Newcastle Speedway

Tyneside Speedway

The History Of Dirt Track Racing
On Tyneside

Whitley Bay

View from the top of the old water chute in the Spanish City Amusements at Whitley Bay

Tyneside Speedways Ltd introduced Dirt Track Racing to the Tyneside public when they laid a 440 yard dirt track around the Rockcliffe Rugby Club's pitch in the Hillheads ground on the outskirts of the then very popular seaside resort of Whitley Bay. This was the 20th April 1929 and pre-dates the first speedway at Brough Park by a month. Whitley saw speedway on 12 occasions from 20 April 1929 to 26 June 1929. Unfortunately racing at Whitley Bay came to an end in June 1929 and never recommenced at the Hillheads track. The company who started it all, Tyneside Speedways Ltd., then went into voluntary liquidation to concentrate their efforts at their other venture Newcastle's Gosforth Park

I am advised by Bob Grainger that, "It was rumoured that George Formby rode at Whitley Bay in one event." Quite likely Bob, I have read somewhere that George was a keen motorcyclist and owned a JAP engined Brough Superior. Anyone care to browse the George Formby websites to see if it is mentioned? "It's turned out nice again, oh me, oh my!" .............

An early speedway fan George Formby

Colin Greenwell of Middlesborough informs us that George Formby was interested in speedway. He visited Preston speedway a few times and in either the late 1920's or early 1930's he had a race against Frank Chiswell a Preston rider. George was given a lap start and won by a few yards! In later years he used to support Fleetwood Speedway.

Whitley Bay Reports
In The 1929
Auto Magazine

Any newsprint regarding Whitley Bay's 1929 speedway exploits is hard to come by so I was pleased to find the above account of racing in the seaside town of "Autos" magazine of a 15th June 1929 report of the meeting

A Whitley Bay programme cover number 6 dated 18th May 1929 which was the day after Newcastle's Brough Park staged their first meeting. Whitley's cover art has a touch of the Art Deco about it. The scan shows the address of the Whitley Bay promoters "The Tyneside Speedways" as 3 Cross Street off Westgate Road in central Newcastle.

The Cross Street Fire at
"The Kard Bar #5" 2015
The 1929 Speedway Company was next door at #3 Cross St.

2015 Fire In Cross Street

Back to the Speedway: Racing at Hillheads did not have the benefit of track lights so meetings were arranged for afternoons only on Saturday and Wednesday at 3.00pm. The opening meeting attracted a crowd of 4,000 but the second meeting on a bitter cold day, was poorly supported and the Wednesday afternoon meetings were soon done away with. The largest crowd that I know of was around 8,000 over the 1929 Whitsun holiday weekend. However, the same promoters intended making a go of the Gosforth venue and the close proximity of the two tracks signalled the end for Whitely Bay. The company voluntarily liquidated their assets at Whitley Bay to concentrate on their Gosforth venture.

I believe Hillheads is now the home of Whitley Bay FC who unfortunately, were unable to supply me with a hoped for picture old enough to show us a glimpse of the track around their football pitch.

I have been advised by Bruce Haagensen of the following: -

Bruce says: Whilst you are correct about the location you are incorrect about the current situation. Whitley Bay FC is in a different place and never had a speedway track round the pitch. However the rugby club is still there and particularly in the summer when the weather has been hot and dry you can still see the outline of where the track used to be. This is particularly clear when standing on the banking which surrounds the first team pitch.

Thank's Bruce, maybe someday I will get to Hillheads Rugby Ground on a hot dry day and take a picture of the area around the pitch or maybe you can get one to put on this page?

I've been trying to locate the track at Whitley Bay on Google Maps. This photo shows the Rugby pitches at Rockcliffe Park. If you look at the bottom right corner of the bottom pitch, you can see my mouse pointer pointing at what looks like a bend or banking. The question is, could this be part of the original speedway track? There is also a dark line running along the bottom edge of the pitch, could this be one of the straights? Perhaps I'm just clutching at straws. What do you think.

Newcastle's Castle!

This is the Newcastle "Castle Keep." The remaining part of the Newcastle Castle which gave the city it's name. There was a surrounding "castle" and Newcastle's ancient city walls but the Victorians demolished the castle to accommodate railway lines in and out of Newcastle Central Station, so we have to make do with just the "Keep". Newcastle's actual castle would have been a huge tourist attraction nowadays, but it was less important to the victorian business men who put railways before the country's heritage and so Newcastle is a place in name only our Norman built NewCastle was torn down in the 19th Century. Sacrilege!

Newcastle's Other Speedway Track
Gosforth

In the beginning (1929) Newcastle had two speedway stadiums. Newcastle Gosforth and Newcastle Brough Park. I believe Gosforth Park was slightly more successful than Brough Park as Gosforth lasted a little longer than Brough did in 1929/30, but both had closed down by 1931. Gosforth never again staged speedway but the Newcastle east end venue at Brough Park eventually reopened but not until 1938 and has been Newcastle's speedway track ever since.

Newcastle's
Gosforth Park

This fine stadium was later demolished. The site is now an ASDA store on Gosforth High Street. This photo is of the greyhound track which I believe was laid over the earlier speedway track. If you have any photos of speedway at Gosforth please get in touch John

Tyneside Speedways Ltd laid a 440 yard speedway track around Newcastle's Rugby Union teams pitch. The track had steeply banked bends 3 feet high and the stadium could cater for thousands of spectators. The bikes first roared around Gosforth's steep banking on 1st June 1929.

This poor picture is the only one of action un-earthed so far, of racing at Gosforth. It is from The Evening Chronicle Junior Speedway Trophy. Held in June 1929. The winner of the trophy was Ron Dirkin.

I have heard from Ian Huntly the son of a rider at Gosforth. Ian's father Harry Huntly was a well known rider and character at Gosforth. Harry is reported as being the tallest speedway rider ever famously 6ft 8inches but other sources say he was 6ft 6inches. Whatever! he was way taller than most riders who have rode speedway.

Newcastle Gosforth Rider
Harry Huntly

This is Gosforth rider Harry Huntly, taken at Gosforth Park between 1929 and 1931, the track was 440 yards and very steeply banked. Harry was from Chester le Street in Co Durham.

Harry The Big Guy
(6ft 8 inches tall)
At Gosforth In 1929

Early Photographs Of Action At Newcastle Gosforth Speedway

These poor photos feature Harry racing around Gosforth Park in 1929. The pictures give an impression of the very steep banking at the Gosforth circuit it was 3 feet high on the turns! Gosforth competed in the Northern League throughout 1930 but the promotion "Tyneside Speedways" was in financial difficulties and wound up at the end of the 1930 season. There was a one off meeting in 1931 but the stadium never staged speedway again and became a greyhound track the following year. The stadium closed down and was bulldozed. The site now has an Asda store in place of the speedway!

Wembley v
Newcastle Gosforth
15th August 1929

15th August 1929 Wembley Programme when Newcastle Gosforth along with High Beech and Crystal Palace were the visitors. It shows Wal Huntley which was a typing error the Gosforth riders correct name was Harry Huntly

John says: If you have photos or information about Gosforth Speedway please email me John

Gosforth Report

Meeting Rained Off

Courtesy of Jim Henry

1929 Gosforth Reports from "Auto" Magazine

1930 Gosforth Reports from "Auto" Magazine

1931 Gosforth Report from "Auto" Magazine

29th July 1931

Auto Mags Reports Courtesy of Jim Henry

The experiment was deemed to be a failure. This was the last speedway at Gosforth Park. Greyhounds were introduced and the dogs lasted until 1987 when the stadium was demolished and redeveloped. There is now an ASDA Supermarket occupying the site.

Speedway "kicked off" on Tyneside in May 1929. The website is lucky to have scans of the "Auto Magazine" from 1929 and 1930, courtesy of Speedway Researcher's Jim Henry. The Mag covered both Newcastle teams Gosforth and Brough Park and also Whitley Bay despite the seasiders only having 11 meetings, so enjoy a read of accounts of North East speedway from the beginnings of our sport 17th May 1929 onwards.

The Demise Of Newcastle's
Gosforth Stadium

These 4 pictures were taken by Phil Small and show the stadium just before it was demolished and the site redeveloped by Asda

To continue the history click here: Other North - East Venues

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 please e-mail and I will amend or remove the item. Where possible credit has been given to the owner of each item.






Tyneside Speedway

The History Of Dirt Track Racing On Tyneside






Whitley Bay



View from the top of the old water chute in the Spanish City Amusements at Whitley Bay



Tyneside Speedways Ltd introduced Dirt Track Racing to the Tyneside public when they laid a 440 yard dirt track around the Rockcliffe Rugby Club's pitch in the Hillheads ground on the outskirts of the then very popular seaside resort of Whitley Bay. This was the 20th April 1929 and pre-dates the first speedway at Brough Park by a month. Whitley saw speedway on 12 occasions from 20 April 1929 to 26 June 1929. Unfortunately racing at Whitley Bay came to an end in June 1929 and never recommenced at the Hillheads track. The company who started it all, Tyneside Speedways Ltd., then went into voluntary liquidation to concentrate their efforts at their other venture Newcastle's Gosforth Park

I am advised by Bob Grainger that, "It was rumoured that George Formby rode at Whitley Bay in one event." Quite likely Bob, I have read somewhere that George was a keen motorcyclist and owned a JAP engined Brough Superior. Anyone care to browse the George Formby websites to see if it is mentioned? "It's turned out nice again, oh me, oh my!" .............



An early speedway fan George Formby

Colin Greenwell of Middlesborough informs us that George Formby was interested in speedway. He visited Preston speedway a few times and in either the late 1920's or early 1930's he had a race against Frank Chiswell a Preston rider. George was given a lap start and won by a few yards! In later years he used to support Fleetwood Speedway.

Whitley Bay Reports In The 1929 Auto Magazine





Any newsprint regarding Whitley Bay's 1929 speedway exploits is hard to come by so I was pleased to find the above account of racing in the seaside town of "Autos" magazine of a 15th June 1929 report of the meeting




A Whitley Bay programme cover number 6 dated 18th May 1929 which was the day after Newcastle's Brough Park staged their first meeting. Whitley's cover art has a touch of the Art Deco about it. The scan shows the address of the Whitley Bay promoters "The Tyneside Speedways" as 3 Cross Street off Westgate Road in central Newcastle.

The Cross Street Fire at "The Kard Bar #5" 2015 The 1929 Speedway Company was next door at #3 Cross St.


2015 Fire In Cross Street



Back to the Speedway: Racing at Hillheads did not have the benefit of track lights so meetings were arranged for afternoons only on Saturday and Wednesday at 3.00pm. The opening meeting attracted a crowd of 4,000 but the second meeting on a bitter cold day, was poorly supported and the Wednesday afternoon meetings were soon done away with. The largest crowd that I know of was around 8,000 over the 1929 Whitsun holiday weekend. However, the same promoters intended making a go of the Gosforth venue and the close proximity of the two tracks signalled the end for Whitely Bay. The company voluntarily liquidated their assets at Whitley Bay to concentrate on their Gosforth venture.

I believe Hillheads is now the home of Whitley Bay FC who unfortunately, were unable to supply me with a hoped for picture old enough to show us a glimpse of the track around their football pitch.
I have been advised by Bruce Haagensen of the following: -
Bruce says: Whilst you are correct about the location you are incorrect about the current situation. Whitley Bay FC is in a different place and never had a speedway track round the pitch. However the rugby club is still there and particularly in the summer when the weather has been hot and dry you can still see the outline of where the track used to be. This is particularly clear when standing on the banking which surrounds the first team pitch. Thank's Bruce, maybe someday I will get to Hillheads Rugby Ground on a hot dry day and take a picture of the area around the pitch or maybe you can get one to put on this page?



I've been trying to locate the track at Whitley Bay on Google Maps. This photo shows the Rugby pitches at Rockcliffe Park. If you look at the bottom right corner of the bottom pitch, you can see my mouse pointer pointing at what looks like a bend or banking. The question is, could this be part of the original speedway track? There is also a dark line running along the bottom edge of the pitch, could this be one of the straights? Perhaps I'm just clutching at straws. What do you think.




Newcastle's Castle!




This is the Newcastle "Castle Keep." The remaining part of the Newcastle Castle which gave the city it's name. There was a surrounding "castle" and Newcastle's ancient city walls but the Victorians demolished the castle to accommodate railway lines in and out of Newcastle Central Station, so we have to make do with just the "Keep". Newcastle's actual castle would have been a huge tourist attraction nowadays, but it was less important to the victorian business men who put railways before the country's heritage and so Newcastle is a place in name only our Norman built NewCastle was torn down in the 19th Century. Sacrilege!




Newcastle's Other Speedway Track Gosforth

In the beginning (1929) Newcastle had two speedway stadiums. Newcastle Gosforth and Newcastle Brough Park. I believe Gosforth Park was slightly more successful than Brough Park as Gosforth lasted a little longer than Brough did in 1929/30, but both had closed down by 1931. Gosforth never again staged speedway but the Newcastle east end venue at Brough Park eventually reopened but not until 1938 and has been Newcastle's speedway track ever since.




Newcastle's Gosforth Park



This fine stadium was later demolished. The site is now an ASDA store on Gosforth High Street. This photo is of the greyhound track which I believe was laid over the earlier speedway track. If you have any photos of speedway at Gosforth please get in touch John

Tyneside Speedways Ltd laid a 440 yard speedway track around Newcastle's Rugby Union teams pitch. The track had steeply banked bends 3 feet high and the stadium could cater for thousands of spectators. The bikes first roared around Gosforth's steep banking on 1st June 1929.



This poor picture is the only one of action un-earthed so far, of racing at Gosforth. It is from The Evening Chronicle Junior Speedway Trophy. Held in June 1929. The winner of the trophy was Ron Dirkin.
I have heard from Ian Huntly the son of a rider at Gosforth. Ian's father Harry Huntly was a well known rider and character at Gosforth. Harry is reported as being the tallest speedway rider ever famously 6ft 8inches but other sources say he was 6ft 6inches. Whatever! he was way taller than most riders who have rode speedway.


Newcastle Gosforth Rider Harry Huntly



This is Gosforth rider Harry Huntly, taken at Gosforth Park between 1929 and 1931, the track was 440 yards and very steeply banked. Harry was from Chester le Street in Co Durham.


Harry The Big Guy (6ft 8 inches tall) At Gosforth In 1929




Early Photographs Of Action At Newcastle Gosforth Speedway



These poor photos feature Harry racing around Gosforth Park in 1929. The pictures give an impression of the very steep banking at the Gosforth circuit it was 3 feet high on the turns! Gosforth competed in the Northern League throughout 1930 but the promotion "Tyneside Speedways" was in financial difficulties and wound up at the end of the 1930 season. There was a one off meeting in 1931 but the stadium never staged speedway again and became a greyhound track the following year. The stadium closed down and was bulldozed. The site now has an Asda store in place of the speedway!


Wembley v Newcastle Gosforth 15th August 1929



15th August 1929 Wembley Programme when Newcastle Gosforth along with High Beech and Crystal Palace were the visitors. It shows Wal Huntley which was a typing error the Gosforth riders correct name was Harry Huntly

John says: If you have photos or information about Gosforth Speedway please email me John




Gosforth Report
Meeting Rained Off

Courtesy of Jim Henry

1929 Gosforth Reports from "Auto" Magazine














1930 Gosforth Reports from "Auto" Magazine





















1931 Gosforth Report from "Auto" Magazine

29th July 1931


Auto Mags Reports Courtesy of Jim Henry
The experiment was deemed to be a failure. This was the last speedway at Gosforth Park. Greyhounds were introduced and the dogs lasted until 1987 when the stadium was demolished and redeveloped. There is now an ASDA Supermarket occupying the site.


Speedway "kicked off" on Tyneside in May 1929. The website is lucky to have scans of the "Auto Magazine" from 1929 and 1930, courtesy of Speedway Researcher's Jim Henry. The Mag covered both Newcastle teams Gosforth and Brough Park and also Whitley Bay despite the seasiders only having 11 meetings, so enjoy a read of accounts of North East speedway from the beginnings of our sport 17th May 1929 onwards.




The Demise Of Newcastle's Gosforth Stadium









These 4 pictures were taken by Phil Small and show the stadium just before it was demolished and the site redeveloped by Asda

To continue the history click here: Other North - East Venues



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 please e-mail and I will amend or remove the item. Where possible credit has been given to the owner of each item.