Guest Posted March 23, 2017 (edited) Spedeworth Motorsports Farewell Wimbledon Tickets SOLD OUT! Spedeworth / Incarace would like to make all race fans aware that the ticket sales for the Final Farewell meeting at Wimbledon Stadium on Sunday 26th February 2017 are now SOLD OUT!! Please remember that this event is an advanced ticket only event and no tickets will be available for purchase on the day at the stadium. Advanced ticket holders don’t forget to bring your ticket with you on the day as entrance will not be permitted to the stadium without it and there are no replacement tickets available now the event is sold out. For the final time… Let’s Go Racing!! Edited March 23, 2017 by Guest Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted March 24, 2017 A look back at Wimbledon Stadium and its various promotional events over the years: https://en.wikipedia...mbledon_Stadium Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted March 25, 2017 It is now less than 24 hours before motor sport ceases at Wimbledon Stadium, but the debate over its closure continues. Here's the latest comment in the ongoing saga: http://www.wimbledonguardian.co.uk/news/15180909.Greyhound_chief_accuses_Merton_Council_of__political_opportunism__ahead_of_Wimbledon_Stadium_s_final_race_before_demolition/ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
longlivefrankie 458 Posted March 25, 2017 (edited) Just watched a news report on sky news about closure , greyhounds & stock car racing mentioned absolutely nothing about speedway. Sad in or ways than one. Edited March 25, 2017 by Ken Morgan Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The White Knight 9,039 Posted March 25, 2017 Just watched a news report on sky news about closure , greyhounds & stock car racing mentioned absolutely nothing about speedway. Sad in or ways than one. Yes - I've just seen that too. I was waiting for Speedway to get a mention. Very disappointing after all the History attached to the famous Wimbledon 'Dons'. :sad: 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
teaboy279 1,038 Posted March 26, 2017 More annoying is the constant insistence that AFC Wimbledon are returning to Plough Lane. ... AFC Wimbledon have NEVER even played in the borough let alone the road..... 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The White Knight 9,039 Posted March 26, 2017 More annoying is the constant insistence that AFC Wimbledon are returning to Plough Lane. ... AFC Wimbledon have NEVER even played in the borough let alone the road..... But this is Football - everyone knows that they have the money to splash. Amazing what can be done, arranged, bought, fiddled if you have money. Not to mention Plain Brown Envelopes. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted March 26, 2017 (edited) Forwarded image from Derek Barclay. Forwarded message:Derek Barclay attending Farewell Wimbledon Stadium at Wimbledon Stadium.Last ever meeting... Edited March 26, 2017 by Guest Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
steve roberts 9,247 Posted March 27, 2017 Yes - I've just seen that too. I was waiting for Speedway to get a mention. Very disappointing after all the History attached to the famous Wimbledon 'Dons'. :sad: Very sad however I suppose that sums up very much the state of British speedway and its standing within the media nowadays. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
iris123 21,110 Posted March 29, 2017 More annoying is the constant insistence that AFC Wimbledon are returning to Plough Lane. ... AFC Wimbledon have NEVER even played in the borough let alone the road..... Ok it isn't factually correct,and i am not sure there is a constant insistence anyway,but it is spiritually correct.The football club was moved out of the area against the fans will,so they formed a new club in its place.They club has gone from success to success and i think the aim always was to get a home in the spiritual home or nearby The sad fact is and ok we are on a speedway forum and people will often see things slightly biased,that the stadium was being run down,no money invested and no real hope of speedway returning anyway 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
teaboy279 1,038 Posted March 29, 2017 No but I have been to 4 events this year sold out, and I mean a third of the stadium rammed with 3500 people. I have been a regular there for over 3 decades. and the curruption involved in the AFC Wimbledon lot is nor restricted to the brown envelopes that strangely got the flood warning level reduced (about a week before planning was submitted). They have been at it since they started. Ask any non league club who faced them in the FA Cup qualifiers how badly they fiddled the attendances ( I went up for a 3rd or 4th qualifying road with Ashford Town) we took a few hundred up with us, yet wimbledon released attendance figures of a few more then we took (assume the thousand or so home fans were all complimentarys) It's not isolated either just visted non league forums and serch back a few years, they are so hated for their corruption around gates, dodgy player signing deals amongst over stuff. Yes they have kept trotting out the return line, I signed up to the newsletters from AFC Wimbledon ground campaign and their literature is complete BS. They also claim to have the backing of local businesses and residents. That's simply not true. Visit two of the closest pubs (Corner Pin and Leather bottle) ask the landlords and punters what they think, the only ones that weren't 100% wanting to keep it as a stock car and potential speedway venue simple did not care either way. Let's also look at when the Wimbledon Dons left the area, they cashed their ground in for flats and played at palace for about a decade. The place was 3 quarters empty every week, despite being mega cheap to get in (me and a few school mates used to train up from ashford to south Norwood and watch premier league matches for about a tenner) Now I do have sympathy with what happened next and the Norwegians (if I recall correctly) ripped the heart out the club and decamped up the M1. But one of the things that the fans were trying to use to block the move was the fact it was unfair to kick out the hockey team from their ground in Milton Keynes saying how it was imoral it was. How ironic that they know are quite happy to do the same thing to not only 1 sport but 2!!! And preventing a third returning. (There had been strong romours that spedeworth were going to lay shale had they had had a longer stay of execution) So basically everything associated with afc wimbo in my eyes stinks badly. Just hope they go out of business, they deserve to. Buying another teams ground and then selling it from underneath them to Chelsea. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BangerBoy 47 Posted March 29, 2017 I don't think Spedeworth would relay the shale since they tarmaced the track the racing was 100% better Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sandwichspeedwayfan 4 Posted March 29, 2017 Having read through this a little and did a little research, I'm not going to even pretend to be an expert here as firstly I've never visited the stadium - much like AFC and secondly my main interest is Speedway so am not clued in to the Car and Greyhound history, but there are certain points that need addressing... 1. This is not a return to Plough Lane, AFC were formed in 2002 as a protest to the original Wimbledon moving to Milton Keynes, the original Wimbledon FC has a dissolved date as 2004, therefore AFC are not returning to Plough Lane 2. As others are pointing out Wimbledon moved away from and effectively kicked a sport out of it's national stadium - a grass pitch had to be laid which ended the chances of Hockey being played there. Since then the stadium has now been demolished and rebuilt. A lot of people turned there back on Wimbledon to AFC for this reason and it is painful to watch AFC now doing this to two other sports. 3. It has long been established that clubs usually only build a new stadium or redevelop existing one's when there is a demand for the extra capacity (eg, Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea etc) a side that averages a gate of 4000 on a good day doesn't need an 11,000 seater stadium, the rent levels could be crippling to the club as we saw with Coventry City over a period of time after they relocated to a new stadium that was bigger but after relegation there was no longer the demand for tickets led to problems with their stadium owners and money owed. 4. This also affects the local area, the two pubs mentioned by Teaboy probably have a large portion of their takings from days when Bangers are staged (and most probably Speedway as well). Whilst the stadium is worked on they will lose a large amount of their takings. Having worked in a pub, in the current economic climate there are not so many social drinkers due to the high costs of alcohol and also a shift in the generations and social activities. Not only the pubs though other local services will lose money from people coming to watch for the time being. In conclusion, I feel this is a bad move for all parties. The local economy will lose regular income that came from the Bangers and Greyhound events, especially whilst the redevelopment especially AFC Wimbledon are taking a huge gamble here and if it fails it could be the end for them which personally I wouldn't like to see but I know a few who would. Lastly, all those decent folk from the Bangers, Greyhounds and Speedway who since 1928 have been flocking to Plough Lane and our now left just memories and a bitter taste at the way this has been handled. But I would like to close with a plea to those few AFC fans who feel the need to dole out abuse about this, consider the points I've made and if you feel they are familiar that is because its how you would/should have felt when Wimbledon FC was ripped from your heart and home and sent up the M1... 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted March 29, 2017 (edited) Having read through this a little and did a little research, I'm not going to even pretend to be an expert here as firstly I've never visited the stadium - much like AFC and secondly my main interest is Speedway so am not clued in to the Car and Greyhound history, but there are certain points that need addressing... 1. This is not a return to Plough Lane, AFC were formed in 2002 as a protest to the original Wimbledon moving to Milton Keynes, the original Wimbledon FC has a dissolved date as 2004, therefore AFC are not returning to Plough Lane 2. As others are pointing out Wimbledon moved away from and effectively kicked a sport out of it's national stadium - a grass pitch had to be laid which ended the chances of Hockey being played there. Since then the stadium has now been demolished and rebuilt. A lot of people turned there back on Wimbledon to AFC for this reason and it is painful to watch AFC now doing this to two other sports. 3. It has long been established that clubs usually only build a new stadium or redevelop existing one's when there is a demand for the extra capacity (eg, Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea etc) a side that averages a gate of 4000 on a good day doesn't need an 11,000 seater stadium, the rent levels could be crippling to the club as we saw with Coventry City over a period of time after they relocated to a new stadium that was bigger but after relegation there was no longer the demand for tickets led to problems with their stadium owners and money owed. 4. This also affects the local area, the two pubs mentioned by Teaboy probably have a large portion of their takings from days when Bangers are staged (and most probably Speedway as well). Whilst the stadium is worked on they will lose a large amount of their takings. Having worked in a pub, in the current economic climate there are not so many social drinkers due to the high costs of alcohol and also a shift in the generations and social activities. Not only the pubs though other local services will lose money from people coming to watch for the time being. In conclusion, I feel this is a bad move for all parties. The local economy will lose regular income that came from the Bangers and Greyhound events, especially whilst the redevelopment especially AFC Wimbledon are taking a huge gamble here and if it fails it could be the end for them which personally I wouldn't like to see but I know a few who would. Lastly, all those decent folk from the Bangers, Greyhounds and Speedway who since 1928 have been flocking to Plough Lane and our now left just memories and a bitter taste at the way this has been handled. But I would like to close with a plea to those few AFC fans who feel the need to dole out abuse about this, consider the points I've made and if you feel they are familiar that is because its how you would/should have felt when Wimbledon FC was ripped from your heart and home and sent up the M1... Spedeworth Motorsport promoted many other car race formulas besides Bangers - many of them non contact racing. Edited April 4, 2017 by Guest Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RobMcCaffery 2,752 Posted April 3, 2017 Save Wimbledon Stadium Action GroupListing Appeal Featured in Sunday Mail Today's Sunday Mail runs a full page feature on the substantive Listing Appeal that remains currently still outstanding. Deane Wood Why would a Scottish Sunday paper report on Wimbledon Stadium? Perhaps you are referring to The Mail on Sunday'? If only we had an experienced journalist around..... 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
