The Isle of Wight could lose it’s only speedway team, the Wightlink Islanders, if the funds to continue to run the club into the 2014 season cannot be found.
Last night (Tuesday), shareholders held their Annual General Meeting at Smallbrook Stadium to discuss the future of the club with the new air-fence regulations being at the center of discussions.
As of March 2014, all speedway tracks must have air-fence protection in place at both ends of the race track in order to continue to operate, which is a costly investment. The system has been used for many years across the world, but for the first time, smaller clubs, such as the Wightlink Islanders, are being forced to upgrade their home track.
The Island team has been running on a tight budget for the past 12 months, but at the meeting last night fans have been given just 1 month to find a plan to save the Wightlink Islanders or face loosing speedway on the Island.
Three options are being considered by the board, one of which includes folding the club. It is hoped that a benefactor or sponsor could be found to inject a cash investment.
A decision on the future of the club is expected in December.
