25yearfan

Which Bradford track record was the person referring to? The last time Bradford staged speedway in 1997. The 1970 - 1975 Odsal era when the track was a different length to the 1980's/90s spell? The Greenfields era of the early 1960's? The original Odsal of the late 40's/1950's. I believe that executive boxes were built over the old pits which must of been the best pits area in the world! Aparently the boxes were built so the oval contours of the stadium were kept intact so the area where the track was situated hasn't been built on. Therefore it would be possible for a speedway track to go back in there but the Bradford Bulls Rugby club who now own the stadium are not keen on the idea. I haven't been to the stadium since speedways demise there and wouldn't really want to unless the great sport returns to one of its great homes so could anyone confirm what I just said?

Thats great news for the 'fight' to restore one of speedway famous names the Birmingham Brummies back at one of is spiritual homes Perry Bar stadium! Joe Thurley reopened and ran the Brummies at the old Ladbrokes greyhound arena across the road from the present venue from 1971 till the late 70's when I think he sold the promotion to Dan MCcormick I believe. Speedway crowds at Perry Bar Birmingham in this period were huge some of the best in the Country. The popular with locals Brummies team eventually went 1st division in 1976 after winning divsion 2 two years running. The locals were in overwhelming support of the speedway with no noise issues being raised. All this in a time when speedway bikes were much noisier than present day versions with their 'snazzy' silencers! I trust Mr Thurley will bring up these points when stating how good it would be for speedway to return to Birmingham. THIS SHOULD BE IN THE GENERAL DISCUSSIONS SECTION AS IT WILL BE VIEWED MORE AND IT IS A PRESNT DAY ISSUE!

Find a way of totally eliminating any noise leaving the stadium area was what I meant to say. Ipswich Witches top two heatleaders in 1971 John 'tiger' Louis and Tony 'shrimp' Davey are the now will be forever track record holders of Romfords now defunct and built over Brooklands Stadium circuit!

Yeah a long shot I'd agree but never say never. Though living near the busy Norwich - Liverpool St trainline would surely provide much more of a nuisance than 25, 2 hour speedway meetings a year? I think speedway authorities need to research and find methods/structures/barriers of noise prevention. If a way of totally eliminating noise leving the stadium then a whole load of stadiums would become possibilities to speedway. I think Romford Bombers racing at the dog track would be well supported!

Yeah all these noise issues about speedway really winds me up! Can't see where one 2 hour speedway meeting a week 25 times a year during March to October is really a problem for anyone. I live near a reasonably well attended football club. Yes in my garden I can hear the crowd, PA and see the floodlights, but it isn't a problem. Inside my house I can't hear anything! Now I'm sure my nearest football club stages more football events than any speedwaay track would in a year. What with first team, reserve team, youth team, County cup finals, county games etc! I think that Walthamstow could still be made into a good EL venue. Walthamstow Hawks would be a good name what with the link with the nearby old Hackney outfit. Does anyone know about the rumours about Walthamstow stadium being sold of for redevelopment!

Yes I remember looking at the Romford Bombers website a while back. I remember the circumstances behind their 1971 closure. - One moron who complained enough they shut down the Brooklands stadium speedway and aparently he moved soon after! Tragic when crowds were huge. I've been past the what looks like very smart Romford greyhound stadium many times on the Norwich-London Liverpool St line. I've always wondered if anyones tryed to revive the Bombers team there. Surely being within a stones throw of the busy London - Norwich train line 2.5 hours of speedway once a week wouldn't cause to much of a kerfuffle? Romford Bombers could still be a successfull speedway outfit here!

All the talk over the last year or so is of the grand old stadiumn being sold of to developers by the family that owns it. The old speedway track though tarmaced over with a big podium like brick structure built on it on the home straight still reains to this day nearly 55 years since speedway was last staged there. - I'd imagine it wouldn't be a massive job to reinstate a speedway circuit. I think it would be a good speedway venue (Terry Russell EL exercise though I'm sure he must of lookd at it) but it would be a big gamble for a wealthy person to 'bite the bullet'. And of course how long is it actually going to remain as a stadium?

'Shazzybird' Your atitude towards Iwade is what I was touching on in my earlier post. You sound like you were quite a regular Canterbury supporter so I feel your atitude symtomises how most Kentish speedway fans feel about Iwade - Great training facility yes but bona fide league venue for Kent - No! I do feel if an authentic stadium was built or found that could stage PL or EL level speedway then many dormant and new Kentish supporters would come out of the woodwork and the venue would get sustainable crowds. - I bet your not the only ex Canterbury fan who gos to Eastbourne 'Shazztbird'. - This leads me again to Central Park Sittingbourne. - Great facilities, easy to get to of motorways, sufficient room for track aparently designed with speedway in mind I've been told - This venue would be ideal for a 'Sittingbourne Kent Crusaders' speedway team. - Has anyone looked into trying again at this excellent venue again cause it has ernormous potential for speedway.

Would of been interesting to see how long Canterbury speedway would have lasted if they had managed to open up for the 1988 season. How many more seasons could they of got through? - Shame casuse the stadium was still there until the late 1990's I believe and is just now a piece of waistland Sittingbourne dog track would of been ideal but Terry Rusells half hearted planning application ruined chances there. - Maybe if it could be done better and researched more thoroughly (Tony Mole style) then I feel this is Kents best hope of a bona fide League set up. No disrespect to the merry bunch down at Iwade Messrs Ribbons and Arnold but I don't think the current Kentish CL venue will ever get fully established as a League set up cause of the poor facilities and training track reputation. Though Iwade does a marvellous job as a training facility and non league/amateur venue and may it long continue to do so! I did hear recently that Canterbury Council are still looking for a suitable site where they could put a multi sports stadium possibly speedway included if persons were interested in running the speedway? Can you indulge us anymore 'Shazzytbird'?

This is certainly a more ethical tactical move. Although the double points ruling does seem a bit micky mouse in practise it has kept more than a few matchs interesting.

If you did manage to bring Bristol Bulldogs speedway back into League action then I think you would have to have a better atitude towards Bristol City. This is cause they are a well supported sporting club in Britol so it would maybe wise to try and make links and keep good relations with them and any other such organisation! Good luck with your plans, hope this weeks site visit is a productive and going forward one!

Yes I did and thanks! Is their any greyhound tracks in the Bristol area these days? Speedway has much to thank greyhound racing for! I see that Bristol City got thrashed 7-1 yesterday away at Swansea! The City of Bristols sporting fraternity needs cheering up: Bring back the Bulldogs speedway team!

On the subject of that great benefactor of speedway - Tony Mole. Although he obviously loves his speedway and has chucked a lot of money at it over the years, he normally only gets involved if their is a buck or 2 to be made. This is why he sees the proposed return of the Birmingham Brummies to their spirtual home at Perry Bar as a potential goldmine. - And I'd agree, as I feel it has the potential to make the same impact as Workington did when Mr Mole resurrected them in 1999. My point is: With the huge potential that a reborn Bristol speedway team has, I'm sure Tony Mole would be interested in getting the Bulldogs running again? He has got the financial clout ansd experience to make things hapen! I'd agree with you Mr Bulldog, I would get great satisfaction from seeing the Brummies and Bulldogs racing each other, 2 currently defunct large clubs from the past!

Hi Mr Bulldog! You didn't answer my questions but ah well you aren't the first and I suspect the last! Sounds interesting your current search for a site to house Bristol Bulldogs speedway on! Hope your searching and working bears fruition and we see Bristol Bulldogs back in the British League at their own track! But like anything in life I'll believe it when it happens not a moment sooner!

Also what about any moto parks, you know those places designed for motorsports. Or what about areas designated for noisy/nuisance sports? Speedway needs Bristol needs speedway! If other places can come back after long periods away from the sport then Bristol Bulldogs can!

Got any news on your site search for a new speedway track for the Bristol Bulldogs? Who was it who was trying to get Bristol back at a nearby racecourse last year? Have you tryed all racecourses, non league soccer grounds, rugby grounds, Cricket arenas and dog tracks in the vicinity? I recall back in 1996 persons were trying to get Bristol speedway up and running at Clevedon Football club. They were to run during the football off season so in order to take up some of the pitch for the track. What happened to this plan cause the apparently the football club were very keen and could this be a possibility (but it was about 20 miles from Bristol so very much the Somerset scanario) or another non league ground could be worth a look? I now its stabbing in the dark but from obscure little ideas empires have been built!

I was told by a guy who used to help Dave Jackson when he was at Mildenhall that he works in an airport somewhere in Aussie.

Yes Siggy as he was nicknamed was a great rider up until his bad injury. Together with John Cook he rejuvenated Ipswich in 1981 after a couple of years when things went a bit stale. I remmember him making a short comeback at the back end of 1985 for Ipswich which I believe was the last time he rode over here. If you look back at race times from Siggys era at Ipswich you'll find that race times back then were very similar to times now! - One of the few tracks where race times haven't changed that much in the last 25 years. In fact in the intervening years after Siggy had left, times at Ipswich got slightly slower! Yes I believe that siggy with Bruce Penhall won the world powerboat championship, a combination of the combined two's racing skills and big money investment I suspect. - I believe Siggy and Penhall were both very wealthy even before coming into speedway. Siggy, Larry Kosta and Preben Eriksen will all now be at least in their mid 40's so its highly unprobable they would consider making a comeback or indeed if they did be good enough for EL racing!

Yes your right the potential for a track in Bristol is huge. Though if it ever does happen then near neighbour Somerset would have to make some adjustments in order to keep going. These would be: As the potential for bigger crowds is greater at Bristol then Somerset would have to drop into the CL if Bristol went EL or PL and act as the Bulldogs nursury team. Somerset would have to change their racenight to a Saturday maybe as Bristols tradiional racenight was on a Friday. Other sports would probably have to be inroduced to Somerset to help finance the changes. British speedway needs more tracks. - I hope to see Birmingham, Cradley, Halifax, Southampton, Long Eaton, Leicester, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Trelawny, many others as well as my old team the Norwich Stars return to speedway racing and all present tracks to keep going. I hope Brisol reopen and Somerset keep going as well for good measure! Good luck!

Good luck with what you are doing whether it is yourself or on behalf of another prospective promotor of the great Bristol Bulldogs? When Bristol does ropen which I'm sure it will do one day, it will be a little goldmine for those promoting! I see on another thread in the general discussions page on speedway -forum on the Eldfield Park/Skegness topic a guy is acting on behalf of a promotor whose looking for sites where he could run PL/CL speedway and where it would be viable. - Bristol more than fits the bill! Bristol needs the bulldogs back in speedway - speedway needs the Bristol Bulldogs!

Yes the stock car track in the Mendips area is exactly the place I'm on about! I know the place is a dump but with some investment then it could be turned into a venue suitable for the return of the Bristol Bulldogs! I'm from Norfolk and I knew ex Bulldogs rider Geoff Pymar who lived at Diss in the south of the County before he passed away about 4-5 years ago at the grand age of 90! His spell at Brisol was when the bulldogs raced at the now sadly departed Knowle stadium. I remember Geoffs racing career mainly during his spell at Norwich in the mid 50's after he left Bristol I believe and his season at Great Yarmouth in 1960 when he was number 1 when he as nearing or might of even been in his 50's!

From what I can gather the council at Bristol remain to this day very anti sports just like the late 70's. But where theres a will theres a way! I know that some places around the Country have areas set aside for sports that are deemed to be nuisance ones which speedway is appaently seen as one. Has Bristol got such an area? Is the old stock car track still in Bristol? Has it ever been sounded out as a possible home for the Bulldogs speedway team? Surely such an exrcise would of great benefit to all parties involved. - If someone could invest in the facilities there then it would crtainly be better than Bristol speedways homes since 1979! Bristol speedway: One day again we hope!

Yes we can! Brisol Bulldogs speedway at Eastville in those 2 amazing sesons in 1977 and 78 is a quite remarkable story! It amazes me that the council shut the speedway down when it was so popular with huge crowds turning out every week even if the track which they shared with the dogs (another amazing story itself) was a bit iffy to say the least! Its a crazy world when you have speedway tracks in certain places that struggle to attract anyhere near viable crowds when you have got somewhere like Bristol without a track! Bristol I feel still remains to this day a huge untapped hotbed of the sport. I'm sure that a new track in Bristol would see bigger crowds than even the suprising success story that Workington was when it reopened in 1999. I heard on here that last year efforts were made to put a track on a nearby racecoure that were turned down. - Surely their must be a site somewhere in the Bristol vicinity. A muli purpose stadium featuring speedway, greyhounds, possibly Bristol Rovers and other events is much needed in the area. Though I do feel any new Bristol track would mean that Somerset Rebels would probably have to drop into the CL in order to keep going. Somerset would therefore make a very good feeder track a new Bristol set up. Lets all hope that one day will be talking about Bristol Bulldogs speedway team in the EL or PL dscussion pages on this forum!

Yes we can! Brisol Bulldogs speedway at Eastville in those 2 amazing sesons in 1977 and 78 is a quite remarkable story! It amazes me that the council shut the speedway down when it was so popular with huge crowds turning out every week even if the track which they shared with the dogs (another amazing story itself) was a bit iffy to say the least! Its a crazy world when you have speedway tracks in certain places that struggle to attract anyhere near viable crowds when you have got somewhere like Bristol without a track! Bristol I feel still remains to this day a huge untapped hotbed of the sport. I'm sure that a new track in Bristol would see bigger crowds than even the suprising success story that Workington was when it reopened in 1999. I heard on here that last year efforts were made to put a track on a nearby racecoure that were turned down. - Surely their must be a site somewhere in the Bristol vicinity. A muli purpose stadium featuring speedway, greyhounds, possibly Bristol Rovers and other events is much needed in the area. Though I do feel any new Bristol track would mean that Somerset Rebels would probably have to drop into the CL in order to keep going. Somerset would therefore make a very good feeder track a new Bristol set up. Lets all hope that one day will be talking about Bristol Bulldogs speedway team in the EL or PL dscussion pages on this forum!

In tonights Swedish GP why did Bjarne Pederson get 1st pick for gate positions when he only came 2nd in his semi final? Surely the 2 semi final winners should get to pick their gate postions before a guy who came 2nd? Speedways a great sport that would be even better if common sense and logical thinking was applied to the rulebook. The above incident together with Elite League riders having 2 totally unnecesary numbers and the meant with good intentions but badly devised Conference League grading system that gives certain riders over inflated averages gives the sport a rather back to front, laughable image! And of course the fact that my home City of Norwich is once again without its own spedway track and team!