Fresh calls for talks over Black Country speedway track
A fresh appeal for talks over creating a new stadium to attract thousands of Black Country speedway fans has been made by club bosses today.
Around 1,000 fans pack into Wolverhampton’s Ladbrokes Stadium to watch Dudley Heathens Speedway Club meetings since riders took to the track once more four years ago.
Heathens chairman Nigel Pearson today said he was “disappointed” talks with Dudley Council leader, Councillor David Sparks, had failed to materialise in recent months.
He says there is no long-term future for the club in Wolverhampton and reiterated the time was right for a permanent move back to Dudley.
Club officials have also held talks with Sandwell Council over the possibility of building a stadium on industrial land in the borough.
The club had hoped a stadium could be included in the multi-million pound regeneration of Castle Hill.
But redevelopment plans for Castle Hill have already been approved by councillors this week.
Mr Pearson said: “We are disappointed we have been unable to have talks with David Sparks about the stadium over the last few months.
“We will continue to push forward carrying the Dudley name but there is no long term future at Wolverhampton.
“We have been made so welcome and the Wolverhampton track staff have done a great job but we have to look at plans for our own stadium.
“Sandwell have offered to investigate industrial sites for us and we have had some dislogue with them. At the moment we have reached an impasse and there is a lack of progress.”
Councillor Sparks today ruled out hopes to build a stadium on Castle Hill but did welcome fresh talks in a bid to find a new site suitable for a new speedway venue.
“I’m very eager to have talks and hear the club’s suggestions and they only have to make contact with my office at the council,” he said. “Castle Hill is not a suitable site for speedway and we are already progressing with plans with the three attractions. I would hope that we would be able place the Heathens in Dudley or Sandwell but I personally don’t know of a suitable site.”
The Heathens, which rose out of the former Cradley Heath side, have been racing in Wolverhampton and Birmingham since they reformed in 2010.
Comments for: "Fresh calls for talks over Black Country speedway track"
Martacus Redd
How about building a track on the Beans Foundry site in Tipton?
I think some plans for other development gone in there, but it's a big chunk of land
steve read
How about the old GEC facttory in Blackheath. Or the old oil terminal in. Oldbury
wayne round
how much closer do you want to get to wolverhampton, we dont want to be near monmore.
Steve Guest
Why not try Kidderminster it has Grass tracking most saturdays and plenty of green land to build a speedway track on
chris abbey
Another joke comment by dudley council leader, the speedway club have tried on numerous occasions to arrange a meeting with david sparks for nearly 12 months and no reply!!! The land at castle gate is more than big enough to have all the current things they are planning and incorporate a multi use, multi purpose sports stadium which can not only be used by the dudley heathens with their large following but the local community as well(at no cost to the council by the way)!! I feel its time for supporters of the club and local community in general to write to this 'elected leader' and tell him their feelings on the matter!
Dudley borough is a disgrace in sporting terms, A DISGRACE and yet nothing is done! I also believe it be the biggest borough in England without a professinal sports team and 12/18 months ago these same councillors applied for dudley to be granted 'CITY' status ha,ha what an utter load of tripe!! A town centre thats a ghost town and a town with no sporting hertiage what so ever, wake up dudley council and smell the coffee!! useless!