Walthamstow Wolves

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Walthamstow Wolves
Walthamstow Wolves motorcycle speedway badge.jpg
Club information
Track address Walthamstow Stadium
Chingford Road
Walthamstow
London, England
CountryEngland
Founded1934
Closed1951
League National League
Club facts
ColoursRed, black and white
Track size282 yards (258 m)

The Walthamstow Wolves were a speedway team which operated from 1934 and again from 1949 until their closure in 1951. [1]

Contents

History

The club opened in 1934 competing in the National League, when Lea Bridge were forced to find a new venue after their licence was revoked by the Speedway Control Board in late July. [2] Walthamstow Wolves took on their last ten fixtures. [3] [4] They finished ninth in the 1934 Speedway National League. [5] [6] [7]

After the 1934 season the Wolves were forced to relocate due to noise complaints and subsequent court proceedings. They moved to the Hackney Wick Stadium as the Hackney Wick Wolves. [8] [9]

League speedway returned to Wathamstow for the 1949 Speedway National League Division Two and the promotion spent a considerable sum signing riders. Wilf Jay was signed from Newcastle for £1,000 and Dick Geary joined from Fleetwood for £1,000. [10] Despite the new signings the team struggled to attract good crowds due to being situated between Division one tracks at West Ham and Harringay.

The Wolves finished 6th that season and this was followed by two 5th place finishes in 1950 and 1951, [11] before they finally closed in 1951 due to declining attendance and complaints of noise from local residents. [12]

The track was later covered in tarmac for easier maintenance of the greyhound racing track. The stadium was sold in August 2008 and demolished to make way for a housing development.

Season summary

Year and leaguePositionNotes
1934 Speedway National League 9threplaced Lea Bridge mid-season
1949 Speedway National League Division Two 6th
1950 Speedway National League Division Two 5th
1951 Speedway National League Division Two 5th

Notable riders

References

  1. ↑ Bamford, R & Jarvis J.(2001). Homes of British Speedway. ISBN   0-7524-2210-3
  2. ↑ "Track at Lea Bridge closed" . Daily Express. 28 July 1934. Retrieved 17 January 2025– via British Newspaper Archive.
  3. ↑ "Speedway Race Control" . Daily News (London). 1 August 1934. Retrieved 28 September 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
  4. ↑ "Walthamstow Speedway". Defunct Speedway. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  5. ↑ "Year by Year". Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  6. ↑ Rogers, Martin (1978). The Illustrated History of Speedway. Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd. p. 129. ISBN   0-904584-45-3.
  7. ↑ "BRITISH LEAGUE TABLES - PRE-WAR ERA (1929-1939)". Official British Speedway website. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  8. ↑ Jacobs, N. Speedway in London, ISBN   0-7524-2221-9
  9. ↑ "Woman's Diary of Noises" . Liverpool Evening Express. 7 December 1934. Retrieved 28 September 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. ↑ "Mr. H. Bury" . Evening News (London). 4 January 1949. Retrieved 22 February 2025– via British Newspaper Archive.
  11. ↑ Oakes, Peter (1978). 1978 Speedway Yearbook. Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd. ISBN   978-0904584509.
  12. ↑ "British League Tables - Post War Era (1946-1964)". Official British Speedway website. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
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