Speedway Bid At Arsenal 1929

[Guest]

Here's an intriguing new brief item from 1929. I know no more than this - but I am certain we have a BSF member/members who may be able to provide more details. Just to emphasise - the project never materialised.

'Daily Mirror' April 1929

ANOTHER SPEEDWAY FOR LONDON
Rumours of yet another speedway for London, it is to be laid on the Arsenal Football ground at Highbury, an excellent position of course, but can London stand it?

[iris123 20,986]

Wasn't there another London football ground where it was announced speedway might move into?Down at Charlton Athletic in the 70s.Not sure what happened there apart from nothing much

[Triple.H. 1,986]

The Arsenal would no doubt have been a team of technically excellent riders who just couldn't get over the finish line.

[HertsRacer 222]

Wasn't there another London football ground where it was announced speedway might move into?Down at Charlton Athletic in the 70s.Not sure what happened there apart from nothing much

Though Midget Car racing was held at the Valley just after the war, the attempt to bring speedway to Charlton was at the greyhound stadium just up the road in 1966 (I think). Even got to the stage of signing riders before the stadium owner changed his mind and sold the place for redevelopment.

Edited June 23, 2016 by HertsRacer

[Guest]

Though Midget Car racing was held at the Valley just after the war, the attempt to bring speedway to Charlton was at the greyhound stadium just up the road in 1966 (I think). Even got to the stage of signing riders before the stadium owner changed his mind and sold the place for redevelopment.

 

That is the correct assessment in regard to an attempt to bring speedway to Charlton in about 1966. I have an idea there had also been a previous attempt around 1947 but that was objected to by New Cross because of its proximity to their stadium. There was one midget car meeting at The Valley in 1948 by an American team then based in London and it attracted a 50,000 crowd. But the Americans declined further midget car meetings at Charlton because of the odd shape of the track laid round the football pitch and its surface.

Edited June 23, 2016 by Guest

[HertsRacer 222]

 

That is the correct assessment in regard to an attempt to bring speedway to Charlton in about 1966. I have an idea there had also been a previous attempt around 1947 but that was objected to by New Cross because of its proximity to their stadium. There was one midget car meeting at The Valley in 1948 by an American team then based in London and it attracted a 50,000 crowd. But the Americans declined further midget car meetings at Charlton because of the odd shape of the track laid round the football pitch and its surface.

Not aware of any earlier attempts for speedway at Charlton. There was an application for the sport to be held at that time at Selhurst Park, home of Crystal Palace F.C.

[Guest]

 

That is the correct assessment in regard to an attempt to bring speedway to Charlton in about 1966. I have an idea there had also been a previous attempt around 1947 but that was objected to by New Cross because of its proximity to their stadium. There was one midget car meeting at The Valley in 1948 by an American team then based in London and it attracted a 50,000 crowd. But the Americans declined further midget car meetings at Charlton because of the odd shape of the track laid round the football pitch and its surface.

 

 

Not aware of any earlier attempts for speedway at Charlton. There was an application for the sport to be held at that time at Selhurst Park, home of Crystal Palace F.C.

 

I agree that my recollection of the Charlton and New Cross speedway affair is sketchy and you may well be correct HertsRacer. But I do recall the 1947 application for Crystal Palace and the use of the Selhurst Park ground. The man behind the application then was Frank Arnold who in later years was involved with the promotion at Rayleigh.

[iris123 20,986]

Though Midget Car racing was held at the Valley just after the war, the attempt to bring speedway to Charlton was at the greyhound stadium just up the road in 1966 (I think). Even got to the stage of signing riders before the stadium owner changed his mind and sold the place for redevelopment.

Maybe there were two attempts at speedway in Charlton?I am sure I read it in the Speedway Star and found the article in one of my Stars a few years back.And I didn't start buying the Star until 1973........

[Guest]

Maybe there were two attempts at speedway in Charlton?I am sure I read it in the Speedway Star and found the article in one of my Stars a few years back.And I didn't start buying the Star until 1973........

 

This gives some basic insight into old London speedway tracks:

http://www.speedway-forum.co.uk/forums/index.php?showtopic=42554

Edited June 24, 2016 by Guest

[HertsRacer 222]

 

 

 

I agree that my recollection of the Charlton and New Cross speedway affair is sketchy and you may well be correct HertsRacer. But I do recall the 1947 application for Crystal Palace and the use of the Selhurst Park ground. The man behind the application then was Frank Arnold who in later years was involved with the promotion at Rayleigh.

Just been looking through some old newspapers and found that there was a preliminary application for speedway at Charlton in 1948 along with Cheltenham, Worksop, Romford, Braintree, Brighton, Stainforth, Nottingham, Stepps (Lanarkshire) and Kings Lynn.

I know that Romford was turned down by the local council and Stepps was refused a licence. Anybody know why the other applications came to nothing at the time.

[Parsloes 1928 nearly 495]

Just been looking through some old newspapers and found that there was a preliminary application for speedway at Charlton in 1948 along with Cheltenham, Worksop, Romford, Braintree, Brighton, Stainforth, Nottingham, Stepps (Lanarkshire) and Kings Lynn.

I know that Romford was turned down by the local council and Stepps was refused a licence. Anybody know why the other applications came to nothing at the time.

Ha, and interestingly when they did open at Brooklands in '69 they actually did so WITHOUT Planning Permission! Happy days!!

 

'Daily Mirror' April 1929

ANOTHER SPEEDWAY FOR LONDON

Rumours of yet another speedway for London, it is to be laid on the Arsenal Football ground at Highbury, an excellent position of course, but can London stand it?

Is this a genuine extract from the Daily Mirror?

In what context was this written? A letter to the Sports pages or in another article?

[iris123 20,986]

I do wonder how suitable the old Arsenal Stadium was for speedway.Don't think it was that big,there was no fencing around the pitch,and the front rows of the terracing werea few feet below the pitch so spectators heads were about pitch level.Any speedway fence would have made the use of the first dozen terrace steps useless,i'd guess.Not the same at Stamford Bridge and Wembley and White City for instance as they had a different shape that allowed a track outside the football pitch.Ok Wembley had to have the corners up,but at Arsenal the track would have caused far greater problems i would have thought

 

http://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/worlds-greatest-ground-photographic-centenary-celebration-highbury?page=0%2C4

Edited June 29, 2016 by iris123

[norbold 7,110]

I do wonder how suitable the old Arsenal Stadium was for speedway.Don't think it was that big,there was no fencing around the pitch,and the front rows of the terracing werea few feet below the pitch so spectators heads were about pitch level.Any speedway fence would have made the use of the first dozen terrace steps useless,i'd guess.Not the same at Stamford Bridge and Wembley and White City for instance as they had a different shape that allowed a track outside the football pitch.Ok Wembley had to have the corners up,but at Arsenal the track would have caused far greater problems i would have thought

 

 

Maybe that's why it never happened?

[iris123 20,986]

Maybe that's why it never happened?

That would be my guess

[Parsloes 1928 nearly 495]

I do wonder how suitable the old Arsenal Stadium was for speedway.Don't think it was that big,there was no fencing around the pitch,and the front rows of the terracing werea few feet below the pitch so spectators heads were about pitch level.Any speedway fence would have made the use of the first dozen terrace steps useless,i'd guess.Not the same at Stamford Bridge and Wembley and White City for instance as they had a different shape that allowed a track outside the football pitch.Ok Wembley had to have the corners up,but at Arsenal the track would have caused far greater problems i would have thought

 

http://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/worlds-greatest-ground-photographic-centenary-celebration-highbury?page=0%2C4

You're right - the pitch at Highbury was the SMALLEST in the whole football league!

 

Mind you this apparent extract is from 1929 and I don't think either the West or East Stands (in their Art Deco glory) were built by this point - so the situation at the ground (a ground I knew and loved so well later..) wasn't as any of us (except perhaps for John!!) would be able to remember...