Closure of Wolverhampton Speedway is an absolute heart-breaker
It remains a minority sport, its best days long gone – but the closure of Wolverhampton speedway and the club’s eviction from Monmore Green stadium is an absolute heart-breaker.
An irreplaceable part of this city is chipped away and speedway has lost more than it can afford to lose. Speedway at Monmore, no more; it really is desperately hard to even think about.
Founded in 1928, reformed in the early 1950s and almost without exception since, top class riders have graced the Monmore shale serving up superb entertainment with highly skilled, breathtaking racing.
Handling a 500cc motorcycle without brakes possessing acceleration from 0-60 mph at a faster ratio than a Formula One car takes consummate ability and fearless courage.
The inevitable aura of danger pervades every single meeting; mercifully major incidents are rare but occasionally tragedy strikes. New Zealander Gary Peterson, a fine rider of international quality lost his life at Monmore after crashing during a meeting against Oxford in 1975.
But as the nostalgia inevitably begins, happier memories of so many terrific teams, wonderful riders and exciting races will never fade. Entering the stadium, hearing the bikes powerfully revving in the pits and savouring the glorious wafting aroma of the methanol which fuelled the machines was an intoxicating delight.
