| Ashfield Giants | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Club information | |
| Track address | Ashfield Stadium Possilpark Glasgow |
| Country | Scotland |
| Founded | 1949 |
| Closed | 1953 (reformed for 2000 only) |
Ashfield Giants were a motorcycle speedway team based at Saracen Park, Glasgow, Scotland between 1949 and 1953. [1] The track operated on an open licence in 1953 and were reformed for a one of season during the 2000 Speedway Conference League. [2]
Plans to build a speedway track at Saracen Park began to take hold in October 1948. [3] Shortly afterwards it was announced by the Speedway Control Board that the disbanded Newcastle Diamonds would form a new team at the stadium. [4]
The original Giants team were the majority of the former Newcastle side and Tuesday nights from 1949 to 1951 were "Giants Night". Arguably their most famous rider was Ken Le Breton, known as 'The White Ghost'. Ken (real name Francis) was the star man in his white painted leathers and led the Giants 1949 and 1950. Ken was the first of three Scottish-based riders to compete in a final of the Speedway World Championship in (1949). [5] Sadly, he was killed in a track crash in his native Australia in early 1951; this prompted massive scenes of public grief at the stadium. [5]
Co-promoters Johnnie Hoskins and Norrie Isbister presided over a colourful team with a rider in red leathers - Aussie Merv Harding, a rider in blue leathers - another Australian Keith Gurtner and a rider who rode in yellow and black - Scotsman Willie (the wasp) Wilson. Even the reserve rider Eric Liddell joined the fun with silver leathers. All this in a time when most riders wore the standard black leathers. The team finished 11th in their inaugural 1949 Speedway National League Division Two season [6] and then finished 11th, 8th and 7th respectively during the next three seasons. [7] [8]
The Giants failed to compete for silverware (except in the smaller Scottish Cup competition) and the change of race night to a Saturday in 1952 saw a significant decline. [9] The Giants were disbanded at the end of the 1952 season, Hoskins left to promote at Belle Vue Aces and captain Willie Wilson followed. [10] Promoter Norrie Isbister continued to arrange individual meetings during 1953. [11]
A greyhound racing track replaced the shale from 1956 to 1999 before speedway returned to Saracen Park in 1999, with the Glasgow Tigers speedway team. [12]
| Year and league | Position | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1949 Speedway National League Division Two | 11th | |
| 1950 Speedway National League Division Two | 11th | |
| 1951 Speedway National League Division Two | 8th | |
| 1952 Speedway National League Division Two | 7th | |
| 2000 Speedway Conference League | 9th |
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Francis James Le Breton was an Australian Motorcycle speedway rider who was nicknamed "The White Ghost" due to his wearing white leathers.
Jack Stark Hoskins MBE was the most significant promoter of speedway and stock car racing in the United Kingdom. He is considered by some to have invented motorcycle speedway.
Frederick Owen Williams was a motorcycle speedway rider from Wales who was World Champion on two occasions. He was the winner of the Speedway World Championship in 1950 and 1953 and runner-up in 1952. With no Welsh team to represent, he earned 28 international caps for the England national speedway team.
The Bristol Bulldogs were a British motorcycle speedway team based at the Knowle Stadium, Bristol, England from 1928 to 1961 and later Eastville Stadium from 1977 to 1978.
The 1949 National League Division Two was the fourth post-war season of the second tier of motorcycle speedway in Great Britain.
The 1950 National League Division Two was the fifth post-war season of the second tier of motorcycle speedway in Great Britain.
The Motherwell Eagles or Lanarkshire Eagles were a motorcycle speedway team based in Motherwell in Scotland that participated in the British National League Division Two from 1951 and 1954.
Squire Francis Waterman, better known as Split Waterman, was an English speedway rider who twice finished second in the Speedway World Championship final. Waterman took up speedway while serving in the British Army in Italy and went on to become one of the top riders of the post-war era. He made the headlines again in the late 1960s when he was convicted of gold smuggling and firearms offences.
Alfred Jeffrey Lloyd was a former international speedway rider who qualified for the Speedway World Championship finals three times. He earned five international caps for the England national speedway team.
Derick Tallentire Close was a British motorcycle speedway rider, who reached the final of Speedway World Championship in 1952.
Ronald Johnston was a New Zealand motorcycle speedway rider, who rode for the Belle Vue Aces. He also rode in four World Finals during his career finishing a best 5th in 1960. He earned 16 caps for the New Zealand national speedway team.
Saracen Park or Ashfield Stadium, also known as Peugeot Ashfield Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a stadium in Glasgow, Scotland. It is currently shared by Ashfield F.C. for football and the Glasgow Tigers for speedway. It has also previously been a venue for greyhound racing. The ground was originally opened for football in 1937.
Mervyn Welsley Harding was an Australian international motorcycle speedway rider. He earned 11 international caps for the Australia national speedway team.
William Wilson was a motorcycle speedway rider from Scotland. He earned 12 international caps for the Scotland national speedway team.
Keith Frank Gurtner was an Australian motorcycle speedway rider. He was the champion of Queensland a record equalling seven times in 1974 and earned 26 international caps for the Australia national speedway team.
