Wembley

[Halifordukesfan 60]

https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailystar.co.uk%2Fsport%2Fother-sports%2Fspeedway-wembley-stadium-fa-event-29883532%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR3UFKWnfP6TxqoR5lJhg0igENmfcwZDiNL6MoP7wiNYzKnuhAHbLwRILRc&h=AT1ZXzKRPOT3JPLpiUAXiSiYG0VEcysbdraK7yj3LZQsLuUs9geObtYEWHHv5_TjnTxP0gZdkDaZPHKvvbqCHhuXPPuiUo_eD2gBph2Xpu_Veio-313_5m4twH6ExFsDdmwcvN0c3og

[hammer1969 421]

I'd be front of the queue for tickets.  Speedway back in London even if it is only one meeting would be brilliant and Wembley is accessible by public transport.   We had West Ham, Hackney, Wimbledon, Wembley, White City etc and now we have nothing.  It makes my blood boil not everyone wants to go to shopping centres or cinemas etc.   People moan about the noise of bikes so planners get an easy run to get stadiums get shut down then they build houses next to motorways, I suppose motorways aren't noisy.  Back to the point in question  "bring speedway back to Wembley"  i'll be there.

[steve roberts 9,246]

3 hours ago, hammer1969 said:

I'd be front of the queue for tickets.  Speedway back in London even if it is only one meeting would be brilliant and Wembley is accessible by public transport.   We had West Ham, Hackney, Wimbledon, Wembley, White City etc and now we have nothing.  It makes my blood boil not everyone wants to go to shopping centres or cinemas etc.   People moan about the noise of bikes so planners get an easy run to get stadiums get shut down then they build houses next to motorways, I suppose motorways aren't noisy.  Back to the point in question  "bring speedway back to Wembley"  i'll be there.

I followed White City during its three year existence as a BL team...great days and memories!

[Goldhawk 76]

BRILLIANT NEWS !

[pvm 116]

Having read the article, I’m not to sure of the seriousness of the suggestion, especially when it’s suggesting an event in “November or December “.

[hammer1969 421]

Wembley does have a roof but most riders have packed up for the winter well before November, if speedway returns to Wembley for a one off it needs to be during the Speedway season.  If the UK can have 2 GPs then leave Cardiff in September and give the first GP of the season to Wembley.  

[Humphrey Appleby 13,958]

34 minutes ago, hammer1969 said:

Wembley does have a roof but most riders have packed up for the winter well before November, if speedway returns to Wembley for a one off it needs to be during the Speedway season.  If the UK can have 2 GPs then leave Cardiff in September and give the first GP of the season to Wembley.  

The roof doesn't fully close. It's primarily there to cover the spectators, but it can open so the pitch will (in theory) get light and air. 

[Mr Ore 204]

8 hours ago, Humphrey Appleby said:

The roof doesn't fully close. It's primarily there to cover the spectators, but it can open so the pitch will (in theory) get light and air. 

Even with the roof "fully closed" I received a thorough drenching during one of the NFL games there, like several hundred others adjourning to the concessions area to watch on live TV, for nearly the whole 2nd quarter. It is definitely no Principality Stadium, in that respect, only just covering the crowd.

More recently I watched the Blades in the FA Cup Semi Final there and, at regular intervals a  video loop played on the big screens, showing the stadium history, including speedway . Not very inspiring as it showed a murky black and white film of two old time riders with their legs stuck out going round a bend, followed by another from the same era, of one taking the chequered flag. The full colour Penhall heats in 1981 would have made far more impact but maybe ownership rights dictated.  

[Vic Meldrew 76]

Forget the Grand Prix round - hold an old fashioned one-off World Final at Wembley - riders to qualify during the course of the season and open to all riders from all countries. How can a rider who amasses points during the various GP rounds be properly called a World Champion when the the riders are competing in a "closed shop" and 90% of speedway riders around the world are not allowed to compete in the GP series (or preliminary rounds, if there ever were such events). 

[iris123 20,990]

All for it. Alternate between the GP's one year and the next a Wembley one off Final. Stop things getting stale, which for me the GPs have. I'd certainly do Wembley, whereas i couldn't be bothered with Cardiff. Especially now it has gone downhill in a big way. Would hopefully give the sport a boost just when it needs it most 

[1 valve 558]

Not easy to understand why November is being suggested when the Stadium itself is not used for football very much after May. Ok so other events take place but with careful planning quite easy to see the summer months being able to be used. One issue could be if Cardiff have some sort of guarantee that no other UK round for GPs can be held (say) 4/5 weeks or more either side of their date?
 

[Humphrey Appleby 13,958]

18 minutes ago, 1 valve said:

Not easy to understand why November is being suggested when the Stadium itself is not used for football very much after May. 

Would think November is a bit of a dead time. No cup (semi-)finals or playoffs, only one international match, and unlikely to be any outdoor concerts then.

The Australian Speedway GP has been in late-October several times, so a GP in early November wouldn't be totally out of the question although that time of year is of course late-spring rather than late-autumn in Australia. 

However, I suspect it was just a throwaway comment by the Stadium Manager in response to a question, without any serious thought having gone into it. 

[Humphrey Appleby 13,958]

1 hour ago, iris123 said:

All for it. Alternate between the GP's one year and the next a Wembley one off Final. Stop things getting stale, which for me the GPs have. I'd certainly do Wembley, whereas i couldn't be bothered with Cardiff. Especially now it has gone downhill in a big way. Would hopefully give the sport a boost just when it needs it most 

Would have thought the former Olympic Stadium would be a better bet, as I think that can be more easily configured as an oval due to the athletics track. 

[1 valve 558]

1 hour ago, Humphrey Appleby said:

Would have thought the former Olympic Stadium would be a better bet, as I think that can be more easily configured as an oval due to the athletics track. 

Good thought re the shape. Unfortunately the grass at the London stadium is not movable as per Wembley and there is only the shortest of time between football seasons when West Ham do not need it for their matches. 

[Grand Central 2,654]

Hilarious nonsense.

An object lesson in how a good journalist can get great coverage for the sport providing the word Wembley is attached … especially when a guy who knows absolutely nothing about the sport can be quoted spouting utter claptrap on a podcast.

Edited May 5, 2023 by Grand Central