Newcastle Speedway

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 seaside town of Whitley Bay. This was in 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 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 sites to see if it is mentioned? "It's turned out nice again, oh me, oh my!" .............

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.

Racing at Hillheads did not have the benefit of track lights so meetings were arranged for afternoons only 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 Whit 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.

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 pitch.

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.

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.

This picture of Gosforth Park appears to be of the narrower dog track which was laid over the original speedway track

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

This poor picture is the only one 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.

This is Gosforth rider Harry Huntly, taken at Gosforth Park, the track was 440 yards and very steeply banked.

Gosforth competed in the Northern League throughout 1930 but the promotion 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!

1929 Wembley Programme when Newcastle Gosforth were the visitors. It shows Wal Huntly which was a typing error the riders correct name was Harry Huntly

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