Wimbledon Stadium

[Guest Trash]

Saw this on a speedway forum today:

 

"Saw an article in the Daily Mirror today about the possibility that their maybe no more Greyhound racing in London from next year.

 

Apparently Walthmstow Stadium has been sold to a housing developer for £35 million. Greyhound racing will probably finish at this former speedway venue (old track still in place though tarmaced over inside dog track) next year.

 

It also said that it is possible that the GRA may cash in on Wimledon Stadium and sell it for redevelopment as soon as next year. Although it also said that the GRA may come to a compromise and sell part of the site, probably some of the large car park I'd presume, to one of the supermarket chains.

It finished of by saying that the GRA have spent money at Wimbledon and though the greyhounds tick over the profit margins aren't big enough.

 

I'm sure it would hard to resist a muti £million deal being dangled in front of you.

 

Lets hope that Wimbledon escapes the clutches of the dreaded property developers who seem intent on buying up every bit of land available.

 

We've lost enough stadia over the years. Really some sort of preservation should be put on stadiums."

 

Full thread can be found HERE

[big al 515]

Worrying, Trash, though not a surprise.

 

Let's hope the GRA don't go down that route, but the speedway has run with two thirds of the stadium out of bounds for many years, don't know about the stox and hounds but it kind of has a feel of a place living beyond it's years 

[Guest Trash]

Looks like the whole stadium is going to be out of bounds for Speedway now Al

 

"The Directors of Wimbledon Speedway plc regret to announce that the GRA, the landlords at Wimbledon Stadium, have informed us that we will be unable to run speedway events at Plough Lane beyond the end of the current campaign that finishes in October 2005.

 

Last Wednesday at a meeting with the management of Wimbledon Stadium, the Directors of Wimbledon Speedway plc put forward an offer to renew the rental agreement for the 2006 season at a value in real term terms identical with the one in existence for the current year.

 

The GRA informed the Directors of Wimbledon Speedway plc that this offer would not be acceptable, and that unless the rental payment was substantially increased, speedway racing would cease at the stadium at the conclusion of the 2005 season.

 

The rent that Wimbledon Speedway plc currently pay for the use of Wimbledon Stadium is the highest paid by any speedway promotion in the United Kingdom and was subject this season to an increase in excess of 25%.  In addition Wimbledon Speedway plc pay costs to cover the expense of laying protected sheets on the greyhound track and to sweep the arena after speedway events. 

 

The Directors of Wimbledon Speedway plc do not believe that speedway racing can remain economically viable if faced with a substantial rent increase for the second year in succession.

 

Therefore reluctantly we must announce that speedway racing will cease at Plough Lane after the completion of the league fixtures against Oxford on the 21st September, Stoke on the 28th September and the Laurels individual championship on October 5th.

 

Representations have been made to Clive Feltham, Chairman of the GRA, and also to Luke Johnson and Ben Redmond of Risk Capital Partners, owners of the GRA, in the hope that speedway may continue, but to date, no response has been forthcoming.

 

It is disappointing that after investing £50,000 in building a purpose built speedway circuit, and at the point where we are about to conclude our most successful season yet, both in terms of finances and on track performances, the GRA have decided to end speedway events at their stadium.

 

Our focus must now be aimed at supporting the Robert Heath Heating Dons in their endeavours to bring back the first league championship to Plough Lane since 1961 and we can only hope that the GRA have a change of heart and recognise the economic and social benefits of having speedway staged at their stadium. 

 

The Board of Wimbledon Speedway plc

19th September 2005"

 

[Pedz 212]

NOT lookin gd for stockcars then...

[big al 515]

Very bad news re the speedway after all the effort to get them back up and running. 

 

And it doesn't help the stockcar cause there much either, like Pedz says. 

[FireStorm]

Its a shame that they are pulling the spedeway but they are only geting half turn outs and costing them lots of money to have a half empty track. Wimbledon isn't the cheapest track to keep open when its empty

Edited September 21, 2005 by FireStorm

[Blobbs!]

Don't know if any/how many of you are ACU (auto cycle union) members, but just to confirm the demise of wimbledon, the is a small piece in this months 'SportMoto' magazine for members stating;-

     "WIMBLEDON are in danger of being forced out of Plough lane after the club, already claiming to pay the highest rent in the country, were hit by a 25% increase by their landlords."

 

(speedway)

 

If the owners are having to try and justify retaining the facility i guess they'll have to be charging the sameamounts as the profit they'd get from developing the area.

How long will the Speedway, The Dogs and Spedeworth be able to keep up the increases???

Edited October 9, 2005 by Blobbs!

[Knobby]

Dno but the romours of it closing were lies

[Radz335]

i read in the motorsport news that f1 stock cars are staying at wimbledon, speedway won't be at wimbledon next year

[FireStorm]

As confirmed by the  company who own the spedeway. They are pulling the speedway as they only get half crowds and to much ashale to clear up after a meeting. They have backed Stock cars and said its great and stated they have 32 meetings next year. They also said they have hadd a thursday night meeting for the dogs which has also secured its furture for a while