103-569: The Bradford Dukes were a British motorcycle speedway team which operated primarily from the Odsal Stadium in Odsal , Bradford until their closure in 1997. The Bradford speedway team previously raced at Odsal Stadium under various other names Odsal Boomerangs, Odsal Tudors, Bradford Tudors, Bradford Panthers, Bradford Northern, Bradford Barons and finally Bradford Dukes. During 1939, Bradford Northern Rugby league club's Harry Hornby and
206-425: A club house. The pits area and car park were in the corner at this end. It was considered a better stadium for speedway racing than Odsal at the time. With a crowd of two thousand people at Greenfield Stadium it produced an atmosphere whereas two thousand people at Odsal would hardly be noticeable. Finally on 15 August 1961, former promoter Johnnie Hoskins ceremonially opened the new track. Around 2,500 spectators saw
309-458: A crowd of 34,0000 at Odsal Stadium witnessed the Boomerangs lose to Belle Vue Aces . During the match promising Huddersfield born junior Albert 'Aussie' Rosenfeld, son of Albert Rosenfeld hit the fence and was taken to St Luke's Hospital, Bradford , with a suspected fractured skull. He died 10 days later, on 16 July 1946. This accident was followed a week later by a further crash which ended
412-478: A flat oval track usually consisting of dirt , loosely packed shale , or crushed rock (mostly used in Australia and New Zealand). Competitors use this surface to slide their machines sideways, powersliding or broadsiding into the bends. On the straight sections of the track, the motorcycles reach speeds of up to 70 miles per hour (110 km/h). There are now both domestic and international competitions in
515-426: A maximum length of 30 centimetres (12 in)) attached to the rider's right wrist." The high compression ratio of the engine can also assist in slowing down a machine; if the throttle is closed, the engine may stop. Riders can stop the bike by deliberately laying down the bike on the track, and this technique is used to avoid riders who fall in front of pursuing opponents. Before cut-outs were introduced, an engine
618-821: A number of countries, including the Speedway World Cup , whilst the highest overall scoring individual in the Speedway Grand Prix events is pronounced the world champion. Speedway is popular in Central and Northern Europe and to a lesser extent in Australia and North America. A variant of track racing , speedway is administered internationally by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Domestic speedway events are regulated by FIM-affiliated national motor sport federations . The early history of speedway race meetings
721-416: A record time of 59 seconds on a 342 metres (1,122 ft) track and produced an average speed of 83 km/h (51.86 mph). The speed on straight sections of the track reaches 110 km/h (70 mph) or more on longer tracks, but the limited speed on curves lowers the average. At the start of a race it takes between one and two seconds for the motorcycle to reach the "curve speed" (somewhat lower than
824-422: A rider with a scheduled ride may go out for double points, in which the riders points will be doubled if he beats a rider of the opposing team. Any rider taking a tactical substitute ride or double points ride is denoted by a black and white helmet colour as rather than one of the four usual coloured helmets. If that rider remains unbeaten by either opposition rider his scored points are doubled and also count towards
927-716: A second job, or amateurs. The United Kingdom has three main domestic leagues, the SGB Premiership , the SGB Championship , and the National League , as well as three 'junior' amateur leagues. It also has a youth championship. Speedway is one of the most popular sports in Poland and is governed by the Main Commission for Speedway Sport (Główna Komisja Sportu Żużlowego, GKSŻ) which is a part of
1030-426: A series of meetings over the space of a week in the summer. The final World Cup Champions were Poland in 2017. The Speedway World Pairs Championship was an annual speedway event held each year in different countries. Competing countries picked their top two riders to represent them (or in some cases, those who were available). The first competition was held in 1970 and the final competition was held in 1993. From 1994
1133-608: A smaller scale, competitions are also held in Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czechia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Ukraine and the United States. Some countries' top divisions feature highly paid star riders. In smaller countries and lower divisions, riders may be part-timers with
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#17327797964211236-484: A ten-year absence, when it was selected by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme to host the 1985 Speedway World Championship . Bradford Council were quick to seize on the prestige of being associated with a World event and approved £1 million project to refurbish the Odsal Stadium. A 40,000 crowd attended at the final. In March 1986, Odsal opened its doors to top league speedway ( British League ) for
1339-540: A two leg play off and would also win the National Trophy to crown a superb double. Ahead of the 2017 season owner Tony Mole announced that he will be walking away from the sport after the 2017 season, after 31 years promoting in the sport. The Birmingham Brummies had their future secured when they were bought by David and Peter Mason toward the end of the 2017 season. The team moved up to the SGB Championship (2nd tier) in 2019. On 7 December 2021, an announcement
1442-481: Is a subject of much debate and controversy. There is evidence to show that meetings were held on small dirt tracks in Australia and the United States before World War I . On 13 November 1905 motorcycle racing was held at the Newcastle NSW Rugby Ground, a distance of approximately 440 yards. American rider Don Johns was known to have used broadsiding before 1914. It was said that he would ride
1545-493: Is argued that they are easier to handle. As speedway bikes do not use brakes , the clutch is used as a release mechanism at the start of races. FIM regulations state that the motorcycles must have no brakes , are fueled by pure methanol , use only one gear and weigh a minimum of 77 kilograms (170 lb). By using engine and rear wheel sprockets the gear ratio can be adjusted as required for track conditions. The use of methanol allows for an increased compression ratio to
1648-399: Is divided into a grid of four equal parts and the riders from each team must take their place in alternate grids or "gates". The colours also denote starting positions in individual events; Red is the inside gate (gate 1), blue starts from gate 2, white starts from gate 3 and yellow/black starts on the outside (gate 4). When an event dictates that there is a fifth rider at the start line, gate 3
1751-504: Is halfway along one of the two straight sections of the track. Starting gates are simple spring-loaded mechanisms that raise two or three strands of tape to start the race. The FIM regulations require licensed tracks to provide a garage or pit area for motorcycles as well as medical and press facilities. Track boundaries are marked by white lines or barriers on the inside and outside the track, any rider who crosses this boundary with both wheels will be disqualified unless they only did so in
1854-509: Is known as a tape infringement and can result in a false start being recorded and the rider penalised (disqualified, or in league matches in Great Britain, a 15-metre penalty or replace the disqualified rider with a team reserve). The race is started with the raising of the start tape mechanism operated by the match referee and the riders must proceed around the track in an anti-clockwise direction without both wheels illegally leaving
1957-472: Is measured at a distance of 1 metre (3.3 ft) from the inner boundary. Tracks may be banked, but the gradient must under no circumstances exceed 5% in the straight, 10% in the bends, and must remain constant and grow from the inner edge to the safety fence. A white start line is marked across the track approximately mid-way along one of the straights. The starting area is also divided into four equal parts (known as gates) by white lines marked at right angles to
2060-428: Is moved to the centre with a green helmet colour, and white and yellow (or yellow/black) take gates 4 and 5 respectively. Riders must be able to get their bikes to the start line under their own power, without any external assistance and not by pushing the machine, then line up in parallel. A rider who is not at the start line within a reasonable period of time is also liable to be disqualified, although league matches in
2163-427: Is scheduled to ride four or five times. The team with the most points at the end of the meeting is the winner. Most league seasons end with play-offs – a series of meetings between the highest finishing teams to determine a league champion. The champions may be promoted to a higher division and the team finishing at the bottom are in some countries relegated to a lower division. The majority of countries supplement
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#17327797964212266-967: Is the current (2019) World Champion. The annual British Grand Prix is currently held at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff , Wales. Scoring in Grand Prix events changed in 2005 with riders scoring 3–2–1–0 in their races and these points being carried forward to decide the winner of each Grand Prix. At the end of the series the highest scorer becomes the world champion. World Speedway Champions include Ivan Mauger (six-time World Champion), fellow New Zealander Barry Briggs (four times), Ole Olsen (three times), Ove Fundin (five times), Lionel Van Praag (inaugural World Champion in 1936), Hans Nielsen (nicknamed "The Professor", four-time World Champion), Tony Rickardsson (six times), Erik Gundersen and Jason Crump , both three-time World Champions, and
2369-934: The Birmingham Brummies withdrew from the National League as a result of internal speedway politics, Clarke and Mason took over their remaining fixtures riding as the Bradford (the Odsal name was dropped) Tudors. In 1960 the Provincial League was formed and Jesse Halliday of the Bradford Speedway and Sports Promotions applied to the Speedway Control Board for a team called the Panthers to race at Odsal. The season
2472-465: The Elite League , 11 points clear at the top of the table. Despite becoming British champions for the first time the club closed after the 1997 season due to financial losses incurred by promoters Bobby and Allan Ham, which was soon followed by news of a potential redevelopment of Odsal. In 2013 businessman Tony Mole successfully applied for planning permission to again use Odsal for speedway, with
2575-940: The Polish Motor Union Polski Związek Motorowy (PZM). The PZM is a member of the FIM and the Union Européenne de Motocyclisme (UEM). The Polish Extraleague has the highest average attendances for any sport in Poland. The first speedway meetings in Poland were held in the 1930s and league racing began in 1948. There are three championships in Poland: individual (IMP), pairs (MPPK) and team (the DMP consisting of three leagues). The Junior under-21 championships also has three competitions: individual (MIMP), pairs (MMPPK) and team (MDMP). There are three leagues: Extraleague , First League and Second League . In
2678-483: The Sheffield Tigers defeat the Panthers 47-30 in a challenge match. The Panthers club colours of blue and yellow were not seen under the new floodlights until late in the season as the commissioning was delayed. Meetings had to begin in the early evening and as a result attendances suffered and promoter Jess Halliday left the club at the end of the 1961 season. In 1962, Mike Parker and Eddie Glennon took over
2781-574: The Southern League in 1929. The team have twice finished runner-up in the highest tier of British speedway, during the 1952 Speedway National League and 2013 Elite League speedway season . After four years in the National League, in 2019 they moved up to the second tier of British speedway in the SGB Championship . The city of Birmingham had two teams in the Southern League of the inaugural season of British speedway in 1929 . One
2884-753: The Under-21 Individual World Championship . In total, seven Polish riders have been World Champions at Under-21 level. Speedway in Sweden is governed by the Swedish Motorcycle and Snowmobile Federation (SVEMO) . The first Swedish speedway league was founded in 1948 and copied the British format of league racing, including adopting the Swedish version of several British teams nicknames. The Elite League ( Elitserien )
2987-694: The 1928–1929 season at the Melbourne Exhibition Speedway , Australian Colin Stewart won the prestigious Silver Gauntlet, which required the rider to win the feature race 10 times in one season. He won it 12 times. He also achieved success at an international level, racing for Southampton Saints in 1929 and captained Glasgow in the Northern League in 1930 before moving to Wembley Lions in 1931, for whom he rode in just four matches, averaging 4.00 points per match. He also raced in
3090-676: The 1930 Scottish Championship which was won by Wembley Lions' Harry Whitfield . The forerunner of the World Championship, the Star Riders' Championship , was inaugurated in Great Britain in 1929, but was split into two sections, as it was felt that the British riders were not yet the equal of the Australians and Americans. Frank Arthur won the Overseas Section and Roger Frogley the British. The following year
3193-497: The 1930s, with the official World Championship first held in 1936 . The present FIM Speedway Grand Prix (SGP) championship organised by Speedway Grand Prix (Discovery Sports Events since 2015) has taken place since 1995. The SGP uses a scoring system based on each riders overall final position. The rider who has gained the most points at the end of the tournament is declared the World Champion . Polish rider Bartosz Zmarzlik
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3296-508: The 1974 season, when they would be known as the Barons. The team achieved a second place finish during the 1971 British League Division Two season , which was their best to date, with Alan Knapkin recording a 10.17 season average. Alan Knapkin took over the team for the 1974 season but on 17 July 1974 it was announced that the promoting rights had been sold again, this time to Shipley newsagent and long time Bradford speedway fan Jim Streets. At
3399-719: The 2022 season, the Extraleague and First League had eight teams competing and the Second League had seven teams. The GKSŻ organizes the Golden Helmet (Jerzy Szczakiel Memorial), Silver Helmet (Under-21) and Bronze Helmet (Under-19) competitions. Individual meetings such as the Criterium of Polish Speedway League Aces – Mieczysław Połukard Memorial , Alfred Smoczyk Memorial , Edward Jancarz Memorial, Jerzy Szczakiel Memorial and Individual international championship of
3502-583: The Allsvenskan, the top four teams at the end of each season ride in the play-offs in semi-finals and a final. The Allsvenskan Division One is the third tier of Swedish speedway with seven teams. The team finishing the season in first place are champions and can apply for promotion to the Allsvenskan, subject to having suitable facilities and sufficient finances. Other competitions include the Swedish Individual Championship and
3605-578: The August of the 1957 Speedway National League season, when they withdrew and were replaced by the Bradford Tudors . The promoter Leslie Marshall quoted financial issues and decreasing attendances and the ban of two riders Ron Mountford and Eric Boothroyd for riding in South Africa. The Brummies reopened at Perry Barr for the 1971 British League Division Two season . In 1974 and 1975,
3708-440: The Barons had defeated Stoke and Mildenhall in a double header on 1 October it was announced that speedway would not take place at Odsal in 1976. However, Jim Streets did not give up without a fight and attempted unsuccessfully to introduce speedway at the former home of Bradford (Park Avenue) Football Club. Noise tests and team line up plans were made but eventually he was forced to withdraw. Speedway returned to Odsal in 1985 after
3811-627: The Ekstraliga named after Zenon Plech are also popular. The Polish National team are the final champions of the now-defunct Speedway World Cup , having won the competition eight times in all. Poland has produced three Individual World Champions , Jerzy Szczakiel in 1973, Tomasz Gollob in 2010 and Bartosz Zmarzlik in 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023 and 2024. The Polish junior team won the Under-21 World Championship in 2005 and 2006 and since 2003 four Polish juniors have won
3914-497: The FIM occasionally sanctions the use of stadiums that install temporary tracks such as the British Grand Prix held at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff . Speedway uses a unique type of motorcycle, governed by the FIM's "Track Racing Technical Rules". In the past, bikes with upright engines were used (the name taken from the way the engine sits in the frame), but today most professional riders use laydown bikes as it
4017-561: The Secretary of Newcastle Speedway Ltd. The Newcastle Herald reports the Grand Opening on 14 November 1925 attracted an audience of 42,000 at that time it was approximately one-third of Newcastle's entire population. After Maitland, Newcastle Showground is the second oldest Motorcycle Speedway track in the world. However, its first recorded motorcycle race was much earlier in 1908. The first Australian Motorcycle Speedway Championship
4120-673: The Swedish Junior Individual Championship. The Swedish Individual Championship is contested by 18 riders in a Grand Prix format with 20 heats. The Junior Individual Championship is for riders aged twenty-one years and under. Speedway in Denmark is administered by Danmarks Motor Union (DMU) . The sport was introduced into Denmark in the 1930s but it didn't boom until the 1970s. Notable Danish speedway riders today include – Nicki Pedersen, Bjarne Pedersen and Hans Nørgaard Andersen. Former rider, Ole Olsen won
4223-524: The UK allow teams to elect to start the disqualified rider fifteen metres back from the tapes or replace the disqualified rider with a team reserve. This period of time is standardised to two minutes from a time determined by the match referee and usually indicated by a bell, a rotating orange lamp or a digital clock readout. All riders must be at the tapes under their own power before the two minutes have elapsed. Additional time between races will be allowed by, and at
Bradford Dukes - Misplaced Pages Continue
4326-463: The World Championship three times and his success helped popularise the sport in Denmark. Since retiring Olsen has become an FIM Speedway Grand Prix race director. A popular Danish rider in the 1960s was Arne Pander, and in the 1980s Erik Gundersen, Jan O Pedersen and Hans Nielsen (who was also an active racer through the 1990s). Birmingham Brummies Birmingham Brummies are a British speedway team founded in 1928. They were inaugural members of
4429-657: The World Pairs was merged with the World Team Cup. As of 2018, a new pairs championship, the Speedway of Nations , has now replaced the Speedway World Cup on the sport's calendar. Most European countries run their own domestic speedway leagues. The FIM affiliated governing bodies in each country operate league systems , normally comprising several divisions , in which the teams gain points throughout
4532-405: The average), which is roughly estimated to be the equivalent of 2.5 to 3 seconds to reach 100 kilometres per hour (62 mph) (or 0 to 60 mph ). The start of the race is an important aspect of the race overall. "Gating" correctly can help a rider gain an initial advantage over other riders but speed advantages can be made as a race progresses. Those riders willing to take a risk and opt for finding
4635-473: The board of directors by Bruce Booth, Hornby’s nephew, and Eric Langton , the former Belle Vue rider who finished runner up in the first world championship in 1936. On 1 July 1950 in the league match against the West Ham Hammers , 48-year-old veteran rider Joe Abbott fell in his second race and was hit by a following rider and was instantly killed. The riders and promoters decided to carry on with
4738-462: The career of the veteran rider Colin Watson . It resulted in the sports governing body, the Speedway Control Board, issuing an ultimatum that the Odsal track shape be changed or its licence would be withdrawn. This resulted in the square corners disappearing and a more typical oval shape emerging. The post war period was a boom time for speedway, and other sports, as fans flocked to stadiums throughout
4841-509: The club and is now a member of the club's Hall of Fame. The club when re founded was sponsored by Richard Meredith of Mercom Water Products. Birmingham were accepted into the Elite League for 2011 and finished their first season in ninth place out of ten. Ahead of their second season in the top flight they retained the services of the previous season's star performers Danny King and Ben Barker as well as adding Speedway Grand Prix star Bjarne Pedersen . Although Pedersen's time at Birmingham
4944-581: The club gained silverware, winning the league and KO Cup double in 1974 and then successfully defending their league title in 1975 . The 1974 team included Phil Herne and Arthur Browning who both recorded season averages above 10 and finished first and third respectively in the league averages. They were strongly supported by John Hart and George Major . The team lost Herne to Newport in 1975 but Birmingham still managed to successfully defend their title with Alan Grahame improving his average significantly. It would be their greatest period of success at
5047-469: The country. Crowds of over 20,000 were regular at Odsal, the average in 1946 being 31,000, the high point was the 47,050 who saw England defeat Australia 65-43 on 5 July 1947, a figure that remains the highest crowd for a speedway meeting at Odsal. At the end of the 1948 season, Odsal finished bottom of the league and Johnnie Hoskins resigned, due to his speedway interests in Scotland. Hoskins was replaced on
5150-402: The discretion of, the referee if a rider has two consecutive rides, to allow the rider time to prepare. A starting gate consisting of two or more tapes is erected across the start line. The riders must situate themselves not more than 10 centimetres (3.9 in) from this and not touch it once the green light comes on, they must also remain stationary until the tapes are raised. Failure to do so
5253-508: The end of the season the team once again finished in 7th position. In 1975 the New National League (formerly division 2) was formed but crowd levels continued to fall, especially following the introduction of stock cars and the resulting damage to the track. Even the return of Alan Knapkin to the team on 25 June didn't improve the situation as the team finished in 11th position. It was therefore of little surprise that shortly after
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#17327797964215356-424: The engine producing more power than other fuels and resulting in higher speeds (approximately 130 kilometres per hour (81 mph) when cornering). Machines used must: Machines used cannot: In addition, all motorcycles must have a safety cut-out device fitted; this is defined as a switch that "must cut off the circuit of the electrical supply by the simple action of pulling a lanyard or a non-elastic string (with
5459-405: The entire race course wide open, throwing great showers of dirt into the air at each turn. By the early 1920s, Johns' style of cornering was followed in the United States, where it was called Short Track Racing, by riders such as Albert "Shrimp" Burns, Maldwyn "Floppy" Jones and Eddie Brinck. Motorcycle Speedway can be traced back to the early 1920s. One track that staged speedway, amongst others,
5562-676: The event of a tie, the race is commonly awarded as a dead heat . If it is a tie for first place, they will both receive two points. A tie for second place earns each rider one point while a joint-last finish earns each rider zero points. Teams can use a tactical substitute rule once in a meeting. If that team is eight (six in World Cup) or more points in arrears, they may bring in the use of a different rider in their team lineup, to race in any heat except for heat 15. This may be different in World cup or event racing. If they are ten or more points behind,
5665-654: The exception of Alan Grahame and Birmingham's last season at the old perry Barr Stadium ended with a 9th place finish. The stadium closed for good by the Spring of 1984 and the Brummies were left without a home. A home was found at the Wheels Project in Bordesley Green in 1985 and the team raced for two seasons in the National League before closing after at the end of the 1986 season. The last home fixture
5768-422: The extra riders safely. Speedway operates a sliding scale for scoring (known as the 3–2–1–0 method). Three points are scored for first place, two points for second place and one point for third place. A rider does not score when finishing fourth, or failing to finish, or if excluded from a race. These points accumulate over the competition, with riders points either counting towards individual or team placings. In
5871-534: The final, losing out on aggregate 104-79 to the Poole Pirates, who were inspired by Greg Hancock . Despite the success of the 2013 season there were regular reports of turmoil behind the scenes at the club, and at the end of the season team manager Phil Morris walked away from the club. The off season was a difficult time for the club, with captain Danny King handing in a transfer request, although he
5974-463: The first of the next month. These CMA's are used in most professional leagues and are altered or weighted depending on the league the rider gained the CMA in. A rider that has no recorded average will receive an indicative CMA for the start of the season that is assessed on their prior experience in the sport. An international individual speedway championship has taken various forms since its beginnings in
6077-506: The first time since the 1950s after the Halifax Dukes were offered a new home track. The new 'Bradford Dukes' team included Kenny Carter and two leading prospects Gary Havelock and Neil Evitts but the team finished 7th in the league during a season marred by the murder-suicide committed by leading rider Kenny Carter. The Dukes enjoyed their best season to date in 1991, when they finished runner-up behind Wolverhampton Wolves in
6180-628: The grippy parts of the track rather than the race line, are sometimes rewarded with extra speed allowing them to pass other riders either on the outside or the inside. Tracks used for professional speedway racing are regulated by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) who provide rules concerning construction, size and safety requirements. Speedway racing takes place on a level oval track consisting of two straights joined by two semicircles. Tracks must be between 260 and 425 metres (853 and 1394 ft) in length, this
6283-407: The interest of safety or were forced to by another competitor. The track surface consists of four layers of grading . The topmost of which must be of shale , granite , brick granules or other loose material of which no individual piece can be over 7 millimetres (0.28 in) in size. Competitors use this surface to slide their machines sideways (powersliding or broadsiding ) into the bends using
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#17327797964216386-737: The largest crowd of the season saw a rare Bradford victory. It did not stop the Panthers folding soon after. In June 1970, halfway through the Division Two season, promoters Les Whaley, Mike Parker and Bill Bridgett moved the Nelson Admirals team across the Pennines to resurrect speedway to Bradford as the Bradford Northern speedway team. The team spent four years in the Division Two before changing name yet again for
6489-571: The league and won the Knockout Cup for the first major trophy in their history. Multi- British Champion Simon Wigg and Gary Havelock were instrumental during the season. The following season in 1992, Havelock became Speedway World Champion whilst a Bradford rider The 1992 season also saw a repeat of a second place finish in the league and a second Knockout Cup success. Kelvin Tatum (a double British champion) assisted Wigg an Havelock throughout
6592-560: The league system with one or more cup competitions. These are organised on a knock-out basis, the winner of each match proceeding to the next round and the loser taking no further part in the competition. The major speedway nations in Europe are the United Kingdom, Sweden, Poland and Denmark. These countries run a number of leagues and have regular fixtures throughout the traditional speedway season that runs from March to October. On
6695-503: The local MP H Hepworth investigated the possibility of introducing speedway racing in Odsal, but the outbreak of World War II put an end to their plans. However, in 1945 Hornby joined together with Johnnie Hoskins , to reactive the plans and on 23 June 1945 before a crowd of over 20,000 the Lord Mayor, Alderman Cecil Barnett, officially opened the track. The first season was a series of open and challenge meetings before league racing
6798-407: The meeting, as they believed Joe would have wished it. Fans left Odsal unaware that Joe, nicknamed the Ironman, had died. On the same night at Odsal's sister track The Shay , the Halifax Dukes , were riding at Norwich and Jock Sheard, born in the same Burnley street as Abbott, crashed in his second race and was killed. At the end of July 1950 the team changed its nickname to the Tudors. At the time it
6901-457: The new era, the Alan Hunt Memorial, took place on 21 March 2007 at Perry Barr Stadium . In a successful first season the team finished in second place in the league table, and runner-up in both the Premier Trophy and the Young Shield, despite having only two members of their own team actually fit to ride. During the majority of their time in the Premier League they were captained by Australian Jason Lyons who went on to become extremely popular at
7004-443: The now-closed 520 metres (570 yd) Claremont Speedway in Perth and the 509 metres (557 yd) Sydney Showground , to smaller, purpose-built 300 metres (330 yd) long motorcycle tracks, such as Gillman Speedway in Adelaide and Mildura 's Olympic Park . Each track is between 260 and 425 metres long and it takes approximately one minute to complete four laps. For example, 10 time Australian Champion Leigh Adams set
7107-435: The old Perry Barr stadium and resulted in the team moving to the top division for 1976 . The first five seasons in the division were a struggle, with a best place finish of 14th. In 1981, Birmingham signned a Dane called Hans Nielsen from Wolves. He helped the team improve to 6th place and a cup final before repeating the 6th place finish again in 1982. Despite Nielsen topping the 1983 league averages, he lacked support with
7210-420: The passenger ship Oronsay to introduce Speedway Solo motorcycle racing to England. The first meeting in the United Kingdom took place at High Beech on 19 February 1928. There are, however, claims that meetings were held in 1927 at Camberley , Surrey and Droylsden , Lancashire. Despite being described as "the first British Dirt Track meeting" at the time, the meeting at Camberley on 7 May 1927 differed in that
7313-459: The possibility of racing returning in 2014 with the Bradford and Halifax Dukes. However, the return did not materialise. Motorcycle speedway Motorcycle speedway , usually referred to simply as speedway , is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. The motorcycles are specialist machines that use only one gear and have no brakes . Racing takes place on
7416-418: The purposes of choosing which riders to enter for each race. At the start of a season, a rider retains their last recorded CMA (or assessed CMA if they have never previously established one) until they have competed in six home and six away matches. A new CMA is then issued that comes into effect seven days later. These are subsequently updated on the 15th of every month from May onwards, and come into effect on
7519-543: The races were held in a clockwise direction. Races at Droylsden were held in an anti-clockwise direction, but it is generally accepted that the sport arrived in the United Kingdom when Australians Billy Galloway and Keith McKay arrived with the intention of introducing speedway to the Northern Hemisphere . Both featured in the 1928 High Beech meeting. The first speedway meeting in the UK to feature bikes with no brakes and broadsiding round corners on loose dirt
7622-481: The rear wheel to scrub-off speed while still providing the drive to power the bike forward and around the bend. The skill of speedway lies in the overall ability of the rider to control his motorcycle when cornering and thus avoid losing places through deceleration . The use of asphalt , concrete and tarmac for any layer is prohibited. The top layer must be levelled or "graded" at intervals during an event by tractors towing specially adapted rakes to evenly re-distribute
7725-485: The reins and tried to spark some life into what was by now clearly a desperate situation. The Panthers first meeting of the new season was a 44-52 loss to the Poole Pirates , it set the trend, a mere five of 24 meetings resulted in a Bradford victory. Fixed firmly to the bottom of the league the last meeting at Greenfield Stadium was a double header against Sheffield and Leicester on Tuesday 9 October 1962. Ironically
7828-580: The rest of the fence through blow-off valves or restriction ports connected to the other sections. They are mandatory for tracks in the British Elite League , Polish Ekstraliga , Speedway Grand Prix and Speedway World Cup . Neutral zones outside the track provide safe run-off areas for riders and their machinery to minimise the potential risk of injury to spectators. The majority of tracks are dedicated to speedway or other sports such as sidecar speedway and banger racing . For larger events,
7931-467: The rider's calculated match average (CMA). The sport produces Calculated Match Averages (CMAs or averages) for every rider, these are calculated from the following: CMAs scale from 3.00 to 12.00, any rider scoring above or below this range of values will be awarded the maximum or minimum respectively. These averages are used in leagues such as the Premiership in the UK to identify heat-leaders for
8034-447: The season depending on results. Teams are placed into tables , placing them in order according to points accrued. Most commonly, each team races every other team in its league at home and away in each season, in a round-robin tournament . Meetings traditionally consist of two teams riding against each other with four riders in each race with two home team riders and two away team riders. Meetings usually feature fifteen heats and each rider
8137-405: The season was marred by the death of their Canadian rider Charlie Appleby in a crash at Brough Park. The Brummies continued to race and experienced success in 1948, when they won the division 2 National Trophy , during the 1948 season . In 1949 they competed in the highest league for the first time and in 1952 finished runner-up to Wembley Lions . Birmingham raced in the top division until
8240-526: The season. In 1993 Bradford lost Wigg to Coventry but brought in Jimmy Nilsen and achieved a third consecutive Knockout Cup title win. Two years later during the merged Premier League, the Dukes won another Knockout Cup and finished league runner-up for the third time. Going into the 1997 season the Dukes signed Mark Loram to support number 1 rider Joe Screen and Gary Havelock. The team finally won
8343-488: The sports first two-time champion Jack Young who won in 1951 & 1952. Currently, no world team championship is contested for senior riders. The first such championship was the Speedway World Team Cup , which was contested annually from 1960 to 2000. It was replaced by the Speedway World Cup , another annual event, in 2001. Both competitions featured teams from the major speedway countries, usually in
8446-439: The start line and extending back at least 1 metre (3.3 ft). Additional rules govern the placement of warning systems such as lights and also the construction of the starting mechanism. The minimum track width is 10 metres (33 ft) on the straights and the bends must be at least 14 metres (46 ft) wide. The minimum widths give each rider adequate space to safely navigate the track. The start line and starting gate assembly
8549-428: The surface. Tracks are watered before and, if needed, during meetings to prevent the surface becoming too dry and to protect the public and the riders from dust. Safety requirements include the use of suspended wire fences, air fences and wooden fences. Air fences are made up of inflated panels installed on the bends. The fence is designed to dissipate energy by allowing an impacted area to compress and transfer air into
8652-450: The track boundaries. Once a race is under way, no rider can receive outside assistance, including push-starts , from others. Historically, pushers were allowed at the start of the race. A white line at the 30-metre mark used to designate the extent to which a push was allowed but due to safety concerns, assistance is now illegal. Occasionally races can consist of up to six riders but this is rare as most tracks are too narrow to accommodate
8755-418: The two sections were amalgamated and Vic Huxley proved to be the winner. Huxley was also runner-up three times and won the first British Match Race championship in 1931. Speedway racing typically took place on purpose-built tracks, although in Australia bikes shared larger speedways with Sprintcars , Speedcars (Midgets) and saloons, with tracks traditionally ranging from 1/3-mile showground tracks, such as
8858-430: The world. In 1926 Johnnie Hoskins took his Speedway show to Sydney's Royal Showground. A very wet Sydney summer nearly sent Hoskins broke, so he took the show on the road to Perth, where one good season made him wealthy again. He and his riders decided to take the show to England, as the word had spread about this exciting sport. 14 April 1928, Johnnie Hoskins, 13 Australian Riders and their motorcycles sailed from Perth on
8961-497: Was Arthur Forrest , a local rider who was the product of the Monday night training school, finished third in the 1956 world final. With the decreasing attendances it was not a surprise that at the end of the 1956 season that it was announced that league racing would not be staged at Odsal in 1957. In 1957 former riders Oliver Hart , Ron Clarke and Ron Mason took over as promoters and staged a number of open meetings and when in August,
9064-599: Was a huge success and its promoter was New Zealand-born John S. Hoskins. These pioneers introduced the Speedway signatures of No Left Footpeg and the Steel Shoe, ironically fashioned from worn coal shovels, manufactured in this Steel region. Following the success of Maitland, Speedway meetings were conducted at Newcastle Showground in 1924. These events were very successful and led to the construction of Newcastle Speedway off Darling Street, Hamilton. Johnnie Hoskins became
9167-553: Was an unhappy one the team made a big improvement on their first season in the Elite League, finishing in 3rd place and achieving a spot in the play-offs. The 2013 season was filled with success, with the Brummies finishing in first place in the Elite League and achieving a place in the Elite League Grand Final. However, despite being led by Jason Doyle and Chris Harris , they found themselves outclassed in
9270-566: Was at the West Maitland Showground, whose first speedway meeting was staged on 15 December 1923. This track had a motorcycle riding entrepreneur as its Secretary and his personal account has him inviting his friends and their associates to do a few laps one Sunday morning, the noise attracted the attention of the Showground committee and approval to race at the "Electric Light Festival" was won. Motorcycle racing under lights
9373-424: Was based at the (old Perry Barr stadium) and the other was based at Hall Green Stadium . The Perry Barr based team withdrew from the 1930 league season and had their results expunged. The Hall Green team, known as Birmingham Bulldogs fared a little better but closed in 1938. Birmingham first raced league speedway as the Brummies during the 1946 Speedway Northern League , finishing in a respectable 4th place, but
9476-431: Was disastrous, with the Panthers finishing bottom of the 1960 Provincial Speedway League with only two points. The following season in 1961, the Panthers moved to Greenfield Stadium , partly due to issues over removing the corners of the rugby pitch at Odsal on race days. Speedway did not return to Odsal for a decade. The Panthers moved to Greenfield Stadium in 1961, a popular greyhound racing venue. The opening meeting
9579-543: Was established in 1982 and has ten teams. At the end of each season the top four teams ride in the play-offs in semi-finals and a final and the winner of the final are the Elitserien champions. The team finishing bottom of the league are relegated to the National league (Allsvenskan). The Allsvenskan has seven teams and before the introduction of the Elitserien in 1982 was the top flight speedway league in Sweden. As with
9682-408: Was held at Newcastle Showground in 1926. Ironically it was won by American rider Cec Brown. Visiting English and American racers were common, for they were highly paid showmen, often winning a year's salary in just one night. It was very successful, so Newcastle Showground held the championship again in 1927. Very fitting that Newcastle Showground held the first National Speedway Championship anywhere in
9785-494: Was introduced in 1946, with the new team called the Odsal Boomerangs (because of the sport's Australian roots). The Boomerangs competed in the six strong National League (the highest league). All tracks, with the exception of Odsal, had staged speedway in the pre-war years. Odsal featured on 2 April 1946 in the first post war league meeting, when they won 45-39 at Wimbledon. The first season was marred when on 6 July 1946,
9888-489: Was later convinced to stay. Once the season began the troubles only intensified, and on 14 July 2014 it was announced that the club would cease to operate. The team was taken over later that year by Tony Mole and entered into the National League (the third tier) for 2015. Under the stewardship of Mole and Drury, the Brummies would crown a superb season back on track by winning the National League title. The Brummies defended their National League title in 2016, beating Eastbourne in
9991-421: Was made that Nigel Tolley would purchase the club from outgoing owners David and Peter Mason, which ensured the Brummies would continue racing in 2022. On 17 November 2023, it was announced that the Brummies would return to the top-flight for the first time in a decade joining the 2024 Premiership season. Nigel Tolley revealed the decision was made as Perry Barr would only be available for Monday night racing making
10094-547: Was on 26 September 1986. Although Birmingham did win trophies during their initial spell in Speedway these achievements were often dwarfed by the success of fellow West Midlands Speedway teams, the Wolverhampton Wolves , Coventry Bees and Cradley Heathens . After twenty years away from the sport Birmingham were reformed in 2006 and then accepted into the Premier League in 2007. The first meeting of
10197-546: Was quite small but had held a crowd of 20,000 at one time. The main stand on the School Street side opposite the starting gate had no seating and was covered terracing only. The back straight on the Cutler Heights side had another area of covered terracing. At one end was a huge tote board with no terracing and at the other end the concourse was built up slightly overlooking the dog track with betting windows and
10300-473: Was said that the name change was due to the riders hating the Boomerang nickname, or maybe they believed that a change of name would herald a change of fortune following the events of 1 July. Sheet music exists for a song - Boom Boom Boomerangs - written especially for the speedway team. The Tudors of 1951 repeated the feat of the Boomerangs of 1948 and finished bottom of the National League . One bright spot
10403-403: Was scheduled for 17 July 1961, but due to heavy flooding, construction of the speedway track inside the greyhound track had been delayed. The contractors commenced work on 18 June, with 900 tons of earth removed and a base of 400 tons of clinker laid, with 240 tons of track dressing finishing the works. As the works overran, the Bradford riders were loaned to Middlesbrough and Newcastle. The stadium
10506-549: Was stopped in an emergency situation by removing the plug lead from the spark plug or shutting off the fuel supply. Races (known as heats) consist of four riders racing over four laps from a standing start . Riders wear different coloured helmets, traditionally in team events red and blue denote home team riders, and white (in British speedway, green has previously been used as an alternative to white, apparently for early interactive TV) and yellow/black quartered colours (latterly plain yellow) denote visiting riders. The starting area
10609-600: Was the third meeting held at High Beech on 9 April 1928, where Colin Watson , Alf Medcalf and "Digger" Pugh demonstrated the art for the first time in the UK. Proto speedway was staged in Glasgow at the Olympic Stadium (Glasgow Nelson) on 9 April 1928 and the first fully professional meeting was staged at Celtic Park on 28 April 1928. The first meeting in Wales was staged at Cardiff White City on Boxing Day 1928. In
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