tarabanko Posted March 12, 2005 Report Share Posted March 12, 2005 I wonder if anybody has photos from now defunct tracks in England, as; New Cross, Harringay, Hyde Road, Birminghamn, Bristol, Crystal Palace, Edinburgh (Marine Gardens), Edinburgh (Old Meadowbank), Halifax (The Shay), Lea Bridge, Leicester, London White City, Norwich (The Firs), Plymouth, Stamford Bridge, and West Ham. I also want to know that there is at the old speedwaytracks now. This is only for my own curiosity.. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jez Posted March 12, 2005 Report Share Posted March 12, 2005 Try www.speedwayplus.co.uk they have a good selection of defuncy track piccys. Can only speak about Halifax (The Shay) the stadium is currently used by Halifax Town and Halifax Rugby League, the stadium has been semi developed and the squared off so no chance of speedway returning to the Shay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iris123 Posted March 12, 2005 Report Share Posted March 12, 2005 Some of those tracks aren't in England Try the book "Homes of British Speedway" by R.Bamford & J.Jarvis,published by Tempus.Full of info and pics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norbold Posted March 13, 2005 Report Share Posted March 13, 2005 I've got photos of New Cross, Harringay, West Ham and Norwich. I have sent them to the www.speedwayplus.co.uk site mentioned above, so they should be there, though I haven't checked to see if they are. Harringay is a Sainsbury's; West Ham and Norwich are housing estates; Lea Bridge is part of an industrial estate; London White City is the BBC; Stamford Bridge is home to a little known football club called Chelsea; Crystal Palace is an athletics track; New Cross is part housing and part park. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iris123 Posted March 13, 2005 Report Share Posted March 13, 2005 Crystal Palace is an athletics track; New Cross is part housing and part park. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I said on another thread that there was still some of the stadium there the last time i was there(10years ago).Part of the park included some of the terracing from one of the bends.There was also some gate houses or something. Wasn't there also a bit of the Palace track/stadium?Thought there was a Crystal Palace tour once a month or so that took you all around the whole site of the exhibition,including the dinosaurs:unsure: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemini Posted March 13, 2005 Report Share Posted March 13, 2005 (edited) I wonder if anybody has photos from now defunct tracks in England,as;New Cross, Harringay, Hyde Road, Birminghamn, Bristol, Crystal Palace, Edinburgh (Marine Gardens), Edinburgh (Old Meadowbank), Halifax (The Shay), Lea Bridge, Leicester, London White City, Norwich (The Firs), Plymouth, Stamford Bridge, and West Ham. I also want to know that there is at the old speedwaytracks now. This is only for my own curiosity.. Cheers <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I don't know if you would be interested in looking at my photos of Leicester? http://community.webshots.com/album/243463008ubFuHQ As you will see houses were built on the site about five years after closure. There are also a couple from Birmingham Wheels Project, Bordesley Green and others from Perry Barr....here..... http://community.webshots.com/album/246145659btqrKB Edited March 13, 2005 by Gemini Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tarabanko Posted March 14, 2005 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2005 My heartwarm thanks to you all who as answered in this topic. / Mikael Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norbold Posted March 14, 2005 Report Share Posted March 14, 2005 (edited) I've got photos of New Cross, Harringay, West Ham and Norwich. I have sent them to the www.speedwayplus.co.uk site mentioned above, so they should be there, though I haven't checked to see if they are. I've just checked and they're not there yet. I could e-mail them to you if you wish. I also have some of Hackney. Crystal Palace is an athletics track; New Cross is part housing and part park. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I said on another thread that there was still some of the stadium there the last time i was there(10years ago).Part of the park included some of the terracing from one of the bends.There was also some gate houses or something. Wasn't there also a bit of the Palace track/stadium?Thought there was a Crystal Palace tour once a month or so that took you all around the whole site of the exhibition,including the dinosaurs:unsure: <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I haven't been to New Cross for some time (too painful ) but I don't think anything has changed since your last visit, iris. I don't know about the Crystal Palace tour. Edited March 14, 2005 by norbold Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iris123 Posted March 14, 2005 Report Share Posted March 14, 2005 Your probably from the wrong part of London,Norbold,but i do have a memory from when i was quite young.For some reason my parents used to shop at Tesco's in Crystal Palace for a while.Maybe it was the first supermarket in South London,haven't a clue why they went so far to shop Anyway there was always a big sign there by the Palace with a motorbike rider.As this must have been end of the 60's early 70's was there any motorbike activity there then?Probably just a training school or something or maybe they hadn't taken the sign down from some earlier racing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salty Posted March 14, 2005 Report Share Posted March 14, 2005 Iris, Did they not have Motor Racing there into the 70's? Seems to ring a bell, so I guess the bikes could have used the same track. I lived in fairly nearby South Norwood for a year or so in the 90's and you were able to walk around the whole of the site at your leisure. I'm certain a local author had written a book/booklet about the sporting history of the site which might give you more info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salty Posted March 14, 2005 Report Share Posted March 14, 2005 I wonder if anybody has photos from now defunct tracks in England, as; New Cross, Harringay, Hyde Road, Birminghamn, Bristol, Crystal Palace, Edinburgh (Marine Gardens), Edinburgh (Old Meadowbank), Halifax (The Shay), Lea Bridge, Leicester, London White City, Norwich (The Firs), Plymouth, Stamford Bridge, and West Ham. Cheers <{POST_SNAPBACK}> There was a good photo of the main stand at West Ham in the last issue of Backtrack magazine. Also Robert Bamford and John Jarvis produced 2 books entitled Track Photography that covered a lot of the defunct stadia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iris123 Posted March 14, 2005 Report Share Posted March 14, 2005 (edited) Yeah,i remember once walking around the park and being amazed that you could walk up the steps and into the Athletics stadium.Everything was open.Was always a great day out when i was little.The dinosaurs, the zoo,the pelicans in the lake,but especially climbing on the back of the Gorilla statue Got Lionel Crossley's book on Crystal Palace speedway.In it he says up until '83 there was a bit of the track fenced off with a plaque,but it was vandalised.Imagined he meant that the plaque was nicked and maybe the fence was damaged,but i couldn't find anything. Also tarabanko,"Speedway in Scotland " has pics of the Scottish tracks.Have a bit of footage from Marine Gardens on a dvd called "Aces of yesteryear"pt 6 Edited March 14, 2005 by iris123 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spin king Posted March 14, 2005 Report Share Posted March 14, 2005 Try www.speedwayplus.co.uk they have a good selection of defuncy track piccys. Can only speak about Halifax (The Shay) the stadium is currently used by Halifax Town and Halifax Rugby League, the stadium has been semi developed and the squared off so no chance of speedway returning to the Shay. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I used to love going to Halifax, with the long straights and the steeped banking on the bends . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salty Posted March 14, 2005 Report Share Posted March 14, 2005 Switch on Sky Sports 1 right now and you can see the Shay as it is today, complete with real Speedway weather!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthamptonKnights Posted July 20, 2005 Report Share Posted July 20, 2005 I've just checked and they're not there yet. I could e-mail them to you if you wish. I also have some of Hackney.I said on another thread that there was still some of the stadium there the last time i was there(10years ago).Part of the park included some of the terracing from one of the bends.There was also some gate houses or something. Wasn't there also a bit of the Palace track/stadium?Thought there was a Crystal Palace tour once a month or so that took you all around the whole site of the exhibition,including the dinosaurs:unsure: <{POST_SNAPBACK}> The main race track at Crystal Palace was a 'road race' track, used by many different types of racers; the last ti,e I visited the Palace (for a "Custom Car" show at the pool/sports centre back in the mid-70s) you could still see part of the tarmac track. I doubt whether this was the site of the speedway track .... unless someone else out there knows different! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Posted July 20, 2005 Report Share Posted July 20, 2005 Did they not have Motor Racing there into the 70's? Seems to ring a bell, so I guess the bikes could have used the same track. I'm certain a local author had written a book/booklet about the sporting history of the site which might give you more info. You are correct. Bike racing was first staged at Crystal Palace (on the paths) back in 1926. Proper circuit racing arrived at CP in 1935 and lasted until 1972. Gerry Marshall (who sadly died just a couple of months ago) won the last ever car race there on September 23 1972. A kart meeting was held at Crystal Palace on October 21 1972 but that was the last time the circuit was used. Parts of the track were used occasionally for autotests and rally stages but I believe the circuit is now in danger of disappearing altogether. For photos and information about Crystal Palace, try here: http://www.racingcircuits.net/archives/Cry...alace/mm04.html Incidentally the book you refer to was possibly Racing at Crystal Palace by Phillip Parfitt, published in 1991. I've got a copy and it really is superb, one of the best motorsport books I've read in actual fact. Graham. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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