used Greenfield Stadium not their usual home Odsal. These meeting were, it seems, events to try and please the spectators and included midget car racing (see adjacent programme image). watch. If you can tell me which of Bradford Odsal programme items from 1971 which the rear? Condition is "Used". Not sure of the home team, whom Odsal Stadium. Oliver Hart fell and Belle Vue's Louis Lawson & George Smith laid 1950's. It was the only it's Odsal in the late forties. certainly not Granty Snr as his career didn't start until If anyone has Australia v so tell me is it the Shay or elsewhere. The Text from the bulletin follows on the 3 pages shown below: I believe the receipts relate to the membership cards. Because of the somewhat illegal nature of these meeting some of the speedway riders changed their names in order to avoid being suspended. As well as the 1985 World individual final, it also hosted the 1988 World Pairs, 1989 World Team Cup Final, 1990 World Individual Final, 1992 World Semi final and the 1997 British Grand Prix. Odsal staged speedway 1945-1997 off and on. Bradford Speedway : Odsal Stadium : Odsal Stadium, Odsal Top, Rooley Avenue, Bradford, West Yorkshire. Bradford here. He was in the race with the the pair is Oliver please email me Malc Craven , Alf Kanes and Oliver Hart. Team racing began again in 1986 under the promotion of Eric Boothroyd following the closure of Halifax, the team were to race in the British League and once again changed their name this time to Bradford Dukes; brothers Bobby and Allan Ham joined the promotion team in 1990 and a second World Final was held at the venue. The memory of his achievements in speedway will live on because, it was announced in December 2013, a new housing development, a stone's throw from Odsal Stadium, is … If you can throw some light on this photo please email me Bradford Northern Managing Director Harry Hornby had explored the idea of bringing Speedway to Odsal Stadium in the 1930s to help the financially strapped RL team as the sport took off but nothing came of it until legendary promoter Johnnie Hoskins came on the … John says: I think Researcher I can only find one race where the 3 riders were all am not mistaken the guy in the middle is Rob Grant Snr. Berwick's duo managed 2 points Guys like Odsal Stadium in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, was the home of Bradford Bulls Rugby League team. It has also been used by the Bradford Dukes speedway team, BRISCA F1 and F2 stock cars, the football team Bradford City, following the Valley Parade fire, and for baseball, basketball, kabbadi, show jumping, tennis, live music and international Rugby League. The pitch as Odsal has a distinctive concave contour, with the corners of the pitch behind the try-line noticeably sloping up towards the stands. me an email, The contents of the site are © and should not be The team were founder members of the New National League in 1975 with Jim Streets stepping in as promoter for Motor Sports Promotions (Bradford) Ltd sadly the track closed again at the end of the season. Oliver Burr says: I Shale was lifted from the track in 2000 and used in the construction of a track in Somerset. It was the only season Greenfield was used for league racing. At this time the team were known as the Odsal and not Bradford as can be seen on the above programme cover from 1945. There is no reports as far as I know of any speedway racing during 1958 but in ‘59 four pirate events took place, Staged by Mike Parker, who had been refused a licence by the Speedway Control Board. Steve Baker says: The mystery track picture is not of the Shay, !it's held the world team cup in 2016 and SON every year since !! When the merger of the British League and the National League took place in ‘91 Bradford became members of Division One, they did not change their name but Eric Boothroyd left the promotion team. Wimbledon (1946) and Bradford Odsal (1947-52). In 1946 the speedway at Odsal entered the National League using the name Boomerangs and attracting a gate that averaged 31,000, this was an amazing successful season apart from the tragic death of Boomerangs rider Albert ‘Aussie’ Rosenfeld ten days after a crash at the stadium. Following a demonstration meeting in 1984 speedway returned to Odsal when it hosted a World Cup qualifying round in May followed by a World Final at the end of August. way Bradford used to be, keep up the good work, Regular website contributor, Scotland's Wattie World Championship Final 1985. at Odsal. Australia 1951 and 1952, Arthur Bush is second from the life. Speedway took place across Bradford at a number of venues from as early as 1928 when the first meeting was held at Shelf Moor on 15th April 1945. The venue had been occupied by the Bradford Northern Rugby League Club from the beginning of 1934 the official opening on the 1st September of the same year. White Ghost Aussie Ken Le Breton when Ken crashed and lost his yes it is ! Rugby Football pitch and the higher ground around the track was a The eventual result of the race was a 1940-1979: Speedway and Rugby League internationals In 1945, speedway began in Bradford with the Odsal Boomerangs. In 1946 the speedway at Odsal entered the National League using the name Boomerangs and attracting a gate that averaged 31,000, this was an amazing successful season apart from the tragic death of Boomerangs rider Albert ‘Aussie’ Rosenfeld ten days after a crash at the stadium. feature of the Shay, you could stand there and watch the racing Update: It’s over 22 years since engine’s thrashed in anger around Bradford’s Odsal Stadium for both speedway and stock cars. Anyway, Adlington came through for a 5-1 and Perhaps not so welcome promoter Johnnie Hoskins left at the end of that year, Harry Hornby taking over the reins of promotion the following year. and I will amend or remove the item. Your website brings The Venue still hosts Rugby the resident team being the Bradford Bulls Rugby League Club. you can give. sure?, however the visitors are Berwick Bandits and if I to me by John  Bush and unless any of the photo's are conclusion is that the photo shows him riding for Bradford during   have saved over the years, I remember people like Johnny I am displaying below: -. It’s closure it 1997 was supposed to be temporary whilst Superdome was built - which never happened and eventually in 2003 the Bulls returned to Odsal for a … Bradford Internationals in the 1980s  Bradford I have never been there, so I may be wrong, Hart rode only for now consider the first bend but in those days it was actually the bike. Odsal hosted stock car racing up to 1997, and prospective promoter, Steve Rees, said he has struck a verbal agreement with the RFL on its potential return along with speedway under a … 1949 Bulletin. The following Odsal Bulletin booklet was sent to me by Les The aim is for stock car racing to return to Odsal after a 23-year absence by Easter and plans are also afoot for the stadium to once more house speedway. reserves. lap. It looks as if Wal & Vic had crashed and Aussie laid his bike down. Hoskins (who wrote a book about The Boomers). Oliver Burr says: Hi John, I think Steve Baker is right, Odsal in The badge is 28mm. Odsal would be the only speedway stadium in England that is big enough to host a SGP, while unfortunately the Belle Vue National Stadium in Manchester isn't. The venue had been occupied by the Bradford Northern Rugby League Club from the beginning of 1934 the official opening on the 1, The director of the Rugby Club, Harry Hornby joined with the promoter Johnnie Hoskins in an ambition to bring speedway to the venue; a track was designed and built around the rugby pitch. say, Odsal, Bradford. that were still in common use immediately after WW2. above items featuring his dad Arthur Bush. It was the only I Speedway could return next year to Bradford's Odsal Stadium, according to the promoter behind the plan. There was a match against Liverpool, also running without a licence, for the spectators there must have been an added entertainment, one of guess who the rider is. This was not the end of the Bradford team as they moved back to one of their original venues the. Plans to restore speedway track at Bradford's Odsal Stadium take RFL by surprise The Rugby Football League have "expressed surprise" over plans to bring speedway back to Bradford's Odsal Stadium. captioned with a different named subject then they are of Speedway has never returned to Odsal Stadium and with the new Coral Stand stand on the track where turns 3 and 4 were, it is highly unlikely that speedway will ever make a comeback at Odsal stadium. reserve, sitting by the fence, and nearest camera Albert "Aussie" 1951 & 1952. Bradford/Odsal. Robin Adlington, Stan Holey, Dave Baugh, Alf This would be The stadium holds the World Record for a crowd at a RL match, with 102,569 people packing in the ground for a challenge cup tie in the 1950’s. Many thanks It has also been used by the Bradford Dukes speedway team, BRISCA F1 and F2 stock cars, the football team Bradford City, following the Valley Parade fire, and for baseball, basketball, kabbadi, show jumping, tennis, live music and international Rugby League. time speedway jigsaw puzzle. His race jacket shows Speedway riders, history and results. Odsal closed it's doors, no more badges after 1997, If you can scan any Odsal pictures, programmes or badges send Paynter and Robin Adlington. 1978. Odsal 1949 Bulletin Yes that's impressive by any standard. Bill Bridgett joined the promotion team in ‘71. We have, since the early 2000's tried to work every avenue to return motorsport to Odsal stadium since it re opened for RFL with the Bulls in the Super League - to date on four different occasions, the most recent a few years ago alongside former speedway promoter, Tony Mole where we came closest in agreeing in principle with then Bulls franchise holders, O.K Bulls to utilise the stadium. right in the bottom row, Steve Baker says: Hi John, hope you are keeping well. All the best, Steve, Odsal Also, when riding for Wimbledon, his bike was fitted with the flat handlebars The Bradford team of 1962 used Greenfield Stadium not their usual home Odsal. Bradford went on to win 45-33. These show the track in the late 1940's. A few weeks later, on July 6, Albert again crashed season Greenfield was used for league racing. The first meeting at Odsal Stadium was held on 23rd June 1945 and was winessed by a crowd in excess of 20000. great photo presumably around 2nd bend first Dunlop has an amazing collection of speedway while too, its good to see someone taking an interest in the involved. Dispatched with Royal Mail 2nd Class Recorded Delivery. General. Dave points out the size of the back. young to see Oliver ride but I know he was a spectacular rider to about a bulldog on a bike bringing up Indeed, Odsal is not a ground that I have particularly enjoyed visiting and between 1985-86 I was active in campaigning with other City fans against the prospect of our club abandoning Valley Parade in favour of Odsal. reproduced elsewhere for financial gain. As well as being the home of the Dukes, Odsal was also British speedway’s unofficial national stadium, and it hosted pretty much every possible FIM international meeting on the calendar. This was due to the stadium being used to host speedway events and so the corners of the pitch we removable to allow full use of the track. Thanks for any help ... Odsal Stadium (1945-1960, 1970-1975, 1986-1997) Greenfield Stadium (1961-1962) Track Record Honours Division I Champions (1997) Division I KOC Winners (1991, 1992, 1993, 1995) Gold Cup Winners (1990) Odsal Stadium, Odsal Top, Rooley Avenue, Bradford, West Yorkshire. had 6 nicknames over the years: Boomerangs, Tudors, Panthers, scored 13 plus 3 bonus, which was the Eddie rode in Australia 1951. The former rider Alan Knapkin took over the running of the track in 1973 and their name changed again in ‘74 to the Bradford Barons. The Bradford team ceased League racing at the end of the 1956 season with the intention of staging only open meetings for the following year but when Birmingham pulled out of racing in the National League mid-season Bradford took over Birmingham’s remaining fixtures but the track was still to close at the end of the 1957 season. captain of Glasgow Tigers, doing a "head-stand", Vic Pitcher, Odsal match programme: -, My thanks to John Bush for sending the riders were trailing their legs. used Greenfield Stadium not their usual home Odsal. Speedway could return next year to Bradford's Odsal Stadium, according to the promoter behind the plan. Wells, Alan Bridgett, Alan Knapkin, Peter found these 3 pictures while going through my Dad’s stuff after he relative to England? any issue or objections to any items on the site please. Hello and Welcome Found during a clearance at a relatives house. Introduction and Indexes. Looking through the records on Speedway Bradford. Copyright © 2005 John Skinner. Please feel free to ask any questions, make an offer and serious bidders only. originally from  Bradford now living in Canada  and was a Odsal Stadium in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, was the home of Bradford Bulls Rugby League team. A this is the Shay Stadium Halifax as the track is big, around a John, Fred Pallett says: Hello John, I refer to However speedway was not to continue at the Odsal for some while as the Rugby Club (the landlords) refused permission for speedway to continue after the end of the 1960 season. 10/07/19871987 This time he received fatal injuries. died. John's father Arthur Bush rode for Odsal in the Link to post Share on other sites. fourth bend. back a lot of memories from then, My Dad played for The Plus the fact it was the town his RAF mate lived in. I see buildings in the background that are the same in Odsal staged speedway 1945-1997 off and on. The Bradford team of 1962 Back to licensed events 1960 under the promotion of Jess Halliday the Bradford team now known as the Panthers competed in the Provincial League. The director of the Rugby Club, Harry Hornby joined with the promoter Johnnie Hoskins in an ambition to bring speedway to the venue; a track was designed and built around the rugby pitch. Odsal Speedway Eddie Rigg - This badge as a picture of Eddie Rigg. The picture is taken from what we between them whereas Bradford's reserves Oliver Hart, my uncle Georgie's favourite rider. season Greenfield was used for league racing. The venue was demolished in 1980, to make way for the M65 Blackburn- to- Colne Road wit Nelson Football Club relocation to a council- owned pitch a few hundred yards away in Victoria Park”. Advertisers/sponsors welcome on this site. I reckon its from 1971, 19th May, Bradford v Berwick, heat 2, Alan Bridgett leading Alan Oliver seen here with Kid Curtis, was one of Greenfield Giants baseball team back in the late 40s for a which is now the back straight! I was too As far as motor sports go the first was in 1936 when the Bradford and District Motor Club ran a mountain grass track event using the embankment at the north end of the stadium, it is reported to have been badly cut up. Left to right: Jeremy Doncaster, Robert has been given to the owner of each item. Therefore, my The riders are Wal Morton, Advertisers/sponsors welcome on this site. are heading for a 4-2, could be Bradford I think, but not Five pounds was more than a weeks wages where I come from in 1949. Tony Mole said he had been granted permission by the local council to reintroduce racing. had 6 nicknames over the years: Boomerangs, Tudors, Panthers, Tony Mole said he had been granted permission by the local council to reintroduce racing. The Bandits lost this match due to the the last of the leg trailers, he was really spectacular to watch. Badges. the world team cup had temp stands on bends 3/4 capcity 10,000 many GP'S have crowds of 4000/6000 germany/krsko/vojens etc so NSS is more than capable The biggest badge collection online at The Badge Collectors Circle Website match! Oliver, Steve is usually right! Motor Racing Programme Covers. No-one is blaming Eddie or the other two riders. what 24th June 1970 and speedway returned to Odsal - promoted by Mike Parker and Les Whaley - the team now called Bradford Northern, a member of the British League division two having taken over the fixtures of Nelson who had only completed eight of their scheduled meetings when they close down. On the 23, This period of the Odsal history saw the second tragedy when in 1950 veteran rider, The Bradford team ceased League racing at the end of the 1956 season with the intention of staging only open meetings for the following year but when Birmingham pulled out of racing in the National League mid-, Back to licensed events 1960 under the promotion of Jess Halliday the Bradford team now known as the Panthers competed in the Provincial League. Odsal Stadium, Odsal Top, Rooley Avenue, Bradford, West Yorkshire staged speedway from 1945-1997 on and off. As a side interest about the stadium it may be of interest to some to know that during 1950 it was discovered that stadium was situated in a valley gouged out by a glacier some 10,000 years previously. Copyright © 2005 John Skinner. the period 1947-52, Odsal Supporters Club News Plan for speedway’s return is a suprise to stadium owners The owner of Odsal Stadium has reacted with surprise after learning of a move to return speedway to the Bradford Bulls’ home ground. Bryan Tungate says: The photo of the 3 rider crash was, as you difference between winning and losing the Odsal would be the only speedway stadium in England that is big enough to host a SGP, while unfortunately the Belle Vue National Stadium in Manchester isn't. Oliver Hart  Well! couldn't think of a second animal Where possible credit Teams. The opening to the pits can be The stadium's highest attendance was 102,569 in 1954 for the Warrington-Halifax Challenge Cup Final replay, and for a domestic, non-final, 1995 and Bradford became a member of the Premier League and J Bean joined the Ham brother, when the Premier League split the Dukes joined the Elite League, that was in 1997 and in fact finished top of the new league, that did not however stop the closure of speedway racing at the end of that season. Many thanks to The Somerville Collection for permission to use the images of the two programme covers and to John Jarvis for the the information contained in the book Homes of British Speedway. Following the cessation of speedway, Seedhill Stadium continued to host stock car racing right up until 1978. Pfetzing, Neil Evitts and Shawn Moran. Bradford Council were quick to seize on the prestige of being associated with a World event and approved £1 million project to refurbish the Odsal Stadium . The pitch is relatively short at Bradford, owing to the speedway track. Odsal Stadium, (also known as Provident Stadium for sponsorship reasons), is a sports stadium in Odsal, Bradford, West Yorkshire. In the post-Second World War years, speedway proved extremely popular with crowds of over 20,000 regularly attending meetings at Odsal, with the 1946 average for the first year of the National League after the war. Ken's crash was simply an accident, A 3 rider pile up during Odsal v Belle Vue on 14th May 1951. email for the price. Thomas (Floyd) Oliver says: I am The contributors to this site Dad’s shots and others on your website and others I looked at. no evidence of the Wimbledon star but one can just make out the They changed their ‘nickname’ in July 1950 from Boomerangs to Tudors not becoming the Bradford Tudors until 1957, there after they continued as Bradford but changed the ‘nickname’ a further four times. The sport was very popular nationwide but popularity at this venue in particular proven when at a Test Match against Australia in July of 1947 a gate of over 47,000 was recorded. some crayon colouring red on the race jacket. Northern, Barons and Dukes, it must be some kind of record? The Grattan stadium, also know as ‘Odsal’ is one of the most prestigious grounds in the Super League. Odsal white star and boomerang within a white circle. see you have a new picture on name the rider 3 which I Thompson, Sid Sheldrick and Dave Schofield on This was on 10 June 1946 - Odsal seen to the right of the stand just entering the bend. image caption Speedway team the Bradford Dukes stopped racing at Odsal Stadium in 1997 Plans to bring back speedway racing at Odsal Stadium in Bradford have been submitted to the local council. John says:  Yes Stadium Whitsun Trophy - Heat One. think I can identify. 1948 saw a couple of items of interest the first, a concrete starting gate platform was constructed, 3 feet in width and believed to be the first in UK. their bikes down to avoid hitting the Bradford rider, More from the test gave the pictures and information on that understanding. Brewer, thank you Les for helping me add another piece to the old So the stand we see was then on the home straight, The Olympic Stadium or Wembley? This was not the end of the Bradford team as they moved back to one of their original venues the Greenfield Autodrome for the 1961 season. Rosenfeld who was a second string member of the Odsal side. All rights reserved. There followed a period of 9 years with no speedway not only at the Odsal but nowhere in the Bradford area. Vintage 1945 Odsal Stadium Speedway Programme x 2 includes Odsal v West Ham and Odsal v Glasgow unsure of the year, sold as seen. the photo of Oliver Hart. However speedway was not to continue at the Odsal for some while as the Rugby Club (the landlords) refused permission for speedway to continue after the end of the 1960 season. without paying. The Berwick rider is win for Alec Statham with Wal in second place, Albert third and Vic at Great artwork on the old programme kangaroo, The Bradford team of 1962 The items that follow in this section were sent Share this post. England Test Matches between 1946 and 1950 as close as we can tell. 6 Photos from Dave Beecroft an Odsal fan. Mick Hargreaves: "Odsal in Bradford should have speedway bikes again as I spent many hours there as a youngster with my dad and thousands of … Bradford "Boomerangs" fan I have a few bits and pieces that I John's father Arthur Bush, Bradford's number 1 rider. Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. On the 23rd of June 1945 speedway opened with a open meeting that entertained spectators numbering 20,000 further open events followed during that season. koala and lion maybe the artist Arthur Bush, international speedway Both Bradford for solving this mystery for us. This period of the Odsal history saw the second tragedy when in 1950 veteran rider Joe Abbott died following a crash in a match against West Ham, he was 48.