Oxford

[Humphrey Appleby]

48 minutes ago, Hawk127 said:

Agree it will be extremely sad if another historic team is lot to the sport but the sport and those in charge have done little to ensure clubs survive and collectively work with clubs facing adversity. 

Unfortunately, the writing was on the wall for Swindon the day Gaming International got involved. You only have to look at its erm... track record to see it was naive in the extreme to have believed any of the promises.

Not sure what could have been done in the practical terms though as the sport is unlikely to have the money to buy up stadiums to keep them out of the clutches of asset stripping developers. Probably just a concerted PR campaign to raise awareness of Gaming International's proven behaviour... 

[Humphrey Appleby]

52 minutes ago, Hawk127 said:

Back to watching the cricket 100 on BBC 2 to appreciate what can be achieved with forward thinkers.

Cricket is very different to speedway though, in having marketing and financial contacts in high places, and talented people wanting to be associated with the sport. It does also have a much wider grassroots base, being more widely played and at very least, more people actually having heard of the sport. 

[Humphrey Appleby]

1 hour ago, Triple.H. said:

Oxford have made more progress with a team of volunteers in a couple of months than Swindon have since they reshaped the track.

I think Oxford has been a bit different in that it's always had quite a supportive local council who were wise to the games of the stadium owner, and effectively safeguarded the facility against housing development. It's been a battle of wits over the past more than decade as the owner has allowed the stadium to fall into disrepair in the hope of having it condemned, but for some reason the traditional arsonist never managed to visit to help get the job done, and the council has consistently failed to to cave in.

By contrast, Swindon Borough Council has a different political make-up that you'd think wouldn't have much time for working class sports but more time for housing developers...

[Grachan]

1 hour ago, Triple.H. said:

Maybe they can find some land reasonably local on a brownfield site. 

 

I felt they should have done that years ago. The one thing Swindon has in its favour, I feel, is a proactive promotion who will probably do that if they cannot re-open, but it would have been better to have it all ready to go now. Maybe there is the possibility of making a speedway track by Foxhill Motocross track?

Is it financially viable to build  speedway stadium these days though? I do wonder how many people will go to Oxford, too, if they re-open.

[Humphrey Appleby]

1 minute ago, Grachan said:

I felt they should have done that years ago.

I believe there's now a disused car factory just down the road...? 

[Matt Davis]

8 minutes ago, Grachan said:

 I do wonder how many people will go to Oxford, too, if they re-open.

Would depend on many factors such as race night/league etc but given that there’s no Swindon, Reading, Coventry I would say Oxford would be sitting pretty sweet in attracting a crowd from further a field

[Grachan]

1 minute ago, Matt Davis said:

Would depend on many factors such as race night/league etc but given that there’s no Swindon, Reading, Coventry I would say Oxford would be sitting pretty sweet in attracting a crowd from further a field

They might attract a few remaining hardcore supporters, but I can't see many people coming from far afield the way speedway is at the moment. They might get a few if they go into the top league, but to say they would be sitting pretty is a bit optimistic.

Having said that, I'd probably go a few times, but then I live as near to Oxford as I do Swindon and only went to Swindon a few times a year in recent seasons so it wouldn't be a regular thing.

 

[orion]

33 minutes ago, Humphrey Appleby said:

Unfortunately, the writing was on the wall for Swindon the day Gaming International got involved. You only have to look at its erm... track record to see it was naive in the extreme to have believed any of the promises.

Not sure what could have been done in the practical terms though as the sport is unlikely to have the money to buy up stadiums to keep them out of the clutches of asset stripping developers. Probably just a concerted PR campaign to raise awareness of Gaming International's proven behaviour... 

They were warned by a lot of fans about Gaming internationals proven behaviour but failed to listen  the local  Mp pretends  to be the  fans freind but really does not  give a rat ass    ... it wont be long before he tells them that he is looking for a new site etc  what of course he wont be  .

The local press have been the  worst .. they really should have been  reporting on the timeline of lies and taking Gaming to task but have  done nothing . As it stands most of the  houses have been built and gaming can just  wait Swindon out making them close 

 

[steve roberts]

50 minutes ago, Humphrey Appleby said:

I think Oxford has been a bit different in that it's always had quite a supportive local council who were wise to the games of the stadium owner, and effectively safeguarded the facility against housing development. It's been a battle of wits over the past more than decade as the owner has allowed the stadium to fall into disrepair in the hope of having it condemned, but for some reason the traditional arsonist never managed to visit to help get the job done, and the council has consistently failed to to cave in.

By contrast, Swindon Borough Council has a different political make-up that you'd think wouldn't have much time for working class sports but more time for housing developers...

...which is the very question I put the then stadium spokesperson via an email who strongly denied it. History has proved that I was correct in my assumption.

[Ovalman]

Even though Swindon has a posher more middle-class punter quite a few would make the 30-mile up the A420 to Oxford. I would attend if Swindon fold. Better than no speedway. Oxford and Reading peeps attended the Abbey, along with folk from Southampton, Surrey, Wales, Bristol, Bath, Cheltenham, Gloucester, ........the best supported team in Premier...A good chance for the Ox to attract fans from a massive catchment area, including London, with the right promotion. Good Luck Oxford.

Edited August 12, 2021 by auntie doris

[Triple.H.]

28 minutes ago, auntie doris said:

Even though Swindon has a posher more middle-class punter quite a few would make the 30-mile up the A420 to Oxford. I would attend if Swindon fold. Better than no speedway. Oxford and Reading peeps attended the Abbey, along with folk from Southampton, Surrey, Wales, Bristol, Bath, Cheltenham, Gloucester, the best supported in Premier...A good chance for the Ox to attract fans from a massive catchment area, including London, with the right promotion. Good Luck Oxford.

Congratulations you must be the first person to manage to use the words Swindon, Posher and Middleclass in the same sentence

[orion]

On 8/12/2021 at 10:50 AM, auntie doris said:

Even though Swindon has a posher more middle-class punter quite a few would make the 30-mile up the A420 to Oxford. I would attend if Swindon fold. Better than no speedway. Oxford and Reading peeps attended the Abbey, along with folk from Southampton, Surrey, Wales, Bristol, Bath, Cheltenham, Gloucester, the best supported in Premier...A good chance for the Ox to attract fans from a massive catchment area, including London, with the right promotion. Good Luck Oxford.

One of the biggest myths in speedway that   fans of closed clubs they go to watch or support other teams  ... hardly anyone from Reading ,Oxford ,Newport or Cov have ever gone to Swindon each week 

Sadly when Your  club Closes down and that might happen at Swindon you give up and you  don't go  again 

 

 

On 8/12/2021 at 10:50 AM, auntie doris said:

 

 

Edited August 15, 2021 by orion

[Ovalman]

5 minutes ago, Triple.H. said:

Congratulations you must be the first person to manage to use the words Swindon, Posher and Middleclass in the same sentence

we're more into croquet, lacrosse, polo than these noisy motorsports

[Ovalman]

1 minute ago, orion said:

One of the biggest myths in speedway that   fans of closed clubs they go to watch or support other teams  ... hardly anyone from Reading ,Oxford ,Newport or Cov have ever gone to Swindon each week 

Sadly when Your  Close down and that might happen at Swindon you give up and you  don't again 

 

 

 

I would go to a few meetings but couldn't support the Ox.

[hagonshocker]

Often drive up to Oxford for shopping and mooching around but pretty sure I wouldn't go to speedway there ...the track has never floated my boat if honest unless they put more banking on and cut the corners in a bit and then signed Doyle Ellis Musielak and Jensen......

[steve roberts]

9 minutes ago, hagonshocker said:

Often drive up to Oxford for shopping and mooching around but pretty sure I wouldn't go to speedway there ...the track has never floated my boat if honest unless they put more banking on and cut the corners in a bit and then signed Doyle Ellis Musielak and Jensen......

When I helped out just prior to the Wagstaff era and had access to the track I was surprised how banked it was as it wasn't always noticeable from the terraces. When Hans joined the "Cheetahs" he advised that the bends be brought in to allow for more lines. Personally I think if the bends were brought in any more you'd end up with a too tight track just like when Eastbourne messed around with the first and second bend and ruined the racing in my opinion with riders almost coming to a stop at the apex. When the Cowley track was prepared by Barry Strange and John White (I think that was their names?) the track was second to none with just the right amount of grip and opportunities to pass inside and out.

[Technik]

On 8/12/2021 at 11:27 AM, orion said:

One of the biggest myths in speedway that   fans of closed clubs they go to watch or support other teams  ... hardly anyone from Reading ,Oxford ,Newport or Cov have ever gone to Swindon each week 

Sadly when Your  Close down and that might happen at Swindon you give up and you  don't go  again 

 

 

 

I can tell you that there used to be a fairly large group of Reading fans on the back straight each week & another on the grass banking at turn 4. A group of Oxford fans were normally found on turn 2 near the burger van & more just after the start line.

Speedway fans will always go to speedway. They may not have there own team to follow & support but the will go to another club & I find they are the bust judge when asked for an opinion because they dont have a view based on the host club.

[KIRKYLANE]

Would be great to see Oxford back in 2022.

Hope it happens.

[25yearfan]

When a track closes down most of the tracks regulars stop going to speedway completely, a fair few may take in the odd meeting elsewhere and only a small percentage become regulars elsewhere! - I saw this in the 60's when my first track Norwich closed. - Many went to King's Lynn initially until slowly drifting away while Lynn eventually built up a large following of locals from their area rather than the Norwich area. 

 

Its looking a more than reasonable chance that speedway could return to Oxford in the near future years but I just hope that Oxford speedway reopening is not just a substitute for Swindons non return?

Edited August 15, 2021 by 25yearfan

[steve roberts]

13 minutes ago, 25yearfan said:

When a track closes down most of the tracks regulars stop going to speedway completely, a fair few may take in the odd meeting elsewhere and only a small percentage become regulars elsewhere! - I saw this in the 60's when my first track Norwich closed. - Many went to King's Lynn initially until slowly drifting away while Lynn eventually built up a large following of locals from their area rather than the Norwich area. 

 

Its looking a more than reasonable chance that speedway could return to Oxford in the near future years but I just hope that Oxford speedway reopening is not just a substitute for Swindons non return?

I would have continued going to Oxford for as long as it was operating as it was only a short walk for me. Since re-locating to York I've not been to a speedway (nearest being Sheffield I would guess?) as I would expect more than just 15 heats of racing to entice me to spend petrol money and time spent travelling.