Guest Posted October 2, 2019 Report Share Posted October 2, 2019 14 minutes ago, NeilWatson said: Brafield (not Bradfield) is some 40 miles from Coventry Indeed - Brafield. Predictive spelling correction. That distance does seem a long way from the Coventry area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chunky Posted October 2, 2019 Report Share Posted October 2, 2019 3 minutes ago, CottonOn said: Anyway, that's nothing to do with this Coventry topic Gustix seems to think so... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 2, 2019 Report Share Posted October 2, 2019 16 minutes ago, HGould said: The improvements to Ipswich when I last went were noticeable and impressive. This sounds like a very sensible suggestion. I thought Spedeworth now owned Arlington too or at least ran Stocks there? Spedeworth are so far as I know just VERY long term tenants at Arlington aka Eastbourne. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobMcCaffery Posted October 2, 2019 Report Share Posted October 2, 2019 (edited) 1 hour ago, CottonOn said: Yes. Nowhere near Coventry, but only about 15 miles from Milton Keynes. I believe Brafield has been looked at by those wanting to revive Milton Keynes, but as it's basically just a Stock Car track carved in a field, with no stadium to speak of, it would cost a fortune to bring it up to any suitable standard, even if planning permission could be obtained, and it would be cheaper to just start from scratch elsewhere. Anyway, that's nothing to do with this Coventry topic The difference between building from scratch and simply improving the stadium is simple. In one case you are literally having to build from nothing but in the case of Brafield you have a long- established and respected venue with a track already in place and basic stadium facilities. BriSCA hold their European Championship there and while it's a while since I regularly worked there it had facilities that were perfectly adequate for higher stock car crowds with plenty of scope for improvement. It's been around for decades, albeit without speedway since the sixties. There are tracks in the CL and NDL with sparser facilities. As a new Northampton Speedway, yes, despite its fairly isolated location. I doubt whether we'll be seeing a revival of Brafield Badgers, but not a replacement for Coventry and should not be used as an excuse to prevent a Brandon revival. Congratulations to the team carrying on the fight and thank you for your efforts. Both speedway and stock cars desperately need a thriving Brandon. Edited October 2, 2019 by RobMcCaffery 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coventry_Bee Posted October 2, 2019 Report Share Posted October 2, 2019 The issue for finding a new "Brandon" is that you have to find a location suitable to have 40 add coaches running through a village when the stox are on, and finished. The current location is perfect. I went not long back and it's a mess but on what scale is expected to be refurbished too? The stands are good, the tracks still there and a few mobile bars and it's a start. It would need sizeable investment for lighting and the repair work for fencing then there is the electrics that have been ripped out of everywhere you can imagine. The land has opportunity for other local and community projects and trying to find land to build a new track on is a needle in a haystack. It will be intresting to see the response if any though from Brandon Estates. Where does this leave them? How far will they go before thinking lets just sell it and move onto another plot of land elsewhere. My saying all along is that they purchased a viable Motorsport stadium, not a housing estate to be. There must be easier and less challenging avenues for them to look at, save coventry speedway team have given them a fight they never expected and Jeff, David and co won't give up now ...Can't wait to get back and help tidy the old place up.... 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naffer Posted October 2, 2019 Report Share Posted October 2, 2019 Looks like narcissus has done well. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 2, 2019 Report Share Posted October 2, 2019 This interesting item is currently on the SGB website: https://www.speedwaygb.co.uk/news.php?extend.37555 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 3, 2019 Report Share Posted October 3, 2019 (edited) This is not an update on current Coventry speedway happenings but a chance to look back at some wonderful speedway memories of the sport at Brandon Stadium. Enjoy! http://www.defunctspeedway.co.uk/Coventry Brandon.htm ...and this is a look at when speedway also took place at Lythalls Lane in the late 1920s: http://www.defunctspeedway.co.uk/Coventry (Lythalls Lane).htm Edited October 3, 2019 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArthurRudge Posted October 3, 2019 Report Share Posted October 3, 2019 I'd love to see racing back at Brandon, I cannot believe it was allowed to disappear like that with the history of the club. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve roberts Posted October 3, 2019 Report Share Posted October 3, 2019 1 hour ago, ArthurRudge said: I'd love to see racing back at Brandon, I cannot believe it was allowed to disappear like that with the history of the club. Same with Cowley Stadium. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehone Posted October 3, 2019 Report Share Posted October 3, 2019 and Wimbledon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemini Posted October 3, 2019 Report Share Posted October 3, 2019 And Long Eaton. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArthurRudge Posted October 3, 2019 Report Share Posted October 3, 2019 38 minutes ago, Gemini said: And Long Eaton. Used to love station road in the days of carl blackbird Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve roberts Posted October 3, 2019 Report Share Posted October 3, 2019 3 hours ago, steve roberts said: Same with Cowley Stadium. Cowley Stadium is just sitting there deteriorating...looked a real mess last time I called in. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemini Posted October 3, 2019 Report Share Posted October 3, 2019 6 hours ago, ArthurRudge said: Used to love station road in the days of carl blackbird Yes and me. Used to go over there from Leicester on my little Honda 50 motorbike. Great fish and chips shop on Station Road too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemini Posted October 3, 2019 Report Share Posted October 3, 2019 7 hours ago, Richard Weston said: Developers tend to be prepared to wait and wait and wait. They buy land (or get options to buy) and put it in the bank for when needed. They are not short-term. Brandon Estates could hang on for many years. By that time, what state would the stadium be in? An adverse finding at this Local Plan stage doesn't necessarily mean they will return the site to motorsport use. After all, the Local Plan Rugby council are doing now will eventually be replaced by another Local Plan. There is a piece of land near me which has had planning permission for homes for 10+ years -- still not a house built. Of course, houses will be eventually be built. Afraid I agree with this. I very much doubt if I will ever drive down the M69 again to Brandon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chunky Posted October 4, 2019 Report Share Posted October 4, 2019 (edited) 2 hours ago, Gemini said: Yes and me. Used to go over there from Leicester on my little Honda 50 motorbike. Great fish and chips shop on Station Road too. Never did the fish and chips, but I went up there a few times when I had a Wednesday off. One particular year, there were a large group of us flying over to compete in the Canadian Open. Everybody else flew out on the Wednesday, but I went up to watch the Dons and flew out the next day! Now, that's dedication! Steve Edited October 4, 2019 by chunky 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IainB Posted October 4, 2019 Report Share Posted October 4, 2019 15 hours ago, Gemini said: And Long Eaton. ... And Leicester Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cityrebel Posted October 4, 2019 Report Share Posted October 4, 2019 19 hours ago, Richard Weston said: Developers tend to be prepared to wait and wait and wait. They buy land (or get options to buy) and put it in the bank for when needed. They are not short-term. Brandon Estates could hang on for many years. By that time, what state would the stadium be in? An adverse finding at this Local Plan stage doesn't necessarily mean they will return the site to motorsport use. After all, the Local Plan Rugby council are doing now will eventually be replaced by another Local Plan. There is a piece of land near me which has had planning permission for homes for 10+ years -- still not a house built. Of course, houses will be eventually be built. Reading still hasn't been built on, 11 years after closure. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chunky Posted October 4, 2019 Report Share Posted October 4, 2019 7 minutes ago, Richard Weston said: Didn't know that but it does show how developers etc are quite happy to leave land un-used. That's what really irks me! If you are going to get rid of something so you can reuse the land for something else, that's fine, but to just rush into demolition, and then leave it sitting for years, that's crazy... Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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