Liverpool Speedway
by Richard Austin

In the 'football mad' city of Liverpool, how long could a speedway team survive? Well a team did, the Liverpool Chads, but not for long. I was very fortunate in the late fifties, my father took me to a Speedway meeting and since then I have remained a devoted fan of the sport.

I grew up in Liverpool just after the war and following the blitz when Liverpool really got clobbered. Conditions were quite gloomy, money was tight, and the Beatles had yet to emerge on the National scene. Liverpool was considered at that time a bit of a dump, a large sea port, where the people spoke funny and you left town as soon as possible.

The Chads' speedway meetings were held at Stanley Stadium. The stadium was originally built as a dog racing facility, greyhound races taking place each Saturday evening. Therefore, Speedway events had to take place on Monday nights although I think speedway racing is really Saturday night happening.

As a kid growing up, I would hope and hope on Mondays that it wouldn't rain, and that my Dad would be back home early enough from his work to take me to the track. We lived on the other side of the city; it took two bus rides to the Old Swan and a long walk down Prescot Road to get to Stanley Stadium.

The track was one of the largest in the league, a quarter mile, flat with no banking, a red shale surface, rather tight bends and long "straight aways". This configuration presented problems to a visiting team, more experienced riding on much smaller tracks. The Liverpool track was built inside the greyhound track. A visiting rider beating the Chads riders at the start of a race would crank up down the long straights and have to throttle back to make turns three and four. Many a the time the visiting riders hitting the third turn at speed would have to dramatically throttle back to make the turn. This would give an opportunity to the Chads riders to hug the fence and ride around them. The best 'fence hugger' on the Chads team, in my opinion, was Tommy Allott.

I recall a championship eliminator meeting, Merv Harding (Glasgow Ashfield) came roaring down the back straight away, couldn't make the third turn and slid under the fence. It took almost 15 minutes to get him and the bike out.

I well recall attending a Chads meeting back in the fifties and we would take our usual spot on the terraces on the third turn. From the pit end came the constant roar of cranked up un-silenced JAP engines, as we were buying a programme and a copy of the Speedway Star. Often we'd visit the concession booth to buy rider photos or a badge.

The meeting would commence, the parade out on to the track of the rakers, in their yellow sweaters with the Chad logo. They were followed by the St John's Ambulance members, everyone marching to the rousing music of the "RAF March Past".

The floodlights would come on and the announcer would read out the Liverpool team line up. Peter Robinson the captain, Len Read, Eric Smith, Tommy Allott, Harry Welch, Reg Duval, Bill Griffith and Don Potter the reserve.

Peter Craven had already left the Chads to ride for Belle Vue, perhaps a couple of years before. Chad supporters at the time were totally amazed when our team manager, Gordon Parkins, allowed Peter Craven to drift away on a free transfer.

The crowd anticipation started to swell, chanting "Two, four, six, eight, who do we a appreciate....C-H-A-D-S".

The first race and the stadium lights dim, floodlights ablaze. Riders on their machines are pushed out from the pits end, engines catch and roar to life. The riders slowly move past us, towards the starting gate, clutches in, revving up, taking one last look down at their engines.

At times it appeared to me (as a kid) that our opponents appeared to have better equipment, their chromed bikes highly polished, black riding leathers clean and shining, team emblems so much more colourful. Our Chads, on shale covered machines, leathers and emblems needing repair or cleaning, but I didn't care, they were my heroes.

The starting gate tapes go up, the simultaneous roar of four straining JAP engines, bikes bucking up, rear wheels spinning, throwing up clouds of red shale. Crowd anticipation, who was out in front? We all duck behind the brick wall, as showers of red shale spray up in our direction. As the riders roar past, a smell of exhaust fumes in the air, are the Chads in the lead? To me it was totally captivating.

The riders pass us after the race has finished and we cheer them on, even if they didn't win. To me it always seemed strange, the Chad riders in spite of our yelling and screaming in our appreciation and support, of possibly a win, very rarely acknowledged the crowd. Hardly a hand raised or a nod of the head in our direction, this was before the showmanship days in sports. In sharp contrast to the extravagant antics of today's sports figures!

During the second half we relaxed as, along with the regular races between the two teams, the junior riders were given a chance to ride. A regular second half rider, Tommy Murphy, had the reputation of falling off, always a crowd pleaser, Tommy never gave up. One meeting springs to mind, it was announced Murphy would ride a special rocket bike; Murphy comes out with two rockets, strapped to the back of this JAP machine, lights up the fireworks, sparks flying out, roars around the track and falls off!

The Chads were sometimes referred to as a feeder team for Belle Vue, but apart from Peter Craven who became a major star with the Aces, no other rider of note came through from the Chads ranks to ride for Belle Vue. Rather, Belle Vue reserves at times rode for the Chads to help bolster the team, Val Morton (not Wal) as an example. However, after attending Hyde Road meetings I noted that the two tracks were totally different. Liverpool long fast and narrow, while the Manchester track was wide, allowing for vastly different riding styles. I believe the Manchester track, oval with wide turns and slightly banked, really suited Peter Craven's balance riding style, certainly more so than the Stanley track.

The Chads remained mired down at the bottom of the second division; the attendance was not there, no money to buy a star rider. Yes, we were always waiting for a big-time rider to be signed to the team, one who would hopefully take the team to the top.

The Liverpool promoters had to operate without a star rider as a draw, as a team at the bottom of the Second division and quite remarkably at the time, competing with "Wagon Train" on TV!

As a special treat my father would take us up to Manchester to attend the Belle Vue Aces meetings. A big difference, this was the major league in action, large crowds, star riders, all the glamour. I recall seeing Jack Parker, Norman Parker, Ken Sharples, Louis Lawson and Bob Duckworth ride. On visiting teams, Split Waterman, Jack Young, Jack Biggs, Ronnie Moore, Ron Howe, Arthur Forrest, and Malcolm Craven come to mind.

Memory doesn't allow me to date, when Liverpool Speedway closed down for the first time. But following the closure, ex Chad rider Reg Duval, started promoting Speedway at the Stanley track, calling his new team the Eagles. I believe Harry Welch was the team manager. Reg Duval promoted several successful challenge meetings, before another closure of the Stanley track. Reg Duval moved to South Africa, upon his return two years later he was signed by First Division Oxford. He was subsequently loaned out to ride for Bradford in the Provincial league. While Don Potter rode at a few speedway meetings at Wigan.

I recall attending a general meeting held at the Stanley track office where Mike Parker discussed promoting Speedway in Liverpool, within a newly formed Provincial League. Reg Fearman and Parker were joint promoters; other proposed tracks included Bristol, Sheffield, and Cradley Heath.

Parker's promoted team changed names, from the Liverpool Eagles/Chads to the Liverpool Pirates; I recall team members, Brian Craven and Dave Garrard. Parker introduced his "Australian Speed Cars" and sidecars racing during several Liverpool Speedway meetings. The side car racing was very exciting to watch, but was not a regular fixture. I do recall an exhibition run at Stanley a few years prior, when American style midget racers were introduced. The problem for the drivers was the width of the track, which led to problems passing, and the clouds of shale/dust churned up by the powdered up racing cars.

During the Provincial League days, Belle Vue manager at that time Ken Sharples, loaned out his reserve riders to help the Liverpool team, Bryce Subritzky and Jim Yacoby come to mind. Yacoby had quite good results against a strong Yarmouth team, and some solid second half results. While Subritzky proved to be a real strong team leader for the Liverpool team, especially at away matches.

Unfortunately, the Parker promotion received marginal support, Speedway closed again in Liverpool in 1960, at the time both Wal Morton and Bryce Subritzky were team members. Brian Craven continued his speedway career, riding for Stoke and Newcastle. Dave Gerrad rode for Bradford. Wal Morton rode for Bradford and Middlesbrough, Bryce Subritzky moved on to the Aces.

I left Merseyside for the States in 1967; during my trips back home, I always pestered my cousin to take me to a Speedway meeting. At times we were able to attend the Ellesmere Port Gunners meetings, unfortunately, that was another speedway venue that closed down.

I still have a number of photos of Chad and Belle Vue riders from those days; unfortunately not one of the entire Chad team posed together.

I moved from New York to Los Angeles in 1985, speedway was hot at the time; local tracks for me were Costa Mesa and Ascot. Nothing is forever, especially in the sport of Speedway, Ascot closed down, and Costa Mesa is just about making it, with a reduced racing schedule.

When I have the time I take in the occasional Speedway meeting at the Costa Mesa track, sitting in the bleachers on the back straight away, while listening to the sounds of revving engines from the pits, the smell of exhaust fumes in the warm California air. My memory carries me back to Liverpool, Monday nights at Stanley Stadium, cheering on my heroes.

Two, Four, Six, Eight, who do we - appreciate.....C-H-A-D-S!