Swindon Robins 2020

[Sidney the robin]

10 hours ago, thecoombdog said:

Yeah that limited time with Ward in the team was unreal. What a rider he was and he definitely got the crowds in. Doyley will always be a Robins legend after leading us to 2 titles as captain. The last year at the reshaped track was probably the best I can remember racing wise as well. 

Like yourself and others to see Leigh everyweek was magical i can remember Leigh beating Jason 2.1 in a Belle Vue encounter.The skill the trust of those two were amazing and Leigh has to rank up there with Jessup, Sigalos, Warren, Carter, as being  good anough to be a world champion.As for Darcy what a brucie bonus that was, was so excited to see him ride an amazing talent and for me personally ranks alongside Lee, Gollob as the most naturally talented riders i have seen.

[Grachan]

Quote from Swindon's MP on Twitter:

"I've spent years trying to save the stadium. Nothing has changed, SBC will not allow housing (where GI make money) to proceed until the stadium is completed. If GI can't make it work (because of the loss of greyhounds) they need to try and sell the stadium to someone who can."

It will be interesting to see if and when building on the hideously named "Robins Gardens" actually starts.

[Ovalman]

1 hour ago, Grachan said:

Quote from Swindon's MP on Twitter:

"I've spent years trying to save the stadium. Nothing has changed, SBC will not allow housing (where GI make money) to proceed until the stadium is completed. If GI can't make it work (because of the loss of greyhounds) they need to try and sell the stadium to someone who can."

It will be interesting to see if and when building on the hideously named "Robins Gardens" actually starts.

I see the new buy a home at Robins Gardens sign has mysteriously been damaged...what a shame

Shoddy way to treat the loyal Robins fans, fantastic supporters. Although the numbers were shrinking over time, and it was becoming financially unviable. Sometimes only around 1000 paying fans in there. So different to 60s, 70s, 80s crowds. But a huge thanks to all the peeps that have put in loads of hard work over the 70 years of speedway at the Abbey to keep us entertained, mainly unpaid volunteers.

We just hope for an Oxford style comeback.

Edited September 29, 2022 by auntie doris

[JessicaJones]

12 hours ago, thecoombdog said:

How am I taking anything out on you? You wanted the dogs gone at Swindon and it has. You were told no dogs meant no speedway and that was correct. Your post yesterday has totally forced their hand today which is appreciated as f*ck knows how long the lies would have gone on for. You have got what you campaigned for. 

The dogs have not gone yet. We won’t be celebrating until the greyhound racing actually stops for good. The rumours that the track is closing are just that-rumours. 
This was never about winning or losing for our group and the Robins fans and I’m sorry that it has been framed that way by some of you on here. About 3 years ago I approached the philanthropist who was working with SBC to redevelop the town centre asking if he would help with the speedway track. He phoned me the day he got my letter and suggested that GI paid for another site away from the Abbey for speedway - win/win for them and the speedway team because he could see then what GI were aiming to do. He said he would raise it at his next meeting with the council. I mentioned it on here but very vaguely about 3 years ago as he asked me to keep the details confidential but I think enough time has gone by for me to mention my conversation with him. A few months after that, the pandemic hit and the council would have put all non urgent work on the back burner. So yes, GI’s plan has been clear from the outset but I have tried to help where I can because I could see that we could have worked together well and both groups would get what we wanted. 
 

Our group also did a petition to the council, which was one of the petitions that got the most signatures ever, asking them to work with GI to redevelop the stadium without the greyhound track and giving them ideas as to what else it could be used for to make it economically viable. To help with the debate that should have come from the petition, I spent the first lockdown working on a long report which detailed GI’s history and the economic case for not relying on greyhound racing and which set out other ways in which the speedway team could be viable without it. We printed it out at great expense and posted it to all 56 councillors. Only two even bothered to acknowledge that they had received the report and the council refused to hold the debate saying that they couldn’t influence what the stadium was used for, which I find hard to believe. Someone suggested doing the latter a few weeks ago and we had already done this in 2020. I have been very unimpressed with the councillors at SBC I came across through all of this and think they - and the council officers - could have sorted this situation out a long time ago if they’d had the will or the ability. 

Edited September 29, 2022 by JessicaJones

[thecoombdog]

28 minutes ago, Grachan said:

Quote from Swindon's MP on Twitter:

"I've spent years trying to save the stadium. Nothing has changed, SBC will not allow housing (where GI make money) to proceed until the stadium is completed. If GI can't make it work (because of the loss of greyhounds) they need to try and sell the stadium to someone who can."

It will be interesting to see if and when building on the hideously named "Robins Gardens" actually starts.

The club is dead so all we can hope for now is that SBC keep refusing a change to the planning permission and the site just sits there empty earning GI and others absolutely nothing. No doubt Swindon Motorsports has been set up  so they can say they need the funds from the housing development to build a new stadium and people will believe it again and the houses will get done with no sign of a stadium. It's all too predictable.

[thecoombdog]

8 minutes ago, JessicaJones said:

The dogs have not gone yet. We won’t be celebrating until the greyhound racing actually stops for good. The rumours that the track is closing are just that-rumours. 
This was never about winning or losing for our group and the Robins fans and I’m sorry that it has been framed that way by some of you on here. About 3 years ago I approached the philanthropist who was working with SBC to redevelop the town centre asking if he would help with the speedway track. He phoned me the day he got my letter and suggested that GI paid for another site away from the Abbey for speedway - win/win for them and the speedway team because he could see then what GI were aiming to do. He said he would raise it at his next meeting with the council. I mentioned it on here but very vaguely about 3 years ago as he asked me to keep the details confidential but I think enough time has gone by for me to mention my conversation with him. A few months after that, the pandemic hit and the council would have put all non urgent work on the back burner. So yes, GI’s plan has been clear from the outset but I have tried to help where I can because I could see that we could have worked together well and both groups get what we wanted. 

Its pretty clear the decision was made a while ago to close the dogs, probably to force the speedway out. And Gaming would never build a new stadium no matter who is involved. The moment I saw Swindon Motorsports had 2 Gaming people involved I knew it was a joke. The final insult in it all. 

[JessicaJones]

Just now, thecoombdog said:

Its pretty clear the decision was made a while ago to close the dogs, probably to force the speedway out. And Gaming would never build a new stadium no matter who is involved. The moment I saw Swindon Motorsports had 2 Gaming people involved I knew it was a joke. The final insult in it all. 

You might be right but I thought, if they were going to do that, they would shut it during the pandemic as they did with Poole. They had the perfect excuse then. Instead we are 18 months on and the greyhound racing is still going on. 

[LisaColette]

16 hours ago, Pirates Of Poole said:

Such sad news to lose Swindon, great local Derby’s in the past and always made the trip up. Massive loss to the sport! With my Poole hat on - Gaming International playing games again, will this be Poole in 12 months time? 
Hope Swindon find a new home and fast. 

Prepare for the worst, hope for the best. 

Tbf to Lee @orion he was almost crying on BSN last night talking about it. 

[thecoombdog]

23 minutes ago, JessicaJones said:

You might be right but I thought, if they were going to do that, they would shut it during the pandemic as they did with Poole. They had the perfect excuse then. Instead we are 18 months on and the greyhound racing is still going on. 

I saw something on twitter saying the closure will be announced today so let's see if anything happens. It's almost like a long term plan is finally coming together .......

[orion]

18 minutes ago, lisa-colette said:

Prepare for the worst, hope for the best. 

Tbf to Lee @orion he was almost crying on BSN last night talking about it. 

You can cry all like about it .But the bottom line he still associated with Osbourne Clark  in this new company .The guy who has just closed the club down .Actions speak louder than words .

[orion]

1 hour ago, auntie doris said:

I see the new buy a home at Robins Gardens sign has mysteriously been damaged...what a shame

Shoddy way to treat the loyal Robins fans, fantastic supporters. Although the numbers were shrinking over time, and it was becoming financially unviable. Sometimes only around 1000 paying fans in there. So different to 60s, 70s, 80s.But a huge thanks to all the peeps that have put in loads of hard work over the 70 years of speedway at the Abbey to keep us entertained, mainly unpaid volunteers.

We just hope for an Oxford style comeback.

Sorry I don't understand why it was financially unviable. Swindon were still getting some of the biggest crowds in the uk and after 3 years away I expect  they would have been bigger for a while..Yet again no detail on why from anyone.

[mikebv]

15 minutes ago, orion said:

You can cry all like about it .But the bottom line he still associated with Osbourne Clark  in this new company .The guy who has just closed the club down .Actions speak louder than words .

Maybe?

Keep your friends close..

But your enemies closer...

It is though quite disgraceful the way the Swindon fans only found out about this was by a third party being a third party, in a (I presume private), communication release...

I have always been surprised at the lack of an orchestrated protest group, (which should have come from the top for most gravitas), so maybe as we learn more of what has gone on with those now involved in the "new company", it may become clearer as to why no "major campaign" was forthcoming.. 

If the MP has made it clear no more houses can be built until the new stadium is built then the ONLY question needs asking is "WHEN WILL THIS HAPPEN?"...

And to keep asking it daily until someone comes up with the answer..

And it doesnt have to be the old Swindon promotion who use it I presume? 

Bulld the stadium and then see who wants to promote there...

The issue isnt whether the stadium is viable or not. The issue is it needs to be built to comply with the permissions granted...

Non Negotiable that...

If no takers after two years then knock it down and build housing on it...

[JessicaJones]

3 minutes ago, orion said:

Sorry I don't understand why it was financially unviable. Swindon were still getting some of the biggest crowds in the uk and after 3 years away I expect  they would have been bigger for a while..Yet again no detail on why from anyone.

Have you seen GI’s accounts for the last ten years? Only profits have been from selling off land. 

[Daniel Smith]

15 hours ago, JessicaJones said:

Speedway teams relying on greyhound racing have no future. Far better for speedway to decouple from greyhound racing especially as Dogs Trust, the RSPCA and the Blue Cross did a joint press release yesterday calling for a nationwide ban on greyhound racing within five years. (This has been some time coming.)

I found the snippet from the minutes of the BSPA meeting in the Twitter feed of a greyhound trainer in Ireland. I was surprised the news hadn’t made its way into the public domain already. 

I hope the speedway team manages to find another venue although I saw above that the company mentioned in the press release had only been set up today and it has Clark Osborne as a director. If that‘s true, then I don’t hold out much hope for it as anything that Osborne is involved with turns to houses. He is a director of tens of companies and most of them seem to be dormant. 

Perhaps the fans need to take control and approach the council for help? It was the council who stipulated that the site couldn’t be redeveloped until the stadium was refurbished and they have not held GI to this condition. 

The Dogs Trust press release is here:

https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/how-we-help/the-future/cut-the-chase

Pleaae do not (metaphorically) throw rotten veg at me. Our group always supported the speedway team but not the greyhound racing. 

Speedway as a whole, across the UK, has no future. 

While I understand the anger towards GI, Osborne etc, absolutely massive, huuuuuge responsibility is on the BSP(A)L for their total lack of awareness, laziness, & self serving, in not pushing this sport in the right direction at the turn of the century. 

No sport can survive when it's reliant on others 

 

[LisaColette]

24 minutes ago, mikebv said:

Maybe?

Keep your friends close..

But your enemies closer...

It is though quite disgraceful the way the Swindon fans only found out about this was by a third party being a third party, in a (I presume private), communication release...

I have always been surprised at the lack of an orchestrated protest group, (which should have come from the top for most gravitas), so maybe as we learn more of what has gone on with those now involved in the "new company", it may become clearer as to why no "major campaign" was forthcoming.. 

If the MP has made it clear no more houses can be built until the new stadium is built then the ONLY question needs asking is "WHEN WILL THIS HAPPEN?"...

And to keep asking it daily until someone comes up with the answer..

And it doesnt have to be the old Swindon promotion who use it I presume? 

Bulld the stadium and then see who wants to promote there...

The issue isnt whether the stadium is viable or not. The issue is it needs to be built to comply with the permissions granted...

Non Negotiable that...

If no takers after two years then knock it down and build housing on it...

Tbf there is someone on twitter who does this, like most days. I saw it on my feed all the time and they did tag a few people in it (official people like the club etc). Not sure if it was just ignored or what..

[orion]

59 minutes ago, JessicaJones said:

Have you seen GI’s accounts for the last ten years? Only profits have been from selling off land. 

I am talking from the Swindon Speedways points of view not Gi...Everyone understands how Gi works and what  the end game is .Swindon should have explained why  and asked for help if needed rather than shutting the club down. As Mike has said if the Stadium has to be built why can't someone be given a chance to run speedway there .It pretty clear the moment Tr closes the club without asking for any help and sets up a new company with Clark that they both in it together . I am 100% sure if Swindon needed money to run next year the fans would have found it if asked 

Edited September 29, 2022 by orion

[The Cheese]

Sad to see this confirmed although clearly it's been obvious it would happen for years. Poor statement, the vague mention of a new stadium just seems to be another way of stringing along the fans. Also unacceptable that they've been sat on this news for a month and only acted now because it was brought up on here. 

[Midland Red]

Swindon Motorsports Ltd

Four directors:

George Albert Edwards, Clarke Anthony Osborne, Stephen Philip Park, Terence John Russell

Issued Capital - 4 x £1 shares 

Shareholding:

S P Park 1, Gaming International Ltd 2, T J Russell 1

[Grachan]

More from Justin Tomlinson MP.

"SWINDON SPEEDWAY - Detailed Response (I hope it helps)...

I have been personally involved in supporting Swindon Speedway since the initial campaign to block the closure in 2008.

To save the stadium, it was agreed housing adjacent to the stadium could be built if the stadium remained open and ultimately modernised (new stand etc). At the time this was a huge relief and Swindon Speedway carried on with many years of success.

As fans were nervous about the stadium owners intentions, it was agreed that the final phase of planned housing (where the stadium owners get a financial share) could only proceed once the stadium works have been completed. Swindon Council repeatedly held firm on this.

Whilst speedway continued, works to upgrade the stadium never materialised despite repeated promises / false starts. Covid then hit, speedway was paused, and all seemed lost.

Perhaps to many people’s surprise the long awaited new stand appeared ready for construction earlier in the year – finally we seemed set to get the promised new stand and associated works. After a flurry of work, again progress stalled. We all continued to press for action, or at the very least updates.

Finally, this week it was confirmed that Swindon Speedway would not be able to proceed as the stadium would not re-open, triggered by an expected loss of the greyhounds. Speedway only operates 20 nights per year, paying a relatively small amount of rent, so the stadium is reliant on the greyhound TV money to remain viable.

It is important to understand the stadium is privately owned so no-one can force them to either complete the stadium works or operate speedway.

However, Swindon Council are rightly still refusing to relax the conditions, so if the stadium owners cannot complete the works, the final phase of housing will remain blocked. Taylor Wimpey (the developer of this final phase) had been set to start, as the owners had promised them stadium works would shortly be completed. They have now been told that works cannot proceed.

Both Swindon Council and I will make sure that the owners cannot escape the planning conditions.

So, what happens now?

Firstly, nothing. This isn’t ideal for anyone – more seasons pass with Swindon Speedway unable to compete, fans drift away making it harder for them to return competitively – especially in the wider context of the challenges national speedway is facing with declining crowds and deteriorating finances.

Secondly, the stadium owners may have to accept the work needs to be completed to unlock the housing. This would be very welcome but doesn’t guarantee how long the stadium would then continue to operate, especially if reliant on just 20 evenings of speedway per year.

Thirdly, the stadium owners have suggested an alternative site is found. This is nonsense, the Abbey Stadium has been perfectly suitable all these years and is surely easier to modernise than starting from scratch in some unknown location.

Finally, the owners could and should actively seek to sell the stadium to someone who could complete the works and find other uses to sit alongside speedway to make it financially viable. Would this work, is there a potential buyer? Only time will tell, but for the sake of generations of fans it is only right this is explored fully and urgently.

The stadium looked lost in 2008, let’s hope we can see another last-minute saviour come forward."

[thecoombdog]

15 minutes ago, Midland Red said:

Swindon Motorsports Ltd

Four directors:

George Albert Edwards, Clarke Anthony Osborne, Stephen Philip Park, Terence John Russell

Issued Capital - 4 x £1 shares 

Shareholding:

S P Park 1, Gaming International Ltd 2, T J Russell 1

The more I think about this new company, that was set up yesterday, the more dodgy it is.