Sunderland - Any Chance?

[ianmartin]

Are there any Promoters out there who may be interested in promoting at Sunderland?

 

We had a Track thirty five years ago - it closed due to 'lack of support'. It was never given a true chance. Allied Presentations opened it in 1971 with Len Silver as Promoter. Over the next four years the club was passed around from pillar to post. We had various owners until the venture finally closed at the end of the 1974 Season. There was NO consistancy of ownership and we were NEVER given a really successful Team. Best finish was mid table. We never complained about OUR Team - we were just glad to have Speedway. We also had a Team in 1964 Closed due to lack of Support. I quote the Sunderland Echo of May 27th 1964. " Before a gate of 8,500" for our penultimate Match. Wolverhampton and Newcastle BOTH needed Riders so Sunderland were the sacrificial lambs. We were asset stripped and closed after nine Meetings. Bad weather was another reason given for closure - we NEVER had a 'Rain Off' in 1964.

 

Yes - Speedway has been really good to Sunderland - perhaps you may be prepared to give us another chance - I think we DESERVE it - don't you?

 

Anyone interested in further information about Sunderland Speedway please visit our Website at:

 

www.sunderlandspeedway.co.uk

 

Thank you for your time.

Edited August 5, 2009 by ianmartin

[steve19620]

Good luck in your appeal.

 

Like yourself I lost my local team due to lack of support (Ellesmere Port) in the mid 1980's and dream of the day that racing will return. It can happen as it has been proved at Workington.

 

Unfortunately with Thornton Road under threat by the auctioneer's hammer and redevelopment it looks like a new venue will need to be sought before it can happen, so at least for Sunderland there is a stadium ready made for Speedway.

 

But we can both hold on to that dream.

[ianmartin]

Good luck in your appeal.

 

Like yourself I lost my local team due to lack of support (Ellesmere Port) in the mid 1980's and dream of the day that racing will return. It can happen as it has been proved at Workington.

 

Unfortunately with Thornton Road under threat by the auctioneer's hammer and redevelopment it looks like a new venue will need to be sought before it can happen, so at least for Sunderland there is a stadium ready made for Speedway.

 

But we can both hold on to that dream.

 

 

Graham Drury, Colin Goad if my memory serves. Happy days. Good luck Steve - we can always, as you say, Dream.

[FAST GATER]

Graham Drury, Colin Goad if my memory serves. Happy days. Good luck Steve - we can always, as you say, Dream.

 

Don't forget John Jackson ,Phil Collins and avery young Chris Morton Happy days indeed :lol:

[Wessex Wanderer]

Good luck in your appeal Ian. I only ever visited East Bolden once (a 60-18 thrashing for the Wizards - ta very much) but it did seem to have a lot of potential.

 

I think your "asset stripping" theory of 1964 may be very close to the mark. That was a pretty decent team which just required a bit of time to settle down - Jim Airey, Gordon Guasco, Ken Sharples, Graham Coombes and Colin McKee (can't remember the others - maybe Maury McDermott and Dave Collins??) were all good riders who proved very useful for their future teams.

 

One good thing about your 1974 closure was that Bob Hughes quickly snapped up Vic Harding who rapidly progressed from reserve to become one of Weymouth's all time best and most popular riders.

 

Hoping to see Sunderland back in Speedway sometime in the future.

[scarletrider]

Good luck in your appeal Ian. I only ever visited East Bolden once (a 60-18 thrashing for the Wizards - ta very much) but it did seem to have a lot of potential.

 

I think your "asset stripping" theory of 1964 may be very close to the mark. That was a pretty decent team which just required a bit of time to settle down - Jim Airey, Gordon Guasco, Ken Sharples, Graham Coombes and Colin McKee (can't remember the others - maybe Maury McDermott and Dave Collins??) were all good riders who proved very useful for their future teams.

 

One good thing about your 1974 closure was that Bob Hughes quickly snapped up Vic Harding who rapidly progressed from reserve to become one of Weymouth's all time best and most popular riders.

 

Hoping to see Sunderland back in Speedway sometime in the future.

Yes Vic Harding, what a nice lad he was, and what a fine speedway rider he turned out to be. Still fondly remembered by all at Sunderland Speedway, what a sad loss to us all. God bless you Vic!

 

Bob Ferry

[star ghost]

As Wessexwanderer says the riders there all did a good job for other teams, so there is reason that they could have proved to bind into being a more than reasonable lineup for the Saints. Airey & Guasco were both capable of hitting high scores anywhere and with Sharples around they would have a good top end for the team.

[ianmartin]

Good luck in your appeal Ian. I only ever visited East Bolden once (a 60-18 thrashing for the Wizards - ta very much) but it did seem to have a lot of potential.

 

I think your "asset stripping" theory of 1964 may be very close to the mark. That was a pretty decent team which just required a bit of time to settle down - Jim Airey, Gordon Guasco, Ken Sharples, Graham Coombes and Colin McKee (can't remember the others - maybe Maury McDermott and Dave Collins??) were all good riders who proved very useful for their future teams.

 

One good thing about your 1974 closure was that Bob Hughes quickly snapped up Vic Harding who rapidly progressed from reserve to become one of Weymouth's all time best and most popular riders.

 

Hoping to see Sunderland back in Speedway sometime in the future.

 

I, personally, am sure the 1964 closure of Sunderland was for the benefit of primarily Wolverhampton - they got Airey, Guasco, McKee and Newcastle who got Sharples. These Riders were all under contract to the Parker/Bridgett Promotion. Wolves were bottom of the League when Sunderland closed - they finished I believe it was third with the acquisition of OUR Riders. Newcastle with Sharples went on to win the League.

 

My sole grouse in all of this is that Sunderland, both with the Parker/Bridgett (1964) and various other Promoters between 1971 and 1974 were NEVER given a Team to watch that was capable of achieving more than a mid table position. This is proved by the first Season (1971) when we finished bottom of the League. The Lads we had did their best - but - the Team was not good enough. If you are going to introduce a Team to a new area for Speedway - you need to give it at least a chance of winning something.

 

I was introduced to Speedway in 1964 where I caught the Bug. In the forty five years that I have supported Speedway I have been able to support my local Team Sunderland for ONLY four and a half years. Because of this I feel very let down by the Speedway establishment. I had to spend my time going to Tracks at Newcastle and now Redcar.

 

Sunderland people were not greedy - we were happy just to have our Speedway. As a member of the Track Staff - I paid to get in AND worked on the Track just to keep the costs down. I was not alone in this - all the Track Staff did the same.

 

As I said - WE WERE JUST HAPPY TO HAVE OUR SPEEDWAY - THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES.

[25yearfan]

Sunderland as Ian Martin said was asset stripped in 1964 in its 1st season and closed by the ruthless multi track promotion without ever really being given a chance!

 

In the early 70's the lack of continuity with the promotion also made things difficult!

 

The Boldon Stadium is very well appointed nowadyas and could comfortably accomodate a speedway track. Indeed the great Len Silver who promoted their in the early 70's has always said that he thinks speedway could be sustainable at Boldon!

 

I believe it has been looked at many times in the past particularly when Newcastle were dormant or when they were having trouble with their landlords. I know of a person who looked into reopening speedway at Boldon a few years back and he was quoted a rental figure of £100,000 a year which would make it nigh on unviable.

 

I also believe that the current Newcastle promotion have said in the past that they would strongly object to any reopening bid at Boldon because they reakon it would effect their own operation which personally I'm not sure if it actually would?

 

With the demise of the Redcar 3rd tier team at the start of this season because of the problems in attracting fans to watch 2 teams at one track, I think a NL team running out of Sunderland could be viable cause locals in the Sunderland area who currently don't go to speedway would be attracted therefore a whole new bunch of fans who wouldn't be pulled away from the current Redcar and Newcastle clubs.

 

I believe Boldon comes within 30 miles of Newcastle speedway so the Diamonds promotion could by rights stop any attempts to reopen there but isn't their a couple of smaller greyhound tracks not far from Sunderland which are outside the 30 mile radius of Newcastle?

 

While I think that a PL operation at Sunderland would be difficult because of the nearby Redcar and Newcastle set ups I think a NL operation which would require lower crowds to survive could work at Sunderland and would supplement the before said nearby tracks operating as something of a nuresery track for the 2?

 

I would like nothing more than to see the Sunderland Stars back in speedway using their smart racejacket design of 1971!

 

Good Luck!

Edited August 8, 2009 by 25yearfan

[scarletrider]

Yes I'm fully with you Ian and 25yearfan, it's a lovely stadium just waiting for speedway to return. And you are right, we never got a fully competetive team, but we loved them all the same.....they were our lads and they wore the (71-72) race jackets with pride. The 71-72 race jackets were a great design, still brings a tear to the eye when they take to the track occasionally (thank's Newcastle, Berwick, Weymouth and Redcar) As my old pal Ian would say "Haste ye back"

 

Nil Desperandum

 

"The Mackem"