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Carlisle Speedway/calling Workington Fans


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I run the website http://www.defunctspeedway.co.uk

Which has a page in the A-Z featuring an attempt to bring speedway to Carlisle.

 

The track was in Moorville Park, Kingmoor, Carlisle, in Cumbria and operated only once in 1937

The Stobbart brothers (Rol and Maurice), built a 440 yard circuit near their home in Cumbria they hoped to introduce speedway to Carlisle but unfortunately it never came to fruition. There was only one meeting held here. It was staged on 18th September 1937. The winner of this meeting was Liverpool's Tommy Price.

 

Perhaps your dad or grandad was there! It was only 78 yrs ago!! Perhaps the local newspaper covered the meeting and you are looking for something speedway related to do this winter. A visit to your local newspaper archive may turn up a photo or newspaper article so if you have the time and the interest please see if you can help me obtain something I can put on the website

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John

 

1937 was not the first attempt to introduce speedway to Carlisle. If you can find s copy of "Speedway in the North-West" by Adrian Pavey, there is a chapter, along with some pictures, on the history of the sport in Carlisle, which might be of interest.

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I run the website http://www.defunctspeedway.co.uk

Which has a page in the A-Z featuring an attempt to bring speedway to Carlisle.

 

The track was in Moorville Park, Kingmoor, Carlisle, in Cumbria and operated only once in 1937

The Stobbart brothers (Rol and Maurice), built a 440 yard circuit near their home in Cumbria they hoped to introduce speedway to Carlisle but unfortunately it never came to fruition. There was only one meeting held here. It was staged on 18th September 1937. The winner of this meeting was Liverpool's Tommy Price.

 

Perhaps your dad or grandad was there! It was only 78 yrs ago!! Perhaps the local newspaper covered the meeting and you are looking for something speedway related to do this winter. A visit to your local newspaper archive may turn up a photo or newspaper article so if you have the time and the interest please see if you can help me obtain something I can put on the website

Hi John, the man that might be able to help you is John Somerville, i'm pretty sure he as a programme of that meeting. Regards Marcus

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John

 

I have now dug out Adrian Pavey's book, and this is an abridged version of his description of the meeting.

 

"It seemed the people of Carlisle were just not interested in speedway with the crowd being less than 700. It was an individual meeting featuring competitors from the Workington track and several members of the Belle Vue "Merseysiders" team. The two main events were a scratch race and a handicap trophy, supported by a series of match races and novice events.

The first event was the scratch races.

Heat 1 was won by Eric Butler ahead of West Ham novice Ken Tidbury,

Heat 2 was won by Alan Butler ahead of another West Ham novice Denny "Crusty" Pye.

Former Preston rider Tommy Price won heat 3 from Norman Hargreaves, with Dennis Dennie third.

The 1st Semi-Final was won by Eric Butler, followed by Alan Butler and Ken Tidbury.

The 2nd Semi-Final was won by Tommy Price with Norman Hargraves second and "Crusty" Pye third.

The Final was won by Price with Hargreaves second and Eric Butler third.

The second event was the handicap competition.

Heat 1 Hargreaves from Tidbury with Price third.

Heat 2 Sam Marsland from Alan Butler

Heat 3 Maurice Stobbart from Eric Butler and Dennis Dennie

1st Semi-Final Marsland from Hargreaves and Tidbury

2nd Semi-Final won by Alan Butler

Final Won by Alan Butler after Stobbart, Hargreaves and Marsland all suffered engine failures.

In 2 lap rolling start match races Stobbart beat Alan Butler, Price beat Marsland and Hargreaves beat Charlie Oates.

 

Following the meeting all the riders travelled to Lonsdale Park, Workington to take part in a challenge match between Workington "Reds" and Belle Vue "Merseysiders".

The Carlisle project was a financial disaster with organiser Maurice Stobbart admitting that his efforts at promoting were not exactly prosperous."

 

 

 

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John

 

1937 was not the first attempt to introduce speedway to Carlisle. If you can find s copy of "Speedway in the North-West" by Adrian Pavey, there is a chapter, along with some pictures, on the history of the sport in Carlisle, which might be of interest.

good lad is adrian im sure he still has a copy or 2 at home

Edited by scarra
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did michael moon's book shop in whitehaven have this book in stock. i am sure when i passed the shop a long time ago , it was in the window. worth a try ,email, phone .i pass that way on friday , i will have a gander in . something like that is not on everybody's reading list .

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Adrian's book was published in 2004.

If you can't find it in a shop you could try the publishing company: Tempus Publishing Ltd. The Mill, Brimscombe Port, Stroud, Gloucs GL5 2QG.

It's a great read if you're interested in the history of speedway in places such as Workington, Blackpool, Preston, Burnley etc.

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yep , now i have seen the front cover of the book . that was the item i seen in the shop window. .......... the grey matter is still working !

 

no book in m moons book shop at the moment .

Edited by jenga
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Adrian's book was published in 2004.

If you can't find it in a shop you could try the publishing company: Tempus Publishing Ltd. The Mill, Brimscombe Port, Stroud, Gloucs GL5 2QG.

It's a great read if you're interested in the history of speedway in places such as Workington, Blackpool, Preston, Burnley etc.

i know adrian was once a forum member

havnt seen him at workington recently but im sure he is still a fan of the sport

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My thanks to all of you who have taken the time to add to the thread. With my A-Z of defunct Speedway I live in hope that someone has some photos or memories of any of the dozens of defunct tracks, Carlisle included! so drag your grannies out of their maximum security twi-light homes and get them to get their old photies out for me please :lol:

 

Speaking of Carlisle. The floods over there are serious. My sympathy to anyone displaced by the diabolical British weather. I live in a village up a hill in Co Durham and we get buffeted every time it gets windy, nail biting stuff with each gust we worry will the roof take it!! :o The floods however are far worse than my wind exposed house suffers.

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