News and Updates

Future Policy

The Speedway Researcher magazine which can be viewed on the Speedway Researcher web site was set up by Graham Fraser and Jim Henry to promote research into the history of Speedway and Dirt Track Racing. It was intended to help those with an interest in any aspect of the sport and its history to make others aware of what their interests and to encourage others who had similar interests to work together. It provided a vehicle whereby researchers could advise others of what they were doing and make others aware of what they were looking for.

The magazine published articles on a wide range of topics related to speedway and dirt track racing.

The web site came along a good while after the magazine, the idea of the late Ron McNeil who gave us the idea of using this medium to provide a platform for sharing information about speedway meetings held in the UK from 1928 to date. At first the site was funded by income generated by the magazine but since the magazine closed down the funds have become nearly exhausted and it is now largely privately funded. The costs are dictated by the amount space taken to host the information and are currently not unreasonable. The next step up, is, however, a significant leap.  

Taking this into account the space available has to be prioritised. The first priority is to ensure the base source of information, meeting details, are fully provided for.

For the foregoing reasons we are going to decline to carry any additional items which are compilations of information drawn from our meeting details.  However, in a bid to facilitate networking we intend to continue for the time-being the Collectors Corner and add a “who is doing what” section which would provide details of topics which have / are being researched and by whom to facilitate the original intent of the Speedway Researcher i.e. networking.

May 3

Mark Aspinell has given us new files this week for Southampton and Reading and we have another batch of updates, mainly pre-war, thanks to Graham Gleave and a few programmes from 1928 which have provided some interesting new information.

New Files

1956 - Southampton

1988 - Reading

Updates

1928 - Belle Vue, Blackpool Highfield Road, Blackpool St. Annes Road, Bradford Greenfield, Harringay, Huddersfield, Manchester White City, season results

1930 - Lea Bridge

1931 - Belle Vue, Belle Vue South, Crystal Palace, High Beech, Wombwell

1932 - Belle Vue

1933 - Belle Vue, West Ham, Wimbledon

1936 - Belle Vue, Harringay

1937 - Norwich

1938 - Belle Vue

1946 - Newcastle

1947 - Newcastle

1948 - Newcastle

1949 - Newcastle

1950 - Newcastle

1951 - Newcastle

1955 - Eastbourne

1964 - Edinburgh, Middlesbrough

May 11

Two new Southampton files from Mark Aspinell this week and more updates than you can shake a stick at.

New Files

1957 - Southampton

1958 - Southampton

Updates

1929 - Belle Vue, Manchester White City, Middlesbrough, Newcastle, Newcastle (Gosforth), Wembley, Season Results

1930 - Audenshaw, Leeds, Leicester Super, Liverpool, Manchester White City, Newcastle (Gosforth)

1931 - Audenshaw, Belle Vue (South), Greenford, High Beech, Lea Bridge, Leeds, Leicester Super, Preston, Sheffield, Stamford Bridge, Wembley, Wimbledon, Wombwell, Workington

1935 - Wimbledon

1939 - Stoke

1949 - Rye House

1950 - Belfast, Dublin (Santry), Dublin (Shelbourne Park), Rye House, Sheffield

1951 - Rye House

1953 - Bradford

1954 - Birmingham, Bradford

1961 - Newcastle

1962 - Newcastle

1983 - Reading

1986 - Reading

May 24

New Files

1963 - Southampton

Updates

1928 - Belle Vue, Manchester White City, West Ham, Season Results

1929 - Belle Vue, Manchester White City, Season Results

1930 - Halifax, Middlesbrough, Newcastle, Newcastle (Gosforth)

1932 - Crewe, Leeds, Preston, Workington

1938 - Dagenham

1963 - Newcastle

1964 - Newcastle

1968 - Dublin Santry

1986 - Boston, Long Eaton

June 5

I hope everyone is well and is now enjoying the better weather, increased freedoms and hopefully, some live speedway. I had my first taste of the real thing this season on Thursday night at Sheffield and I have to say that I had taken the sport for granted a bit in the last few years and didn’t realise how much I missed it.

Just a few bits and bobs this week, the major stuff being Mark Aspinell’s excellent work on the Southampton files - just a couple of seasons to go now for a full set - and Joe Wake’s updates on his Newcastle files. Thanks again to Mark, Joe and everyone who contributes, no matter how small.

In the next week or two we will be adding a new feature which harks back to the origins of the Researcher magazine whereby we will be looking at who is doing what in terms of research and opening up lines of contact.

New Files

1961 - Southampton

1962 - Southampton

Updates

1928 - Rochdale, White City (London), Season Results

1929 - Salford, Season Results

1937 - Wimbledon

1948 - Southampton

1949 - Newcastle

1950 - Newcastle

1954 - Southampton

1955 - Brafield

1963 - Southampton

1965 - Newcastle

1966 - Newcastle

1967 - Newcastle

1968 - Newcastle

1993 - Long Eaton

June 15

No new files this week but plenty of updates, mainly Mark Aspinell’s Southampton files and Joe Wake’s Newcastle files.

Updates

1929 - Leeds, Leicester, Leicester Super, Season Results

1931 - Lea Bridge

1940 - Southampton

1949 - Newcastle, Southampton

1950 - Newcastle

1951 - Southampton

1952 - Southampton

1953 - Southampton

1960 - Liverpool

1961 - Southampton

1962 - Southampton

1964 - Newcastle

1965 - Newcastle

1966 - Newcastle

1967 - Newcastle

1968 - Newcastle

1969 - Newcastle