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Kent Boy

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That's an interesting name to surface. Terry Kelly was a great trier who deserved more success than he got. You say he's working as a roofer now - wasn't he at one time a meat porter in Manchester's equivalent of London's Smithfield?

 

I belive he was in the 70s, recently did some roofing work for me, if you saw him now he looks exactly the same and a sound bloke, really into bikes still and owns a couple of monsters which he likes to frighten himself on, mad as a hatter. :lol:

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I doubt if Workington could support both a Premier League team and a Conference side. A lot of fans find it expensive enough following the Comets let alone find extra cash for an additional Conference meeting each week.

 

A nursery type club in Barrow which has no speedway would be far more viable than 2 based in Workington..... :unsure:

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And the 60 mile journey from Barrow to Workington can take 2 hours if you get stuck behind a tractor!!! And dont even mention the hair-raising climb over Corney Fell when the fog comes down!!!! :D

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I can't see Barrovians supporting a Workington nursery team!

 

Anyway you are all missing the point, where is this team going to ride?

 

Also, you must be a bit crazy going over Corney. I always go via the Whicham valley. Much easier on the brakes!

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Kam it's really down to the people of Barrow, if they want a team and someone has the bottle to get a basic set up going then it can happen. Where the track could be I don't know, I have never been to Barrow. Approaching the council and the BSPA would be a good start. :wink:

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Kam obviously makes a very valid point about finding a suitable location for a track in Barrow. But its not beyond the realms of possibility that the Borough Council might be able identify some derelict industrial land in or near the town which might be suitable for recreational development and for it to stand a chance of getting planning permission.

 

It all boils down to whether there is an interested party or even a group of fans who might be able to follow the lead of the Bradford and Halifax fans elsewhere on this forum trying to revive speedway in their towns.

 

Iam a Comets fan but I would love to see a track back in Barrow and I would definitely attend meetings there! I go to Buxton when I can to catch Conference action and Barrow would be a hell of a lot nearer! And a drive over Corney Fell isn't half as scarey as a wild Friday night in Workington!!! :D

 

So if there are any Barrow fans out there who want to see speedway back in the town maybe they will draw inspiration from the likes of Birmingham and Scunthorpe and the campaigns mounted by Dukes and Heathens supporters?? :unsure:

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I was in Barrow on Sunday evening and had a quick look around Park Road Industrial Estate. Wasn't the track next to Sovereign Chemicals? There's no trace of any speedway track which I think was demolished in 1990 and built upon. Just down the road from the track towards the docks area Barrow has undergone quite a transformation. We called in at Dominos Pizzas and noticed the football ground in the distance about 250 yards away. Incredible to think how popular speedway was at Holker Street and then Cliff Hindle built a Mildenhall-style speedway track in 1977 racing a series of challenge matches against other northern clubs.

 

I could be wrong but I do not think the people of Barrow would support a Conference League club. Chris Roynon owned the stadium and tried to bring speedway back in 1984 and applied for National League in 1985. He succeeded but had little money to put together a competitive enough team and come May the Blackhawks were kicked out of the league with a team compromising of Eric Broadbelt, Paul Price, Bernie Collier and John Walmsley. Chris tried greyhound and stock car racing after that and neither drew enough crowds to make it viable.

 

The longest period of speedway in Barrow was just three years between 1972 and 1974 and that was when speedway was a much popular sport so what would the chances of it succeeding be now? It could probably work in Crewe but that's another story.

 

 

 

 

This distance sounds like a Wimbledon relocation suggestion - distancewise that is! :rolleyes:

 

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