Speedway film roars into view
A well-known Perth club harbours hope that running’s surge in popularity will continue after lockdown.
Perth Road Runners has been thrilled to witness many people turn to pounding the pavements to get their fix of fitness amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Chairman Kevin Riddell said those who want to continue and become a member will be welcomed with open arms.
“I would hope those who are new to running are keen to carry it on when the lockdown is over,” Kevin told the Perthshire Advertiser.
“I think there is a little bit of a stigma about clubs where it’s perceived to be just the fast runners who go to them. That is absolutely not the case.
“We welcome beginners and would be happy to see more people who have just taken up running in the last few weeks.
“We had a committee meeting online last week and discussed ways of promoting the club to those who are interested in getting involved.
“We can even just give out a bit of advice for their running. People might not want to come to club sessions but want to know about what runs they should be doing.
“There are so many nice runs around Perth that you would never know about if you hadn’t explored them.”
Running was one of the few physical activities you could safely do while maintaining social distancing rules at the beginning of the coronavirus lockdown.
Kevin said the benefits of running are wide-ranging, both for physical and mental wellbeing.
“I was dreading we wouldn’t be allowed out to exercise at all through lockdown,” he explained. “I would’ve been climbing
An east Perthshire filmmaker’s first feature-length production is a full-throttle affair.
Blairgowrie’s Patrick Rooney recently released‘In The Red’, which takes a close-up look at the exploits of the Glasgow Tigers speedway team on and off the track.
Based at the Peugeot Ashfield Stadium, the Tigers are one of two Scottish representatives in the 11-team Speedway Great Britain Championship – which is the sport’s second tier in the UK and features sides from as far afield as Birmingham and Eastbourne.
Riders compete mostly on 500cc bikes with a single, fixed, gear and no brakes in races comprising four laps of an oval shale track.
Patrick, who now lives in Glasgow, explained:“I came up with the idea by accident really – I was in the car and we were going past Ashfield when I saw the advertising for the Tigers and wondered what it was.
“I did a bit of searching on social media, watched a few videos and decided I needed to go along.”
Patrick’s original idea for a short film progressed to a feature-length production thanks to sponsorship by Tigers’owners Allied Vehicles, backing which saw him take in home and away fixtures over the course of the entire 2019 campaign after an invitation to get a feel for the club by marketing manager Robert Mackenzie.
He continued:“The first time I went along I didn’t really know what to expect because I’d only seen a couple of clips. I just picked a random spot to stand and the first thing that hit me was how enthusiastic and passionate the fans were.
“Then there was the sound of all the engines revving and the smell.
“Everyone was so welcoming, especially the volunteers and the other people connected to the club. The scoring system can initially seem quite complicated but the volunteers were really good at explaining everything.”
Originating in Australia, speedway was first seen on these shores in the 1920s and was watched by tens of thousands of spectators in packed-out stadiums during its 1970s heyday.
Patrick continued:“The season lasts for seven or eight months depending on the weather – you can’t race if it has been raining heavily – and the furthest we went was from Glasgow to Eastbourne.
“The fans and the people involved have a sense of ownership with the sport. You could see they want the best for it and to protect it.
“I wanted to show what a great sport it is and how there’s a sense of community that you maybe wouldn’t get elsewhere.
“The film focuses on how the team is doing throughout the season but it also hopefully gives people a chance to tell their stories and show another perspective to the fans.”
Following the conclusion of the season, Patrick gave himself until the end of 2019 to complete the editing process. He has been humbled by the reaction since‘In The Red’– which is just under 90 minutes in length – made its debut on YouTube in April this year.
He admitted:“This has been one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever worked on.”
Patrick’s film – produced by his own company, Dear Friend Films – can be viewed by searching for‘In The Red’on YouTube.