Two Perry Barr Stadiums

[Guest]

Is more known in regard to the background to this item which appears on a website http://www.simonlewis.com/sc5.html

"...Perry Bar there were (indeed still are, in a way) two stadiums at Perry Bar in Birmingham. The one used for stock cars in the 50s and speedway for many many years is "Alexander Stadium" which still survives (now known as Perry Barr Greyhound Stadium) and has reintroduced speedway fairly recently. "Perry Bar Stadium" was literally just across the road and ran just one Hot Rod event in it's history - but that one was demolished in 1983 and the site is now a retail park..."

Edited February 25, 2017 by Guest

[britmet 233]

Is more known in regard to the background to this item which appears on a website http://www.simonlewis.com/sc5.html

"...Perry Bar there were (indeed still are, in a way) two stadiums at Perry Bar in Birmingham. The one used for stock cars in the 50s and speedway for many many years is "Alexander Stadium" which still survives (now known as Perry Barr Greyhound Stadium) and has reintroduced speedway fairly recently. "Perry Bar Stadium" was literally just across the road and ran just one Hot Rod event in it's history - but that one was demolished in 1983 and the site is now a retail park..."

.

The original Alexander Stadium and its speedway facilities, track, safety fence with red lights, pits, etc., stood intact but unused for more than a decade after open meetings in 1960. I helped dig out the track at Perry Barr Stadium with Joe Thurley in 1971, and recall, after the Brummies re-emerged to race in BL2, visiting riders more than once dashing late into the Perry Barr Stadium pits, having reached Brum early and walked the track at the wrong venue across the road, wondering why no one else was there, until the penny dropped.

 

Today's Alexander Stadium, ½ mile away, is the home of Birchfield Harriers, the athletics club having taken the name with them when their new facility was opened in ~1976, and the old Alex becoming renamed as the P.B. Greyhound Stadium.

[steve roberts 9,246]

.

The original Alexander Stadium and its speedway facilities, track, safety fence with red lights, pits, etc., stood intact but unused for more than a decade after open meetings in 1960. I helped dig out the track at Perry Barr Stadium with Joe Thurley in 1971, and recall, after the Brummies re-emerged to race in BL2, visiting riders more than once dashing late into the Perry Barr Stadium pits, having reached Brum early and walked the track at the wrong venue across the road, wondering why no one else was there, until the penny dropped.

 

Today's Alexander Stadium, ½ mile away, is the home of Birchfield Harriers, the athletics club having taken the name with them when their new facility was opened in ~1976, and the old Alex becoming renamed as the P.B. Greyhound Stadium.

i once attended an athletics meeting (goodness why!) at Alexander Stadium not, then, realising it was once the home of 'The Brummies'.

[KevH 257]

Is more known in regard to the background to this item which appears on a website http://www.simonlewis.com/sc5.html

"...Perry Bar there were (indeed still are, in a way) two stadiums at Perry Bar in Birmingham. The one used for stock cars in the 50s and speedway for many many years is "Alexander Stadium" which still survives (now known as Perry Barr Greyhound Stadium) and has reintroduced speedway fairly recently. "Perry Bar Stadium" was literally just across the road and ran just one Hot Rod event in it's history - but that one was demolished in 1983 and the site is now a retail park..."

Basically that website has more errors than facts.

[Guest]

Is more known in regard to the background to this item which appears on a website http://www.simonlewis.com/sc5.html

"...Perry Bar there were (indeed still are, in a way) two stadiums at Perry Bar in Birmingham. The one used for stock cars in the 50s and speedway for many many years is "Alexander Stadium" which still survives (now known as Perry Barr Greyhound Stadium) and has reintroduced speedway fairly recently. "Perry Bar Stadium" was literally just across the road and ran just one Hot Rod event in it's history - but that one was demolished in 1983 and the site is now a retail park..."

 

 

Basically that website has more errors than facts.

 

Is the quote taken from the website correct or otherwise please KevH?

[Guest]

Is more known in regard to the background to this item which appears on a website http://www.simonlewis.com/sc5.html

"...Perry Bar there were (indeed still are, in a way) two stadiums at Perry Bar in Birmingham. The one used for stock cars in the 50s and speedway for many many years is "Alexander Stadium" which still survives (now known as Perry Barr Greyhound Stadium) and has reintroduced speedway fairly recently. "Perry Bar Stadium" was literally just across the road and ran just one Hot Rod event in it's history - but that one was demolished in 1983 and the site is now a retail park..."

 

 

Basically that website has more errors than facts.

 

​I understand your concerns in regard to the website KevH. Are you dealing with actual errors on it or possibly that it does not appear to have been updated for some years? I looked at a couple of the tracks and that does appear to be the case - they were Oxford and Stoke.

​There could well be a reason of which we are unaware why updating has not taken place for such a long time.

[cityrebel 2,960]

I remember having a look around the then derelict perry Barr stadium which is the current home of the brummies, before attending a meeting at the ladbrokes perry Barr stadium in the 1980's. Confusing isn't it!

[Deano 1,318]

Even more confusing is there was evidence of two speedway teams running at the same time in Birmingham. One Hall Green and one at Perry Barr, but no evidence that they both contested a local derby together.

[Guest]

Even more confusing is there was evidence of two speedway teams running at the same time in Birmingham. One Hall Green and one at Perry Barr, but no evidence that they both contested a local derby together.

 

How intriguing Deano. Two Birmingham teams in the same season. I looked on the Speedway Researcher and so far as I could see the seasons involved appear to be 1929 and 1930. However, sadly there are no results given for either team in those years so far as I could see.

Edited March 3, 2017 by Guest

[BL65 656]

Even more confusing is there was evidence of two speedway teams running at the same time in Birmingham. One Hall Green and one at Perry Barr, but no evidence that they both contested a local derby together.

On May 7th 1930 Birmingham (Perry Barr) hosted Hall Green in a Southern League meeting. The result was a win for the visitors by 36 points to 18. Perry Barr withdrew from the league after 4 matches. In 1929 both teams had competed in the Southern League but Hall Green withdrew from the competition after 7 matches, before the local derbies were staged.

[Deano 1,318]

On May 7th 1930 Birmingham (Perry Barr) hosted Hall Green in a Southern League meeting. The result was a win for the visitors by 36 points to 18. Perry Barr withdrew from the league after 4 matches. In 1929 both teams had competed in the Southern League but Hall Green withdrew from the competition after 7 matches, before the local derbies were staged.

 

That's interesting thank you, I'm hoping Mr Buck passes this by as I'm sure he struggled to get any evidence. I'm sure I recall discussing the 1929 fiasco with him, but never new of 1930's match.

[BL65 656]

 

That's interesting thank you, I'm hoping Mr Buck passes this by as I'm sure he struggled to get any evidence. I'm sure I recall discussing the 1929 fiasco with him, but never new of 1930's match.

The result is shown on the Speedway Researcher website at

 

http://www.speedwayresearcher.org.uk/docs/1930/slresults.pdf