By Henry Chard
Ipswich Speedway is delighted to confirm that their sponsorship with Guy Nicholls and Tru7.com will continue in 2019 with the team being known once again as the Ipswich ‘Tru Plant’ Witches.
The Tru7 Group have been title sponsors since 2016 and the Witches have been showcasing the ‘Tru Plant’ branch of the business since the start of the 2018 season.
Owner Nicholls is pleased to see the Witches step up to the Premiership in 2019 and says promoter Chris Louis deserves more credit than he gets.
“At the end of last year, I said if they go up to the Premiership we will continue to back them,” said Nicholls. “I think that is what we needed, it had gone a bit stagnant in the Championship and I think the crowd thought that too.
“I have a lot of time for Chris Louis, he gets knocked by some supporters and he can never win whatever he does. His heart and soul are in the club and he needs to earn a living. People think he earns millions doing it but that is not the case, he does it more out of love than money that is for sure.”
The Tru7 Group frontman says he continues to back the club due to a love for the sport and is hoping that some lost fans come back and support the team in the new season.
“I do it for the love of the sport, we take customers up there on the warmer evenings too. What I hear a lot from people is ‘I used to come to speedway’ and I always say, ‘why did you stop then?’ That is just the way it is these days, we need to put on more of a show and try and get people back. It is a bloody good sport; these boys are risking their lives to earn sums that are far less than footballers.”
Nicholls says that the Tru Plant branch of this business continues to grow, and the company is doing well.
“We started on 22nd February last year and we are up to over 800 machines since we started. We have been busy working all over the country and we have no complaints at all. We will probably add another 400-500 machines this year and we are very busy I am pleased to say.”
The Ipswich born businessman has been a Witches fan all his life and believes the new side could cause a few upsets in the upcoming campaign.
“I was born two or three miles from the stadium and I live about the same distance away now, so I don’t go very far! I am really looking forward to being back in the Premiership, when I first started going John Louis was riding in the glory days if you like. I watched all the period with Siggy (Dennis Sigalos) and Cookie (John Cook) and then after that we had Tomasz Gollob and Tony Rickardsson. We have had the best riders in the world ride at this club.
“I think the team this year, without doing a disservice to Chris Harris, hasn’t got an out and out world champion as a number one. Chris (Louis) has built a very solid and in-depth team that will upset a few people.”
Nicholls is hoping that the club have a successful season and enjoy a bit more luck than in recent campaigns.
“I think it is about time we had some luck, the past two seasons we have fallen at the last hurdle or been disrupted by injuries. It certainly hasn’t been through a lack of trying but we have been unlucky. Hopefully it’s third time lucky as Ipswich are long overdue some luck. Everyone at the club, going right down to those who rake the track are there every week. There is a lot of loyalty around the club and the club deserves success. I know you earn success, but I think it has to be our turn.”
Nicholls says he has known new Witches owner Keith Chapman for many years and is pleased he is involved in the sport.
“I have known Keith Chapman for years and have done business with him for years outside of speedway. He is a very straight forward man and I can deal with people like that all day long as you know where you stand. I think he has been very brave in taking it on, but the point is if he hadn’t who would have?
“Thank god he has, he loves speedway to the bone it is his sport and although my son is a motocross rider at world championship level, speedway is my number one sport and always has been. I am really looking forward to going to speedway again now. I hope the crowd get behind them and support them.”
Tru Plant will continue to sponsor individual riders in 2019 and Nicholls says he cannot wait for the season to get started.
“We are helping Jason Doyle, Ty Proctor at King’s Lynn, Danny King and one other rider and that is through the love of the sport. Fingers crossed the crowds come because the more people there the better the atmosphere is. I can’t wait for it to start now.”
Phone: 01473 612 761
Email: enquiries@tru7.com