Hull Vikings - A team without a home - kept alive by its fans

Dave Peet insists there is still hope for a revival for Hull – despite a setback with one of the proposed sites for a new track.

The former Vikings co-promoter and referee has revealed how plans for the sport to move to Hedon, well outside the city, have been scuppered after he was told there was little chance of any planning permission.

However, at the same time as the setback he was offered some encouragement by the Hull City Council for an alternative plot of land closer to the city.

“It wasn’t good news where Hedon was concerned and I was a bit down about it at the time,” said Peet.

“But I had further talks with Hull City Council and I was told to look at a certain piece of land and I have to say I like what I see.

“However, it’s not as simple as just putting a speedway track there. We have to create a community facility and offer an educational facility for youngsters in the form of a study centre, all of which will help us create our goal.

“We would be looking at government grants and other aspects of funding the project and I see no reason why it cannot happen, but certainly not in the next year or so.

“The message I want to get across is that speedway is not dead in Hull.”

Peet insists the enthusiasm of Vikings fans, along with his own personal ambitions, is the driving force behind his efforts.

“The people of Hull deserve speedway, make no mistake about that,” said Peet. “You only have to look at the packed room at Craven Park for Garry Stead’s fund raising night and you can see the passion is still there.

“As for myself, I feel I have unfinished business in Hull because of the way it all came to an end in 2005. “I warned people it was going wrong, including the BSPA, but I felt like I wasn’t being listened to with some of my warnings. Sadly, I was proved to be correct and it’s something which still hurts now, almost two years on.”

Vikings were evicted from their former Craven Park base, home of Hull KR Rugby League team, in September, 2005 after former Paul Hodder failed to keep up payments and was in dispute with the landlords.

The chances of the sport returning there are remote to say the least as Rovers are now in the Super League and have put temporary seating on the third and forth bends. And another former Vikings home, the Boulevard, is too close to housing for any chance of bikes to roar there again.

Nigel Pearson

Speedway Star