Post by jg on Dec 2, 2017 20:17:52 GMT
For those who don't get to see a copy of Coastal View and Moor News this is the article Kevin submitted to the paper;
Season revue from a new Promoters point of view.
"Only one way this club can go!"
This was the theme I was confronted with when asked to take over the reigns of the Redcar Bears Speedway club after two seasons at the bottom of the league. Having just retired from the Police Service and with no business experience it was a huge gamble by the club directors but having been around the speedway scene since 1973 I had some idea what the club was missing so why not give it a try?
Entertainment was the key. Give the fans something to smile about, a team they could really get behind and send the crowd home wanting more and that's the way we aimed to build up the club prior to the season getting underway.
Jitendra (Ben) Duffill was given the task of assembling a competitive and exciting team and that's exactly what he did. Retaining only two of the 2016 side , Dane Jonas B. Andersen and German Tobias Busch, five new English riders were signed and right from the off this created a buzz amongst the fans that was to last to the very last match of the season. Improvements were made around the stadium and the track, a club mascot was born (Smoggy the Bear) and a new attitude lifted the spirits of both fans and staff leading to encouraging turnouts in the first few fixtures at the Media Prima Arena.
An early exit from the K.O. Cup and long term injury to Tobias Busch didn't dampen the enthusiasm and the first away win in years , at Scunthorpe , and a thumping of local rivals Newcastle certainly made the fans happy. A draw away at Workington was spoilt with a home defeat to the same team but another away win , at Berwick, kept up the spirits until the controversial home fixture against Glasgow in June.
Fielding a weakened injury hit side and behind by eight points after 9 races the meeting was abandoned after a spectacular crash involving the Bears Argentinian rider Coty Garcia who was flung into the crowd after tangling with a Glasgow rider.
The authorities originally stated the match had to be rerun as per the regulations but amazingly changed their minds three days later and awarded the match points to Glasgow!
Despite this blow the Bears went on to win their next four matches including another two away wins to put them selves in the top four of the league and dicing with a chance of being in the end of season play-off's.
This excitement was to continue with spectacular racing being the norm at home and the Bears being competitive away from Redcar managing to finish runners up in the league's four team tournament at Peterborough and later to be runners up in the pair's competition at Sheffield. Injury's did play a major part in the Bears story and as the season came to its climax with the Bears battling for a top four spot it ultimately took its toll. Despite a valiant effort the Bears just fell short of the end of season play off's but finished a very creditable fifth in the league to achieve their highest league placing in the clubs short history.
The season as a whole has to be regarded as a gamble that paid off. A new untried management team with a new side trying a new way of presenting the sport in an effort to bring the club out of the doldrums. By the end of the season the crowd levels were up by an average of 25%, the smiles were back and the fans and club sponsors were happy meaning the new management team had achieved what they set out to do.
Roll on 2018!
Kevin Keay.
Season revue from a new Promoters point of view.
"Only one way this club can go!"
This was the theme I was confronted with when asked to take over the reigns of the Redcar Bears Speedway club after two seasons at the bottom of the league. Having just retired from the Police Service and with no business experience it was a huge gamble by the club directors but having been around the speedway scene since 1973 I had some idea what the club was missing so why not give it a try?
Entertainment was the key. Give the fans something to smile about, a team they could really get behind and send the crowd home wanting more and that's the way we aimed to build up the club prior to the season getting underway.
Jitendra (Ben) Duffill was given the task of assembling a competitive and exciting team and that's exactly what he did. Retaining only two of the 2016 side , Dane Jonas B. Andersen and German Tobias Busch, five new English riders were signed and right from the off this created a buzz amongst the fans that was to last to the very last match of the season. Improvements were made around the stadium and the track, a club mascot was born (Smoggy the Bear) and a new attitude lifted the spirits of both fans and staff leading to encouraging turnouts in the first few fixtures at the Media Prima Arena.
An early exit from the K.O. Cup and long term injury to Tobias Busch didn't dampen the enthusiasm and the first away win in years , at Scunthorpe , and a thumping of local rivals Newcastle certainly made the fans happy. A draw away at Workington was spoilt with a home defeat to the same team but another away win , at Berwick, kept up the spirits until the controversial home fixture against Glasgow in June.
Fielding a weakened injury hit side and behind by eight points after 9 races the meeting was abandoned after a spectacular crash involving the Bears Argentinian rider Coty Garcia who was flung into the crowd after tangling with a Glasgow rider.
The authorities originally stated the match had to be rerun as per the regulations but amazingly changed their minds three days later and awarded the match points to Glasgow!
Despite this blow the Bears went on to win their next four matches including another two away wins to put them selves in the top four of the league and dicing with a chance of being in the end of season play-off's.
This excitement was to continue with spectacular racing being the norm at home and the Bears being competitive away from Redcar managing to finish runners up in the league's four team tournament at Peterborough and later to be runners up in the pair's competition at Sheffield. Injury's did play a major part in the Bears story and as the season came to its climax with the Bears battling for a top four spot it ultimately took its toll. Despite a valiant effort the Bears just fell short of the end of season play off's but finished a very creditable fifth in the league to achieve their highest league placing in the clubs short history.
The season as a whole has to be regarded as a gamble that paid off. A new untried management team with a new side trying a new way of presenting the sport in an effort to bring the club out of the doldrums. By the end of the season the crowd levels were up by an average of 25%, the smiles were back and the fans and club sponsors were happy meaning the new management team had achieved what they set out to do.
Roll on 2018!
Kevin Keay.
