Panthers up for sale.

[Crump99]

6 hours ago, cinderfella said:

Is the  statement saying it could be the last speedway event at Peterborough an indication that there may be problems with the landlords at The Showground perhaps not wanting speedway at all?

They've given no indication of not wanting speedway that we've been told about anyway. Logically if Rathbone doesn't get a buyer then Saturday (or last Sunday in my  case) will be the last speedway at the EoES, so for old times sake:

Peterborough Panthers 2006

[Crump99]

3 hours ago, Noodles said:

Leasing from the current owners? Need more showground dates?

This has got Mick Horton & his Tuesday nights written all over it.

Rathbone said last year that the EoES would only deal with him due to previous issues (not moneybags Rick so it's not rocket science to work out who else) so you'd assume that it'd need to be someone new and reliable.

As Horton said: “This club needs another Rick Frost and Julie Mahoney, people with the finances to make it work.”

Edited October 9, 2018 by Crump99

[bruno]

48 minutes ago, Crump99 said:

They've given no indication of not wanting speedway that we've been told about anyway. Logically if Rathbone doesn't get a buyer then Saturday (or last Sunday in my  case) will be the last speedway at the EoES, so for old times sake:

Peterborough Panthers 2006

Still don't get why Hancock took gate 3

[Panther1997]

57 minutes ago, Crump99 said:

They've given no indication of not wanting speedway that we've been told about anyway. Logically if Rathbone doesn't get a buyer then Saturday (or last Sunday in my  case) will be the last speedway at the EoES, so for old times sake:

Peterborough Panthers 2006

What a season that was, will go down in my memory forever  

Edited October 9, 2018 by Panther1997

[Crump99]

13 minutes ago, bruno said:

Still don't get why Hancock took gate 3

One of life's great mysteries. Great gate from Andersen to take Kołodziej out of the race so probably Hancock feared the same although you'd think that he'd at least gate with Andersen. Probably Hancock thought that he could take care of Sullivan? Whatever the reason it all went pear shaped for the grin, or Hancock as he was called at that time

Edited October 9, 2018 by Crump99

[wealdstone]

I assume that should someone take it over, it would not necessarily follow that T Balfe  Construction  would continue their  sponsorship.

[Crump99]

3 minutes ago, wealdstone said:

I assume that should someone take it over, it would not necessarily follow that T Balfe  Construction  would continue their  sponsorship.

Sponsors would be under the Rathbone administration so would need to strike a new deal if they wished to continue, but that's gettimg ahead of ourselves Rodders

[wealdstone]

3 minutes ago, Crump99 said:

Sponsors would be under the Rathbone administration so would need to strike a new deal if they wished to continue, but that's gettimg ahead of ourselves Rodders

It is but makes any possible deal even less attractive.

[Lukas]

I like Ged but it seems like he's thrown his toys out of the pram here due to a disastrous end to a good season. When he bought all them assets he said this was to secure the future of the club which was looking bright. I'm hoping that someone comes in and we have top class speedway again without the threat of being closed down every season.

[Byker Biker]

10 hours ago, cinderfella said:

Or have serious community ties like the Glasgow promotion.  Not only did they save the Tigers when they bought Ashfield stadium but they also ensured the security of one of Scotland's oldest Junior (equivalent of English non-league) Football Clubs.

Like Sandhu?

[MattK]

Fantastic video from 2006!

I'm surprised to hear Peterborough is up for sale. I always equated the club somewhat to Swindon, similar sized town, demographic, what have you.

When they were running their three meetings against Lakeside did they do anything to try and attract fans such as a fanzone, ex-riders etc.?

[Noodles]

5 hours ago, MattK said:

Fantastic video from 2006!

I'm surprised to hear Peterborough is up for sale. I always equated the club somewhat to Swindon, similar sized town, demographic, what have you.

When they were running their three meetings against Lakeside did they do anything to try and attract fans such as a fanzone, ex-riders etc.?

Absolutely nothing at all.  It was always a risk running against the same team for three weeks on the trot and so it proved. Should have considered a scheme where if you produced your admission ticket from the first match at the second you got a discount/benefit, produce your admission tickets from the first & second meeting for further discounts/benefits at the third.   Doesn't have to be money off at the turnstiles - centre green visits, raffles to present rider of the night, ride with the team on parade vehicle, watch a race from the refs box - things that don't cost the club anything.

We were part of the MCN festival for two years running with hundreds of non speedway fans attending each time. Absolutely nothing was done that I'm aware of to interact with these people or to encourage them back. Should have been handing out discount vouchers with fixture lists, organised photograph/autograph sessions, hand out stickers/posters for the kids etc. (Something they could have done in partnership with BSPA as not all people would have been from the Peterborough area).

Surprisingly there appears to be a fairly strong fan base at Peterborough and I believe attendances can improve with some effort & promotion of the meetings themselves.

Our social media is virtually non existent. Other clubs promote matches by asking for retweets in return for prizes - again the prizes don't need to cost anything, they can be experiences you wouldn't normally get as a fan.

 

Edited October 10, 2018 by Noodles

[wealdstone]

The management did not even have the courtesy to forewarn season ticket holders that their tickets were no longer valid.

[Lukas]

Crowd sizes have been healthy all season so this is not the issue. I suspect Ged will end up at Redcar and I can understand that but if this is the case then transparency would make for a refreshing change. I am pretty confident someone will come in and hopefully take us back to where we belong instead of being Kings Lynns feeder club.

Edited October 10, 2018 by Lukas

[Noodles]

3 minutes ago, wealdstone said:

The management did not even have the courtesy to forewarn season ticket holders that their tickets were no longer valid.

They made it clear at the beginning of the season when you applied for your ticket that semis & finals weren't included.  How much warning do you need?

[Noodles]

3 minutes ago, Lukas said:

Crowd sizes have been healthy all season so this is not the issue. I suspect Ged will end up at Redcar and I can understand that but if this is the case then transparency would make for a refreshing change. I am pretty confident someone will come in and hopefully take us back to where we belong instead of being Kings Lynns feeder club.

The last 4 attendances were clearly an issue for Ged.

Yes they may have been ok most of the season but definite room for improvement & a need for better promotion of meetings

[Flappy]

We can't keep doing this year in, year out.  How doee anyone expect to grow crowds with this uncertainty every winter 

[IainB]

1 hour ago, Noodles said:

Absolutely nothing at all.  It was always a risk running against the same team for three weeks on the trot and so it proved. Should have considered a scheme where if you produced your admission ticket from the first match at the second you got a discount/benefit, produce your admission tickets from the first & second meeting for further discounts/benefits at the third.   Doesn't have to be money off at the turnstiles - centre green visits, raffles to present rider of the night, ride with the team on parade vehicle, watch a race from the refs box - things that don't cost the club anything.

We were part of the MCN festival for two years running with hundreds of non speedway fans attending each time. Absolutely nothing was done that I'm aware of to interact with these people or to encourage them back. Should have been handing out discount vouchers with fixture lists, organised photograph/autograph sessions, hand out stickers/posters for the kids etc. (Something they could have done in partnership with BSPA as not all people would have been from the Peterborough area).

Surprisingly there appears to be a fairly strong fan base at Peterborough and I believe attendances can improve with some effort & promotion of the meetings themselves.

Our social media is virtually non existent. Other clubs promote matches by asking for retweets in return for prizes - again the prizes don't need to cost anything, they can be experiences you wouldn't normally get as a fan.

 

Wow! What a lot of sense you talk, just the type of person that should be involved in the promotion of the sport

[Crump99]

1 hour ago, Noodles said:

Absolutely nothing at all.  It was always a risk running against the same team for three weeks on the trot and so it proved. Should have considered a scheme where if you produced your admission ticket from the first match at the second you got a discount/benefit, produce your admission tickets from the first & second meeting for further discounts/benefits at the third.   Doesn't have to be money off at the turnstiles - centre green visits, raffles to present rider of the night, ride with the team on parade vehicle, watch a race from the refs box - things that don't cost the club anything.

We were part of the MCN festival for two years running with hundreds of non speedway fans attending each time. Absolutely nothing was done that I'm aware of to interact with these people or to encourage them back. Should have been handing out discount vouchers with fixture lists, organised photograph/autograph sessions, hand out stickers/posters for the kids etc. (Something they could have done in partnership with BSPA as not all people would have been from the Peterborough area).

Surprisingly there appears to be a fairly strong fan base at Peterborough and I believe attendances can improve with some effort & promotion of the meetings themselves.

Our social media is virtually non existent. Other clubs promote matches by asking for retweets in return for prizes - again the prizes don't need to cost anything, they can be experiences you wouldn't normally get as a fan.

 

Don't want to put a downer on things as we're looking for a new owner/sugar daddy but Bratley's final Panthers blog in 2010 listed what he'd done to attract new fans to little effect so I'd say it needs a much better Showground experience on a consistent basis rather than short term incentives (not to say that there aren't some good ideas there). It certainly hasn't been a good (IMO only I hasten to add) for 5 years. Partly promotionally but probably more due to the landlords. The fanbase took a serious knock in 2013 and I'm not sure about a strong fanbase. I think inflated Sunday attendances by visitors and occasional locals paints a rosier picture than actual strength. I just see lots of spaces where regulars once sat and those spaces not being filled by what's on offer. Social media around the club never really recovered from Frost/Oakes who lost the forum and went via FB & Twitter, probably to avoid the public slanging matches on the forum that had been a problem for many years.

Edited October 10, 2018 by Crump99

[Crump99]

10 minutes ago, Flappy said:

We can't keep doing this year in, year out.  How doee anyone expect to grow crowds with this uncertainty every winter 

That's life at the EoES now though. It tends to break promoters after a few years due to lack of control and the drain on the finances. Due to the latter I said that it was a disaster for the club when Frost left and the chickens are coming home to roost. Rathbone doesn't cite either as a reason for selling up but I'd say that it was a significant factor.