Ray Stadia

That isn't good, but why didn't the promoter sort it? Even if he/she had to dip into their own pocket?

Personally, I don't think it matters whether a promoter owns or rents a stadium. If the promotion is a success, the stadium owner will be happy to co-operate with updating facilities, so long as the promoter is able to assist with the costs, which he/she would be prepared to, if the crowds were good. Even when speedway has had promoters who own stadiums, things haven't always worked out, for one reason or another, Cradley, Coventry, Arena Essex (successful stock cars), Weymouth, Newport, possibly Stoke?, possibly Somerset?. The Duggan family own Eastbourne, but that doesn't seem to be helping speedway to run there.

Credibility, I'm not sure what that means in speedway? The races, surely, aren't rigged? I know there are team member issues, i.e. the over use of guests, is that what you mean?

I have often thought speedway's problem is admission prices, but I have just looked at Sothend United (National League) and it is about the same as speedway admission prices. Southend used to be a regular division 3 team, but have slipped over the years. The facilities in the stadium are not great and it's a tired stadium these days. Not helpful, I know, but I don't know what speedway needs to do to get 'bums on seats'. Southend get around 5,000 fans.

You might want to send a PM to the member, 'White Knight'.

Braai, I believe, is a BBQ! I'm not sure the wokes in the UK would let the advert get away with 'maybe the ladies can bring a salad & a camp chair'!

I think Denzil Kent is their most recent prominent riders. I believe he was quite a character!

Following your posting (1 valve), carrying out a bit of research myself, it seems to relate to overseas entities and as Brandon Estates is Jersey based, beneficial owners are important for money laundering purposes and probably HMRC as well. I would say John Downer simply owns 25%, which is significant, but I would say he doesn't control the company. Being an offshore enity, I'm sure it makes Brandon Estates more of a tangled web!

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