The John Griff Column: All the Fun of The Foxes
As anyone who had a late night or early morning on Sunday/Monday tries to catch up on their relaxation and sleep – not to mention any healing from the pre-match nerves and nail-biting that accompanied England’s memorable World Cup win over Mexico (bring on Norway on the 11th!), I recently had the opportunity to spectate on a different kind of sport. Motor based, it wasn’t at Silverstone. Instead, it was a little closer to home.
The Formula 1 British Grand Prix delivered a weekend audience of over 600,000 people who packed the grandstands and thronged the fields outside the circuit. Many millions more watched by television or listened online and on the radio. The race itself had a somewhat chaotic ending but in the end Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc took a well-earned win ahead of Brackley based Mercedes driver George Russell in 2nd and Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton in 3rd. The crowd roared its approval and Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire will share the economic spoils of something over £40 million over time.
Before the Grand Prix though, a smaller but no less dedicated circus rolled into the county last Monday, as Northampton Foxes welcomed Ipswich Witches to the Northampton International Shaleway stadium at Brafield. Speedway was the name of the game with the fixture being the first Monday evening home event held for the newly formed Northampton Foxes in their debut season.
In the early 1900s, speedway was a form of motorsport regularly attracting tens of thousands of supporters to tightly packaged circuits around the country. Riders became national heroes and the sport attracted international stars too. TV coverage arrived to boost the sport’s popularity – I recall learning that the bikes had no brakes and that riders took corners at speed with one boot planted on the surface of the shale in order to keep everything upright. The boot had no sole as such – just a metal plate. With speeds well in excess of 60 mile per hour on the tight ovals, my then 8 year-old mind couldn’t fathom how the riders didn’t just fly off the track and into the crash fencing – which some did but for different reasons.
Speedway saw, then passed its heyday – perhaps because of TV. But it never became extinct. Northampton once had its own team, the Flying Foxes. Now, with investment at Brafield, the county has a team again - The Northampton Foxes – and performances through the season have been getting stronger, as has support. New fans are coming to each fixture that the team competes. Tonight they go again from 7.30 and last Monday I became a convert to their cause.
Brafield has been brought up to speed – literally – with new buildings, facilities and a proper grandstand giving a commanding view of the track. Years after I last visited, it soon became clear the standard that everyone from the turnstile staff to the caterers, track marshals and other officials operates to – as they should. It’s not only the teams and riders raising their game – everyone has to do so and maintain standards if this return to the top flight of the sport is to survive and thrive.
It certainly seemed to be thriving on Monday. Races are over in a matter of seconds – I watched 16 of them with none reaching a minute in duration. For the competitors conditions were incredibly dusty as they hurtled around a frequently tended and watered shale surface, but the racing was clean and respectful with rival competitors fist-bumping each other in encouragement as each race ended. Heading for the pits, they acknowledged the crowd’s support, securing a little hero status in the process. The crowd was certainly partisan, both sets of fans being highly vocal in their support. Many of the Witches fans had committed to a long round trip journey to be at Bradfield on the night in number, as they were. The crowd was equally respectful to the riders of both sides and each other. It made for a great atmosphere.
Hundreds of speedway fans came together at Brafield last Monday night. I couldn’t fault anything about it and will be back – ideally wearing Foxes merch I can find it. For well under £60, I ate, drank and was entertained at a venue where I could see everything as it went on. The Foxes lost 44-46 on the night, but that’s not the point. Speedway is coming home, winning new fans while the county wins new revenue from visitors contributing to its tourist economy. And nobody needed an alarm clock.
Come on The Foxes (and England)!