Keighley Speedway

[brianbuck]

Does anyone have any information about a track or the possibility of a track in the Yorkshire town of Keighley?

I'm asking because I remember reading a feature about the formation of the Provincial League in 1960, in the Birmingham Mail.

The feature listed the 10 tracks who were joining the league and also stated that there was interest from three more clubs, Rye House, Aldershot and Keighley. None of them did join, but I never saw or heard anything else about Keighley, so I'm intrigued!

[Ray Stadia]

8 minutes ago, brianbuck said:

Does anyone have any information about a track or the possibility of a track in the Yorkshire town of Keighley?

I'm asking because I remember reading a feature about the formation of the Provincial League in 1960, in the Birmingham Mail.

The feature listed the 10 tracks who were joining the league and also stated that there was interest from three more clubs, Rye House, Aldershot and Keighley. None of them did join, but I never saw or heard anything else about Keighley, so I'm intrigued!

This sounds a bit like...Whatever happened to Slough Speedway?  

[BL65]

16 hours ago, brianbuck said:

Does anyone have any information about a track or the possibility of a track in the Yorkshire town of Keighley?

In Sussex the local press reported in early February 1960 that a new second division of the National League was being formed, comprising northern and southern sections. 10 teams were listed as possible starters in the southern section (Aldershot, Bristol, Eastbourne, Exeter, Ipswich, Plymouth, Rayleigh, Rye House, St Austell, Yarmouth). Doubts were expressed about Aldershot and Rye House because of low attendances in previous seasons. A comment was made that there were also doubts regarding the inclusion of Keighley in a northern section. When the league commenced with the Provincial title it did not include Aldershot, Eastbourne, Exeter, Ipswich, Plymouth, Rye House or St Austell.

The local press in Liverpool had an article in mid-February commenting that the new Provincial League would be formed as a single competition, with the proposed northern and southern sections having agreed to combine. There were 13 teams listed (Aldershot, Bristol, Eastbourne, Exeter, Poole, Rayleigh and Yarmouth from the southern section, Bradford, Cradley Heath, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Sheffield and Stoke from the northern section). By 16^th February there was no mention of a new track at Keighley being a possibility.

The proposed opening date for Bradford was 4^th June. This was because the Odsal stadium had a reserved date in May for a replay in the event of a draw in the Rugby League Cup Final at Wembley.  Keighley and Bradford are only 10 miles apart and it was never likely that two tracks so close would enter the same new league in 1960.  A possibility is that the Keighley rugby league ground at Lawkholme Lane was contemplated as an alternative to Bradford, or even as a temporary base until Odsal became available.  Three years earlier the Keighley board had bought the site, covering 13 acres, which included the adjacent cricket ground, bowling green and cottages. Part of the site was subsequently sold when road improvements were carried out nearby.

Edited to add: A Birmingham Mail newspaper article on 19th December 1959 indicated that the composition of the new Provincial League would include a northern section of 6 teams and a southern section of 8 teams. Bradford was included in the northern section and the article stated that Keighley was another possibility. It did not say if this was in addition to, or instead of, Bradford.  Aldershot and Rye House were also mentioned as possibles for the southern section.

Edited January 14 by BL65

[bigdave]

Google Keighley Speedway.

There are links to a Grasstrack programme from 1932 and to a 2002 remake of the Keighley & District Supporters Club badge for sale on eBay.

There is nothing on the Defunct Speedway Track web site about a track being at Keighley.

 

[brianbuck]

Thanks very much for this interesting response which is much appreciated.

[HGould]

4 hours ago, brianbuck said:

Thanks very much for this interesting response which is much appreciated.

It appears to be equidistant to Halifax and Bradford, both speedway venues at The Shay and Idsal

There is a Rugby League Stadium called Larkholme Lane lately Cougar Park, it also staged soccer this milenium. 

Wondering if a start up there was possible as alternative to Shay or Odsal? 

[Derrickn]

On 1/14/2024 at 8:08 PM, HGould said:

It appears to be equidistant to Halifax and Bradford, both speedway venues at The Shay and Idsal

There is a Rugby League Stadium called Larkholme Lane lately Cougar Park, it also staged soccer this milenium. 

Wondering if a start up there was possible as alternative to Shay or Odsal? 

If I remember correctly,when Bradford rode in the provincial league,they rode at the Greenfield greyhound stadium in Dudley Hill,less than a mile from Odsal.It was a typical stadium of its time,and now long demolished.

[brianbuck]

Mike Parker's Bradford's initial season as an open licence track and the club's first season in the Provincial League were both at Odsal. An alternative Promoter Jess Halliday then took over with a plan to move the operation to the Greenfield Greyhound Stadium. A new track was constructed but was not ready until late in the 1961 season and was only able to stage a few open meetings.

Bradford, then using Greenfield did re-enter the Provincial League in 1962, but with a very weak team, struggled for most of the season until Mike Parker re-took control of the promotion, but the club did not survive beyond that campaign.

I never went to Greenfield, but they say that the track was extremely rough (as Mike Parker's tracks always seemed to be) but it does seem that the chance of re-establishing Bradford away from Odsal, was a chance missed.

[Derrickn]

1 hour ago, brianbuck said:

Mike Parker's Bradford's initial season as an open licence track and the club's first season in the Provincial League were both at Odsal. An alternative Promoter Jess Halliday then took over with a plan to move the operation to the Greenfield Greyhound Stadium. A new track was constructed but was not ready until late in the 1961 season and was only able to stage a few open meetings.

Bradford, then using Greenfield did re-enter the Provincial League in 1962, but with a very weak team, struggled for most of the season until Mike Parker re-took control of the promotion, but the club did not survive beyond that campaign.

I never went to Greenfield, but they say that the track was extremely rough (as Mike Parker's tracks always seemed to be) but it does seem that the chance of re-establishing Bradford away from Odsal, was a chance missed.

The Greenfield track was usually described as "having a bit of dirt on it" which could be why it was referred to as rough.You are right about the team,mostly old stagers like Reg Duval,Wal Morton,Geoff Pymar and Jack Winstanley,but it did include a young lad on his way up,Tommy Roper,who went on to have a good career in the sport.Towards the end of the 62 season,they did strengthen by bringing in a couple of riders from Belle Vue,but by then it was too late,and the track closed at the end of the season.Ironic that just a few years later,Halifax,which is only about 6 miles from Bradford, re-opened to huge crowds.