No i agree my remark was more tongue in cheek. The Swindon one also rather strange ? Coventry is unbelievable especially the midlands was a real hot bed of speedway. Just seems to be moving more up north ? We just don’t seem to have the supporters. Definitely think it’s a age thing. Even some highlights on quest on at 11-00 12-00 at night like it’s hidden away. I don’t know how Swedish league is these days???
Thank you for this update. It does sadden me that the sport is not appreciated. Noise complaints and lack of investment. Yet the sport survives in other countries.
Agreed, It is a sad situation but the time to try and arrest the decline was in the 80s and 90s. I'm afraid we have now lost a critical mass of locations, it is crazy that for the huge population mass of London the nearest professional track running that I can think of is Oxford!!
So unlucky some tracks / stadiums catching fire with no one around. I just think it’s so sad. That a family sport with no bad behaviour is going. Different world. You don’t even see kids playing football over the park these days. All on computers and social media. Think staying in is the new going out !!
Paul, I am a little more cynical about these fires, it helps the case for redevelopment if the stadium is wrecked. In terms of a general trend of staying in, I think you are right but some other spectator sports are still surviving (lower league football) and some are thriving (top two football divisions, F1 etc). Speedway can be a great night out but the time to address the decline was in 80s and 90s, now we have lost critical mass so it is a one way direction. Try and enjoy it while you can even if it now probably means a longer journey
Actually, the reason I didn't include Leicester is that they went to a new stadium in 2011 (Beaumont Park Stadium) and are racing in 2024. Therefore they don't qualify as a town without professional Speedway in my mind. I suppose I shot myself in the foot when I included the old Workington stadium in the post 2000 closures when they are now riding professionally again, I made this exception to show a little bright spark as a "new" stadium was created post pandemic. Anyway, that is my crooked logic :)
