Earlier today, the news came that the elite series will start on August 11, but will not ease the restrictions in Sweden during the summer, it will be a speedway season without an audience - and without the Blacksmiths.
- We are positive for a start on August 11, but we must get a message if there is an audience at the matches. We can't run a season without an audience, that's too much of our revenue and we can't risk our finances, "says club chairman Tobias Spångberg to SVT Sport.
Without an audience, revenues are drastically reduced, says Spångberg.
- As it seems now, we get no support from our union. It's just the money we get, from sponsors and the public, that we have to live on and if we lose half, it won't go away.
Without an audience, the smiths, who won the gold medal three years in a row, would have to run with a greatly reduced budget and there is no alternative for the club.
- It is wrong for the audience and sponsors to charge for the "top speedway" but then delivers a product that is worse than what they pay for.
By July 21, the smiths want to be notified whether it will be a public or not for the elite premiere.
- Then we have three weeks to prepare for the season.