Do you miss the great occasion that was Cardiff ?

[YeOldPitGate]

8 hours ago, norbold said:

What I do miss are the Wembley Finals set in the magnificence of the Empire Stadium with 90,000 fans yelling their heads off.....

But then I'm just an old codger, so what do you expect?

Here you go probably when the sport was near its peak how it missed Bruce

 

[old bob at herne bay]

I have to say Wembley,  in its later years wasn’t the greatest track for racing ! 
 

To be fair with the modern style of speedway , the Manchester raceway is the best track for racing that has been used in the UK. As a “stadium”  honestly Wembley has to be the best - with its huge capacity and atmosphere, and ability to handle the huge crowds.  
manchester is only half a stadium and has little atmosphere in comparison with  industrial units surrounding half the site, and poor crowd capacity leading to high ticket prices. 
Glasgow is mooted - good track but again poor crowd capacity leading- high ticket prices . 
 

with a 6 team premier league lucky to have 2 GPs in the UK tbh. 

[Baldyman]

Nope not missed at all from me 

[foreverblue]

Part of the enjoyment was the whole city seemed to embrace it and  people were talking about it everywhere you went. Also you could guarantee it would be on although the drainage and facilities at the NSS seem to be so good the meetings there are rarely affected.

[Neila]

6 minutes ago, foreverblue said:

Part of the enjoyment was the whole city seemed to embrace it and  people were talking about it everywhere you went. Also you could guarantee it would be on although the drainage and facilities at the NSS seem to be so good the meetings there are rarely affected.

Wait till Saturday on the rarely affected by the weather 😜

[Mr Bee]

Do I miss Cardiff? Absolutely. I miss the whole experience of the day.

Cardiff felt like a genuine event. The atmosphere in the city, the build-up, and the sheer scale of it made it a massive occasion on the calendar.

We all know the track itself wasn't always brilliant, and if we are talking purely about the racing, Belle Vue is leagues ahead. NSS is a phenomenal racetrack, probably the best in the world right now, but the location is the big letdown. There is very little to do around the stadium compared to a city centre venue. If Cardiff was an 'event' day, Belle Vue relies purely on the track action, which I suppose for Speedway is really what you want. For a GP to really work there long-term, the Fan Zone is going to have to be incredibly special. We need proper entertainment and engagement, not just a rider doing a back-wheel burnout on a stage.

Being realistic about why Cardiff ended, you could actively see the crowds falling away year on year. It perfectly mirrored the decline of British Speedway and the closure of so many of traditional tracks over the last couple of decades. The fan base shrunk, and the event sadly lost its momentum.

I don't see the need for a double-header weekend at BV. Just keep it to a single GP on the Saturday night. I'd like to see Glasgow get one as well.

Looking at the current meeting thread, almost all the talk is about the weather forecast. That just highlights one of the biggest perks of the Principality Stadium, we never had that worry at Cardiff. Rain or shine, you knew the meeting was ON. We just had to wait and see what sort of track they served up.

[lucifer sam]

11 minutes ago, Mr Bee said:

 

Looking at the current meeting thread, almost all the talk is about the weather forecast. That just highlights one of the biggest perks of the Principality Stadium, we never had that worry at Cardiff. Rain or shine, you knew the meeting was ON. We just had to wait and see what sort of track they served up.

In 2022, those who went back on Sunday had to endure sitting there for FOUR hours with a track grade every TWO races. The big pay-off of the semi-finals and final were called off, because the track had supposedly suddenly deteriorated, when in truth it had been awful since around Heat 12 of the previous day. So the most three important races weren't ON that day, whatever you may choose to claim. Rose-tinted specs, perhaps? 

I did go to the subsequent two Cardiffs, but many didn't bother. The racing at Cardiff varied between poor and awful - I think that's why the majority stopping going.

 

[mikebv]

23 minutes ago, Mr Bee said:

Do I miss Cardiff? Absolutely. I miss the whole experience of the day.

Cardiff felt like a genuine event. The atmosphere in the city, the build-up, and the sheer scale of it made it a massive occasion on the calendar.

We all know the track itself wasn't always brilliant, and if we are talking purely about the racing, Belle Vue is leagues ahead. NSS is a phenomenal racetrack, probably the best in the world right now, but the location is the big letdown. There is very little to do around the stadium compared to a city centre venue. If Cardiff was an 'event' day, Belle Vue relies purely on the track action, which I suppose for Speedway is really what you want. For a GP to really work there long-term, the Fan Zone is going to have to be incredibly special. We need proper entertainment and engagement, not just a rider doing a back-wheel burnout on a stage.

Being realistic about why Cardiff ended, you could actively see the crowds falling away year on year. It perfectly mirrored the decline of British Speedway and the closure of so many of traditional tracks over the last couple of decades. The fan base shrunk, and the event sadly lost its momentum.

I don't see the need for a double-header weekend at BV. Just keep it to a single GP on the Saturday night. I'd like to see Glasgow get one as well.

Looking at the current meeting thread, almost all the talk is about the weather forecast. That just highlights one of the biggest perks of the Principality Stadium, we never had that worry at Cardiff. Rain or shine, you knew the meeting was ON. We just had to wait and see what sort of track they served up.

All good points...

One GP at the NSS wouldn't be viable though....

Capacity would be around 4,500 as the East Stand would be cost prohibitive...

You would be looking at every standing ticket over £100, and over £150 to sit down...

I do think that the city centre in Manchester is untapped potential for the GP's to do a "proper" fanzone as all it does at the stadium is preach to the already converted..

The Aces would also benefit by doing something in the city centre alongside it...

[Mr Bee]

34 minutes ago, lucifer sam said:

In 2022, those who went back on Sunday had to endure sitting there for FOUR hours with a track grade every TWO races. The big pay-off of the semi-finals and final were called off, because the track had supposedly suddenly deteriorated, when in truth it had been awful since around Heat 12 of the previous day. So the most three important races weren't ON that day, whatever you may choose to claim. Rose-tinted specs, perhaps? 

I did go to the subsequent two Cardiffs, but many didn't bother. The racing at Cardiff varied between poor and awful - I think that's why the majority stopping going.

 

Oh yeah, I’d forgotten about that disaster. I actually went on the Saturday but missed the Sunday because we were heading off on holiday the next day. You're spot on though, that was an absolute shambles.

Even so, in my opinion the crowds were visibly dropping well in the lead-up to that 2022 meeting, you could see the empty seats growing year on year before that weekend happened. The poor track presentation definitely didn't help endear people to the place towards the end, but the decline was already well underway.

[glenantony]

I really do miss the weekend in Cardiff - as has been said the racing could be patchy, but the feeling in the city, seeing fans around from all clubs (both current and historic) and the feeling of a big stadium was always something to enjoy.

I'm looking forward to this weekend and last years GP was superb, but pouring out of the NSS into a Manchester suburb can't compare with the crowd coming out of the Principality. Pity we couldn't have had both!

Surely some regulars on here must miss the opportunity to moan about the whole occasion from the safety of their armchairs and keyboards!

[ouch]

Freight Island would be good near Piccadilly, only 24 min on public transport or less if they lay on shuttle buses or a 50min walk. The problem there is the cost to use it and the fact it would likely be just fans there. The alternative is Piccadilly Gardens (27 or 63 mins). The problem with Manchester as opposed to Cardiff is the crowd wouldn’t make a dent in the city, even with a Cardiff sized crowd of tens of thousands. Lastly would be the area a the rear of the hotel near the old bingo hall. Setting up many marquees for food and drink plus entertainment would give an area for fans to mingle nearby. For me they have never thought about the greater experience as the fanzone just doesn’t cut it from my experience at any of them. Ok for a bit of a wander but nothing to occupy any great length of time. 

There are many screen around the city some with seating either temporary or permanent. These have been used for football, tennis, F1 etc. It would be good to get the whole meeting live up onto those screen as a Manchester event. I’ve had pubs up and down the country put speedway on for me whilst away and the response from customers has always been positive considering I was the only fan there. 

[Roger Jacobs]

No.  Never went.  In fact I’ve only been to one Individual World Final (Bradford ‘85) - it didn’t appeal to me the same way that team racing did.

[YeOldPitGate]

4 minutes ago, Roger Jacobs said:

No.  Never went.  In fact I’ve only been to one Individual World Final (Bradford ‘85) - it didn’t appeal to me the same way that team racing did.

I was there also for that one also Roger 16 years old, 41 years ago jeez great atmosphere with the Gunderson v Neilson rivalry at its peak and Sudden Sam nearly nicking the title, Bradford was a good track I also went the year Per Jonson won it and I remember him using the banking to sweep past Jimmy Nilson on the run in to the line.

I do remember walking to the stadium though even then you had to be on your toes I can't imagine the place is much better these days.

Seems like a lifetime ago now but truly great times.

[mikebv]

I just think it was a natural demise...

The novelty wore off, the hotel prices took the pee, the racing wasn't much cop, and well over a dozen tracks, some with big followings, have closed down over the past couple of decades..

Cardiff just mirrored the sports overall dropping fan base...

Ironically the tickets were excellent value for money in the context of the size of stadium and overall event status..

[GeneralMelchett]

7 hours ago, YeOldPitGate said:

Now your talking General the old british finals at Coventry what a great day out 10k plus would turn up, you had Silver, Havelock, Wigg, Tatum, Morton and loads more in with a shout of winning brilliant days. I was 16-19 when I used too go with my best friend and his dad, my mates old man was an utter loon behind the wheel and I always remember the carnage of getting out of the car park after the meeting when he would be doing his biscuit and battling for every inch of space spare heading to the gap out of the field with 5,000 other cars.

They were fab weren’t they - the jeopardy of the one of final did have something! It meant every race was keenly contested and the racing could be frantic at times as riders either went for the title or a qualification place! Happy days! 

[Phannan]

5 hours ago, YeOldPitGate said:

I was there also for that one also Roger 16 years old, 41 years ago jeez great atmosphere with the Gunderson v Neilson rivalry at its peak and Sudden Sam nearly nicking the title, Bradford was a good track I also went the year Per Jonson won it and I remember him using the banking to sweep past Jimmy Nilson on the run in to the line.

I do remember walking to the stadium though even then you had to be on your toes I can't imagine the place is much better these days.

Seems like a lifetime ago now but truly great times.

Do you mind ? I was born and brought up in that fair city . You have got a point though..😬

[kevin bass]

I used to look forward to the Cardiff GP personally, more of a social event then just purely the meeting itself, drive up on a Friday afternoon/early evening, wander round the city before and after the meeting, then spend Sunday at Cardiff Bay before driving home Sunday evening, found it something to look to on the calendar every year.

British Final at Coventry back in the day was another meeting year on year that was one to look forward to.

[Phannan]

20 minutes ago, kevin bass said:

I used to look forward to the Cardiff GP personally, more of a social event then just purely the meeting itself, drive up on a Friday afternoon/early evening, wander round the city before and after the meeting, then spend Sunday at Cardiff Bay before driving home Sunday evening, found it something to look to on the calendar every year.

British Final at Coventry back in the day was another meeting year on year that was one to look forward to.

It was definitely one of the highlights of many a speedway fan’s year. British finals were superb. I used to cheer for KC and Neil Evitts if he was competing. As for the England v USA test matches . Superb racing in carnival atmospheres . Really enjoyed those too.