Ray Stadia

There are disadvantaged people throughout society, whatever their racial background is. The gay community, for goodness sake, has been fully recognised over the years, including marriage, what else can the community want? TV and radio is well and truly represented by the gay community, probably on a percentage basis over 'straights', over represented. It's as though, if you are white, straight, middle-class you are now society's 'nouveau freaks'!

Do youngsters really think that the present day are the 'good new days'? We have so many issues and problems running through society. We have so many movements telling us 'gas lighting us' what we should be doing, what we should be thinking, etc etc. Trying to force people to think a particular way won't get what these movements want, all it does is gets peoples backs up and pushes some people into joining far right movements. Society really isn't in a healthy state at the moment and sadly, it will get worse in my opinion. The 'PC brigade' has gone too far!

I suppose there could be a 'proud to be human' event. However, am I proud to be human? No I'm not!

So, from your comment above, are we to assume you are on this forum as an interloper and have no interest in speedway?

Speedway, in my opinion, has never been good at marketing itself. There have been some promoters who have had a go, but marketing requires money and time. Most speedway promoters have businesses to run and can't afford the time. As for the money for marketing purposes, speedway promoters don't have the spare cash. Even if they did have the cash and the time, would it put more 'bums on seats'? I think speedway needs to concentrate on cutting its costs, it needs to be more of an amateur sport than a professional sport, to allow promoters to at least break even.

We could have a minutes silence at the beginning of each speedway meeting, to respect all the defunct tracks. Also, maybe a remembrance day, for all the defunct tracks and wear some kind of badge or flower. Perhaps a badge resembling a can of Castrol R?

On this forum, we are constantly told the average speedway fan is upwards of age 50. Upwards of age 50, is likely to mean they are less tolerant to gay celebration events, so, in my opinion, I don't think it will go down very well with the average supporter. It's a generational thing. I'm 63 and I have no issue with LGBTQ+, but at the same time, I don't want my nose 'rubbed in it', which is what society seems to want to do, with many issues.

I notice there is a banger/stock car track, The Mendips Raceway, Somerset. Could the track ever be used for speedway? Sometimes a joint operation with bangers and speedway do not work, Skegness as an example.

I have not been or seen the Somerset track, but does anyone who knows the area and track, think there could be a chance in the future for another promoter to restart speedway there or will the land the track is on disappear for other uses, such as industrial units etc?

Yet another example which dispels the saying 'if only the promoter had owned the track, they would still be running'!

Perhaps they could remove the stanchions for speedway meetings?

Actually, I could have added Stuart Bamforth of Belle Vue. He owned Hyde Road, but 'sold out'.

You are missing the point of my post. A stadium owned by the promoter is no guarantee of continuance, was my point! It was in response to the suggestion that speedway suffers closure, due to most promoters being tenants of a stadium.

And as i recall, the GRA willing to sell the stadium! Last I heard, they were holding out for housing development.

Tim Stone (Newport) did a 'Leicester and Belle Vue', sadly died and the replacement promoters balls'd it up! It is not only the deep pockets that count , but the adeptness of the promoter! Of course, Cradley stadium was owned by the Pughs and I seem to recall a son was racing at the time, when they sold the stadium to Barratt's. Coventry was shafted by the owner. Being an owner of a speedway stadium guarantees nothing, when big money is on the table. I seem to recall John Davis didn't do Weymouth any favours!

I had to go to the Halifax area in 1985, on business and took the opportunity to see the stadium 'upfront and personal'. I thought it was a lovely stadium! When I heard the Hams were moving the Dukes from Halifax to Bradford (Odsal), I did question in my own mind the eventual wisdom.

I think Leeds did try running speedway many many years ago, unless it was another track calling itself 'Leeds'. Mind you, I think most of the thinking on here is the occasional use of the track, as regular use will be the stocks. It seems these days, the barriers against running speedway, go far beyond an existing shale track which is going begging.

With the Welsh 'banging on' about wanting to be independent and not part part of Britain, add to that, Wales is currently a non-speedway nation, it doesn't make you feel that Wales should be the natural home for speedway's blue ribbon event. I do agree, the chances now of attracting the crowd numbers witnessed in 1981, would be slender. Maybe Coventry could be resurrected for the British GP? I seem to recall, the time it was used it was a success, certainly from the racing perspective.

With speedway in Britain dying, maybe we will see the day when the outfit behind the GP, won't consider Britain having a round. After all, a GP in Wales, when there isn't a Welsh track is a bit odd in itself!

I went to the very first GP, not been back since. It is a lovely city and stadium. The natives weren't too friendly! But I agree, a Wembley GP and I would be there in a heartbeat!

No I haven't, I was simply going by pictures. Oh well, Cardiff it remains!

Wouldn't Wembley be mostly covered in wet conditions?

There used to be a speedway/grass track parts and spares supplier called 'Shaleway', long gone I think. In my opinion, Shaleway or Shaleway Racing could be a good alternative name.

Or could they be converted into fold down lamp columns?

I don't really see why it's a big issue. If an organisation wishes to break away, surely they can, so long as the health and safety is in place and insurances. Maybe the BSPA have a legal right to the name 'speedway'? If that's the case, you call it something else. And if riders wish to ride in both camps, what can be the problem? A number of riders ride speedway, long track and grass track.