Notable riders
-
Cyril Cooper -
Gruff Garland - Jack Gates
- Alec (Farmer) Grant
- Merv Harding
- Ron Johnson
-
Larry Lazarus - Ken Le Breton
- Ron Phillips
- Bruce Semmens
- Chum Taylor
- Willie Wilson
| 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]
The original Giants team were the majority of the Newcastle Diamonds team of 1948. Tuesday nights 1949 to 1951 were "Giants Night" and 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 World Championship (1949). [3] 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. [3]
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 - Aussie Keith Gurtner and a rider who rode in yellow and black - Scotsman Willie (the wasp) Wilson. 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 [4] and then finished 11th, 8th and 7th respectively during the next three seasons. [5] [6]
The Giants were never very successful and the change of race night to a Saturday in 1952 saw a significant decline. Norrie Isbister soldiered on in 1953 but could not prevent the demise of the Giants.
A greyhound racing track replaced the shale for many years before speedway returned in 1999, with Saracen Park now the home of both the Glasgow Tigers speedway team and Ashfield F. C.
| 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 |
Cyril Cooper
Gruff Garland Jack Gates Alec (Farmer) Grant Merv Harding Ron Johnson 
Larry Lazarus Ken Le Breton Ron Phillips Bruce Semmens Chum Taylor Willie Wilson 
Motorcycle speedway, usually referred to simply as speedway, is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. The motorcycles are specialist machines that use only one gear and have no brakes. Racing takes place on a flat oval track usually consisting of dirt, loosely packed shale, or crushed rock. Competitors use this surface to slide their machines sideways, powersliding or broadsiding into the bends. On the straight sections of the track, the motorcycles reach speeds of up to 70 miles per hour (110 km/h).
Glasgow Tigers are a motorcycle speedway team from Glasgow, Scotland. Formed in 1928, the club adopted the Tigers nickname in 1946 and compete in the British SGB Championship. The team race at Ashfield Stadium, the home of Ashfield F.C., and celebrated their 75th anniversary in 2021.
Jack Ellis Young was a motorcycle speedway rider who won the Speedway World Championship in 1951 and 1952. He also won the London Riders' Championship 1953 and 1954 and was a nine time South Australian Champion between 1948 and 1964.
John Robert Vickers (Ken) McKinlay was an international motorcycle speedway rider. He earned 23 caps for the Scotland national speedway team, 92 caps for the England national speedway team and 23 caps for the Great Britain team..
Francis James Le Breton was an Australian Motorcycle speedway rider who was nicknamed "The White Ghost" due to his wearing white leathers.
The 1953 National League Division One was the 19th season of speedway in the United Kingdom and the eighth post-war season of the highest tier of motorcycle speedway in Great Britain.
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 1951 National League Division Two was the sixth post-war season of the second tier of motorcycle speedway in Great Britain.
The 1952 National League Division Two was the seventh post-war season of the second tier of motorcycle speedway in Great Britain.
The 1953 National League Division Two was the eighth 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.
Trevor John Redmond was a motorcycle speedway rider from New Zealand, who mainly rode for the Aldershot Shots, and the Wembley Lions. Redmond also opened a speedway track in Neath, Wales in 1962. He later became a promoter of stock car and hot rod racing, mainly in southwest England, through his Autospeed organisation.
The 1930 Northern League was the second season of speedway in the United Kingdom for Northern British teams. The league was previously known as the English Dirt Track League but the addition of two Scottish teams prompted a name change and 1930 was the inaugural Northern League. The Southern teams also had their second season known as the 1930 Speedway Southern League. The league was won by Belle Vue Aces.
The 1931 Northern League was the third season of speedway racing in the United Kingdom for Northern British teams. It was the final season of the Northern League before amalgamation with the Southern League which also had their third season known as the 1931 Speedway Southern League.
Edwin Vernon Thomas Taylor is a retired Australian motorcycle speedway rider who won the Australian Individual Speedway Championship in 1966. He was known as Chum Taylor by the press and speedway public. He earned 28 international caps for the Australia national speedway team and one cap for the Great Britain 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.
Douglas Templeton was a motorcycle speedway rider from Scotland.
Mervyn Welsley Harding was an international motorcycle speedway rider from Australia. 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.