25yearfan

Billy Bales retired at the end of 1967 not 1969 as my fellow ex Norwich Stars fans Star Ghost suggests! Though hes right in saying that Billy begun his career at Great Yarmouth in the late 1940's, so he enjoyed a long career! Geof Pymar first rode at Norwich in about 1930 and I believe rode his last season at Middlesbrough or Bradford in about 1962 though I'm sure Star ghost will correct me! Les Collins first rode league speedway for Crewe in 1975 and was still going in 2003 with Glasgow! Neil Collins first rode in about 77/78 and finshed in 2006 with newport. Ivan Mauger first rode speedway in 1955 in New Zealand and finished riding competitively in 1986! Olle Nygren also rode for many years from possibly the late 40's till the mid 70's. If you don't count league careers and just total years spent racing then some riders have had massively long careers. For instance I remember seeing Chris Louis/gary Havelock/Mark loram riding on junior grasstracks in the late 70's/early 80's and others like Phil Morris, Scott Nicholls and Leigh Lanham riding in the mid 80's!

That is quite obvious - many of the spectators who followed Southampton speedway up until the early 60's closure wouldn't now be with us just like many who I stood with at the Firs, (Norwich speedway) but that doesn't mean that a new, young generation of fans couldn't be found. I bet theres quite a lot of old Southampton Saints fans still about anyway! Southamptons a big place so the population is there to draw a crowd from. How many people from Southampton go to Poole speedway or IOW speedway the nearest tracks to the city? - Probably not many, but if speedway returned to Southampton I bet many persons from the area would be enticed to go. Southampton remains in my opinion like Norwich, Bristol, Halifax, Exeter, Cornwall, Wimbledon, Cradley, Leicester and no doubt others a totally untapped potential hotbed of speedway. If only the local Council could see this! Good luck with the reunion!

Southampton would be a great place to reopen speedway as I'm sure it would be well supported!

Hope it comes off but like everything else in speedway I'll believe it when I see it! Good luck!

Ellesmere Port stadium still stands to this day. Tony Mole was twice turned down in 2001 when trying for planning permission there despite strong local support, which was evident at the very well attended public meetings they had. The reasons given for turning the application down were parking issues and the dreaded noise aspect though speedway had been staged there up until the end of 1985 from 1972 when the bikes were much more noisier. I'm sure that CL or even lower budget PL racing could work at Ellesmere Port.

Graham Clifton is Luke Cliftons uncle so I'm led to believe!

Agree totally! Regionalisation goes on now anyway as it is - Look at all the northern tracks that make up a big chunk of the PL. They stay there cause they know they'll get local away fans coming to meetings which wouldn't happen if they went in to the EL. I'm sure that with their large support, Workington would of moved up into the EL by now if they were more central.

The CL has offered young/new riders a proper constructive less competitive than the 2nd Division (PL) league to fine tune their talents. The CL has offered capable riders who although aren't good enough for higher leagues but are still capable of producing entertaining speedway an outlet. The CL is much more constructive and provides more opportunities than what the old 2nd half junior/reserve leagues ever managed to be! The CL has offered teams like Boston, Mildenhall, Stoke, Scunthorpe, Rye House, Berwick, St Austell at a new venue who all struggled to afford higher league racing in the past and had closed down an cheaper alternative to allow them to reopen, rejuvenate then eventually make the move back into higher league racing. - I'm local to Mldenhall and believe me without the CL the Fen Tigers would of never come back into speedway and I'd say the same applies at Rye House as well. The CL has also offers opportunities for new teams/old training tracks such as Plymouth (yes I know they had a team up to 1970 but this is a new track and 36 years down the line!) Buxton, Somerset, Iwade (Sittingbourne), the old Linlithgow to try league racing and in the case of Somerset and I suspect soon in the future Plymouth the momentum to try a higher league. The Premier league in particular has the CL to thank for its strength of numbers. Without the CL this year Oxford speedway would now be defunct instead of the situation now when the CL has given them a fighting chance of building itself up again. The same scanario applied in 1996 at Arena Essex cause when the previous 1995 top flight promotion uped and left to supposedly pastures greener at Hackney. The stadium owners at Arena kept speedway alive there by running CL when otherwise speedway would of probably closed. Yes I'd agree that an element of the CL namely the utterly ridiculous grading system is shambolic but the concept of the CL is brilliant in that it has done so much for the sport in terms of teams, tracks and riders. The CL should be preserved at all costs! Again I've seen more posters put in their prefered league set ups for next with Exeter, Buxton and Sittingbourne in a reorganised PL. Exeter aren't running next year while Sittingbourne and Buxton have small budgets at CL level so wouldn't contemplate a higher league set up. Anyway getting rid of the CL would see the end of the Rye House Raiders and the Boston Barracudas - 2 of the better ran and productive CL outfits.

No way ever should the CL be sacrificed cause the EL is struggling! CL has been one of the best innovations ever in speedway - so it should stay in its present state! Anyway look at the situation realistically - Sittingbourne and Buxton couldn't afford to go into a more expensive league cause they struggle to keep afloat at their present CL level. If they were forced to move inot a higher level then their only alternative would be to cease with League racing. Exeter aren't running next year do to planning difficulties. Theirs no guarantee that Oxford will revert to higher league next year anyway. What should happen - The EL should be joined by 4 PL teams making the numbers up to 14. One home and one away in the league, play offs, kO cup, bring back the internationals, bring two foriegn clubs over to ride challenge matchs at 14 EL tracks at the start of the season to give them another fixture. 6 man teams with 2 of the team British. The PL would lose 4 tracks but hopefully Scunthorpe, Plymouth and Oxford could be persuaded to move up from the CL to increase numbers, with any other new track reopening or moving up from the CL having to go into the PL. In a few years the PL could be bolstered by the return of Cradley, Leicester, Exeter Hull ETc. 3 riders out of every PL team must be British. But please the CL as it is!

If it was done properly, EG the fair distribution of riders then it could work for most teams but; I'm afraid Buxton and Sittingbourne struggle to afford CL so most definately couldn't run at an even higher level. Also finishing the CL would most probably mean the end of one of its stronger better run clubs in Boston who don't have a track of their own and don't get regular good crowds at KL. So looking at these points it is far better to continue with 3 leagues - but trying to make the EL more interesting and viable. With Exeter hopefully returing, Oxford likely to revert to PL, Scunthorpe set to move up with Plymouth thinking about it, as well as strong murmouring from 2 former big league teams who could have new stadiums then their would be scope for 3-4 of the better PL tracks to move up without hurting the PL number wise!

8 team League won't work much better than what we've got now cause its too small, therefore fans would soon get obored of the lack of variety. I agree that guest riders doesn't seem quite right - a bit like a Liverpool player guesting for Manchester United! But in speedway the teams don't operate squad systems, the ampount of speedway riders about is low, riders of the required level are rarely sittign on the sidelines and injuries do occur quite often especially now with riders riding all over Europe in the different Leagues. I'm afraid that guest riders are a necessary evil of our sport. Its would be no good say Coventry replacing an injured heat leader with a local 2nd halfer whos signed on for the Bees just to eradicate guest riders. It would be far better Coventry getting a guest who is of a similar level to their injured heat leader in order to have a competitive meeting. But I do agree that more advertising would help matters no end!

So the Boulevard has been saved, interesting! Always liked Craven park facility wise even though the speedway track was to narrow in my opinion. If HKR rugby team do get a new stadium then Craven Park would be ideal for speedway and greyhounds. I'm sure that the Boulevard would be a complete no goer trying to get planning permision for speedway being right in the middle of housing? Therefore wouldn't it be best for everyone if eventually the Boulevard was sold for housing and then Craven Park is used for speedway with a wider circuit, dogs and possibly other events like an all weather pitch in the middle?

interesting that one of speedway major aspects, the starting tapes was instigated at a track long forgotton in a city that hasn't seen the sport for such a long time. If the stadium owners could be persuaded, Nottingham greyhound stadium would make an ecellent venue for the sport in an area where their is currently no speedway. With the planning application at Long Eaton being turned down, the extremely high cost involved anyhow (£6 million to build a new speedway stadium on the grounds of the old stadium site that was sold for about £900,0000) and with no more applications being put in then the chances of speedway ever being staged again in Long Eaton are extremely slim. I'm sure a lot of the former Long Eaton Invaders fans would support a team in Nottingham, a big city with the potential to attract an even bigger audience. Probably some Long Eaton fans did come from Nottingham. Long Eaton ran as the Nottingham Outlaws in the late 70's and their junior team of the early 90's also went under the Nottingham Outlaws banner. Nottingham Outlaws in the PL running at Nottingham greyhound stadium - could it work?

The main Norwich to London Liverpool street train line runs past the Romford Greyhound stadium and that runs so many trains probably 19 hours a day everyday. The roads beside the stadium would undoubtedly be busy being in an extremely built up area close to London. The new Birmingham track at Perry Bar proves that urban speedway tracks are possible and the noise nuiance is in reality blown out of all proportions. The pits area has been built with materials that baffle the noise and is surrounded by a wooden acoustic barrier. When I went there I couldn't even hear the bikes being warmed up, even standing near the pits gate and my hearing is still very good! The crowd the night I went to Perry Bar must of been the best part of 3000 and the area outside the stadium wasn't affected by the size of the crowd. 2-3 hours once a week of short bursts of noise that is baffled anyway in an extremely busy urban area isn't a noise problem in reality. Therefore I think if the Council and local residents could be made to understand that 25 speedway meetings a year wouldn't be a problem for anyone then I think it would be possible to reintroduce speedway back at Romford at the greyhound track.

Great to see some positive steps being taken with regards to speedway in Leicester, one of the great untapped hotbeds of speedway. But this message should be in thre 'general discussions' rather than 'years gone by' cause the supporters efforts to try and get a track back in Leicester are happening right now and would get more attention in the GD's section!

I believe Ipswich Witches legends John 'Tiger' Louis and Tony 'Shrimp' Davey jointly hold the never to be beaten track record at the old well supported Brooklands stadium in Romford. Romford Greyhound stadium - Would make a great venue for speedway.

25yearfan is just my username it doesn't actually reflect the entire time I've been watching speedway which is much longer! From my experiences of stock cars/bangers I've always enjoyed it more on shale cause the cars broadslide unlike on tarmac where some races can be like watching a motorway! I suppose tarmac is easier to maintain, more weather proof and doesn't spray dirt into engines and chasis'. Whatever the reason spedeworth stock cars, the stock car promotion that run at Great Yarmouth stadium don't like shale and are unlikely to change that stance. They are too successfull at Caister Road to want to leave or for the stadium owners the Franklin family to evict them. I'm sure if Great Yarmouth stadium track would of remained shale then speedway would of been tryed again at some point after 1961.

Unlike what an earlier poster says Great Yarmotuh stadium has more chance of reopening than West Ham and New Cross cause unlike these 2 defunct London teams the stadium still remains and will probably do for many years yet looking at the recent redevelopments! Skegness failed because the owner was highly uncooperative. The owner wouldn't let the promotion use the water supply which meant that track preperation was made very difficult. Crowds were poor but I think would of been good during the holiday season. The speedway promotion had to break into the stadium to retrieve their equipment after closing for the final time in 1998! The appearance of ex Great Yarmouth rider Billy Bales at the grand opening of the new stand at Caister Road shows the affinity the owners the Franklin family still have with speedway. The Franklins have ran the stadium since day one and I know for a fact they aren't against speedway returning to the stadium. What actually stops spedway coming back is the fact the spedeworth stock cars don't like shale tracks so wouldn't share their circuit with speedway. The stock cars is immensely popular at Great Yarmouth stadium which means they have priority and spedeworth stock cars wouldn't want to leave a profitable venue. Laying a temporary track down and lifting for every stock car meeting wouldn't be viable. If the dog track was squeezed right up to the perimeter wall and made narrower, the stock cars moved up and also made narrower then maybe a very small and permanent tight speedway track could be laid inside. The cost of doing this would be excessive probably a 6 figure sum. This is the plan that a prospective consortium has had in mind recently but couldn't raise the sufficient finance to do it. Looking at Great Yarmouth Bloaters 3 spells in speedway from the late 40's to the early 60's its obvious that the sport struggled to be viable. I remember crowds out of the holiday period were poor but during the holiday spell particularly the 6 week school holiday period the crowds were very good. Very similar to how existing 'seaside' PL venue I.O.W operate today and they are a co-operative with the fans basically paying to keep them afloat as well as paying to watch the racing. Given the chequered history of speedway at the Caister Road stadium and the local economy being largely based around the summer holidays period I think Great Yarmouth would be ideal for a shortened season which means that Conference League speedway would be the only viable option. Now it would take a brave, very wealthy soul to invest £100,000+ to introduce Conference League speedway to Great Yarmouth stadium, a venue which hasn't staged speedway since a loss making non league season in 1961 and with a chequered speedway history which is why speedway ended there in 61. I'd say looking at all the facts it is higly unlikely that speedway will return to Great Yarmouth but not impossible by any means. Look at the new tracks emerging in the last 10 years. The majority of them were previously seen as 'no hopers' to ever see speedway again. So it can and does happen!

I'm sure that a few fans who have spectated at Wolves and Coventry will revert to following the newly reopened Birmingham Brummies at Perry Bar. But overall the benefits to British speedway of having a formnr giant in Birmingham back far outweighs Coventry and Wolves having to attract a few new fans to replace those who've gone to Birmingham. Anyway when a track close most of the support goes with it, only a few go to other tracks to watch. My old team Norwich is a prime example of this! Newport and Tim Stone have to consider whats best for the club, maybe Tim stepping aside to let someone else try and pick it up and apply better PR is needed. If this was done then Newport would stand a really good chance of not being effected to severely by a Bristol revival.

British speedway needs many more tracks in traditionally popular centres like Bristol as well as ensuring existing tracks keep going such as Newport. During the Britol Bulldogs (yes Reading are not the Bulldogs in speedway as far as I'm concerned!) short spell back in speedway in 1977/1978 Newport shut in 77 cause Bristol has taken all their support after the 76 Wasps BL team wa transfered to Bristol while Newport dropped into the National League. The BSPA would be extremely shortsighted to block a Bristol revival. Newport when it reopened in 1997 enjoyed good crowds for a few seasons but recent years have seen crowds drop alarmingly. While I respect Tim Stone for reopening Newport and keeping it going his poor PR skills are a big reason why the fans have stayed away in recent years. I feel that maybe a new fresh go ahead promotion would improve things. If Bristol reopened in the near future it wouldn't be like the late 70's cause its unlikely that Bristol would take Newports team. Bascically speedway needs a reborn Bristol speedway team and Newport to keep going. If both tracks were ran in the correct manner then both tracks could be sustainable while running in the same era.

Both Wales and Scotland could do with 1 stand alone Conference League track to assist with the development of youngsters. Swansea would stand a much better chance than what Carmathen did in trying to support a CL outfit. Likewise I'd of thought a team in Motherwell would be better suited to getting crowds than what a team in a field outside a provincial town (Linlithgow) did. But both Scotland and Wales have had the before mentioned stand alone CL teams in the past with Carmathen Dragons in Wales and Linlithgow lightning, then Ashfield Lightning Giants and most recently the Armadale Devils. While great breeding grounds for up and coming riders financially none of them have been viable with poor crowds at them all which is why none of them are still in operation. Not just Scotland and Wales but areas all over Great Britain would benefit from having CL teams in order to help British riders to 'climb up the ladder'. But the harsh reality is that most CL tracks don't make money in fact are costly exercises which is why their aren't more teams in the CL. Anyway the 3 existing clubs in Scotland and Wales find it hard to attract viable crowds as it is. Though I'd of thought that Cardiff could support some sort of League speedway. Aberdeen certainly has the population to support a speedway track but its Northenly location (isn't it about 150-200 miles north of Glasgow I think?) means that it would be highly unpractical in a British League. Imagine Plymouth V's Aberdeen! I'd like to see more teams in the British speedway League as we certainly need more teams but we have to look at how difficult and costly it is to open new tracks. Look at Birmingham for instance. They last rode in the old National League 20 years ago and have only just come back for next season and they are potentially one of the best supported tracks in the Country. Likewise before the 2006 season speedway racing hadn't been seen in the big city of Plymouth for 36 years. My team Norwich haven't had their own track since 1964 and we were one of the biggest clubs in the Country! I think you'll find that Tim Stone could indeed stop a track from opening that was 30 miles or less from his Newport track. King's Lynn stopped nearby Swaffham from opening a track up 4 years ago. If an existing promotor has no problem with a nearby track reopening then their is no problem. This is what has happened with Birmingham as Wolves and Coventry have not objected.

Colin Hill the long serving Exeter promotor who sadly passed away 2 years ago ran Milton Keynes in 1992. He had to shut cause MK cause the money he was losing their was also putting a severe strain on Exeter speedway. Indeed Tony Olson Exeters NO1 had to be released cause Exeter coudn't afford to keep him after MK speedway drained the promotions finances. Yes the SCB in the end suspended operations but the biggest drawback about Milton Keynes speedway was the poor crowds. If the crowds are good then other problems that can occur when running a speedway track can normally be sorted out. Lets hope that one day the Milton Keynes Knights will be seen in British speedway again at a new track of their own. Interestingly the orgaanisation planning to build a new dog track in Milton Keynes the BSI are the same lot who own Swindon stadium that have been forced to include speedway in their rebuilding plans for the Abbey stadium in Swindon.

I now realise that I got George Newton mixed up with Joe Abbot a guy who rode for many years and way into his 40's when he was killed on track at Bradfords Odsal circuit.

I always thought that George Newton was killed in a track crash in the early 1950's when he was way into his 40's.

Yes the vandalism helped to undermine all confidence in the future of racing at Eldfield Park. But the main factor in the 1992 closure was the poor crowds when trying to compete in what had then become a very expensive Division 2. To be fair Milton Keynes alwaya struggled for a decent hardcore of support even in the early days at the Groveway. They done well to go for as long as they did in reality. Shame they couldn't of hung on for another couple of years cause in 1994 the 3rd Division was formed now known as the Conference League. Milton Keynes speedway at Eldfield Park would of been ideal at this level Thats why I think if Milton Keynes ever stages speedway racing again then the Conference League would be the only league it could viably do it. The other track who closed in 1992 - Mildenhall only reopened cause of the CL. The Fen Tigers have struggled badly for crowds this year in the PL and will in my opinion have to drop down in order to keep going in speedway long term.