speedyguy

Lionel Crossley wrote a history book about the Crystal Palace speedway and midget car racing days of the 1930s?

Details can be found here: http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/oldtimespeedway/message/10688

PRESS RELEASE BY STU TOWNER: Col Stewart – Australia’s Speedway King 1926 – 1931 This is a delightful book on the short but spectacular speedway career of the above named dare devil from Birregurra, Australia, who was a country boy farmer and became such a force to be reckoned with both in his native country and in the UK in those early days of Dirt Track racing. The book is written by his daughter Barbara and luckily her Father kept all his press cuttings, photos and trophies but it was still a mammoth task putting it all together. It traces his early childhood with his brothers on the farm, right though his first motor cycling experiences to his Dirt Track days. He was a spectacular ‘broadsider’ but on occasions would over do it and end in a heap on the ground – the only way to learn. Each season is dealt with in its own chapter and is packed full of photographs and copies of his treasured press cuttings. When he first came to England he even bought the frame from his Rudge-Whitworth machine in an attempt to talk the factory into making the same for him. Available from: Stuart Towner, 117 Church Lane, Chessington, Surrey KT9 2DP Tel: 0208-397 6599 e-mail HYPERLINK "mailto:stuart.towner@blueyonder.co.uk" stuart.towner@blueyonder.co.uk Printed on gloss art paper A5 landscape, 96 pages with 85 photographs. This is a limited edition of just 1,000 copies and un-likely to be repeated. Cost is £15 including post in a stiff backed envelope. Available from mid-October; please make cheques payable to: A Whiff of ‘R’ Promotions Limited.

Sadly there are so many of them in speedway. They keep repeating because reference is frequently made only to the original source - the later corrections, often brought to light many years later, are often unknown to researchers.

Not quite 40 - Jack Cooley was born in Bethnal Green, East London, in 1911. That would have made him 27 years old!

Many thanks. I'll see how that suggestion goes.

I would appreciate, if available, information as to the publishers of 'The Motor Cycle' magazine in 1930. I think it may have been Illife Publications Ltd based in the Blackfriars area of London, but not positive. They may have covered speedway at this time. Thank you.

Roger Wise was one of the post-war stars, mainly with Bristol. He was also a leading grass track rider both before and after the war. More about him can be found in the site 'Cyril May's Grass Track Heroes'.

The Long Eaton speedway reuion is still on, at the "Soldiers and Sailors" tonight at 7.30pm, Friday June 17, 2011.

Bob Harrison, Stanley 'Acorn' Dobson, Eric Blain, Jack Tye, Syd Plevin. Later in the 1930s, Dobson and Plevin were aso midget car drivers.

I forward here a recent message to me: The only Rayleigh reunion this year is at South East Rayleigh Lunch at Ye Olde Plough House Motel. Brentwood Road, Bulphan Essex RM14 3SR. The venue is on A128 from A127 towards Tilbury. Contact Vic White for tickets. 0115-9736041 Date of reunion Sunday 31st July....12md for 1300 hrs sit down. Price per ticket £17.50. Keep the wheels turning and the plugs sparking. Jean and Terry Stone.

These are the present squads for the clubs mentioned as on LONDON SPEEDWAYS site, but as with these things, research is ongoing. Additions and deletions may be needed. The LONDON SPEEDWAYS link can be found in the signature at the bottom of this message. NATIONAL LEAGUE 1932 CRYSTAL PALACE - Eric Blain, Tom Farndon, Del Forster, Joe Francis, Ron Johnson, Clem Mitchell, Jack Dalton, xxx Blain, Nobby Key, George Newton, Alec Peel, Alf Sawford, Triss Sharp, Harry Shepherd STAMFORD BRIDGE - Cyril Anderson, Frank Arthur, Jack Bishop, Charles Blacklock, Frank Bond, Jack Chapman, Keith Harvey, Gus Kuhn, Wal Phillips, Richard (D) Smythe, Bill Stanley, Arthur Warwick, Richard (D) Wise, Ted Bravery, Alvin J Franchetti WEST HAM - Arthur Atkinson, Charles Barnett, Tommy Croombs, Phil "Tiger" Hart, Arthur Jervis, Drew McQueen, Charlie Spinks, Tiger Stevenson, Roland Stobart, Bluey Wilkinson, Les Wootton, Charlie Barnett, Frank Goulden, Fred 'Friar' Tuck, Tommy Allott WIMBLEDON - Richard (D) Case, Con Cantrell, Billy Dallison, Percy Dunn, Ivor Hill, Vic Huxley, Billy Lamont, Len Parker, Claude Rye, Ray Tauser, Stan Lemon, Fred Leavis, xx Cztecho, Frank Bond, Mick Murphy, Wally Hull, Bunny Wilcox, D Hutchings, Wally Little, Alf Sawford.

Thanks to the co-operation of tiger owl, the LONDON SPEEDWAYS site (see the address in signature at the end of message) has now compiled a new list for 1930 in regard to the London team squads. Accepting there could still be additions or deletions, it now reads: The 1930 team squads: SOUTHERN LEAGUE: WEMBLEY: Jack Ormston, Colin Watson, Stan Catlett, Harry Whitfield, Arthur Atkinson, George Greenwood, Buster Frogley, Wally Kilmister, Bert Fairweather, Norman Evans, Charlie Shelton, Charlie Barrett, Cliff Parkinson, JackJackson, Arth Warren, Terry White, Tom Piddock, Gus Mordue, Ron Hieatt, Tiger Sanderson. WIMBLEDON: Jim Kempster (Capt), Dicky Case, Mark Seiffert, Del Forster, Bert Gerrish, Billy Lamont, Len Parker, Alf Sawford, Ray Tauser, Harold Crook, Dudley Cox, Les Dearth, Vic Deale, Nick Carter, Jack Kelly, Ivor Hill. CRYSTAL PALACE: Ron Johnson, Joe Francis, Nobby Key, Roger Frogley, Triss Sharp, Clem Mitchell, Wally Lloyd, Jack Barrett, Harry Shepherd, Bryan Donkin, Buster Buckland, George Lovick, Arthur Willmott, Bert Gerrish, George MacKenzie, Jim Cowie, Jack Luke, Will Nicholas. STAMFORD BRIDGE: Frank Arthur, Wal Phillips, Gus Kuhn, Keith Harvey, Colin Ford, Arthur Warwick, Les Blakeborough, Nick Nicol, Bill White, Don Boswell, fred Ralph, Bert Bolt, Ernie Mayne, Les Ralph, Len Stuart. LEA BRIDGE: Jimmy Stevens, Stew Fairbairn, Alf Foulds, Reg Stanley, Howie Osment, Harold Hastings, Alec Slow, Charlie Spinks, Alf Foulds, Stiffy Aston, Ned Kelly, Harry Mangham, Alec Peel, Fred Hawken, George Heard, Charlie Jackson. WEST HAM: Tiger Stevenson, Bluey Wilkinson, Tommy Croombs, Arthur Westwood, Allen Kilfoyle, Bert Jones, Don Durrant, Don Taylor, Les Maguire, Arthur Westwood, Roy Dook, Bert Jones, Reg Bounds, Cecil Bounds, Wally Trumble, Will Maguire, Tommy York, Maurice Bradshaw, Ron Stokes, Reg Kavanagh, Con Cantwell Stan Clark. HARRINGAY: Vic Huxley, Colin Watson, Eric Spencer, Stan Spencer, Alf Sawford, Will Dennis, Jack Kidwell, Lou Burger, Howard Traynor, Geo Preston, Ron Thompson, Ben Unwin, Ron Thompson, Bill Clibbett, Percy Bryant, Wally Hicklin, Ivor Hill, George Preston. HIGH BEECH: Jack Barnett, Syd Edmonds, Phil Bishop, George Bishop, Stan Baines, Stan Taylor, Charlie King, Jack Barnett, OPEN LICENCE: BARNET (rider pool): CRAYFORD (rider pool):

Isn't Bahia Blanca in Argentina like Western Springs in Auckland, New Zealand (site for possible 2012 GP) primarily a midget car track? Speedway is moving in with new bedfellows - so to speak.

Don Allen was also involved with 'Speedway Mail' when it first came out.

If any of the USA touring riders have paid their own expenses to race in the UK (I don't know for sure that they have) won't any one dropped from matches is going to be rather annoyed? There must be some agreement with the USA team organisers with the riders that if they or not injured or unwell they will race in arranged matches. I can't see any American rider coming on tour to the UK other than with a guarantee he will race in all fixtures. Can anyone clarify on this?

This is quite a collector's item - as a look on ebay will reveal!!

Does any member know if Fay Taylour ever raced grass tracks?

http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/speedwayinprint6 http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/speedwayinprint7 The above links may help your research.

Grant Tregoning won the NZ Champs at Rosebank Sunday February 27. Jason Bunyan (defending champion) beat Ritchie Hawkins in run-off for second place.

Rosebank Speedway International Solos/ Sidecar Best Pairs (to be confirmed) Date: Sunday 6 February 2011 Time: 01:00 PM - 05:00 PM Meeting 6 International Solos/ Sidecar Best Pairs (to be confirmed) Any news on this.....!!!

What an interesting read - and some of the comments accompanying the article are well worth reading. From them one tends to get a different perspective on the Weymouth scenario.

That's the name on the official Oceanview results list. Jungle Bundy. Just like you, I would like to know more about him.

Doesn't the owner prefer this to be known as a 'collection' rather than a museum?