Somerton Park - Newport Speedway 1964-1977

[Railway End 0]

or was it the Black Horse Pub ?

[Railway End 0]

About the Somerton Park track the great riders never seemed to

complaned about the track.

It was only in the seventy's when we had a few good riders that the

likes of Collins, Simmons and Lee's would not turn up or if they did

would not try.

We did have some great nights with the welsh open and internationals

and the B.L. Matches. Yes there were some bad crashes but no more

than any other track.

One of the best riders that could ride Newport was Nigel Boocock.

My all time Fav Newport rider was Alby Golden.

Bring back Friday night speedway, not Sunday afternoons.

[salty 2,200]

Railway End

You must have been a follower about the time of the "Flying Magyar" himself. The one and only Sandor Levai. I remember one season, 1969?, when he was the biz around Somerton and became quite a folk hero.

He was still useful at Cradley in the mid 70's all though he must have been nearly 50 by then.

Regards

[Railway End 0]

Hi Salty

Yes Sandor came from Belle Vue in 1969, the same year that Chris Julian joined Newport from Cradley.

1969 for Newport and Cradley was not a very good year was it?

Did you know Cradley were the first team to race at Newport they won

a Southern Leauge match on the 17thApril 1964 by 40-38,

Ivor Brown got a 12point Max that night in front of a crowd of 10,000.

great memories.

[salty 2,200]

I don't know railway end, in 1969 (my first full year as a supporter) Cradley finished 7th which was by far our best season up until the late 70's. The majority of my early years was spent watching us at the foot of the table.

[AmberCelt 0]

AAAH! The Railway End! Such memories(mostly watching the County).Am I right in thinking that Somerton Park was the first track to use floodlights?I'm sure I read it somewhere.

[Railway End 0]

Don't know about that but they were a land mark in that part of town.

Wish they were still there.

[AmberCelt 0]

You know who's got them(well not the pylons!).

[AmberCelt 0]

The Spring issue of Vintage Speedway features an article by John Berry whinging about the tracks at Newport and Exeter during the '70's-T'was ever thus!!!

 

Robbo try communities.msn.co.uk/historyofNewportwasps1964topresent

this should be a big help.[/url]

[mIcK50 3]

I've never seen the Newport track, having lived in Oz all my life, but I'm sure I read something about it years ago which may explain why it was the shape it was. Apparently during the construction of the track, there was a lot of heavy rain and one of the earthmoving machines became so badly bogged in the mud, they couldn't get it out. Time was short, so they just changed the shape of the track to avoid the machine and got it out of the bog when things had dried up a bit later on. I can't vouch for the accuracey of the article I read, but I certainly remember reading about it.

[Guest mart W]

The problem with Somerton Park was that it had to be built around the football pitch and within the confines of the existing stadium, the shape was about the best they could get.

 

The 'new' track has an excellent shape because Tim Stone started with a blank peice of paper. It's always been difficult for promoters to move into a Stadium as the track has to be constructed to suit the particlar stadium.

[BTL 0]

I'm surprised that no-one has mentioned Tobjorn (Toby) Harisson - saw him in 1967 at White City where he rode to a 15? point max in the pouring rain leaving the usually unbeatable Charlie Monk in his wake.

Was brilliant that night.

Edited November 15, 2003 by BTL

[BTL 0]

The 'new' track has an excellent shape because Tim Stone started with a blank peice of paper...........

It might be a good shape mart W but it didn't have enough dirt or preparation on it in June when we were there. It crocked both Smart and Grieves.

 

Lets not start this one again it's has been flogged to death already. Just making observation re track.

[KevH 257]

Cheers,don't look like it was popular place for riders!,it was square because their was a football pitch in the middle!.

 

Keep em coming please

Canterbury also had a football pitch in the middle, but was one of the best shaped tracks in the country.

[cyclone 943]

Canterbury also had a football pitch in the middle, but was one of the best shaped tracks in the country.

Really ! - Agree it was better than Somerton (the worst circuit I have ever watched Speedway at - btw I was a neutral when I saw Ipswich & Belle Vue visit there), but Kingsmead was never anything special, even when I saw the Czechs there in a Test Match.