Ray Stadia

Glad you appealed. I am sure you will be successful.

Well I think you are providing us with a perfect reason why the UK getting out of the EU can't come quickly enough. As it appears, you are virtually suggesting, British speedway's decline is due to the growth in European speedway and I think you are right! We have allowed Denmark, Sweden and Poland use British speedway to our detriment. Pull up the drawbridge!

Well as usual/normal, you have lifted a small part of my full post. Other parts of my post make suggestions, but also as usual, like many on here like you, your raison d'etre on here is to shoot people down in flames! And if you are going to tell us how things are in Germany, I for one, am not interested in what happens there!

Grasstrack didn't used to be 'once in a blue moon'. In the 70s, most centres had a meeting every weekend during the summer months. Back in the time, many speedway riders doubled up on grass, Malcolm Simmons, Simon Wigg and many others. Which was good for both sports. Grasstrack was a good feeder for speedway teams and grasstrack benefited by having household name riders at their meetings. This rarely happens any more and the reason for that is many speedway riders ride abroad as well as the UK and can't fit in grasstrack and in any case, wouldn't earn enough money from grasstrack. Grasstrack has always been drawn out, because you do have a lot of classes to get through and many heats. But it is a different attraction, grasstrack is a day out and hopefully enjoy a full afternoons racing in the sun. What has happened recently and it is good in one way, grasstrack pads out the meetings with youth riders, whereas, yesteryear, there were schoolboy meetings. Riders like Jeremy Doncaster started in schoolboy grasstrack. Both grasstrack and speedway need a major overhaul and reboot and perhaps look at what was good and worked in the past. Both sports, in my opinion, worked better when there was little foreign influence, i.e. few foreign riders here and few British riders riding abroad.

I don't think the main problem is the entrance fee, as football fans are a similar demographic and there are plenty that still go through the turnstiles. The main problem is value for money, the lack of team continuity season to season, teams saying they may run they may not, supporting a team which may run this year, but may not next year, supporting a sport which is clearly on it's downers rather than it's uppers (or at least flatlining). However, unless there is a solid will to change the situation by those involved in the sport and not just the promoters, nothing is going to change. I do think Grasstrack is looking more healthy these days, as there seems to be a strong youth initiative within the sport.

I would have thought, with the new houses so close to the stadium, the least speedway activity there is at the stadium, the less chance there will be of complaint from the residents.

'Press and Practice Day'....surely, a bit hollow these days, with the state of British speedway currently. I realise I sound negative, but Press and Practice Day sounds like a season launch, for a sport which is healthy and going places! When, as we know, it's in trouble, sadly.

In speedway, I'm not sure you can trust 'the actual speedway parties' involved!

If I lived in one of those houses, personally, I would rather have a stadium on my doorstep than have even more houses. I live opposite a church and yes, the congregation park their cars all over the shop on a Sunday, a funeral or a wedding. But I would rather the church than more flippin houses! The church is not that attractive either! But I do wonder whether the stadium will be swallowed?

Things look different 30,000 feet up!

I bet Workington fans wish they could watch some 'gate and go' racing this year!

What a shame, just 500K short!

I just carried out a company check search and it appears the name Avtar Sandhu is a very popular name for company directors. There seems to be well over 30!

Buxton and Rye House are still being used for training, so that is a good thing. As for Coventry, Workington and Lakeside, more likely lost forever, I fear.

Looking at an article it seems the track was underused for the big money making events.The article I read, said there are many industrial units on the site, many involved in motor sports and the track will probably still be used for testing, auctions and de-fleet car storage etc. The new owners have said the use will still be automotive. I imagine the area has never been thought of as a motorcycle speedway prospect or we would have heard rumours?

I reckon many football clubs would show a similar situation, but for some reason, debts hit speedway harder than football.

I wonder whether we will see a poster in future episodes.......Grantchester versus Slough?

Perhaps we need a moratorium of team speedway for at least one season. That does not mean no speedway action, as the tracks could still be used for individual events. So, what would that do? 1. If all tracks are losing money it will give the promoters a reprieve. 2. It will allow speedway to test whether running speedway as a series of individual meetings, is the way forward. 3. It will give speedway time to rethink how it should be operating in the future, i.e. the best model for the sport. 4. As it would be a drastic action, it would mean the promoters, riders, sponsors and hopefully fans have the opportunity to work together for the sport's future.

I once got hit hit by a flying piece of shale, when watching speedway on the World of Sport! I didn't both to complain though and it was the 1st April!

Even if Cradley hadn't been sold off all those years ago, would they be able to survive in today's speedway climate?

Yes, I suppose truly amateur means no money and maybe paying to ride. If tracks aren't available at weekends then that is scuppered! Oh well, it just carries on limping.

I probably didn't read your post properly, sorry. So, you too have concerns of speedway's future. The thread is really about survival, as the suggestion is, by going amateur, the costs for the promoters will be less and provide a chance for survival. But as 'Sings4Speedway' is suggesting, maybe team speedway shouldn't be part of a survival plan.

Well, you have told us how things are at Belle Vue, but I can't see you have provided a 'blueprint' for the sport's survival as a whole, unless I have misinterpreted your post? Brave man buying 2 season tickets!

If the sport is run on an amateur basis, it doesn't mean the riders can't earn, but they will earn according to their ability. And why does speedway need to run during the week? It can be run Friday night, anytime Saturday or anytime Sunday. Which would allow the riders to work or finish their education. Also, the country should be divided into regions, to reduce travelling costs. Another idea, if you could attract relatively local riders, why not all riders travel together or at least buddy up in groups.The bikes could be loaded into a large van or lorry and the riders travel by coach. What a great way to create team spirit!

The trouble with what you say, is that Belle Vue's 'comfortable' position, is not felt by most other set-ups and let's be honest, it has been touch and go for even Belle Vue over the years. I think if you just think about your own speedway team, you run the risk of either being the 'last man standing' or you find what you thought was a safe and secure club, underneath is in serious problems. Not that I'm suggesting that is the case with Belle Vue. Where you are lucky though, is you have a great stadium and let's face it, it is dubbed a national speedway stadium, therefore, if speedway went amateur, your stadium would be great for different individual events and perhaps even a GP event! Which means you should still see plenty of quality action!