Barrow Speedway

[msc1874]

I am too young to have gone but my late mother always talked about her experiences visiting Barrow. How long did they run for? What was the track like? Notable riders? What caused the Demise?

 

Would be grateful of info it's of massive interest to me personally cheers

[stratton]

I only see Barrow ride once at Milton Keynes, i think Charlie Monk rode my favourite Barrow riders were Joe/Tom Owen Mike Sampson and Mark Courtney.

[AndyJ]

Looks to be a wealth of information on defunct tracks such as Barrow at http://www.defunctspeedway.co.uk

 

Holker Street : http://www.defunctsp...o.uk/Barrow.htm

Park Road : http://www.defunctsp...w Park Road.htm

Edited December 14, 2012 by Tkdandy

[Halifaxtiger]

Went to the opening meeting in 1985 at Park Road when the lights blew and the match was abandoned. Never forget it.

[cityrebel]

i went to park road twice but never got to holker street. although i did see the barrow bombers ride at rye house in 1974.

[Wessex Wanderer]

I expect others more local to Barrow will be able to provide dates, statistics, more detail etc etc but briefly:

 

Barrow started at Holker Street with a track around the football pitch. Space dictated that there were "corners" rather than "bends" but nevertheless it seemed a pretty decent race track from my one and only visit. I think it started in 1972 with multi World Champion Ivan Mauger among the promoters. By the way, ignore any reference to them being called "The Happy Faces" - they used a "happy face" as the logo on their race jackets but the promotion quite deliberately and specifically chose not to have a nickname for the team. Can't remember what colours they used.

 

One or two years later they were named the Bombers using blue and yellow race jackets. Blue background with large yellow circle and blue "B" inside. They finished at Holker Street after a big proposed rent hike by the footy club (I think).

 

Park Road was one of the most picturesque tracks ever - out of town and set against a background of lakeland hills. It was quite a small track with short straights. Cracking race track. Opened about 1977 it only survived initially for a couple of years (maybe only one). They were called the Furness Flyers, again wirh blue and yellow colours.

 

Chris Roynon (father of current day rider Adam) tried a revival in 1985 and they did ride a couple of meetings that year but it was also at a time when the National League was deliberatly becoming "more professional" and had a very strict minimum points limit. Tracks like Barrow could not compete with the richer ones (it turned out that some other newcomers that did sign up star riders were unrealistic and closed after 1 or 2 seasons of financial struggle) and basically could not raise a team of sufficient strength. If only there had been a third tier in those days a lot of tracks could have been saved over the next 3-4 years. They were called the Blackhawks and colours (I think) were red and black.

 

I did go to Park Road for the match against the Wildcats in early 1985 but on arriving we were informed by Chris of the postponement and the situation regarding their league membership. What a pity, he was still working on the track which looked in superb condition. Whether they later staged any open licence meetings I am not sure but it always seemed such a shame to me that a track should be closed more or less by Speedway politics itself rather than any outside influences.

 

Hope this helps you

[daveallan81]

Some information and results from 1984 here http://www.speedwayr....uk/barrow.html

 

With no disrespect intended, Barrow's 1985 side was dreadful. After their only 3 away matches, Paul Price headed their averages on a mindbending 4.86, closely pursued by Eric Broadbelt on 4.00 and Kevin Armitage on 3.67. The track's remote location certainly didn't help signings but the National League was collapsing under it's own weight in 1985 and there was a real lack of decent riders to go round. Scunthorpe also failed to see out the season, folding in May.

 

That minimum limit was 43 by the way!

 

Barrow raced a further 10 challenge/open licence matches, 7 at home, two of which with current British Touring Car star Dave Newsham in the side. There, your boring fact of the day

[Halifaxtiger]

I expect others more local to Barrow will be able to provide dates, statistics, more detail etc etc but briefly:

 

Barrow started at Holker Street with a track around the football pitch. Space dictated that there were "corners" rather than "bends" but nevertheless it seemed a pretty decent race track from my one and only visit. I think it started in 1972 with multi World Champion Ivan Mauger among the promoters. By the way, ignore any reference to them being called "The Happy Faces" - they used a "happy face" as the logo on their race jackets but the promotion quite deliberately and specifically chose not to have a nickname for the team. Can't remember what colours they used.

 

One or two years later they were named the Bombers using blue and yellow race jackets. Blue background with large yellow circle and blue "B" inside. They finished at Holker Street after a big proposed rent hike by the footy club (I think).

 

Park Road was one of the most picturesque tracks ever - out of town and set against a background of lakeland hills. It was quite a small track with short straights. Cracking race track. Opened about 1977 it only survived initially for a couple of years (maybe only one). They were called the Furness Flyers, again wirh blue and yellow colours.

 

Chris Roynon (father of current day rider Adam) tried a revival in 1985 and they did ride a couple of meetings that year but it was also at a time when the National League was deliberatly becoming "more professional" and had a very strict minimum points limit. Tracks like Barrow could not compete with the richer ones (it turned out that some other newcomers that did sign up star riders were unrealistic and closed after 1 or 2 seasons of financial struggle) and basically could not raise a team of sufficient strength. If only there had been a third tier in those days a lot of tracks could have been saved over the next 3-4 years. They were called the Blackhawks and colours (I think) were red and black.

 

I did go to Park Road for the match against the Wildcats in early 1985 but on arriving we were informed by Chris of the postponement and the situation regarding their league membership. What a pity, he was still working on the track which looked in superb condition. Whether they later staged any open licence meetings I am not sure but it always seemed such a shame to me that a track should be closed more or less by Speedway politics itself rather than any outside influences.

 

Hope this helps you

 

Red and black is correct and they did stage a series of open meetings after they were expelled from the league.

 

An industrial estate now stands on the Park Road site.

[Fromafar]

Berwick Bandits raced a few meetings at Barrow when they were homeless.

[steve19620]

In answer to Wessex Wanderers post, Barrow's 1972 colours was a Yellow background with a Blue "Happy face" with a blue Trim on the race jacket.

[msc1874]

I expect others more local to Barrow will be able to provide dates, statistics, more detail etc etc but briefly:

 

Barrow started at Holker Street with a track around the football pitch. Space dictated that there were "corners" rather than "bends" but nevertheless it seemed a pretty decent race track from my one and only visit. I think it started in 1972 with multi World Champion Ivan Mauger among the promoters. By the way, ignore any reference to them being called "The Happy Faces" - they used a "happy face" as the logo on their race jackets but the promotion quite deliberately and specifically chose not to have a nickname for the team. Can't remember what colours they used.

 

One or two years later they were named the Bombers using blue and yellow race jackets. Blue background with large yellow circle and blue "B" inside. They finished at Holker Street after a big proposed rent hike by the footy club (I think).

 

Park Road was one of the most picturesque tracks ever - out of town and set against a background of lakeland hills. It was quite a small track with short straights. Cracking race track. Opened about 1977 it only survived initially for a couple of years (maybe only one). They were called the Furness Flyers, again wirh blue and yellow colours.

 

Chris Roynon (father of current day rider Adam) tried a revival in 1985 and they did ride a couple of meetings that year but it was also at a time when the National League was deliberatly becoming "more professional" and had a very strict minimum points limit. Tracks like Barrow could not compete with the richer ones (it turned out that some other newcomers that did sign up star riders were unrealistic and closed after 1 or 2 seasons of financial struggle) and basically could not raise a team of sufficient strength. If only there had been a third tier in those days a lot of tracks could have been saved over the next 3-4 years. They were called the Blackhawks and colours (I think) were red and black.

 

I did go to Park Road for the match against the Wildcats in early 1985 but on arriving we were informed by Chris of the postponement and the situation regarding their league membership. What a pity, he was still working on the track which looked in superb condition. Whether they later staged any open licence meetings I am not sure but it always seemed such a shame to me that a track should be closed more or less by Speedway politics itself rather than any outside influences.

 

Hope this helps you

 

Amazing thanks a lot

[cityrebel]

Berwick Bandits raced a few meetings at Barrow when they were homeless.

they did and i went to one of them. i saw wimbledon ride there in the koc in 1981. pre meeting the track was in a pretty poor state and some of the riders didn't want to ride, luckily for me they rode. i seem to remember rob grant beating malcolm simmons in the match which ended up as an away win for the dons. both the BL and NL teams entered the cup that season.

[Fromafar]

they did and i went to one of them. i saw wimbledon ride there in the koc in 1981. pre meeting the track was in a pretty poor state and some of the riders didn't want to ride, luckily for me they rode. i seem to remember rob grant beating malcolm simmons in the match which ended up as an away win for the dons. both the BL and NL teams entered the cup that season.

they did and i went to one of them. i saw wimbledon ride there in the koc in 1981. pre meeting the track was in a pretty poor state and some of the riders didn't want to ride, luckily for me they rode. i seem to remember rob grant beating malcolm simmons in the match which ended up as an away win for the dons. both the BL and NL teams entered the cup that season.

I was also there, seem to remember one of the lesser lights having a great meeting Brad Oxley or Rudy Muts.?. Roger Johns was also in that team I think

Edited December 18, 2012 by Fromafar

[cityrebel]

I was also there, seem to remember one of the lesser lights having a great meeting Brad Oxley or Rudy Muts.?. Roger Johns was also in that team I think

i think it was brad oxley. steve finch also rode for the dons in that meeting and took a bit of stick from dick barrie and some of the locals. was you one of them!

[Fromafar]

i think it was brad oxley. steve finch also rode for the dons in that meeting and took a bit of stick from dick barrie and some of the locals. was you one of them!

NO, that would be the Barrow locals

[r0ll]

Barrow opened in April 1972 at Holker st it ran on Thursday nights at first ,the first meeting was a world chapionship round . In june the race night switched to Tuesday night have taken the place of west ham in the second division some of the riders that rode for the club in the first year was Bobby Closes , Mike Sampson , Cgris Roynon who made the round trip of almost 800 miles for a home meeting. also that year Tom Owen , Ian Hindle Bobby Campbel Mike Watkins (captian) Stan Stevens took to the track in the happy face's race jacket. Another rider was the promising 17 year old geoff lyons racing in a meeting at Holker st against local rivals workington was seriously injured an retired from the sport. The track was some what square in shape due to the fact it was round a football field, but some of the racing was top draw. Barrow ran untill the end of the 1974 and had very good crowds .

How ever the relationship between the landlords (Barrow AFC) and the speedway was rocky to say the least, Some of the football club directors believed that the removal of the stand at the Hindeapool end of the ground was a major factor in them losing football league status, which was probably not the case but was due to sevaral year of bottom four finishes and the team who replace them Hereford, who's famous cup win over Newcasltle was most likely a factor in them get into the football league

The nickname happyfaces derived from the fact they where sponsored by duckhams oil who's logo was a happy face, was this one of the earliest team sponsorship in speedway.