Carmarthen Speedway

[speedway2006 1]

Hi,

 

I am thinking of writing a book about the short history of Carmarthen Speedway and was wondering if anybody had any photo's or memories they would be willing to contribute to the story.

 

Unfortunately, racing at the Showground only spanned 3 years. Hywel Lloyd has kindly agreed to have a look through his archives for some pics but if there are any pics taken by the fans out there, they would look great in the book. Also if you have any memories you might like to see in print or can recall a trip to the Showground, feel free to get in touch, it would be nice to include a fans perspective.

 

My aim is to donate any profit (fair to say not expecting too much of this!) from sales to the 'Benevolent Fund'.

 

Thanks for looking.

 

Andy

higgs2005@hotmail.co.uk

[25yearfan 476]

Get in touch with the promotors father and son duo Nigel and Gordon Meakins.

 

I believe the track is still in place though but without the fence and spectator facilities and has been used for plough pulling events which has rendered it unusable for speedway.

 

Carmarthen ran for 3 seasons 2002-04 in the CL but never got crowds of a decent level despite the considerable efforts of the promotion so pulled out and the owners of the showground wouldn't let anyone else extend the lease to keep speedway at the venue.

 

I believe the promotion are still to this day paying of their debts

[Ron Butler 0]

Get in touch with the promotors father and son duo Nigel and Gordon Meakins.

 

I believe the track is still in place though but without the fence and spectator facilities and has been used for plough pulling events which has rendered it unusable for speedway.

 

Carmarthen ran for 3 seasons 2002-04 in the CL but never got crowds of a decent level despite the considerable efforts of the promotion so pulled out and the owners of the showground wouldn't let anyone else extend the lease to keep speedway at the venue.

 

I believe the promotion are still to this day paying of their debts

 

Assuming that to be so, it is rather sad and proves how risky speedway is as a business. I sincerely hope that the erstwhile promoters are soon clear of their financial burden.

 

[2ndBender 28]

I used to love it at Carmarthen and got down there as often as I could. One year my partner and I enquired about the possibility of travelling down to Wimbledon for an away match. We didn't want to drive all the way to Carmarthen only to board a coach, (well, minibus actually), and head off back in the direction we'd just come from. Amanda Meakins very kindly agreed to pick us up on one of the motorway interchanges in Newport, on a grey, dismal, rainy afternoon. Nigel was on the bus and we got as far as the Severn Bridge when he received a call advising that the match was off. Huge disappointment all round, but guess what? Nigel insisted that we should all get our bus fare back! We protested that rain-offs are part and parcel of the sport, and that no-one expects their travel money back if they are unlucky enough to suffer one, but Nigel insisted on us taking the money! So we bought a pile of tickets for the Carmarthen Winter fund raising lottery.

 

A lovely club, a wonderfully well prepared racetrack and a true gentleman in Nigel Meakins. I'd happily buy him a pint tomorrow!

[Main Man 222]

Andy --have sent you a message about this

[speedway2006 1]

Thanks all for your thoughts.

 

I have sent a few PM's and thanks to Laurence for agreeing to help out, much appreciated.

 

Andy

[oddfossengen 1]

yes nigel meakins true gentleman we went to carmarthen a fews ago after the brit gp for an open meeting the were roughly about 200 to 300 people there and though nigel has to walk with a stick he walked all round the spectators thanking them individually for coming a true gent

[SCB 15]

I only ever made it there once, sadly. 2004 for the CL meeting vs Newport.

 

I think it was the smallest crowd I have ever seen at a speedway meeting but I don't know why because from the second we walked in I was impressed.

 

Tidy little set up, nothing fancy but it had everything you needed, the back straight terracing was built up so you looked right down onto the back straight and provided a brilliant view. The track was tiny but the racing was superb with some riders able to pin it on the line while other just couldn't, which meant you had loads of passing while Shane Colvin and Scott Peglar just stayed out wide and passed people.

 

In the interval Nigel Meakins took the roving mic on the centre green and gave a 3 minute speach about how pleased he was that everyone was there that day, thanks everyone for being there, said we'd never know what it meant to him and his family that we were supporting them, he said he knew that the fans who had travelled across form Newport were supporting there team but they were also supporting Carmarthen Speedway and he could not thank us enough. When he finished he got the loudest cheer I have ever heard from 150-200 people.

 

After that my dad and I vowed to return, sadly, they probably only run another 3 or 4 meeting that season and closed down in the winter, a huge shame.

 

After the meeting they had the vintage bikes out for a few demo races, by then the Meakins family had made they way out towards the exits and were thanking everyone for coming, smiling, laughing and chatting with anyone who had something to say. It's one of a small number of meeting I have been to and not heard anyone (including myself ) have any complaints and leave with a smile on there face. For anyone wanting to knwo how to run a speedway club, ask the Meakins family as I truly believe if they had been better situated the club would have been a raving success.

Edited May 1, 2008 by SCB

[oddfossengen 1]

I only ever made it there once, sadly. 2004 for the CL meeting vs Newport.

 

I think it was the smallest crowd I have ever seen at a speedway meeting but I don't know why because from the second we walked in I was impressed.

 

Tidy little set up, nothing fancy but it had everything you needed, the back straight terracing was built up so you looked right down onto the back straight and provided a brilliant view. The track was tiny but the racing was superb with some riders able to pin it on the line while other just couldn't, which meant you had loads of passing while Shane Colvin and Scott Peglar just stayed out wide and passed people.

 

In the interval Nigel Meakins took the roving mic on the centre green and gave a 3 minute speach about how pleased he was that everyone was there that day, thanks everyone for being there, said we'd never know what it meant to him and his family that we were supporting them, he said he knew that the fans who had travelled across form Newport were supporting there team but they were also supporting Carmarthen Speedway and he could not thank us enough. When he finished he got the loudest cheer I have ever heard from 150-200 people.

 

After that my dad and I vowed to return, sadly, they probably only run another 3 or 4 meeting that season and closed down in the winter, a huge shame.

 

After the meeting they had the vintage bikes out for a few demo races, by then the Meakins family had made they way out towards the exits and were thanking everyone for coming, smiling, laughing and chatting with anyone who had something to say. It's one of a small number of meeting I have been to and not heard anyone (including myself ) have any complaints and leave with a smile on there face. For anyone wanting to knwo how to run a speedway club, ask the Meakins family as I truly believe if they had been better situated the club would have been a raving success.

i second that

 

[clunsey 3]

I only went there once too, a double header against Wimbledon. Lovely little track and a really friendly bunch of supporters and staff.

 

I remember some old boy trying to tell us all about Wimbledon's glorious history, that made us chuckle.

[Deano 1,318]

If it's of any interest, I went there myself once with my parents for the Carmarthen v's Newcastle match. A small no nonsense circuit set in the beautiful welsh valleys, the views of the surrounding sweeping hillsides from the terracing were wonderful. On this particulary day both Branney brothers and Jamie Robertson were riding, it was a very entertaining match with Robertson enjoying the wide lines around the fence and Craig Braney just gating and going. Most of the fans appeared to be traveling neutrals, with a small group with oxford jackets on the third turn terracing. It's a shame the circuit is no longer operating as it was there for the right reasons, training riders for the future.

Edited May 4, 2008 by Deano