Guest Posted January 14, 2019 The official history records indicate there was no speedway at Exeter between the early 1930s (circa 1934?) and 1947. However I have been told there was an Exeter meeting staged in 1945 featuring leading international riders and that it was promoted by Bernard 'Bronco' Slade. Is this fact or fiction - or was it actually a local grass track meeting? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
andout 660 Posted January 14, 2019 Depends which Exeter you are talking about.....County Ground = No, Alphington = Yes (I have a couple of programmes from that year) and Exwick = yes. I find no reference to "Bronco" Slade in the Alphington programmes. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted January 14, 2019 54 minutes ago, andout said: Depends which Exeter you are talking about.....County Ground = No, Alphington = Yes (I have a couple of programmes from that year) and Exwick = yes. I find no reference to "Bronco" Slade in the Alphington programmes. I think the 1945 meeting 'Bronco' Slade was involved with was at EXETER Exwick Fields (single event 21 05 45) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ruth Reddy 8 Posted January 14, 2019 (edited) 2 hours ago, gustix said: I think the 1945 meeting 'Bronco' Slade was involved with was at EXETER Exwick Fields (single event 21 05 45) There are details of the Exwick meeting on the Speedway Researcher website, with a comment that the track surface was grass and sawdust. There was a report on the event in the Western Morning News the following day, where it was stated that the meeting proceeds went to a fund for the new St John Ambulance Brigade headquarters. Bronco Slade won heat 5 of the Sheriff's Scratch Race and also won heat 3 of the South-Western Championship, but was unplaced in both finals. It was reported in the Devon & Exeter Gazette on the following Friday that 5,000 spectators attended. Edited January 15, 2019 by Ruth Reddy Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted January 16, 2019 On 1/14/2019 at 9:44 PM, gustix said: I think the 1945 meeting 'Bronco' Slade was involved with was at EXETER Exwick Fields (single event 21 05 45) On 1/14/2019 at 11:42 PM, Ruth Reddy said: There are details of the Exwick meeting on the Speedway Researcher website, with a comment that the track surface was grass and sawdust. There was a report on the event in the Western Morning News the following day, where it was stated that the meeting proceeds went to a fund for the new St John Ambulance Brigade headquarters. Bronco Slade won heat 5 of the Sheriff's Scratch Race and also won heat 3 of the South-Western Championship, but was unplaced in both finals. It was reported in the Devon & Exeter Gazette on the following Friday that 5,000 spectators attended. These are more details of the Exwick meeting thanks - as always! - to Speedway Researcher. http://www.speedwayresearcher.org.uk/exeterexwick1945.pdf Share this post Link to post Share on other sites