Speedway Gp In Tatters !

[BigFatDave 258]

Why are your comments not suffixed "in my opinion" as well, then?

Because I was responding to your query, rather than using a question to answer another question; the usual last resort of people who can't back up their argument, as you have done here.

[PHILIPRISING 7,298]

OF course I don't have a vested interest other than enjoying the fact that speedway has such a great showpiece event which reflects well on the sport to many on the outside.

 

I just don't see how anyone could see gambling upwards of half a million on putting on a speedway meeting at Wembley, with no cast iron guarantee that the event would even go ahead or what the crowd would be, makes any sense at all. The roof is a major factor not just on the day itself but for track preparation. BSI effectively hire the Millennium for a week. How much do you think Wembley would cost for a similar period.

 

The Football Association don't even recognise the history speedway had at the old Empire Stadium and efforts by Barry Briggs to locate a speedway museum there have simply fallen on deaf ears.

 

The weather is rarely kind in Gothenburg but the city is desperate to keep the Grand Prix there especially as so many other major sporting events in Sweden have moved elsewhere. However, the lure of covered stadiums in Stockholm, one of which I believe actually has a temperature controlled climate, will be tough to resist. And, personally, I think the capital is much nicer place to visit.

[Humphrey Appleby 13,985]

CARDIFF is a capital city ... very accessible from many parts of the UK, more so for many than Wembley. You should try it sometime. And Wembley is a poor location.

 

Sorry, but you simply can't convince me that Cardiff is more accessible than Wembley; neither internationally nor even within the UK. I have tried it and the public transport is poor, the facilities in the city are limited and expensive, and Cardiff has little to offer beyond the event itself regardless of it's supposed status as a capital city.

 

I can understand that Cardiff might be a cost effective venue for BSI, and has the bonus of being covered, but let's not pretend it's for the convenience of the fans.

Edited December 15, 2011 by Humphrey Appleby

[Parsloes 1928 nearly 495]

Sorry, but you simply can't convince me that Cardiff is more accessible than Wembley; neither internationally nor even within the UK. I have tried it and the public transport is poor, the facilities in the city are limited and expensive, and Cardiff has little to offer beyond the event itself regardless of it's supposed status as a capital city.

 

I can understand that Cardiff might be a cost effective venue for BSI, and has the bonus of being covered, but let's not pretend it's for the convenience of the fans.

 

Well indeed.

I'm sure we're all very grateful that such a major stadium has a deal to stage the GB SGP (though to be fair the MS and the city do benefit financially from the deal - it's NOT an act of benevolence..); but Hump is spot on, Cardiff is NOT this great convenient location. Look where the majority of Speedway tracks are... It ain't that near South Wales!!

[BigFatDave 258]

Cardiff is within a 4 hour train ride/drive of most of southern Britain - to say it isn't a convenient location is absolute rubbish. Then once you're there everything's convenient - stadium, hotels, shops, pubs etc, all within walkng distance - it's certainly on my list of favourite venues.

[ImpartialOne 160]

 

Come on Phil....King's Lynn is easier to get to for many as is Barrow on Furness,but people from all over travel there.You don't build a major world famous stadium in a place no-one can reach.And when it was built people weren't as mobile as they are today It is world famous.Even here in Germany they talk about Wembley as one of the great sporting stadiums in the world.Who mentions Cardiff?I saw a speedway world final,Englad football and even Evel Knievel at Wembley,but wild horses wouldn't drag me to Cardiff because of it's location

I find it hard to believe that 1) you consider King's Lynn and Barrow easy to access in comparison and 2) You would travel from Germany to Wembley but would not consider travelling an extra 2 hours along the M4 to Cardiff

[jimmy jimmy 298]

MICKTHEMUPPET ... said before, the old Wembley had a permanent speedway track. The new Wembley doesn't. And in those days there was no choice. There is now. And a better one in my opinion. But that's all it is ...

 

To rent the stadium and build a track at Wembley would be a huge financial outlay, and a massive risk. Wembley rental cost is a lot higher than Millennium, and so no-one is going to take that risk. It is easy for us to say why dont "they" do it, but would you risk £1 mllion on it?

 

The only chance for a second GP would be around 2015 or 2016 in Manchester.

 

Sorry, but you simply can't convince me that Cardiff is more accessible than Wembley; neither internationally nor even within the UK. I have tried it and the public transport is poor, the facilities in the city are limited and expensive, and Cardiff has little to offer beyond the event itself regardless of it's supposed status as a capital city.

 

I can understand that Cardiff might be a cost effective venue for BSI, and has the bonus of being covered, but let's not pretend it's for the convenience of the fans.

 

Cardfiff and Lonodn arent that different time wise for Midlands and Northern fans driving down there. Plus, its once a year, get over it. It is a great day out, just enjoy the fact that we are able to watch top class speedweay in a fantastic facility, better than any other stadium the GP's are raced in.

 

It's the one every rider wants to win, ask Gollob!

[Humphrey Appleby 13,985]

Cardfiff and Lonodn arent that different time wise for Midlands and Northern fans driving down there. Plus, its once a year, get over it. It is a great day out, just enjoy the fact that we are able to watch top class speedweay in a fantastic facility, better than any other stadium the GP's are raced in.

 

I don't fundamentally have a problem with the GP being at Cardiff, although it's somewhat academic as I haven't been for a few years. If you're coming from the Midlands, North or even West by car it's got decent enough links, but by air or rail less so. The stadium is pretty good and you can pretty much guarantee that the meeting will go ahead (although Gelsenkirchen was also a covered stadium ).

 

It's also quite clear that a GP at Wembley is no realistic proposition, and indeed even talk of the Olympic Stadium is premature. However, lets be clear that the GP is primarily in Cardiff because it's convenient for BSI for it to be there. If a deal could be struck to have a GP in London, I suspect Cardiff would be dropped fairly quickly and after a couple of years, everyone would have forgotten what all the fuss was about.

 

What was interesting, was that BSI's parent company seemed to be involved in bid to take over and run the Olympic Stadium post-2012 which I'd have guessed might have made a GP there a realistic proposition. However, they somehow contrived to lose a lot of money on that enterprise and have apparently pulled out of the erm... running.

[ImpartialOne 160]

 

 

I don't fundamentally have a problem with the GP being at Cardiff, although it's somewhat academic as I haven't been for a few years. The stadium is pretty good

Pretty good?

 

Can you name a better speedway stadium?

[Chewbacca 653]

Best thing about Cardiff?

 

It isn't London and therefore not full of people who think they are at the centre of the universe.

[Blazeaway 1,501]

Pretty good?

 

Can you name a better speedway stadium?

 

Torun or Gorzow.

 

The MS is a crumbling wreck of a stadium. The only thing it has in it's favour over Wembley is a roof. The corporate and club facilities are fantastic and possible sponsors could be royally entertained.

[Humphrey Appleby 13,985]

Can you name a better speedway stadium?

 

The Millennium Stadium isn't a speedway stadium, so it's not really a fair comparison.

 

I personally think the new Wembley, the Emirates and even Twickenham are better stadia than the Millenium although they're not really suitable for speedway or have the advantage of a roof. Personally, I don't like indoor stadiums very much, but I can see they're advantageous for speedway.

[PHILIPRISING 7,298]

CRUMBLING wreck? I'll have some of what you are on. Sponsors can be and in fact are royally entertained at the Millennium. Have you ever seen the Methanol Club facilities? Or the corporate boxes? And the fantastic new HD screens? And .... no matter, pass the bottle.

[mickthemuppet 976]

Cardiff is within a 4 hour train ride/drive of most of southern Britain - to say it isn't a convenient location is absolute rubbish. Then once you're there everything's convenient - stadium, hotels, shops, pubs etc, all within walkng distance - it's certainly on my list of favourite venues.

How can it be convienient. Coming from abroad Cardiff has no direct flights from Poland,Denmark,Sweden, Czech Republic or Germany. Wembley is 12 miles from Heathrow with flights from everywhere. Coming from Europe by road Wembley is much better than Cardiff. Taking all the Speedway clubs in Britain perhaps 3 or 4 of them are easier to get to Cardiff than Wembley.

[Blazeaway 1,501]

CRUMBLING wreck? I'll have some of what you are on. Sponsors can be and in fact are royally entertained at the Millennium. Have you ever seen the Methanol Club facilities? Or the corporate boxes? And the fantastic new HD screens? And .... no matter, pass the bottle.

 

I meant in comparison to Wembley. It is a tatty stadium nonetheless. Yes I have seen the corporate facilities at both and Wembley is far and away the better.