Plymouth Gladiators 2024

[Marky_Mark]

So with conference starting tomorrow, is there any news on whether Plymouth will run next season? Certainly keeping everything crossed

[Essex]

4 hours ago, Marky_Mark said:

So with conference starting tomorrow, is there any news on whether Plymouth will run next season? Certainly keeping everything crossed

I suppose it's a question of can the promoters afford to run next season.Mike 0310 do they own the track if so that's half the battle let's hope they do run, a lower points limit will dilute the quality but may make it affordable to promoters and keep tracks running.

[Mike0310]

If I’m totally honest with you I’m not sure, I no a local school used to own the land but never used it ,the biggest problem was mark said he lost  £40,000 last year no one can keep sustaining that unless you have very deep pockets. If they run on Saturdays hopefully  the crowds will be bigger but the thing to bear in mind is it’s a well known fact Plymouth people will not back a team who lose week in week out it’s been proven in football when argyle were rubbish crowds of circa 6-7000, now you can’t get a ticket , rugby the same when Albion were in the championship great team to watch now not so much ,so my point is get your team building right and people will come to see a successful team ,in the financial climate we are in people can’t justify  spending on seeing someone lose every week unless your a diehard like me and a few others .As much as it pains me (I’m joking)when I say that Poole get there team planning right every year that’s why they get the crowds and that’s why there successful.

[torpointfanatic22]

8 hours ago, Essex said:

I suppose it's a question of can the promoters afford to run next season.Mike 0310 do they own the track if so that's half the battle let's hope they do run, a lower points limit will dilute the quality but may make it affordable to promoters and keep tracks running.

The man in the know will be Lewy, but my understanding is that we don't currently own it the land. However Mark was looking into ways that he could purchase the land that would allow him the ability to complete further track work and potentially utilise the land where he could earn further income. If I recall correctly, I believe there was an article a couple months back either in the Speedway Star or the local rag that said something to that effect.

[Essex]

16 hours ago, Mike0310 said:

If I’m totally honest with you I’m not sure, I no a local school used to own the land but never used it ,the biggest problem was mark said he lost  £40,000 last year no one can keep sustaining that unless you have very deep pockets. If they run on Saturdays hopefully  the crowds will be bigger but the thing to bear in mind is it’s a well known fact Plymouth people will not back a team who lose week in week out it’s been proven in football when argyle were rubbish crowds of circa 6-7000, now you can’t get a ticket , rugby the same when Albion were in the championship great team to watch now not so much ,so my point is get your team building right and people will come to see a successful team ,in the financial climate we are in people can’t justify  spending on seeing someone lose every week unless your a diehard like me and a few others .As much as it pains me (I’m joking)when I say that Poole get there team planning right every year that’s why they get the crowds and that’s why there successful.

Thanks Mike for your reply, if he lost that amount of money that's massive and you need to be rich to continue will he won't he well we'll soon find out. As for Poole getting it right I wish all clubs would maybe it's money or the pull of riding for Poole, always had good support because it's a speedway town always has been.

[Fromafar]

10 hours ago, Essex said:

Thanks Mike for your reply, if he lost that amount of money that's massive and you need to be rich to continue will he won't he well we'll soon find out. As for Poole getting it right I wish all clubs would maybe it's money or the pull of riding for Poole, always had good support because it's a speedway town always has been.

I think your right about Poole being a speedway Town and has always had good support.They have not rested on their Laurels though and have always gave the fans a decent Team to support and manage their finances well, even to the extent of dropping a division,when things weren’t going to plan.That is good financial management IMO,it also enable them to finance a decent Team in lower division which in turn kept good crowd levels.

 

[Ghosty]

48 minutes ago, Fromafar said:

I think your right about Poole being a speedway Town and has always had good support.They have not rested on their Laurels though and have always gave the fans a decent Team to support and manage their finances well, even to the extent of dropping a division,when things weren’t going to plan.That is good financial management IMO,it also enable them to finance a decent Team in lower division which in turn kept good crowd levels.

 

What Poole do is great for Poole, one real advantage is they are in a "well to do" part of the U.K. 

Poole's success on track is not great for all the other teams.

[W9 Lion]

12 minutes ago, Ghosty said:

What Poole do is great for Poole, one real advantage is they are in a "well to do" part of the U.K. 

Poole's success on track is not great for all the other teams.

Poole have three advantages over other clubs IMHO. They are very well run, as the only professional sports team in the town they get very good sponsorship (which they work very hard to generate and then maintain) and then the demographics of the local population, both in terms of age and income is helpful.

[SteveLyric2]

14 minutes ago, W9 Lion said:

Poole have three advantages over other clubs IMHO. They are very well run, as the only professional sports team in the town they get very good sponsorship (which they work very hard to generate and then maintain) and then the demographics of the local population, both in terms of age and income is helpful.

Plus they attract fans and sponsorship from areas well away from Poole (20, 30, 40 miles away) despite there being other professional sports in those areas!!

Edited November 16, 2023 by Skidder1

[HGould]

Poole benefit from a very well appointed stadium, at least by Speedway standards, that they rent so don't have to maintain. 

Plymouth have a field where they can't build permanent structures, everything built by volunteers apart from the Changing Rooms. 

A 400 seat Stand built in Covid year by volunteers. They compete v one one the most upwardly mobile Soccer and Basketball Clubs in the Country. 

No way you can compare the two really. 

Poole very much plug and play pat the rent turn up. 

Plymouth graft graft graft just to survive. 

[LisaColette]

1 minute ago, HGould said:

Poole benefit from a very well appointed stadium, at least by Speedway standards, that they rent so don't have to maintain. 

Plymouth have a field where they can't build permanent structures, everything built by volunteers apart from the Changing Rooms. 

A 400 seat Stand built in Covid year by volunteers. They compete v one one the most upwardly mobile Soccer and Basketball Clubs in the Country. 

No way you can compare the two really. 

Poole very much plug and play pat the rent turn up. 

Plymouth graft graft graft just to survive. 

There is a Premiership football team 5/6 miles up the road to compete against. 

[Bagpuss]

57 minutes ago, W9 Lion said:

Poole have three advantages over other clubs IMHO. They are very well run, as the only professional sports team in the town they get very good sponsorship (which they work very hard to generate and then maintain) and then the demographics of the local population, both in terms of age and income is helpful.

And holidaymakers.

[Jaizer]

31 minutes ago, lisa-colette said:

There is a Premiership football team 5/6 miles up the road to compete against. 

Tbf with the supporter base of a league 1 club. Compare it to clubs size of Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow the can see a fair difference in what the competition is in these places

[W9 Lion]

2 hours ago, Jaizer said:

Tbf with the supporter base of a league 1 club. Compare it to clubs size of Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow the can see a fair difference in what the competition is in these places

If you want competition Leicester has it hard, Championship football 30k, most successful English Rugby Union club 24k, most successful basketball club 2k, Netball 1.5k county cricket (one man and their dog, but does well for sponsorship). Its bloody competitive in erms of choice for both spectator and advertising monies. They only need an Ice hockey club for a full house.

[AceBelle]

7 hours ago, lisa-colette said:

There is a Premiership football team 5/6 miles up the road to compete against. 

who only get 12 thousand crowds !!

[LisaColette]

5 minutes ago, AceBelle said:

who only get 12 thousand crowds !!

Because that is their capacity? 

[Steve Shovlar]

13 hours ago, AceBelle said:

who only get 12 thousand crowds !!

Might only get 11,500 crowds but virtually impossible to get a ticket. Demand outstrips ticket availability 3 to one. A 25,000 seater stadium would see a 25,000 crowd every home match.AFCB going the same way as Brentford and Brighton in the next three years.

[therefused]

then some of that 12,000 that miss out might go to the speedway instead?

[SteveLyric2]

6 minutes ago, therefused said:

then some of that 12,000 that miss out might go to the speedway instead?

Currently,except for occasional TV stipulations, and in recent seasons AFCB have held their midweek matches on Tuesdays to avoid clashing with Pirates Wednesday meetings. Hopefully the new American owners will continue with this arrangement as a good number of locals support both clubs!

[Steve Shovlar]

7 minutes ago, Skidder1 said:

Currently,except for occasional TV stipulations, and in recent seasons AFCB have held their midweek matches on Tuesdays to avoid clashing with Pirates Wednesday meetings. Hopefully the new American owners will continue with this arrangement as a good number of locals support both clubs!

More likely now to be down to TV scheduling. If AFCB play on a Saturday 5.30 or Sunday then it would be a Wednesday night match. 

Barker the only signing for Plymouth so far. Hearing Continental riders of middle order not interested in the U.K. due to Brexit, distance and little value.