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50 Years Ago Today, Brummies Return.

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May 24th 1971, the Brummies returned to Perry Barr, with a 39 all draw in a challenge match v Long Eaton at the Perry Barr (later the Ladbroke) Stadium.

The previous year, Chris Harrison had suggested to Joe Thurley, the then Doncaster promoter, that he try his luck at Birmingham, since there had been no league racing in the city since the ill fated 1957 season and a few open/challenge meetings 3 years later.

Instead of phoning the Alexander Stadium as Chris had suggested, Joe mistakenly contacted the greyhound stadium over the road. Luckily they were open to hosting speedway there and so a new chapter in the club's rollercoaster history began. 

Anyone have any memories of that night or any trips to PB?

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I did make the trip to Perry Barr in '71. It was later in the season, Sunderland the opposition. A comfortable home win accompanied by a Silver Helmet matchrace won by Arthur Browning. My recollection is of a large crowd and a good night's entertainment. 
I always enjoyed the visit as a Wolves supporter. A particular memory was Hans Nielsen's first visit in his first season. Was he 16 or 17?

Anyway he faced a tac sub in heat 8 and shocked all by gating first and riding with an air of confidence and determination to take the win. 
That was the first time I Thought he could go a very long way!
The wheels project was not the same and the loss of Perry Barr was a big disappointment.

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3 hours ago, 847084 said:

I did make the trip to Perry Barr in '71. It was later in the season, Sunderland the opposition. A comfortable home win accompanied by a Silver Helmet matchrace won by Arthur Browning. My recollection is of a large crowd and a good night's entertainment. 
I always enjoyed the visit as a Wolves supporter. A particular memory was Hans Nielsen's first visit in his first season. Was he 16 or 17?

Anyway he faced a tac sub in heat 8 and shocked all by gating first and riding with an air of confidence and determination to take the win. 
That was the first time I Thought he could go a very long way!
The wheels project was not the same and the loss of Perry Barr was a big disappointment.

That meeting was in September 1972 actually, Arthur didn't make his debut until the first meeting of that year. He beat Graeme Smith in the Silver Helmet. 

Hans was a real star virtually from the off, I thought .

The Wheels was just awful really, looking back. Went there for a stox meeting about 3 years ago and it hadn't changed much at all. 

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10 hours ago, OGT said:

May 24th 1971, the Brummies returned to Perry Barr, with a 39 all draw in a challenge match v Long Eaton at the Perry Barr (later the Ladbroke) Stadium.

The previous year, Chris Harrison had suggested to Joe Thurley, the then Doncaster promoter, that he try his luck at Birmingham, since there had been no league racing in the city since the ill fated 1957 season and a few open/challenge meetings 3 years later.

Instead of phoning the Alexander Stadium as Chris had suggested, Joe mistakenly contacted the greyhound stadium over the road. Luckily they were open to hosting speedway there and so a new chapter in the club's rollercoaster history began. 

Anyone have any memories of that night or any trips to PB?

Yes I've heard that story about Joe Thurleys stadium mix up which was understandable cause the old Perry Bar Greyhound stadium and the Alexander stadium (now the current Perry Bar speedway track) were virtually opposite each other. The one stop shopping centre sits where the Brummies used to race until 1983.

 

Them 2nd Division days from 1971 - 75 were great years for the Brummies as they were the powerhouse team of the Division and were very well supported. The success meant that the clamour to move up was strong but when they did in 1976 the club struggled until the 1981 - 83 Hans Nielsen years.

 

Looking back had Joe Thurley not got his stadiums mixed up and went on to reopen the Brummies at the Alexander stadium how different would the history of Birmingham speedway of been?

 

- Would moving into the Alexander stadium in 1971 have meant that the Brummies would have continued in League speedway every year up to present instead of closing in 1984 apart from open meetings and the 1987 to 2006 era when speedway was absent from Birmingham? - They only closed in 1983 cause of the imminent redevelopment of the old Perry Bar. Continuous racing at the Alexander would have meant that the 1984-86 Bordesley Green struggling spell would never have happened.

 

Frustratingly Tony Mole bought the promoting rights from Tom Evitts and his partner who ran at Bordesley Green around 1987 and planned to go in at the Alexander but the owner at the time wouldn't entertain speedway returning there. 

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