Why No Speedway Track...?

[Tsunami 10,219]

 

First thing I should address is the Dirt track at Oxford. I rode in the last meeting held there and all the safety fence and all other requirements of the ACU were met, in fact the club was still affiliated to the ACU at that time. The only comments I remember were from Chris Brown about shale getting onto the dog track and that was because it was very windy and the covers were difficult to keep down. At no time have I ever seen Dirt track racing held where safety wasn't a priority and if anything the rules have been tightened up since affiliating to the MCF. I'm way too old and too experienced in the ways of motorcycle racing to involve myself with anything that didn't take safety seriously.

 

I think the days have long gone where the ACU were the only people capable of running safe, good quality meetings. There are other federations out there now who can do as well and in many cases better, they train officials to at least the same standard as the ACU, carry equivalent or better insurance and have many years of experience behind them. Generally they are set up because somebody has reached the end of their tether with the ACU not meeting the needs of their members.

 

For something like the track we are talking about it is difficult to see what benefit they gain from joining the ACU, SCB, BSPA with the costs involved if they have no intention of running league meetings. If somebody wants to run a Speedway meeting under a different affiliation why shouldn't they? The ACU will try and bully riders by threatening to revoke their licences but that would be illegal as proven in court somewhere around 40 years ago by the AMCA. More recently that threat was made about anybody riding at Lydd, they did nothing except wonder why their members view them with suspicion. If you want to run league meetings or involve yourself in International meetings then the ACU is the only option. If you want to run a training track with perhaps the odd meeting thrown in then in my opinion there are better options. Those options are in some cases very professional, very well run federations who are already running some of the biggest meetings in off road motorcycle sport in the UK.

 

The BSPA could I suppose reach a gentlemans agreement not to use riders who compete outside the ACU. However that would run the risk of opening the can of worms that is the asset/ self employed status of riders. They would be far better treating it like a rider who competes in the odd Grasstrack or Motocross and ignoring it. You never know somebody else might just come up with some good ideas that they can copy.

I seem to remember that a fan reported on here, that they had been down to the track and part of the safety fence had been removed, and they questioned how they were going to get away with it with only days to go before the meeting. Perhaps there was a rethink and the fence was re-elected.

[MC7 1]

I seem to remember that a fan reported on here, that they had been down to the track and part of the safety fence had been removed, and they questioned how they were going to get away with it with only days to go before the meeting. Perhaps there was a rethink and the fence was re-elected.

The issue with the safety fence at Oxford for that last Flat Track meeting was that the safety fence on the bends was altered at the end of the 2003 season to accommodate the new air fences, which were made compulsory at Elite League tracks in 2004.

In order to maintain the width of the track, the original fence was removed and a new structure was fitted 50cm or so further back, just using solid scaffolding poles as posts with a weld mesh to mount the air fence to, therefore making the new fence unsafe without an air fence in front of it.

 

This was the concern with using the track without an air fence

Edited January 15, 2016 by mc7

[gee jay 234]

I agree that had Tim Stone still been alive today then Newport speedway would still be running!

 

That said as I've argued with Vince on here in the past about, Tim Stones rude abrupt non delegating nature with fans, sponsors and track staff played a massive part in Newport speedways decline because he drove hundreds of people away from the club!

 

I'm aware that after a club opens or reopens, the novelty factor means that interest is high and this eventually wanes over the years but in Newports case this was accelerated much faster than it should have been!

 

The Mallets indeed tryed but so much damage had been done by that stage. But in their case, in the end didn't want their egos damaged by selling much of the stadium for scrap instead of letting Phil Morris have a go at it, a guy in my opinion could have made a go of it!

 

Newport speedway at Queensway Meadows to me is a very frustrating tale cause it was purpose built for speedway with little restrictions in an area that had a decent hardcore support.

 

What has become of the land the stadium once stood on?

 

I agree that had Tim Stone still been alive today then Newport speedway would still be running!

 

That said as I've argued with Vince on here in the past about, Tim Stones rude abrupt non delegating nature with fans, sponsors and track staff played a massive part in Newport speedways decline because he drove hundreds of people away from the club!

 

I'm aware that after a club opens or reopens, the novelty factor means that interest is high and this eventually wanes over the years but in Newports case this was accelerated much faster than it should have been!

 

The Mallets indeed tryed but so much damage had been done by that stage. But in their case, in the end didn't want their egos damaged by selling much of the stadium for scrap instead of letting Phil Morris have a go at it, a guy in my opinion could have made a go of it!

 

Newport speedway at Queensway Meadows to me is a very frustrating tale cause it was purpose built for speedway with little restrictions in an area that had a decent hardcore support.

 

What has become of the land the stadium once stood on?

absolutely spot on. i lost count of the people that tim said " if you don't like it don't come" and they didn't. mind you the mallets had upset a fare few during tim's reign so they wouldn't come back and let the club die, even most of the long time heat sponsors . i also think somerset had a lot to do with it. there was a massive amount of duel supporters and when somerset were improving both track and facilities and the rivalry grew, when money got tighter people picked one team. bspa sh*t on us by giving the pairs to somerset the night before cardiff we lost the revenue from a massive crowd when tim only had to pay out for a normal league meeting, that was a big loss on food alone never mind thousands in gate money.

Edited January 16, 2016 by gee jay

[Tsunami 10,219]

The issue with the safety fence at Oxford for that last Flat Track meeting was that the safety fence on the bends was altered at the end of the 2003 season to accommodate the new air fences, which were made compulsory at Elite League tracks in 2004.

In order to maintain the width of the track, the original fence was removed and a new structure was fitted 50cm or so further back, just using solid scaffolding poles as posts with a weld mesh to mount the air fence to, therefore making the new fence unsafe without an air fence in front of it.

 

This was the concern with using the track without an air fence

Many thanks for that mc7. I remembered the concerns expressed on here about how safe the track/fence was going to be.

 

absolutely spot on. i lost count of the people that tim said " if you don't like it don't come" and they didn't. mind you the mallets had upset a fare few during tim's rein so they wouldn't come back and let the club die, even most of the long time heat sponsors . i also think somerset had a lot to do with it. there was a massive amount of duel supporters and when somerset were improving both track and facilities and the rivalry grew, when money got tighter people picked one team. bspa sh*t on us by giving the pairs to somerset the night before cardiff we lost the revenue from a massive crowd when tim only had to pay out for a normal league meeting, that was a big loss on food alone never mind thousands in gate money.

Quite agree about the loss of the Friday meeting. It was starting to become a regular feature of the weekend, and I seem to remember it used to be Glasgow that was the regular opposition.

[2ndBender 28]

I personally don't think Speedway will ever be staged in Newport again. There's no site and no promoter. More importantly, perhaps, there are not enough people in the city who want it! The fan base that existed in the Somerton Park era, and in the early years of Queensway Meadows, have grown up, died or just lost interest, and the younger kids don't even know what Speedway is. As I've said on here before, if it doesn't involve the use of a ball, forget it! And Speedway in Ebbw Vale....??!! Not a chance!

[Vince 9,458]

The issue with the safety fence at Oxford for that last Flat Track meeting was that the safety fence on the bends was altered at the end of the 2003 season to accommodate the new air fences, which were made compulsory at Elite League tracks in 2004.

In order to maintain the width of the track, the original fence was removed and a new structure was fitted 50cm or so further back, just using solid scaffolding poles as posts with a weld mesh to mount the air fence to, therefore making the new fence unsafe without an air fence in front of it.

 

This was the concern with using the track without an air fence

 

To be honest don't remember this being on here if it was at the last meeting and obviously didn't notice an issue at the track. Fact still remains the meeting was run under the ACU and therefore isn't an example of what could go wrong if they aren't involved.

[Gatwick Rocket 53]

Just seen this http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-35526111

[MattK 3,447]

Looks like the Welsh Government are pulling out

 

http://www.bikesportnews.com/news/news-detail/welsh-assembly-pull-plug-on-circuit-of-wales-backing

[MrBeanti 25]

Has there been any discussions regarding continuing the Wasps as a Second Half Team? Exeter have done this with great success. From living in Exeter it certainly meant there was media interest and growing support for the club to return. I'm not as knowledgable as a lot of you when it comes to how a club is run and the work that goes on behind the scenes so it may not be viable... Just a thought...

[longlivefrankie 458]

Has there been any discussions regarding continuing the Wasps as a Second Half Team? Exeter have done this with great success. From living in Exeter it certainly meant there was media interest and growing support for the club to return. I'm not as knowledgable as a lot of you when it comes to how a club is run and the work that goes on behind the scenes so it may not be viable... Just a thought...

 

Ive often wondered that I guess it needs someone or a few people with enough passion to do it

I'm sure a few second half meetings at Somerset or Swindon testing the water might be an idea

 

I followed the wasps from 64-77 then 97 till they closed

 

Only attended British GPs and a few other big meetings and one meeting at new belle vue since

 

I would be tempted by a wasps outfit running somewhere

 

 

 

Time has gone on now and as someone else posted speedway is losing any grip it had in the city

Edited August 4, 2016 by Ken Morgan

[MrBeanti 25]

The longer that nothing is done, the harder it will be to get anything moving again... I was just surprised that it hasn't been (in my knowledge anyway) attempted or talked about.

 

Do the Wasps fans still meet up regularly?

[Waspman 40]

Not much takes place on the waspies forum as well.speedway will never come back again that's for sure how is exeter doing gone quiet