The Marine Gardens

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Though rain fell at intervals on 15 June, a crowd of 15,000 spectators attended the Marine Gardens Speedway.

A feature of the meeting was the fine racing of Billy Galloway , Australia, who retained the Gold Sash. He was strongly challenged by local riders. In his semi-final heat in particular he had to go all out to beat George Mckenzie, Edinburgh. In the final McKenzie had trouble with his machine. Drew McQueen made a great effort but in endeavouring to pass Galloway on one of the bends he was thrown heavily. This allowed Galloway to win easily.

The heats of the Edinburgh Handicap provided some thrilling racing and here again McQueen had bad luck when he fell when taking the lead. In the first semi-final Bill Barclay, Edinburgh, won with ease but in the second Mckenzie chased after the rest of the field. In the last bend he caught them all up and managed to beat Bill Dickie by a yard.

The final was a disappointing affair. Mckenzie was run out whenever he tried to get through. This paved the way for a victory for Bill Barclay, Edinburgh, who beat Bill Dickie by five yards. The match race saw Oliver Goodfellow, Polmont, triumph over Andy Milne, Edinburgh. Andy Milne looked a winner until Goodfellow came away in the last bend to win an exciting race.

All over it was a good night’s sport though delays through engine troubles prolonged the proceedings.

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About 10,000 spectators were present at the Marine Gardens Speedway, Edinburgh on 3 July when the visitors were Ned Kelly and Syd Parsons, Australia and Tiger Sanderson, Newcastle, deputising for Billy Galloway, injured at Glasgow on the previous Tuesday.

The Scottish Champion Drew McQueen was a competitor from whom much was expected. He was, however, disappointing for his riding lacked the fire of that of his championship victory.

George Mckenzie gave some dashing displays, notably in his victory in the intercity race and again when he defeated Syd parsons and led the field home in the final of the Sash. After one lap McKenzie drew ahead of Parsons and Burnet to gain a lead which he held to the tape.

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The dirt racing track attracted a crowd of about 9,000 spectators on 28 July . The two events, the Edinburgh Handicap and the Gold Helmet were well contested, especially the handicap.

The cracks had mixed fortunes.

The scratch man Drew McQueen was the only low handicap man to enter the last stage and here he made little show, his engine failing him.

The race was fought out between Bill Barclay and Andy Milne, the latter prevailing mainly because of his more expert riding on the turns.

Drew McQueen won the Gold Helmet against moderate opposition as Freddie Hore, who looked like making a race of it, had to retire in the second lap.

Dick Wise came down in the opening heat and Syd Parsons did not ride in the event owing to a troublesome ankle injury.

The lap record was once again broken, Eric Burnet covering the circuit in 21 secs against a previous record of 21 and one fifth secs.

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A crowd of about 8000 was present at the dirt track racing at the Marine Gardens Speedway on 14 August.

The programme was attractive, among the riders being Vic Huxley, the Australian crack from the White City, London and Billy Galloway, who made his reappearance after an accident which had kept him off the track for some time.

Huxley was in good form and reached the final of the handicap event. This race looked at one point as if it would be won by Jock Duncan but his handicap allowance was partially lost in the second lap when his machine lost speed for a time and in the end he was headed by both Jim Holder and Vic Huxley, who fought out a fine finish for Holder to retain his lead by a very narrow margin.

Huxley improved on this performance when, in a four laps match, he had a fine victory over Drew McQueen. McQueen made amends for this in the semi-final of the Gold Sash at the expense of Billy Galloway, after the latter had headed him on the first bend.

Huxley completed a good night’s work when he won the final in fine fashion, leading both McQueen and Galloway from start to finish.

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The thrills at the final meeting of the season at the Marine Gardens Speedway on 12 October were supplied by the Australian rider Billy Lamont who, on his second appearance at the track, was in almost invincible form.

He won the premier award in each of the three events and in winning the Edinburgh Handicap from the scratch mark established a new record for four laps from a standing start, covering the distance in 1 min 29 and one fifth secs.

His main opposition was limited to Billy Galloway as Drew McQueen took no further part in the racing after he had injured a hand in the opening inter-track race against Glasgow.

George McKenzie won his heat of the Gold Sash but came down in circling the track after passing the post and did not ride again.

In addition to winning three races and breaking a record, Lamont equalled Eric Burnet’s lap record of 21secs.

Edinburgh gained another victory over Glasgow in the inter-track event. George McKenzie won two races for the home track and Jimmy Pinkerton and Val Valente, without Drew McQueen’s opposition, gained victories for Glasgow. Edinburgh, however, held the balance on minor placings to gain the verdict by four points.

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The following Saturday afternoon Primo Carnera, the giant Italian boxer, fought four opponents, each for 60 seconds, in the same ring . Tommy Milligan, the former British and European Middle weight champion took to the ring first, followed by Bobby Shields, Scottish Heavy weight champion, Dave Forbes, Scottish Cruiser weight champion and Tom Berry, the ex British Cruiser weight champion. Carnera used 22 ounce gloves and his opponents wore the standard size gloves. The contest was staged by Mr. F. Graham Yool at the Marine Gardens.

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Edinburgh City scored 2 goals, Cameron Highlanders 2, in the East of Scotland league game at the Marine Gardens,on 23 November. The City generally did more of the attacking in the first half, but it was near the interval before they got the reward for their pressure. Just after the change over Cameron Highlanders equalised and from that point the Camerons kept the City on the defensive. The teams were extremely well matched.

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In their next match, Edinburgh City had little difficulty in defeating the Berwick Rangers At first it looked as if the visitors were going to make a fight of it. Subsequently, however, the City half backs and forwards combined effectively and their attacks were so persistent and prolonged that the Berwick team’s defence did quite well to concede only three goals.

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A fortnight later a couple of goals scored in the second half served to give Edinburgh City a comfortable win over Peebles Rovers, whom they met at the Marine Gardens in the second round of the King’s Cup competition.

Practically all the constructive attacking movements in the game came from the winners. Although twice beaten the Peebles defence got through a lot of hard work with credit. The Peebles forwards were well supported by their half backs but their attacks were too ragged to be effective against such a steady pair of back as those of Edinburgh City.

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The football wasn’t all Edinburgh City. Leith Athletic recorded their biggest win of the season at the expense of Alloa on 3 March.

It had been generally expected that the Athletic players would show traces of their strenuous exertions against Falkirk earlier in the week but, in point of fact, they gave as fine a display of thrustful, go ahead football as they had done all season. From first to last Alloa were out classed and although they defended pluckily in the early stages they were fighting a losing battle, which in the second half developed into a rout. As a combined attacking force the visiting forwards were of little account and it came as a surprise when they opened the scoring in 21 minutes.

Leith Athletic 7 Alloa 1

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Edinburgh City 3 goals Gala Fairydean 0 was the following week’s score.

The home team applied pressure at the start and it was only the fine goal keeping that saved the borderers. The forwards of the Edinburgh City team did good individual work but were weak in front of goal. The continued pressure told its tale in the end and the City side crossed over with a goal lead. The Borderers put more life into their play on resuming but it was not long before the home team took a grip of the game again.

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As the football season drew to its end, the Marine Gardens turned its attention back to speedway. On 2 April 1930 an advert was placed in the Scotsman for an Announcer for the Marine Gardens Speedway. One with knowledge of such work was preferred.

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The opening meeting of the Edinburgh dirt track season at the Marine Gardens Speedway l14 April 1930 was not too reassuring for local talent as the Marine Gardens stars were unable to prevent the spoils going to the Manchester contingent.

The Mancunians, Frank Varey, Frank Charles and Eric Langton were in top form and the first named won both scratch races while Charles took the Handicap. On point of performance Langton was best as he established new figures of 1 min 29 and one fifth secs for the four laps from a standing start.

The crowd was 18,500.

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