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Birmingham Speedway
Kings
Heath |
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| The greyhound track at Kings
Heath, Birmingham, was situated on Alcester Road at the Alcester
Lanes End, with greyhound crowds being brought to the popular
meetings by tram. The stadium struggled to compete with its more
illustrious greyhound neighbours at Hall Green and Perry Barr. It
was first converted to greyhound racing in 1926 and had opened its
gates as one of the earliest tracks on 21st May 1927 and was not
only NGRC registered but even offered BAGS meetings. By 1936 the
lease of the track was taken over by H Leo Craven, but by 1949 the
Greyhound Company had purchased the freehold for the ground. |
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| Brian Buck says: Kings Heath stadium
staged only two speedway meetings. One in 1928 and the other in
1929 |
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| Brian Buck says: John, There is some
dispute as to whether the two meetings staged at Kings Heath were
speedway or grass-track meetings. Pre-war rider Charlie Bowers who
was a member of the track staff at Perry Barr until his death,
told me that the first one was part of a gymkhana and that there
were only about half a dozen races, but he took part in the second
meeting which he says were raced on the grass dog track but which
had several lorry loads of cinders thrown over it, so you could
describe it as either! Neither of the meetings were reported
in the Birmingham newspapers. |
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| In 1961 when Phil Hart's plans to put a
new Birmingham team in the Provincial League at Perry Barr were
scuppered when Birchfield Harriers refused to do a deal with him,
he made extensive enquiries about laying a new track at King's
Heath. The stadium owner was receptive to the idea but Phil wanted
a long lease which the owner was not prepared to give so the plans
fell through. |
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| The stadium was ideally situated adjacent
to the bus terminus of several routes running from the City centre,
and I believe that speedway there could have been successful.
Brian Buck |
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| 1928
Douglas Dirt Track Bike |
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| Bikes like this 1928 Douglas would have
been winning races at Kings Heath in 1928/29 |
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