25yearfan Posted May 23, 2021 Report Share Posted May 23, 2021 (edited) The bottom line is whether your a super speedway fan owner of a stadium or just a Business person earning money out of such a facility, if the moneys right you'll sell out! Lets say that you own a stadium which earns you £250,000 PA from the various activities taking place there after costs have been deducted. - Then you get offered £5 million from a housing developer to sell the land to them. - That amounts to 20 years (5 million divided by 250,000) income, working to keep the stadium running given to you in one hit which you can then invest and be financially secure for life without the hassle of running a stadium or having to do any sort of work. When you look it at like that it would be tempting for anyone I suspect. This scenario is probably close (different figures probably) to what happened when Cradley was sold in the 1990's and when the Ochiltrees sold Coventry to Sandhu who obviously had longer term plans to sell to developers. Indeed the GRA (alleged greyhound racing association!) made it their primary Business plan selling of their Stadiums to developers. Stuart Balmforth selling Belle Vue stadium in 1987 is another example like the previous poster states. No doubt his family are still very wealthy through this? This also happened in the 1960's to two of the biggest speedway clubs in the Country, Southampton and my beloved Norwich Stars. Combine this with Councils bending planning rules which are meant to protect sports facilities from being built on and thats where we are at now. - Apparently the Custom House home of West Ham speedway was meant to have such protection but it was gotten round by stating that people living in houses built on the land would have TV's which counted as leisure! I suppose that Odsal being in a bowl, an ex quarry which then became a landfill tip site wouldn't be good land for housing which could ensure its future as a stadium? - Just need a very brave person(s) to reopen speedway there! - Though in reality if it was viable speedway would be reopening there this season? Edited May 24, 2021 by 25yearfan 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ch958 Posted May 23, 2021 Report Share Posted May 23, 2021 Odsal is a fantastic facility and could draw big crowds for big meetings - GP, SEC, World Cup, BLRC, etc so could BSPA Ltd run it in a league sharing whatever losses and preserving an excellent facility. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trees Posted May 23, 2021 Report Share Posted May 23, 2021 8 hours ago, ch958 said: Odsal is a fantastic facility and could draw big crowds for big meetings - GP, SEC, World Cup, BLRC, etc so could BSPA Ltd run it in a league sharing whatever losses and preserving an excellent facility. It's a better natural stadium than the new BV for sure! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deano Posted May 23, 2021 Report Share Posted May 23, 2021 (edited) Isn’t Berwick stadium owned by the football supporters club? It makes you wonder why fans within speedway circles don’t pursue some kind of share ownership in a similar way Edited May 23, 2021 by Deano 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trees Posted May 24, 2021 Report Share Posted May 24, 2021 11 hours ago, Deano said: Isn’t Berwick stadium owned by the football supporters club? It makes you wonder why fans within speedway circles don’t pursue some kind of share ownership in a similar way You'd need some rich fans out there but yes in theory, great idea .... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deano Posted May 24, 2021 Report Share Posted May 24, 2021 56 minutes ago, Trees said: You'd need some rich fans out there but yes in theory, great idea .... yes in some instances it would be considered impossible, but 51% holds the balance of power. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lioness Posted May 24, 2021 Report Share Posted May 24, 2021 There is actually another way to do it to try and protect a facility. Dumbarton supporters owned a ‘ransom strip’ round their old ground and when the ground was sold off for development they were able to secure a new built ground on the outskirts of the town as part of the deal. Edinburgh Accies are trying to do the same but their case is more difficult because it’s historical and Scotland’s positive prescription laws could come into play. I always saw it as worth looking at though. It won’t ultimately stop a club loosing its home but could be the difference between surviving elsewhere and going out of existence obviously that’s no help for clubs already lost though 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tyretrax Posted May 24, 2021 Report Share Posted May 24, 2021 18 hours ago, Deano said: Isn’t Berwick stadium owned by the football supporters club? It makes you wonder why fans within speedway circles don’t pursue some kind of share ownership in a similar way I think the council own the stadium and the supporters hold the lease. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fromafar Posted May 24, 2021 Report Share Posted May 24, 2021 1 hour ago, tyretrax said: I think the council own the stadium and the supporters hold the lease. Think your right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OveFundinFan Posted May 24, 2021 Report Share Posted May 24, 2021 I think to own a stadium you need a money tree, if Berwick council own the stadium and supporters hold the lease, the supporters have an affordable venture. How many millions would 10 years at Odsal cost do you think. 2000 spectators at £20 each isn’t making much profit per meeting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trees Posted May 24, 2021 Report Share Posted May 24, 2021 £40,000 ...... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noaksey Posted May 24, 2021 Report Share Posted May 24, 2021 The fact that no speedway promoter has come forward at this stage probably tells us what we need to know. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OveFundinFan Posted May 24, 2021 Report Share Posted May 24, 2021 49 minutes ago, Trees said: £40,000 ...... That’s not profit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trees Posted May 24, 2021 Report Share Posted May 24, 2021 2 hours ago, OveFundinFan said: That’s not profit. Of course not ....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ringitsneck Posted May 25, 2021 Report Share Posted May 25, 2021 17 hours ago, noaksey said: The fact that no speedway promoter has come forward at this stage probably tells us what we need to know. A few had approached the owner , including a consortium, and were frightened off by the payments demanded plus the issues with stanchions too close to the fence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grand Central Posted May 25, 2021 Report Share Posted May 25, 2021 Did anyone actually go to Odsal this weekend and have any first hand into on how the whole thing went etc. ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eric i Posted May 25, 2021 Report Share Posted May 25, 2021 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noaksey Posted May 25, 2021 Report Share Posted May 25, 2021 2 hours ago, Ringitsneck said: A few had approached the owner , including a consortium, and were frightened off by the payments demanded plus the issues with stanchions too close to the fence. Yes fair comment then I should reword it that no speedway promoter has managed to conclude a deal. I'm still intruiged as to how anyone could or would fund the speedway infrastructure costs and probably expect to lose money in all but National League racing. Be interesting to see how it pans out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ringitsneck Posted May 25, 2021 Report Share Posted May 25, 2021 3 hours ago, noaksey said: Yes fair comment then I should reword it that no speedway promoter has managed to conclude a deal. I'm still intruiged as to how anyone could or would fund the speedway infrastructure costs and probably expect to lose money in all but National League racing. Be interesting to see how it pans out They would certainly also lose money at NDL level with the implied costs. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fromafar Posted May 25, 2021 Report Share Posted May 25, 2021 4 hours ago, eric i said: Track reminds me of the Good Old Days at Berwick with Peter Waite and Billy the Bowser. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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