norbold

Yes, my old friend Mike Kemp was instrumental in getting this done.

Perhaps they could have a team of Mortons....

What about Wal Morton? Who's he riding for this year?

Darcy who? Why don't you find a suitable thread to post that on and not spoil this one!

Yes. Also the 1938 Sunday Amateur Dirt Track League. Because at least they were separate leagues in their own right, not just off-shoots. Would you count the Britannia Shield as a separate league or the old National Association Trophy? Also, what about the London Cup in the late 1960s? That was run on a league basis between three teams, but it was a league nevertheless.

I don't think those mini-leagues really count as separate leagues. It was really the Provinvial League's Southern League.

Ah, yes. Quite right.

Three? National League 1st Div, National League 2nd Div, Provincial League. I think......

On 15 September 1974 Iwade Juniors took on a Mildenhall Fen Tigers junior team. The 15 year old Michael Lee, riding for Mildenhall, took a massive 1.5 seconds off the track record in heat 11 He scored 7 paid 9. The speedway Star felt that Michael Lee could be a "name to watch in the future." While Michael said that his dad would prefer him to concentrate on scrambling. Just thought I'd mention it as it's before 1975....

I did quote a number of the top riders in the old Provincial League some pages ago! Well, you know what you have to do!

Geoff Mardon qualified as reserve. Sorry, that was a reply to Rob's question about which 3rd Division rider qualified for the World Final.

Talking of the old National League have we discussed the 1934 National League Second Division yet? Tommy Price, George Wilks, Wal Morton, Alec Statham, Mike Erskine and Acorn Dobson all rode in that one.

But at least that thread kept to the subject.

Darcy who? And what's he got to do with this thread? Did he ever ride in the NL or the PL?

The second tier was quite strong in 1951 when Jack Young won the World Championship. Just saying......

Yes, you're quite right, dave. Er...typo....

Tom Bradbury-Pratt promoted a short season of speedway at Catford Greyhound Stadium in 1934. The 280 yard track was opened on 1 September and several meetings were held. Further attempts to open the track were made in 1938 and 1949, but neither were successful. The sound of speedway bikes was heard in the Greyhound Stadium again however at the beginning of 2000. A film called Honest, set in 1968 and directed by Dave Stewart (of Eurythmics fame), called for a speedway scene. Catford Stadium was chosen as the location because it still looked like a stadium from the 1960s. Amongst the riders taking part were Barry Briggs, Jim McMillan, Nigel Harrhy, Mike Smart and Col Smith. The stunt co-ordinator was former Canterbury rider, Lex Miller. The filming of speedway at the track started rumours that Catford might return to league racing, but, sadly, it never happened.

I think he used to ride in the old National League. He was a bit mediocre I think they used to say.

Now you're confusing the whole thing with facts.

Why are you interrupting this thread by talking about Darcy Ward, mdmc82?

An application to run speedway at Charlton Greyhound Stadium was first proposed in 1938 and again in 1948 but on both occasions applications for a licence were turned down by the ACU. In 1965 another attempt was made by Wally Mawdsley, Pete Lansdale and Len Silver to enter a team in the newly formed British League. Charlton Stadium was owned by London Stadiums Ltd and they were looking for someone to take over the stadium as greyhound racing had just ceased. Silver was confident that a Charlton team would be operating in the 1966 British League on Thursday evenings and even signed up the South African, Denis Newton, for the team as well as making several enquiries for other South African and Australian riders. He said that he intended to go to the BSPA Conference and 'name our team which will substantiate our claim for a place in the British League.' He added that the stadium was one of the finest in the country with seating for 2000 spectators and covered accommodation for a further 4000. The track was 300 yards long with wide well-banked corners and short straights. In the end the application came to nothing as London Stadiums Ltd found another greyhound promoter to take over the stadium instead. In October 1961, the Speedway Star reported that a 'mystery man' with £10,000 backing had offered to promote speedway at Brooklands. The secretary of the football club, Herbert Muskett, said that the 'prospects of speedway racing here are virtually nil. A track would ruin the football pitch. We can never have both at Romford.' When it was pointed out to him by Dave Lanning that football and speedway ran at other stadiums without any problems, Mr Muskett replied, 'My board will improve this stadium when necessary.' The idea was subsequently dropped. An application to run meetings at Brighton (Hove Stadium) was turned down by the local council in 1947 as were further request in 1948, 1965 and 1966. In the summer of 1976, Bob Dugard confirmed that he had opened negotiations with the stadium to bring speedway back to Brighton. The local council gave provisional approval for speedway as long as they could be satisfied that restrictions over noise levels could be met. Dugard asked Sussex University to help him come up with a satisfactory answer to the noise problem but they were unable to and in August 1977, Brighton Council finally refused permission for speedway to take place at the stadium and that was the end of that.

And then of course there was the 2nd tier between 1960 and 1964, the Provincial League, with Ivan Mauger, Charlie Monk, Colin Pratt, Eric Boocock, Dave Younghusband, Ivor Brown, Trevor Redmond, Graham Warren, Maurie Mattingly, George Hunter, Norman Hunter, Ross Gilbertson, Jimmy Squibb, Reg Reeves, Ken Middleditch, Roy Trigg, Ray Wilson, Peter Vandenberg, Dick Bradley, Jack Kitchen, Clive Featherby, Tommy Roper, Jim Airey, Gordon Guasco, Bert Harkins......etc. etc. etc.......

Me neither. It might be worth scouring local papers of the time.

There's already a thread on Staines. http://www.speedway-forum.co.uk/forums/index.php?showtopic=3297&pid=2324564&st=0&&do=findComment&comment=2324564

Should have known Mike would have a photo!