Tell us more, Ian.

http://www.newcastlespeedwayhistory.co.u...racing.htm

A lot of discussion is currently taking place as who was the 'inventor' of speedway. There were many dirt track type meetings taking place around the world before the 'official' birth as we like to think of it, took place on 15th December 1923 at Maitland Show Ground in Australia in association with the Agricultural Association & Orphanages (as it states on the cover of the programme), promoted by Johnnie Hoskins. Johnnie was not the only person to promote this sport but I credit him with being the first person to continually do so both in Australia and the UK in a format similar to what we know it today.

Eh Lad, would you believe it, me Dad on TTWebsite...Thanks folks.

He was very much in "at the beginning" and I have a separate "vast collection" of my Dads photos, race programmes and all of his press coverage. I have some of his trophies here as well !

He was the tallest successful speedway rider of his day and has only been beaten fairly recently by a Russian rider. Some race/lap records still stand to my Dad because the tracks closed down !!

He knew Johnny Hoskins personally and rubbed shoulders with the other big names. Strange though, he dedicated six months of the year to speedway the rest of the time he was working in his Uncles business as Sales director in Turveys of Sunderland then Youngs of Chester le Street. Dad gave up when I came along, besides there was a war starting (Wozn't me !) I think because he was classed as a "part-timer" he didn't get even more publicity. He was invited to ride for Wembley but concentrated on Gosforth Park and Brough Park, both in Newcastle upon Tyne.

I have so much in my loft, I would like to document my Dads history but it would be "War and Peace" sized volume.

I have the inaugural programme for each speedway circuit in the north of England. Every major town had its own track and crowds were sometimes bigger than the football lot of then and in some cases as big as stadiums of today. You see they didn't have TV in them there days so the only other thing to keep them in the house was s** (I'm told).

The link on the posting above is good since I have contributed copies of early programmes to that site. I have a number of books from that era, some written by Johnny Hoskins and I have a rare book about Bluey Wilkinson, Jan !

I never saw Dad race but in the 50s he bought three big boxes of bits. These he built up into a beautiful original longitudinally-engined Douglas Speedway machine which he tried out on our local fell and then sold it to one of the top sandracing sidecar racers who strapped a sidecar on it and won everything for a few years. I wish I knew where this machine ended up !

If anyone wants any further info don't hesitate to contact me........................I don't charge a lot !!

I have in my collection a book "Thrilling the Million" by Tom Stenner first published in 1934 which is a "history" of speedway.

In the 2nd chapter "How it all began" Tom states that speedway started in America as Long Track, one mile ovals but no one had learned to broadside then.

The country claiming the honour of starting speedway as we know it now is South Africa, the first recorded speedway race was held in Pietermaritzburg, Natal as long ago as 1907 !!

The speedway developed once it arrived in Australia and it is true that the first meeting was held as stated in West Maitland N.S.W. in the autumn of 1923.

"the management of the agricultural society, the proprietors of the show ground and running track were at their wits end to make ends meet. It had been a bad season from every point of view. The weather had been atrocious, the show had failed to attract and the various athletic meetings....had taken place in front of only handfuls of spectators.

AS A LAST resort they decided to put on a motorcycle meeting !! The manager was a sturdy self-possessed Australian John S Hoskins by name who later was to become one of the outstanding personalities in speedway racing..Believing that if a job was to be done properly he did it all including riding in the first race ! He of course went only a few yards and then crashed but the meeting went on. The excitement grew with each race and by the end of the meeting the management knew that their problems had been solved "

After this one meeting, speedway took off, and tracks were laid down all over Australia. However these first tracks were made of wooden planks !!

It would a while before cinder tracks came into use and only then did the broadsliding technique become popular after a rider "accidentally" tried it out. Soon everyone was doing it to add to the spectacle.

In 1927 the idea came to England, sold by people who had witnessed this new sport, and a Cambridge undergraduate Mr Lionel Willis was mainly responsible for the introduction of modern speedway to this country. He also emulated Johnny Hoskins by riding in the races and was the first Englishman to do so. By 1928 speedway had become established in England..............................and HOW !!

There are now pages of information in my book relating where the tracks sprung up in England BUT I am now going for tea..........


Does anyone have a copy of this film please http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0024346/ Looks good ""

The Wills you mention, Ian, was from W.D. & H.O. Wills of cigarette fame. Johnnie Hoskins was a brilliant entrepreneur. He is survived by two sons, Ian who lives in NZ (where Johnnie was actually born) and Lionel, lives in England.
What lovely memories you have unearthed. Lionel has a great pic of his dad receiving an MBE (I think it's called from the Queen). Can you believe that in those early days, royalty used to visit the speedway. There are photos of Johnnie taken with one of the Princesses who visited on a regular basis. Can't remember her name. But the crowds were unbelievable.
Bluey Wilkinson was an Australian favourite. Enjoy those finds.

I just LOVE this website...we learn SO much.

Thank you Jan for your updates - clearly the book has a few errors and I also thought JH was from NZ originally !

However the book continues throughout to call the Cambridge man WILL-I-S and I note you say it should be Wills.

After this I think Malcolm might create a section for Speedway ???

There are many speedway riders who also rode in the TT...."Ginger" Lees apparently was one of note.. Any info please, Bill Snelling ?? Also Bill Kitchen is mentioned.

Hoping to see you sometime

Ian