GROUNDS WITH SPEEDWAY/DOG TRACKS/ATHLETICS VISITED

[Eddie]

15 minutes ago, Hopping Mad said:

I'm not that old, Eddie! When I lived in Liverpool, I did go for a look at where it used to be.

A fruit & vegetable market (may not be there any more) was built on the stadium site, off Church Road, on land between Prescot Road and Edge Lane. A railway line (extant, I think) was adjacent. The stadium, in the Old Swan district of the city and by all accounts a bit of a dump, was called Stanley Greyhound Stadium (speedway had a couple of spells there).

Chapter and verse (and pics!) in Mike Brocken's excellent book, Liverpool City RLFC, Rugby League in a Football City.

 

Thanks mate, will see if I can find that book for sale. 

[Hopping Mad]

3 minutes ago, Eddie said:

Thanks mate, will see if I can find that book for sale. 

Available through Amazon...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Liverpool-City-RLFC-League-Football/dp/190365940X

[Hela Wigmen]

I’m sure Oxford moved on an athletics ground towards the end of their spell in League One. 

[Hopping Mad]

Just now, Hela Wigmen said:

I’m sure Oxford moved on an athletics ground towards the end of their spell in League One. 

Yes, it was Tilsley Park @ Abingdon.

[Eddie]

4 minutes ago, Hopping Mad said:

Available through Amazon...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Liverpool-City-RLFC-League-Football/dp/190365940X

Ordered. Probably a sad read though, much like the (superb) history of South Liverpool FC which is a great read for former fans but they were pretty much fighting for survival the whole time too. 

[Hopping Mad]

2 minutes ago, Eddie said:

Ordered. Probably a sad read though, much like the (superb) history of South Liverpool FC which is a great read for former fans but they were pretty much fighting for survival the whole time too. 

You'll enjoy it.

Now and again, during my time in Liverpool, I got along to Holly Park to watch 'The South'. Vandals did for them, too!

[Eddie]

1 minute ago, Hopping Mad said:

You'll enjoy it.

Now and again, during my time in Liverpool, I got along to Holly Park to watch 'The South'. Vandals did for them, too!

Yep very sad, I used to go there a fair bit when I was a kid. They reformed and are thriving again, down on Jericho Lane, would have applied for NW Counties at the end of last season if it wasn’t for Covid stopping promotion and relegation in non-league. 

[Clogiron]

White City, London staged speedway but many years after RL was played there and Speedway was staged at Thrum Hall too back in the 1920s, except it was around the adjacent Cricket Pitch. For a even more tenus link the Leeds Lions speedway club raced at Elland Road for a couple of spells in the 1930s when my Father raced with them. It was a different stadium called Fullerton Park on the site of the adjacent training pitches as were.

[Leyther_Matt]

4 minutes ago, Clogiron said:

White City, London staged speedway but many years after RL was played there and Speedway was staged at Thrum Hall too back in the 1920s, except it was around the adjacent Cricket Pitch. For a even more tenus link the Leeds Lions speedway club raced at Elland Road for a couple of spells in the 1930s when my Father raced with them. It was a different stadium called Fullerton Park on the site of the adjacent training pitches as were.

On the topic of Halifax, presumably there wasn't any crossover between speedway at The Shay and 'Fax moving in? Unless 'Fax played any random games there rather than Thrum Hall in years gone by?

[Clogiron]

20 minutes ago, Leyther_Matt said:

On the topic of Halifax, presumably there wasn't any crossover between speedway at The Shay and 'Fax moving in? Unless 'Fax played any random games there rather than Thrum Hall in years gone by?

That game V Widnes in 86 was moved because of trouble with the floodlights at Thrum Hall I think, the Dukes speedway team moved to Odsal which had been refurbished to hold the World Speedway Final in 86. Halifax Town were alleged to have put up the rent but the track no longer met the requirements to have a 3mt distance to any surrounding posts etc, the old style floodlight pylons were right up against the steel fence meaning narrow entries and exits from the bends and the cost to remove and replace them was beyond both clubs.

[Gooleboy]

Some corkers on here, I am sure the old Wembley has been mentioned, the only other one I can think of is Kinsley Greyhound Stadium where Kinsley Hotel Raiders played for a season or two in the Pennine League. 

[Bearman]

South Wales have had an athletic track round it. As has Hunslet.

[Impartial Observer]

Fulham played at Chiswick Poly which had a cinder running track around it, London Skolars & All Golds played at athletic stadiums

 

[Jeff Stein]

I think Wentworthville Magpies in Sydney where Lewis Jones captain coached may have played out of Wentworth Park greyhound stadium. I had a good night at the dogs there 15 years ago and between races could admire the goal posts

[Tattersfieldtreiziste]

Doncaster has  been mentioned earlier on, but they actually started life at Doncaster's York Road greyhound stadium in 1953 (before I was born!)

And on a vaguely related note, spectators at Coventry Bears Butts Park home were intrigued a couple of summers ago in the drought by some outlines of curves in the corners of the field. Former speedway? Dogs? No, it was the outline of a long gone velodrome.

[John Boriston]

Defo dogs at Blackpool Borough

[Gooleboy]

37 minutes ago, Impartial Observer said:

Fulham played at Chiswick Poly which had a cinder running track around it, London Skolars & All Golds played at athletic stadiums

 

Yes it did. I remember going there on the weekend of the big storm which Michael Fish failed to see coming. A long trip from Featherstone and we lost!

[paulwalker71]

New Hunslet at the old (now demolished) Elland Road Greyhound Stadium

Bradford Northern started out at the Greenfield Greyhound Stadium at Dudley Hill in Bradford (also used for 'trotting' at one time, and later for Speedway). It was 1907 so a bit before my time...

[Anita Bath]

4 hours ago, Hopping Mad said:

Are they the guys who travel with you?

Athletic Grounds (Rochdale), speedway and stock cars.

Copeland Athletics Stadium (Hensingham, Whitehaven), amateur RL only.

Doncaster have played - several times - at the athletics track next door to the Keepmoat. 

Doncaster Dragons had a couple of seasons at the Meadow Court (Stainforth) dog track.

Gateshead (x2) (International Stadium and Monkton Stadium, Jarrow), both athletics.

Goole (Victoria Pleasure Grounds, used for professional 'A' team games), athletics.

Halifax played at least once (v Widnes, 1985-86) at The Shay when the speedway track was in place.

Hunslet (x2) (ERGS, dogs and SLS, athletics).

London Broncos (Crystal Palace Athletics Stadium).

North Wales Crusaders (Queensway Stadium), athletics.

Oxford (Tilsley Park, Abingdon), athletics.

Sheffield Eagles (DVS), athletics.

Stanley Stadium, former home of Liverpool Stanley, had speedway and dog tracks.

Didn't Gloucestershire All Golds play at an athletics track (Prince of Wales, Cheltenham)?

Back in the mists, Newcastle played at Brough Park (speedway and dogs).

Can't think of many amateur clubs that have the misfortune to play at an athletics track. Latchford Albion?

Athletic grounds was a dog track until late 1960s. There had been speedway there before WW2 and speedway returned with stock cars in 1970.

[ATLANTISMAN]

Loving this thread thanks everyone for your contributions really enjoyable:)

I have another good one (Which I was going to post) however  think I will save it until Christmas (It will give us all something to do:)

Paul

[Hopping Mad]

2 hours ago, Clogiron said:

That game V Widnes in 86 was moved because of trouble with the floodlights at Thrum Hall I think, the Dukes speedway team moved to Odsal which had been refurbished to hold the World Speedway Final in 86. Halifax Town were alleged to have put up the rent but the track no longer met the requirements to have a 3mt distance to any surrounding posts etc, the old style floodlight pylons were right up against the steel fence meaning narrow entries and exits from the bends and the cost to remove and replace them was beyond both clubs.

Halifax were very keen to get mid-winter fixtures played, to avoid an end-of-season backlog (which helped scupper the chances of title rivals Wigan). Can't remember the reason for the Widnes game being played at The Shay (may well have been lights) but I do recall the Thrum Hallers switching a match to Headingley's heated pitch, again to get it out of the way.

Halifax Dukes were sub-tenants of the football club. When the Football League changed its rules, allowing home clubs to keep all the gate receipts from league games, Halifax Town were left seriously out of pocket. From that point, they drove progressively harder bargains with the speedway team. I remember talk of the speedway rent being put up (to £25,000?) shortly before the Dukes decamped to Odsal (and lost a thousand supporters overnight as a result).

[Clogiron]

3 hours ago, Jeff Stein said:

I think Wentworthville Magpies in Sydney where Lewis Jones captain coached may have played out of Wentworth Park greyhound stadium. I had a good night at the dogs there 15 years ago and between races could admire the goal posts

Eastern Suburbs as was, played at the Sydney Sportsgound also known as the speedway Royale which also staged speedway, which was part of the Showgrounds complex, both were pulled down when they built the Sydney Football Stadium in 86/87, now that's been pulled down so of the original 3  large arenas that stood next to each other only the cricket ground survives and the Fox studios complex occupies the site. Ariel pictures exsist of the three I'm sure.

[Poower Lad]

8 hours ago, ATLANTISMAN said:

Yes I know too much time on ones hands:) LOL

After the grounds visited I thought I would start this one (The dreaded stadium with a speedway/greyhound/athletics track around it:( YUK and dont we hate them.

OK I will kick this off (It has to be a visit to a RL match whilst the stadium was still being used for any of the above)

HULL KR x 2 (Old/New Craven Park) Speedway/Doggies

HULL FC (Boulevard/Speedway)

FULHAM x 2 (Crystal Palace) Athletics (Barnet) Athletics

WHITE CITY (Athletics)

BRADFORD NORTHERN (Speedway)

WEMBLEY (Old) Speedway/Doggies

X111 CATALAN (Athletics) (Gilbert Brutus)

AVIGNON (Athletics)

CARCASSONNE (Athletics)

VILLENEUVE SUR-LOT (Athletics)

ST GAUDENS (Athletics) (Stadium used for TV matches only)

CARPENTRAS (Athletics) (Stadium used for TV matches only)

TOULOUSE FC (Treize Tournai Final 1998) Athletics

X111 CATALAN (Football stadium) Athletics

ALBI (Athletics)

ROCDALE HORNETS (Speedway)

WORKINGTON TOWN (Speedway)

SHEFFIELD EAGLES (Owlerton) Doggies

CAHORS (Athletics)

KENT INVICTA (Maidstone) Doggies

BLACKPOOL BOROUGH (Cannot remember if it was speedway or dogies)

Stade Français France v England (Athletics)

Millenium (Cardiff) Speedway

Gateshead England v France (Athletics)

Nottingham (Harvey Hadden) Athletics

LONDON SKOLARS (Athletics)

ARGELES (France) UTC (Athletics)

Olympic Stadium (Barcelona) Athletics

 

 

I will rack my BRAINS out for a few more tonight:)

 

Paul

 

 

 

 

Why did Sheffield leave owlerton 

[eal]

We should combine RL games with hound racing, could be a good way to boost crowds.

[Oldbear]

7 hours ago, Gooleboy said:

Yes it did. I remember going there on the weekend of the big storm which Michael Fish failed to see coming. A long trip from Featherstone and we lost!

I went to almost all Fulham games that were played there, I don’t actually recall too many that were played in good weather, or is that my memory playing tricks again?