Norwich Speedway Revival

[rodders]

This is mentioned in Speedway Star this week. Any bets on this being scuppered by objections from other Norfolk promotions.

[Deleted]

Apparently they are showing concerns but raising no objection......time will tell

[admin]

Did see this on the news this morning, would be good if it happened

---

A 360-metre track will be at the centre of the 11-hectare New Firs development, which developers hope to build on the eastern corner of the Norfolk Showground on the site of the former golf driving range, and which could be open for competition by the end of next year.

Plans were unveiled at the showground today, with former Norwich Stars hero Ove Fundin and former Lord Mayor Roy Blower in attendance.

The two-sided 480-seater stadium, with a pit building in the former driving range bays, could become the home to the new Norwich speedway team, reviving the sport in the city for the first time since the Firs stadium closed in 1965.

A planning application to South Norfolk District Council is expected to be submitted next month and Steve Ribbons, of New Firs Ltd, urged the council to view the stadium as “a force for good, economically and socially”.

“We believe there is a want and a need for speedway in Norwich – if you put the racing on, they will come,” he said.

The plans anticipate crowds of around 1,500 people per race night, bringing around 800 cars on to the showground, but Mr Ribbons said Saturday nights had been selected as race nice to avoid weekday rush hours.

Up to 30 speedway meetings will be held a year during the April-October season, with warm-up and racing between 7.30pm and 10pm. Practice sessions, which are not open to the public, would be held on Wednesday evenings.

The developers are distributing leaflets to 2,000 homes in the area around the proposed stadium to ask for residents’ thoughts, and a public exhibition of the plans is scheduled for the MacGregor building at the Norfolk Showground on Saturday.

What do you think about the potential return of speedway to Norwich? Leave your comments below or email [e-mail]

edp24.co.uk

[Deleted]

Jul 26, 2012 21:31:41 GMT admin said:

and Steve Ribbons, of

uh oh and it was starting to look so promising.

[Bigcatdiary]

I was only saying to a couple of friends the other week that despite it being glaringly obvious (well to me at any rate) that Speedway Promoters generally struggle to survive their is never any shortage of volunteers willing to have a crack at it.

In recent times we have had Birmingham new boys Alan Philips and Chris Luty, David Hemsley at Leicester (nice stadium shame about the racetrack) Mike Bowden at Plymouth (bet he is regretting it now), Mick Horton at Coventry (2nd attempt) and now Steve Ribbon wanting to have a go at Norwich.

[rodders]

It may be cynical but I expect other promoters in Norfolk to hope planning permission is refused so that they will not need to object.