Edinburgh Monarchs have confirmed plans for a £1.2m dream, 1,500-seat home in Livingston which could be hosting speedway in the Spring of next year.
West Lothian Community Stadium will host Monarchs plus a range of projects and youth initiatives creating new opportunities for the local community.
The proposed stadium is just off the M8 at junction 3A in Deans Industrial Estate and Gordon Campbell, the club’s development director, said: “This is a massively exciting development for the Monarchs and for West Lothian.
“We have identified the perfect location where the Monarchs will thrive for years to come.”
The site, he said, had been selected for ease of access and it is in a place that will cause no disruption to local residents.
The internationally-certified, 260-metre track would be capable of hosting world events and a youth training track for Monarchs Speedway Academy. Facilities for community activities will be incorporated into multi-use areas of the stadium.
Campbell, pictured with an impression of the new stadium, added: “We will deliver a high-quality stadium that will offer a terrific spectator experience and a base for community activities.
“Our plans will be implemented in a phased manner based on the funds that we attract, with funding almost in place for the very initial phase.
“We are actively looking to speak with anyone who would be interested in adding funds to allow us to accelerate through the phase s of constructing West Lothian Community Stadium.”
Community activity will be a significant part of the regular operation of the stadium with a broad base of projects already lined up and he said: “In recent years, we have grown our community arm of the club and the new stadium will be the catalyst to drive this further.
“An area of focus is to provide a platform for training and skills development to boost employability of local young people through initiatives such as Monarchs Speedway Academy, RUTS (Rural & Urban Training Scheme), and Monarchs Innovation Centre.”
Monarchs were founded in 1928 and current co-promoter John Campbell, Gordon’s father, said: “For years we have aimed to secure the future of the Monarchs. This announcement is a massive step towards this.
“West Lothian Council has been supportive of our efforts so far, but there is still much work to be done to deliver the stadium. We will need the continued backing of the local community and the council to secure the site for our use, to support the project through the planning application process, and to construct the stadium.
“We will also continue our efforts to secure as much funding as possible to build the best stadium we can for our fans and for the community.
“We would be pleased to hear from any businesses or interested persons with the ability to add funds or relevant skills to help construct the stadium and we believe it (the stadium) will capture the imagination of the local community, of Monarchs fans, and of the wider speedway public to support us along the way.”
Monarchs are sponsored by What the Fork and anybody interested in supporting development of West Lothian Community Stadium can email future@edinburghmonarchs.co.uk
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