Phillips hoping for Saturday race nights at the Coliseum

PLYMOUTH speedway promoter Mark Phillips is hoping the club can race on Saturday nights from next year as he believes that is the best way to secure the Gladiators’ long-term future.

- STUART JAMES

Race nights always used to be on a Friday down at the Coliseum, certainly under their former guise as the Plymouth Devils, but with Phillips keen to run Championship speedway in the city, they were only accepted into the second tier by agreeing to switch to a Tuesday race night instead.

However, crowds have been down on previous years as the promotion battle against increased costs, and racing on a school night, while Phillips says the club need a 35 per-cent increase in attendances in order just to break even.

With the last two meetings postponed - including the last two Tuesday’s, against Berwock Bandits and Glasgow Tigers, it will now be six weeks since the team last rode against Oxford on June 20 and their next scheduled home meeting with Edinburgh on August 1. And the huge gaps between meetings certainly does not help Plymouth or speedway’s cause.

The Gladiators head north today for the first of a doubleheader against Edinburgh Monarchs tonight and Berwick tomorrow as they aim to halt a run of nine straight defeats. But with Phillips casting an envious eye towards two clubs that do benefit from riding on nonschool nights.