Bradford used to be proud home to a world-famous speedway club. The Dukes - with world champion rider Gary Havelock among their number - could boast they were Britain's top club.

Without doubt, the club has been a victim of the doomed Odsal Superdome project. The Dukes quit their home at Odsal Stadium in 1997 to make way for the ill-fated project. The scheme collapsed and its replacement, under new developer Sterling Capitol, will not include a speedway track.

All attempts to find an alternative home have so far failed and now promoter Allan Ham's licence - originally put on ice for three years - is due to run out. However, he is confident that if the club finds a new home, it can be relaunched within 12 months.

He is now appealing to local authorities and organisations in the area to come up with possible sites for speedway in the hope that the Dukes can be revived.

In its heyday in Bradford, the sport had a massive following and the district even hosted the speedway world championships in 1985. Some support may have waned in the last three years while The Dukes have been out of action but there are still enthusiasts who travel across the country to watch the sport.

Clearly, it will be very sad if Bradford Dukes, a world-beating team who helped to put the city on the map, are finally forced to fold altogether.

The next few months will be crucial for the future of the club as the search for a track intensifies and negotiations with the British Speedway Association over the club's licence take place.