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Andy Hewlett has posted some news on facebook:

 

'OK looks like we might be starting to get somewhere. The Planning Officer at Bristol City Council is now (finally) looking at our pre-app (submitted in October last year!) and has been in contact with our Planning Consultant . So hopefully we can get an official response soon. Steve Comer has been working very hard behind the scenes and I think we can get our "Round table" meeting together in a few weeks time. Then we should be able to make some real progress. Thanks Steve for your patience'.

 

Fingers crossed.

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The planning department need reporting! They have guidelines in which to consider applications.

 

Once the full application is in they should consider it within six weeks or a complaint of non determination can be submitted.

 

It sounds like it is a pre-full application. A 'can you see any issues, before we submit a full app?'.

Edited by Ray Stadia
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I lived in lockleaze 2 miles from eastville and used to walk down to the stadium on what always seemed to be be warm sunny friday evenings. The stadium was good and the track was rough but for a 14 year old kid it was heaven. Due to finance I had to decide on watching the GAS (rovers) or phil crump ,the mildura marvel won hands down and for the last 36 years this wonderful sport has always been no 1. Does anyone remember bob coles hitting the fence and flying up in the air if I remember it was shown on world of sport the next day or steve gresham (the most dangerous rider ever?)Having a punch up with gordon kennet. Happy days.

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I lived in lockleaze 2 miles from eastville and used to walk down to the stadium on what always seemed to be be warm sunny friday evenings. The stadium was good and the track was rough but for a 14 year old kid it was heaven. Due to finance I had to decide on watching the GAS (rovers) or phil crump ,the mildura marvel won hands down and for the last 36 years this wonderful sport has always been no 1. Does anyone remember bob coles hitting the fence and flying up in the air if I remember it was shown on world of sport the next day or steve gresham (the most dangerous rider ever?)Having a punch up with gordon kennet. Happy days.

i was at the meeting when bob coles hit the fence on the first bend and flew through the air. it was against wimbledon and i went on the dons coach. it poured with rain all the way and only stopped just before we got to bristol. i know this meeting was televised, i wonder if any footage survives.
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I have a photo of Bob Coles flying above the fence which was in the next meetings match programme. The track at Eastville was not very good and some riders would not attack it, however the 7,000 crowds that were reported each week were I think an under estimate, there were always long queues to get in, and the atmosphere was great, something sadly lacking nowdays. Do you remember the black guy who was the flag man, dressed up in something from the fancy dress shop, he used to stand on the track and jump up and down as riders crossed the finish. Nowdays the flag man might as well be made of wood, oh for the days when speedway was entertaining.

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Fantastic memories.

 

Eastville is now a bloody IKEA superstore.

 

Bulldogs on a Friday night, and the Gas (Rovers) on a saturday. What a weekend, best days of my childhood, I was 14 or 15.

 

Rovers are now up the road at the Memorial ground (hopefully soon to be at the new UWE stadium)

 

Going to Rovers at the same ground allowed me to get a feel for attendances and I can tell you that most weeks it was at least 8,000 and often 10,000 in attendance.

 

Can tell you too that the petition to keep the sport on got 100,000 signatures (yes, one hundred thousend) and they still didnt allow it. Dont get me started, but it was all down to politics.

 

The councillor helping drive this is a top man, he also supported the recent planning application by sainsbury which should allow the Memorial Ground to be develpoped which is key to the new UWE stadium for Rovers.

 

More memories:

 

The start marshall was Lee Harris.

 

Steve Gresham and Tormod Langli together were a terrfifying combination. Such memories, it was so well promoted, remember the wheelie contests, the interviews, the Bulldog breed club - there was always something going on on what was a real lesson on how to promote speedway. terible track though, but I didnt use to care at the time!

 

I found all my programmes in the loft, every one ever published in 77 and 78 by Bristol. I bet they are worth a few bob.

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Have a look here

 

I have a DVD copy of 'Bristol Speedway' by 1st-Take which includes the Bob Coles crash and can remember vividly all the publicity it got at the time.

 

I used to go regularly to watch the Bulldogs, on foot from St Andrews, but missed that particular meeting.

 

Eastville used to get huge crowds for speedway (8K+) despite the track being crap and the pubs en route were always full as people gradually made their way down there

 

The racing despite a lack of passing appeared super-fast as there was no greyhound track in the way - well, they were racing on it. I remember Michael Lee flying round the outside just a few inches from where I stood - most scary and appeared far faster that anywhere else I've been before or since.

 

Steve Gresham is the 'dirtiest' rider I've ever seen - a hero to the Bulldog fans mind - and even won over Swindon fans eventually...

 

Best of luck to Bristol Speedway - if Bristol can't make a go of it, no one will..

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Yep the stadium was owend by the Greyhound company and they experimented by putting a load of sand onto the track for the dogs then taking it up again for the speedway. Didn't really work.

 

The reason it was banned was because the stadium owners always maintained that Eastville was a sports stadium, in which sport was played (football, greyhounds) and so planning permission was not needed for speedway. But the Council disagreed and maintained planning permsission was needed..and promptly said No, despite its overwhellming popularity.

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Always thought they put it down (sand) for the Speedway, and removed it after, thus the track was always "different", also remember the constant police cars that arrived to move spectators and cars stopped on the flyover at one end of the track. Horrible track, but still enjoyed the atmosphere generated by the big crowds, ah those were the days

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