Fans 'heartbroken' over looming speedway closure

Dennis Cluley has been following the sport for two decades

"It means everything to me, it's a Monday night out, it's not just the racing, it's the community... it's the people."

Dennis Cluley has been following speedway for about 20 years, and is a huge fan of the Birmingham Brummies, who are facing the end of racing at their Perry Barr stadium.

The Brummies are the last surviving team in the West Midlands, but Monday 25 August will be their final race, as they close up to make way for the stadium to be turned into housing.

"I think it's terrible I'm going to be devastated come Bank Holiday Monday when the final race is happening, Mr Cluley said.

"It's devastating for this community, it's devastating for speedway fans.

"We just hope that one track in the Midlands comes back, at least."

The sport started in the region in 1928

It is not just heartbreak for the Birmingham Brummies and their fans, it is a whole community of the sport's followers across the West Midlands.

Wolverhampton Speedway lost its venue at the Monmore Green stadium at the end of the 2023 season, after a tenancy agreement was not extended.

The Cradley Heathens speedway team folded in 1995 after moving out of their Dudley Wood track. It was revived in 2010 and also raced at Monmore Green.

Meanwhile, the Coventry Bees stopped racing at the Brandon Stadium, which is currently derelict, in 2016.

Phil McGlynn is a track photographer at the stadium

Phil McGlynn is a track photographer at the stadium, and told the BBC it was a "major heartbreak".

"It's a big part of my life, it's a social scene... coming down here for each meeting is like being in a village," he said.

"It felt the same when Wolverhampton closed."

Fan Dave Boxley said the closure would leave the nearest tracks in Leicester or Sheffield.

"It'll be a big loss," he said.

"There's enough people that want it back, but getting the land... that is the big problem.

"When you're competing against some of the big builders... it's big money."

Nigel Tolley said he wanted more people to know about the sport

Nigel Tolley, CEO of Birmingham Speedway, said the community was like a family.

"That's one of the reasons why I bought Birmingham... to make sure Birmingham survived - I was expecting to get quite a few more years than we've had."

He said the club got on well with the developers and could have stayed on for another year, but now without greyhounds at the track, prices would soar.

"It would probably cost £275,000 for the lease, then we've got to pay for business rates, then gas and electricity," he said.

"There just aren't enough people coming through the turnstiles to pay for that.

"It's just a shame that more people don't know about speedway, it is the most exciting of motorsports."