25yearfan Posted October 26, 2006 Report Share Posted October 26, 2006 (edited) Aren't we having a MK Dons replay in speedway - with the 'now dead Conference League Dons' trying to nose their way into Central Park Sittingbourne? The prospective promoter plans to run them just as The Dons and use the old Wimbledon colours. That's a tavesty and an insult to the once great club which, let's admit, ceased to exist in 1991. Love to see a Milton Keynes return - their one-time promoter Ron Wilson was a great mate of mine! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> As I've mentioned on other threads on this forum - Are the former promotors of Wimbledon speedway really that serious about opening a speedway track up at Central Park Sittingbourne? And trying to recreate the Wimbledon Dons theme at Sittingbourne wouldn't work cause it isn't Wimbledon, it would alienate the locals and it didn't work when tryed in 1991 at Eastbourne. Yes Wimbledon first shut in 1991. - BUT they did reopen in 2002 in the CL at Plough Lane and after the problems of the first year were overcome the operation was a successfull one at the level Wimbledon speedway competed at. - Its total rubbish to suggest that this 4 season spell of CL racing at Plough Lane in your opinion didn't (as good as) happen or wasn't a proper speedway set up! Milton Keynes could sustain a CL speedway team. A greyhound track cannot stage greyhounds 7 days a week. The Council have already suggested they wouldn't be against speedway taking place at a new Greyhound stadium. If this new Greyhound stadium facility does become reality then possibly speedway racing would stand a chance of reopening there. Edited October 26, 2006 by 25yearfan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fireblade Posted November 6, 2006 Report Share Posted November 6, 2006 It wasn't the council that was the problem last time, it was the vandals. Team Man will confirm this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
25yearfan Posted November 7, 2006 Report Share Posted November 7, 2006 Yes the vandalism helped to undermine all confidence in the future of racing at Eldfield Park. But the main factor in the 1992 closure was the poor crowds when trying to compete in what had then become a very expensive Division 2. To be fair Milton Keynes alwaya struggled for a decent hardcore of support even in the early days at the Groveway. They done well to go for as long as they did in reality. Shame they couldn't of hung on for another couple of years cause in 1994 the 3rd Division was formed now known as the Conference League. Milton Keynes speedway at Eldfield Park would of been ideal at this level Thats why I think if Milton Keynes ever stages speedway racing again then the Conference League would be the only league it could viably do it. The other track who closed in 1992 - Mildenhall only reopened cause of the CL. The Fen Tigers have struggled badly for crowds this year in the PL and will in my opinion have to drop down in order to keep going in speedway long term. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snapper-racing.co.uk Posted November 7, 2006 Report Share Posted November 7, 2006 well for one I hope they do re open in conference, it would be absoloutly ideal for me!!! only 20 mins away - perfect (instead of the 270 odd miles ive been making every week to ride at redcar! lol) add to the fact ive been riding in my own new design mk:knights race jacket all year. and im on the look out for a conference ride for next season (although i think mk wont happen for then). lets see what happens, but i agree conference would work at MK, although from the amount of people ive spoke to in MK and Northampton, I seriously think speedway at MK would work at any level, so many people want to go but dont want to travel to the other tracks, whereas MK would be local and accessible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 27, 2006 Report Share Posted November 27, 2006 Aren't we having a MK Dons replay in speedway - with the 'now dead Conference League Dons' trying to nose their way into Central Park Sittingbourne? The prospective promoter plans to run them just as The Dons and use the old Wimbledon colours. That's a tavesty and an insult to the once great club which, let's admit, ceased to exist in 1991. Love to see a Milton Keynes return - their one-time promoter Ron Wilson was a great mate of mine! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I'm sorry to go off topic so to speak, but the regular insults by speedyguy against Wimbledon circa 2002-05 really rankle. I never recall Mr Hyam (speedyguy) once refusing free admission to Plough Lane, and if he was so against what he saw then he should have stayed at home and torn up his press pass. Yes it's true that the Dons were indeed "once great", but the last national trophy sucess was in 1970! The remining 21 years saw the GRA mismanage things to such an extent that they washed their hands of affairs in 1986 and alienated a hitherto strong fan base with poor riders and weak team management. Only with the Russell Lanning era of 1988-89 did the Dons sparkle into life and his departure with that of Todd Wiltshire was the final nail in the coffin. Speaking of the 2002-05 return to Plough Lane, both myself and Parseloes spent a vast amount of time and words in promoting the Dons to a wider audience, but the loss of the original track circuit was a massive hurdle to overcome. I agree that the newly created track was tight and lacked the style and grace of the old, but Mark Burrows in particular gave many Dons fans teriffic speedway to remember. Without the efforts of the initial consortium there would not have be a sustainable return of the sport in 2002, and my thanks and I'm sure those of many Wimbledon supporters go to them for the 4 years we were lucky enough to get back at Plough Lane. Barry Pickering ex- PRO Wimbledon Speedway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Team Man Posted December 2, 2006 Report Share Posted December 2, 2006 (edited) The plague of MK Speedway at Elfield Park was the organized vandalism by some of the residents of an estate the other side of the A5, but the reason MK closed was not due to poor crowds or the Vandalism, it was the Control Board that pulled the plug on us by withholding the License untill we got the Stadium up to scratch on some of the things they said needed doing, but once you have no money coming in you can't do the things that need doing It was devastating that night the Control Board manager pulled the rug from under us Edited December 2, 2006 by Team Man Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
25yearfan Posted December 3, 2006 Report Share Posted December 3, 2006 Colin Hill the long serving Exeter promotor who sadly passed away 2 years ago ran Milton Keynes in 1992. He had to shut cause MK cause the money he was losing their was also putting a severe strain on Exeter speedway. Indeed Tony Olson Exeters NO1 had to be released cause Exeter coudn't afford to keep him after MK speedway drained the promotions finances. Yes the SCB in the end suspended operations but the biggest drawback about Milton Keynes speedway was the poor crowds. If the crowds are good then other problems that can occur when running a speedway track can normally be sorted out. Lets hope that one day the Milton Keynes Knights will be seen in British speedway again at a new track of their own. Interestingly the orgaanisation planning to build a new dog track in Milton Keynes the BSI are the same lot who own Swindon stadium that have been forced to include speedway in their rebuilding plans for the Abbey stadium in Swindon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Meynell Posted December 4, 2006 Report Share Posted December 4, 2006 Thats why I think if Milton Keynes ever stages speedway racing again then the Conference League would be the only league it could viably do it. Milton Keynes has also grown a lot though in the past 10-15 years. There are successful tracks (insofar as any speedway track is successful) in areas with much smaller populations than Milton Keynes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben91 Posted December 4, 2006 Report Share Posted December 4, 2006 well for one I hope they do re open in conference, it would be absoloutly ideal for me!!! only 20 mins away - perfect (instead of the 270 odd miles ive been making every week to ride at redcar! lol) add to the fact ive been riding in my own new design mk:knights race jacket all year. and im on the look out for a conference ride for next season (although i think mk wont happen for then). lets see what happens, but i agree conference would work at MK, although from the amount of people ive spoke to in MK and Northampton, I seriously think speedway at MK would work at any level, so many people want to go but dont want to travel to the other tracks, whereas MK would be local and accessible. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> although not on the MK subject you should see if you can get 2 rye for PP day as i cannot see where our next grade 2 rider is coming from but contact promotion 1st Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joebloggs Posted February 9, 2007 Report Share Posted February 9, 2007 I have visited the old Groveway site and spoke to the "wreckers" who bulldozed it flat and have many photographs of what is left which is nothing. Just simply nothing - no buildings left, no tracks left and more importantly NO development on the original site and even more importantly NO future plans. Elfield park is completely inaccessible and is again basically what it started as a pile of rubbish and no plans of any description. The biggest problem speedway in Milton Keynes has is NOT ENOUGH people actually A) Know what it is and care less about it and that apathy along with the extremely small crowds which caused its shutdown will ensure it just never re-starts. Far too many clubs including some very big names all disappeared purely and simply because the promoters couldn't afford to run speedway with such massive losses, I was fortunate to be involved at MK and saw the struggle to keep it running and I can definately tell you that it cost several house mortgages and a nearly a business just to keep losing every week. Only rich men and liars run speedway- Rich men with money to waste and liars who don't have the money to waste but continue to do so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedyguy Posted February 9, 2007 Report Share Posted February 9, 2007 I have visited the old Groveway site and spoke to the "wreckers" who bulldozed it flat and have many photographs of what is left which is nothing. Just simply nothing - no buildings left, no tracks left and more importantly NO development on the original site and even more importantly NO future plans. Elfield park is completely inaccessible and is again basically what it started as a pile of rubbish and no plans of any description. The biggest problem speedway in Milton Keynes has is NOT ENOUGH people actually A) Know what it is and care less about it and that apathy along with the extremely small crowds which caused its shutdown will ensure it just never re-starts. Far too many clubs including some very big names all disappeared purely and simply because the promoters couldn't afford to run speedway with such massive losses, I was fortunate to be involved at MK and saw the struggle to keep it running and I can definately tell you that it cost several house mortgages and a nearly a business just to keep losing every week. Only rich men and liars run speedway- Rich men with money to waste and liars who don't have the money to waste but continue to do so. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> That last line is a shade harsh. But I get the point that you are driving at. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Rocket Posted February 9, 2007 Report Share Posted February 9, 2007 Only rich men and liars run speedway- Rich men with money to waste and liars who don't have the money to waste but continue to do so.<{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hello Joe, Your posting is very interesting, especially the quote above. I have just finished reading Eric Boocock's book and in the last chapter he talks about his time at Hull. It sounds as if they had the same problems with poor crowds and costs as MK. But they can not be the only clubs. What does the sport need to do, to allow speedway to be run, where at the very least, incomings equal outgoings. The only answer is reduce riders pay and reduce riders costs and some how get more people through the turnstiles. The last bit is probably the hardest. Regards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snapper-racing.co.uk Posted February 10, 2007 Report Share Posted February 10, 2007 Elfield park is completely inaccessible and is again basically what it started as a pile of rubbish and no plans of any description. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> The site at Elfield is the one theyve earmarked for the stadium. The land has been redeveloped and built up and an access road has been put in place. It doesnt resemble the entrance it once did, as the trees have gone and the area smartened up a bit. The groveway site was due to be a housing development Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T.W. Posted May 23, 2007 Report Share Posted May 23, 2007 Any new rumers where the next track might be in mk there are a few roundabouts we could use. Regards Tony. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T.W. Posted September 8, 2007 Report Share Posted September 8, 2007 Any new rumers where the next track might be in mk. Regards Tony. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T.W. Posted November 18, 2007 Report Share Posted November 18, 2007 Any new rumers where the next track might be in mk. Regards Tony. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B2PROMODESIGN Posted November 20, 2007 Report Share Posted November 20, 2007 Any new rumers where the next track might be in mk. Regards Tony . <{POST_SNAPBACK}> as far as I'm aware there's nothing new on the speedway front in MK,there's various hats being thrown in the ring for other sports/arenas,but it appears a lot depends on the outcome of the casino licenses being granted,but there is still no news of speedway in any of the ones I've heard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T.W. Posted February 9, 2008 Report Share Posted February 9, 2008 (edited) Just bringing this back to the top Edited February 9, 2008 by T.W. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snapper-racing.co.uk Posted February 10, 2008 Report Share Posted February 10, 2008 Just bringing this back to the top Dude I wanna see the Knights back coz Im fed up of travelling so far to get a skid. Scunnys great for my training but if only MK would open and do the same as them, id be in heaven. Well if i win the lottery its gonna definately happen!!! lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T.W. Posted February 10, 2008 Report Share Posted February 10, 2008 Dude I wanna see the Knights back coz Im fed up of travelling so far to get a skid. Scunnys great for my training but if only MK would open and do the same as them, id be in heaven. Well if i win the lottery its gonna definately happen!!! lol Hi Snapper like wise Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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