Threat to Wimbledon Stock Car Stadium?

[The Fat Clerk]

In a similar vein it looks like the Brandon Stadium in Coventry has seen it's last ever Stock Car & Speedway event. 60 years of motorsport lost to a housing estate.

The Bees Speedway team will be riding @ Leicester's stadium and luckily us Stock Cars fans still have Northampton, Hednesford & Birmingham in the Midlands.

[chunder]

The difference there with Brandon is the way it has been dealt with. At least Wimbledon has died with grace and a bit of a bang, Brandon died with a whimper and a fat profit for the promoter and owner.

Appalling PR, lies, trying to max out the last few events for money and not spending anything on the big events they had there to maximise profit rather than showcase the sport.

Also, as a stock car fan we have already been told the first two dates at that venue have been lost, those dates are owned by Coventry and their promoter, why can't he hold them somewhere else? Another track, it's been done countless times before.

The place has been very run down for many years and was really only still with us because the land owner did not want to sell during the crash a few years ago, since then we have all known it is likely to be sold, but the way it has been handled the past few months beggars belief really, people taking things away, speedway guy being an idiot, lies, deceit.

The people living there would rather it stayed, rather a day every week with a bit of noise than a building site for years, but who even listens to them. Health and safety would have a field day there now, it is crumbling and falling down. And unless you are a rich benefactor you would never see a return on an investment you made tarting it up.

Sadly it will likely never get replaced, stock car tracks rarely do. They might get a new speedway venue, but I doubt they will get permission to run cars there, that ship sailed years ago unless you are extremely well off and can buy councillors or have it on your own land.

Thankfully though there are venues that are doing well, Kings Lynn have been making steady improvements for years and their track offers far better racing, Skegness is now under new ownership and showing signs of trying to eradicate the tatty image of stock cars in the UK, and our biggest yearly event is at Ipswich, a venue that has spend tens of thousands in recent years on improvements and should really showcase the sport. Unlike the last few World Finals that have made no effort to put on any glamour, fun, etc, simply tried to make as money from fans as possible

[Stephen H]

Yes its good that Wimbledon didn't just disappear in the off season. Its great that it gets a farewell season, especially one that sees National Hot Rods and Brisca F1's back in the capital. Going to be great to the the National Saloon Stock Cars at Plough Lane too. I certainly don't remember them racing there before. There is mention of 44 being booked in which is great a Sunday Night.

This is what Wimbledon AFC are asking their fans to send to Historic England.

"Dear Senior Listing Advisor

In response to your request of 6th February for observations on your consultation report I write to make the following comments.

1) Your initial report on the site, published on 12 January 2016, stated:

- The stadium was extensively altered, rebuilt and extended after the Second World War, diminishing the overall architectural interest of the building;
- It is not as architecturally distinguished as the listed buildings at Walthamstow Stadium;
- Its historic interest does not outweigh the loss of architectural interest.

2) Although the Greyhound Stadium may contain one or two minor features of interest, such as the Mick the Miller mosaic (which, as you acknowledge, is of uncertain provenance) if these elements are deemed as worthy of preservation they could be satisfactorily preserved by being relocated to an appropriate site elsewhere, an approach that has been adopted successfully in similar situations across the country.

For example, when the original Wimbledon Football Club ground in Plough Lane was converted into residential housing, some architecturally important turnstiles were preserved by being moved to a comparable stadium owned by Heybridge Swifts FC, where I believe they are still in use today. I suggest that, if appropriate, an inventory of any worthwhile items at the Greyhound Stadium could be prepared and suitable homes found for them elsewhere.

3) The new plans for the site include a football stadium for AFC Wimbledon, as well as much-needed retail and community facilities. The local council and the GLA fully support this development because they believe it will provide a massive boost, both socially and economically, to an area that is seriously run-down and currently blighted by the dilapidated state of the Greyhound Stadium and its adjoining buildings.

4) The new plans will also see a reversion of the site to its original historical use, as Wimbledon’s football club played on the site before its reinvention as a greyhound stadium after they moved to a second site further up Plough Lane.

In conclusion I would emphasise that there is nothing in your report that indicates any need to change your original conclusion. I would, therefore, urge you not to list this building and to expedite this decision as quickly as possible so that the new stadium plans and the regeneration of the area are not hidebound by long delays.

Yours"

[chunder]

Very cleverly worded attack on what has been there since the war.

And of course no mention of the fact that the football team in Wimbledon is now based in Milton Keynes, AFC Wimbledon have no relevance to the area at all as they have only existed for a few years and have already kicked a perfectly happy non league side out of their ground at Kingstonians and sold the land to Chelsea, if they were so desperate to move why couldn't they go there?

Why? Because they had already tapped up the people that make the decisions in and around Wimbledon and knew they would get their own way, that's why.

I agree that building something new there is probably better all round, but rather dumbly, they say themselves that the stadium is in a run down area!! So who on earth is going to want to have a business based there! lol Stupid wording. And they make no reference at all to all the people that work there, the people that watch sport there and any plans to help them and offer something for them, it is simply a ruthless takeover.

That entire piece is about trying to make out the stadium as it is now does not matter and their idea is better.

Makes them look like exactly what they are, a bunch of bullies.

[Stephen H]

Nice reply "Chunder".

Well the lease for Stock Cars is almost up, and the stadium's fate is in the hands of Historic England.

I wonder how long before the residents of the new flats to be built on the current pits/car park, start complaining about "noise" from the new football stadium.

I realise the football stadium is only a wedge to get housing on land allocated for leisure. But I still cannot see the point of building 602 flats and a 10,000 or 20,000 seat football stadium on top of one another.

Sorry to read yesterday that Coventry has run its last meeting.

Wimbledon is advance ticket only this Sunday, and apparently is sold out. Brisca F1 numbers are sadly but not unsurprisingly looking low, but over 40 National Saloon Stock Cars booked in. Classic Hot Rods are back the week after. Then the final 2 meetings are advance ticket only. One last Banger night, then 1300cc Stock Cars, Superstox and a National Hot Rod World Qualifier to say goodbye to 55 years of racing in London.

[chunder]

The Coventry situation is a little different sadly. That has been done so badly the mistrust will no doubt affect fans for quite some time, it had already affected me for a couple of years before as I knew the way it was being handled was shoddy, underhand and utterly unprofessional.

The problem there is also the successful speedway team that shared the facility, you lose the track you lose the cars and the bikes, and as they are a team they always have more pull locally as they are sort of like a community thing like a rugby or football team, so the media are more interested. Wimbledon had one too in the past.

Never mind the fact they never got anywhere near as many people through the gate as stock cars did to watch. The speedway team disappearing has been driving local news, as usual no one gives a toss about the stock cars that made far more money and actually benefitted the local economy with huge queues at chippys and the odd weekend meeting that benefitted local pubs, and hotels. Speedway rarely contributed to that pot locally. And less so.

Either way, both are gone now, speedway team has to be dropped for a year as they have nowhere to race and the stock car people who removed all the stuff needed to run there anyway; like the fence, lights and a few bits will keep them and use them at whatever new track they run at.

I can't see it happening to be honest, to get planning for a thing like this is almost impossible in modern Britain. Belle Vue speedway did it, but only by linking the sports history and stuff there as an almost cultural investment. I very much doubt Coventry will get a new stadium, it is a loss maker, always going to be unless you have a person involved with huge business acumen who can find ways of making that land work for him to make money.

[Stephen H]

It is a shame Speedway and Stock Cars don't work together more. At a track they should plug each other, could share track fixture lists. But they see each other as competition., both for customers and dates on which to race.

According to the internet, it was increase in rent that put paid to Wimbledon Dons Speedway Team. At Wimbledon it did mean the end of dust and a tarmac track for Stock Cars.

I know some fans just follow cars or bikes, but they must be some cross-over. Both are motorsport after all.

With 2 Stadiums lost so far this year. I do fear that Arlington could be lost for housing one day too.

Just wish all stadium users would work more closely to ensure a future for the stadiums.

Its good to see that former Wimbledon Dons Speedway Riders are having a reunion at the 3rd to last Wimbledon Stock Car Meeting, and that its being publically promoted by the Stock Car Fans. Too late for Wimbledon. But maybe Arlington could take that on board. Maybe when the Holiday Crowd are in for Stocks Cars, they could introduce the Eagles Speedway Team one night, and maybe a Stock Car or 2 could be on display at a Speedway meeting.

The pressure to build on stadiums is just going to increase. Time they are seem as assets to a community rather than just a noise nuisance...

[chunder]

Agreed Stephen, quite often in posts about magazines and websites you see idiotic comments from people nailing their keyboard saying "why are there articles about bike racing in this publication, it should be stopped!"

Err, because in most cases it is more popular, more competitors, and the top level is better racing, more interesting people etc, that's why.

Speedway and stock cars can get on, it is up to the tracks owner to sort out the rifts and make them work together.

I think in Wimbo's case, there was never much interest in speedway there, perhaps the dog people wanted them out I don't know so ramped up the rent, or thought because of SKY they were flush, speedway clubs rarely are because of the wages they have to pay to riders off of a few hundred spectators!!

Was a shame, but to be honest as more of a stock car nut, tracks with a shale oval inside them are rubbish to watch at, Arena, Ipswich and Wimbledon were total one line tracks and so slippy off line drivers use to take it easy there as a normal impact there would wreck your car as it was so, so slippy off line.

[Rikki Cann]

We were there last night, enjoyed it and sad at the same time, but everything moves on, it was taking around 20-30 mins to change the outer rail posts because of the amount of damaged caused by the F1s.which is painfull to watch, but the final show was good.

It looks like being a very interesting F1 season this year all the usual suspects where at it last night, great to watch.

[Stephen H]

Sadly Wimbledon may be lost, but the battle for Coventry continues. There is a Save Coventry Speedway Site on Facebook with 4000 members.

They are currently encouraging people country wide to object to the Planning Permission Application to build 147 houses on the site.

The planning application can be viewed on the Rugby Borough Council Planning Portal. Comments and objections can be made via the Planning Portal, or the case officer can be emailed at Erica.Buchanan@rugby.gov.uk

By post to Erica Buchanan, Rugby Borough Council, Town Hall, Evreux Way, Rugby CV21 2RR

[Stephen H]

Wimbledon AFC are posting photos and live feed of the demolition of Wimbledon Stadium, 50 weeks after its last meeting. So soon we will just be left with our memories, photos and programmes.

On the same day as heartbreaking news that the Last Grand Stadium in London was being torn down, was uplifting news from the save Coventry Stadium group. Rugby Planning, have revealed they had 1800 responses to the proposed planning permission to build houses on the Stadium. Apparently 1793 of those were objections to building on the stadium, that had come from far and wide.

[Stephen H]

Two years today since the last 2lt Hot Rod race at Wimbledon.