Post by administrator on Mar 27, 2009 22:54:50 GMT 1
FOLLOWING the disastrous attempts to introuce midget car league racing in 1934, over the next three years the formula concentrated on individual racing.
By 1936, they pre-empted motorcycle speedway by staging a world championship at Hackney in east London. This went on a few weeks before speedway’s first official world championship took place at Wembley Stadium.
It was in June 1937 that Jimmy Baxter, then promoting midgets at Lea Bridge and Coventry, decided the time was ripe to make another attempt at midget car team racing on a league basis. In 1929, Baxter had been the driving force behind the start of speedway league racing and felt such a formula would also establish midget car racing.
The league was a simple two-track affair. London venue Lea Bridge hosted a local side and a London side. Coventry ran a team and was also the base for The Provinces. Belle Vue (Manchester) also tried to enter a team but were ruled out because the league was confined to Skirrow cars while the Belle Vue drivers mainly used copies of the American Elto midget car.
Commenting on the start of midget car racing, Reg Howell the speedway correspondent of the Central News Agency, said, “Jimmy Baxter who was in charge at Southampton at that time (1929), was also responsible for the founding of the speedway league. Now he is aiming to form a league for midget cars, and when this done, I am convinced the sport will be made. Perhaps when the sport has succeeded, and indeed it must, Jimmy will give me the opportunity of saying ‘I told you so’.”
The league opened at Coventry on Sunday, July 18, when the home side defeated London 41-29. This was followed by a match at Lea Bridge on Wednesday, July 21, when the hosts beat The Provinces 45-27. The visitors were handicapped by mechanical problems for their star Squib Burton, but a newcomer to their team, Stan Mills, drove brilliantly. He beat the home star Spike Rhiando, while his team mate Eric Worswick lowered Rhiando’s track record for the 440-yard circuit from 84.8 seconds for four laps to 84.2 seconds.
The following Wednesday, London beat a Provinces side who were without the injured Walter Mackereth 45-27.
Coventry were then beaten 53-38 by The Provinces, who were well led by Burton and some excellent driving from former Liverpool speedway rider Syd Plevin.
There were more thrills in Lea Bridge’s clash with London. After seven heats, it was anyone’s match but in the closing stages the Bridge drew ahead to win 40-31. While most of the Lea Bridge drivers raced in Skirrows, Charlie ‘Ginger’ Pashley turned out in an Elto and scored nine points including a heat seven defeat of London star Val Atkinson.
A clash between the leading teams at Lea Bridge saw the home side beat Coventry 38-33. Les White was the best Coventry driver but Mackereth had engine problems all night and this was given as the reason for the visitors defeat.
When Lea Bridge raced against their co-tenants London, they were surprisingly beaten 39-33. At this meeting, the Lea Bridge management claimed that the introduction of league racing had seen their attendances improve from an average 2,000 to 7,000.
A key match at the end of the season saw Provinces beat Coventry 38-33. Burton was the Provinces’ star and his last race of the meeting was a classic. After being left behind at the first bend he powered through the field for a classic victory.
In a rather complex league formula, there were two variations on the league championship. A home and away concept gave the title to Lea Bridge, but based on aggregate scores Coventry emerged as the champions.
The aggregate league competition was apart from the National Trophy, also based in aggregate scores, which saw London face Provinces in the final. Sadly, no records of this match have been traced.
Overall, the league was voted a success. In the weeks following the end of the season, there was talk of an expanded league for 1938 involving Southampton, Wembley, Middlesbrough, Leicester, Coventry, Lea Bridge and Belle Vue. On this assumption, midget car racing was confident it was on the verge of a breakthrough to become a mainstream motor sport.
Eric Worswick of Lea BGridge was the league’s top scorer. His total 90 points placed him 22 points ahead of Burton with Pashley third highest scorer. All three were former speedway riders, but midget car stars like Stan Mills, Spike Rhiando and Walter Mackereth were also well placed.
S Gibbons, of The Windmill Hill, Ashley, and L Jones, of Wallace Road, Coventry, both had memories of the 1937 season at Coventry.
Mr Gibbons said, “I was a boy in 1937 and remember the midget cars at Coventry. The racing took place on Sunday afternoons and the admission was sixpence (old money).
“The stadium was three miles from where I lived and I used to walk to and from the track. I believe the cinders used for the track surface came from the local Benley Colliery tip. I used to stand on a bend close to the safety fence and was covered in dirt as the cars broadsided round the bends. It was much better than going to Sunday school!”
Mr Gibbons added, “The driver I remember especially is Walter Mackereth, but I’m certain the England and Harringay speedway star Jack Parker also drove midgets.”
In his refence to Covnetry, Mr Jones said, “The main cars were Skirrows, but some Eltos also raced. The designer of the Skirrow as Harry Skirrow, who only had one hand but had a special fitting so that he could drive. The Skirrows were powered by twin JAP engines.”
NATIONAL LEAGUE TEAMS:
Coventry: Walter Mackereth, Tommy Cooper, George Turvey, Fred Alexander, Eric Davis, Les White, Charlie ‘Ginger’ Pashley, Johnny Young, Stan Mills.
Lea Bridge: Eric Worswick, Charlie ‘Ginger’ Pashley, Spike Rhiando, Basil de Mattos, Stan Jorgensen, Skid Martin, Gene Crowley, Tommy Sulman.
London: Vic Patterson, Ron Wills, Val Atkinson, Syd Emery, Johnny Young, Frank Marsh, Ted Bennett, “Tiddler’ Pierson.
Provinces: Cyril ‘Squib’ Burton, Stan Mills, Bruce Warburton, Jimmy Raynes, Syd Plevin, Frank Bullock, ‘Buster’ Bladon, Eric Worswick.
Note - drivers also guested for other teams.
Points scorers: Eric Worswick (Lea Bridge) 90, Cyril ‘Squib’ Burton (Provinces) 68, Charlie ‘Ginger’ Pashley (Lea Bridge) 64, Spike Rhiando (Lea Bridge) 58, Stan Mills (Provinces) 57, Walter Mackereth (Coventry) 47, Vic Patterson (London) 46, Les White (Coventry) 42, Ron Wills (London) 40, Val Atkinson (London) 38, Basil de Mattos (Lea Bridge) 33, Bruce Warburton (Provinces) 33, Jimmy Raynes (Provinces) 32, Syd Emery (London) 30, Syd Plevin (Provinces) 29, Frank Bullock (Provinces) 28, Stan Jorgensen (Lea Bridge) 27, Skid Martin (Lea Bridge) 23, Johnny Youbg (London) 23, Frank Marsh (London) 22, George Turvey (Coventry) 21, Gene Crowley (Lea Bridge) 15, Fred Alexander (Coventry) 15, Ted Bennett (London) 15, ‘Tiddler’ Pierson (London) 11, ‘Buster’ Bladon (Provinces) 10, Tommy Sulman (Lea Bridge) 7.
National League classified results: Lea Bridge 45 Provinces 27; London 35 Coventry 37; London 45 Provinces 26; Lea Bridge 38 Coventry 33; London 31 Lea Bridge 40; Lea Bridge 33 London 39; Coventry 41 London 29; Coventry 33 Provinces 38; Coventry 31 Lea Bridge 37; Provinces 30 Coventry 39; Provinces 28 Lea Bridge 46; Provinces v London - not raced.
In the National League, Lea Bridge won five of their six matches, with 239 race points for, 185 against, and 10 table points.
Coventry won three and lost three mathes, with 214 race points for 207 against, and six table points.
London raced five matches with two wins, three defeats, 179 race points for, 177 agaist, and four table points.
The Provinces won one match, lost four, with 145 race ponts for, 208 against, and two table points.
(Fixtures not completed)
National Championship (aggregate results): Lea Bridge 91 Provinces 55; Coventry 78 London 64; Coventry 72 Provinces 68; London 46 Provinces 26 (one match); Coventry 70 Lea Bridge 69; Lea Bridge 73 London 68.
Coventry won all three matches, with six table points.
Lea Bridge won two of their three matches for four table points.
London had one win, one defeat, for two table points.
Provinces lost both their matches.
(Fixtures not completed; for and against points as for National League).
By 1936, they pre-empted motorcycle speedway by staging a world championship at Hackney in east London. This went on a few weeks before speedway’s first official world championship took place at Wembley Stadium.
It was in June 1937 that Jimmy Baxter, then promoting midgets at Lea Bridge and Coventry, decided the time was ripe to make another attempt at midget car team racing on a league basis. In 1929, Baxter had been the driving force behind the start of speedway league racing and felt such a formula would also establish midget car racing.
The league was a simple two-track affair. London venue Lea Bridge hosted a local side and a London side. Coventry ran a team and was also the base for The Provinces. Belle Vue (Manchester) also tried to enter a team but were ruled out because the league was confined to Skirrow cars while the Belle Vue drivers mainly used copies of the American Elto midget car.
Commenting on the start of midget car racing, Reg Howell the speedway correspondent of the Central News Agency, said, “Jimmy Baxter who was in charge at Southampton at that time (1929), was also responsible for the founding of the speedway league. Now he is aiming to form a league for midget cars, and when this done, I am convinced the sport will be made. Perhaps when the sport has succeeded, and indeed it must, Jimmy will give me the opportunity of saying ‘I told you so’.”
The league opened at Coventry on Sunday, July 18, when the home side defeated London 41-29. This was followed by a match at Lea Bridge on Wednesday, July 21, when the hosts beat The Provinces 45-27. The visitors were handicapped by mechanical problems for their star Squib Burton, but a newcomer to their team, Stan Mills, drove brilliantly. He beat the home star Spike Rhiando, while his team mate Eric Worswick lowered Rhiando’s track record for the 440-yard circuit from 84.8 seconds for four laps to 84.2 seconds.
The following Wednesday, London beat a Provinces side who were without the injured Walter Mackereth 45-27.
Coventry were then beaten 53-38 by The Provinces, who were well led by Burton and some excellent driving from former Liverpool speedway rider Syd Plevin.
There were more thrills in Lea Bridge’s clash with London. After seven heats, it was anyone’s match but in the closing stages the Bridge drew ahead to win 40-31. While most of the Lea Bridge drivers raced in Skirrows, Charlie ‘Ginger’ Pashley turned out in an Elto and scored nine points including a heat seven defeat of London star Val Atkinson.
A clash between the leading teams at Lea Bridge saw the home side beat Coventry 38-33. Les White was the best Coventry driver but Mackereth had engine problems all night and this was given as the reason for the visitors defeat.
When Lea Bridge raced against their co-tenants London, they were surprisingly beaten 39-33. At this meeting, the Lea Bridge management claimed that the introduction of league racing had seen their attendances improve from an average 2,000 to 7,000.
A key match at the end of the season saw Provinces beat Coventry 38-33. Burton was the Provinces’ star and his last race of the meeting was a classic. After being left behind at the first bend he powered through the field for a classic victory.
In a rather complex league formula, there were two variations on the league championship. A home and away concept gave the title to Lea Bridge, but based on aggregate scores Coventry emerged as the champions.
The aggregate league competition was apart from the National Trophy, also based in aggregate scores, which saw London face Provinces in the final. Sadly, no records of this match have been traced.
Overall, the league was voted a success. In the weeks following the end of the season, there was talk of an expanded league for 1938 involving Southampton, Wembley, Middlesbrough, Leicester, Coventry, Lea Bridge and Belle Vue. On this assumption, midget car racing was confident it was on the verge of a breakthrough to become a mainstream motor sport.
Eric Worswick of Lea BGridge was the league’s top scorer. His total 90 points placed him 22 points ahead of Burton with Pashley third highest scorer. All three were former speedway riders, but midget car stars like Stan Mills, Spike Rhiando and Walter Mackereth were also well placed.
S Gibbons, of The Windmill Hill, Ashley, and L Jones, of Wallace Road, Coventry, both had memories of the 1937 season at Coventry.
Mr Gibbons said, “I was a boy in 1937 and remember the midget cars at Coventry. The racing took place on Sunday afternoons and the admission was sixpence (old money).
“The stadium was three miles from where I lived and I used to walk to and from the track. I believe the cinders used for the track surface came from the local Benley Colliery tip. I used to stand on a bend close to the safety fence and was covered in dirt as the cars broadsided round the bends. It was much better than going to Sunday school!”
Mr Gibbons added, “The driver I remember especially is Walter Mackereth, but I’m certain the England and Harringay speedway star Jack Parker also drove midgets.”
In his refence to Covnetry, Mr Jones said, “The main cars were Skirrows, but some Eltos also raced. The designer of the Skirrow as Harry Skirrow, who only had one hand but had a special fitting so that he could drive. The Skirrows were powered by twin JAP engines.”
NATIONAL LEAGUE TEAMS:
Coventry: Walter Mackereth, Tommy Cooper, George Turvey, Fred Alexander, Eric Davis, Les White, Charlie ‘Ginger’ Pashley, Johnny Young, Stan Mills.
Lea Bridge: Eric Worswick, Charlie ‘Ginger’ Pashley, Spike Rhiando, Basil de Mattos, Stan Jorgensen, Skid Martin, Gene Crowley, Tommy Sulman.
London: Vic Patterson, Ron Wills, Val Atkinson, Syd Emery, Johnny Young, Frank Marsh, Ted Bennett, “Tiddler’ Pierson.
Provinces: Cyril ‘Squib’ Burton, Stan Mills, Bruce Warburton, Jimmy Raynes, Syd Plevin, Frank Bullock, ‘Buster’ Bladon, Eric Worswick.
Note - drivers also guested for other teams.
Points scorers: Eric Worswick (Lea Bridge) 90, Cyril ‘Squib’ Burton (Provinces) 68, Charlie ‘Ginger’ Pashley (Lea Bridge) 64, Spike Rhiando (Lea Bridge) 58, Stan Mills (Provinces) 57, Walter Mackereth (Coventry) 47, Vic Patterson (London) 46, Les White (Coventry) 42, Ron Wills (London) 40, Val Atkinson (London) 38, Basil de Mattos (Lea Bridge) 33, Bruce Warburton (Provinces) 33, Jimmy Raynes (Provinces) 32, Syd Emery (London) 30, Syd Plevin (Provinces) 29, Frank Bullock (Provinces) 28, Stan Jorgensen (Lea Bridge) 27, Skid Martin (Lea Bridge) 23, Johnny Youbg (London) 23, Frank Marsh (London) 22, George Turvey (Coventry) 21, Gene Crowley (Lea Bridge) 15, Fred Alexander (Coventry) 15, Ted Bennett (London) 15, ‘Tiddler’ Pierson (London) 11, ‘Buster’ Bladon (Provinces) 10, Tommy Sulman (Lea Bridge) 7.
National League classified results: Lea Bridge 45 Provinces 27; London 35 Coventry 37; London 45 Provinces 26; Lea Bridge 38 Coventry 33; London 31 Lea Bridge 40; Lea Bridge 33 London 39; Coventry 41 London 29; Coventry 33 Provinces 38; Coventry 31 Lea Bridge 37; Provinces 30 Coventry 39; Provinces 28 Lea Bridge 46; Provinces v London - not raced.
In the National League, Lea Bridge won five of their six matches, with 239 race points for, 185 against, and 10 table points.
Coventry won three and lost three mathes, with 214 race points for 207 against, and six table points.
London raced five matches with two wins, three defeats, 179 race points for, 177 agaist, and four table points.
The Provinces won one match, lost four, with 145 race ponts for, 208 against, and two table points.
(Fixtures not completed)
National Championship (aggregate results): Lea Bridge 91 Provinces 55; Coventry 78 London 64; Coventry 72 Provinces 68; London 46 Provinces 26 (one match); Coventry 70 Lea Bridge 69; Lea Bridge 73 London 68.
Coventry won all three matches, with six table points.
Lea Bridge won two of their three matches for four table points.
London had one win, one defeat, for two table points.
Provinces lost both their matches.
(Fixtures not completed; for and against points as for National League).
(c) John Hyam 2009