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Wolves Closure


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I'm reading about the possible closure of Wolverhampton due to Covid restrictions. While I agree with the sentiment surely having 90% of you team consisting of foreign riders is going to give unsustainable overheads. Would it not have been more realistic to hire local and national riders thus balancing the accounts given that Covid could change the situation overnight?

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What is the drop in attendance v normal times and is the numbers allowed less than the average attendance of 2019?
 looking at the crowd on TV it looked no different than recent years before Covid (was the bar/restaurant empty?) though didn't appear social distancing was being strictly followed. 

Maybe instead of using just the main stand the crowd could be spread across the back straight?

Also maybe the riders could take a reduction in pay whilst the restrictions last / extended.

Could be that Wolves have managed to survive these past few years and the Covid situation is the final straw/good excuse to finally call it a day.

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6 minutes ago, Ringitsneck said:

CVS has been around a long, long time, he knows how to play the press and apply pressure to benefit his club. Whilst he may be losing money currently, he’s made a sum over the years and it’s his choice to run , or not, with the pricey team he currently fields.

You really think a speedway club can put pressure on Boris ?

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Good point he's been an excellent shrewd operator over the years. Could he be leading the fans up a 'one way street' of his own making? I did make the point elsewhere that the type of fan he's been attracting may not be around much longer. I'd not be enamoured at watching a team of foreign riders who interests may be elsewhere.

Edited by Pieman72
grammar
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2 hours ago, Pieman72 said:

I'm reading about the possible closure of Wolverhampton due to Covid restrictions. While I agree with the sentiment surely having 90% of you team consisting of foreign riders is going to give unsustainable overheads. Would it not have been more realistic to hire local and national riders thus balancing the accounts given that Covid could change the situation overnight?

Wolves for many, many years adopted a foreign policy on riders...I recall a year when they had five Danes riding for them and then throw in the odd Yank. It's never been that much of a hotbed for British riders during my years following speedway.

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9 minutes ago, topaz325 said:

If the proposed easing of restrictions isnt lifted on the 21st June there could be major consequences for many clubs with Wolves and Birmingham in financial trouble something must be done....time to be proactive BSPL?

Whilst it seems ever unlikely that the easing on the 21st will happen im not entirely sure what the BSPL can do on this occasion? Scrap all non league competitions and allow the season to be pushed back a bit? The riders won't take kindly to that for a start. There are plenty of restrictions in place and many are still wary of heading out at all and certainly not for a night at the speedway where they are marshalled to the hilt rather than standing in their normal spot etc. Its going to be a tough year for all clubs and sadly i don't see them all getting out the other side.

That said the thread title is a little misleading. Wolves possible Closure is more true but sadly that header could now be written against most teams. 

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15 hours ago, steve roberts said:

Wolves for many, many years adopted a foreign policy on riders...I recall a year when they had five Danes riding for them and then throw in the odd Yank. It's never been that much of a hotbed for British riders during my years following speedway.

That sums up the how the administrators have compelled the few supporters left to accept a lacklustre 6 team league with speedway in constant decline. Generally local/UK riders generate interest particularly for the future something the promotion chooses to ignore.

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18 minutes ago, Pieman72 said:

That sums up the how the administrators have compelled the few supporters left to accept a lacklustre 6 team league with speedway in constant decline. Generally local/UK riders generate interest particularly for the future something the promotion chooses to ignore.

Its not as if Wolves riders aren't UK based?   Those that travel in and out are solely down to foreign meeting requirements.

Although with Bacon's retirement a replacement must be found if fixtures continue.

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3 hours ago, Pieman72 said:

That sums up the how the administrators have compelled the few supporters left to accept a lacklustre 6 team league with speedway in constant decline. Generally local/UK riders generate interest particularly for the future something the promotion chooses to ignore.

Even during the glory days at Cowley (1980's) we had Hans leading the team with one of two Danes (Jens Rasmussen & Per Sorensen) and rookie Aussie Troy Butler but the main body of the team was essentially English. Unfortunately that ethic slowly eroded and Oxford went the way of many other teams. Personally I think fans like ro relate to locally based talent but that is something very much a thing of the past.

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18 hours ago, heathen52 said:

How can anyone justify allowing 17/18,000 at the Cricket today which equates to roughly 70% of capacity,  yet only allow a tiny fraction to attend other Sports.

Because it's part of a government test event. 

It's obviously frustrating for everyone else throughout all sports who are struggling to keep going with limited crowds but the reality is the only way they'll get back to full capacity is through these bigger events being a success. 

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it's time to scrap the fixed race nights, if riders want to ride in Poland etc let them, but only have teams of UK based riders, and let clubs race on the day/night that suits THEM and their support.

the old National League (2nd division) worked well until Rye House changed everything 

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