New Club for 2024?

[PotteringAround]

43 minutes ago, Skidder1 said:

Has anyone ever suggested that a new track would be up and running in 2024?!

Erm, this entire thread is about Phil Morris's evidence to the Coventry Stadium inquiry in which he said it was likely that a new track completely new to Speedway would be coming into the leagues next season.         What on earth do you think we've been discussing for the last 4 pages?

[SteveLyric2]

44 minutes ago, PotteringAround said:

Erm, this entire thread is about Phil Morris's evidence to the Coventry Stadium inquiry in which he said it was likely that a new track completely new to Speedway would be coming into the leagues next season.         What on earth do you think we've been discussing for the last 4 pages?

Did he say next season though?

[Deano]

14 minutes ago, Skidder1 said:

Did he say next season though?

Pretty much yes. It might be worth you digging it out on you tube.

[shippy22]

12 hours ago, HGould said:

Spot on. 

Braefield and Odsal already have shale tracks laid down

Neither new. 

The Welsh venue us existing would need a track laying. 

Weston as far as I know is currently a field. 

Is there a disused or little used Footy, Banger or Athletics venue anywhere with infrastructure you could slot a track into. 

If it was a completely new stadium or existing football stadium,  then it would need planning permission,  so the news would have been picked up by local newspapers etc.   It must be somewhere that already has permission to run motor sports, so probably a banger, stock car or possibly a moto cross circuit.  

[SteveLyric2]

9 hours ago, Deano said:

Pretty much yes. It might be worth you digging it out on you tube.

I watched it live. The Speedway Star report says 'possibly' in 2024.

[SteveLyric2]

14 hours ago, Deano said:

Is this where I mention Slough? 

Slough used to have a greyhound track which was also the home of Slough Town FC many years ago. I seem to recall a supermarket being built on the site but it's a long time ago.

[JamesHarris]

I did post on here back in February that I spotted a dirt oval being constructed opposite the A1 services near Grantham.  

Check out Hook Cliff Wheels in a Field facebook page. 

 

Edited October 8, 2023 by JamesHarris

[FishersGate]

Well whoever is possible returning I imagine Phil Morris is pushing hard for this to happen with Peterbrough and wolves closing.  God knows where this mystery track is though 

[HGould]

1 hour ago, Skidder1 said:

Slough used to have a greyhound track which was also the home of Slough Town FC many years ago. I seem to recall a supermarket being built on the site but it's a long time ago.

Aldershot, not a million miles away from Slough used to have a Speedway Track I believe but still has a Stock Car Track (different venue) I believe and is effectively home of the Spedeworth Organisation.

Spedeworth run Stocks/Bangers at Ipswich, Mildenhall, Yarmouth, and Braefield plus also run at Hednesford and are tenants at Eastbourne. 

Yarmouth and Braefield (now known as Northampton) would not be new tracks but you could argue Northampton would be new name (it has also been shaled)

Hednesford is not suitable for Speedway as tarmac, not sure if Aldershot is tarmac or shale.

Spedeworth will have close working links with Louis family at Ipswich and active at other speedway venues so may be that's an avenue BSPL have fostered.

Northampton / Aldershot could be deemed "new" loosely in modern era. 

Edited October 8, 2023 by HGould
spello

[skydog]

29 minutes ago, HGould said:

Aldershot, not a million miles away from Slough used to have a Speedway Track I believe but still has a Stock Car Track (different venue) I believe and is effectively home of the Spedeworth Organisation.

Spedeworth run Stocks/Bangers at Ipswich, Mildenhall, Yarmouth, and Braefield plus also run at Hednesford and are tenants at Eastbourne. 

Yarmouth and Braefield (now known as Northampton) would not be new tracks but you could argue Northampton would be new name (it has also been shaled)

Hednesford is not suitable for Speedway as tarmac, not sure if Aldershot is tarmac or shale.

Spedeworth will have close working links with Louis family at Ipswich and active at other speedway venues so may be that's an avenue BSPL have fostered.

Northampton / Aldershot could be deemed "new" loosely in modern era. 

Pretty sure Aldershot is still a tarmac track. Could be changed obviously but I reckon word would have got out 

[25yearfan]

45 minutes ago, HGould said:

Aldershot, not a million miles away from Slough used to have a Speedway Track I believe but still has a Stock Car Track (different venue) I believe and is effectively home of the Spedeworth Organisation.

Spedeworth run Stocks/Bangers at Ipswich, Mildenhall, Yarmouth, and Braefield plus also run at Hednesford and are tenants at Eastbourne. 

Yarmouth and Braefield (now known as Northampton) would not be new tracks but you could argue Northampton would be new name (it has also been shaled)

Hednesford is not suitable for Speedway as tarmac, not sure if Aldershot is tarmac or shale.

Spedeworth will have close working links with Louis family at Ipswich and active at other speedway venues so may be that's an avenue BSPL have fostered.

Northampton / Aldershot could be deemed "new" loosely in modern era. 

Spedeworth need speedway at Foxhall to make the venue financially viable and I believe have a decent relationship with the MIldenhall speedway promotion at West Row Stadium which they either own or have the lease for.

 

Brafield raceway was shaled over a few years back and staged speedway in the 50's and 60's. I always wondered why this venue was never opened up in the late 60's and early 70's when the success and viability of the new 2nd Division saw many would be (and already existing ) promotors  look at all sorts of different venues and locations to run a 2nd tier team out of? 

 

Spedeworth are only tenants at Great Yarmouth but the owners aren't against speedway indeed they are the same family who owned it when speedway was staged there in the 40's - 60's and former Bloaters rider Billy Bales opened the new restaurant there about a decade ago. - That said the track would be extremely small and the speedway closed there in 1961 cause they could only get a viable crowd in the holiday period. 

Hednesford did stage a few open meetings and speedway practise sessions after the war so would it qualify as a new speedway venue? - Not far out of the Birmingham/Black Country conurbation speedway hotbed which is just about to lose another track in Wolves. Could this venue work as a speedway venue?  

 

I hope Phil Morris' words of hope about a new track bear fruition! 

 

 

 

Edited October 8, 2023 by 25yearfan

[JamesHarris]

Has anybody mentioned Trent Raceway near Burton yet? It's an established dirt oval and has been used for speedway practice. I'm sure Tom Wolley posted video's of him having a skid round there on youtube. 

[SteveLyric2]

There are probably a lot more defunct greyhound tracks/stadia than speedway tracks in the UK. I presume many have been redeveloped but could it be one of those?

[noaksey]

1 hour ago, 25yearfan said:

Spedeworth need speedway at Foxhall to make the venue financially viable and I believe have a decent relationship with the MIldenhall speedway promotion at West Row Stadium which they either own or have the lease for.

 

Brafield raceway was shaled over a few years back and staged speedway in the 50's and 60's. I always wondered why this venue was never opened up in the late 60's and early 70's when the success and viability of the new 2nd Division saw many would be (and already existing ) promotors  look at all sorts of different venues and locations to run a 2nd tier team out of? 

 

Spedeworth are only tenants at Great Yarmouth but the owners aren't against speedway indeed they are the same family who owned it when speedway was staged there in the 40's - 60's and former Bloaters rider Billy Bales opened the new restaurant there about a decade ago. - That said the track would be extremely small and the speedway closed there in 1961 cause they could only get a viable crowd in the holiday period. 

Hednesford did stage a few open meetings and speedway practise sessions after the war so would it qualify as a new speedway venue? - Not far out of the Birmingham/Black Country conurbation speedway hotbed which is just about to lose another track in Wolves. Could this venue work as a speedway venue?  

 

I hope Phil Morris' words of hope about a new track bear fruition! 

 

 

 

Hednesford has I believe been investigated by Wolves already and ruled out

[HGould]

32 minutes ago, noaksey said:

Hednesford has I believe been investigated by Wolves already and ruled out

There used to be a dirt Banger Oval near Worcester at Grimley but very basic. 

Hednesford from memory is part surrounded by high banks that the armco is attached to. 

There is an old abandoned dog track Norton Canes not far away. 

Of course there is an empty very modern unused Rugby ground at Sixways M5 J6 that could be used with a drop in track.Doesn't look like Worcester will reform anytime soon and Wasps refused permission to use. 

No housing near and there is a well established MX track opposite on the Southbound side so logically no noise issues. 

Would be accessible to huge catchment area especially if running CL on a weekend. 

Got a lower league soccer team in there but few hundred go. 

[Broadsider]

Some really underwhelming suggestions on here. I mean Weston Super Mare?, Brafield? Good lord, the BSPL are really hell bent on shoving British Speedway into the backwaters! How about making a serious statement about the sports future in this country by making a collectively ambitious move to reinstantiate racing at Odsal, Bradford? After 26 years in the Speedway wilderness, the interest generated at the return of such an iconic venue would be tremendous. A track is already in place and it’s surely not beyond the wit of man to relocate pits and perhaps utilise otherwise now defunct starting gate/ air fence facilities from sadly demised Wolves/ Panthers? Think about what an attraction it would be to have the Dukes/ Tigers/ Aces northern rivalry back in full swing! Get Discovery Sports in there with their sponsorship to take a look and visualise what could be done in a proper larger stadium to truly reenergise the British Speedway product! Come on BSPL grasp the nettle, make a genuinely progressive statement and start actually promoting the sport for once!

[RogerM22]

21 minutes ago, Broadsider said:

the backwaters!

Bradford 

 

[HGould]

23 minutes ago, Broadsider said:

Some really underwhelming suggestions on here. I mean Weston Super Mare?, Brafield? Good lord, the BSPL are really hell bent on shoving British Speedway into the backwaters! How about making a serious statement about the sports future in this country by making a collectively ambitious move to reinstantiate racing at Odsal, Bradford? After 26 years in the Speedway wilderness, the interest generated at the return of such an iconic venue would be tremendous. A track is already in place and it’s surely not beyond the wit of man to relocate pits and perhaps utilise otherwise now defunct starting gate/ air fence facilities from sadly demised Wolves/ Panthers? Think about what an attraction it would be to have the Dukes/ Tigers/ Aces northern rivalry back in full swing! Get Discovery Sports in there with their sponsorship to take a look and visualise what could be done in a proper larger stadium to truly reenergise the British Speedway product! Come on BSPL grasp the nettle, make a genuinely progressive statement and start actually promoting the sport for once!

You might have got that reaction 25 years ago but not now. 

With a dwindling supporter fan base and tracks in Redcar, Scunthorpe, Sheffield and Manchester is there enough slack in a cost of living crisis to entice the 2000 per meeting it would take to cover investment and make it pay from the fan base that supports those existing tracks. 

 

[Broadsider]

40 minutes ago, HGould said:

You might have got that reaction 25 years ago but not now. 

With a dwindling supporter fan base and tracks in Redcar, Scunthorpe, Sheffield and Manchester is there enough slack in a cost of living crisis to entice the 2000 per meeting it would take to cover investment and make it pay from the fan base that supports those existing tracks. 

 

We travel the 120 mile trek to Scunny every week! It’s even further still to Redcar and both Sheffield/ Belle Vue involve a 70 mile round trip! All of these are stretching it, from a cost point of view, for most fans in the North/ West/ East Yorks belt. The supporter interest generated both old and new in those regions would comfortably sustain the Odsal investment in my opinion. The problem with British Speedway is that promoting nous and ambition has been at virtual zero for decades. Supposed promoters have focused inwardly and even their ability to do that is questionable. I’m certain that financial investment in the sport has never been higher than currently brought by Discovery Sports. With British Speedway withering to the point of extinction before our very eyes, l see it as a great opportunity to utilise some of that funding to collectively reinvest in a proper stadia/ track to help sustain/ grow  the sport. If you think back when we had real entrepreneurial promoters, then if one door closed they just moved on and opened up in another Town/ City. The sport kept moving forward and expanding. As it stands we have a total of 14 tracks left and potentially more in that number on the brink due to potential land development. If we don’t counter this by getting out there, promoting and opening up new venues then Speedway is dead and buried in this country for sure. 

[Broadsider]

59 minutes ago, RogerM22 said:

 

Steady!