Gosforth Speedway

Newcastle's other track 1929-30 Gosforth Park, Great North Road, Gosforth Newcastle

Gosforth Park where Asda's store on Gosforth High Street is now!  This was a heat from The Evening Chronicle Junior Speedway Trophy.  The winner of the trophy was R. Dirkin.  It is a pity that the picture didn't show the bends as the Gosforth track had very high banking on the bends.  This picture is the only one on the site that shows a push start.

This is Gosforth's top rider Charles "Tiger" Sanderson. Tiger came from Fencehouses in Co Durham and was the star of the short-lived Whitley Bay venture before the promotion closed the seaside towns track to concentrate on the Newcastle Gosforth venue.  I like the right hand picture which shows Tigers waxed moustache! very cool man!

Harry Huntly

Courtesy The Vast Collection/Ian Huntly

Gosforth and Brough rider Harry Huntly aboard a Douglas DT with engine protection guards fitted.  Also interesting to note the Newcastle United shirts from 1929.  This picture was taken at Gosforth Super Speedway. All of the photo's and other items featuring Harry are from "The Vast Collection/Ian Huntly"

Courtesy The Vast Collection/Ian Huntly

Gosforths 1929 team Harry Huntly, Jim Holden, Tom (Yank) Harrison and Arnie Cattell on the bike. The picture was taken at Manchester's White City when Gosforth were the visitors.

Items from a Gosforth programme from 1930 Showing Chester-le-Streets Harry Huntley and a number of other local riders.  The programme notes inform us that Harry had just invested in a new machine, a Rudge so he would have had to adapt to riding foot forward unlike his Douglas which required a leg trailing technique on the corners. Harry was 6ft 6inches tall so his leg would have trailed more than most!  Switching to Rudge was the way forward as the Douglas had had its day so Harry must have had his finger on the pulse of the sport.

Harry heads the Track Championship Table.

At 6ft 8 inches Harry may well be the tallest rider ever built still? Here is an account of his meeting with Wal Lloyd who wasn't very tall!

Courtesy The Vast Collection/Ian Huntly

This is Harry at Gosforth.  Gosforth was famous for it's high banking on the bends and in this shot you can get an impression of the banking.

Also from Gosforth this is Harry in action

Courtesy The Vast Collection/Ian Huntly

1929 was a great year for Harry, here he is aboard his Douglas, with some of his trophies, at home in Chester-le-Street

Courtesy The Vast Collection/Ian Huntly

Here's an offer of a contract for Harry's service at £4.00 appearance money. Anyone care to convert that to the modern equivalent? Harry decided to stay northern based as he was working for his uncle and could get the summer off to concentrate on speedway.

Here's Harry in 1995 celebrating his birthday by sitting once again on a speedway machine, courtesy of Reading Speedway. Sadly Harry passed away later in the year.

Gosforth closed it's doors to speedway way back in 1930 and never re-emerged as a speedway track it became a greyhound track continuing until closure in the 1980's

Courtesy Phil Small

Gosforth stadium in 1988 just before redevelopment into an Asda store

Courtesy Phil Small

Courtesy Phil Small

Courtesy Phil Small

The pictures show the dog track laid over the old speedway circuit and were sent in by Phil Small of Cleveland.  The site would benefit from more pictures of Gosforth,1929 and 1930 so get in touch if you have any John