The plans to elevate the Kent SLYDE Kings into Speedway’s Sky Sports Elite League have been put on hold for the time being.
The Central Park, Sittingbourne-based club, who’ve just completed their third season in the motor cycle dirt track racing sport had been actively pursuing the possibility of moving up from their current third division berth into the sport’s top league – but have decided this won’t be happening in 2016; though it remains very much the club’s longer-term ambition.
On the same day their co-promoter Len Silver committed himself full-time to the Kent club – leaving his other club of many years, Rye House in Herts – the veteran Speedway administrator said:
“Several factors have brought about this decision, not least of which is the stringent Planning conditions under which the sport currently operates at Central Park. Our Stadium owner, Roger Cearns is working hard behind the scenes to extend the Planning Permission based on the stadium’s performance to date and it remains our ambition to move up when we can get such conditions more in our favour to do so.”
“Meanwhile the Kent SLYDE Kings shall continue to operate in the City Gearboxes National League [CGNL] with the very firm intention of improving on this year’s performances by building in particular a stronger lower part of the team”.
The club enjoyed something of a chequered season with a top four which was arguably the division’s best: winning the National Pairs, taking an unprecedented first and second place in the individual riders championship and only being denied a ‘treble’ when a cruel injury to their World Long Track gold medal winning rider James Shanes denied the side the National Fours in the very final heat.
But a weaker tail meant that CGNL points were lost at crucial stages particularly at home and saw the team ultimately languishing in the lower reaches of the division itself.
The crowds remained though up there among the country’s very best as Roger Cearns confirmed:
“Our crowds have held up well – and especially when one considers we have to operate under an 8.30pm curfew, meaning we start meetings at 6.30pm on Mondays. We’ve retained crowds between 600 and 800 – few sporting venues with such an early evening weekday start time could boast crowds like that.”
“We have a great stadium and to be honest it would grace the Elite League, so we remain focussed on getting the curfew changed and moving onwards and upwards.”
Cearns – whose family background is steeped in the sport, his grandfather WJ Cearns having been involved in introducing the sport to the UK in the 1920s and building one of Speedway’s greatest ever stadiums, Wimbledon, where Roger’s father John was General Manager for decades – is full of praise for the fans Central Park has attracted to watch the sport there:
“What strikes me about Speedway fans is how nice and enthusiastic the patrons of the club are. I have had so many come up to me, shake my hand and say, ‘thank you so much for bringing Speedway back to Kent!”
“It’s quite touching actually. At Speedway I meet fans and they come along with their grandkids. I really think that’s great”.
On a big day for news coming out from the Kent SLYDE Kings, the best news of all though concerned a unique link-up which should ensure the brightest of futures for Speedway in the county.
Len Silver explained: “The really exciting news for Kent Speedway fans is that we can announce today a link with the local training track at nearby Iwade. With upgrades happening at Central Park itself, this will allow us to provide an air safety fence for the neighbouring track over at the Old Gun Site, which is also within Swale: making the borough quite arguably the premier place in the UK for the sport.”
“This will allow the Iwade circuit on Old Ferry Lane to acquire the necessary Speedway Control Bureau & ACU licenses to stage training and training matches again. This will mean the two circuits working together to discover and develop new talent and create a training system for the Kent Kings club which has been lacking up until now.”
“The excellent junior track will come in to play with the plans put forward by one-time World number two, Chris Louis at this year’s Promoters’ AGM with regard to young rider training So, it’s full steam ahead with the track at the Sittingbourne Greyhound Stadium already undergoing improvements in readiness for Easter 2016. “
It was a day of farewells also for the former rider and long-time Speedway team manager with Mr. Silver taking his leave from the track he’s been involved in since the 1970s – over the Thames, in Hertfordshire as he explained:
“I have today resigned my position as co-promoter at Rye House Speedway. In leaving, I wish the new owners and promoters led by Warren Scott, every success in the future.”
“I would like, in particular, to thank my trusty lieutenant John Sampford (also Kent Kings’ team manager in their first two seasons) for his outstanding work with me at Rye House over the last 16 years, most of which goes un-noticed by the general public and to those others who have contributed to my happy times in East Hertford going back to the early 1970s – they are too numerous to mention.”
The tireless octogenarian has no plans to put his feet up though:
“Do not take this statement to indicate that I am in anyway going into so-called “retirement”. I will still work seven days a week for Speedway just as I always have.”
That’s included just this week taking delivery and laying down a further twenty tonnes of new shale at the circuit at Central Park, which is planning to reopen with a meeting on Good Friday 2016, with a visit from the popular American Dream Team in April also in the pipeline.
Pictures supplied by Elizabeth Leslie.