Ray Stadia

I just looked again and I think they used the Southend Greyhound Stadium, as I could just see an Evening Echo advertisement, which is a Southend area rag. The stadium has now gone, but at one time, speedway was suggested as going into the stadium, but didn't happen, stiff local opposition in 1977. No change there then!

It could be Great Yarmouth? I'll try and take a photo and put it up!

It didn't look like White City to me. The seating area had, what looked like red and yellow boards, in front of the seats? I think Plough Lane had something similar, but it was wasn't Wimbledon.

Over Christmas, I saw a film with Eddie Kidd called 'Riding High', Netflix. The film is a bit cheesy, but it is also poignant to see Eddie Kidd as he once was. They use a stadium in the film, which looks to be a speedway stadium. My first thought was 'I bet that's now closed!'. But, it looks like much of the film could have been shot on the Norfolk coast and wonder whether the stadium used was Kings Lynn? I have tried to Google research, but no luck.

Building Societies are not charities, they are mutual societies. You could even set up a limited company, but a non-profit making limited company, similar to how a number of Quangos are set-up. I do think something that fans can contribute to is a good idea, but something that's not going to ultimately rip them off is paramount. The funds would need to be cast iron ringfenced!

A Trust can be created ('the entity') from scratch. So long as the Trust is strictly non-profit making and not income creating, it can be tax efficient and with responsible Trustees, any funds within the Trust will be protected for the purpose. I'm not sure a speedway club/stadium could qualify as a Charity?

Definitely the smell of castor oil has virtually gone, due to the riders using sythetic oil. I do wonder (and I did mention this somewhere else on the site), that the loss of engine noise would perhaps be replaced with crowd noise (football and rugby kind of noise), which may create a different type of atmosphere.

I wonder if 4.5 on this chart, might be better?

Not my 'neck of the woods' I'm afraid. Poor Tim, that's another story. RIP Tim too.

Not heard of the chap, but RIP

However, football, rugby and cricket are quiet sports, much of the noise comes from the crowd, which could happen with 'quiet' speedway. With motorised speedway, you can hardly hear the crowd. In addition, one of the attractions of 'yesteryear' was the whiff of the burning of castor oil in the air. That has virtually disappeared, due to the use of synthetic oils, which the guys use, apparently, to reduce expensive wear to engines.

Flat Track Racing is more suitable to a speedway track and is perhaps more suitable for a second half attraction? Although once again, speedway purists will only want to watch a 500cc, without a gearbox! (understandable).

I'm not sure what this post is saying, is it asking if speedway sidecar racing will be back in 2023? (Ididn't know it had gone away) or speedway sidecar racing will be back in 2023!

Looking at the videos, it seems the riders were having difficulty with the weight of the battery and motor? I'm sure it is different to a laydown and maybe it's more like riding an upright, but probably heavier.

That is so sad. Condolences to Trevor, family and friends.

I think the 'closure clock' starts to tick for any stadium, unless it is in an area where there is absolutely no feasible chance of property development or industrial development. In the main, football and rugby stadiums seem safer.

As the greyhounds are still running, maybe another promoter may 'step up'? Maybe in the bottom league to begin with? The trouble is, a new promoter may have to get fresh council permission to run a motorsport and with all that local housing, could be unlikely.

I do wonder whether Swindon will be like Leicester, Scunthorpe and Redcar and eventually return, sooner or later?

Can you put up a photo? If you mean the half time pinion, I believe it's a right handed thread (in other words, the other way). Also, you may need a specific puller to get it off the taper. I had to for an 897.

I remember going to the site of the old stadium, around nineteen eighty something and I could still see some of the stadium pillars! They were buried, but visible, if that makes any sense!

How many 'we are looking for a new site' have we heard in the past, with nothing materialising?

However, even if a stadium is owned by the promoter, it doesn't protect speedway being there forever. Belle Vue, Hyde Road and Cradley Heath, 2 examples!

I'm sure there used to be a car racing track in Crystal Palace?

There have been so many neferious (in other words, w*****s) promoting/running speedway over the years!