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Odsal


Rob B

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I've only been to Osdal once and that was on a business trip to Bradford and I stopped by to have a look. This was long after speedway had finished. It's a fantastic location and from videos I've seen was one of the best racetracks in the country. Would I invest shed loads of money in it now and try and bring speedway back? Errm - No! If I had a few hundred grand spare I would buy a Ferrari. Take it for a drive every Saturday and then after a couple of years when I'm bored of it I could sell it on for a profit or at least get back what I paid for it. 

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5 hours ago, adonis said:

They would if speedway was in a stadium they wanted to take over  , If i won Euromiilions I would build a stadium for the Bulls ,let them move in at cheap rent , then chuck them out mid season

What a bizarre thought! I hope  the comment is in jest?

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20 minutes ago, gustix said:

What a bizarre thought! I hope  the comment is in jest?

Most definitley not . I would do it .with a Euro lotto win .and i would do the same to Hull Kingston rovers given the chance

Edited by adonis
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59 minutes ago, kelvinlapworth said:

I've only been to Osdal once and that was on a business trip to Bradford and I stopped by to have a look. This was long after speedway had finished. It's a fantastic location and from videos I've seen was one of the best racetracks in the country. Would I invest shed loads of money in it now and try and bring speedway back? Errm - No! If I had a few hundred grand spare I would buy a Ferrari. Take it for a drive every Saturday and then after a couple of years when I'm bored of it I could sell it on for a profit or at least get back what I paid for it. 

Bradford bulls didn't pay that much in rent , they paid out too much in wages to make it  viable , and they were less than keen to let anybody else share even when times got hard .

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46 minutes ago, adonis said:

Most definitley not . I would do it .with a Euro lotto win .and i would do the same to Hull Kingston rovers given the chance

What about Hull FC ? ;).  Went to Odsal a few times, before and after Hull started up again in 1995, saw the great Per Jonsson whizz between the team-riding Bradford pairing in 1992, great track, brilliant view form main stand, almost as good as Hull's Craven Park (almost).  Unless only the main stand was used any crowds less than the 30,000 ish who witnessed 1985 & 1990 World Finals were lost in that vast bowl.  Just imagine a if a GP was held there today :D, shame the Dukes couldn't return....

Edited by martinmauger
Actual Odsal comment, then spelling
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2 hours ago, adonis said:

Most definitley not . I would do it .with a Euro lotto win .and i would do the same to Hull Kingston rovers given the chance

Fair call. I would put a speedway track next to the house builders' chairman that shut Cradley.... and I'm a Wolves fan!

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8 hours ago, Lefty said:

Fair call. I would put a speedway track next to the house builders' chairman that shut Cradley.... and I'm a Wolves fan!

And I'd build a housing estate on the land of the promoter that sold Leicester's Blackbird Road site to developers... Oh, hang on a minute :unsure:

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1 hour ago, iainb said:

And I'd build a housing estate on the land of the promoter that sold Leicester's Blackbird Road site to developers... Oh, hang on a minute :unsure:

Do you mean the land midland sports stadiums sold to developers , the Midlands sports stadium that the promoter only owned 10% of the shares to ? and what would you do with his 10 % . invest it into making Coventry the best stadium in the country .,or piss it down the drain trying to run a team without hardly any support ,that had already closed 3 times previously ?

 

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15 hours ago, martinmauger said:

What about Hull FC ? ;).  Went to Odsal a few times, before and after Hull started up again in 1995, saw the great Per Jonsson whizz between the team-riding Bradford pairing in 1992, great track, brilliant view form main stand, almost as good as Hull's Craven Park (almost).  Unless only the main stand was used any crowds less than the 30,000 ish who witnessed 1985 & 1990 World Finals were lost in that vast bowl.  Just imagine a if a GP was held there today :D, shame the Dukes couldn't return....

I only know of the problems caused by the Rugby chariman , keith ??? . I used to help Dave Ratt ,with the track shop until it closed ,

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I recall the '97 GP at Odsal, shame Loram didn't win but some good racing.  Both rugby clubs in Hull were happy to accomodate speedway initially, Hull FC were actually sold at one point then re-named Hull FC once more.  Hull KR at one point were bankrupt and for sale at £600,000ish, accept £500,000, (bargain if it included the stadium), but once both clubs' serious money troubles were sorted, well some folk have short memories....

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With Belle vue set to be demolished this winter, this leaves the brisca stock car community another shale track down. And bradford used to attrack big grids and crowds for all stick car classes and indeed one massive banger event a year 

So if the two sports can get a cohesive joint proposal together, something may come of it.

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On 8/16/2019 at 2:02 PM, foamfence said:

The (claimed) main reason was stadium development but yes the place was deserted during the last season and it was embarrassing to see riders on parade, waiving to empty terraces.

I went to one or two meetings that last season. Often, the nearest spectator was 50 yards away!

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It would be nice for any track to return. But why do we want to revive a failing speedway that couldn't make it pay when it had just won the Elite League? 

Odsal was too big for domestic activity but  could be kept in the background should Cardiff kick it out. In 1997, when Odsal closed, Belle Vue claimed it was them paying the highest rent of about £1400 and all other clubs - including Bradford - had it easy. 

The current Bradford owners charged the Rugby £78,000 rental per match. Speedway couldn't afford that.

Edited by moxey63
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7 minutes ago, moxey63 said:

It would be nice for any track to return. But why do we want to revive a failing speedway that couldn't make it pay when it had just won the Elite League? Odsal was too big for domestic activity but  could be kept in the background should Cardiff kick it out. 

No need for it, we have Belle Vue which is a better track than Odsal ever was.

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On 8/17/2019 at 7:04 PM, martinmauger said:

I recall the '97 GP at Odsal, shame Loram didn't win but some good racing.  Both rugby clubs in Hull were happy to accomodate speedway initially, Hull FC were actually sold at one point then re-named Hull FC once more.  Hull KR at one point were bankrupt and for sale at £600,000ish, accept £500,000, (bargain if it included the stadium), but once both clubs' serious money troubles were sorted, well some folk have short memories....

I was there

Mark simply chose the wrong gate in the final

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