Cardiff Speedway Grand Prix Fan Zone – what’s happening in 2011?
10/06/2011
In a wide ranging interview to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Cardiff Speedway grand Prix, BSI Managing Director Paul Bellamy spoke enthusiastically about ensuring that the raceday experience of the fans got emulated that of important sports events elsewhere.
Rarely prone to understatement, Bellamy lauded the innovation of Fan Zone as giving fans something to do in Cardiff from 11am until the last firework died away after the trophy presentation. “One of the things that came out of our strategy day was what…else can we offer the fans? What does American football do? Tailgate parties. It’s a real family day out, you go along, you have a drink, a burger or a hot-dog in the car park and talk about the game. Why can’t we do that? The Millennium Stadium, Visit Wales and Cardiff City Council really bought in to the idea [Fan Zone]…..we’ll have a Fan Zone from 11 to 3 in Cardiff…..we feel if the fans have got the whole day out, and they bring the kids, it’s all part of the whole show…the whole idea is to give speedway fans their own area outside the stadium. They don’t necessarily want to go to the stadium three hours before the start, we’ve got entertainment in there but we want to give them something else. So there will be a dedicated area where they can get a drink, something to eat, can sit down and there will be a stage where we’ll meet the team from Sky….the whole idea is to make it a festival atmosphere before the fans go in for the serious part of the day later…speedway fans come from all over, some come from Australia, Cardiff is their Mecca if you like, so let’s give them something else”
After the event, fan Zone was hailed in the trade press as an overwhelming success and we were advised to “look for an enlarged version next year”
Though the meeting is two weeks tomorrow, I’ve not yet seen any details about the bigger and better 2011 version of Fan Zone? Hopefully it will be even more impressive!It would be good to know what’s on, who are the star names and attractions as wella s what’s happening?
It would be a shame if the ongoing BSI cost cutting that afflicts the Cardiff Speedway Grand Prix – for example, that’s seen the big names disappear from the pre-meeting and interval entertainment – has now impacted the Fan Zone experiment almost before it began?
The regular Cardiff Collectors & Speedway Merchandise Fayre opens as usual at 10am at Cardiff Rugby club, Westgate Street. On show are Shawn Moran, Alan Carter and Dudley Heathens
Schedule finally announced to fans (13.52 21st June)
