Fire-hit sports club back with top event
A top sports club in Wolverhampton completes its rise from the ashes of a devastating arson attack when it hosts a home international event on Saturday.
The tapes will go up on cycle speedway races involving the best senior and junior riders from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales ten months after fire raisers almost destroyed Wednesfield Aces in Wolverhampton.
The blaze reduced their Ashmore Park clubhouse to a burned-out shell, with 50 years of memories, photographs, accolades and achievements reduced to charred wreckage.
Communications officer Glyn Rowley, said: "This is the kind of event that every club in the UK bids to host and the fact we have been successful completes the amazing story of our recovery."
Founder and chief executive Paul Bodley added: "We felt sorry for ourselves for five minutes after the fire and there was talk of it being the end of Wednesfield Aces. Then we rolled up our sleeves and got on with putting things right.
"The response of businesses and individuals in the local community has been overwhelming. I cannot thank them enough. I am also very proud of the way that the members of the club responded. We have always been successful on the track but now our achievements off the track are monumental. It restored your faith in human nature."
The friendly international will be used by the riders as a warm up for the cycle speedway world championships in Australia in November.
Each of the home countries will have five riders in both the junior and senior events on Saturday.
The junior races start at 2pm followed by the seniors two hours later.
