Weymouth For Sale

[stressed]

If the landlord has locked the gates then I assume he has taken control of any assets that lay within those gates. So if someone is looking to keep it going down there, they need to get hold of the landlord, before he flogs off whatever bits and bobs there are.

 

I spoke with the landlord today and arranged to collect my own property on Saturday, they were very helpful, no idea who else has property at the track though, hope they all realise they need to arrange an appointment to reclaim their property.

 

Somehow I don't think there will be much for the landlords to sell off to try and re-coupe any funds so the only hope would be a new promotion coming in and arranging a new rental agreement.

[Bryn]

Won't the landlords require documentary evidence of ownership to be produced before allowing anything to be removed though?

[semion]

Won't the landlords require documentary evidence of ownership to be produced before allowing anything to be removed though?

 

 

Oh Bugger Bryn dont tell me you left ya Max Boyce LP and 10 Woodbines there ? Still a doctors Note should be enough to get you ya Pontypool Front row record back.

[Bryn]

Oh Bugger Bryn dont tell me you left ya Max Boyce LP and 10 Woodbines there ? Still a doctors Note should be enough to get you ya Pontypool Front row record back.

 

Will have to grin and bear the sad loss of the ciggies but I cunningly learnt the chorus of the record - want me to sing it to you? You DO? Okay... "Up and Under Here We Go - The Sound of the Pontypool Front Row!"

[semion]

Will have to grin and bear the sad loss of the ciggies but I cunningly learnt the chorus of the record - want me to sing it to you? You DO? Okay... "Up and Under Here We Go - The Sound of the Pontypool Front Row!"

They dont write them like that anymore Bryn ( thank ****)

 

Could you give us a chorus of "Black knight in White satin"...or something like that it was called.

Edited November 16, 2010 by semion

[Bryn]

They dont write them like that anymore Bryn ( thank ****)

 

But I sing it well don't I? :lol:

[Fiesta]

What a great shame that the future of Weymouth looks very bleak.

 

Lots of people have obviously put a lot of time and serious money into getting the operation off the ground and it's sad to know that they've seen that ebb away slowly with the almost inevitible outcome arising today.

 

What worries me is that even if someone does come along and agree a deal with the landlords and the BSPA to re-open they will need to spend some serious cash on the infrastructure of the stadium and also on PR to try and get a loyal fan base (which I know could be supplemented by tourists) but even then it's easy to get out of the habit of attending speedway even if you were once a devotee, look at Newport for a prime example!

 

My personal view is that Weymouth would be an ideal venue to be a speedway academy and if the BSPA realised the only way we will ever compete with the Poles, Danes and Aussie's etc is to invest in the future, then that could be a possibility, sadly I don't think that will happen.

[Pirates Of Poole]

I really hope Matt Ford takes on this project. He would do a good job turning the club round like he did for Poole. Plus he would come with good club assets.

[Great Central]

I know and like many of the people who have problems with Phil.

Personally I believe you have to judge people on how they treat you and yours. So while people are queuing up to give him a kicking (some justified, some will have never met the bloke) I should say that in the time Sam was at Weymouth Phil did everything he promised him and paid him. He also treated Sam and myself with decency and respect throughout the season. Whatever the rights and wrongs he must have chucked a big lump of his own money at Weymouth.

Hopefully somebody with the skills and finances to secure the clubs future will now be found.

Vince,

I think that you are right to take this stance. Phil may not have been everyone's cup of tea but at least he had a go at keeping Weymouth going and he shouldn't be castigated in the way he is being right now. Additionally if the figures are to be believed, he put in a lot of his own money which is not the right way to run a business. Weymouth had a lot going for it in the early days and it tried to develop youngsters by running regular training schools eg George Piper and Alex Mcleod to name two but it seemed to go wrong at some point and the crowds starting drifting. I heard all sorts of discontent on my last visit but how much was true I don't know so I won't comment.

On the few occasions that I went, the track was very poor apart from ironically this year when it looked the best it had ever been, however on the live updates there appeared to be real problems with dust which certainly doesn't endear speedway to the holidaymaker taking in motorsport before going out to sample Weymouth at night.

What is clear now is that Weymouth is now without speedway, the NL is without another team which will have an effect on available places for young British riders and the league will be much poorer without them.

I can only hope that somebody comes along with the cash to settle the outstanding bills, get it up and running and really promote speedway in the town. One thing I did notice that on the run down into Weymouth where you could attract interest from holidaymakers because of the traffic jams, there were no signs promoting speedway in Weymouth. What a missed opportunity, but isn't that the case with lots of tracks.

Martin

[obrien48]

Sad day for Weymouth Speedway, I've been a few times when down that way with the kids and always enjoyed myself. Hopefully someone will take the Club on and Speedway can be resurrected.

 

Interesting comments from Phil Bartlett about the current format of british speedway I thought...

 

Chin up guys, hopefully you can get a team back on track soon.

 

OB

[PinkMidget]

what has he actually got to sell? does this now mean that someone could go in for it and start it up as a new business cos at the moment, it appears to be in Phil's name and not as Weymouth speedway

Edited November 16, 2010 by PinkMidget

[thundercats83]

as far as im aware yes if someone came in and set up a new ltd company agreed and deal with owners of land for rent and aquired the promotors licience from the bspa then yes they could run weymouth speedway

[jules m]

Taken from todays Weymouth Echo.

 

Cockle's blast at Bartlett

8:48am Wednesday 17th November 2010

 

By Adam Summers »

 

ECHO rider of the year James Cockle has blasted outgoing chairman Phil Bartlett for not being up front about the Weymouth Wildcats’ financial problems.

 

Cockle, along with several of the club’s other riders, are still owed wages and have been told by the promoter to contact the sport’s governing body, the BSPA, where a bond is in place to cover the shortfall.

 

The Wessex Raceway was repossessed on Monday due to a failure to pay the rent, which has put the future of speedway in Weymouth in serious doubt.

 

Cockle, who claims he has been trying to contact Bartlett for several days, said: “I am writing a letter to the speedway control board and I have spoken to the other riders, who are also owed money.

 

“Phil said he would pay us at the end of season presentation evening but halfway through the night he disappeared.

 

“If it was pay for just one meeting it would not bother me as much but I am owed money for approximately three of four, and that adds up to a fair amount.

 

“The other thing that upsets me is that Phil actually called me up a couple of days before the presentation evening and said that as I have been with him at the club for a few years now, he sees me as a friend rather than just a work colleague.

 

“How dare he say that and then just completely write me off.

 

“Riding is part of my livelihood and because of that I have been living without money, which is completely unfair.”

 

When asked about the club’s failure to pay Cockle, Bartlett told Echosport: “It is true that James has not been paid but a contingency is in place at the BSPA and he needs to contact them, along with the other riders. There is a bond in place for them to fall back on.”

 

Bartlett went on to add: “With everything that has been going on, would you have wanted to speak to James about it?

 

“I know I should have done and I am very sorry for that but I have been busy and ill, and have hardly had the time to phone anyone.”

 

Despite reported interest from a potential buyer – understood to be Matchams Leisure Park’s Craig Robin-son – Bartlett believes speedway is “not viable in the town” in the current climate and has since backed up that statement with statistics.

 

He said: “We were paying £35,000 in rent, which included £27,000 to Wessex Delivery Partnership LLP for the lease of the land, and £8,000 to Weymouth FC for the use of their facilities.

 

“In order to break even we needed around 500 to 600 people coming through the gate every week and that was clearly not happening. We were not even getting those sorts of crowds when we won the Conference League in 2008.”

 

As well as having the track repossessed, the club has also had to return its licence to the BSPA. Bartlett added: “Again this is for non-payment despite the fact the BSPA have owed me money for two years, whereas I owe them six months’ money.”

 

All the off-season training session dates at the club have naturally been cancelled but Cockle is still holding out hope that speedway will survive in the town.

 

He said: “Hopefully someone will come in and take the club on. I have loved representing Weymouth and it really is a brilliant place to ride.”

 

 

 

Its people like Cockle and the other riders and companies that he owes money to that I feel sorry for. Its Ok saying the BSPA bond will cover it but 6 months unpaid fees is an awful lot of money, I'm not sure how much is held in bond but by the time the fees and riders wages are taken out there ain't going to be much left if any. I also think that riders only get the minimum points and travel money as dictated by the league not what they were being paid by the club although I am sure none were on anymore anyway, I m ay be wrong though. Its a very sad time for Weymouth speedway, I hope someone comes in who has a passion for the sport, knows how to run a club and is aware of all the financial implications before they commit to something they cannot sustain.

 

Jules

[gazzatopfuel]

bspa have made it clear, there is no money for weymouth riders

[Wildcat Steve]

Shame feel for James its not funny money goes nowhere in speedway. not the first rider to be left high and dry ask George one of the reasons he quit. he loved his time at Oxford and would have gone back but his heart was at Weymouth and it was never the same after he found out he was dropped by reading it in the press while he was recovering form concussion.

Still makes me sad when I think about it. Like many you end up on the outside looking in after you put a lot into the club.

Still time to hope someone will come in and we can all give our support once again

Edited November 17, 2010 by Wildcat Steve

[Wildcat Steve]

Those training sessions in 03 and 04 were good fun and produced a few good riders who are at different levels of league racing now, so it just shows what can be done.

 

Just have to hope someone comes in with the right financial backing to make Weymouth Speedway work once again, it will be a hard job but I'm sure there is someone out there with the right ideas who could see them through

 

I still think it can work club just needs its heart back

[gazzatopfuel]

its not just james, all the riders are owed for at least 2 meetings, bspa have used bond for fines imposed on phill. so its not as straight forward as it may seem

[Wildcat Steve]

its not just james, all the riders are owed for at least 2 meetings, bspa have used bond for fines imposed on phill. so its not as straight forward as it may seem

Agree my apologies never ment to leave out the rest.

[gazzatopfuel]

probably your age lol only joking mate, hope your well, but seriously the only way boys are getting paid is if bspa have change of heart or new promotion honor this dept. some hope eh?

[oldswindonsupporter]

"Again this is for non-payment despite the fact the BSPA have owed me money for two years, whereas I owe them six months’ money.”

 

Something doesn't seem to add up here! If this is correct then the BSPA have a case to answer in that why have they not paid PB and why weren't they monitoring payments - to end up being owed 6 months money (not sure what this is meant to cover or be for) smacks of poor administration on the part of the BSPA. Shouldn't they have been involved after a month of non payment?

 

Also how can the bond to used to pay a fine? Can someone explain that? Do the riders who haven't been paid have a case against the BSPA?

 

All in all, no matter which way this is read, an absolute mess.

 

Rgds

 

A