Nigel Posted November 25, 2009 Report Share Posted November 25, 2009 I am interested in Bill Cearns.... I know he had a lot to do with High Beech until it closed. Had an interest in Hall Green which I am familiar with. I also believe he was a director of ISL the company which ran Wimbledon, was he involved with the day to day running of this track before ISL sold out? did Cearns then become sole promoter (when?). Is it true he was also a director of West Ham Football club and a director of a greyhound club?. Having just googled him. seems he was the chairman at West Ham FC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobMcCaffery Posted November 25, 2009 Report Share Posted November 25, 2009 I am interested in Bill Cearns.... I know he had a lot to do with High Beech until it closed. Had an interest in Hall Green which I am familiar with. I also believe he was a director of ISL the company which ran Wimbledon, was he involved with the day to day running of this track before ISL sold out? did Cearns then become sole promoter (when?). Is it true he was also a director of West Ham Football club and a director of a greyhound club?. Having just googled him. seems he was the chairman at West Ham FC Yes the Cearns family were heavily involved with West Ham F.C. I seem to remember that they had a large business near Hackney stadium too. Rob McCaffery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cityrebel Posted November 26, 2009 Report Share Posted November 26, 2009 I am interested in Bill Cearns.... I know he had a lot to do with High Beech until it closed. Had an interest in Hall Green which I am familiar with. I also believe he was a director of ISL the company which ran Wimbledon, was he involved with the day to day running of this track before ISL sold out? did Cearns then become sole promoter (when?). Is it true he was also a director of West Ham Football club and a director of a greyhound club?. Having just googled him. seems he was the chairman at West Ham FC what year did ISL sell out. the reason i ask is i have two ISL badges in my collection and i just want to date them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Posted November 26, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 26, 2009 what year did ISL sell out. the reason i ask is i have two ISL badges in my collection and i just want to date them. Actually I believe ISL went into recivership or some think like .. I think the company was wound up in the high court. Should be mentioned in the Times newspaper. They where still running tracks in in 1931 Harringay was one but it closed early in the season. I will have to check the date the company was disolved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 26, 2009 Report Share Posted November 26, 2009 WJ Cearns was promoter at Wimbledon until Ronnie Greene took over after the 1936 season. I'm not sure what happened to prompt the change of promotion, but I do know that John Cearns (son of the great man) was on the Board of Directors at Plough Lane right up until his sad death in the early 1990's. John was a teriffic supporter of the Dons and I read somewhere that the move to Eastbourne in June 1991 really upset him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parsloes 1928 nearly Posted November 26, 2009 Report Share Posted November 26, 2009 WJ Cearns was promoter at Wimbledon until Ronnie Greene took over after the 1936 season. I'm not sure what happened to prompt the change of promotion, but I do know that John Cearns (son of the great man) was on the Board of Directors at Plough Lane right up until his sad death in the early 1990's. John was a teriffic supporter of the Dons and I read somewhere that the move to Eastbourne in June 1991 really upset him. Let's hope that soon this great family name will soon be back in the Speedway promoting game... The late John Cearns' son Roger still hoping to get the sport introduced into the stadium he now runs, Central Park in Sittingbourne... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salty Posted November 28, 2009 Report Share Posted November 28, 2009 WJ Cearns was promoter at Wimbledon until Ronnie Greene took over after the 1936 season. I'm not sure what happened to prompt the change of promotion, but I do know that John Cearns (son of the great man) was on the Board of Directors at Plough Lane right up until his sad death in the early 1990's. John was a teriffic supporter of the Dons and I read somewhere that the move to Eastbourne in June 1991 really upset him. Not 100% sure but I always got the impression that the support of Mr Cearns was a key factor in Speedway continuing as long as it did at Plough Lane. When it closed in 1991 I thought that was linked to the fact he had recently stepped down from the board... I stand to be corrected on that point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Posted November 28, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 28, 2009 I found a few interest bits about Cearns in that wonderful book "Speedway in London" by Norman Jacobs (Cash only Norman) International Speedways Ltd had only two tracks left in 1931..Harringay and Wimbeldon. Haringay closed early in 1931, so leaving Wimbledon as their sole track. Cearns was a director of ISL, I assume he was managing the track on behalf of ISL in 31. I have an idea where the info is on the ending of ISL but i cant access the source at the mo. The ending of ISL may have been sometime after it had disposed of Wimbledon? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norbold Posted November 28, 2009 Report Share Posted November 28, 2009 I found a few interest bits about Cearns in that wonderful book "Speedway in London" by Norman Jacobs (Cash only Norman) International Speedways Ltd had only two tracks left in 1931..Harringay and Wimbeldon. Haringay closed early in 1931, so leaving Wimbledon as their sole track. Cearns was a director of ISL, I assume he was managing the track on behalf of ISL in 31. Ah yes, just found a copy of Speedway in London on my book shelf. It seems from reading it that Cearns took over as promoter with J R Cory until 1935, after which Ronnie Greene took over. With Cearns and Cory, Norman Pritchard was the team manager. Seems to be the remnants of ISL. There's quite a bit about Cearns's involvement with High Beech in Speedway in the South East by the same author... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cityrebel Posted November 28, 2009 Report Share Posted November 28, 2009 i'm pretty sure my two ISL badges are the nearest i'm going to get to a pre war white city london badge. to my knowledge none were ever issued. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Posted November 29, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 29, 2009 Ah yes, just found a copy of Speedway in London on my book shelf. It seems from reading it that Cearns took over as promoter with J R Cory until 1935, after which Ronnie Greene took over. With Cearns and Cory, Norman Pritchard was the team manager. Seems to be the remnants of ISL. Any relation to the Cory who was team manager at Stamford Bridge in 1932? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Posted November 29, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 29, 2009 i'm pretty sure my two ISL badges are the nearest i'm going to get to a pre war white city london badge. to my knowledge none were ever issued. A company may cease trading but it may be a long time before it is dissovled.. the dates may be found in the London Gazzette. Unfortunatly the records of ISL have been destroyed or at least Companies house does not have them neither do they know where they may be. ISL had 5 tracks. The first was White City (London) , Harringay, Wimbledon, Hall Green (Birmingham) and for a short time Kirkmanshulme Lane Manchester. all opened in 1928. Be intesting to see those badges. Oh!.. and if any one is interested Vivian Van Damm owner of the Windmill theatre was a director of ISL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedyguy Posted November 29, 2009 Report Share Posted November 29, 2009 Not 100% sure but I always got the impression that the support of Mr Cearns was a key factor in Speedway continuing as long as it did at Plough Lane. When it closed in 1991 I thought that was linked to the fact he had recently stepped down from the board... I stand to be corrected on that point. From what I remember in my dealings with speedway management at Wimbledon Stadium that's very much how the 1991 demise. Another great backer of the sport in those days was the general manager Jimmy James, very much John Cearns right-hand man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parsloes 1928 nearly Posted November 30, 2009 Report Share Posted November 30, 2009 i'm pretty sure my two ISL badges are the nearest i'm going to get to a pre war white city london badge. to my knowledge none were ever issued. I don't know... I bought what was said to be a pre-war White City Speedway badge on ebay a couple of years back... As I say not purporting to be original but one hoped it was based on a real design..?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cityrebel Posted November 30, 2009 Report Share Posted November 30, 2009 I don't know... I bought what was said to be a pre-war White City Speedway badge on ebay a couple of years back... As I say not purporting to be original but one hoped it was based on a real design..?? if it's round and blue with two riders heads in the middle then the badge is cardiff white city circa 1929. the original in my collection has the makers name lewis on the back of the badge. for many years this badge was thought to be london white city but the design is the same as the pre war cardiff programmes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Posted November 30, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 30, 2009 if it's round and blue with two riders heads in the middle then the badge is cardiff white city circa 1929. the original in my collection has the makers name lewis on the back of the badge. for many years this badge was thought to be london white city but the design is the same as the pre war cardiff programmes. That design featured on a number of tracks programes in 1928-1930 I believe sheffield was one. take a look at the 'old programme gallery' ISL was dissolved in Dec 1934..but they may have ceased trading a couple of yrs before that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parsloes 1928 nearly Posted November 30, 2009 Report Share Posted November 30, 2009 if it's round and blue with two riders heads in the middle then the badge is cardiff white city circa 1929. the original in my collection has the makers name lewis on the back of the badge. for many years this badge was thought to be london white city but the design is the same as the pre war cardiff programmes. That's the one!!!! Bloody Welsh...: nick the White City name (also nicked by the Scots and even Notts!) and then manage to 'con' me years later into buying the badge!!! Cheers cityrebel.. Been meaning to ask, the name..? We know you're a Wimbledon man but obviously you - like me - were partial to the big stadium at Shepherd's Bush too... It still upsets me so much that such an amazing place was flattened just so BBC staff could park their cars... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cityrebel Posted November 30, 2009 Report Share Posted November 30, 2009 That design featured on a number of tracks programes in 1928-1930 I believe sheffield was one. take a look at the 'old programme gallery' ISL was dissolved in Dec 1934..but they may have ceased trading a couple of yrs before that. you are right sheffield also used that design. i'm lucky enough to own the original sheffield badge, it is a very rare one that seldom comes up for sale. this badge was remade in the sixties but the genuine issue was made by thomas fattorini. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cityrebel Posted November 30, 2009 Report Share Posted November 30, 2009 That's the one!!!! Bloody Welsh...: nick the White City name (also nicked by the Scots and even Notts!) and then manage to 'con' me years later into buying the badge!!! Cheers cityrebel.. Been meaning to ask, the name..? We know you're a Wimbledon man but obviously you - like me - were partial to the big stadium at Shepherd's Bush too... It still upsets me so much that such an amazing place was flattened just so BBC staff could park their cars... i loved the white city from the first meeting against the dons to the last rebels match v bristol. the worst thing for me was that i helped strip out the old place prior to demolition as part of my 22 years working for the dreaded GRA. it was like sticking a knife through my heart and i still can't forgive them for taking west ham away from me when i was a child. the GRA are the main reason speedway is dead in london. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickthemuppet Posted December 1, 2009 Report Share Posted December 1, 2009 GRA are the main reason Greyhound Racing is dead in London as well. They now only have three tracks ,Wimbledon,Romford and Crayford left in London.. There are only 28 GRA tracks left in the country when there were at one time that many greyhound tracks in London. There were also over 100 Flapping(or unlicensed) tracks in the country which are now down to 12. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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