Professional Speedway locations closed post 2000 - what does each site look like from above in 2024? 

Well done for contributing to the sport, you are a braver man than me!

And the mystery racer you are? What's your name ?

I think the greatest sadness is that I don't think that the Robins had poor crowds, certainly they looked reasonably healthy on the occasions I have visited. But in urban locations, the stadium owners will often be looking to play the redevelopment card and earn a lot more money by selling for redevelopment. You need a really strong council to resist this, Oxford is the perfect example and Coventry is another example although without the right outcome.

@speedwayuk I totally agree 👍 It seems that way with the councils I believe that it is pressure from the whole economy with lack of housing, but they could of had built around the outskirts of the Town The national sport is ⚽ in the UK, many lower league clubs seem to be survived on a low attendance, then you look at the cost of tickets for sale and membership would be a real benefit for some people. Back in the late 1980s Swindon was very much a growing Town with Honda & Motorola. Our Population as really doubled. Most of the shops & pubs have closed down since the lockdown, I have noticed more flats have been built on industrial land. The culture of Swindon is always changing with more Brazilian and Portuguese people who don't know anything about Speedway. Times change.

I often passed the solemn faces of Tadpole Farm or Garden Village or whatever they call it now, queuing miserably every morning past the stadium, trying to escape their half million pound prison cells.

I'm a Racers Fan & we had a great local rivalry. But all clean fun. I feel & share your pain. I'm empty without speedway.

Yes, with land being so valuable in many locations where there are / have been Speedway tracks the councils have a vital role to resist the desire to redevelop sites, just like Oxford did.

I agree, better usage of stadiums by combining more sports would help. Classically in city locations Speedway was paired with Greyhound racing but that has been in decline too since the 80s (just like Speedway) and having two declining sports in a stadium is going to lead to what has happened in those city centres, especially with the pressure on land for other usages. Now we large urban populations with no speedway track within 60+ miles, certainly in London and I think Birmingham is following that trend. As for costs, certainly Speedway isn't cheap but professional sport is expensive, Speedway is broadly comparable with Division 1 & 2 football and much cheaper than Championship / Premier League or taking a motorsport comparison, F1. Personally, I think our focus now should be on managing (slowing) the decline, I think the idea that there is a business case to build new locations (certainly near centres of large population) is a pipe dream. So bringing professional Speedway back to locations still with tracks such as Coventry, Eastbourne, IOW, Sittingbourne would be lovely but whether feasible financially is another matter. Oxford has been one of the only bright lights I can think of where a track with a large population catchment has been reborn and I worry that this promotion may be overstretched things by running 3 teams this season, 2 of them professional. Let us hope not!

@speedwayuk the music festivals seem to create more of attraction than ever all over the world The Glastonbury is now a massive business event for the 📺 & entertainment purposes All music festivals were free in the early stages, now the Landing Places are kicking off the animals for music There is probably more green space available for Speedway in other countries now, where they don't have success in making records The music venues in England are closing down,but it's the musicians who need to play in front of 💯 thousands of people Just needs a few new stadiums built for all 🏁 sports & 🎯

A quick search reveals that racing at Boston Sports Stadium stopped part way through the season in 1987. Have you subsequently gone to Speedway at any other location such as Scunthorpe or have you been lost to the sport as so many spectators have?

@speedwayuk lost touch really i went to Wembley with my dad and grandad. When a scooter pass me and I smell the Castrol R oil always reminds me of Boston speedway I frist went 1970s

I agree, I think it beats F1 in terms of excitement for spectators and approachability of riders. I still don't think it is that expensive, the top tier is probably comparable with Division 1 or 2 football and considerably cheaper than Premier League football or indeed F1 both or which are flourishing.

The situation is complex as I covered in the Rise and Decline video but in my opinion, the time for radical action was the 90s. I know it is a totally different sport but Snooker was in serious decline but Barry Hearn was radical and this sport has recovered.

@@speedwayuk I understand what you are saying, but with owners of stadiums wanting to sell up, unless speedway can find their multiples of Barry Hearns, I have no idea how speedway can rise again.

I only made it once but the track looked good for providing the possibility of good racing and it was well supported

Because this is post-2000. Cradley Heath were (at Dudley Wood) pre-2000.

@@comond yep, missed the post 2000, they folded in 1997 I believe, my bad 🤨

I was thinking about maybe doing a video on closures 1980 through to 2000 but it might be depressing seeing a load of redevelopment? Anyone interested? At least in producing this video, I was surprised how many of the sites still do or could support Speedway in the future, even if many are now non-professional

I agree, it is sad to see what was once the second biggest spectator sport in the country decline so much

Yes it is.

I agree, it is sad to see what was once the second biggest spectator sport in the country decline so much

I had the experience of visiting Exeter a couple of times while on holiday, those steel fences were scary. A difficult track to overtake on so I doubt if I would have enjoyed going every week though, I do like tracks where there is the possibility of overtaking past lap 1 bends 1 & 2. The modern Belle Vue track is excellent in this regard.

Mark, agreed on date of 1997 for Speedway at this site but the video is concerned with Professional rather than Amateur racing and that started in 2001 as Trelawny Tigers; up to that point it was Amateur with the name St Austell Gulls

@@speedwayuk ahh yes,my friends Paul oughton and Greene Gordon rode for st austell in their opening season

When Oxford is the location closest to London & SE, that says something, vast populations can no longer be tempted to attend. Yes in the main, Speedway is remaining in locations away from population centres where land is cheaper. While this reduces the threat of the classic "redevelopment loss" it isn't great for getting people to attend! Yes, I've been down to Hackney a few times especially once West Ham packed up.

@@speedwayuk

My analysis for the video is based on review of league tables of each season but considering only professional leagues which have had several different names over the years but have typically been the top 2 tiers only and some years only 1 tier (a state I think will eventually return). A quick google has indicated racing stopped after 1985 (and that season was amateur I think).

My understanding is that while there may be some payment to cover some costs in the NDL, the riders aren't earning an income as such, as in the main two leagues. Even here, some of the riders may now be semi-professional i.e. not earning all their income from Speedway but due to the dearth of riders of sufficient quality, many are doubling up between the two leagues and thus probably can just earn enough certainly in the season. May be wrong as I don't have inside information, but that is my understanding.

So many tracks have suffered redevelopment. It is up to the council to resist such activities, a good example being Oxford.