Ellesmere Port Gunners

[Gunners 6]

What memory's do you have of Ellesmere Port Gunners ?

 

If you do please share them.

[Main Man 222]

Personally some great times at Thornton Road -- John Jackson ducking under the tapes when on gate 4 , Steve Casey hitting the fence (sorry Case!!), Colin Goad's passing from the back --memories!!!

[KenB1 23]

Best ever meeting I saw there was the 85 KO cup final, how I would love to see some footage of that.

Some Thornton Road footage on the DaysGone By series.

see link below.

[Killer Cat from Mars 16]

I remember going to Thornton Road in the early eighties when Belle Vue were racing there. Louis Carr came out on a bike that sounded like a bag of spanners, and then proceeded to break the track record!!

 

I returned to Thornton Road in the nineties when my football team Droylsden were playing there against Colwyn Bay - Colwyn Bay were using it as their home during their exile from the Welsh League. I looked around the stadium and could see no trace of the old track - I felt quite sad about that.

 

Is the old stadium still there now?

[Peter 0]

Is the old stadium still there now?

It is. They have greyhound racing there now. The stadium was refurbished about four years ago, after Tony Mole's bid to bring speedway back was unsuccessful. The application was turned down after residents complained about the noise it would create. I was annoyed about this because the surrounding area hasn't changed and the council allowed speedway in the 70s and 80s so they should still allow it now.

[RobMcCaffery 2,752]

I was a regular at Thornton Road in my student days from 1977 to 1980 and was close to the 1985 promotion.

 

It was such a long track that passing was often at a premium but the sight of John Jackson blasting round it did a lot to compensate. What I remember most was how dominant the heat-leaders were - usually around double-figures with often only a token support from the rest of the side.

 

Doug Adams was announcing then and his dry style enlivened many a meeting.

 

Gate four was impossible to see from the rear of the grandstand so how on earth the referee, located on the back row, could see what was going on there I'll never know. It always seemed to be popular for rolling starts by the home men.

 

The crowds were always poor though which was a terrible shame given its location, with only Belle Vue and Workington in the north west at the time. The lack of interest in anything other than football, rugby league or boxing by the Merseyside media didn't help though.

 

In 1985 I got to know the management team rather well and a lovely memory was their trip to London that year.

 

They were at Wimbledon followed by Hackney and I arranged their hotel accommodation in East London. Part of the deal was to show them the way across London. I didn't realise I'd be showing the whole team...

 

Chief memory was making sure that Dave Morton's van was still with us as a very long train of cars and vans battled with traffic lights across south London.

 

On to the hotel and I found myself showing Joe Owen to the nearest kebab house. Now in those days there weren't that many in the north west so Joe was looking forward to treating his team-mates to the delights of chili sauce.

 

Of all the memories of meeting my heroes in those days that was perhaps the best - just buying kebabs with Joe. It was such a pleasure to get to know someone who had given me so much pleasure as a supporter.

 

Despite the success on-track and Mervyn Porter's professionalism as promoter it was soon clear why the Gunners had folded before with the support just not materialising. Joe's crippling injury right at the end of the season left an appalling taste to the abortive come-back.

 

One final memory, apart from being treated to a champage-a-gram at the 85 cup final was watching some fine young talent blasting their way down the back straight under the flames of Stanlow Oil Refinery.

 

Another sad loss and much-missed.

Edited August 12, 2006 by rmc

[25yearfan 476]

It is. They have greyhound racing there now. The stadium was refurbished about four years ago, after Tony Mole's bid to bring speedway back was unsuccessful. The application was turned down after residents complained about the noise it would create. I was annoyed about this because the surrounding area hasn't changed and the council allowed speedway in the 70s and 80s so they should still allow it now.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I thought it was the Council who didn't want it citing parking problems and the noise issues rather than complaints from residents. In fact the public meetings held at the time by Tony Mole were very well attended.

 

Yes I know that Ellesmere Port didn't get huge crowds but looking at how successfull the (at the time seemingly never to return) Workington set up has been since Mr Mole reopened beck in 1999 one wonders if he could of made a good 'fist' of things down Ellesmere Port as well?

 

An Ellesmere Port speedway website has been created in recent months. I believe those involved are trying to gauge the level of interest in speedway in the area and to see if theres anywhere locally that could stage speedway.

 

I think Thornton Road could still be ideal for speedway .

[Hot Shoe 58]

Never went to Thornton Road so my memories are only of the riders.

I remember seeing John Jackson ride for Wolverhampton midweek at White City then for Ellesmere Port at Rye House on the Sunday. Don't think he liked the tight Rye House track too much but on that big White City track he was spectacular. Worth the admission price alone.

[FAST GATER 853]

I was in the pits with Jacko all his time with Gunners and my father was his main sponsor.One thing that sticks in my mind was how consistant a scorer JJ was. I got at him one night because he missed a max by not passing a rider when i felt he could,he looked at me and said we got 11 tonight and the chance of 11 tomorrow night aswell.The rider in question was sadly Joe Owen and we all know what happened to him.I believe that JJ was the second highest points scorer ever in the old NL.He retired from the sport after more than 15yrs with no more than a badly twisted knee while at Crewe. He was a dream to watch and I never saw him passed if he gated and was the holder of many track records in his time.

[AndyM 1]

I saw a lot of speedway at Thornton Road on Friday nights - quite a lot of it rather poor compared to the fare we got at Hyde Road on Saturday nights, but it's a hard act to live up to! I remember all the greats of Ellesmere, but my abiding memory is of the freezing wind whipping up straight from the Urals, with no protection whatsoever from the oil refineries - it was the coldest speedway track bar none. Used to wrap up very warm and ususally ended up with frozen fingers so my programme looked like it had been written by a 5-year old!!

[FAST GATER 853]

I think it is unfair to compare the Gunners with the Aces as they were worlds apart but I feel that the track at the Port did offer some good racing and produced some great riders.Chis Morton ,Carr brothersfor example

[czechhero 32]

Unfortunately, my lasting memory of EPG is seeing poor Joey Owen's career finish before my eyes at Bordesley Green in 1985. A truly awful sight and such a shame for a the bloke.

[FAST GATER 853]

Anyone remember the Brucies( think it is the right spelling) that used to be on the back straight great bunch of fans and Frank Varey on the tractor throwing sweets to the kids !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[shazzybird 10]

What memory's do you have of Ellesmere Port Gunners ?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Only 1 ...... Jacko beating my Uncle at Wimbledon, during the NLRC

[FAST GATER 853]

Another thing I remember was Colin Goad drilling hundreds of holes in parts of his bike to reduce weight and looking at Colin at the time a diet might have been better!!!!!!!!!!!!!