Major announcement: Scorpions will run in 2016

THE SCUNTHORPE SCORPIONS will be back in 2016, competing in the Premier League for the ninth consecutive season, while it will be the 12th successive season of speedway racing at the Eddie Wright Raceway.

It was announced in July that the future of the club was in serious jeopardy, with promoter Rob Godfrey explaining that, unless crowd levels approved for the final seven meetings of the season, that speedway at the stadium would cease.

The public did respond, while the FluidAir Power Scunthorpe Scorpions, supported by Henderson Insurance, won six out of seven of those fixtures to climb above Redcar and Rye House in the Premier League table to avoid the wooden spoon.

Godfrey says: “I want to thank everyone who turned up for those final seven fixtures. I was massively encouraged by the reaction to the appeal we issued in July – it was great to see that people did care for the future of Scunthorpe Speedway.

“There really were just seven meetings left. Had the crowds not improved in the way they did, it would have been the end for the Scorpions.

“It was a bad season for us. Things did not go right on track, we were badly hit by injury, and it took a great effort by our riders to pull us off the bottom of the Premier League.

“We’re already planning ahead, and it won’t be long after the BSPA AGM (which takes place this weekend), in which the regulations for 2016 will be ratified, that I intend to announce my team. I’ve got most of them sorted out already. I always want to be competing; we’re not in it to make the numbers up.”

One change for 2016 will Scorpions’ main raceday, which will change from Friday to Sunday. Scunthorpe will also continue to stage meetings on Bank Holidays.

The move is subject to ratification from the BSPA.

Godfrey adds: “We needed to move the night from Friday. Fridays were no longer working for us. The problem is obvious; the traffic on a Friday evening is just getting worse and worse.

“Of course, such a move is never going to suit everyone. There’s people who prefer Fridays, just as there are others who prefer Sundays.

“We have what we firmly believe is the best racetrack in the country, and by moving to Sundays at 6.30pm, I believe more people will be able to travel to see the fantastic racing at the Eddie Wright Raceway.”