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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.

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