Phil The Ace 2,853 Posted September 10, 2014 LOL. Thought tbf, even cynical old me expected that once planning permission went in it was a formality. Lets just hope something gets built that is at least half way to being what was described and fitting of the name "National Speedway Stadium". I don't see a problem with it being accepted but I will wait till after the hearing at 2PM tomo Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AndyJ 95 Posted September 10, 2014 I see that the Manchester Evening News this morning had a snippet on the front cover.. "Stadium is green for go. A new national speedway stadium has been given the green light at Belle Vue (see page 19)" The ensuing article then commences with "could get the green light this week" then mostly talks about concerns over its impact on the hockey players who could temporarily be left without a home. Sport England are apparently asking for a condition to be placed on the approval to ensure that the hockey players have a base until the Armitage Centre is ready. Hopefully just a minor stumbling block in the overall plan... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oldace 1,678 Posted September 10, 2014 HOCKEY pitch in the middle On the site are already 2 hockey pitches. Outside of major events hockey isn't played for the spectators, it is more participation. The set up as it is is far more suited for the hockey fraternity than a pitch at least 30 yards from the prospective audience. Clearly the hockey pitch is included in the plans as a way of utilizing an otherwise wasted space and to, in some way, compensate for the loss of two fully functioning pitches already there. A new stadium for the Aces (and speedway) has the potential to be a catalyst for better fortune but on it's own, with the sport left to limp from one calamity to another, it won't stop the inevitable Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pandorum 1,259 Posted September 10, 2014 (edited) Yes and a pity the forum has negative, glass half empty, 'speedway put downs, without constructive opinion' like you! To be fair Ray it's being realistic about the project rather than negative. No one posting does not want the stadium built and queues around the block waiting to get in. But of course people are just tired after so many years of hearing all this twaddle about the project. So let's get REAL. It is NOT a NATIONAL speedway stadium it is a speedway stadium and not a particularly big one. Which is fair enough as speedway hardly attracts big crowds anymore. The promotion will have to pay for it and that is a MAJOR bugbear with the project as Belle Vue will have to get a decent team to attract a crowd and they have not had much success with that recently. They will of course own the facilities so benefit as a result but again it all depends on getting a healthy crowd to make it all pay. They may also benefit from multi use of the stadium such as pop events. But Speedway is dying on it's feet here so of course people question the reality of having a 6 million pound debt hanging round the neck of the club before a wheel turns. Will the sport be able to give itself the shot in the arm it needs to allow a club like BV to feel the benefit of a new stadium? We all hope so as we love speedway or we would not waste our time blathering on here. I don't go anymore but still get a buzz out of watching Internet speedway around the globe but the sport could never attract me back as it is not value for money for the effort it would involve and that is the problem. A nice spandy new stadium is great but you need to give people a reason to visit it and the blind devotion of those left is not enough. It is one of the most exciting sports I have ever seen but it is presented and promoted so badly even the die hards (and I used to be one of them many years ago) left are finding better things to do. It's not like the movies. 'Build it and they will come.' It will take huge efforts to get even a break even crowd to the new stadium. From such a low base speedway will have to begin to work together for the good of the sport and that does not work very well either. So Belle Vue will move their poorly performing team from the ramshackle rubbish tip they ride in to a brand new facility next door and thousands of new fans will flock to see them? I don't think so. Of course it will get the normal Honeymoon period where people go from curiosity or like in the old days the want to see a new venue. We have probably all done that But once reality sets in what will be left? And that surely IS the rub. Will it be built? Who knows. I have seen much bigger projects just disappear. If it is great but then the problems will seriously begin for the promotion. I wish them luck as I wish luck to anyone who runs a speedway track but the sport is not what it was and reality is a better option than blind optimism. After all we live in the real world and the real world is a hard unforgiving place HOCKEY pitch in the middle Well that makes a massive difference. Forget all I just said the project will be a spectacular success It's like I said before with my Monty Python analogy. "I found this spoon sergeant" Edited September 10, 2014 by pandorum Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Humphrey Appleby 13,942 Posted September 10, 2014 Don Valley is actually a good case in point. As an athletic stadium it was one of the finest, thing is, outside of big championships, no one goes to watch athletics, its more about participation at club level than attracting huge crowds. Problem for Don Valley though was that it didn't lend itself to anything other than athletics, Sheffield Eagles played there to rather pitiful crowds in a totally sterile atmosphere, largely dictated by the layout. To make Don Valley usable it would have pretty much had to be demolished and rebuilt, the council electing to carry out only the former Don Valley is the reason why I have little time for those rabbiting on about an Olympic athletics legacy. The only sports that justify large stadiums are football and rugby, and they don't sit well in oval stadia. Even at the lower end of the scale, I see quite a few athletics facilities have been built at considerable expense by local councils, and yet only ever seem to be used by a handful of people. I've nothing against athletics and can see the benefit providing facilities to encourage people to take up the sport, but the economic argument seems pretty weak. If a council therefore finally shows some support for speedway that's historically far more popular than athletics, then that surely is to be commended rather than criticised. 6 million is really not a huge investment, especially when you consider that Don Valley Stadium apparently cost nearly 30 million 25 years ago, but it's really the allocation of land that's the most valuable aspect as getting inner city sites for motor sports is almost unheard of these days. If it ultimately doesn't work out then so be it - the land can still be re-developed for something else. The European GP will go to whoever stumps up the cash to hold it. You could host it in your back garden if you are willing to give BSI a few hundred grand for the privilege That's basically what happened in Riga, isn't it... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oldace 1,678 Posted September 10, 2014 God loves a trier. More negative bilge easily brushed off. You've come up with some pearlers recently but the last two frankly leave your desperate puerile moaning laid bare for all to see, lol! Unless you are an asylum seeker or a teenage single mother then the chances of getting anything out of the council are minimal. It is fair to say 'due diligence' will have been completed to the nth degree and is no doubt one of the major factors for this taking so long. I wouldn't worry about the council being left with a 'white elephant', read on. Not only that but the 'oval track' bollox is surely your finest moment! I don't know if you've noticed but the stadium we are soon to vacate has gone from being one of the premier greyhound tracks in the country to a crumbling decrepit wreck of its former self. The land it is built on, however, is worth more than it ever has been. The GRA would be creaming their pants if there was even the slightest opportunity of selling the current site and moving in to a shiny new stadium as tenants because it is an err oval stadium (lol!) in the perfect location. They could even sublet to the stock cars. If I were you I'd think through your next attempt at a puerile moan about Belle Vue. Having said that I am a glass half full positive thinker so I do appreciate the opportunity to not only demonstrate that side of my character but also my contempt for buffoons who trot out absolute tosh in some misguided attempt to suck the life out of anything and everything they come into contact with. Happy days, Anyway following on from that does anyone have a contribution that is not straight from the mouth of a complete halfwit. How you getting on convincing people of the aces 5 league titles in a row by the way 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tsunami 10,219 Posted September 10, 2014 Anyway following on from that does anyone have a contribution that is not straight from the mouth of a complete halfwit. How you getting on convincing people of the aces 5 league titles in a row by the way I see you are excluding yourself from the next phase of this discussion then. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oldace 1,678 Posted September 10, 2014 I see you are excluding yourself from the next phase of this discussion then. Well no but i had hoped you might take the hint Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tsunami 10,219 Posted September 10, 2014 Well no but i had hoped you might take the hint Never listen to halfwits, sorry. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
John Leslie 3,213 Posted September 10, 2014 does anyone have a contribution that is not straight from the mouth of a complete halfwit. Well you don't! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
New Science 1,059 Posted September 10, 2014 LOL. Thought tbf, even cynical old me expected that once planning permission went in it was a formality. Lets just hope something gets built that is at least half way to being what was described and fitting of the name "National Speedway Stadium".Why is it unreasonable not to expect exactly what was planned for this facility ? ie A National Speedway Stadium which will hold world events with a potential capacity of over 15,000 with plentiful available track time to produce the potential stars of tomorrow ! That was what the public was encouraged to buy into with the 'buy a brick scheme' Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lefty 1,257 Posted September 10, 2014 Banks' s Brewery shut the Pub which was close to this site They are business people! There is more profit charging £2.50 to park your car at Kirky Dump than investing in this converted hockey pitch. Time to get real Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Doctor... 1,478 Posted September 11, 2014 I see that the Manchester Evening News this morning had a snippet on the front cover.. "Stadium is green for go. A new national speedway stadium has been given the green light at Belle Vue (see page 19)" The ensuing article then commences with "could get the green light this week" then mostly talks about concerns over its impact on the hockey players who could temporarily be left without a home. Sport England are apparently asking for a condition to be placed on the approval to ensure that the hockey players have a base until the Armitage Centre is ready. Hopefully just a minor stumbling block in the overall plan... Blimey...The Armitage Centre..Now thats a blast from the past. Home of the Bobby Charlton Soccer Schools in the 90s. And a very happy hunting ground for me and my now sickeningly famous friends.. Sorry for the lack of Belle Vue content. Tom Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Phil The Ace 2,853 Posted September 11, 2014 Well today's the day. Let's hope for great news. My fingers and toes are crossed. People may laugh at belle vue and slate us. But im confident and really excited. Slate and moan all you want 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oldace 1,678 Posted September 11, 2014 Well today's the day. Let's hope for great news. My fingers and toes are crossed. People may laugh at belle vue and slate us. But im confident and really excited. Slate and moan all you want So are everyone's Phil, mine included. People are allowed opinions that are contrary to yours without it being slating or moaning. Being doubtful that something will happen is a world away from hoping it doesn't despite what a few wallies on here will have you believe. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
