MajorMauger

I think its more a case of GRA's parent company rather than the GRA who won't allow speedway at Wimbledon as they have been been trying to get rid of the stadium for a while now and don't want tenents who need a mid to long term lease who are hard to shift which would be the speedway! I believe this is also the case at Oxford which has all the pits area and speedway track still in place! Speedway runs at Belle Vue and Birmingham Perry Bar both GRA tracks and at the other Birmingham greyhound track Hall Green the GRA would have allowed speedway to take place there if it could ever get planning permission! Yes it is so frustrating that Wimbledon along with Oxford have 2 operational former speedway stadiums that could still be staging the sport today. I'm sure that both the Cheetahs and the Dons could sustain PL racing at least! While their still standing theirs hope and that hope is that the GRA or the stadiums individually get bought by organisation(s) who want to fully exploit their potential as leisure sports venues!

Sunderland as Ian Martin said was asset stripped in 1964 in its 1st season and closed by the ruthless multi track promotion without ever really being given a chance! In the early 70's the lack of continuity with the promotion also made things difficult! The Boldon Stadium is very well appointed nowadyas and could comfortably accomodate a speedway track. Indeed the great Len Silver who promoted their in the early 70's has always said that he thinks speedway could be sustainable at Boldon! I believe it has been looked at many times in the past particularly when Newcastle were dormant or when they were having trouble with their landlords. I know of a person who looked into reopening speedway at Boldon a few years back and he was quoted a rental figure of £100,000 a year which would make it nigh on unviable. I also believe that the current Newcastle promotion have said in the past that they would strongly object to any reopening bid at Boldon because they reakon it would effect their own operation which personally I'm not sure if it actually would? With the demise of the Redcar 3rd tier team at the start of this season because of the problems in attracting fans to watch 2 teams at one track, I think a NL team running out of Sunderland could be viable cause locals in the Sunderland area who currently don't go to speedway would be attracted therefore a whole new bunch of fans who wouldn't be pulled away from the current Redcar and Newcastle clubs. I believe Boldon comes within 30 miles of Newcastle speedway so the Diamonds promotion could by rights stop any attempts to reopen there but isn't their a couple of smaller greyhound tracks not far from Sunderland which are outside the 30 mile radius of Newcastle? While I think that a PL operation at Sunderland would be difficult because of the nearby Redcar and Newcastle set ups I think a NL operation which would require lower crowds to survive could work at Sunderland and would supplement the before said nearby tracks operating as something of a nuresery track for the 2? I would like nothing more than to see the Sunderland Stars back in speedway using their smart racejacket design of 1971! Good Luck!

Has the redevelopment of Long Eatons old home at Station Rd started yet? I've said it before on here but I think the best chance of speedway ever returning to this area would be at the very plush Nottingham greyhound stadium with the team taking on the 1979/80 Long Eaton name of Nottingham Outlaws!

Having EL teams running one team in an EL then a weakened one in another League set up against lower Division tracks is similar to what was tryed in the 2003 British League cup which didn't work cause fans of EL tracks stayed away when their team was weakened! The 3 tier League set up should remain but should instead be formulated like - A new top flight called the PL featuring the current 9 EL tracks and 7 teams out of the PL. The level of this new top flight would be inbeween the current EL and PL. A minimum of 3 Brits per team. A new 2nd tier called the NL featuring the reminaing 7 PL tracks + the 4 stronger stand alone tracks out of the current NL + any new tracks reopening. The level of this League would be inbeween the current PL and NL. Any new tracks coming the Leagues wishing to stage senior League racing would have to start in this League and could not jump straight into the top flight. A minimum of 4 Brits per team. A new 3rd tier called the CL featuring stand alones like Buxton and Sittingbourne that are run at shoestring level and any reserve teams of senior tracks. The level of this League would be below the current ultra strong 3rd tier which would give more Brits a chance and their are many riders about who are capable but can't get into the current NL which is full of doubling up PL rider and others who should be in the PL. Much of what Vince says in his post is right

Norfolkman Geof Pymar is the only man who rode on Grass, cinders and shale at the great Firs stadium, Norwich. He started in 1930 and retired in around 1962 although he did retire for a spell in the late 50's when he co - promoted at Exeter! Another long serving rider with strong Norfolk connections Wal Morton also rode for a similar period alas also which some breaks! Ivan Mauger rode his 1st competitive meeting in New Zealand in 1955 and had his last competitive meeting in early 1986 although since then I believe he has infrequently had practises on various tracks up to present. I know one of the famous Perrys (can't recall which one!) rode grasstrack for 40 unbroken years!

Rob Henry rode in the British League a few times for Leicester and I seem to remember Reading!

Nathan Simpson rode for Eastbourne as well as Wimbledon and Dennis Mallet rode for Milton Keynes and King's Lynn as well as Boston!

Tiddler Turner rode a few meeting for Boston (which was really an extension of the King's Lynn promotional umbrella at the time!) in his last season!

The great Tony 'Shrimp' Davey only rode for Ipswich 1970-1980.

Great big massive iconic stadium that like others should of been preserved and turned into a multi purpose venue featuring speedway of course!

Just to correct you Parsoles - Speedway open meetings were ran at White City for the last time in 1983! White City stadiums demise has always 'riled' me no end but even more so nowadays particularly when near neighbours QPR FC are owned by wealthy owners who could of turned White City into their new home and other sports like speedway could of been retained for open meetings! The government has got to learn that once iconic venues are demolished their gone for good and our heritage has to be retained! Hertha Berlins ground in Germany was built for the 1936 Olympics yet it has been kept and looks awesome now they spent money on keeping it in good nick. Then again sad to say but Euro Countries like Germany seem to do things better than what Britain does! White City Stadium should of had a preservation order put on it and could of had investment piut into it to keep it in good nick and many sports could benefited!

My memories of White City are - Tremendous iconic stadium that should never of been demolished! Great big speedway track! Poorly supported team!

Why would the football club be against speedway returning to Norwich in this day and age? Afterall speedway is no threat to football. I know its long been said that the football clubs influences within the Council helped to ensure speedway didn't return after the Firs got sold but that was 40+ years ago and I don't think speedway returning to Norwich would see supporters deserting the Canaries in their droves. But relegation to League 1 could very well!

Happy days! I want them back!

A shame that a young guy with talent isn't involved now! I think a lot of the problem was that Shane 2nd halfed 4-5 times a week at different venues, often rode to fast for his experience and ability and had an overinflated opinion of how good he was. All this led to an early burn out and disapointment when he couldn't achieve what he thought he was going to do!

Even bigger shame that the car auction site that replaced Hyde Rd is now derelict! Any chance of a new stadium with a replica to the old track built there?

Paul Mitchel rode briefly in the early nineties for the Eagles, and rode quite a few meetings for their junior team in the old junior leagues! I stand to be corrected but wasn't he the guy who was paralysised after a road motorbike crash?

Look on the Bradford speedway website and they have the actual racejacket design on it!

This winter the BSPA had the opportunity to do a similar thing! The top flight of Britsh speedway has to be made the mostattractive League to be in! The EL is on its knees mainly because of the low number of team 9! What should of happened was that 6 teams from the PL should of joined the 9 to make a 15 team EL. Any PL riders with an average 7 or over would of gone up as well. Only 1 2008 EL riders with an average 8 or over would be allowed in any 1 team! 1 GP rider per team! The The remaining 8 PL teams would of been joined by the IOW, Mildenhall, Plymouth and Weymouth making a 12 team set up. Any new team wishing to join one of the 2 top Leagues in the future would have to join the PL 1st! Only 1 2008 rider with an average 7 or over would be allowed per team. Prmotion between the EL and the PL could involve a play off situation involving the bottom 2 EL teams and the top 2 PL teams

The Shawcross report revolutionised speedway and was certainly more productive than the Beechings report which was also conducted around the same time!

Belle Vue normally get just over 1000 to watch them on a Monday night. I'm sure they'd get a lot more on a Saturday!

Sad day when the old Hyde rd track was demolished and I find it sad that the car acution site that replaced it is now not being used! Be great if speedway could return and Belle Vue could return to Saturday night racing which I think even in this day and age would nearly double the crowds BV get at Kirky Lane on a Monday night!

The stadium at Mildenhall is owned by the stock promotrs not the speedway!

I agree also that more should of been done to ensure places like the Shay. Hyde Road and most definately the Firs wern't lost! Although Hyde Road was a great venue, Kirkmulshulme Lane is also a good racing track even though its totally different to Hyde Road. Better than having no track! I'm sure if Halifax ever resuface like hopefully old favourites Exeter and Leicester are trying to do eventually then the new venues will not have the same atmospheres but it'll still be great to see these names back in the sport!

I think the wooden stand theory is a cop out for Belle Vue. Halifaxs old wooden stand existed for a fair few years after speedway left and Ipswichs main stand thats still used today is indeed wooden. King's Lynn only got rid of their wooden stand next to the pits 3-4 years ago! I think if alterations were made to wooden stands with exits and ensuring that nothing could drop underneath them then they could be allowed in some circumstances! The reason Halifax speedway left the Shay and moved to Odsal was a rental issue. - Halifax football club who owned the Shay at the time asked for a massive ridiculous increase in rent from the speedway after the 1985 season and yet Odsal was rent free so the move was made! Shame because the Shay was a brilliant unique speedway venue and in recent times the football club has fallen upon hard times which may of been avoided if they had ensured speedway stayed at the Shay back in 1985! Halifax apparently averaged 3000 a week at the Shay in 1985 but at Bradford the next season only averaged 1000 according to their great promotor and former rider Eric Boothroyd!