Pandemic uncertainty forces Tyneside Stages cancellation

The Tyneside Stages, which uses the Otterburn Training Area as its location when it takes place every summer, had been set to take place on August 1 but now won't go ahead despite the best efforts of the rally’s organisers to try and get the event underway.

“The rapidly changing and evolving variants of Covid-19, especially the Delta strain, has meant some significant changes have had to be implemented by a myriad of different bodies in their decision-making processes, several of whom have to grant permissions to the organisers of any rally,” said the event organisers in a statement on Facebook.

"This is beyond their control too, as often they have to follow government directives.

"In effect, what this means to the Tyneside is that until the guidance changes, several bodies are unable to make those decisions, and the latest position we have is that those decisions cannot be made until July the 12th at the earliest.

"As substantial financial expenditure (approaching five figures) needs to begin in the next week, the organisers were faced with a particularly horrible and difficult dilemma – shall we gamble on circumstances changing sufficiently enough to allow all concerned to make the decisions quickly, and assume that those decisions will be positive for us (and risk very substantial sums of money, and perhaps even the future of both clubs), or do we have no choice but to cancel?

"Realistically, even if those decisions were taken some time very soon after the 12th, it would still give us less than three weeks to ensure everything would be put in place.

"Given all of the above, the organisers felt that the only sensible (and very, very regrettable) decision is to cancel the event for 2021.

"We appreciate that everyone will be very disappointed (and none more so than us) and ask for your understanding and consideration."

The news means the tarmac event has now been cancelled for the last two seasons due to the Covid-19 pandemic.