HertsRacer

The subscription television coverage is just a small part of BT Group plc. Last year they bought the British mobile phone operator EE for £12.5 billion, and the companies assets are listed as approx 43 billion dollars, so I don't think they need to worry about the cost of covering speedway (if in fact the rumours are true) too much.

No, there are numerous examples of football managers who are sacked by a club and don't take up another job straight away as it would effect the amount of compensation they would be entitled to from their previous club. The same principle would probably apply here, if the day after Sky pulled the plug, speedway signed a contract with BT.

Not sure about this Phil. If Sky pulled out and speedway suffered a significant loss of income as a result, then yes I agree they would be liable to pay up the contract. The fact that BT appear to be entering into a contract to provide coverage this season as a replacement would alter Sky's responsibility. If the contract with BT brings in less money there would be a case for Sky to make up the difference, but if the new contract is for the same or more then any compensation from Sky would mean the BSPA would be getting the money twice. Hope that makes sense.

Quite simple really, Sky have been in trouble ever since vastly paying over the top for Premier League football, and having no way to recoup the additional expenditure except by raising prices to the consumer and by cutting costs. Already many sports have been dropped by Sky since the new football contract came into force. Their position has further worsened by the fact that viewer figures for football are reputed to have dropped by up to 20% this season. As for BT it expands their domestic sports portfolio, and fits in nicely with their coverage of the GP's.

I think you and Iris are talking at cross purposes here. I assume you mean the 1951 National League (top Division) as oppose to the modern National League (third division),while Iris assumes you are comparing the old National League (top division) with the current top division, the Premier League.

Anybody wanting to know whats going on can follow updates on http://www.bellevuearmy.co.uk/showthread.php?2034-Fans-Forum-Live-Updates Main points so far Contracts to be signed in the morning. Formal press release tomorrow. Craig Cook and Stevie Worrall announced as first signings. The city council has agreed they will invest in the south stand. The stand will be put right for the start of season. Temporary toilet blocks for this year but will put permanent in next winter. Council to provide track covers for 2018 No increases in prices

A picture of Luton Stadium taken a few years before closure . Copyright - Dunstable Gazette, Herald & Post.

The stadium was built by the Luton and Dunstable Greyhound Racing Club in 1931 on the south side of the Dunstable Road and east side of Skimpot Road in Luton. The speedway track was 311 yards in length and operated from 1934 to 1936. The stadium closed in November 1973, and is now the site of industrial units. It was primarily used as a training track for the Wembley Lions riders and mainly ran junior matches and open meetings. The team was known as the Luton Hatters. Though the speedway closed in 1936 there were ambitious plans for the 1937 season as the following newspaper article shows Luton News and Chronicle 15 Oct 1936 talking about the 1937 season. ‘We are to have a resumption of speedway in Luton, I hope it will be more successful than last season. People with knowledge of the game told me the track is splendidly laid out, as one would expect from the fact that Luton Stadium authorities had advice from no less an expert as Jim Kempster. The reason for the failure last season was because there were not sufficient competition at the meetings. The riding was “friendly matches” with no league championship to fight for. Well when the game resumes at Luton the club will be members of The Provincial League. A company has been formed, and the speedway is to be leased to the company. There will probably be a little arrangement of the track in order to ensure greater speed for the circuit – more oval in shape. All this I am told by Arthur Westwood, who has achieved no little success on the track, and a good deal as a manager. He says the new company will be styled The Luton Speedways Ltd , and he himself will be managing director. There will be affiliation to the ACU, and arrangements are being made to sign experienced riders, and to enter the Provincial League”. Westwood started organising regular social events for the supporters to build up enthusiasm for the coming season, but sadly nothing further happened. It is believed financial difficulties together with increased noise complaints put an end to Luton.

Sorry can't help, but this was his record in 1987 for Canterbury 4/5/87 Away Rye House League 2 rides 1pt 5/5/87 Away Milton Keynes League 2 rides 1pt 10/5/87 Away Boston KOCup 4 rides 2+1pts 12/5/87 Away Poole League 2 rides 0pts 23/5/87 Home Stoke League 2 rides 1+1pts 30/5/87 Home Boston KOCup 3 rides 0pts 7/6/87 Away Eastbourne League 2 rides 2pts 13/6/87 Away Stoke League 2 rides 0pts

My five are 1. ROMFORD - The decline in speedway started the day they closed. 2 SUNDERLAND - See above. And for purely selfish reasons, three sites within a quarter of an hours drive from me which speedway has been considered in the past 3. WELWYN GARDEN CITY - Even got as far as doing noise tests at the Gosling Stadium in the early 70's. 4 HENLOW - Mentioned as a possible early member of the Conference League 5 BYGRAVE - Old Banger Racing Circuit. Considered to small for speedway.

Went back to Sunderland for the first time in 45 years recently. Didn't recognise any of the town now. Drove out to the stadium and didn't recognise that either. Trying to remember what it used to look like. Remember the main stand, wasn't there a wooden stand on the other side?

I'll go for that. Followed the Stars for two years after they reopened in the 70's (except when Romford were the visitors of course) when I was at college there.

Sorry Compost, not sure what you mean. Are you after the scheduled Skegness fixtures ridden as the IOW and Kings Lynn? If so the easy answer is most of them. Skegness only survived a matter of weeks in both seasons, In the first year in the Premier League due to very poor crowds, and as a Conference League team the following season due to disagreements with the stadium owners.

Going through some old newspapers recently I came across some reports of speedway meetings held at Tamworth dated 1932/3. I can’t find any mention of speedway in Tamworth for these dates in any history book, so does anybody know anything about this? The track was in Tamworth Road, Fazeley. The Tamworth Hounds rode at Watling Street, Fazeley after the war. Was this the same site? My first instinct is that this may have been a grass track, but in 1933 there is mention of the track being relaid to improve racing, so perhaps not. Some of the riders mentioned appearing include the wonderfully named Cracker Jack, Tom McDonald, Atta Boy, Pat Biddle, Bob Harvey, Baggy Trimnell and Arthur Ryder. Pat Biddle I know was an American who rode for Halls Green and Birmingham previously but who were the others? Apparently it attracted large crowds during its short existence, yet it seems to have been forgotten about. Any information would be gratefully received.

All I will say is that whoever played they proved they were much better on a bike than kicking a football around. In fairness it would be interesting to know how the likes of Matthews, Finney and Wright would have got on against them on the track. Not very well I suspect.

Best 1. 1st Aug 1961 when my parents took me to my first meeting, Yarmouth v Norwich ‘B’. Hooked ever since. 2. Young England v Young Czechoslovakia at Romford 1970. Best meeting ever seen. The Czechs certainly weren’t afraid of the concrete safety fence. 3. Re-birth of Wembley Lions in 1970. Even the London Evening News brought out a special edition to mark the occasion. Over 30,000 in attendance. Worst 1. As a Wimbledon supporter at the time I agree with Sidney re hearing of Tommy Jansson’s death. It was the beginning of the end for the Dons. 2. Closure of speedway at Romford in 1971. 3. The loss of so many famous stadiums to re-development.

I noticed too that he is described as English. I suppose as he lived here they regarded him as such. As to reading the link, once you have opened it (and yes you do need sunglasses) best to enlarge the page by clicking on the circle with a cross in it, bottom right hand side. Then just scroll down and details of all the meetings/races are listed.

I've found Pat Biddle appearing regularly at Coventry Lythalls Lane track in 1930. He is listed as a Perry Barr rider, and he appears to have had a fair bit of success result wise. Full details on Speedway Researcher.

Could very well be. It seems he stopped racing here in 1932, and I would be surprised if he didn't return to the US when the threat of war in Europe became apparent.

In BL65's link to Pat Biddle testing at the BSA track it says that Jack Parker also tested there. I think this may well be what the paper is referring to, nothing to do with racing on a proper speedway track. A bit of journalistic licence to promote Tamworth I think.

Here is a newspaper extract in which he is mentioned. TAMWORTH HERALD – Meeting 7th August 1932 “Broadside Bow’s team included Pat Biddle, Bob Harvey, and other well known Nottingham boys. Pat is very popular with the late Halls Green and Perry Bar supporters. Now he is at Tamworth Speedway and hopes to be in good form to ride for the Tamworth team on 14th August against Nottingham”. The phrasing of the article suggests that he may possibly have had some connection with Nottingham.

In my topic about pre-war racing at Tamworth, Pat Biddle is mentioned in newspapers as being a regular rider at the track in 1932/3. Formerly with Halls Green and Birmingham he was born in Alabama, USA in 1910. In one article it mentions him "putting on a wonderful show when riding with Jack Parker in 1928 & 1929".

Many thanks for that. As you appear to know the area rather well, I wonder if this description of a coach trip in 1932 means anything to you, which might help establish where the track was. "The outer journey was made along the Watling Street through Hints and Canwell passing the speedway at Mile Oak and through Fazeley".

Yes, I seem to remember reading about that and how it was planned to join the Northern League, which of course never happened.

Racing certainly took place in 1928. In 1930 The Lancashire Evening Post dated 12 May reported that a syndicate of Manchester business men had formed a syndicate to acquire Blackpool Speedway at Highfield Road, Squires Gate with the intention of commencing racing at the end of the month.