The Marine Gardens

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On 7 June a crowd of over 16,000 at the Marine Gardens saw Edinburgh’s dirt track team sustain their second defeat at home when the Wembley team, members of the Southern dirt track League, were their victors by 20 points to 16.

The racing throughout was thoroughly exciting and the teams were level with only one race to go.

Edinburgh lost their chance of going to the final test with a lead because of engine trouble to Syd Parsons and with their two representatives similarly affected in the last run, the Manchester men were given an easy win.

Jack Ormiston was their star, winning his three races, but Drew McQueen, Edinburgh’s captain, with two wins and one second, was only a point behind. Syd Parsons won one race and was never happy with his machine thereafter, but both McKenzie and Stewart found their mounts in stubborn mood and did not give of their accustomed excellence.

But for a fall in the final of the Handicap Jack Ormiston would have gone through the evening undefeated. He came down with Broncho Bianchi after two laps and left the way clear for Drew McQueen to record his first win this season. Ormiston was unattended by misfortune in the Gold Torch and by his skilful displays fully deserved to take the trophy to Wembley.

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The following week a crowd of which the estimate was 16000 saw the Edinburgh Speedway again defeated at the Marine Gardens when the Sheffield team emulated Manchester and Wembley.

The local men had still a chance in the last race to snatch a narrow victory but though McKenzie did all that was required, Len Stewart could not give the necessary backing and Sheffield held their advantage.

The first two races showed Edinburgh in an excellent light but thereafter their machines gave just sufficient trouble to give Sheffield two easy victories. The home riders shared the points in the last two but it was not enough.

McKenzie was in fine form in the Handicap winning the final in grand style after a thrilling dead heat with Dick Wise in the heat.

The Gold Helmet however was apparently predestined for Sheffield as both McKenzie and Parsons, after having their races well won, were forced to draw up.

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And on 21 June the dirt track racing fixture at the Marine Gardens was carried through in heavy rain.

A crowd of about 3000 saw Edinburgh gain an overwhelming victory over Wombwell. At the end of three races they were in an unbeatable position having gained five points from each race and only another point was needed to ensure victory.

The fourth race saw Edinburgh again take full points and it was agreed to dispense with the last two races.

The handicap final was East v. West. Two Glasgow riders, Col Stewart and Alan Campbell meeting Syd Parsons and George McKenzie. McKenzie had engine trouble and Col Stewart, after getting the better of Campbell, held Syd Parsons at bay.

The Gold Sash was won outright by Len Stewart. In the final three riders came down on the first bend, Col Stewart escaping. The re-run took place without McQueen who was bruised on arm and leg by the fall and Len Stewart had an easy win, Col Stewart failing to start. Parsons wheeled his machine to the grass.

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On 26 July, before a crowd of 20,000 Harry Whitfield, the Wembley rider, won the Marine Gardens 500cc Track Championship and so repeated his performance at the end of June when he became Scottish Champion on the same track.

As in the Scottish championship, Whitfield broke the track record, his time of 1 min 21 and one fifth secs being two fifths better than the time recently returned by Frank Charles.

In each of his three races Whitfield gained by splendid riding clean cut victories.

His track mate Stan Catlett was also in good form and only a lapse in the third lap of the final when Gordon Byers got ahead of him prevented Catlett being runner up to Whitfield.

The local riders Len Stewart, Drew McQueen and George McKenzie were heat winners, the last named by a very narrow margin, but none of the three was able to get beyond the semi-final stage. McQueen came down and Stewart, after leading for almost half the distance, went too far out and was behind Gordon Byers for the remainder of the journey. McKenzie was disappointing and against Catlett was always struggling ineffectively.

In a match race with Frank Charles, Drew McQueen came down heavily but was able to remount and start again.

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Queens Park were the first team to fall in the First League game at the Marine Gardens on 6 September. Leith Athletic beat them quite decisively by two goals to nothing.

The home men were slightly better all over and the forwards made more of their chances than the Amateurs did.

The Athletic made a good start and were a goal up in five minutes. This was all that was needed to give the Portobello men confidence and till the interval they had much the better of play. The Queens Park half backs were very poor. Therefore it was quite on the run of play that the home men got another point.

After the interval the Hampden men combined to such good effect that they pressed continuously for half an hour.

In the end Leith were again doing the pressing and it was seen that they had solved their team problems. The half backs and full backs were very steady.

It was good game and it attracted about 10000 spectators.

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On 9 September Heart of Midlothian provided the opposition to Leith Athletic at a benefit game for Reid, the Leith centre half.

Both sides were somewhat depleted and the Tyncastle men, although taking the game rather easily, won fairly comfortably in the end.

They opened the scoring in the first few minutes and before the interval Leith equalised from a penalty.

The home men had very little of the game until the early part of the second half when their forwards failed to take their chances.

Hearts had out on trial a new centre forward who did quite well while a junior goalkeeper for the Marine Gardens side effected some good saves.

Only 1000 spectators saw a poor game which gave little indication of what the merits of the clubs would be in a League engagement.

Leith Athletic 1, Heart of Midlothian 3.

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At Edinburgh Dean of Guild Court on 19 September warrants were granted to Mr. Frederick R. Graham Yooll for a press box and two wooden shelters at Marine Gardens.

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A fortnight later Falkirk Amateurs found it a matter of no great difficulty to progress yet another stage in the Scottish Qualifying Cup competition.

To penetrate the Edinburgh City defence at the Marine Gardens proved comparatively simple and long before the end there could have been little doubt as to the ultimate result.

It was in defence that the game was won and lost, the visitors being as steady as their opponents were erratic. If anything the visiting defenders were subjected to more sustained pressure than the City men but they conceded fewer goals.

Edinburgh City 3 goals, Falkirk Amateurs 6.

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Dismal weather conditions at the start of November tended to keep down attendance at the Marine Gardens to about 1000 for the Leith Athletic - St Mirren match which ended in a draw of one goal each.

Each side in their own particular way served up very entertaining play. The visitors in the first half were clearly the better side.

The forwards were extraordinarily clever and supported as they were from behind it created no surprise when they opened the scoring. So well did they continue to play after that goal that had their finishing been on a par with their field work they would have had the game well in hand before the interval was reached.

The finishing was not good, however and Leith Athletic survived a very critical period. Indeed just before the interval they began to hit back and that in no uncertain manner.

The team changes had made an improvement and that was specially noticeable in the second half. The Athletic forwards put more into their work and severely harassed the other defence.

The point gained was the Athletic’s first at home since they beat Queens Park away back in early September.

Leith Athletic 1 St Mirren 1

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Primo Carnera, the giant Italian boxer paid his second visit to Edinburgh on 23 December and gave sparring exhibitions in the Marine Gardens Ballroom.

The man mountain, as Carnera had been vividly described in American journalism, gave his boxing exhibition during the evening at an interval in the dancing. There were a large number of onlookers.

The Italian had as his opponents Bobby Shields, heavy weight champion of Scotland, Dave Forbes, the Scottish cruiser weight champion and KO O’Brien, each of whom boxed a round.

The giant afterwards gave an exhibition of shadow boxing and a display of physical exercises that revealed his muscles as surprisingly supple.

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Leith Athletic were worthy winners over the Heart of Midlothian in a keen game at the Marine Gardens, on 21 February 1931 and victory was gained in spite of adverse circumstances.

To have to bring in two substitutes was one handicap, to lose the toss and be set to face the wind was another. Yet the Leith players did so well in the first half that they crossed over leading by two goals to one.

In the second half they lost the services of their goalkeeper for about ten minutes through injury but held on pluckily and resisted a desperate rally by the Hearts near the finish.

There was not a great deal between the sides. Hearts were bad finishers, although displaying good football in the open. Leith Athletic’s main assets were their sound half back play and an infusion of dash among the forwards. There were weak points in the Hearts’ team, notably at left back, right half and outside left. The Leith players pulled well together and had credit by a hard won success.

There were fully 12,000 spectators.

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At Edinburgh Dean of Guild Court on 20 March a warrant was granted to Mr. F.R. Graham Yooll to erect an amusement hall at the Marine Gardens. The hall, which when completed would measure 200 by 100 feet was to be built on vacant ground at the side of the ballroom. It would be constructed on the same lines as the ballroom. It was not yet known to what use the new hall would be put but it was stated that it might be used for staging boxing bouts or circuses.

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Much to the delight of the 3000 people who gathered at the Marine Gardens on a cold, uninviting afternoon on 18 April, Leith Athletic made their position secure in the First Division for another season at least by defeating Dundee by 3 goals to 1.

Considering that injuries to several of the regular players caused a number of changes to be made, the Athletic did remarkably well and the win was distinctly meritorious. All the changes seemed to make for strength.

It was at half back where the game was won and lost. Dundee got poor service from that department of their team. In defence Leith Athletic had a decided pull.

The Dundee front rank moved far more sweetly than the home lot but there was far too much elaboration. The left wing did best but even they suffered from the general complaint. Shooting seemed to be a lost art with the Dundee forwards.

Goal scoring seemed to strike the Athletic forwards all of a sudden for only about two minutes separated the scoring of the second and third goals.

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The first of the series of dirt track racing fixtures arranged for 1931 was carried through at Marine Gardens Speedway on 16 May before about 8000 spectators under very favourable weather conditions.

With the exception of two Leeds riders, Vic Ctereteko and Tiger Lewis, neither of whom was particularly impressive, all the performers had previous experience of the track.

Paddy Dean, the Australian, now located at West Ham, who in the early days swept all before him, failed to produce the form that made him famous.

Drew McQueen, George McKenzie and Col Stewart were there as good as ever but overshadowed by Harry Whitfield, who must have looked upon the Portobello enclosure as a very happy hunting ground.

Whitfield failed in the final of the handicap because of a very slow start after having recorded in the semi-final the fastest time of the event. He defeated McQueen in a four laps match race with something more in hand than the five yards margin indicated and in the final of the Torch race, though McQueen beat him in their heat, the Wembley man was a winner from start to finish.

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In mid May rumours began to circulate that Leith Athletic were considering taking on the occupancy of Powderhall in place of the Marine Gardens, but this depended on whether or not there was to be greyhound racing at Easter Road. On 27 May the directors of Leith Athletic Football Club announced that they had decided to remain at the Marine Gardens for another season at least.

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Heavy rain shortened the Scottish League programme which had been arranged for 19 August, the grounds at Marine Gardens and Dens Park being unplayable.

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On 22 August Leith Athletic defeated Ayr United by four goals to one and secured their first brace of points in the new season.

It was a heartening experience for the Leith players and there was no fluke about their success. They played lively football throughout and if their finishing left something to be desired, they did well to score four goals and they won with a good bit to spare.

The Ayr forwards made a very poor impression. Superior height and weight helped the half backs and backs to make a fight but often they were passed by the skilful ball distribution by Leith. The visitors got a consolation goal five minutes from the end.

About 6000 spectators enjoyed a brisk, well contested game.

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Before 6000 spectators Leith Athletic defeated Dundee at the Marine Gardens by a goal to nothing on 19 September.

They were the better of two moderate sides and might have won by a larger margin had the forwards shown more readiness to shoot.

Dundee began well but they did not maintain their form. Their forwards failed to combine and their defence was not so resourceful and steady as that of the Athletic, whose half backs were the mainstay of the team.

Dundee had the better of the first quarter of an hour but then the Athletic showed marked improvement.

The closing stages favoured the Athletic who, however, finished poorly.

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In their Alliance game at the Marine Gardens on 10 October, Leith Athletic were outmatched by a sprightly Airdieonian eleven.

The visitors were ahead on play in the first half but the only score before the interval fell to the Leith side.

The game was barely resumed when the Airdieonians equalised and a minute later took the lead. Leith Athletic flattered for a period but failed to penetrate a fine defence. The disposal of the points was made certain by a third goal for the visitors towards the finish.

The Airdrieonians showed themselves to be a well balanced side, quick in decision and smart in footwork.