DEVASTATED Stoke promoter Dave Tattum has confirmed that Saturday September 14th will be the last ever speedway meeting to be held at Loomer Road making it the end of an era for speedway in the Staffordshire area.

The Potters boss commented “Saturday was going to be the final meeting of the 2019 season and the stadium has been booked up right to the end of October. The new owners have given permission to the stock cars to run a formula 1 stock car meeting on the 4th November which was difficult to pull out of the calendar.
“There is no hidden agenda of what’s going on here at Loomer Road the suggestions over the internet suggesting this. We’ve always paid our rent to Newcastle Under Lyme Stadium Ltd and that is always who we have paid our rent to and it’s quite simple that Newcastle Under Lyme Stadium Ltd have sold the stadium. Maybe the owners have other businesses, but this business was never tagged onto their other businesses.
“We have to now look on the good times in 2019 we’ve just won the four team tournament which we hosted and was very successful from our part of the meeting and we should be proud of that and that we are going out having won some silverware, maybe the team should have done a lot better, we put that team together thinking that it was going to be better that it was and they haven’t produced the goods, but we have enjoyed some very good racing here and some good crowds here over this season.”

Tattum continued “What we will be doing and I hope it is supported and people will come along we will be having an end of season do as we normally like to call it and there will be many of the riders passed and present attending and once we have sorted out the venue and confirmed the date we will be putting the information out there. There will be no charge for the event, we’ve never charged and do not intend to for this one either and it will be a celebration of the club over the years. We will invite riders like Mike Broadbanks, Eric Monaghan, Nigel Crabtree and Paul Pickering who was a major part of our time here along with Mark ‘Buzz’ Burrows, Garry Stead and any former rider that has ever rode for the club please do get in touch with me or via email through the website, and lets us know if you can attend and we will have a real good night.
“I know a lot of people are saying we should have a farewell meeting, but I don’t want to prolong the agony and I haven’t got any dates left at the stadium because as I said earlier this Saturday was always going to be our final meeting of the season for us and the closer it gets towards the end of the year the harder it is to get a real good surface for speedway. The track has been excellent for this year and conditions have been really good and I really think we should go out with a bang on Saturday night and who knows we can possibly have a reunion every year from then on and be proud of the fact this club was here for 46 years.”

Caroline Parson has confirmed that the June Deaville 100 draw will take place on Saturday which will be sponsored by Active Mobility, Weymouth and will feature a first prize of £100 for the winning ticket and a second prize of £50.
Mrs Parson said “My Mum started the 100 draw here at Loomer Road and it was very successful and I’m sure she would be honoured to be recognised at the final ever Speedway meeting here at Loomer Road.”

Dave Tattum and Caroline Parson commented “We’d like to thank all the supporters that have stuck by us over the years and the staff and people in the background that have supported us that people do not always know about and that we have really appreciated all the support over the past twenty-five years.

“Now it’s on to Saturday and to prepare everything for our final ever speedway meeting here at Loomer Road and I’m sure it will be an emotional night for everyone associated with the club whether it be as a supporter, track staff and riders and I hope it will be a great evening once again thankyou from all of us here at Stoke Speedway.”

A preview for the final ever speedway meeting at the Chesterton circuit where the Potters will face the Leicester Lion Cubs in the National League on Saturday will be issued in due course.