Liverpool Chads are a defunct motorcycle speedway team who were based at the Stanley Stadium in Prescot Road, Fairfield, Liverpool, England.[1]
| Salford (speedway) | |
|---|---|
| Club information | |
| Track address | Stanley Stadium Prescot Road Fairfield, Liverpool |
| Country | England |
| Founded | 1929 |
| Closed | 1960 |
| League | Northern League Provincial League National League |
History edit
Liverpool Speedway's team was established the late 1920s. League racing first took place in 1929 with the formation of the English Dirt Track League, effectively a Northern League, which ran alongside the Southern League. In 1930, the team competed in the Northern League.[2] They were known during this time as Liverpool Merseysiders.
In 1937, the Liverpool promotion dropped out of the league in mid-July due to financial problems and was replaced by the Belle Vue Aces promotion led by Mr E. C. Spence,[3] Belle Vue also had a team in the National League so at this point the Provincial League team were renamed the Belle Vue Merseysiders.[4]
When the sport was revived in 1949 the team were known as Liverpool Chads. The team's nickname referred to a popular piece of cartoon graffiti at the time known as a Chad. They opened again in the National League Division Three and were again based at Stanley Stadium, Liverpool.[5] The team moved up to National League Division Two for the 1951 season and operated there until 1953 when the track closed, again in mid season. A new side now called Liverpool Eagles were created in 1957 but closed after a few meetings. A few open meetings were staged in 1959 and the club, now racing as the Liverpool Pirates, competed in the 1960 Provincial League.[6]
The club again closed at the end of the year and the Stanley Stadium was demolished and a fruit market was constructed on the site.[1][7]
Speedway was also staged in Liverpool in the 1930s at Seaforth Greyhound Stadium.
Notable riders edit
- Peter Craven (World Champion)[8]
- Oliver Hart
- Ginger Lees (rode in the first ever Speedway World Championship final in 1936)[9]
- Tommy Price
Season summary edit
| Year and league | Position | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1929 Speedway English Dirt Track League | 8th | |
| 1930 Speedway Northern League | 2nd | |
| 1936 Provincial Speedway League | 4th | |
| 1937 Provincial Speedway League | 4th | withdrew, fixtures taken over by Belle Vue Aces |
| 1949 Speedway National League Division Three | 9th | |
| 1950 Speedway National League Division Three | 8th | |
| 1951 Speedway National League Division Two | 13th | |
| 1952 Speedway National League Division Two | 11th | |
| 1953 Speedway National League Division Two | N/A | withdrew, record expunged |
| 1960 Provincial Speedway League | 9th |
References edit
- ^ a b Bamford, R & Jarvis J.(2001). Homes of British Speedway. Stroud: Tempus Publishing ISBN 0-7524-2210-3
- ^ "Exeter 1929". Exeter Speedway. 2004. Archived from the original on 8 October 2012. Retrieved 10 May 2008.
- ^ "Belle Vue take over Liverpool". Weekly Dispatch (London). 11 July 1937. Retrieved 11 January 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "BRITISH LEAGUE TABLES - PRE-WAR ERA (1929-1939)". Official British Speedway website. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
- ^ Rogers, Martin (1978). The Illustrated History of Speedway. Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd. p. 129. ISBN 0-904584-45-3.
- ^ "Speedway again in Liverpool". Liverpool Echo. 18 July 1959. Retrieved 25 January 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Year by Year". Speedway Researcher. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
- ^ Bam ford, R. & Shailes, G. (2002). A History of the World Speedway Championship. Stroud: Tempus Publishing. ISBN 0-7524-2402-5
- ^ Jacobs, N & Lipscombe, P (2005). Wembley Speedway : The Pre-War Years. Stroud: Tempus Publishing ISBN 0-7524-3750-X