HGould

Wheels is being levelled and lots of other land round it bought up. Strong local suspicion is its Knighthead, the new Owners of Bitminghan City Fc. They are in conversations with City Council to take on the site, pay for decontamination and build a 62500 roofed arena for sports, concerts etc including a secondary athletics stadia for major events and ladies football etc Thats a 3 to 5 year plan. Wheels as a stox venue won't exist if not already gone in reality.

Can understand the logic. However ARC have made a long term decision to move their operation to a far more salubrious venue over which they have long term control and potential. Corbally are sat on a piece of land in a prime location with development opportunities where the leaseholder has walked and the sub tenant cannot take over financially as the leaseholder. There is no other credible leaseholder. The Council have been bankrupted by central Government underfunding and 2 decades of mismanagement locally by both political parties and a local Mayor who is just interested in photo opportunities and his own reelection which is unlikely A perfect storm sadly with Speedway as the biggest loser as the other parties will most likely get what they want in the medium term. Speedway gets nothing and Mr Tolley loses a lot of money and a lot of effort.

I'm sure ARC will break the Lease. No one would take them on for doing that, neither Corbally nor the Council. Corbally would then assume all ongoing costs and would have to work out minimum to open the gates. Energy, insurance, staff, so many other things. They would look to recoup a fair chunk of the 25k per month they get now. Staff would be reduced massively and would need contracts for 12 to 15 nights a year instead of 20 to 25 a month. Birmingham Brummies attract crowds of 500 to 600, I can't see Corbally wanting less that 10k a month, so effectively 10k a meeting. So the average crowd would may be cover the rent. Sadly just can't see it being feasible. Nigel will have to be very wary that the Management Committee don't screw him over just to get the 6th team. That's the equivalent of sticking Polyfilla in the San Andrea's Fault and the Sport totally missing the point.

Clearly he does but I doubt if he could make Perry Barr pay if he had to take on the 300k lease per annum that ARC have taken on. His Greyhound TV income from the tracks he controls would be a fraction of what ARC have received for a prime venue in PB. It's clear that he has successfully found a niche with a streaming option that is good at picking up medium level dog venues with lower overheads and lease / rental agreements from the top level dog venues. The crux is that Corbally called a tune that ARC were happy to play / pay but the probability of anyone else being able to play / pay at that level without the prime TV deal is nigh on impossible. It's important to point out that an afternoon UK dogs meeting is beamed to massive massive betting markets in Asia and the Far East who are 7-8 hours ahead so prime evening betting markets on a massive scale compared to UK domestic markets. Thats the market ARC / Entain are playing in and why they see Speedway very very sadly as being not only irrelevant but something of a pain in their Corporate necks!

I doubt the turnover on those smaller tracks combined is much more than one of the bigger grossing tracks like Monmore. ARC are part of a massive Group and Entain gobbled up Ladbrokes Boothby will be playing in a lower sphere in terms of dog racing.

Poole and Swindon from memory Thats not the issue though You need the TV to generate betting turnover and income, literally globally, particularly in the Far East. ARC and Entain have that tied up and if you ran dogs without it, those who turn up and bet simply can't generate the turnover.

The fact though is that Corbally are now up the creek without a paddle and a boat full of holes. Corbally were totally reliant on ARC and their predecessor before them. The prospects of someone taking over the dogs is nil. ARC hold the TV rights for Bags and dog racing transferred to Dunstall Park . ENTAIN formerly Ladbrokes hold TV rights at Monmore. No space for more TV rights in this neck of the woods. Not enough dogs. Speedway is reliant on dogs or something generating the cash to cover lease ARC paid. You might find another sub tenant, which Tolley may have alluded to when saying he might find 300k to take on the Lease but what sub tenant!??! No chance of Stocks on noise and planning. Any other credible sport is either elsewhere like American Football, Rugby League or Union but very minority interest in Brum and stadium totally unsuitable anyway Sad very very sad to say just cannot see a way forward without dogs?

They should re-home a few XL Bull Dogs and let them roam round the site at night. That would stop the bar stewards!

Well done Poland. What a shame we can't do exactly the same and boost our young talent. Frankly would any on that list enhance British Speedway to the detriment of Pijper, Perry, Boughen, James, Harrison etc.

It would require I believe a majority of the other clubs to refuse to re-elect the current committee and refuse to offer new nominations and to call an EGM. To then seek to move a vote of no confidence and to propose a change of articles of association. Then agree a new Board. As an example a proven part time CEO. Then a Board ofAn ACU or RAC accredited person from another form of motor sport with administrative experience, an ex Promoter, an ex Rider, an ex Referee. So purely hyperthetically Keith Heuwen Adrian Smith Chris Morton Tony Steele

Agreed I think we all thought 12 months. It's also easy to overlook how little they have to do. Everything is there other than track and fence. They literally just have to plug in from extensive electrics and realign the brilliant existing lights slightly. Kennels would be easily installed too. They could feasibly be running early 2024.

Nice idea but 1500 adults per meeting for 10 meetings just to cover the lease. Thats Fantasy League stuff. Even if he found and sold 200 Gérard engines the BSPL seem to have lost it would only be a drop in the Ocean

Thoughts with the lad and his family. Really hope there aren't any internal complications as if that list isn't horrifying enough. On the cold light of day some very searching questions have to be asked about this and other fiascos May be time for a complete clear out of the management committee and some form of independent govermence

I'd have thought Newman was better than Brennan at Poole The benefit of Newman would be to allow a better final rider away from home too.

The speed of the Planning Approval for ARC at Dunstall Park is the game changer. ARC hold all the cards including the Jokers. ARC are brutal and ruthless. Dunstall Park merely needs a track. The whole infrastructure is there already at a venue they run already. The minute Dunstall is ready they'll cast PB aside. PB has no way of staging viable dogs under independent control as the TV rights will go to Dunstall Park. I think the situation is desperate if ARC decide to move quickly on the planning approval.

Thompson Twins Alfie Bowtell Anders Rowe

If it's so soon would probably be the death knell for PB. Can't see any way it can be viable without dogs. It's far more likely too get planning permission if it isn't a going concern for a number of functions. Best hope would have been if Dunstall Park wouldn't be ready until 2025.

Brian I did ask my friends about the possibility of this. The response was along the lines of, that the main issue would be that there is no space at the TV streaming end of the product and that's where the money is. The old Cradley Heath, Norton Canes or Willenhall type of license, which had no TV but betting revenue and drinks income, just not practical these days.

Greyhound trials would be at Dunstall not PB. Once Dunstall is ready all PB dogs will go there. They'll then trial for Grading before opening. As explained without Dogs can't see ARC retaining their interest at PB just to facilitate Speedway. All Wolverhampton Horses are on Sky so it'll be interesting to see how quickly spades are in the ground to build the dog track.

I not an out and out dog expert but have mates who are. They tell me the dogs that go from PB to Wolves will have to be trialled there as its a new track and they are graded to different levels I think the same happened when Poole dogs went elsewhere. So they can't I don't think run at both tracks other than in a small number of open races. Re Speedway running on its own, I just can't see how it would be viable if they had to cover all the costs to keep the stadium open for 1 event per week other than 7 days, rates, electric, water, security, insurance etc. Probably be looking at 1500 plus crowds to cover that. ARC will want to optimise profit at Dunstall Park not dilute it by keeping PB open. Plus easier to twist arms to sell if its lying empty. We all know what happens to empty buildings... Think Crooked House and Brandon.

Given the income loss once Dogs transition to Wolverhampton, I can't see any way Speedway can continue. I suspect that is what Nigel was referring to in his latest update. If dogs moved in May as an example they could be looking at a 280k shortfall from no dogs to have Speedway til end of September. Dogs will need a few months of trials too to regrade at new track and to test everything. So ARC won't want to delay a moment longer than necessary. They'll probably want to launch dogs in mid summer for maximum impact.

It'll all depend on the transition of the dogs. I was told by someone in the previous promotion that ARC income from dogs 6 days a week purely from TV rights was in the region of 70k. Before you sell a meal or booze which is lucrative too at weekend dogs. Clearly Speedway rent and minimal booze and food income 15 times a year will mean I suspect that once the dogs transition the gates will be locked and stay locked for good.

It's ARC moving an ARC operation to another ARC operation. It won't take them long to start the work. There is no spectator facilities to build. No infrastructure, its all there. All they have to do is lay a dog track, fence, hare on the infield right in front of a huge Stand bars, restaurants and Hotel. The Kennels will be a simple build adjacent to stables.

ARC given planning permission to build greyhound track at Dunstall Park, Wolverhampton Racecourse according to BBC Midlands. This confirms greyhounds will move from Perry Barr also ARC managed. Death knell for Perry Barr Stadium as dogs are cast majority of income there. Timescale yet to be confirmed.

If this is the last meeting at Leicester this season, is there any confirmation yet as to who is taking over Promotional rights from Bates brothers. I assume Dave Helmsley still owns the stadium?