BRITISH Speedway bosses have labelled the postponement of Saturday’s opening meeting at Belle Vue’s National Stadium a ‘massive setback to the sport’.

And representatives of both the British Speedway Promoters’ Association Management Committee and Speedway Control Bureau have revealed how the event was a Belle Vue fixture - not an official national ‘shared event’.

The meeting was postponed after riders, including top stars from the Grand Prix series, did some test laps because of concerns over an area of the newly laid surface.

An official SCB track licence was only granted on Friday as it met the necessary requirements in terms of track dimensions and facilities including safety fence.

It was the in the hands of the Belle Vue promotion and SCB meeting referee to oversee the running of the meeting.

BSPA Chairman Keith Chapman said: “This is a massive setback to the sport in this country and it can have a negative impact on every other club throughout the UK.“It wasn’t even a BSPA event, it was down to the Belle Vue promotion to ensure the meeting went ahead under the supervision of the SCB referee – and failed.“It is the promoter’s responsibility and not the BSPA as an association to ensure a ‘domestic’ fixture – which is what this was – goes ahead.“It’s an embarrassment and the rest of the sport in this country could be hit by it. A thorough investigation has already started.“The SCB issued the track licence in accordance with the rulebook – the fact that the track was unfit was down to Belle Vue as a club.”SCB officials have supported Chapman in his comments and revealed the title ‘National Speedway Stadium’ was granted as part of the commitment from Manchester City Council to the project.Both the BSPA and SCB acknowledge the wonderful facilities the new stadium in Manchester has to offer and, much like the Grand Prix series which had difficulties with the track in Warsaw last April, look forward to the next step in ensuring this situation cannot be repeated.Said Chapman: “It’s such a sorry episode but we have to move on and hopefully lessons will be learnt.“From a BSPA and SCB perspective, we feel the need to offer our apologies to the many supporters who travelled to Manchester at great expense, but we must emphasise this was a Belle Vue Speedway event.”

The SCB has already launched an inquiry into the matter.