25yearfan 476 Posted October 25, 2006 No chance of speedway taking place at the new MK Dons (Franchise FC) stadium. The proposed new greyhound stadium would be the ideal place to reopen Milton Keynes Knights speedway team. The CL would be the best league to do it in because when they operated before it couldn't really afford Division 2 (PL) level speedway. Wishful thinking on my part what with my love of speedway and absolute hatred and total disagreement about how MK Dons came into existence. - Hopefully the MK Dons wil continue their slide down the football pyrimid and into eventual extinction. Then their will be a vacant state of the art 21,000 seater stadium in the middle of England that could host speedway amongst other events! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
star ghost 7 Posted October 26, 2006 Re the M K "Dons" I think it a travesty that they exist also There was a Milton Keynes F C but Winker man didnt bother to take over and earn his League place with them. And the F A, after saying they would never allow it to happen, then looked the other way. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
speedyguy 20 Posted October 26, 2006 Re the M K "Dons" I think it a travesty that they exist also There was a Milton Keynes F C but Winker man didnt bother to take over and earn his League place with them. And the F A, after saying they would never allow it to happen, then looked the other way. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Aren't we having a MK Dons replay in speedway - with the 'now dead Conference League Dons' trying to nose their way into Central Park Sittingbourne? The prospective promoter plans to run them just as The Dons and use the old Wimbledon colours. That's a tavesty and an insult to the once great club which, let's admit, ceased to exist in 1991. Love to see a Milton Keynes return - their one-time promoter Ron Wilson was a great mate of mine! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Concrete Cowboy 0 Posted October 26, 2006 Hi Concrete Cowboy How about around the football pitch at the new stadium. Perhaps thats to much wishfull thinking. Regards Tony. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> That's a sore point with me. I sat in the cafe at ASDA the other day looking out on the new stadium under construction trying to think of one good reason why it couldn't happen. As i started the journey home (still pondering), i had the new stadium on my left, and 300yds further on the right i looked down on what used to be Groveway stadium. All the buildings have now been flattened and all you can see is the faint definition of the old track. I have a tear in my eye just thinking about it Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Concrete Cowboy 0 Posted October 26, 2006 Also, just read this in one of the many local papers - MK NEWS, i guess we could be waiting forever for speedway to return to MK. Greyhounds’ return stuck in the traps By Craig Lewis Greyhound racing is still no closer to returning to Milton Keynes. Fans have had to wait almost a year since the last race at MK Greyhound Stadium at Ashlands on Boxing Day. And many owners have had to find alternative tracks for their dogs to race on despite the fact they believe racing in MK would be hugely popular. A greyhound track is part of preferred developer Gaming International’s plans for The Bowl. The company had originally planned to move to a new facility at Elfield Park. But that never happened and the plans were switched to The Bowl after Gaming beat off the challenge of Pete Winkelman’s InterMK in January. Work is yet to start on the site with negotiations between Gaming and Milton Keynes Council in the early stages following submission of a planning application in August. One trainer, Terry Westwood, who, along with wife Marlene, races 40 dogs from their base in Hatch, Bedfordshire, has had to move his operation to Henlow. He said: “We have settled in Henlow now. “I am not in contact with the operators in MK any more, but there is one thing for sure – greyhound racing there can only be a success. “There are a lot of young people in the city and it was very popular. “Financially we had to pull our horns in and we were pleased to find places here as greyhound tracks are getting hard to find now.” Chief executive officer Clarke Osborne said Gaming is very excited about the stadium proposals. He said: “The new stadium complex design has been perfected during 18 months of detailed analysis and will provide the next generation of customer facilities. “We have looked very closely at the evolution of greyhound racing as a mainstream leisure activity and have planned ahead to ensure we provide what customers demand now and in the next 10 years. It will be a significant facility for the region.” 25 October 2006 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
25yearfan 476 Posted October 26, 2006 (edited) Aren't we having a MK Dons replay in speedway - with the 'now dead Conference League Dons' trying to nose their way into Central Park Sittingbourne? The prospective promoter plans to run them just as The Dons and use the old Wimbledon colours. That's a tavesty and an insult to the once great club which, let's admit, ceased to exist in 1991. Love to see a Milton Keynes return - their one-time promoter Ron Wilson was a great mate of mine! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> As I've mentioned on other threads on this forum - Are the former promotors of Wimbledon speedway really that serious about opening a speedway track up at Central Park Sittingbourne? And trying to recreate the Wimbledon Dons theme at Sittingbourne wouldn't work cause it isn't Wimbledon, it would alienate the locals and it didn't work when tryed in 1991 at Eastbourne. Yes Wimbledon first shut in 1991. - BUT they did reopen in 2002 in the CL at Plough Lane and after the problems of the first year were overcome the operation was a successfull one at the level Wimbledon speedway competed at. - Its total rubbish to suggest that this 4 season spell of CL racing at Plough Lane in your opinion didn't (as good as) happen or wasn't a proper speedway set up! Milton Keynes could sustain a CL speedway team. A greyhound track cannot stage greyhounds 7 days a week. The Council have already suggested they wouldn't be against speedway taking place at a new Greyhound stadium. If this new Greyhound stadium facility does become reality then possibly speedway racing would stand a chance of reopening there. Edited October 26, 2006 by 25yearfan Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fireblade 0 Posted November 6, 2006 It wasn't the council that was the problem last time, it was the vandals. Team Man will confirm this. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
25yearfan 476 Posted November 7, 2006 Yes the vandalism helped to undermine all confidence in the future of racing at Eldfield Park. But the main factor in the 1992 closure was the poor crowds when trying to compete in what had then become a very expensive Division 2. To be fair Milton Keynes alwaya struggled for a decent hardcore of support even in the early days at the Groveway. They done well to go for as long as they did in reality. Shame they couldn't of hung on for another couple of years cause in 1994 the 3rd Division was formed now known as the Conference League. Milton Keynes speedway at Eldfield Park would of been ideal at this level Thats why I think if Milton Keynes ever stages speedway racing again then the Conference League would be the only league it could viably do it. The other track who closed in 1992 - Mildenhall only reopened cause of the CL. The Fen Tigers have struggled badly for crowds this year in the PL and will in my opinion have to drop down in order to keep going in speedway long term. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
snapper-racing.co.uk 6 Posted November 7, 2006 well for one I hope they do re open in conference, it would be absoloutly ideal for me!!! only 20 mins away - perfect (instead of the 270 odd miles ive been making every week to ride at redcar! lol) add to the fact ive been riding in my own new design mk:knights race jacket all year. and im on the look out for a conference ride for next season (although i think mk wont happen for then). lets see what happens, but i agree conference would work at MK, although from the amount of people ive spoke to in MK and Northampton, I seriously think speedway at MK would work at any level, so many people want to go but dont want to travel to the other tracks, whereas MK would be local and accessible. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted November 27, 2006 Aren't we having a MK Dons replay in speedway - with the 'now dead Conference League Dons' trying to nose their way into Central Park Sittingbourne? The prospective promoter plans to run them just as The Dons and use the old Wimbledon colours. That's a tavesty and an insult to the once great club which, let's admit, ceased to exist in 1991. Love to see a Milton Keynes return - their one-time promoter Ron Wilson was a great mate of mine! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I'm sorry to go off topic so to speak, but the regular insults by speedyguy against Wimbledon circa 2002-05 really rankle. I never recall Mr Hyam (speedyguy) once refusing free admission to Plough Lane, and if he was so against what he saw then he should have stayed at home and torn up his press pass. Yes it's true that the Dons were indeed "once great", but the last national trophy sucess was in 1970! The remining 21 years saw the GRA mismanage things to such an extent that they washed their hands of affairs in 1986 and alienated a hitherto strong fan base with poor riders and weak team management. Only with the Russell Lanning era of 1988-89 did the Dons sparkle into life and his departure with that of Todd Wiltshire was the final nail in the coffin. Speaking of the 2002-05 return to Plough Lane, both myself and Parseloes spent a vast amount of time and words in promoting the Dons to a wider audience, but the loss of the original track circuit was a massive hurdle to overcome. I agree that the newly created track was tight and lacked the style and grace of the old, but Mark Burrows in particular gave many Dons fans teriffic speedway to remember. Without the efforts of the initial consortium there would not have be a sustainable return of the sport in 2002, and my thanks and I'm sure those of many Wimbledon supporters go to them for the 4 years we were lucky enough to get back at Plough Lane. Barry Pickering ex- PRO Wimbledon Speedway Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Team Man 32 Posted December 2, 2006 (edited) The plague of MK Speedway at Elfield Park was the organized vandalism by some of the residents of an estate the other side of the A5, but the reason MK closed was not due to poor crowds or the Vandalism, it was the Control Board that pulled the plug on us by withholding the License untill we got the Stadium up to scratch on some of the things they said needed doing, but once you have no money coming in you can't do the things that need doing It was devastating that night the Control Board manager pulled the rug from under us Edited December 2, 2006 by Team Man Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
25yearfan 476 Posted December 3, 2006 Colin Hill the long serving Exeter promotor who sadly passed away 2 years ago ran Milton Keynes in 1992. He had to shut cause MK cause the money he was losing their was also putting a severe strain on Exeter speedway. Indeed Tony Olson Exeters NO1 had to be released cause Exeter coudn't afford to keep him after MK speedway drained the promotions finances. Yes the SCB in the end suspended operations but the biggest drawback about Milton Keynes speedway was the poor crowds. If the crowds are good then other problems that can occur when running a speedway track can normally be sorted out. Lets hope that one day the Milton Keynes Knights will be seen in British speedway again at a new track of their own. Interestingly the orgaanisation planning to build a new dog track in Milton Keynes the BSI are the same lot who own Swindon stadium that have been forced to include speedway in their rebuilding plans for the Abbey stadium in Swindon. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kevin Meynell 2 Posted December 4, 2006 Thats why I think if Milton Keynes ever stages speedway racing again then the Conference League would be the only league it could viably do it. Milton Keynes has also grown a lot though in the past 10-15 years. There are successful tracks (insofar as any speedway track is successful) in areas with much smaller populations than Milton Keynes. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ben91 1,743 Posted December 4, 2006 well for one I hope they do re open in conference, it would be absoloutly ideal for me!!! only 20 mins away - perfect (instead of the 270 odd miles ive been making every week to ride at redcar! lol) add to the fact ive been riding in my own new design mk:knights race jacket all year. and im on the look out for a conference ride for next season (although i think mk wont happen for then). lets see what happens, but i agree conference would work at MK, although from the amount of people ive spoke to in MK and Northampton, I seriously think speedway at MK would work at any level, so many people want to go but dont want to travel to the other tracks, whereas MK would be local and accessible. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> although not on the MK subject you should see if you can get 2 rye for PP day as i cannot see where our next grade 2 rider is coming from but contact promotion 1st Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
joebloggs 0 Posted February 9, 2007 I have visited the old Groveway site and spoke to the "wreckers" who bulldozed it flat and have many photographs of what is left which is nothing. Just simply nothing - no buildings left, no tracks left and more importantly NO development on the original site and even more importantly NO future plans. Elfield park is completely inaccessible and is again basically what it started as a pile of rubbish and no plans of any description. The biggest problem speedway in Milton Keynes has is NOT ENOUGH people actually A) Know what it is and care less about it and that apathy along with the extremely small crowds which caused its shutdown will ensure it just never re-starts. Far too many clubs including some very big names all disappeared purely and simply because the promoters couldn't afford to run speedway with such massive losses, I was fortunate to be involved at MK and saw the struggle to keep it running and I can definately tell you that it cost several house mortgages and a nearly a business just to keep losing every week. Only rich men and liars run speedway- Rich men with money to waste and liars who don't have the money to waste but continue to do so. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
