THE managing director at Sittingbourne's Central Park, Roger Cearns, is urging Swale council to back the company's plans to change the stadium from a football ground to a speedway track. The proposed £250,000 scheme, which could be implemented before the new year if councillors give it the green light, means the stadium could host some of the biggest speedway events in the country, including the world championships.

Cearns said: "It's a good idea because the stadium is ideal for speedway. In my view, it's perfect for the sport and it will attract some big events.

"I've been to other venues around the country and they aren't nearly as good as this one. The ultimate aim is to get the World Speedway championships here and I think that is possible."

President of the British Speedway Association, Terry Russell, says the plans need to be passed quickly if the club are going to be able to organise a team before the coming season.

The speedway campaign begins on 15 March next year and runs for 28 weeks until the end of October but Russell remains confident the authorities can be persuaded about the merits of the scheme.

He said: "We aim to have a top flight speedway team in the town, which we haven't had since the mid-1980s. Although we can sort out the track in about a month we'll need to know by mid-November because it'll take time to build a team. The stadium is fabulous but at the moment it is being underused. Speedway is an improving sport with audience figures, both on TV and at the events, getting bigger," Russell added. Other speedway venues attract around 2,000 spectators each night and the big events can get crowds of around 8,000. I think we can do just as well as them, if not better."

The change from football to speedway would mean Sittingbourne FC having to switch to an adjoining pitch on Church Road, but Russell insists that it would be a good move for all concerned.

"We want to work with Sittingbourne football club and if we're successful it'll rub off on them, and vice-versa," he said. "It will benefit both of us."