Pre-war history - an appeal
The Speedway Researcher web site carries the heat details for many many speedway meetings with the core period being the National League era 1946 - 1964. This era has a great number of gaps to fill and these are catalogued on the web site. Work has been ongoing for the period 1965 to date for some time thanks to Steve Wilkes and Gary Done.
Bob Ozanne, Brian Collins, Roger Beaman and Mike Terran have done a fair bit on the pre-war era over the years. Activity on the pre-war era front has recently been stepped up thanks to Keith Corns who is taking the lead role assisted by Matt Jackson and Jim Henry, with Graham Gleave weighing in with some superb research into contemporary newspapers which has allowed vast upgrades to the Salford, Rochdale and Bolton files.
There are a number of collectors who are providing a great deal of help and their assistance is greatly appreciated.
However, if you are a collector who has any marked pre-war programmes for meetings not shown on the web site we would love to hear from you. Whilst we can acknowledge sources on the site, should you desire it, your contribution will be treated in strictest confidence.
If you can help, please contact Jim Henry on 0131 664 7185 or email jamesjhenry@yahoo.co.uk
February 20
More fantastic updates today. The pre-war stuff is coming together beautifully and if anyone can help with marked programmes, we would be most grateful to hear from you.
New files
1929 - New Brighton - a previously unknown season
1931 - Aldershot - again, a previously unknown season
1932 - Lea Bridge (Clapton), Crystal Palace, High Beech, Leeds, Motherwell, Plymouth, Preston, Rochester, Sheffield, Southampton, Stamford Bridge, Wembley, West Ham, Wimbledon, Workington
1936 - Bristol
1937 - Middlesbrough, Rye House, High Beech, Bristol, Liverpool, Nottingham
1939 - Staines
Updated files
1928 - Crystal Palace, Halifax
1929 - Preston, Liverpool, Stoke (Hanley), Halifax
1930 - Nottingham, Stamford Bridge, Halifax
1931 - Greenford
1932 - Tamworth (Fazeley)
1937 - West Ham
1938 - Wembley, West Ham
1939 - British Speedway Cup, National League Division 2, Provincial Trophy, World Championship, English Speedway Trophy, National Trophy, Union Cup
1955 - Rye House
1956 - Rye House, California
1958 - Yarmouth
1961 - Dublin Shelbourne Park
Thank yous
To Andy Reid for his Crystal Palace programme
To Duncan Luke for his pre-war programmes
To Les Hawkins for the new Aldershot information
To Graham Gleave for his intrepid adventures around the libraries of the north of England which are gleaning some fantastic results - literally!!
To Keith Corns for his continued contributions and the new information about the advertised fixtures at New Brighton in 1929.
And last, but certainly not least, to Bob Ozanne and Allen Trump who have been working away on the pre-war file and have sent the updated files for 1939 which can be found in the year by year section. Look out for earlier years from Bob and Allen in the future.
March 12
A few new files and updates this week:
New files
1936 - Wimbledon, Wembley, West Ham, Hackney, Harringay
2018 - Rye House
Updates
1928 - Huddersfield
1929 - Halifax, Huddersfield, Preston
1930 - Crystal Palace, Preston
1931 - Greenford, Preston
1932 - Preston
1936 - Bristol
1937 - Bristol, Harringay
1939 - Stoke
1947 - Rye House, Stoke
1948 - Dublin Santry, Hull, Poole, Stoke
1950 - Belfast, Sheffield
Thank Yous
To Bob Ozanne for the marked programme information of the Halifax v Leeds meeting. To Mick Huggett for the Wimbledon information. To Graham Gleave for the Huddersfield and Preston information. To Duncan Luke for the programmes. To Mark Aspinell for the Rye House file.
April 2
New Files
1936 - Crystal Palace, New Cross, Dagenham, Middlesbrough, Cardiff, Liverpool, Nottingham, Plymouth
1939 - New Cross
Updates
1928 - Bolton
1929 - Bolton, Halifax, Liverpool
1930 - Halifax
1936 - Bristol, West Ham
1937 - New Cross, Wimbledon
1938 - Rye House, Smallford, World Championship, Northern Cup, National League Division Two, English Speedway Trophy, Provincial Trophy, National Trophy, London Cup, ACU Cup
1939 - Bristol, Dagenham
1950 - Belfast Dunmore, Glasgow
Thank Yous
Jim and Keith have continued with the pre-war results and Graham Gleave has been busy again - check the 1929 Liverpool file for some great updates. Thanks also to Mick Huggett for the continued help with the Wimbledon programmes. You will also notice that we have some updates on the 1938 year-by-year file thanks to some new information from Bob Ozanne and Allen Trump. Allen and Bob have collaborated for years with the pre war years and I would like to thank them for sharing their work with us.
April 25
Sorry for the late update, I’ve been on holiday so things have become a bit delayed. Lots of our contributors have been hard at work and we can offer you the following:
New Files
1929 - Barnet
1931 - Crewe
1932 - Crewe
1933 - Norwich, Nottingham, Plymouth, Wembley, West Ham, Wimbledon
1934 - Cardiff, Liverpool, New Brighton, Penarth, Rye House
1935 - Barnet, Cardiff, Liverpool
1975 - Coatbridge
2018 - Coventry
2019 - season results
Updated Files
1928 - Liverpool
1929 - Stoke, Wolverhampton
1930 - Crewe, Liverpool
1933 - Coventry, Sheffield, Tamworth (Fazeley)
1935 - Luton
1936 - Bristol, Liverpool, New Cross, Nottingham, Plymouth, Wembley, Wimbledon
1937 - Liverpool, ACU Cup, National League, London Cup, Provincial League, Provincial Trophy, World Championship, Test Matches, Coronation Cup, National Trophy, London Riders’ Championship, Best Pairs Gold Cup
1938 - Rye House, Smallford, Wimbledon
1951 - Wolverhampton
1952 - Wolverhampton
1953 - Wolverhampton
1959 - Eastbourne
1976 - Coatbridge
1977 - Coatbridge, Glasgow
1980 - Glasgow
1981 - Glasgow
1982 - Glasgow
1984 - Glasgow
1986 - Glasgow
1987 - Workington
Thank Yous
Keith Corns has carried on his sterling work with the pre-war files and has found evidence of racing at a new venue - Penarth Rugby Club in 1934 - the results are attached. Keith has also made great strides with the 1929 Stoke file and has produced several new files for the pre-war years.
Mick Huggett for his continued help with the Wimbledon info.
Our roving researcher in the north-west, Graham Gleave has done more wonderful work, this time with Liverpool in the pre-war era.
Bob Ozanne and Allen Trump have given us more updates, this time for 1937 - thanks again chaps.
Dave Allen has updates some of his wonderful Glasgow and Coatbridge files and has given us the missing Coatbridge file for 1975.
A massive thanks as well to Stuart Staite-Aris who has completed the fantastic effort of compiling all the Coventry files from 1928 to 2018. Let’s hope that the Bees can return to the track and can keep Stuart busy.
You may be also aware of the fact that the Speedway Star has decided to stop publishing race times and this has caused some discussion. Some people aren’t bothered but some think that the race times are an essential part of the sport and Keith will be sending regular updates of the 2019 season with the heat times included so we have a permanent record.
May 20
New Files
1933 - Crystal Palace, Clapton (find under Lea Bridge)
1934 - Nottingham, Wimbledon, West Ham
1936 - Provincial Trophy Heat Details
Updated Files
1928 - Liverpool
1929 - Liverpool, Preston
1930 - Northern League Heat Details, Liverpool
1933 - Wimbledon
1935 - Liverpool
1936 - Bristol, New Cross, West Ham, Liverpool, Nottingham, ACU Cup Results, National League Results, Provincial League Results, Test Match Results, London Cup Results, National Trophy Results, World Championship Results, Middlesbrough
1937 - Hackney, West Ham, Bristol
1938 - Rye House, Smallford
1952 - Wolverhampton, Long Eaton
1956 - California
1957 - Aldershot
1964 - West Ham
1967 - Season Results
1969 - Season Results
1970 - Season Results
We have removed the 1936 Penarth file as the suggestion is that this was a grass track
Thank Yous
To Bob Ozanne and Allen Trump for the 1936 file and the updated 1930 Northern League file.
To Steve Wilkes and Gary Done for the updated season files.
To Mick Huggett for the additional Wimbledon information.
To Graham Gleave for the additional Liverpool and Preston information.
To Mark Aspinell for the 1964 West Ham file
To Keith Corns and Jim Henry for their tireless work.