Graham Posted July 4, 2004 Report Share Posted July 4, 2004 This is probably a question for Belle Vue fans but do you remember the old indoor chopper bike meetings held (I think) in a ballroom near the Hyde Road track? I was just curious because I was looking through an old Speedway Star and it had a report of one complete with a photo of Arnie Haley in flares astride one of the bikes. Who organised them and what was their purpose? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conkers Posted July 7, 2004 Report Share Posted July 7, 2004 If I remember correctly, the Chopper Bike Championship started life as a find raiser for the Belle Vue Joint Fan Clubs in the 1970s, and they ran up to the end of the Bammy era. One was organised in the late 1980s after the move to Kirky Lane at a sports centre in Stockport, and I know someone wanted to organise one in the mid 90s as a fund raiser for Wilky. However, the problem of Public Liability Insurance came up and the individual would have lost a lot of money even with sponsorship and would have raised bog all. They were a fun evening, as all the Aces riders would be there, as well as locally (and not so locally) based riders would turn up. The racing was anarchic to say the least and no-one really took it that seriously, although you did get some great little races. The safety fence was tables on the side in a sort of oval, and the inside line was usually marked out in chalk, or with cones I'm a little hazy on that. When THF owned the complex, they would hold in one of the suites adjacent to the Stadium, I think it was the Elizabethan Suite, and Bammy bought the Exhibition Halls, he staged it there too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.