The Marine Gardens

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Leith Athletic soundly defeated Cowdenbeath by three goals to one at the Marine Gardens on 16 March.

Outplayed in every department, the Cowdenbeath men were fortunate to escape so lightly and had the Athletic taken all their chances, the winning margin would have been much greater.

Despite their forwards lapses, however, the Leith team acquitted themselves well in every department. The defenders were steady and the forwards gave a dashing display and made light of the bustling tactics of the Cowdenbeath defenders.

A cross gave the chance to open the scoring by Athletic in fourteen minutes and a minute later the inside man went through by himself to drive the ball past the Cowdenbeath goalkeeper. These reverses flurried the Cowdenbeath defenders but the ineptitude of the home forwards in front of the goal enabled them to hold out until the interval.

Nine minutes after the change of ends Athletic had the ball in the net from a cross, but it was adjudged offside. The goal was only delayed, however, and eight minutes later they scored again.

The Athletic appeared to rest on their oars after that goal and Cowdenbeath took advantage of a slackness in the home defence to score their only goal.

The attendance would be about 1000.
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Home is where the dirt track is

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Only a handful of spectators were present at the Marine Gardens the following week for the return visit of Cowdenbeath who made no mistake this time in opposition to Edinburgh City, who were defeated by six goals to one.

The winners were clearly the better team but the margin in their favour flattered them.

In the first half the Amateurs held their own and when they succeeded in getting the equaliser after losing an early goal they moved in fine style for a time and seemed likely to take the lead at any moment. A few minutes from the interval, however, they fell behind again and although they made a bright start in the second half the visitors gradually took control of the game and added four further goals.

Inability to accept their chances was the main fault of the home players in the early stages of the game but latterly weakness at half back was the most obvious cause of their decline. The backs were fairly sound but the goalkeeper was not too confident. Cowdenbeath on the other hand were well served by a trial man in goal and their backs and half back improved steadily as the game progressed until they had command of the situation. The forwards, naturally, were more prominent in the later stages of the game.
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The Southern Scotland Traffic Commissioners at a sitting in Edinburgh on 9 April 1935, heard an application by Dick Brothers, Dalkeith, for licences to inaugurate stage carriage services from the Marine Gardens, Portobello to Murrayfield, Liberton, Morningside, Granton and Musselburgh.

The Court heard evidence on behalf of the applicants and on behalf of the objectors, who were the Edinburgh Licensed Hackney Carriage Owners Association and the Edinburgh Corporation.

Mr. I. Campbell, solicitor,, appeared for the applicants and said this was an application for permission to run buses from Marine Gardens Ballroom on late nights to various parts of the city for the purpose of conveying patrons from the dance hall to points near their homes. There had been a service like this in operation for a number of years now.

After hearing the evidence for the objectors, the Court granted the application.
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Edinburgh City wound up the season on 27 April with a draw against Brechin City at the Marine Gardens.

With a little luck the Edinburgh side might have won both points but for the most part their finishing was weak.

The Brechin side had the better of matters in the first half but good spoiling work and fine goal keeping nullified all their raids which were staged in rather half hearted manner.

The game improved after the interval and before many minutes had gone the Brechin side scored their opening goal with a beautiful shot from twenty yards. Thereafter the home team had most of the play but after they had equalised nothing would go right for them and they failed to secure the deciding goal.
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On 29 June 1935, over 5000 people witnessed, in delightful weather conditions, an American baseball game at the Marine Gardens.

It was the real thing, direct from the U.S.A. for the contending teams, the Arkansas Giants and the Wyoming Senators, were representative of the summer Practice Squadron of the United States navy.

While the two American warships, Arkansas and Wyoming, lay in the Firth of Forth the opportunity was taken to field two teams with excellent records in the national sport and at the same time to show the interest of the visitors in Edinburgh youth movements by assisting the funds of the local battalion of the Boys Brigade. Probably interest in the popular American sailors was as much responsible for attracting the large crowds of spectators as interest in the game.

No doubt to the great majority of those who attended at the Marine Gardens baseball was little more than a name. Those who came, however, expecting nothing more than the attraction of a novelty soon found that baseball, even to the uninitiated has its thrills. It provides remarkable batting performances and amazing exhibitions by the fielders in catching balls high and low.

Among the spectators on Saturday were many of the American navy men and they and the commentator who described the game, gave to the occasion a real American flavour. The American Consul in Edinburgh, Mr. R.D. Longyear set the game agoing by pitching the first ball in great style and he ws greeted with many shouts of “Attaboy”.

Wyoming Senators, apparently the fancied team, made a promising start, securing two runs in the first innings and in this game a run is scored only when each individual batsman has made a complete circuit of the course, touching each base in regular order before three men are out. The players showed great keeness but there seemed to be even greater enthusiasm among the American section of the spectators who all the time shouted advice and encouragement.

Before long the Scots onlookers began to appreciate at least some of the more notable features of the game and joined in cheering the batsmen who sent balls, delivered at great speed, away to the boundary, some being driven across the adjacent crowded beach.

The Wyoming Senators did not realise their early promise and gradually the Arkansas Giants drew ahead until, after two hours play, the latter were leading by 5 runs to 2. In the last innings, however, Wyoming added another to their runs. The match, therefore, ended 5-3 in favour of Arkansas.
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The new football season got off to an inauspicious start when Kings Park defeated Leith Atletic by a goal.

The conditions were all against good football and it would have taxed the skill of much better teams to have mastered them and the victory might as easily have gone the other way.

The ground looked like flint. The ball came off it with a fiery snap and when it was in the air the wind conjured with it. Small wonder that few concerted movements were seen and good football was at a discount.

Leith Athletic held the balance of play in the first half but could not score. Ten minutes after the resumption Kings Park made an opening and found the net with a swerving drive. The home team fought back and had some creditable tries but the Kings Park goalkeeper was always on the right spot to effect a clearance.

There were few outstanding players. Both defences played fairly well. The Athletic centre forward had an unlucky day, although he tried hard all the time.

The attendance would be about 1700.
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On 26 October Leith Athletic defeated Dumbarton by six clear goals . In spite of the result the game was by no means one sided. There was, however, no suggestion of luck about the Athletic’s victory. In the first half they had some difficult passages in defence but they managed to keep their goal reasonably well shielded. Dumbarton, on the other hand, suffered from faulty positioning by their defenders, who frequently left opponents unmarked within easy scoring distance. The latitude allowed to them was turned to profitable account by the home forwards whose shooting was very good. Dumbarton held their own in the outfield but both in attacking and defence they failed near goal. Leith led at the interval by two goals and in the second half raised the total to six. The attendance was under 1000.
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It was expected that Falkirk would be hard pressed to win at the Marine Gardens on 7 December and in one sense the prophets were right.

Leith Athletic made a good fight and in the outfield they were fully a match for the league leaders. On the vital matter of goal scoring, however, Falkirk displayed a pronounced superiority. Five goals fell to them against two to their opponents.

After failing in a determined bid to draw level again the Athletic rather faded out and Falkirk were in command in the closing stages. As a spectacle the game could hardly have been bettered. Play was keen but clean and both sides showed speed and cleverness.

To sum up in a sentence, Falkirk owed their success to superior team work and greater accuracy near goal. Leith were more individualistic. The Leith defenders had to deal with concerted advances and the slightest hesitation was turned to account by the Falkirk forwards.

About 2500 spectators were present.
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Edinburgh City beat Leith Athletic by the odd goal in three on 14 December.

If it would be flattering them to describe them as the better team, there was considerable merit about their victory.

It followed an indifferent first half in which they had cause to be thankful that they were only a goal down. The Athletic’s goal was the result of a perfectly placed header and if Athletic had more freely employed the wide passing tactics successful on that occasion they would have been in a stronger position.

In a City attack four minutes after the restart one of their players was brought down near the goal. It did not seem a very outrageous offence but the referee awarded a penalty kick and City accepted the chance to put themselves on level terms. The Athletic never regained their grip of the game. Under pressure their defence became unsteady and they found it increasingly difficult to make progress in attack. Fifteen minutes from time City took on the lead with an unsaveable drive from 15 yards. The Athletic had chances to save a point but their finishing was not good enough.

The attendance was 400.
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In January 1936, Fred Graham Yooll, the manager who had transformed the Marine Gardens into a sports complex, died suddenly. J.S. Fraser was appointed to take over the running of the Marine Gardens complex.
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The New Year also saw a rapid decline in the fortunes of Leith Athletic.

Attendances at their matches had been falling for some years, and with it the takings at the turnstiles. On 26 February it was announced that unless some financial arrangement could be arrived at they would not be able to fulfil their next match, with Stenhousemuir.

Mr. J.H. Smart, chairman of the club, stated that the club’s funds had become exhausted years ago and only the generosity of the directors had enabled it to carry on during the past few seasons.

He explained that several of the directors had been guaranteeing the club at the bank and in addition had been advancing money to pay wages and otherwise keep the club going. He pointed out that in no league match over the past season had the gate at Marine Gardens reached £70. There had been three gates of £15.

There had also been difficulty in trying to obtain another ground in a more central position.

Mr. Smart mentioned that there were accounts to settle to the extent of £200 plus the outstanding bank guarantee and the directors thought that having these obligations to meet they were unable to undertake any more for the time being.

On the basis of recent attendances the club were losing something like £80 on each home match and about £400 would be required in addition to the items already mentioned to carry the club on to the end of the season.

The directors felt that the Leith public might do something more in the way of supporting the club. The gates and figures mentioned were by no means complimentary to a town which had a population of 80,000.

Mr. Smart stated that he felt that if the public wished the club to continue the only course was to take prompt action to save it.

True, he added, the form of the side at the start of the season was disappointing but latterly the players had been serving up attractive football and were now obtaining results in keeping with the expectations of the directors when the season opened.

Several donations were made to the club as soon as the position was made known.
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Supporters of Leith Athletic football club met on 27 February to discuss ways and means of assisting the club in the financial crisis.

The meeting was an enthusiastic one and it was intimated that as a result of the response already made to the appeal for help the match with Stenhousemuir at the Marine Gardens, about which there had been some doubt, would be played. It was stated that the subscriptions to date amounted to £80, half of which was received during the meeting and it was hoped that various schemes suggested for the raising of funds would not only enable the club to carry on until the end of the season, but set it definitely in a fairly secure position.

The meeting, which was called by the Supporters’ Club was held in the hall at 54 Bernard Street and was presided over by Bailie Cathcart.

The Chairman, in opening the proceedings, said it would be no credit to the port of Leith if it could not retain a senior football club. They all hoped the club was going to survive and that it would do great things in the future.

Mr. Jack Smart, chairman of the club, began his statement of the position of the club by remarking that in the present critical state of affairs they could look only to those who were Leith people, either by birth or adoption, to steer the club through its very difficult period. The position was critical, as they knew. For a good number of years the club funds had been exhausted and for some time past the club had been carried on by the generosity of individual directors. Circumstances, however, had been very much against them and frankly he did not think the gate figures were a credit to the people of Leith. If they wanted a club the public would have to support it.

The position had become so critical that the directors found themselves practically in an impasse and something had to be done. At the extraordinary meeting of the directors it was decided that the only course which could be taken was to be absolutely frank with the public and tell them everything about the club’s financial position. For the time being, at least, the directors could do no more.

He would much deplore Leith not being able to complete the present football season. The best indication the directors could have as to the carrying on of the club for another season would be the support the public were prepared to give them from now until the end of the present season. Subscriptions had been solicited and the position had already been eased so far as the next game was concerned.

He expressed their indebtedness to the Heart of Midlothian Football Club for their ready help and he intimated that since he came into the hall he had been either given or promised sums totalling about £40.

Mr. Smart made a reference to the question of a more suitable ground than the Marine Gardens and suggested that the public of Leith should agitate on behalf of one of their oldest institutions. The club would reach its fiftieth year in 1937. It was up to the public to see that they had the opportunity to celebrate their jubilee.

Mr. George Mair, the club’s goalkeeper, on behalf of the players, expressed their keenness to do everything possible to assist the club through its present difficulties.

A committee was formed to discuss a number of suggestions put forward for the raising of funds and it was decided that future meetings should be called to put the various schemes into operation.
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However the public support wasn’t there. At the next match, against Stenhousemuir, the attendance was only 500. Thereafter it continued to dwindle for the rest of the season.
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On 17 April 1936 the Directors of Leith Athletic football club made an application to Edinburgh Corporation for a lease, for a reasonable period, of the football ground at Meadowbank, which was currently let to the East of Scotland Junior Football Association.

In a letter to the Corporation, signed by Mr. John H. Smart, chairman and Mr. James Mackenzie, secretary to the club, it was stated that while the let to the Junior Association did not expire till May 1937 that Association was prepared to give up its tenancy at the end of May 1936 to enable the Leith club then to take over the ground in preparation for the 1936 - 37 season.

The Association was also arranging with the club for the transfer of the buildings, turnstiles and other fixtures on the ground. The rent was £40 per annum and the directors of the Leith club suggested fifteen years as a reasonable period for the lease.

The directors of the Leith club had no hesitation in approaching the Corporation for the use of the ground in view of the very exceptional circumstances in which the club was placed.

It was recalled in the letter that the club was founded in 1887 and that it had never really found a home of its own. For many years the Directors had been on the outlook for a suitable site.

The present ground at the Marine Gardens, it was stated, appeared to be too far from Leith and the club could not get the support necessary to run a Scottish league team.

Within the old Leith boundaries there was no available area suitable for a football ground and in any event it was a very costly matter to convert, lay out and equip a ground suitable for Scottish league football.

The Meadowbank ground was most suitably situated for the Leith supporters and for football followers generally, being easily and quickly reached by road, rail, tram or bus. With very little improvement, too, it would suit the requirements of the Leith club.

It was only a part of the whole area of Meadowbank that is required by the club. Ample space would be left for the use of other clubs or associations. The enlargement of the playing pitch, increased stand accommodation, additional banking for spectators and extra turnstiles would enable it to compare favourably with the grounds of other Scottish league clubs. The turfing of the playing pitch could not be undertaken in time for the opening of next season but this could be undertaken at the earliest suitable time.

The fear was expressed that unless another ground was secured before next season the club would have to go out of existence, instead of celebrating a jubilee.

The directors recalled that other senior clubs in the city owed the acquisition of their grounds to the action of the Corporation and they trusted it was not asking too much to do the Leith club a similar good service.

The various efforts which were being made to assist Leith Athletic football club in its present difficulties had been described at a meeting of the Supporters Club the previous night . Bailie Cathcart presided over a good attendance. It was reported that the schemes for raising funds were meeting with encouraging success and the hope was expressed by Mr. Jack Smart, the chairman of the Leith Club that the Club’s application for a lease of the Meadowbank ground would be successful.
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On 13 May it was decided that in future Leith Athletic would play at Meadowbank.

The chairman, secretary and members of the board of directors of the club were interviewed by the Properties subcommittee of the Treasurer’s Committee of Edinburgh Town Council, who had charge of the letting of Meadowbank and were informed that there was no objection to the club obtaining a lease of the ground.

The lease would, of course, be subject to adjustment and it was not stated how long it would be available.

Representatives of the East of Scotland Junior Football Association, who had the lease of the ground, were in attendance and gave support to the Leith club’s application.
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With the departure of Leith Athletic, things became rather slow at the Marine Gardens and 1937 was not a good year.

Adverts were placed in the Scotsman intimating that roller skates were wanted in large numbers, (must be in good condition) as J.S. Fraser trieds to revive the old glory days of twenty years before.

Adverts also appeared offering turf for sale (suitable for football pitches or greyhound tracks).

Finally an advert appeared seeking smart young girls to sell speedway programmes. The Marine Gardens re-opened for speedway practicew on 21 March 1938.
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After a lapse of seven years, speedway racing started again at the Marine Gardens on 14 May 1938.

After several weeks intensive practice it was hoped that the Scottish riders would be able to extend the team of visitors, among whom was a strong Canadian contingent, headed by George Pepper, Elwood Stilwell, Kid Curtis, Bob Sparks and Bruce Venier.

Drew McQueen again led the Scottish challenge and he was supported by such promising riders as Stanley Gargan, Bill Nisbet, Clune Johnstone, Dick Denny and others.

In addition to the speedway races there was a midget car race between Eric Worswick of London and Charlie Pashley of Liverpool.
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A crowd of about 15,000 turned up at that first meet, to see some fine close and fast racing with the local riders pitting their skill against the English and Canadian riders. The weather was showery.

There was a vast difference between the sport this time and the old form which was known as dirt track racing and was seen on the Marine Gardens track until June 1931. The racing itself was faster, handicap races and flying or rolling starts having been done away with. Riders were sent off from a starting gate, before which they were standing with their engines racing and the clutch engaged, ready to dash off when the starter released the gate electrically.

The Edinburgh riders were led by the veteran Drew McQueen, Edinburgh’s former captain. Stanley Gargan, Bill Nisbet and Clune Johnstone put up a very good show against their more experienced opposition, comprising George Pepper, Kid Curtis, Elwood Stilwell, Bob Sparks and Bruce Venier from Canada, Norman Hargreaves and Maurice Stobart from Newcastle and Tommy Price, Ernie Price, Charlie Oates and Jack Gordon from Manchester.

McQueen, probably the best rider Scotland has ever produced at this game was quite capable of holding his own with the best, but was unlucky in over sliding twice and coming down.

The brothers Price, Tommy and Ernie from Manchester had a most successful afternoon. They fought out the finish of the Edinburgh Scratch race between them, the younger of the two, Ernie, winning narrowly. M. Stobart, the other finalist, was a bad third. Ernie Price also distinguished himself by putting up the fastest time of the day in his semi-final heat in this competition: 1 min 24 and three fifth secs for the four laps.

The Edinburgh interest in the other event, for the Silver Torch, was soon eliminated. Clune Johnstone seemed certain to qualify for the semi-finals in his heat against Curtis, Stobart and Nisbet but when lying a clear second up to the third lap, he slid over in an attempt to overtake Curtis. S. Gargan ran second to Gordon in his heat and McQueen was second to Tommy Price.

In the first semi-final Curtis and Gordon qualified and in the second the brothers Price. McQueen fell early on here.

The final was a magnificent race, probably the best ever seen at the track. The four riders raced neck and neck for the whole distance with the Prices occupying first and second places throughout until the last corner was reached where Tommy Price slid out wide and Kid Curtis wrenched his machine to the inside cleverly and ran in a close second to Ernie Price with Tommy Price and Jack Gordon close on his rear wheel.

McQueen beat George Pepper cleverly in a match race and in a midget car challenge race Eric Worswick, London, beat Charlie Pashley, Liverpool, by about half a length after being behind for most of the distance.
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On 18 May it was announced that Mr. J.W. Fraser, the manager of the Marine gardens track had made the necessary arrangements with Mr. J. Hoskins, managing director of the West Ham and Newcastle tracks for two of the Canadian riders, George Pepper and Kid Curtis, to be signed as members of the Edinburgh league team.
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On 21 May the Birmingham team captained by Steve Langton met the Edinburgh Team captained by Drew McQueen. Considering that this was Edinburgh’s second meeting in seven years, they did remarkably well to score 39 points against the midland side’s 49 points. The crowd was estimated at 16,000.

The Edinburgh team were unfortunate in that they suffered considerable machine trouble in the early heats.

Tiger Harte (Birmingham) provided the first real thrill when he broke the track record for a clutch start (1 min 24 and three fifth secs.) set up by Ernie Price on the previous Saturday, by returning 1 min 24 and one fifth secs, to beat Kid Curtis in heat three. The same rider reduced this time by a full second when beating George Pepper, one of the Canadian members of the Edinburgh Team, in 1 min 23 and one fifth secs in heat six.

The Edinburgh captain, Drew McQueen was bested by Steve Langton and Bob Lovell in his first two heats but won his other two to finish the day with 10 points. Pepper also secured 10 points for Edinburgh, while Kid Curtis came next with 8. Among the Birmingham riders, who showed a finer sense of team riding, Steve Langton and Bob Lovell each obtained 10 points while Tiger Harte was responsible for 9.

In the race for the Scottish Gold Gauntlet, Pepper and Harte had no difficulty in qualifying for the final, while in the third heat Bill Nisbet (Edinburgh) enjoyed the unusual experience of cruising home alone. In this heat Kid Curtis made a very quick start but when leading on the first lap developed a wobble and came down rather heavily. He was carried off the track but recovered after medical attention.

In the final for the Gold Gauntlet, Bob Lovell, who qualified only by reason of his being fastest second, rode a magnificent race to win narrowly from Tiger Harte and George Pepper.
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On 4 June the weather interfered with the meeting at the Marine Gardens Speedway when a team of riders from West Ham Speedway, London, were to have appeared. The track was so wet that Mr. Fraser, the manager, after a consultation with the SACU Steward, had no option but to cancel the meeting.
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On 11 June Mr Henry Hall, the famous band leader, was among the crowd to watch the Edinburgh Speedway team take on Australia at the Marine Gardens.

With Australia looming largely in the minds of the sporting public with the visits to Scotland of the test cricketers and a team of golfers, there was an added piquancy to the visit of the Australian team of speedway riders .

They had a fairly strong side captained by Charlie Spinks and even the most sanguine Edinburgh fan could hardly have forseen the Edinburgh side’s surprising yet really merited victory by 29 points to 24.

The local team rode really well, certainly with more fire and more team spirit than they had done hitherto, and with Bill Nisbet and Stanley Gargan showing improved form, the Edinburgh team showed that they would prove doughty opponents when they joined the league officially.

In Saturday’s match the teams were level at 12 points each after four heats, but Edinburgh drew away in the fifth heat, when Curtis and Nisbet credited their side with 5 points and although the Australians made determined effort and reduced their deficit 1 point (24-23)

McQueen and Johnstone made no mistake in the rerun fourth heat, which was kept to the last, when they finished first and second.

The captain’s match between McQueen and Spinks produced probably the finest race of its kind ever seen at the Marine Gardens. Spinks, on the inside, and McQueen raced side by side for 3 and a half laps and it was only by a great effort by the Edinburgh man at the last bend that gave him a slight lead and victory by less than a wheel’s breadth.

The Edinburgh riders did not shine in the race for the Scottish Gold Helmet, George Pepper being the only one to qualify for the final in which he met Wally Little, Spinks and Aussie Powell. Spinks had a runaway win in the fastest time of the day, 1min 23 and three fifth secs.
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The following week the visiting riders carried off the honours when the Sheffield team defeated Edinburgh by 1 point (27-26) over nine heats, while Billy Lamont, Sheffield’s Australian captain, was a fairly easy winner of the Scottish Silver Torch race.

There was never much in it in the team event. Edinburgh were never in the lead, but were never more than five points in arrears. The most successful of the Edinburgh team were George Pepper, who scored 8 points, and Kid Curtis with 7 points. Drew McQueen, the Scottish captain, had an off day scoring only 4 points. In the Sheffield side, Lamont scored 8 points and Tommy Allot, Ted Bravery and Stan Williams were each responsible for 6 points.

Edinburgh riders failed rather badly against the steady, if not brilliant, riding of the Sheffield men in the Silver Torch and in the final there were three visitors to one home rider, Bill Nisbet, and the visitors claimed the first two places.

The captain’s match race came to a sudden end when McQueen slid round on the home bend on the first lap and a wrenched ankle kept him off the track for the rest of the day.

George Pepper then took on Billy Lamont and the Sheffield captain won by the narrowest of margins in a race which brought the crowd to their feet with excitement and incidentally which showed the fastest time of the day.

A new Edinburgh rider, T. Shearer, on his first appearance on a track, won the reserves race while in the midget car challenge race Charlie Pashley just got the better of Eric Worswick in a two car event, the third having broken down.
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A crowd of about 17,000 were brought to their feet with excitement on 25 June in the final of the Scottish Speedway Championship at the Marine Gardens Speedway, by the daring riding of Bluey Wilkinson, of the West Ham track london, who won the championship and the Scottish Gold Gauntlet outright in the record time of 1 min 20 and three fifth secs, the fastest time ever put up on this track.

Wilkinson, Arthur Atkinson, Tommy Croombs and Tiger Stevenson rode brilliantly in the final. Gaining a narrow lead at the first bend, Wilkinson kept ahead until the finish. The Gold Gauntlet was handed over by Wilkinson’s mother, who is at present on holiday in this country.

The eliminating process was by means of points. 3 points for a win, two for a second and one for a third, each competitor taking part in four races on the league system, in which they met all the other riders in turn. The four men with the most points then met in the final for the major prizes.

In the first race Arthur Atkinson gave the crowd a great display of racing when lowering the track record by two and two fifth seconds to 1 min 20 and four fifth secs.

T. Croombs next served up the thrills in heat two when he just gained the lead over Eric Chitty, the Canadian champion, almost on the finishing line.

Drew McQueen, the only Scottish entrant, crashed and suffered severe bruising and he was unable to take part in any further races.

During the meeting the track record was broken no fewer than eight times.

Other riders who took part were Phil Bishop, Colin Watson, Charlie Spinks, Alan Butler, Bob Lovell, Tommy Price, Dick Geary and Steve Langton.

Owing to some delay in travelling Jimmy Gibb (Canada), Morian Hansen (Denmark) and Cordy Milne (America) were unable to take part in any of the championship heats but when they arrived half way through the meeting, they staged a match race. Milne and Hansen raced neck and neck for the four laps, cornering together in brilliant style. Milne crossed the finishing line only inches ahead of Hansen.

A midget car race was also staged in which four cars took part. The drivers were Walter Mackereth (Capt. of Coventry Car Speedway), Les White (Coventry), Spike Rhiando (America and Capt. of Lee Bridge Car Speedway) and Stan Mills. Mackereth took an early lead and continued in front for the four laps to finish in 1 min. 22 and two fifth secs, faster time than many of the cycles put up. This time also beat the four laps clutch start record.
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Marine Gardens Speedway had its first all midget car meeting on 2 July, when a contest was staged between North of England and South of England teams. The Northern team won by one point only after being in arrears practically in every heat.

Thrilling displays of midget car handling and close riding were given in the first heat by both captains but Spike Rhiando (South) held his lead from Chas Pashley (North) to give first points to South.

Again in heat 3 Rhiando gave the crowd another thrill when, lying third and hemmed in by cars, he forced his way through to win at the expense of his colleague Basil De Mattos.

In heat 5 Jack McCarthy (North), when trying to pass on the outside, struck the fence on the bend and turned completely over. McCarthy was rendered unconscious and sustained superficial injuries and slight concussion. He was unable to drive for the rest of the meeting.

In the fifth heat South were on the lead by thirteen points but North fought back to win by 36 points to 35 points.

The scratch race again showed some fine individual driving by the four qualifying drivers, Bruce Warburton (South), Spike Rhiando (South) Charlie Pashley (North) and Frank Marsh (North) and was won by Rhiando in 1 min 27 secs.

In the captain’s match race Rhiando again defeated Pashley. An attempt on the lap record time of 20.6 secs set up by Walter Mackereth was made by Rhiando but he just failed, his best time being 20.75 secs.
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