Post by sheffielddons on Jun 21, 2015 8:31:56 GMT
After many successful years for the Owlerton Owls and other sides coming and going in the city speedway in Sheffield is taking a new direction from next season with the arrival of the Sheffield Dons.
Manager Andy Dixon had this to say about the decision and the aims of the new club:
"We've all had some great experiences at Owlerton and I have some amazing personal memories. The Owls set records in the sport, we won a trophy cabinet full of silverware and had some world class riders represent the club. As far as I know we're the only side still to win the Academy, Power and Ultimate Leagues - in fact we also won the DL when that was around too! I think we're the only club to have a rider reach a testimonial season - in fact we've had 3 with Simon Stevens, Iain Hines and Stephen Trowbridge who are all Owls' legends. Riders like Mark Black, Ryan Irwin, Nick Ambrose and Hans E Bergestol, among numerous others, have been amazing to watch and I for one am going to miss seeing the world's very best flying around the South Yorkshire shale.
I'm proud of what I've helped the club to achieve but in recent years I've not been able to give the Owls 100% every week, as I used to. Owlerton were about reaching the top, staying there and winning trophies and I'm not sure I can commit to that anymore.
I have become heavily involved in the international scene with the GP series, qualifiers and the World Cups plus my work with the European Leagues and other bits of administration. I didn't think it was right to keep Owlerton going as a shadow of the club they've been - that's not fair to the fans, riders or any of us. I certainly didn't want to be out of the sport in the UK though and so we developed the Sheffield Dons project.
We've always been about developing young talent - Owlerton were one of the few clubs to bring 2 riders right through from the DL to our UL side and we also gave Nick Ambrose, now the sport's most successful world champion, his step up into top flight speedway. I was a big supporter of the name of the new division as the Evolution League because that's how I see it - the stage where youngsters will evolve into senior riders with a long term career in the sport. For me this division will be the make or break one where riders will graduate to the big league - or fall by the wayside in the sport.
This outlook is the driving force behind the project we've set up here. The Dons name was chosen because we see ourselves as a sort of 'Speedway University' for riders almost - and of course our stadium is built on the bank of the River Don! With the stadium out near Meadowhall shopping centre and close to Sheffield Arena, Ice Sheffield and Valley Centertainment, with its fantastic entertainment facilities, we think a trip to watch Sheffield Dons will be part of an enjoyable family day out.
For the riders joining our club we emphasise we are about development - not purely winning things. For the fans I'd assure them that we do want to win meetings and trophies but we are taking a fresh approach and the aim is not to rise back to the UL but to stay as a University of Speedway institution which helps riders evolve into the world class stars of tomorrow.
In terms of the staff we have an outstanding specialist coach in Gary Carr who was a top rider and has been an engine tuner for many of the world's best for several years now. Speedway in Sheffield wouldn't be right without Simon Stevens and he's agreed to stick with us in the EL next season. Simon has risen from the bottom to the top in the UK and the experience of the sport's longest serving rider as a leader will be invaluable to his teammates.
In addition we have forged a link with the nearby English Institute of Sport who will work with the lads on their fitness and psychological aspects of professional sport. Sheffield Dons will offer an unmatched opportunity for young riders to learn their craft at the University of Speedway and graduate on to bigger and better things in the sport.
Simon Stevens is going to lead the side on the track and we'll follow with team news as it comes right here. With my involvement in running the World Cup I'm taking a step back from the transfer scramble for now but can promise the fans we'll build a competitive and exciting side. My Son James is helping with the team building also but for now we're concentrating on getting the set-up 100% right. Building the side will come last this season but when I look at the number of quality riders around, and know the contacts we have built up with other clubs over the years, I don't think for one second that giving everyone else a headstart will do any harm at all.
So it's a big hello to all from the Sheffield Dons and our Bankside base - the University of Speedway - and we look forward to welcoming and announcing our first intake of students soon!
Manager Andy Dixon had this to say about the decision and the aims of the new club:
"We've all had some great experiences at Owlerton and I have some amazing personal memories. The Owls set records in the sport, we won a trophy cabinet full of silverware and had some world class riders represent the club. As far as I know we're the only side still to win the Academy, Power and Ultimate Leagues - in fact we also won the DL when that was around too! I think we're the only club to have a rider reach a testimonial season - in fact we've had 3 with Simon Stevens, Iain Hines and Stephen Trowbridge who are all Owls' legends. Riders like Mark Black, Ryan Irwin, Nick Ambrose and Hans E Bergestol, among numerous others, have been amazing to watch and I for one am going to miss seeing the world's very best flying around the South Yorkshire shale.
I'm proud of what I've helped the club to achieve but in recent years I've not been able to give the Owls 100% every week, as I used to. Owlerton were about reaching the top, staying there and winning trophies and I'm not sure I can commit to that anymore.
I have become heavily involved in the international scene with the GP series, qualifiers and the World Cups plus my work with the European Leagues and other bits of administration. I didn't think it was right to keep Owlerton going as a shadow of the club they've been - that's not fair to the fans, riders or any of us. I certainly didn't want to be out of the sport in the UK though and so we developed the Sheffield Dons project.
We've always been about developing young talent - Owlerton were one of the few clubs to bring 2 riders right through from the DL to our UL side and we also gave Nick Ambrose, now the sport's most successful world champion, his step up into top flight speedway. I was a big supporter of the name of the new division as the Evolution League because that's how I see it - the stage where youngsters will evolve into senior riders with a long term career in the sport. For me this division will be the make or break one where riders will graduate to the big league - or fall by the wayside in the sport.
This outlook is the driving force behind the project we've set up here. The Dons name was chosen because we see ourselves as a sort of 'Speedway University' for riders almost - and of course our stadium is built on the bank of the River Don! With the stadium out near Meadowhall shopping centre and close to Sheffield Arena, Ice Sheffield and Valley Centertainment, with its fantastic entertainment facilities, we think a trip to watch Sheffield Dons will be part of an enjoyable family day out.
For the riders joining our club we emphasise we are about development - not purely winning things. For the fans I'd assure them that we do want to win meetings and trophies but we are taking a fresh approach and the aim is not to rise back to the UL but to stay as a University of Speedway institution which helps riders evolve into the world class stars of tomorrow.
In terms of the staff we have an outstanding specialist coach in Gary Carr who was a top rider and has been an engine tuner for many of the world's best for several years now. Speedway in Sheffield wouldn't be right without Simon Stevens and he's agreed to stick with us in the EL next season. Simon has risen from the bottom to the top in the UK and the experience of the sport's longest serving rider as a leader will be invaluable to his teammates.
In addition we have forged a link with the nearby English Institute of Sport who will work with the lads on their fitness and psychological aspects of professional sport. Sheffield Dons will offer an unmatched opportunity for young riders to learn their craft at the University of Speedway and graduate on to bigger and better things in the sport.
Simon Stevens is going to lead the side on the track and we'll follow with team news as it comes right here. With my involvement in running the World Cup I'm taking a step back from the transfer scramble for now but can promise the fans we'll build a competitive and exciting side. My Son James is helping with the team building also but for now we're concentrating on getting the set-up 100% right. Building the side will come last this season but when I look at the number of quality riders around, and know the contacts we have built up with other clubs over the years, I don't think for one second that giving everyone else a headstart will do any harm at all.
So it's a big hello to all from the Sheffield Dons and our Bankside base - the University of Speedway - and we look forward to welcoming and announcing our first intake of students soon!