Abridge Speedway

[Parsloes 1928 nearly]

most of the pre war grass tracks bore the name speedways i have several pre war programmes that carry that name on them but were no more than open fields and one after the war shaftsbury speedway in dorset took place on the side of a hill so i wouldnt read to much into the name speedway

 

Well some did..: but some didn't.

And regarding the latter, as in the case of Wisbech, clearly have a much 'right' to be regarded as (non-league) Speedway circuits as others listed this way in 'Homes'.

The question is, which category did Abridge fit into..??

[cyclone]

Last year there was a brief debate on this subject in respect of Wisbech Speedway..: this is another, like Abridge, listed in 'Homes'(as others have said, the 'essential' book in any Speedway library.. ) when it was revealed that Wisbech had, had matches back in the '30s and '40s with the likes of 'proper' Speedway teams Middlesborough and Sheffield.

 

Hearing too that the track at Wisbech was a grass and dirt surface - comprising dirt on the bends and grass on the straights - I felt really that Messrs Bamford & Jarvis might consider classifying it as a 'proper' track.

 

There's a Wisbech prog cover in Old Prog Gallery of www.speedwayswapshop.co.uk which has the following caption:-

 

Wisbech vs The Rest (chal) 18/7/1948 : First ever meeting held in a Sports Stadium (since 1937, various grass & dust tracks in fields around Wisbech), Team name "Wizards", colours red & blue, acknowledges assistance of Fleetwood, Middlesbrough, Norwich, & Yarmouth in providing riders

 

[Paul]

I thank everyone for there replies. I have now come across another Abridge programme dated approximately a month after the now world famous –Mr Parsnip, Bryn Williams mate has replied so it has to be world famous- Abridge Speedway debate. Same cover, same officials, same venue etc and it refers the meeting held at Skinners Farm as Grass Track! Err, I am confused.

Would some local speedway promoter complained about Abridge calling it’s self a speedway venue possibly? What I can’t get my head around why Abridge calls it self speedway one meeting and another month down the line it refers to a grass track meeting!

Had I had not started to fully catalogue my programmes none of this would have come to light and none of us would be any the wiser, apologies.