Green Light for Bears
Redcar Speedway have been given the green light from Redcar Borough Council to welcome supporters back at the Media Prima Arena from May 17th, assuming the Government’s plans to lift certain restrictions on that date go ahead. Crowd numbers will have to be restricted, but at a level that is acceptable to the promotion – tickets will be sold online in advance in order to control numbers and to avoid cash payments in the stadium where possible.
Bears’ chief Jitendra Duffill commented, “We submitted a comprehensive Covid risk assessment to Redcar Borough Council last week and I’d like to thank them for their advice and attention. They have been extremely helpful, have worked with us without wanting to put any barriers in our way, and are satisfied that we are putting appropriate measures in place, which obviously includes a cap on attendances.”
The promotion are putting several systems in place to keep the risks associated with Covid to a minimum, with a safe return to the terraces a priority. The club will reveal what measures have been put in place in the near future, so fans eager to return will know what to expect in advance.
Duffill added, “The priority is a safe return for everyone involved and we aim to do that without impacting upon the enjoyment of the event. There are no extreme measures that have had to be taken – things like social distancing, the use of masks indoors, contactless payment systems and advanced ticket sales are probably going to be expected anyway; that will be the norm everywhere for a while. The biggest and most costly change we decided to make, was to put permanent spectator facilities along the back straight, but the investment will be worth it and allows us to work to an acceptable maximum capacity.”
Club bosses have revealed that online ticket sales will go live a week before the Bears’ first meeting on the 30th May and will be available to purchase via the clubs official website. 2020 season tickets have been rolled over to 2021 and will be available to collect from the turnstiles from the time of the opening meeting. Season ticket holders are guaranteed entry and advanced ticket sales will account for those numbers before going on sale. There will also be a nominal entry charge of £1 for all children in 2021, as this allows for attendances to be documented.
Duffill finished by saying, “We are working non-stop behind the scenes to put all the necessary control measures in place. Guidance and information about returning to the MPA will be made available a couple of weeks before our first meeting, so fans should look out for that in the near future. This is another hurdle we have overcome, and things are slowly but surely starting to slot into place. I hope our supporters will understand that everything we are doing is to ensure we can re-open in May and operate safely throughout 2021. – I’m very thankful for their backing.”
SOCIAL MEDIA BLACKOUT
Redcar and British Speedway will be inactive on social media from 15:00 tomorrow until midnight on Monday (30th April – 3rd May) to show support against online abuse. We wish you all a great weekend and will see you all again next Tuesday, when the social media blackout has ended.
