Lakeside Future In Serious Doubt

[Cliv Clav]

20 hours ago, Hawk127 said:

I agree but unfortunately the chances of finding a suitable piece of land and having the financial resources to fund the development are a very long shot. Rayleigh in the 70’s did consider Rawerth Lane but that came to nothing, the old greyhound track in Southend was potentially another option but this was forty plus years ago. I followed the Rockets to Rye House but it was never the same and those who went to the Weir would know what I mean. Arena Essex was a good option but once the Chick Woodruff family let thing go the writing was on the wall. Chick was a good guy who gave the sport a chance despite it not being his primary interest. A few pieces of land out towards Clacton-on-Sea and Jaywick could be an option but convincing Tendring council might be an uphill struggle. In the south of the county and taking a line south of Witham, my guess is that you have no chance given the proximity/travelling time to to London and with the demand for housing it is sad to say but speedway in Essex may well have finally come to an end. I would like to be proved wrong but I cannot see the sport establishing itself again in the county.

I hope the club are talking to Thurrock Council about the site and area of the old Tilbury Power Station, as there is a lot of land there just surrounded by industrial areas or the Thames.  As you mentioned Rayleigh, I believe the Hammers spoke to Action Park, on the outskirts of the town, in recent years.  But that was closed due to noise, despite it being surrounded by fields and the adjacent A127!  Dunton golf course and the farm areas next to it are getting 4,000 new homes on it, so that rules out the A128 area.  More housing estates in Rayleigh, Rochford and Hullbridge being planned doesn't help in those regions.  If we look out in the wilds, Barling has some unused land and isn't too far a drive from Southend.  Maybe Foulness Island or Coryton as they are sparsely populated or only home industry.

I hope that this is not the end of the sport in the county, as the catchment area in South Essex is huge with lots of old fans to be tempted back if the sport was ever run properly.  Since the announcement yesterday, I have spoken to many Hammers fans who won't be attending after our last meeting at Arena and some that are considering not continuing next year.  The main reasons are; not wanting to support a team in another county, not wanting to support a team that isn't the Hammers, not enjoying visits to Rye enough to go back and those who just can't or don't want to travel even further.  Let's just hope that Stuart & Jon manage to get something in Essex sorted very quickly!

[TonyE]

If a new track is to be feasible, my feeling is that it needs to be no more than a half dozen miles from Arena to preserve the catchment area as is. That would still be viable for those from south of the river.

Edited September 1, 2018 by TonyE

[waco]

Even if they found land with permission , doubt anything can be done in time for next season,,so lets get behind the move to keep speedway in the area even if it is about 25 to 30 miles away from Lakeside...Not ideal but real speedway fans will find a way to support it.....

[Weir]

Sadly the Arena Essex Raceway could sit there unused for a few years yet.

[barraider]

Any land in the south east available today is brought by house builders theres little hope of building a stadium for speedway where its used mid april to september by say 1000 people once a fortnight

Dosn't work ! Belle vue have had cash injection by council this yr to keep running

[Chairboy]

I may be stating the bleedin' obvious here, but I would suggest that these end-of-season Lakeside fixtures at Rye House are of crucial importance to the future of speedway in this part of the country. Rye House fans are pissed off because they have lost their team, Lakeside fans likewise because they have lost their track. However, if enough people come through the gate for these meetings, it might just mean that the Hammers name (and promotion) lives on, and competitive speedway continues at Hoddesdon in 2019. It's now up to us fans, effectively. If as an old Rockets fan you don't want to support a different team at your track, you have the right to choose not to go. Hammers fans who either are unable to make it to Hoddesdon, or prefer not to, can also make that choice.

So, you might say that in this instance the power lies with the fans. We can make this work - if we want it to. We just need to turn up.  

[Hawk127]

32 minutes ago, barraider said:

Any land in the south east available today is brought by house builders theres little hope of building a stadium for speedway where its used mid april to september by say 1000 people once a fortnight

Dosn't work ! Belle vue have had cash injection by council this yr to keep running

Unless it is a dual purpose stadium with bangers/stock cars using it on alternative weekends/weeks.

Few if any stadia could survive on fortnightly speedway and speedway just has to accept that it needs partners particularly if you look at the numbers turning up for bangers and stock cars. Take a look at the recent world championship meeting at Kings Lynn on YouTube and speedway in this country can only dream of that level of numbers watching yet the same at Ipswich and other venues who host the four wheeled motorsport with crowds who flock to these meetings because it is value for money and entertaining. Then look at speedway with 15 minutes of racing stretched over two hours and follow my leader races, teams you can no longer relate too, few if any local heroes and infrequent meetings, fickle fans who only want league racing , riders that cannot be bothered, no joined up thinking amongst those who run the sport and that is why Speedway on its own is not a viable proposition and is in the state it is in at all levels. 

I undestand those fans who do not want to travel to Rye House, many felt the same when Rayleigh closed. Sad to say that when you lose your local team it is hard to build up the enthusiasm travel afar to watch a home team. When you look back and realise the local teams  with Rayleigh, Romford, Crayford, Canterbury, Eastbourne, Ipswich and Peterborough with good local derbies plus Hackney, Wimbledon, White City and  Wembley at another level and London and the South East was hotbed of speedway. Alas no more and today it is a pale shadow of what it meant to supporters and the followings that these teams had.

 

 

 

[wealdstone]

Seems to be a different understanding between Lakeside and Peterborough as to when the remaining fixtures between the clubs will be staged. Different things on each clubs websites.

[barraider]

Spot on what a great read agree 100%

[waytogo28]

10 hours ago, Hawk127 said:

Then look at speedway with 15 minutes of racing stretched over two hours and follow my leader races, teams you can no longer relate too, few if any local heroes and infrequent meetings, fickle fans who only want league racing , riders that cannot be bothered, no joined up thinking amongst those who run the sport and that is why Speedway on its own is not a viable proposition and is in the state it is in at all levels. 

 

This is the most accurate definition I have read re UK speedway at the moment. VFM - dropping close to zero.

10 hours ago, Hawk127 said:

Alas no more and today it is a pale shadow of what it meant to supporters and the followings that these teams had.

Agree totally and it is not because of viewing UK speedway from 1950  to 2000 through rose tinted spectacles. The slump of the last 20 years has just gone on and on and cannot be revived without razing to the ground what now exists. 

[cityrebel]

8 hours ago, wealdstone said:

Seems to be a different understanding between Lakeside and Peterborough as to when the remaining fixtures between the clubs will be staged. Different things on each clubs websites.

Totally agree. How can fans plan anything when the clubs don't know what's going on.

Edited September 2, 2018 by cityrebel
Mistake in post

[TonyE]

9 hours ago, wealdstone said:

Seems to be a different understanding between Lakeside and Peterborough as to when the remaining fixtures between the clubs will be staged. Different things on each clubs websites.

Well, if Lakeside don't get some fixtures in soon, they are in serious danger of not even making the play-offs after looking near certainties for most of the season!

[cityrebel]

20 minutes ago, TonyE said:

Well, if Lakeside don't get some fixtures in soon, they are in serious danger of not even making the play-offs after looking near certainties for most of the season!

The BSPA & Peterborough websites state that lakeside are hosting the Panthers next Saturday, yet the hammers site says nothing regarding this fixture.

[bigcatdiary]

3 hours ago, cityrebel said:

The BSPA & Peterborough websites state that lakeside are hosting the Panthers next Saturday, yet the hammers site says nothing regarding this fixture.

Well presumably someone from Lakeside informed the BSPA regarding this fixture, it wouldn’t have been generated by Peterborough.

It would be helpful if Lakeside confirmed or advertised the said fixture or they could be dissapointed with the attendance.

[cityrebel]

3 minutes ago, bigcatdiary said:

Well presumably someone from Lakeside informed the BSPA regarding this fixture, it wouldn’t have been generated by Peterborough.

It would be helpful if Lakeside confirmed or advertised the said fixture or they could be dissapointed with the attendance.

There seems to be a car meeting scheduled for Arena Essex on that day. Unless that has changed, I can't see the speedway being on.

[hammer1969]

Arena Essex have had The Rolling Thunder Show advertised as the 8th for months so as Lakeside only rent the arena for Speedway meetings and they don't have the 8th down for a meeting it seems somewhere along the way wires have got crossed but whatever it is the problem needs sorting fast so that fans and riders know what is going on

http://www.rollingthundershow.co.uk

[cityrebel]

1 hour ago, hammer1969 said:

Arena Essex have had The Rolling Thunder Show advertised as the 8th for months so as Lakeside only rent the arena for Speedway meetings and they don't have the 8th down for a meeting it seems somewhere along the way wires have got crossed but whatever it is the problem needs sorting fast so that fans and riders know what is going on

http://www.rollingthundershow.co.uk

The fixture is to be arranged on the Peterborough website. Well that clears that one up!

[TonyE]

1 hour ago, cityrebel said:

The fixture is to be arranged on the Peterborough website. Well that clears that one up!

That has been changed then - presumably at Lakeside's insistence.

[cityrebel]

2 minutes ago, TonyE said:

That has been changed then - presumably at Lakeside's insistence.

Which is a shame. I was hoping to have two more visits to say goodbye to the old place.

[Daytripper]

23 hours ago, Cliv Clav said:

I hope the club are talking to Thurrock Council about the site and area of the old Tilbury Power Station, as there is a lot of land there just surrounded by industrial areas or the Thames.  As you mentioned Rayleigh, I believe the Hammers spoke to Action Park, on the outskirts of the town, in recent years.  But that was closed due to noise, despite it being surrounded by fields and the adjacent A127!  Dunton golf course and the farm areas next to it are getting 4,000 new homes on it, so that rules out the A128 area.  More housing estates in Rayleigh, Rochford and Hullbridge being planned doesn't help in those regions.  If we look out in the wilds, Barling has some unused land and isn't too far a drive from Southend.  Maybe Foulness Island or Coryton as they are sparsely populated or only home industry.

I hope that this is not the end of the sport in the county, as the catchment area in South Essex is huge with lots of old fans to be tempted back if the sport was ever run properly.  Since the announcement yesterday, I have spoken to many Hammers fans who won't be attending after our last meeting at Arena and some that are considering not continuing next year.  The main reasons are; not wanting to support a team in another county, not wanting to support a team that isn't the Hammers, not enjoying visits to Rye enough to go back and those who just can't or don't want to travel even further.  Let's just hope that Stuart & Jon manage to get something in Essex sorted very quickly!

My understanding is that Thurrock Council want Speedway to continue and planning permission for the site includes a speedway track . The trouble is, redevelopment of the site doesn’t look like starting for some time yet.

Using Rye House would be a short term solution for the foreseeable future. Whether BMR want to get back into speedway and want the track back or whether they will want some kind of partnership with the Lakeside promotion is something that only time will tell.