racers and royals Posted July 6, 2011 Report Share Posted July 6, 2011 (edited) Sorry guys, but what is the fixation with 'the roof'. To my knowledge, no other GP has a retractable roof, apart from Cardiff and Cardiff is just one round! I think the roof is almost irrelevant. I think an idea for the GB GP would be to alternate the stadium, otherwise things get stale. Say Cardiff, followed by Wembley, followed by ??? Bradford maybe, Hampden maybe. Surely it would be good to have different venues to keep things interesting. 2 other GP stadiums have roofs-Copenhagen`s Parken stadium is very similar to Cardiff,and Torun have a new roof covering the track. Edited July 6, 2011 by racers and royals Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Stadia Posted July 6, 2011 Report Share Posted July 6, 2011 2 other GP stadiums have roofs-Copenhagen`s Parken stadium is very similar to Cardiff,and Torun have a new roof covering the track. Fair play. Denmark can be wet, so that is a god send. And I suppose Poland can be too. Rather than where the British GP should be held, the biggest priority for Team GB is to have riders competing and coming through the ranks to win the GPs. But that is another story, I know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hazzman Posted July 6, 2011 Report Share Posted July 6, 2011 How far from Wembley are the main line stations? Victoria Coach Station? Pavement bars and cafés? Niamh That's the penalty for holding it one of the World's biggest cities. You want to add glamour and make it a real showpiece, a host like London is a necessarity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Stadia Posted July 6, 2011 Report Share Posted July 6, 2011 That's the penalty for holding it one of the World's biggest cities. You want to add glamour and make it a real showpiece, a host like London is a necessarity. From what Mr Rising was saying, the real show piece has gone, now we don't have a one off final. Now it is just 'another GP round', so unless we have a strong GB rider or riders, riding, the big ocassion has been watered down. My understanding during the Wembley days was there was strong international support, due partly I suppose to the one off final, but the international fans would use the weekend to visit London and the various sights. If what I am saying is true, Speedway is definitely missing a trick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatface Posted July 6, 2011 Report Share Posted July 6, 2011 YOU obviously don't go to London much ... which is much more expensive then Cardiff. And, of course, Wembley isn't in London for starters. Nigel Pearson is no more likely to get Talksport interested just because an event is at Wembley rather than the Millennium. In what way is Wembley FAR superior? British national newspapers have absolutely no interest in speedway for many reasons, including a general dislike of motorbikes, and until such time as there is a British 'Tomasz Gollob" will remain apathetic and even that might not be enough. I live in London and personally would much rather the GP stays in Cardiff. I enjoy the annual pilgrimage to Wales and love the way the stadium is the focal point of the city and how the whole place becomes taken over by speedway fans. That wouldn't happen in London. The area of Wembley really is the ar*e-end of the city and not a place I would ever wish to go for a pre-event pint or three. It truly is grotty round there. As for the stadium, it's nice but a very sanitised experience too, with it's glass-frontage, sushi bars and escalators. It's all a bit soul-less. Parts of it are more like an airport than a sports stadium. Where I disagree with Philip is on media coverage. I can easily see speedway getting more media coverage where it to return to Wembley. Stories about "World Championship speedway returning to it's spiritual home" and "speedway returning to the capital for the first time in ???? years" is something that I think would have a very good chance of getting coverage from LBC, Evening Standard, Metro, TalkSport, London Tonight and BBC London. Which could even rouse those thousands of former speedway fans who live in London (there's none of those people in Cardiff) to pay a Wembley GP a visit. My position is that I'd much prefer the GP in Cardiff, but I wouldn't be shocked at all if Wembley took its place one day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PHILIPRISING Posted July 6, 2011 Report Share Posted July 6, 2011 From what Mr Rising was saying, the real show piece has gone, now we don't have a one off final. Now it is just 'another GP round', so unless we have a strong GB rider or riders, riding, the big ocassion has been watered down. My understanding during the Wembley days was there was strong international support, due partly I suppose to the one off final, but the international fans would use the weekend to visit London and the various sights. If what I am saying is true, Speedway is definitely missing a trick. I DIDN'T say that at all. The old one-off World Finals had run their course... Bradford, Norden, Vojens ... please! And how often would GB be allocated a final now anyway ... once every four years, five, ten? As previously said, I have been lucky enough to attend many top class sporting events (Champions League, Ashes cricket, etc, etc) and the British GP at the Millennium is right up there with any of them in my opinion. Speedway isn't missing a trick ... Cardiff is ideal and from what I gather will continue to be so for a long while yet... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmy jimmy Posted July 6, 2011 Report Share Posted July 6, 2011 no roof and always rains in manchester so better book plenty of days in the hotel for the rain off i for one wouldnt go there even if it didnt rain. dont like the place. you wont be missed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Stadia Posted July 6, 2011 Report Share Posted July 6, 2011 I DIDN'T say that at all. The old one-off World Finals had run their course... Bradford, Norden, Vojens ... please! And how often would GB be allocated a final now anyway ... once every four years, five, ten? As previously said, I have been lucky enough to attend many top class sporting events (Champions League, Ashes cricket, etc, etc) and the British GP at the Millennium is right up there with any of them in my opinion. Speedway isn't missing a trick ... Cardiff is ideal and from what I gather will continue to be so for a long while yet... Sorry, I had forgotten that we wouldn't be allocated the one off World Final every year, although when it was at Wembley, it was more often. And I can appreciate that the GP series has taken Speedway to some interesting locations around the world and will continue to do so. I am not saying I want Speedway to return to the old format, although there is good and bad with both systems. I think an ideal situation and I have said this before when this topic has cropt up, that both Wembley and Cardiff be available and perhaps alternate each year. That way Cardiff doesn't become stale. And just hope that the years it is at Wembley, it doesn't pee with rain! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Panda Posted July 6, 2011 Report Share Posted July 6, 2011 The thing is I gather that Wembley does not want nor did it ever like having the speedway there...........it held it because at the time it was the only suitable stadium in the UK........... I went to Odsal in 1985 and enjoyed it as much as I have done Cardiff...........the same with Norden in 1983............and who cares if there is a roof on the stadium or not.........you go for the racing and the atmosphere not the venue........... RP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fullbore Posted July 7, 2011 Report Share Posted July 7, 2011 and who cares if there is a roof on the stadium or not.........you go for the racing Well I guess people will care about a roof when there is no racing due to the weather... Niamh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damon Posted July 7, 2011 Report Share Posted July 7, 2011 (edited) Well I guess people will care about a roof when there is no racing due to the weather... Niamh Exactly, one of the plus points, and there are many to Cardiff is that you don't have to spend ages watching the weather forecast days before hand, and also on the day looking up in the sky wondering wheter the rain will hit or not. The roof makes it thatmuch more relaxing, specially when you have travelled across the country to be there. I for one would like it to remain at Cardiff. Edited July 7, 2011 by Damon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squall Posted July 7, 2011 Report Share Posted July 7, 2011 How the hell did you people manage before we had Cardiff? Do you watch your local team? They have a roof? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damon Posted July 7, 2011 Report Share Posted July 7, 2011 (edited) How the hell did you people manage before we had Cardiff? Do you watch your local team? They have a roof? Yep I do watch my local team ! and funny enough we have the same problem every other track has when it rains, and all the disapointment that can bring. However with regard the GP which is what I was talking about, I have only ever managed it via Cardiff ? I've been there 5 times and as I stated part of the attraction is that it will never be rained off. Edited July 7, 2011 by Damon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fullbore Posted July 7, 2011 Report Share Posted July 7, 2011 Do you watch your local team? Local? ROFL Do 45,000 folk turn up to watch your local team? Niamh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattK Posted July 7, 2011 Report Share Posted July 7, 2011 Local? ROFL Do 45,000 folk turn up to watch your local team? Niamh And pay in advance? And travel hundreds of miles? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chesilmaster Posted July 8, 2011 Report Share Posted July 8, 2011 Heard a rumour today, that the Gp is staying at Cardiff for another 5 years. Next years GP on 25th August. I will kill the rumour mongerer if this is not true!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manchesterpaul Posted July 8, 2011 Report Share Posted July 8, 2011 no roof and always rains in manchester so better book plenty of days in the hotel for the rain off I agree with the statements about the weather in Manchester. It rains almost daily there. Manchester is only 9th on the rainfall list for UK cites. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chesilmaster Posted July 8, 2011 Report Share Posted July 8, 2011 Manchester is only 9th on the rainfall list for UK cites. Must just be my luck then... Everytime I have been to Manchester it has rained all bar 1 time.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squall Posted July 8, 2011 Report Share Posted July 8, 2011 Yep I do watch my local team ! and funny enough we have the same problem every other track has when it rains, and all the disapointment that can bring. However with regard the GP which is what I was talking about, I have only ever managed it via Cardiff ? I've been there 5 times and as I stated part of the attraction is that it will never be rained off. Local? ROFL Do 45,000 folk turn up to watch your local team? Niamh And pay in advance? And travel hundreds of miles? How did you all manage pre-Cardiff? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damon Posted July 8, 2011 Report Share Posted July 8, 2011 How did you all manage pre-Cardiff? I didnt have to manage it because I didnt go ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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