Ray Stadia

I think the Companies House listing, says John Downer is a 25% beneficial owner (not sure what beneficial owner is, unless it's another term for shareholder), so I wonder who the remaining 75% are?

Looks like it, both born October 1967!

I think you are right, it looks like I have mis-interpreted an article. I found the following: https://companycheck.co.uk/company/00320157/MIDLAND-SPORTS-STADIUMS-LIMITED/companies-house-data#google_vignette

That's the stadium, that was! Would have made a great speedway track, in my opinion.

There is an article dated 2nd May, 2018, which does suggest Avtar Sandhu sold the land to Brandon Estates. I don't think he is still involved. Although I mentioned the Ochiltrees in an earlier post, looking at the background of the stadium's ownership, I think the family were promoters only, not owners. I'm sure I will be corrected if that's wrong.

Certainly a different appearance, compared to when the Ochiltrees handed the stadium over to Sandu! Nuff said!

I just looked again and I think they used the Southend Greyhound Stadium, as I could just see an Evening Echo advertisement, which is a Southend area rag. The stadium has now gone, but at one time, speedway was suggested as going into the stadium, but didn't happen, stiff local opposition in 1977. No change there then!

It could be Great Yarmouth? I'll try and take a photo and put it up!

It didn't look like White City to me. The seating area had, what looked like red and yellow boards, in front of the seats? I think Plough Lane had something similar, but it was wasn't Wimbledon.

Over Christmas, I saw a film with Eddie Kidd called 'Riding High', Netflix. The film is a bit cheesy, but it is also poignant to see Eddie Kidd as he once was. They use a stadium in the film, which looks to be a speedway stadium. My first thought was 'I bet that's now closed!'. But, it looks like much of the film could have been shot on the Norfolk coast and wonder whether the stadium used was Kings Lynn? I have tried to Google research, but no luck.

Building Societies are not charities, they are mutual societies. You could even set up a limited company, but a non-profit making limited company, similar to how a number of Quangos are set-up. I do think something that fans can contribute to is a good idea, but something that's not going to ultimately rip them off is paramount. The funds would need to be cast iron ringfenced!

A Trust can be created ('the entity') from scratch. So long as the Trust is strictly non-profit making and not income creating, it can be tax efficient and with responsible Trustees, any funds within the Trust will be protected for the purpose. I'm not sure a speedway club/stadium could qualify as a Charity?

Definitely the smell of castor oil has virtually gone, due to the riders using sythetic oil. I do wonder (and I did mention this somewhere else on the site), that the loss of engine noise would perhaps be replaced with crowd noise (football and rugby kind of noise), which may create a different type of atmosphere.

I wonder if 4.5 on this chart, might be better?

Not my 'neck of the woods' I'm afraid. Poor Tim, that's another story. RIP Tim too.

Not heard of the chap, but RIP

However, football, rugby and cricket are quiet sports, much of the noise comes from the crowd, which could happen with 'quiet' speedway. With motorised speedway, you can hardly hear the crowd. In addition, one of the attractions of 'yesteryear' was the whiff of the burning of castor oil in the air. That has virtually disappeared, due to the use of synthetic oils, which the guys use, apparently, to reduce expensive wear to engines.

Flat Track Racing is more suitable to a speedway track and is perhaps more suitable for a second half attraction? Although once again, speedway purists will only want to watch a 500cc, without a gearbox! (understandable).

I'm not sure what this post is saying, is it asking if speedway sidecar racing will be back in 2023? (Ididn't know it had gone away) or speedway sidecar racing will be back in 2023!

Looking at the videos, it seems the riders were having difficulty with the weight of the battery and motor? I'm sure it is different to a laydown and maybe it's more like riding an upright, but probably heavier.

That is so sad. Condolences to Trevor, family and friends.

I think the 'closure clock' starts to tick for any stadium, unless it is in an area where there is absolutely no feasible chance of property development or industrial development. In the main, football and rugby stadiums seem safer.

As the greyhounds are still running, maybe another promoter may 'step up'? Maybe in the bottom league to begin with? The trouble is, a new promoter may have to get fresh council permission to run a motorsport and with all that local housing, could be unlikely.

I do wonder whether Swindon will be like Leicester, Scunthorpe and Redcar and eventually return, sooner or later?