Peterborough Panthers wave goodbye to East of England Showground after 53 years
A farewell meeting took place last night
Emotions have been running high for Peterborough Panthers fans as they said goodbye to the East of England Showground after 53 years.
A farewell meeting took place at the Showground tonight, featuring a full 16-rider individual event over 20 heats and a grand final.
The meeting was won by Niels-Kristian Iversen, who was awarded overall victory on the night despite crashing in the final.
It was the final speedway event at the venue as plans to redevelop the area, including 1,500 homes and a ÂŁ50 million leisure village, take shape.
Steve Miles has edited the Panthers' programme with wife Sarah for 20 years:
"There's been many highs and lows throughout the years and it feels dreadful the club has got to end," he said.
"It's been tough to put the programme together over the last couple of weeks."
"There's a lot of people that have spent a lot of time together and riders coming over that haven't ridden for a while and it's unfortunate it's coming to an end in the way it is," Sarah said.
Panthers fans share their fondest memories
Some long-serving Panthers supporters reflected on some of the team's past successes:
"Winning the league in 2006 but I guess the Dad's Army in 2021 will top that," one fan said.
"When they won their first trophy in the fours in the 1970s; that was great," added another fan.
While a supporter added: "The first league success in 1992; that was a fantastic feeling."
A statement on the Peterborough Panthers website said it's now hoping for a short absence from competition.
The statement read: "(This is) at a time where venues around the country have come under threat, and been closed, not due to any lack of viability of the sport but because of other plans for the stadiums."