Toady

Fyi riday, 7 August 2026 18:01 Arlington Stadium in Hailsham has officially ended all motor racing events with immediate effect, concluding over 60 years of historic oval-track racing at the venue. The Reason Behind the Cancellation Eric Dugard, the joint owner of Arlington Stadium, stated that the decision stems from ongoing serious infrastructure and health and safety problems affecting both competitors and the public. Critical Fence Issues: The core issue is the necessary replacement of a 600-metre wire mesh safety fence that wraps around the track perimeter to catch flying debris. Insurance Risks: The stadium's insurance provider will not cover the venueagainst potential serious accidents while a proper substitute fence remains uninstalled. Financial Strain: Remedying these issues would require several months and a massive financial cost. The owners, who have already spent over £250,000 on recent upgrades, decided that continuing motor racing is no longer financially viable for the business. The Promoter's Reaction The announcement took race coordinator Spedeworth Motorsports by surprise. They expressed deep disappointment over the abrupt closure, which came less than 24 hours after hosting a highly successful race meeting. The promoter has indicated they will provide an update regarding pre-existing bookings and upcoming ticket details in the coming days. Future of the Venue While motor sports (including historic banger, stock car, and past motorcycle speedway events) have permanent checkered flags, the facility itself may not disappear entirely. The venue owners are actively evaluating future plans and exploring alternative, non-motorsport events that could safely occupy the stadium grounds

Have to agree there’s even one muppet who doesn’t post on here often, but always finds time to make disparaging remarks about Batch despite never seeing him ride, as by their own admission would you believe has had no interest in speedway for many years. You couldn’t make it up !

Surely it’s not about what will or won’t benefit people most; it’s about completely disregarding the planning decision. Imagine if everyone did that it would just devolve into chaos.

New Application now available to view here https://planning.agileapplications.co.uk/rugby/application-details/42265

That’s fair enough. I was simply suggesting other options for those who mentioned the lack of TV output dampened their passion. The main reason seems to be the closure of your local track. I get that as it is number one at the top of the page. I wonder if it was to reopen; perhaps it could reignite your interest?

For those who say no “league racing on tv”, why not purchase a Stream now and again? Very good value for money when compared to having to travel some distance to watch live.

Thoroughly enjoyed last nights match. Given the conditions, the track was a significant improvement and both teams were very competitive.Good to see Anders show some form. Onwards and upwards!

It is encouraging to see a council such as Rugby continuing to provide such support for this campaign.You can only imagine how different Speedway’s position would have been had Swindon and many other councils offered similar backing.

Positive Information for those of us who care. https://www.rugby.gov.uk/w/cabinet-agrees-next-phase-of-work-to-support-return-of-sport-to-brandon-stadium

See here. https://oxfordspeedway.club/2026/05/𝗧𝗵𝗲-𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻-𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁-𝗶𝘀-𝗼/

I thought I would get this in before another poster’s https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c74k9klgwyko

At least it’s being used for housing😀

Any updates on how the pay on the gate is going to operate ? Starting this Wednesday, we’re introducing a match-night box office at the stadium, where supporters will be able to purchase tickets by cash or card. Many of you told us that the lack of an on-the-night payment option has been a barrier, and we want to remove that barrier completely. We hope this comes as welcome news. Full details on how the box office will operate will be shared in the coming days, ready for this Wednesday’s meeting.

That’s positive, but unless they sort out the track issues and, by consequence, improve the racing, they’ll continue to lose support, as is becoming more evident every week.

The track’s condition has been appalling for some time now and shows no improvement regardless of the weather. It’s always slick and dusty. Just a couple of seasons ago there was always an outside line and plenty of passing. Think Bomber, Scotty, Charles Wright and others; they were never off it. However Mitch’s performance last night demonstrated otherwise. I know we’re fortunate to have Speedway at Oxford but after what we’ve been used to it’s hard to justify standing around watching the guff that’s being served up now. Perhaps, as another poster suggested, they know the inevitable.