After nearly a century of roaring engines and high-speed thrills, Birmingham’s iconic speedway team, the Birmingham Brummies, is preparing to wave the chequered flag for the final time.
The club, founded in 1928, will cease operations when its lease at Perry Barr Stadium expires in September 2025, drawing the curtain on almost a hundred years of speedway history in the city. The decision comes as the stadium is set to undergo significant redevelopment, with plans already approved for the site to be transformed into a mixed housing scheme consisting of 338 apartments and 89 townhouses.
The move spells not only the end of the Brummies but also the closure of greyhound racing at the venue, which will wrap up by the end of the summer. Club co-owner Nigel Tolley delivered the difficult news with a heavy heart: “It’s something I never wanted to say, but this will be the last year of speedway in Birmingham.”
His words echoed the sentiments of thousands of loyal supporters who have backed the team through decades of triumphs, challenges, and change. Despite a concerted effort to find an alternative venue—most notably the Alexander Stadium, which recently underwent major redevelopment for the 2022 Commonwealth Games—the club has so far been unsuccessful.
The closure underscores the growing difficulty for speedway clubs to secure long-term homes amid shifting urban priorities and commercial redevelopment. Fans of the Brummies, many of whom have followed the team for generations, expressed their dismay on the club’s official Facebook page, where more than 350 comments poured in.
Words like “devastated,” “heartbroken,” and “betrayed” capture the overwhelming emotional toll on a tight-knit community that has long found camaraderie and identity through the high-octane sport. The Brummies’ closure is not an isolated case.
Speedway has been steadily retreating across the West Midlands, where the sport once thrived. In 2023, Wolverhampton Speedway lost its long-standing home at Monmore Green Stadium.
The Cradley Heathens, once a dominant name in British speedway, folded in 1995 but made a short-lived return in 2010 by racing at Monmore Green. Meanwhile, Coventry Bees, another legendary team, stopped racing in 2016.
Their former home, Brandon Stadium, now sits derelict, a haunting reminder of speedway's fading legacy. The decline is part of a broader national trend.
According to Speedway Plus, a UK-based publication that tracks the sport’s trajectory, British speedway has seen a marked drop in attendance figures. In 2022, only around 16,000 fans attended live speedway events during peak season—a fraction of the crowds once drawn to stadiums up and down the country.
For decades, the Brummies offered more than just entertainment; they served as a cultural institution and a rite of passage for many Birmingham families. From the smell of engine oil to the sound of revving bikes and the thrill of tight, dirt-track turns, the experience of attending a speedway race at Perry Barr has etched itself into the collective memory of the city.
But even as fond memories endure, questions loom large over the future of British speedway. Increasing urbanisation, the commercial value of stadium land, and a lack of viable alternatives have left many clubs unable to continue.
For a sport that once captured the imagination of post-war Britain, speedway now finds itself at a crossroads. While the Birmingham Brummies may not take to the track again after this season, their legacy remains firmly rooted in the hearts of those who lived and breathed the sport.
From the team’s early days at Hall Green Stadium to their later years at Perry Barr, the Brummies have embodied the spirit of working-class resilience and community pride. As the final races approach, calls are growing for more sustainable models to protect what remains of British speedway.
Proposals range from investing in multi-purpose venues that accommodate speedway alongside other community uses, to establishing youth development programmes that can rekindle interest in the sport among younger generations. For now, Birmingham fans are preparing for an emotional farewell, turning out in droves for the final races at Perry Barr to celebrate a team that has delivered decades of exhilaration.
Whether this signals the end or a new beginning remains uncertain, but the Brummies' roar will not be forgotten.
