Dudley Heathens stadium plan gathers momentum

Speedway could be coming home to Dudley as plans for a new sports stadium bringing thousands of fans to the borough have been revealed.

Dudley Heathens today confirmed discussions had been taking place with Gornal Athletic football club on a ground sharing proposal for the stadium.

Unused land at the foot of Castle Hill in the shadow of the town's historic zoo and near Black Country Living Museum is among the sites being considered.

The former Cradley Heathens side were forced to stop racing in the area in 1995 when its home, the Dudley Wood Stadium, was earmarked for a housing development.

The club reformed three years ago as Dudley Heathens and has since raced at Wolverhampton's Monmore Green Stadium in the National League. Heathens club chairman and speedway broadcaster Nigel Pearson today it would be the "ultimate dream" to return to the borough and vowed to pursue the process with council officials.

"The support that we have had since we returned three years ago has been the motivation to drive us forward," he said. Architect drawings are being developed as part of an application which has been devised over the past few months.

Another meeting between the parties is due to be held next week but Mr Pearson today reiterated that proposals had not yet been finalised. The plans would be financed by the sale of Gornal Athletic's Garden Walk Stadium for redevelopment.

Mr Pearson says they would try to emulate the model of Walsall football club's Banks's Stadium which hosts a range of off-the-pitch events.