Kryten Posted August 27, 2022 Report Share Posted August 27, 2022 Been on the forum for many years (mostly reading) but not seen much about this guy. He was in charge of the Aces in my early years (and I believe chairman of whatever was the governing body in the 80s for a time). Many people blame him for the loss of Hyde Road, I did at the time but I was only 11. But sadly Hyde Road was a relic of the past and would have become a H&S nightmare that would have gone anyway within a few years. He threw money at the Aces in the 80s (not always in the right direction but his intentions were good). I’d like to hear other peoples opinions 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve roberts Posted August 28, 2022 Report Share Posted August 28, 2022 (edited) He was not popular at Oxford when Belle Vue visited in 1985 for a Knock-Out Cup match when he put in a last minute protest regarding Oxford's intended use of Melvyn Taylor (own asset) in place of the still absent Klaus Lausch. It was a question of hats as Bamforth was then Chairman of the BSPA and would have known beforehand the issue but chose to wait just before the commencment of the meeting when wearing his Team Manager's hat put in a protest. Okay Oxford should have got the paperwork sorted but it rankled that he was playing one position of office against the other and Bernard Crapper after the meeting (won by the "Cheetahs" incidently) had some very strong words to say over the public address system and no doubt got fined in the process...as he often did! Edited August 28, 2022 by steve roberts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
25yearfan Posted August 28, 2022 Report Share Posted August 28, 2022 (edited) Stuart Bamforth was astute Businessman with an eye for a bargain and longer term profit. This was the case when he purchased Belle Vue speedway and the Hyde Road stadium in 1982 relatively cheaply. He knew the land would be valuable but in fairness he also knew that the speedway could move to the greyhound Stadium down the road. That said he put his money where his mouth was in buying the stadium when it looked on a downward spiral, ran one of the best promotions at the time and was a solid Chairman of the BSPA. Edited September 9, 2022 by 25yearfan 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DazS Posted September 18, 2022 Report Share Posted September 18, 2022 he was a down to earth millionaire, not many of them about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve roberts Posted September 18, 2022 Report Share Posted September 18, 2022 39 minutes ago, DazS said: he was a down to earth millionaire, not many of them about. Certainly there was a clash of personalities when he acquired Hyde Road which led to Eric Boocock resigning his post. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DazS Posted September 18, 2022 Report Share Posted September 18, 2022 which give other riders a chance to get second half rides. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve roberts Posted September 18, 2022 Report Share Posted September 18, 2022 1 hour ago, DazS said: which give other riders a chance to get second half rides. Sorry I don't understand? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
25yearfan Posted September 19, 2022 Report Share Posted September 19, 2022 19 hours ago, steve roberts said: Certainly there was a clash of personalities when he acquired Hyde Road which led to Eric Boocock resigning his post. Both Boocock and Bamforth were feisty, in your face characters who both said what they thought regardless of whether the opinion was rude or not and liked to have their own way so the chances of them two not clashing were minimal at best! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve roberts Posted September 19, 2022 Report Share Posted September 19, 2022 1 hour ago, 25yearfan said: Both Boocock and Bamforth were feisty, in your face characters who both said what they thought regardless of whether the opinion was rude or not and liked to have their own way so the chances of them two not clashing were minimal at best! Interesting observations made by Eric Boocock in his autobiography regarding Bamforth...the spilling of coffee over Eric's programme notes without any regard or apology for example. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waiheke1 Posted September 19, 2022 Report Share Posted September 19, 2022 On 9/18/2022 at 8:11 PM, DazS said: which give other riders a chance to get second half rides. Are you Daz Sumner who used to ride in the odd second half at Hyde Rd? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve roberts Posted September 19, 2022 Report Share Posted September 19, 2022 2 hours ago, waiheke1 said: Are you Daz Sumner who used to ride in the odd second half at Hyde Rd? ...would be interesting to know? He rode for Oxford during the Nielsen years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DazS Posted September 19, 2022 Report Share Posted September 19, 2022 On 9/18/2022 at 2:19 PM, steve roberts said: Sorry I don't understand? heres where Bamforth business brain kicked in, only those with fastest times in the training schools got in the second half's. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DazS Posted September 19, 2022 Report Share Posted September 19, 2022 older than him,, but did ride against him when i left the colts and went to Halifax. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waiheke1 Posted September 19, 2022 Report Share Posted September 19, 2022 4 hours ago, DazS said: older than him,, but did ride against him when i left the colts and went to Halifax. Now I'm intrigued! One of the Clegg brothers? David Clay? Trying to think which of the colts I subsequently saw at the Shay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DazS Posted September 20, 2022 Report Share Posted September 20, 2022 well done good memory, its Garry clegg. now bloody 62 years old. And still enjoying my speedway. I thought i might have been remembered for all the tracks that closed down after i rode for them,. 2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatface Posted September 20, 2022 Report Share Posted September 20, 2022 On 8/28/2022 at 10:58 AM, 25yearfan said: Stuart Bamforth was astute Businessman with an eye for a bargain and longer term profit. This was the case when he purchased Belle Vue speedway and the Hyde Road stadium in 1982 relatively cheaply. He knew the land would be valuable but in fairness he also knew that the speedway could move to the greyhound Stadium down the road. That said he put his money where his mouth was in buying the stadium when it looked on a downward spiral, ran one of the best promotions at the time and was a solid Chairman of the BSPA. Not sure the move to the hounds was in his thoughts at all. Never heard any suggestion of that before. The rest I agree with though. For the six years he ran it, he upgraded the track and stadium and always invested heavily in the team (not always successfully). The end was always inevitable given the Bradford City fire and the scale of redevelopment required of a wooden stadium, the value of the land in Manchester and the relatively limited income potential of running a speedway/stock car venue. I also understand he had a divorce from Pat to pay for? Hyde Road, Plough Lane and Brandon are the nearest the sport has had to iconic venues....and they were all allowed to slip into the wrong hands and outside of British Speedway's control. The sport never has had any vision or long-term coherent strategy....hence its lost its most cherished assets. It's still a miracle the new Belle Vue got built. Chris Morton and David Gordon deserve a medal for that at the very least. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve roberts Posted September 20, 2022 Report Share Posted September 20, 2022 On 8/28/2022 at 10:58 AM, 25yearfan said: Stuart Bamforth was astute Businessman with an eye for a bargain and longer term profit. This was the case when he purchased Belle Vue speedway and the Hyde Road stadium in 1982 relatively cheaply. He knew the land would be valuable but in fairness he also knew that the speedway could move to the greyhound Stadium down the road. That said he put his money where his mouth was in buying the stadium when it looked on a downward spiral, ran one of the best promotions at the time and was a solid Chairman of the BSPA. However it was a question when the hat fitted as my example given regarding Oxford and Bernard Crapper's anger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
25yearfan Posted September 20, 2022 Report Share Posted September 20, 2022 Bamforth was certainly a shrewd operator thats for sure! I remember rumours about a move to Kirky Lane dog track in about 1985, 3 years before they did it so it was always in the background as an alternative! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 22, 2022 Report Share Posted September 22, 2022 On 9/20/2022 at 9:10 PM, falcace said: It's still a miracle the new Belle Vue got built. Chris Morton and David Gordon deserve a medal for that at the very least. It is indeed - I agree with you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norbold Posted September 22, 2022 Report Share Posted September 22, 2022 (edited) On 9/20/2022 at 9:10 PM, falcace said: Hyde Road, Plough Lane and Brandon are the nearest the sport has had to iconic venues.... Empire Stadium, Odsal? Edited September 22, 2022 by norbold 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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