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The Speedway Laurels

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Records of a once great individual speedway classic:

http://edinburghspeedway.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/laurels-wimbledon.html

Some big names on that honour list. What happened to that meeting, dwindling crowds?

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Some big names on that honour list. What happened to that meeting, dwindling crowds?

The Laurels continued at Wimbledon until top class speedway ended at Plough Lane in the early 1990s.

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Wimbledon was a great venue...The Laurels, The Internationale, Test Matches and a nice environment in which to watch.

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Some big names on that honour list. What happened to that meeting, dwindling crowds?

.

It still goes on ! - That list's incomplete.

See this one, (- last table on page, along with the Brandonapolis and the Olympique.)

Stadium owners, the Cearns, still stage it, now at their Sittingbourne track.

.

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.

It still goes on ! - That list's incomplete.

See this one, (- last table on page, along with the Brandonapolis and the Olympique.)

Stadium owners, the Cearns, still stage it, now at their Sittingbourne track.

.

 

If that's the case in regard to recognition of the continuation of the the Laurels after the 1991 season end of top class speedway at Wimbledon, its a very sad downgrading for a competition once contested by the very best riders in speedway IMO.

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If that's the case in regard to recognition of the continuation of the the Laurels after the 1991 season end of top class speedway at Wimbledon, its a very sad downgrading for a competition once contested by the very best riders in speedway IMO.

.

Just a reflection of the status of UK speedway throughout !

.

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Hi,

Have been grappling with the history of the Laurels & the WJ Cearns Trophy for a few years now - since it was resurrected first in 2003 at Plough Lane and then ten years later as Central Park.

 

I know that in 1953 (three years after Mr Cearns' death) the Laurels (which had been staged in 1939 and then again from 1946...) was made for the WJ Cearns Trophy in tribute to that pioneer of the sport and of stadiums generally...

I had been saying that since 1953 the two events ran as one but I have been put right about that now!!

 

Can anybody out there clarify then please, in which years (it's a number of times between 1954 and 1991, though not a huge number I think...) was the WJ Cearns Trophy/Shield run separately from The Laurels (ie they were completely different meetings)?
And in those years when it was, who were the winners?

 

 

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Can help a wee bit....

1979 WJ Cearns Trophy - Larry Ross. Laurels - Bruce Penhall

1980 Cearns - Bo Petersen Laurels - Larry Ross

1981 Cearns- Bobby Schwartz Laurels - John Davis

1982 Cearns - Larry Ross Laurels - Simmo

1983 Cearns - Jessup Laurels - Hans Nielsen

In 1984 the Cearns Trophy was due to be run on 27th September, but my programmes after that date don't mark the winner.

The 1984 final meeting was a handicap challenge against NL Hackney (testing the water for the Dons dropping down for '85?). The programme describes it as "Laurels Night", but the second half was run "In Remembrance of Tommy Jansson" - there had been no seperate Memorial meeting in 1984.

In 1985 the front cover and racecard for the final meeting call it the "W J Cearns Memorial Trophy", the fixtures page call it the Laurels as does the "meet the visitors" page and Team Manager Pete Brown in his notes. Neil Middleditch was the winner.

The Cearns meeting wasn't held again until the 1991 closure afaik.

Hope that helps.

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I had been saying that since 1953 the two events ran as one but I have been put right about that now!!

 

Do you mean to say that the article I wrote for the Wimbledon Programme back in 2003 was wrong? Some ghost writer you turned out to be. Can I get my money back!? :D;):P

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Do you mean to say that the article I wrote for the Wimbledon Programme back in 2003 was wrong? Some ghost writer you turned out to be. Can I get my money back!? :D;):P

Yes okay - I'll pay you 50% of all the money I've been paid editing Speedway programmes since 2002...

Which works out at exactly £0.00!!

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The laurels was my first ever meeting at Wimbledon in 1968 and my last ever meeting at plough lane in 2005!

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