The Marine Gardens

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The following week all records went by the board when a crowd of nearly 24,000 attended the meeting on Saturday afternoon. In addition to a programme which embraced the Edinburgh Handicap and the Silver Gauntlet, an extra attraction was the £100 match between Sprouts Elder, America, and J. Valente, Glasgow over four laps, flying start. Valente had been making a name for himself and his winning laurels had been many, but he was no match for his more experienced opponent. He never appeared to get going with the same freedom that characterised Elder and was defeated by a fair margin. The time of 1 min 29 and four fifth secs, which was a record for the ground, showed the speed at which Elder was travelling. The previous best was 1 min 35 secs and stood to the credit of his opponent J. Valente. This was not the only occasion during the afternoon on which Elder beat Valente’s figures. At the wind up of the programme he tackled the four laps flying start time and succeeded in lowering Valente’s record by the tenth of a second. The American also won the Silver Gauntlet, but the racing in this event lacked the excitement of the Edinburgh Handicap. The heats were well contested and the good work of the back markers was much admired. The final ended in a win for the local rider D. McDonald, who made the pace a good one and had a good winning margin over Sprouts Elder at the finish. Valente had a spill in the third heat of the Silver Gauntlet but fortunately without any serious mishap. The proceedings were admirably managed by Mr. Fraser, everything going with a swing from beginning to end.

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For their biggest win of the season, which was gained against Arthurlie at the Marine Gardens on 13 October 1928, Leith Athletic owed much to their forwards and in particular to Laidlaw who scored five of their six goals. Although always impressing as a dangerous company, the Leith forwards did not get much scope in the first half of the game. This was chiefly due to the poor play of the half backs who failed to supply the necessary link with the men in front. In the second half the Arthurlie side played well for ten minutes but latterly collapsed. In the final half hour the game was of a run away nature.

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On 17 October the Marine Gardens announced that they had installed the Marconiphone public speech equipment at the Speedway .All particulars about the new system could be obtained from Rossleigh Limited District agents, 6 Queensferry St. Edinburgh who carried a full range of all Marconiphone wireless receivers as shown at the recent London Olympia Radio Exhibition.

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By March 1929, Edinburgh City were also using the Marine Gardens football field as their home ground. In their opening match the honours rested with Edinburgh City who triumphed over Duns by the comfortable margin of three goals to one. The home team showed up much better as a combined force than did Duns but if the latter had less of the attacking they were always a dangerous company in front of the posts.

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Chief interest in the dirt track racing at Marine Gardens Speedway on the evening of 15 April 1929 centred in the exploits of the local rider George McKenzie and a 25,000 crowd was thrilled by his daring yet skilful riding. Strangely enough he won neither the handicap nor Golden Helmet, but his great race when defeating Sprouts Elder in a four laps match was compensation sufficient as he established a new record for the track, completing the four laps (with a flying start) in 1 min 27 secs. His chance in the handicap was finished by an unfortunate breakdown when about to assume the lead.

The final of this event was won by the Falkirk rider Oliver Goodfellow who only entered the last stage as a fastest loser in the semi-final and found his handicap allowance of great value.

Drew McQueen gained the Golden Helmet practically without challenge. McKenzie let his man go too far away and, when he made his challenge, lost further ground by having to swing wide to avoid the riders in front.

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Further evidence of the popularity of the dirt track sport was afforded on 20 April when a crowd of around 15,000 was present at Marine Gardens Speedway. They were given some fine thrilling racing and though there were some few spills, the evening was free from anything approaching serious accident.

George McKenzie’s spill in the Edinburgh Handicap caused no little concern at the time, but beyond slight concussion and a shaking he was none the worse at the end. The fall was, however, sufficient to preclude any further participation by him in the evening’s racing.

The best race was the match between Ivor Creek and Drew McQueen. The Englishman took the bends in more polished manner than McQueen but what the Edinburgh rider lost there he gained on the straight, where he was much faster. At the foot bend in the final lap the riders were together and though McQueen now looked to have the measure of his opponent, his task was made very easy by the failure of Creek’s engine. In the end a good race was partially spoiled by a poor finish. McQueen merely having to complete the course at an easy pace for victory.

McQueen’s share of misfortune cropped up in the final of the scratch race, when he failed to get going at the start while the others were well away. Sam Reid made the pace to Eric Burnet until the last lap where the latter had the better of the exchanges on the foot bends and kept ahead till the end. Burnet made a great effort in the final of the handicap and though he got up in the concluding stages to within an appreciable distance of challenge he failed narrowly in a hurricane finish to get beyond Archie Chisholm.

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Of the whole card of events at Marine Gardens Speedway on the following Saturday the best races were undoubtedly those near the end of the evening. More thrills were packed into the two semi-finals and final of the Gold Helmet than had been felt in the preceding contests.

There was an unfortunate ending to a heat of the helmet when Drew McQueen, the holder, was disqualified. The incident that led to disqualification concerned McQueen and Roger Frogley. The Englishman, Frogley, was leading as the men took a bend and when Frogley went wide, McQueen snapped the chance and swung to the inside berth to come along side. McQueen was drawing off from his rival when the machines just touched and though McQueen went ahead, Frogley was unbalanced and came down. Nevertheless McQueen was allowed to finish before his disqualification was made known.

Neither Smiling Jim Kempster nor Taffy Williams could keep pace with the local cracks of whom George McKenzie, Eric Burnet and Sam Reid were best. Burnet was unfortunate with his engine, which at times did not run smoothly and probably kept him from gaining premier award in the handicap by causing him to ease up for a brief space. In his match with Roger Frogley his riding lacked fire, but he gave a brilliant display in the semi-final of the Helmet where he decisively reversed the placings in faster time. George McKenzie’s early riding was barely up to his standard in the early races, but he fully atoned in the final and, beating Roger Frogley, won the Gold Helmet in time equal to the record which he recently established.

The attendance was stated to be 17,000.

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McQueen’s disqualification caused a furore. A committee meeting was held at the Marine Gardens Speedway immediately following the racing for the purpose of investigating the cause of the disqualification in the first heat of the Gold Helmet challenge race. It was concluded that the disqualification was due to over zealous riding bordering on the dangerous. The judge, Mr. E.S. Bradshaw strongly emphasised the fact that there was absolutely no suggestion of foul riding on Drew McQueen’s part.

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Following the action of the judge, Mr. E.S. Bradshaw in disqualifying Drew McQueen at the Marine Gardens Speedway for over zealous riding bordering on dangerous, rumours were abroad in Edinburgh that this successful rider would not appear again at the Marine Gardens.

These rumours apparently gained currency by the fact that McQueen’s name was absent from the advertised list of riders to appear at the Speedway on the following Saturday.

In conversation with the Scotsman, McQueen dispelled any doubts as to his future appearances.

“I have no malice against anyone at the Marine Gardens”, he said, “and although I am not appearing there on Saturday the reason is because I have been asked to ride in Birmingham. I will not be at the Marine Gardens on Wednesday of next week as I am taking part in the Six Days trial which opens on Monday. Any rumours of my non appearances in the future are entirely unfounded. The incident with Roger Frogley was very unfortunate but we will probably meet again at the Marine Gardens in the future.”

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Despite the fact that the sport at the Marine Gardens Speedway was overshadowed at the end by the death of Walter Brown, there was, however, some great racing.

The dominating figure of the meeting was the American Sprouts Elder who made his first appearance of the season in Edinburgh. He showed himself to be in redoubtable form in winning both his match race against George McKenzie and gaining the Gold Helmet. His race against McKenzie was very thrilling indeed and victory was only achieved on the top bend in the last lap.

After the race had been started unsuccessfully twice, first Elder and then McKenzie coming down before the end of the first lap, the third beginning produced a great battle. McKenzie after the first lap was about 15 yards ahead and this lead he maintained until the last bend waas reached in the final circuit. With some 100 yards to go McKenzie went wide on the bend and Elder practically hurled himself to the inside berth to beat his man in a great final dash by about a length.

He was in an easier position in the final of the Helmet as he led on the first bend with McKenzie following hard. The Edinburgh rider came down about the half distance and Elder won without further challenge. The presentation of the Helmet was made to him by his wife.

George McKenzie obtained compensation by winning the handicap. He made a fine race in the final, though it was only in the last lap that he got up to head the field and win.

The crowd was given as 26,000

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