With the emphasis being on youth in Kent Speedway’s National League [NL] team, it’s appropriate that the as yet missing ‘nickname’ for the Central Park Stadium-based club’s ‘second side’ is to be decided by a competition being held in local schools.
Commercial Manager Graham Darling explains, “We have a sponsor for our NL side, in Iwade Garage but no nickname and so are contacting schools in the Swale area offering a £200 prize sponsored by Ian Hyland of Specsavers Tunbridge Wells - for the winning class/school in addition to 30 complimentary tickets and two runner up prizes of 15 complimentary tickets.
“The closing date for the competition is Friday 24th January with winners being announced on Friday 31st January. With the permission of the headteacher we would then like to bring a rider to the winning schools to present the prizes.”
The NL is very much what it says on the packet – with teams from as far apart as Plymouth in the south west to the Scottish capital of Edinburgh in the north. To give a flavour of the sort of names other sides have the NL has currently Gladiators, Lion Cubs, Fen Tigers, Devils, Warriors & Colts and of course the senior side which Kent are entering this year in the higher division in Speedway’s league structure, the SGB Championship have the right regal moniker, Kings (sponsored by TouchTec).
Darling goes on, “We are looking forward to seeing the youngsters’ creative juices flowing and some great and innovative names being suggested, One thing is though, we can’t accept ‘Bikey McBike Face’!”
Schools are being contacted this week but if there are other schools in the wider area interested in getting involved too they should email commercial@kent-speedway.com
Darling wants this competition to be the first in a packed 2020 of growing relationships with local schools and colleges, “Hopefully there can be several competitions during the year – with cash prizes; free meeting entry for school groups; complimentary family tickets; free merchandise; rider visits for schools and invitations to schools to events at Central Park. Kent Speedway is a brilliant night out (on Wednesdays in 2020 plus Bank Holidays) for all the family with a nice early finish on Wednesdays of 8.30pm, and we want to see more youngsters coming along and getting the Speedway bug – and then bringing along their parents and other family members also!”