Newport City Stadium To Close.

[Henllys 9]

South Wales Argus today City stadium could close to save £50,000 as part of council cuts.

Newport council spokeswoman said: Newport City Council is looking at all of it's services in the light of the need to make significant savings over the next five years."Work to explore the best way forward for the stadium will start during 2013. Any proposals regarding a change in the operator will be included in the options for in-house or external delivery of sport and leisure facilities.

 

Right next to the National Veladrome and cycle speedway track and just up the road from where a site is being looked at for Speedway, remove the running track lay a speedway track or remove football pitch lay track inside of running track floodlights all in place up and racing in no time any takers?

[Dave_minall 232]

Unfortunately the only takers I can imagine that would want to invest shouldn't be named on this forum any more.

[SCB 0]

Technically, if would be possible to narrow the pitch and fit a speedway track between the pitch and the running track but it would make the pitch the minimum size allowed. Might get a bit awkward fitting in a fence that would have to be removed all the time but others manage. I don't see it happening but it would be nice to see someone look into it.

[Seymour Dix 2,008]

I visited the Stadium a few years back to watch a football match, as I remember there is housing quite nearby so there could be a problem there as well

[dtc 0]

I thought newport county still had an option incase their move to rodney parade doesn't work.

[Pinny 2,536]

But from good sources, the switch to Rodney Parade for the County has proved very successful.

 

Would be brilliant if someone did look into taking speedway to the former County stadium, would be a very good venue and if as is said the council are keen to get the sport back to the city, then they may look at this.

[Dirt Junkie 5]

http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/10219422.Newport_stadium_could_close_to_save___50k_as_part_of_council_cuts/?ref=fbsend

 

I’m sure that if the right person/persons stepped forward and made their intentions known, the loyal supporters of Newport Speedway would do their bit to help make it a reality. Whether it be fund raising or volunteering our time and services, we’ve done it before and we’ll do it again for the right promotion........here’s hoping.

[Dirt Junkie 5]

It’s got everything, and more.......situated in a high profile location on the Spytty International Sports Village, alongside the Welsh International Velodrome and Newport Cycle Speedway Track. Adjacent to a busy dual carriageway on a major bus route, easy access, dedicated car park, reception entrance foyer, administration block, offices and function rooms. Substantial undercover terraced seating on each straight, flood lights. Plenty of room for a pits area, good access and space for storage of plant and machinery.......and the track could be enormous, our very own Bydgoszcz in Newport, we can but dream!!!

Edited February 16, 2013 by Dirt Junkie

[philcrumpisgod 18]

I visited the Stadium a few years back to watch a football match, as I remember there is housing quite nearby so there could be a problem there as well

 

I’m sure that if the right person/persons stepped forward and made their intentions known, the loyal supporters of Newport Speedway would do their bit to help make it a reality. Whether it be fund raising or volunteering our time and services, we’ve done it before and we’ll do it again for the right promotion........here’s hoping.

 

It’s got everything, and more.......situated in a high profile location on the Spytty International Sports Village, alongside the Welsh International Velodrome and Newport Cycle Speedway Track. Adjacent to a busy dual carriageway on a major bus route, easy access, dedicated car park, reception entrance foyer, administration block, offices and function rooms. Substantial undercover terraced seating on each straight, flood lights. Plenty of room for a pits area, good access and space for storage of plant and machinery.......and the track could be enormous, our very own Bydgoszcz in Newport, we can but dream!!!

 

Much as we would all like to see speedway back in Newport I can't see this as a goer for a few reasons. Yes it appears that the stadium would be "perfect" for speedway but there would be substantial investment required and I can't see a queue of people lining up to part with their money for the huge risk that would be involved.

 

The stadium is located quite close to residential areas to the South East, the North and North East and I can't imagine the good people of Traston and Pontfaen allowing speedway to return here without a barrel load of objections if it ever came to planning. Some might call it NIMBYism but those properties have been there for 50 years or more and you can guarantee that the overwhelming majority of residents, with a fair propertion being in the "older" category, will NOT be speedway fans.

 

Yes, there are plenty of willing volunteers still about who would jump at the chance of helping out again for the right promotion but the Malletts eventually built one of the strongest teams we ever had in the modern era, won the KO Cup and were rewarded with a few hundred fans through the gate the week after. Love them or hate them, I heard they lost the thick end of a few hundred thousand quid in three years and, it appears, the family haulage business. I suspect Peter Mole's reported £60k investment to save the club in 2010 was probably lost as well. Not particularly inspiring for any new promotion.

 

Politics aside, we are in the middle of the longest economic slump for decades and not enough people have sufficient disposable income to go to the speedway. 300 or so people turned up at QM each week for the last 3 seasons and things haven't got any better since the end of 2011.

 

I'd love to be proved wrong but, in general, I reckon the best way back is a friendly landowner, a track cut out in a field and some basic facilities to get started. It might not be a fantastic stadium but it could mean low cost entry and a chance to build from there.