IT'S going to be a crucial week for the Oxford Cheetahs, writes ROBERT PEASLEY.

Promoter Allen Trump is locked in in talks with the stadium's landlords, the Greyhound Racing Association (GRA), over the lease for next season.

And on Thursday, Cheetahs' application for promotion to the Premier League is the first item on the agenda at the British Speedway Promoters' Association AGM.

The lease issue needs to be resolved in the next few days, to maximise Oxford's chances of being accepted into the sport's middle tier.

The relationship between dogs and speedway has deteriorated in recent years, thanks to a succession of different speedway promoters at Cowley.

However, Trump is now keen to build bridges to safeguard the future of both sports in Oxford.

He said: "I would like to establish a good landlord/tenant relationship with the GRA.

"Next year, both the dogs and the speedway will enter their sixtieth successive year at the stadium, and it makes sense for a spirit of co-operation to exist between us."