the money owed. if I told you the reason one didn't pay you wouldn't believe it 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barncooseboy Posted October 9, 2016 Report Share Posted October 9, 2016 another basic error made was that the people providing the finance, i.e the promoters ,devolved the team building/ rider pay negotiations to a non financially involved third party. lost control of their costs at that point. Its no good moaning that no one helps you IF you wont allow anybody else to help you except for labourer work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catalan Posted October 9, 2016 Report Share Posted October 9, 2016 one thing I forgot from my earlier post, since Peninsula Promotions took over from Mike Bowden, every single team sponsor has found an excuse/ reason (in THEIR mind) to not pay the club their agreed sponsorship money. Plymouth are therefore at least £20k short of of where they should be.Suspect the administrator will be chasing those companies for the money owed. if I told you the reason one didn't pay you wouldn't believe it Having been involved with a few clubs it's unbelievable what sponsors excuses are used to get out of paying their deals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazzafl Posted October 10, 2016 Report Share Posted October 10, 2016 I wonder if bowden will step back in.. i know one of the sponsors didnt renew his large investment because they never did any advertising and certainly no plugging of their company but still took the money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike0310 Posted October 10, 2016 Report Share Posted October 10, 2016 I heard the same no name,last years sponsors,but the commercial manager has gone from previous seasons has gone thank god and the one they have lined up has his head screwed on that I no I just hope we have a club for him to be involved in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazzafl Posted October 11, 2016 Report Share Posted October 11, 2016 (edited) Mike0310 they said that about the current one.. I personally think they wont be back unless someone with deep pockets to give it a year of losses to try and gain what bowden had in the NL back as bad a promoter he was he could certianly get the sponsors on board his major failing was he opened his mouth with the wrong words coming out lol.. if he didnt do that i would be seeing the team already in the NL building it back up. in fact an edit.. http://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/mike-bowden-still-waiting-on-a-figure-to-save-plymouth-devils/story-29797395-detail/story.html Edited October 11, 2016 by no name Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghosty Posted October 11, 2016 Report Share Posted October 11, 2016 Mike0310 they said that about the current one.. I personally think they wont be back unless someone with deep pockets to give it a year of losses to try and gain what bowden had in the NL back as bad a promoter he was he could certianly get the sponsors on board his major failing was he opened his mouth with the wrong words coming out lol.. if he didnt do that i would be seeing the team already in the NL building it back up. in fact an edit.. http://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/mike-bowden-still-waiting-on-a-figure-to-save-plymouth-devils/story-29797395-detail/story.html There must be someone other than Mike Bowden keen to run the devils.......... PLEASE GOD HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balderdash&piffle Posted October 11, 2016 Report Share Posted October 11, 2016 There must be someone other than Mike Bowden keen to run the devils.......... PLEASE GOD HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!! you really should not rely on an imaginary friend 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazzafl Posted October 11, 2016 Report Share Posted October 11, 2016 There must be someone other than Mike Bowden keen to run the devils.......... PLEASE GOD HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!! I actually think mike could bring back speedway in Plymouth and do very well as well.. he has the contacts and the people who will sponsor the team. just got to hope he has reigned himself in with how he may treat some people.. but he is Plymouths best chance at recovery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghosty Posted October 13, 2016 Report Share Posted October 13, 2016 I actually think mike could bring back speedway in Plymouth and do very well as well.. he has the contacts and the people who will sponsor the team. just got to hope he has reigned himself in with how he may treat some people.. but he is Plymouths best chance at recovery. You are wrong Mike Bowden is not the best chance. It needs a PROMOTER that can PROMOTE & I don't think Mr Bowden would even get the licence to operate a for second time. I can't see why the right person with a bit of financial clout behind them would not succeed & be the envy of all other UK tracks. The key will be PROMOTE, PROMOTE & more PROMOTE not just Plymouth but plenty of other tracks also. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazzafl Posted October 14, 2016 Report Share Posted October 14, 2016 You are wrong Mike Bowden is not the best chance. It needs a PROMOTER that can PROMOTE & I don't think Mr Bowden would even get the licence to operate a for second time. I can't see why the right person with a bit of financial clout behind them would not succeed & be the envy of all other UK tracks. The key will be PROMOTE, PROMOTE & more PROMOTE not just Plymouth but plenty of other tracks also. Thats your opinion what Bowden did for Plymouth Speedway is a lot.. yes he rubbed a lot of people up the wrong way but the biggest mistake he made was moving to prem early.. easy mistake to make and one you wont know unless you have the power of hindsight.. but had a great crowd in the NL and i think he is the only hope for plymouth to come back to life. there is no one else who could do it.. and why dont you think bowden will get another license ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 14, 2016 Report Share Posted October 14, 2016 (edited) There must be someone other than Mike Bowden keen to run the devils.......... PLEASE GOD HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!! A nice sentiment ChrisBlewett and I hope Plymouth do come up the 2017season. I still have fond memories of the many seasons at the old Pennycress Stadium legendary old timers like Ivan Kessell, Pete Lansdale, Stan Lancer & Co. In response to your actual request - I think the good man upstairs has more important things on hand at the moment than Plymouth speedway. But, again, salvation does work in strange ways so we must hope that there will be a survival initiative for the team in regard to the 2017 season. Edited October 14, 2016 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike0310 Posted October 16, 2016 Report Share Posted October 16, 2016 Meeting of the liquidators tomorrow here's hoping someone wants to take it on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torpointfanatic22 Posted October 16, 2016 Report Share Posted October 16, 2016 Thats your opinion what Bowden did for Plymouth Speedway is a lot.. yes he rubbed a lot of people up the wrong way but the biggest mistake he made was moving to prem early.. easy mistake to make and one you wont know unless you have the power of hindsight.. but had a great crowd in the NL and i think he is the only hope for plymouth to come back to life. there is no one else who could do it.. and why dont you think bowden will get another license ?? If Mike Bowden were our best chance of survival we might as well not bother. Yes he brought speedway back to the City and no-one can ever fault him for that. However Plymouth's crowds were diminishing before we went to the PL and that was because he never once seriously promoted the club or sought to generate any decent commercial revenue. To be fair he never needed to because the club had a bubble around it for the first two / three seasons which allowed him to collect with very little outlay. We are in a very different world now. What the club needs is not a one man band, it needs a team of open and honest people who can invest some case and have a bit of savvy about them to ensure the club is well managed and promoted. Basically we need people we can trust, Mike Bowden lost that trust a long time ago. I sincerely hope someone else is out there. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike0310 Posted October 16, 2016 Report Share Posted October 16, 2016 Someone like a Matt forde who runs it as his business not a play thing,you might not like pooles way of working but I'd have him at my club in a heart beat and he would make a success of it .i wonder if he would be interested in a feeder club for Poole you never no somewhere where he could keep an eye on his assets. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrMungo Posted October 16, 2016 Author Report Share Posted October 16, 2016 Someone like a Matt forde who runs it as his business not a play thing,you might not like pooles way of working but I'd have him at my club in a heart beat and he would make a success of it .i wonder if he would be interested in a feeder club for Poole you never no somewhere where he could keep an eye on his assets. That was an option earlier on in the year until Plymouth was saved back in April. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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