EARLIER today Reading management and officials were interviewed on BBC Radio Berkshire asking for their reactions following this week’s new stadium news update.
Here we have the full transcripts from the interviews with Malcolm Holloway, Paul Hunsdon and Tim Sugar:
Andrew Peach’s interview with Malcolm Holloway - 16th July 2010
Peach: It’s been a long time coming, but after two years it looks like we might get Speedway back in Reading. Smallmead stadium was demolished 2 years ago, with plans for new facilities there, but if you’ve been stuck in that traffic caused by the failing traffic lights, you’ll know that there’s nothing really going on at the site on the A33 there. This week the developers were given an extension to their contract, meaning they now have until March to begin construction work. Malcolm Holloway is the former promoter with Reading Racers.
Peach: “Hi Malcolm.”
Malcolm: “Good Morning!”
Peach: “This sounds like good news, it’s taken a long time, but what we don’t want to happen is to lose speedway in Reading altogether.”
Malcolm: “No, that’s very true, it has taken a long time. The reason being, as I understand it, is that the people that were putting the money up for the stadium, apparently they want the stadium turned, so they’ve had to redo all the planning and things like that, so I think that’s what’s been the hold up.”
Malcolm: “Yesterday I did manage to get hold of a certain party, and he said that the speedway and the dogs, the casino and bingo hall should be up and running by the season of 2012.”
Peach: “Fantastic, well that realistically is as fast as that can happen now. Will they still have Smallmead’s famous double-fried chips, that’s what I want to know.”
Malcolm: “That I really don’t know. I can’t answer that one, to be fair. I used to like the baked potatoes there, but they stopped that as well.”
Peach: “When it’s finished we are going to have an up-together Speedway, and a dog track, and as you said, all of the facilities that we never had there before.”
Malcolm: “Yes, yes, apparently so, I think at the end of the day, I do feel sorry for the Reading people, because it was myself and Mark that had to close it. But then, we keep hearing from people that we could of kept it going for another year, because it was another year nearly until the stadium got knocked down.”
Peach: “Speedway has such history in Reading, it’s a shame to have lost it for what will be 4 years or so. Are fans still there and eager to have it back, and do you think they’ll turn up again when it reopens?”
Malcolm: “Yeah, yeah, they are still there, like I said, my facebook page is always full of people asking me what’s happening, how long is it gonna be? I really, honestly can’t answer them that. But when the bricks are being laid I think things will change.”
Peach: “Malcolm, keep us in touch. Malcolm Holloway, former Reading Speedway promoter.”
Andrew Peach’s interview with Paul Hunsdon - 16th July 2010
Peach: “Paul Hunsdon, big Speedway fan, involved in all of our coverage over the years of the Reading Racers. Hi Paul.”
Big H: “Good Morning.”
Peach: “You have been worried that Speedway was finished in Reading, now this sounds better?”
Big H: “Yeah, I think that a lot of fans were very worried about the future of the sport in the town, and I have to say that up until recently, I certainly shared that view. But over the last couple of weeks there has been a lot of positive noises in the background, in the sort of circles that I keep in touch with. As Malcolm has been highlighting, there are some very positive rumours circulating now, and let’s just hope that those rumours turn into fact now in the coming months.”
Peach: “A lot of people round here have grown up with it, and have a history you know, of going with their dad and taking their kids to Smallmead. What health is Speedway as a sport in generally?”
Big H: “Well, I attended the British Speedway Grand Prix last Saturday, at Cardiff Millennium Stadium and that was attended by almost 45,000 people. Now I firmly believe that if you have a facility that is welcoming to fans, i.e. it’s very comfortable, good viewing, good comfortable seating, and nice facilities in terms of bar and parking etc, I see no reason why the sport of Speedway in Reading couldn’t go back to the glory days of the mid-seventies and early eighties where the crowds were exceptionally good.”
Peach: “Well that’s got to be the plan hasn’t it. Paul, thank you very much indeed, again when you hear more, you let us know because we want to keep our listeners in touch on this. That’s Paul Hunsdon there, and no doubt when Speedway is back in Reading, Paul will be back on Radio Berkshire.”
Andrew Peach’s interview with Tim Sugar - 16th July 2010
Peach: “Another voice you’ll know well from Radio Berkshire’s Reading Speedway coverage is that of Tim Sugar. “Hi Tim.”
Sugar: “Good Morning, Andrew.”
Peach: “This is sounding promising then?”
Sugar: “It is, yes, alright you know, we’ve got another delay on the project, but I firmly believe that it is better that Reading Borough Council is working with Gaming International, than having to go out to tender again, and try and find another interested party.”
Peach: “They’ll be doing that as soon as they’ve finished fixing traffic lights!”
Sugar: “I think it’s positive, and as Malcolm and Paul have said, I think that in 2012 we could see the sport return to the town.”
Peach: “How would you go about promoting Speedway, not only to raise its profile, but to make it feel like a contemporary sport that people might want to go with their Dads to watch? The image is just very slightly old-fashioned now, isn’t it?”
Sugar: “Yes, it is, yes, I mean a lot of clubs are investigating, you know, how to get more people in, and a lot of the successful ones go round the schools and take riders and bikes and schools are always very receptive to visits. I think that, and promotions are the way forward. The promoter, and I firmly believe that a new promoter at Reading, and whether that is one person or a consortium remains to be seen. I believe we will see a new promoter at Reading and they will have to look and get new staff in place, who can move the sport in the town forward.”
Peach: “Well we look forward to hearing more of you Tim, in the future, and thank you for coming on. Tim Sugar on Radio Berkshire.”
