BL65 658 Posted January 7, 2016 Sorry this is going to be a bit long, but it's taken from an article I wrote for the Speedway Star a few years ago and shows McKay and Galloway's part in the first meeting at High Beech. Before submitting it I had both Ross Garrigan and Nigel Bird, in my opinion two of speedway's finest historians, go through it and make comments. They agreed with my final draft. So here goes! In 1927, Captain Olliver and Captain Geoffrey Malins, who were undertaking a round the world motorcycle trip sponsored by motor cycle manufacturers, C.F. Temple Motors, visited A J Hunting's new Davies Park track in Brisbane. After seeing these top riders in first class surroundings Olliver cabled his brother-in-law, Jimmy Baxter, who was the managing director of Temple Motors, saying that speedway was making big money in Australia and he felt sure it might do the same in Britain if organised properly. Baxter then got in touch with the Australian promoter Keith McKay. McKay had tried his hand at racing but had not been very successful. Instead he had turned to promoting Jack Hill-Bailey was a good friend of Jimmy Baxter’s and was therefore aware that Baxter was interested in introducing speedway to this country. Consequently, he reached an agreement with him for the meeting at High Beech, originally due to take place on 9 November 1927, to be jointly organised by his own Ilford Club and Baxter’s Metropolis Club. The ACU turned down the proposal on the grounds that 9 November was a Sunday. However, they added that if a new application was made asking permission for a closed meeting, that is one restricted to club members only, they would grant it. Consequently Hill-Bailey reapplied for permission to run a closed meeting on what has probably become the most famous date in British speedway history, 19 February 1928. In the meantime, Baxter’s Australian contact, Keith McKay, had set sail for England on the SS Oronsay on 10 December 1927 to join up with him as promoter and director of a new company dedicated to promoting speedway, Dirt Track Speedways Ltd. While on board the Oronsay, McKay met up with another speedway rider, Billy Galloway, who was working his passage as the ship’s barber. It is not known for certain whether Galloway knew about plans for the introduction of speedway in Britain or whether his involvement just came about by a chance meeting with McKay on board the Oronsay Whatever the reason for his being on board the Oronsay, Galloway joined McKay and they both went to see Baxter on their arrival. Although no longer involved as joint promoter, Baxter was still taking a prominent role in the organisation of the High Beech meeting and as a precursor to it, he arranged for McKay and Galloway to give a demonstration of the art of real speedway at Stamford Bridge, the home of Chelsea Football Club, early in 1928. This demonstration was filmed by Pathe News and must certainly have been the first time proper speedway was seen in this country. It is probable that this film, being a Pathe News feature, would have been shown in cinemas around the country and certainly in London, thus giving a massive publicity boost to the High Beech meeting and could explain why so many people turned up on that cold February day in 1928 to witness what is now generally accepted as the first speedway meeting in Great Britain. Hill-Bailey had planned for around 2000 spectators but in fact over 20,000 attended. Two of the riders at this meeting were, of course, the Australian pair, McKay and Galloway, and one of the officials was Jimmy Baxter. After these pioneering events, the Australians began to arrive. Hunting had already arranged for most of his top stars to come to Britain and on 10 April 1928, the SS Oronsay left its final port of call in Australia when it set sail from Freemantle with riders of the calibre of Vic Huxley, Frank Arthur, Frank Pearce, Charlie Spinks and Dick Smythe on board. Also on board was the other well-known promoter, Johnnie Hoskins, with his riders, Ron Johnson, Charlie Datson and Sig Schlam. The newspaper report of 16th February 1928 (see post #7 in this thread) suggests that the demonstration at Stamford Bridge took place as late as 18th February and if that was the case then the impact on the attendance on 19th February was dramatic. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
norbold 7,154 Posted January 7, 2016 The newspaper report of 16th February 1928 (see post #7 in this thread) suggests that the demonstration at Stamford Bridge took place as late as 18th February and if that was the case then the impact on the attendance on 19th February was dramatic. Well, yes, that would certainly seem to rule out Pathe News as being the reason for the large attendance at High Beech. I wonder how many people actually attended the demonstration at Stamford Bridge on 18 Feb and were so enthused that they decided to go and watch a whole meeting the following day. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
iris123 21,047 Posted January 8, 2016 All a mystery.Are there any examples of advertising posters or newspaper ads etc to get the crowd interested? At least we have two more names in Ross Garrigan and Nigel Bird(who I must admit is a new name to me) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
arnieg 3,662 Posted January 8, 2016 Sorry this is going to be a bit long, but it's taken from an article I wrote for the Speedway Star a few years ago and shows McKay and Galloway's part in the first meeting at High Beech. Before submitting it I had both Ross Garrigan and Nigel Bird, in my opinion two of speedway's finest historians, go through it and make comments. They agreed with my final draft. I found huge discrepancies between the Speedway Star and Reading Evening Post descriptions of Geoff Curtis's final meeting. I went to Ross Garrigan and got a third version almost entirely at odds with the other two. I took Ross's account for three reasons: 1) he's a well regarded speedway historian 2) generated contemporaneously; and 3) located physically close to the event. I'd also endorse norbold's comments about the recollections of the central protagonists not being the most reliable. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
norbold 7,154 Posted January 8, 2016 At least we have two more names in Ross Garrigan and Nigel Bird(who I must admit is a new name to me) Nigel used to be quite active on here under his "handle" which I can't remember at the moment. He took a very active part in particular along with Ross and me in arguing with BFD and the six or seven manifestations of a certain former speedway magazine editor over Johnnie Hoskins' claim to have invented speedway. He was also on Jim Blanchard's history of speedway website and came up with a lot of really interesting information. He used to spend many hours in the Newspaper Library digging out obscure information. He may still do for all I know! 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lucifer sam 3,955 Posted January 8, 2016 Recollections can be unreliable. The tragic death of Peter Craven is an example. Some people swear blind he started the race off a handicap, but several Edinburgh historians put the record straight - he started off the gate. All the best Rob 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
iris123 21,047 Posted January 8, 2016 Yes some people have bad memories and other people make up stories Two occasions I remember Egon Müller telling what seemed t me to be untruths..... One time in a tv interview he said how he wasn't appreciated in his home country but was worshiped in England!!!!! Really not sure about that Another time,it was at the indoor meeting in Herning,Denmark a few years back during an interval he was interviewed on the centre and before he started to sing said "This was a big hit for me in England" Shock,horror again when I heard that,but not as horrified as I was once he started his song We shouldn't believe everything we are told Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pugwash 3,208 Posted January 9, 2016 Nigel used to be quite active on here under his "handle" which I can't remember at the moment. He took a very active part in particular along with Ross and me in arguing with BFD and the six or seven manifestations of a certain former speedway magazine editor over Johnnie Hoskins' claim to have invented speedway. He was also on Jim Blanchard's history of speedway website and came up with a lot of really interesting information. He used to spend many hours in the Newspaper Library digging out obscure information. He may still do for all I know! This the thread? http://www.speedway-forum.co.uk/forums/index.php?showtopic=68597&page=1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
norbold 7,154 Posted January 9, 2016 This the thread? http://www.speedway-forum.co.uk/forums/index.php?showtopic=68597&page=1 That's the one. Thanks, Pugwash. And it just goes to show how unreliable personal memories can be as Nigel didn't take part in that discussion after all. It must have been a similar discussion on the Speedway History site. But it was interesting to see that a certain former speedway magazine editor used five different pseudonyms during the course of the debate so he could argue with himself. Dear oh dear. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
iris123 21,047 Posted January 9, 2016 What about Tom Stenner?Never read any of his annuals or his book Thrilling the million,so have no idea whether his work is a good read or not Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pugwash 3,208 Posted January 9, 2016 (edited) But it was interesting to see that a certain former speedway magazine editor used five different pseudonyms during the course of the debate so he could argue with himself. Dear oh dear. Yes but that's all water under the bridge, he's a differant character now . Edited January 9, 2016 by pugwash 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Paulco 7,101 Posted January 9, 2016 Two occasions I remember Egon Müller telling what seemed t me to be untruths..... One time in a tv interview he said how he wasn't appreciated in his home country but was worshiped in England!!!!! Really not sure about that Didn't hang around long enough to be worshipped by us Tigers fans . Did a couple of away meetings for Coatbridge Tigers in 1973 , then was offski 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
iris123 21,047 Posted January 9, 2016 I don't think he was at Hull an awful lot longer was he? But I guess this must be the period he was talking about,as normally he is dismissed at least on here as being a one hit wonder and one of the worst world champs in history 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Paulco 7,101 Posted January 9, 2016 I don't think he was at Hull an awful lot longer was he? But I guess this must be the period he was talking about,as normally he is dismissed at least on here as being a one hit wonder and one of the worst world champs in history Like Jerzy Szackiel before him , right place at the right time 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Doctor... 1,478 Posted January 9, 2016 But it was interesting to see that a certain former speedway magazine editor used five different pseudonyms during the course of the debate so he could argue with himself. Dear oh dear. I think John claimed some time ago that he only did all that to stir up debate on a thread by increasing the number of posts, but the thing was, the thread was actually moving on nicely enough without him doing all that. Looking back at it now, it actually looks like the behaviour of someone with psychosis. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
