stratton Posted February 12, 2012 Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 Hmm, well put it this way, they're choosing to stage the "greatest sporting show on earth" at the Olympic Stadium - so there's clearly not the concerns about the surrounding area that you expresss!! Comments about what it's like in Hackney generally aren't especially relevant, as the Olympic Stadium's not in that area! In truth the old Hackney Wick stadium was only barely in Hackney itself - it was a quiet backwater some distance away from not so great areas like Mare St., Dalston etc. Nearer indeed to Bow and Stratford. Bow and Hackney Wick are now very trendy - the biggest 'Arts Quarter' in Europe. Stratford has been transformed - you might know the new Stratford City Shopping Centre managed by the Westfield company and full of eateries and bars as well as shops. And a large number of hotels in the area now - nearly all of which built in the last few years. All indeed due to the Olympics. So to suggest the stadium stands in some derelict and nasty East End location, swathed in smog and frequented by descendants of Jack The Ripper and the b@stard sons of Ronnie & Reghgie couldn't really be further from the truth!!! The truth is that soon a massive stadium literally ideal for staging Speedway's biggest events will be sitting there virtually on the footprint of a former long-standing Speedway track and with owners literally desperate for it to have a variety of uses; and so for our sport to completely blank out even the prospect of using it would be a crime... Cardiff has been great and will carry on being great, but there are other options.Myself would i rather go to Lodon for the weekend orCardiff up to the individual i suppose.i am convinced London would get a better gate . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Humphrey Appleby Posted February 12, 2012 Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 BUT it doesn't have ... oh, why bother! It also doesn't have an 850K sweetener either, which I suspect is not an insignificant reason the GP is in Cardiff... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The White Knight Posted February 12, 2012 Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 (edited) Personally I think Cardiff is the ideal venue for the British Grand Prix. The MOST important factor as stressed by Philip Rising is the Roof. You are not going to get a rained off Meeting. The Stadium is nice and handy for the City Centre. There seem (I don't drink) to be plenty of local Hostelries around and the people a very welcoming. I'm sorry but I just don't see London competing against Cardiff at any level. Perhaps the Olympic Stadium could be used to bring League Speedway back to London itself but as THE main GP Centre - I don't think so............................. Edited February 12, 2012 by The White Knight Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickthemuppet Posted February 12, 2012 Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 My point is I am perfectly happy with the Cardiff GP but have a second UK Gp in London. It seems odd that two GP's in this country would be a bigger gate than any two in any other country even Poland. If the GP's were a couple of months apart the London GP would not affect the Cardiff gate and then everybody would be happy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stratton Posted February 12, 2012 Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 Personally I think Cardiff is the ideal venue for the British Grand Prix. The MOST important factor as stressed by Philip Rising is the Roof. You are not going to get a rained off Meeting. The Stadium is nice and handy for the City Centre. There seem (I don't drink) to be plenty of local Hostelries around and the people a very welcoming. I'm sorry but I just don't see London competing against Cardiff at any level. Perhaps the Olympic Stadium could be used to bring League Speedway back to London itself but as THE main GP Centre - I don't think so............................. I think if London got the chance i dont see what Cardiff has in ubundance that London dosent have.I am not saying it has to be the gp maybe a individual meeting league racing cannot see maybe Wimbledon premier league? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The White Knight Posted February 12, 2012 Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 I think if London got the chance i dont see what Cardiff has in ubundance that London dosent have.I am not saying it has to be the gp maybe a individual meeting league racing cannot see maybe Wimbledon premier league? The beauty of Cardiff is that it located in the City Centre more or less. The same cannot be said of London - which is part of the reason it cannot compete. Perhaps they could clear that lot out of the House of Commons and the House of Lords - demolish Westminster and build a Speedway Track. Now that would be central - and might do us all a bit of good as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stratton Posted February 12, 2012 Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 The beauty of Cardiff is that it located in the City Centre more or less. The same cannot be said of London - which is part of the reason it cannot compete. Perhaps they could clear that lot out of the House of Commons and the House of Lords - demolish Westminster and build a Speedway Track. Now that would be central - and might do us all a bit of good as well. Myself white Knight the speedway is not everything it would be the whole week end as long as i saw the meeting i am happy loads more to do in London and hotels cheaper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iris123 Posted February 12, 2012 Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 But the Millennium has one thing neither Wembley or the Olympic Stadium has. Clue: four letters, first one r. Haven't read all the thread,but i fail to see why Cardiff having rats is any advantage.I am sure we could get some in London as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stratton Posted February 12, 2012 Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 Haven't read all the thread,but i fail to see why Cardiff having rats is any advantage.I am sure we could get some in London as well The roof Iris how dare you Rats, by the sound of it the roof is more important than the destination. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parsloes 1928 nearly Posted February 12, 2012 Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 The beauty of Cardiff is that it located in the City Centre more or less. The same cannot be said of London - which is part of the reason it cannot compete. Perhaps they could clear that lot out of the House of Commons and the House of Lords - demolish Westminster and build a Speedway Track. Now that would be central - and might do us all a bit of good as well. The Olympic site is very near both in terms of miles and certainly in terms of transport links (many put in place specifically because it IS the Olympics site!) to the City Cente - one with dare I say it, just a few more attractions than Cardiff has!! But in terms of staging Speedway I can't think that things like London's West End theatres, Madame Tussards, the British Museum, the Tower of London, Jack the Ripper tours(!) have any kind of bearing on who travels to watch the event - any more than, er, Cardiff Castle has!! Weird isn't it that a country famous for its leeks is now best known for its watertight roof!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PHILIPRISING Posted February 12, 2012 Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 My point is I am perfectly happy with the Cardiff GP but have a second UK Gp in London. It seems odd that two GP's in this country would be a bigger gate than any two in any other country even Poland. If the GP's were a couple of months apart the London GP would not affect the Cardiff gate and then everybody would be happy SPEEDWAY'S fan base in Poland is much bigger than in the UK and the stadiums there are permanent which means the cost of staging GPS there is miniscule compared to here. Personally cannot see any sound argument at present for more than one GP in Britain. The roof Iris how dare you Rats, by the sound of it the roof is more important than the destination. THERE is nothing wrong with the destination as you put it. If Cardiff was a dump with no amenities the case for London would be strong but it isn't and it isn't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldace Posted February 12, 2012 Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 As far as I am aware IMG will listen to any offers from would be promoters to stage a GP, David Lander in Sydney springs to mind. That said if I felt as passionately as Sidney and a few others why not get a consortium together and bid to promote an event at Wembley. 5 or 6 of you prepared to gamble your houses should raise enough capital and as you are all so sure it will be a winner, attracting 10,000 at least more than Cardiff you are onto a sure fire winner. Of course you won't because it wouldn't have a hope in hell of rivalling Cardiff. As for Odsal being on a par with the millennium stadium, that's a joke right? it is just a hole in the ground in a god forsaken part of the UK, and as for it being a better racing track, what planet are you on, it doesn't have a track of any kind, let alone a good one. The old track is now bounded on turns 3 and 4 by corporate boxes and would need completely re designing, not that a GP, or speedway of any kind is a possibility there anyway. Never in all the years Wembley hosted world finals did it boast an attendance over 20 times that of the average attendance in the countries top division, and yet Cardiff does. The British speedway GP isn't broke and so doesn't need any kind of fix, be that Wembley or anywhere else. That is my opinion but if I felt as strongly as you guys that Wembley was a sure fire winner I would be in there bidding to host it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Humphrey Appleby Posted February 12, 2012 Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 SPEEDWAY'S fan base in Poland is much bigger than in the UK and the stadiums there are permanent which means the cost of staging GPS there is miniscule compared to here. Personally cannot see any sound argument at present for more than one GP in Britain. And of course in Poland, the councils are more willing to throw public money at BSI. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parsloes 1928 nearly Posted February 12, 2012 Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 As far as I am aware IMG will listen to any offers from would be promoters to stage a GP, David Lander in Sydney springs to mind. That said if I felt as passionately as Sidney and a few others why not get a consortium together and bid to promote an event at Wembley. 5 or 6 of you prepared to gamble your houses should raise enough capital and as you are all so sure it will be a winner, attracting 10,000 at least more than Cardiff you are onto a sure fire winner. Of course you won't because it wouldn't have a hope in hell of rivalling Cardiff. As for Odsal being on a par with the millennium stadium, that's a joke right? it is just a hole in the ground in a god forsaken part of the UK, and as for it being a better racing track, what planet are you on, it doesn't have a track of any kind, let alone a good one. The old track is now bounded on turns 3 and 4 by corporate boxes and would need completely re designing, not that a GP, or speedway of any kind is a possibility there anyway. Never in all the years Wembley hosted world finals did it boast an attendance over 20 times that of the average attendance in the countries top division, and yet Cardiff does. The British speedway GP isn't broke and so doesn't need any kind of fix, be that Wembley or anywhere else. That is my opinion but if I felt as strongly as you guys that Wembley was a sure fire winner I would be in there bidding to host it Well we clearly HAVEN'T the financial clout to this this ourselves but I find your belief that a first meeting, at least ,at Wembley or my preferred choice (still largely ignored by posters!) the OS wouldn't attract a bigger crowd than Cardiff fairly extraordinary. Have you not noticed that EVERY new or reopened track attracts a massive crowd to its opening meeting..? Wimbledon 2002 and the openers at the new circuits at Perry Barr, Redcar and Beaumont Park all spring to mind from recent times. Add to that the huge publicity such a London meeting would attract in the capital and I'd be utterly astonished if it didn't whip Cardiff's ass when it comes to a crowd. Especially if an actual big championship was being decided on the day rather than a mere GP... But we'd best NOT bring all THAT up again!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PHILIPRISING Posted February 12, 2012 Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 And of course in Poland, the councils are more willing to throw public money at BSI. AND those councils are elected and if the people don't like their town supporting speedway and hosting a GP then they can say so at the ballot box. No different, although obviously on a far smaller scale, than London hosting the Olympics or, as I have recently seen during my stay in the USA, Indianapolis staging the SuperBowl. And much as I respect and frequently enjoy Parsloes' campaigning on behalf of London, his idea of a "massive" crowd (openings at Wimbledon, Perry Barr, etc) is very different to mine. By the way, good post Oldace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldace Posted February 12, 2012 Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 (edited) Oldace has Cardiff got a track? no so in a way it is no different to Odsal every year it is built from scratch.I havent heard a statement that there can never be be any speedway again at Odsal have you.Someone like Barry Hearn if he looked into it could certainly make a sucess of a event in London certainly see what hes done for snooker and darts. Why do you think "someone like Barry Hearn" has not already grasped the idea of a GP in London. Because it is a sure fire way to do your wedge, as Sydney was for Lander. If you read the article last summer in the star you would have read, beneath the waffle, that there was no hope of speedway ever returning to Odsal, now even more certain with the stadium being owned by the RFL. Edited February 12, 2012 by oldace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parsloes 1928 nearly Posted February 12, 2012 Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 And much as I respect and frequently enjoy Parsloes' campaigning on behalf of London, his idea of a "massive" crowd (openings at Wimbledon, Perry Barr, etc) is very different to mine. Okay I wasn't at Perry Barr but was led to believe there was a very big crowd. I WAS at those other openings and I was very much involved in the reopening meeting (warts and all...: plenty of the former! ) at Plough Lane in 2002. There WAS a huge turn-out, even in (sorry to mention the 'r' word, rain coz you'll then throw back the other one, 'roof'!) shocking rainy conditions. I can 100% confirm that.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stratton Posted February 12, 2012 Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 Why do you think "someone like Barry Hearn" has not already grasped the idea of a GP in London. Because it is a sure fire way to do your wedge, as Sydney was for Lander. If you read the article last summer in the star you would have read, beneath the waffle, that there was no hope of speedway ever returning to Odsal, now even more certain with the stadium being owned by the RFL. Who knows for sure, why not be ambitious? thats why speedway will never progress.Darts and Snooker has put Speedway to shame how they have pushed on as sports.The gp series i feel needs changing rather boring at times wont go into that been done to death.i do feel there are a group of the public that are happy with the way speedway is also a group that i am in feels it could be more progressive.We will see a few changes are needed whether it happens or not in future we will have to see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PHILIPRISING Posted February 12, 2012 Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 HAVE you noticed one thing that darts and snooker 'stadiums' have in common ... a roof! And it is a lot easier to hang a dart board or move in a snooker table than to lay a speedway track. I was at Plough Lane in 2002 and Perry Barr when it re-opened. Big crowds compared to the norm at British speedway these days but hardly massive by any scale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THE DEAN MACHINE Posted February 12, 2012 Report Share Posted February 12, 2012 i enjoyed riding at Wimbledon but i do remember everything being vastly over priced as everything is in London and that was for conference league so you could imagine how much it would cost to attend a GP in London , stick with Cardiff , they welcome speedway and really have bent over backwards to embrace the sport although financially its in their interests to do so Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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