Tracks around football pitches

[steve roberts]

1 hour ago, Chris116 said:

I never saw Speedway at Oxford although I did see Spedeworth, PRI and BriSCA Stock Car, Hot Rod and Banger racing there. Not a good track for the cars due to the narrow entrance and exits from the bends. 

The Banger Racing caused all sorts of issues at Cowley and even prompted the speedway promoters to pull the plug if the Banger people didn't tidy up their act. The infield resembled a junk yard on occasions.

[Chris116]

2 minutes ago, steve roberts said:

The Banger Racing caused all sorts of issues at Cowley and even prompted the speedway promoters to pull the plug if the Banger people didn't tidy up their act. The infield resembled a junk yard on occasions.

Personally I am a Stock Car and Hot Rod fan who nowadays regards Bangers as a chance to get a burger or go to the toilet! There is no excuse to not tidy up after yourself in any walk of life. 

[Chadster]

I came down to London in 1976 and saw quite a bit of the rebels in the following two seasons. I can't remember much about the racing, except for Kennett bombing along the straights as if he were riding long track. The impression I got was of poor crowds and a lack of atmosphere that meant even the best races felt flat. That was brought home when I started going to Wimbledon in 1978 and the bigger crowds and more enclosed stadium meant that the racing seemed much better.

As for tracks around football grounds how about the one round a cricket ground?

[Longsufferingpotter]

Yes, Earle Street, Crewe, was round a cricket pitch!

Sadly,  it's just a retail park now.

[chunky]

2 hours ago, Chadster said:

The impression I got was of poor crowds and a lack of atmosphere that meant even the best races felt flat. That was brought home when I started going to Wimbledon in 1978 and the bigger crowds and more enclosed stadium meant that the racing seemed much better.

That backs up what was has been said on other threads.  People are always arguing that the racing was a lot better back then than it is now, but even brilliant races today don't seem as good, and it's not just the racing itself; small crowds and non-existent atmospheres really affect our perception of things...

Steve

[Guest compost]

Back in the 90's I seem to recall Oxford having an american football pitch inside the Speedway track for a few years (or is it just old age an poor memory) ?

[marko]

You might be onto something there compost, it rings a bell but it could also be a Mandela Effect.

[FAST GATER]

Ellesmere Port was round a footie pitch  good track   some decent  racing created by non other that Mr"Magic"  Thomas !

Edited June 21, 2019 by FAST GATER

[martinmauger]

Of course we are all forgetting THE BEST track around a football / rugby pitch; Belle Vue, Hyde Road I believe originally surrounded a rugby pitch.  The new NSS at Belle Vue also has playing areas inside the white line and ain't too shabby either, to say the very least....

[jaykay2PT]

I seem to recall that Wembley had problems, where the football corners flags created a hole that caused problems after a few races.

On the subject of the grass on the infield, I was amazed that on last Mondays televised Poole v Wolves match,

the centre green was unmown, and, in my opinion , a disgrace, you would think that pride would have had it mown for a TV appearance!!

[cityrebel]

18 hours ago, chunky said:

That backs up what was has been said on other threads.  People are always arguing that the racing was a lot better back then than it is now, but even brilliant races today don't seem as good, and it's not just the racing itself; small crowds and non-existent atmospheres really affect our perception of things...

Steve

I think the racing was closer not necessarily better. Today is all about flying machines on ultra slick tracks. It was a lot more of a level playing field before the four valvers came into play. 

[chunky]

 

44 minutes ago, cityrebel said:

I think the racing was closer not necessarily better. Today is all about flying machines on ultra slick tracks. It was a lot more of a level playing field before the four valvers came into play. 

I think you are misunderstanding me slightly...

A lot of people on here think the racing was better back then, and that racing today is crap. I'm not one of them. While the sport WAS better (well, British speedway, anyway!), a lot of that was due to the crowds and the atmosphere.  What I am saying is that today, even good races don't seem that good when you have a crowd of 47 people and two dogs, and you have a better atmosphere in a morgue...

I won't necessarily say the racing was "closer", but it was a lot more unpredictable. If you watch some of the stuff on YouTube, you will see that riders hit grip and speed up, or hit a rut and slow down; the gaps between riders would change suddenly. Now, with ultra-fast machinery on ultra-slick tracks, that doesn't happen. Back then, a big part of the enjoyment was watching the riders fight with their bikes in the dirt!

Steve

Edited June 21, 2019 by chunky

[steve roberts]

10 hours ago, compost said:

Back in the 90's I seem to recall Oxford having an american football pitch inside the Speedway track for a few years (or is it just old age an poor memory) ?

Yes that's correct...they once used to play at the old Oxford City ground. I think they were lnown as Oxford 'Saints'?

[Donnie]

I wonder how long Berwick will be sharing same ground as football team, after last seasons relegation and boardroom shambles, don't know if the Rangers will survive.

[Mr Snackette]

I was fortunate enough to be at the New Sydney Showground in 2008, for the final round of the Aussie Solos. At the time, it was probably the only occasion that a speedway track had been constructed around a baseball field. Since then the stadium has been renamed the Giants Stadium, and is now the home of  Sydney Thunder cricket team in the Big Bash, as well as the GWS Giants in the AFL. Track was a weird shape, and had what appeared to be 5 corners!

As part of my travels I was also lucky enough to visit the Brisbane Showground (also known as the Ekka). Unfortunately I didn't see any racing there on the 425-metre (465-yard) track, but there was plenty of evidence of the tracks existence. There was a plaque celebrating that the legendary Don Bradman who made his Test debut against England at the ground in 1928. I wonder is this the only venue that has hosted speedway and test match cricket?

And finally, on my self indulgent "down memory lane", I went to a long track meeting at  Mariánské Lázně in the Czech Republic. From memory I think there were three full sized football pitches on the infield!

[Mr Ore]

5 hours ago, Mr Snackette said:

And finally, on my self indulgent "down memory lane", I went to a long track meeting at  Mariánské Lázně in the Czech Republic. From memory I think there were three full sized football pitches on the infield!

I'll see your  Mariánské Lázně    and from the opposite perspective I have seen football at FC Vilshofen  sitting in the grandstand seats at the 4th bend exit of the starting straight and watching across the track. I am sure there was at least one other pitch, in addition to the railed off, floodlit main pitch, but  around 60% of the centre green  was covered by a tented village with some show or conference on at the same time, with hundreds if not thousands there. . Haven't seen live racing but videos show a very fast track with good racing. 

I've been to many foreign tracks with pitches in the centre including 1 current, Mureck and 3 former, Felixdorf, Natschbach-Loipersbach and the city centre track at Wiener-Neustadt in Austria, with the latter producing one of the best match races I have ever seen. Also GP tracks at Daugavpils and Krskro have produced excellent racing during my visits  for domestic events, although both are wide enough to allow for passing.

I have also seem senior soccer Sheffield FC,  rugby league Sheffield Eagles and American football Steel City Giants at Owlerton , plus international show jumping and the track still produced great racing with full sized pitches, although astroturf mats were placed on the track at each of the corners to stop players tripping over the kerbs whilst taking corners in Sheffield FC games. 

I also saw football at Ashington FC's old ground but it must have been a very tight track as there was little space between the terraces and pitch. I assume this has been a problem here trying to get a decent track in the confines of an existing stadium 

Edited June 23, 2019 by Mr Ore

[martinmauger]

" And finally, on my self indulgent "down memory lane", I went to a long track meeting at  Mariánské Lázně in the Czech Republic. From memory I think there were three full sized football pitches on the infield!"

Was that the meeting showed on TV where the ZZ Top 'Eliminator' car was there and another car was dropped from a great height from a Skyhook military helicopter?  Now THAT's what you call an interval attraction ....

 

[Shale Searcher]

I think I watched a charity football match in the 70's at Leicesters Blackbird Rd Track, think there were a few Radio One DJ's, and other celebs playing, can't remember the year, but I'm sure it happened and was not a dream!!! 

[HertsRacer]

The tracks of a couple of Scottish non-league teams. Cowdenbeath and Newtongrange were both around football pitches.

 

[Barney Rabbit]

Went to a football match at Fleetwood a couple of years back and got talking to an elderly gent in a local pub who told me that he'd watched speedway way back at the club's Highbury ground which was around the football pitch. Still the same ground but much modernised now he told me.