CLUB NEWS: East Newport Cycle Speedway Club Statement

The past 2 years of social restrictions correctly imposed by the Welsh government due to COVID 19 have had an adverse effect of a lot of voluntary organisations in the principality and East Newport Cycle Speedway Club are no exception to that. With little or no trackside activity due to lack of opportunity, the club has seen its young membership decline as new hobbies and pastimes were found and the call to return has in large been very slow. After 10 years of admirable commitment to the sport, current long term committee members Chris & Becky Wright will be stepping back from the pit face at the next club AGM next month and should the membership agree to it, old faces will be returning to the fold to take on the mantle once again of running the smallest track in the country. The track based in Underwood, which is just east of Newport, has been a hotbed for turning out some top juniors such as Aaron Hughes, Dan Wright, Louis Harvey and Jamielee Walters.

One of the clubs’ returning members, Matt Davis (pictured below) commented “When we were approached by Chris Wright about taking on the East Newport Club we spoke about whether the passion was still there to make a real go of it again. We would love to get all our ex-members back and to also attract new ones who can be as proud to wear the amber and black shirts similar to the passion we ride in them. There’s still a desire to promote the club and its riders in the area and to experience the growth that we once had when we started the club back in 2005”

Another returning rider, Neil Power commented “As it stands at the moment we have no concrete plans for next year as we are still building up our band of riders and organisers and everyone who has returned has brought good ideas. We want to cherry pick all the best ideas and work on those in 2022”

Another rider who rode for East Newport in its very first competition, Nigel Clark, picks up the story “We have worked very hard behind the scenes these last few months and its starting to look like there’s a lot of interest in rebuilding the East Newport Club. Next year will be about consolidating what we have and looking towards a plan to regenerate new interests and new ideas with a cycling club”

Club details can be found on their active Facebook page and with so many messages coming in via
the messenger app we are trying to reply to everyone and keep them informed of the progress.”