Sport In Profile UK Promo | Page 31

belle vue ACES speedway doom and gloom surrounding the sport, which is slightly misleading given all of the positive steps being made. Just lately in particular, small pockets of news have filtered through from other parts of the country where similar efforts to Belle Vue’s are being made to revive the original extreme sport. Said Morton: “The development of the sport is not only on our agenda. In Swindon they’re building a new stadium, and in Glasgow and the Isle of Wight there’s excellent restoration work going on. “It could well be the start of a new era, where other councils are starting to look at the value in having a good speedway stadium in their borough; at least, that is what we would like to see. “The National Speedway Stadium is a significant part of Manchester City Council’s sport portfolio, and that’s something they’ve kept a very strong focus on over the last 20 years at least. “This city has seen the growth of such projects as Sport City and this new Belle Vue Sports Village is not only the latest addition to that portfolio, it’s also where we as a club will be based. “An on-going part of our vision is to have speedway at the centre of a lot of other sporting activities, and once this complex is complete in Spring 2016 that’s exactly what we’ll have. “There’s still a lot of work still to be done over the coming winter to ensure we are well prepared for the challenges that lie ahead. Our whole operation will receive a complete overhaul next year. “We’ve had to suppress a lot of ideas over the years that we haven’t been able to act on, simply because we haven’t had the means or the ability to follow through and make them happen. “But the potential of the National Speedway Stadium is limitless, not only for Belle Vue Speedway but, we hope, for British Speedway as a whole. It is, quite simply, the people’s stadium. Not since 1987, when their former haunt - the legendary Hyde Road - was brutally demolished along with the mythical Zoological Gardens, has Belle Vue had a place they can truly call home. But with their name already synonymous with The National Speedway Stadium, they are preparing to mark the dawn of a new era for the club, an era which will no doubt see many changes afoot. “The biggest and most crucial challenge for us is going to be getting through to a new audience. After all, this stadium is creating a lot of interest from old and new fans alike,” said Morton. “In a nutshell, the key for us will be to create brand new speedway fans as well as keeping our current fans happy, and hopefully even attract fans that used to visit to come back to us. “The crucial thing then is to retain those people, and that’s not a statement made lightly. We certainly don’t expect to just open the doors next year and people automatically flock in. “There’s a lot of work ahead to ensure these different groups of people have a memorable experience, and that they know there’s the opportunity to come and be truly entertained. “We cannot change the past, but we can determine our future.” www.sportip.biz 31