brianbuck

Birmingham City Council in conjunction with the company redeveloping parts of Perry Barr, launched a competition a few months back, to find names for the six new roads which are being created on the site of the old University. The names, so they said, should reflect the history and current status of Perry Barr! So what have they come up with? - Diversity Grove, Equality Road, Destiny Road, Inspire Avenue, Respect Way and Humanity Close - all fully reflective of the district!!!!! Comments made by the seven judges were: "We were impressed by the creativity and range of names." "The names are a true reflection of both Perry Barr and the City." "The names in the winning entry just stood out." Who were the judges? Waseem Zaffar, Morriam Jan, Zulfigar Khan, Lincoln Moses, Aisha Masood, Anna Evans and Rebecca Farr.

Would think in these circumstances, the speedway operators would run a shuttle service. It's heartening to read that there seems to be a genuine possibility of Oxford being revived, but it's a pity that so many people seem to want to be negative in their comments. I wish the people behind the plans every success and look forward to one day being able to visit Oxford again - my last and only visit being on Good Friday of 1958 - the night that Jack Young made his comeback with Coventry!

Phil - I have tried repeatedly to phone your office to order a 2021 calendar but can only get music playing! Has the number changed?

The people who run Birmingham Speedway (ie David and Peter Mason and Laurence Rogers) are decent, hard working people, and I see no reason at all why they should be expected to "comment" on a situation which does not involve them. They have already made it plain that there is no place at Birmingham for Garrity after what he has done - ()and nor I would hope would there be a place for him at any other speedway club.) Making a public comment on something about which they had no knowledge and had no part in, could only be detrimental to the club they run, so it makes good sense not to do this. Knowing them, their private opinions will be exactly the same as the rest of us, so let's leave it at this.

Can't see how at least a certain amount of juggling with team strengths can be avoided myself. Some overseas riders probably won't return and Brexit is certain to have some effect on rider availability as well. In theory, things should stay as they are, but in practice, this seems unlikely.

A bit strange that a Workington site has been sidetracked a bit to a discussion about Norwich! I agree with 25 year fan that Norwich could easily support a speedway without detriment to King's Lynn,Ipswich or Mildenhall. In my opinion, Norwich is a City crying out for speedway. I visited the old track at the Firs numerous times and was always impressed with the size of the crowds and with the quality of the racing. Not only that, the stadium used to have a fullsized ballroom underneath the main stand, and after meetings would host dances with a full sized orchestra which were always well supported. I was there one Saturday night with ex Norwich rider Sandor Levai who was a very old friend of mine, and was highly amused to watch Ken McKinlay insist on dancing with Mrs Levai. Ken was about 5' 2" and Ilse Levai was 6' 6"" so it was a comical sight! Perhaps, we could lanch a site dedicated to the return of Norwich - if ever a City deserves a Speedway it is Norwich!

Responding to 25 Year Fan's query about Bordesley Green, the venue has recently been taken over lock stock and barrel by a new owner who happens to be the original stock car promoter from when the site opened in 1984 - Phil Bond. Apparently, Mr Bond has made it known that he would be more than interested in staging other motor sports as well as stock cars. The old speedway track has been tarmaced over for the cars for many years, but there is plenty of additional unused room available on the site, so it might be possible at some future date to perhaps put down a training track like Northside. Very much a long shot at the moment I agree - but this is an option that hasn't been available to us in the past, so who knows? I'd certainly second the opinions that several people have made regarding the merits of third division racing. It was Birmingham's salvation in 2015 after the Alan Phillips shambles, and fortunately, Birmingham folk didn't turn their noses up at the entertaining fare on offer -and hopefully, Workington supporters won't either.

That Swindon team of 1957 of Mike Broadbanks, (always think it sounds better with the "s"), Ernie Lessiter, Ken Middleditch, Bob Roger, Neil Street, George White and Ian Williams, didn't always look to be the strongest in the National League but it gelled together admirably and that remarkable record of winning the Second and First Divisions in successive seasons, was thoroughly deserved. I have an unhappy memory of my team (Birmingham) visiting Blunsdon that season and not only being massacred to the tune of 77-19 but being forced to ride the first 10 heats without body colours due to the team manager having them in the boot of his car, and rolling up excessively late. After the meeting, the referee Cecil Telling, submitted a report recommending that Birmingham be thrown out of the league - a report which somehow found it's way on to the back page of the "Daily Express!" What an embarrassing day! Perhaps the only consolation came when the Brummies inflicted the Robins first league defeat of the 1957 season on July 31st - the infamous night when Birmingham DID pull out of the league!

I've always wondered why the people trying to set up a "new" Norwich Speedway at Hevingham in (I think 1967), didn't persevere? I know they fell foul of authority by running a trial meeting without a licence, but although the place was pretty basic, the crowd was quite decent (the meeting WAS staged in December) and the half-built venue did look to have promise. I'm not local to the area, but I do believe that the site is still there and the outline of the track is still visible. Perhaps our Norwich friend can enlighten me? Very best wishes by the way, to the people trying to get Workington up and running again. I hope Workington people will back them regardless of which league the club joins.

They called him the "Black Prince" because of those immaculately polished black leathers. I have always wondered what became of them after he retired. I did ask Jack Hughes who is his brother-in-law and who was the grandfather of former Birmingham rider Ben Taylor, but he couldn't tell me.

Jeff Lloyd was born in Birmingham but to my knowledge never rode for the Brummies. He had two brothers Wally, and John (Jack) though, and both rode for the two Birmingham teams, Hall Green and Perry Barr, in the pre-war days - they were the first pair of brothers to ride in the same Southern League team - beating Jack and Norman Parker (Coventry) by just a week or so.

Sad to read in this thread that so many people seem so delighted to forecast a glut of track closures. I haven't seen any indication that any club is contemplating closure. Will season ticket holders will be refunded or allowed to carry these over to next season? That is perhaps not a decision that can be made instantly since as yet, we do not know how the Leagues will be constituted in 2021. We may have one big league, two divisions of equal numbers - perhaps Coventry and/or Oxford will be back (we can but hope!) Let's just not be so negative.

Christine, My apologies - I have only just picked up your message, but thank you so much for the photograph. I will try and get it enhanced and if I can, I will fix a copy to the wall of the stadium landing next to the plaque and the brief account of his life. I am so grateful for your help with this. Brian

Wonder what became of Swindon's "Esso" shaped track. The track manager there Alf Elliott, had a theory that a speedway track should be the shape of a riders' natural line and in 1958 I believe, he was given his head and allowed to reshape Swindon to this. There were complaints from the riders about the new track being bumpy and difficult to ride, but none that I remember about the shape, but the experiment was quietly forgotten and the track restored to its original shape after a very short time. Just wondering if any Swindon supporters remember this and can throw some more light on it?

The track at Fazeley did linger on until about 1961, as a greyhound circuit which also staged stock car racing. I believe it was looked at as a potential Provincial League track but I think it was already doomed to demolition by then. That's a pity, as Tamworth is a much larger town these days than it was in the 1940/50's.

Unfortunately, we can't relate that to speedway. Running the dogs on Monday and Thursday mornings and Wednesday afternoons will be for closed-television viewing and will be in a closed stadium with no spectators apart from the necessary track staff.

I used to have a huge collection of Speedway magazines dating back to 1932. I got married in 1969 and when I came back from honeymoon my Mother said to me "I've had a good clearout and have thrown all those old papers in your old bedroom away." Thanks Mum!!!!!

Thanks for that info. In the light of the current situation, I'll stick with the printed version for the duration of my present subscription, and switch to the digital version next time round! Many thanks for the prompt response.

I've taken the Speedway Star ever since I first "discovered" speedway in 1953, and have had a subscription for several years now. I renewed this subscription a fortnight ago, but I rather like the sound of the digital version and just wonder whether it is possible to switch to this? Well done to all concerned for producing a consistently interesting and informative magazine.

Panic over - my Speedway Star turned up late but still very readable. Congratulations to the staff for keeping up the standard even though nothing is going on at present.

Very sorry to learn of the passing of Eric Linden. Eric stuck with speedway throughout the bad times of the mid-1950's when he had other irons in the fire and could easily have ditched it and concentrated on these. He had common sense views on speedway and it's problems of the times, and was blunt in his opinions, but he never slated the sport or it's promotors. May he rest in the peace of the Lord.

Haven't received my copy of the Star this week (W/E April 11th). I appreciate that things are abnormal and am not whinging about this, but as this is my first week of the renewed subscription, I'm just wondering whether there might have been a hiccup?

I think the "losses" at Belle Vue are due to costs linked with the construction of the new stadium more than operating costs. It is a bit obscure whether these "losses" are on the part of the promotion or Manchester City Council. I can't claim inside knowledge of any of this - it's just my thinking. One thing I do dislike is the constant sneering aimed at the "old" people who are supposedly the backbone of speedway's present day support. I started watching Birmingham in 1953 when I was 13 and 67 years later my enthusiasm for the sport is as great as ever, so why do people seem to want to make us feel unwelcome?

Christine, Thank you so much for the personal information you have sent to me, which I do appreciate very much. I have been a supporter of Birmingham Speedway for the last 67 years and have been Secretary of the Supporters' Club since 1971. I am also a keen historian and have tried very hard to locate information about your uncle and also about Charlie Appleby who also lost his life in 1946 and has been the only rider to be killed whilst riding for Birmingham. The information you have supplied is a useful addition to our knowledge of Hugh, and we want to ensure that his name is not forgotten in the future. If you do happen to locate a picture of him, and can let me have a copy, that would be very much appreciated. With kindest regards -- Brian.

It isn't unusual or disrespectful of modern day supporters that they only remember riders from the past (especially pre-war riders) as names. At Birmingham, we have tried to keep the name of the Brummies best ever rider, Graham Warren alive by presenting an annual "Graham Warren Trophy" to the Birmingham rider we feel has made the biggest impact on the season, but in every year since 2007 when the trophy was launched, the winner has never heard of Graham Warren! We aren't offended by this - it's just natural. Time marches on, and memories fade! Clearly Tom Farndon was an exceptional rider and deserves to be remembered - but as he died four years before I was born, and 17 years before I started following speedway, I know little more than his name and what I have read about him.