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| Tamworth Speedway 1 |
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Tamworth has had speedway at 3 venues, this page concerns itself with
1. Deer Park, Watling Street, Fazeley, Staffs which saw action between 1947-1950. The other two Tamworth venues were at: -
2. Mile Oak Speedway, Sutton Rd, Mile Oak, Tamworth, Staffs 1932-1934 and
3. Tamworth Speedway, Fazeley Rd, Tamworth Staffs 1932-1933.
I do not have any items yet from venue 3 (send me an email if you can help)John |
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| Tamworth Badges |
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| Roger's Recollections |
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Roger Squires says: Hi. Our family lived in Polesworth until 1947 ( I was 7 years old then and we left for Nuneaton).
A schoolfriend’s father (Mr Arnold) took us in his car (I would say four or five times, maybe more) to see the local team, Tamworth; I don’tthink we drove far, but am not sure where the track was (Mile Oak?). It was exciting marking the scheduled results on the program sheet and adding up the points. It must have been before Deer Park, Fazeley, so we missed George Formby. We did not miss the local hero Split Waterman, who always seemed to win. I learn from other sites that he was one of the best riders in the world, though I didn’t know this at the time, but would have believed it. He is not in the programmes/photos after 1947 and earlier programmes are hard to find. Did he retire – or transfer to bigger teams?
“Steve Langton” and “Arthur Payne” ring some bells, but it may be that they were BSA riders, where my aunt was the industrial matron, so I got some news from there. I haven’t followed Speedway since, but a whiff of burnt rubber and methanol takes me back to post-war 1945-6 when the sport was in its heyday. There weren’t many cameras then, at least not in Tamworth, but I did find an Australian film about Waterman breaking into the sport. Amazing – I never imagined I would see him sliding around the track again. We used to race – in ranks of four, of course – around the Polesworth village school playground, a site which. I’m glad to say, has survived pretty much as it was.
Thanks for putting up your website. Sorry I have no old photos or programs to contribute. Roger Squires, St Andrews, Fife. 6 Mar 2018. |
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Roger Squires Says: Tamworth & Split Waterman - A Memory Illusion? |
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| John says: Roger may be correct and Split (Arse) Waterman may have ridden at Tamworth. Hopefully someone will see this item and tell me if he did ride at Tamworth, so if you can settle this matter please send me an emailJohn |
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| Why Deer Park Will Never Hear The Bikes Again |
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| Memories |
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| found your site and have been looking through a lot of the old stadium photos. Some of them are quite sad to see but bring back some good memories. |
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| John says: It will always be worth visiting my website periodically as the content is being added to all of the time. Wish someone would pay me for this! |
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Tamworth Team1947 |
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Brian Bott says: Photo taken by my father George W Bott and the originals are all in my collection.
Team 1947: Back row ?, Charlie Oates, Ted Gibson, Cyril Page, "Westy", Steve Langton, Bill Harris, Fred Yates. Front: Jack Baxter and Arthur Payne. |
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| It's Turned Out Nice Again! |
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| John says: This photograph is from the opening meeting 30 April 1947. That is a hound on the racejacket as Tamworth were known as the hounds 1947-49 and the Tammies 1950 Entertainer George Formby opened the track and can be seen above pushing a rider who is unknown to me. George was a speedway fan and made appearances at tracks in the north. Yes for anyone under the age of 50 the lady is wearing a dead animal, probably fox? |
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| Tamworth Badges |
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| 1947 | 1949 | 1950 |
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| Tamworth Programme1949 |
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| Courtesy of Graham Gleave |
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Trevor Redmond
& Eric Boothroyd1950 |
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Trevor Redmond (left) chatting to a Tamworth rider, can you help by advising me of the Tamworth riders name and hopefully the year and also the team Trevor was riding for John |
| Eric Boothroyd is the Tamworth rider...I think Tamworth was Eric's first club. The occasion was the Swindon Silver Trophy...3/6/50.. Easy when its written on the back of the photograph.!!!....I hope its correct!! |
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| Tamworth Team1948 1949 |
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Courtesy of Reg Fearman 1948 or 49? |
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| 2nd from left: Cec Hookham, |
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| Tamworth1950 |
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1950 photo: Courtesy of Reg Fearman |
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| Paul Gilliver says: I was talking to a man the other day and the conversation came onto speedway. He told me he had some old pictures from Tamworth speedway. The majority are of his wife's cousin. Michael Bradwell who was the teams mascot. Plus a badly damaged one of the team. Thought I would send them on to you to look at, they may not be good enough for you to use as they are scans he did for me. You might be able to use some software to manipulate the images, but if not still nice to look at. What a shame that our sport has gone the way it is now with so many tracks closing over the years. You do a brilliant job, so keep up the good work. I am lucky in that I have Leicester Lions back on track and go with my grandson when we can get. So that is one club that rose from the ashes, along with Long Eaton who share the stadium all be it at MDL level now, would be great to one day see them in the upper leagues. |
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| John says: I have digitally "cleaned" Paul's photos a bit. I do not like to tinker with old photos too much as enhancing too much destroys their patina. Paul's images are shown below: - |
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Michael Bradwell
Tamworth's Mascot |
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| John says: My thanks to Paul for sending these photos to me. What became of young Michael I wonder? If you can supply any info or a picture of Michael in recent years please email meJohn |
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| Arthur Maxfield |
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Angela Biles ( nee Maxfield) says: Hi John, I wonder if you can you help. Story has it that my late dad Arthur Maxfield who lived in Dorden had a passion for speedway and spent a lot of time in the late 40/ early 50s at the Tamworth track. I don't believe he rode, however and this is where confusion steps in, apparently he rode a " killer" bike in Wimbledon I believe 1950 or there about. Story has it he came off the bike but got back on and completed the track. He then did a lap of honour with the local " beauty queen" Dorothy Parker of Streatham S.W London . They later married and I was born in June 1955. Somewhere in my very distant memory I recollect a speedway newspaper with the story in. Well dad died in 1963 mum passed away in 1991 and my sister who reminded me of this sadly died earlier this year. I would love to know if this story is correct. Any help you can offer will be so appreciated.
Thank you
Angela Biles ( nee Maxfield) |
| John says: Send me an email so I can pass it on to Angela John |
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Bill Harris |
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Photo taken by my father George W Bott and the originals are all in my collection. Brian Bott |
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| So Brian, have you any pictures in your collection that you would like to share on this website?John |
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Les Beaumont &
Steve Langton |
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Photo taken by my father George W Bott and the originals are all in my collection. Brian Bott |
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Photo taken by my father George W Bott and the originals are all in my collection. Brian Bott |
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Arthur Payne |
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Photo taken by my father George W Bott and the originals are all in my collection. Brian Bott |
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Brian Bott says: Photo taken by my father George W Bott and the originals are all in my collection. Brian Bott |
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Vic Pitcher |
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Courtesy of Brian Bott |
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| Cyril Page |
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Courtesy of Brian Bott |
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Lionel Watling |
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Courtesy of Brian Bott |
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1947: Courtesy of Brian Bott | 1950: Courtesy of Brian Bott |
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| My thanks to Brian Bott and his Dad for most of the photos etc shown above. Without Brian's help I would not have much of a Tamworth page |
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| Tamworth1950 |
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| Courtesy of Graham Gleave |
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| Courtesy of Graham Gleave |
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| Tamworth To Close? |
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| Courtesy of Graham Gleave |
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If you have any photographs, programmes or badges and can scan them I would like to hear from youJohn |
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| The contents of the site are © and should not be reproduced elsewhere for financial gain. The contributors to this site gave the pictures and information on that understanding. If anyone has any issue or objections to any items on the site pleasee-mailand I will amend or remove the item. Where possible credit has been given to the owner of each item. |
