Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 05 June 1931

Speedway

Wombwell Tackle Belle Vue “Giants”

The attendance at Wombwell Speedway on Saturday was in the neighbourhood of five thousand —easily a record for the season. Occurring at the end of a holiday, week, this circumstance is an effective challenge to those who have been expecting and preaching a complete collapse in the support t for speedway racing.

But the fact of this attendants also has a moral for the promoters, who must now realise that their hope of success lies in the direction of securing the best possible talent. There is little doubt that if the standard of racing seen on Saturday at Wombwell is maintained the crowds flocking to the Station Road stadium will increase week by week.

Speedway racing is a progressive sport or nothing. There can be no standing still, the crowd will not be satisfied to see a few novices taxiing around like so many cocks and hens to pull in a little pocket money. South Yorkshire people want the best and there is no reason why they should be satisfied with anything that does not at least approximate that standard.

Match Attraction.

Saturday’s programme, of course, was a specially attractive one, the bill being almost completely monopolised by the National Knock-Out Cup match between Wombwell and Belle Vue. This competition, is conducted on the basis of home and away matches and Wombwell’s visit to Manchester earlier in the week had left them with a deficit of 51 points, the scores on the first meeting being: Belle Vue 73. Wombwell 22. Wombwell were faced with a well-nigh hopeless proposition but notwithstanding the remoteness of Wombwell’s chances of turning the tables,_the fixture aroused enormous interest. There was, of course, a marked disparity between the two sides, the Manchester team including at least half a dozen who would be classed among the best in the North.

The teams were:

Wombwell: Tommy Gamble (capt.), Geoff Kilburn, Arthur Moore, Buster Breaks, Eric Gregory, Harry Gill, T. Lindley. Jack Dudding; reserve Joe Mitchell.

Bells Vue: Frank Varey (capt.), Len Woods, Max Grosskreutz, Indian Allen, Eric Langton, Chun Moore, Arthur Franklyn and Bob Harrison, with Oliver Langton as reserve.

The match was staged in two spasms of eight heats each, with an interval of fifteen minutes half way through the programme. It was obvious from the start that Wombwell were up against a superior combination and at the interval all the first place honours had been captured by the Bells brigade, the scores being: Belle Vue 37, Wombwell 10. Thus at this early stage of the match Wombwell had lost all chance of turning the tide of battle. Nevertheless the remaining beats were fought with desperation and Wombwell succeeded in regaining some of their lost prestige by registering three successes. The scores for the afternoon were: Belle Vue 64. Wombwell 27, making the total for the match: Belle Vue 137, Wombwell 49.

Battle Of The Captains.

The first heat witnessed a grim duel between the two captains and the honours went fairly to Varey. Moore and Grosskreuts were the chief contestants in the next race and the honours would probably  have goal to this Wombwell rider had he not had the bad luck to fall when leading in the second lap. Eric Langton, Arthur Franklyn and l4roaskteurz won the succeeding heats, with Harry Gill, Joe Mitchel/ and Geoff Kilburn putting on the measure.

The fifth heat witnessed a terrific duel between the diminutive Allen and Geoff Kilburn, and either might have won the race had not Grosskreuts come forward like a bolt from the blue to settle the issue. Less than a machine length separated the riders when they crossed the tape. This was one of the most exciting races of the series. Wombwell’s hopes again fell when Arthur Moore found the cinders in the next race, but Gregory (picture) showed his teeth against Franklyn in heat seven, to be beaten by inches. Joe Mitchell made a plucky effort to snatch a bit back in heat eight but was not last enough to get the better of Varey.

The fasten races were among the last eight heats, Grosskreuz and Frank Varey both coming before the 90 seconds. Despite this acceleration of speed, however, Wombwell gave a better show than hitherto, Geoff Kilburn and Arthur Moore winning heats nine and tea. Frank Varey and Oliver Langton pulled of another couple of victories for Belle Vue but number thirteen heat was a lucky one for Geoff Kilburn. Heat fourteen (of which more presently) found Manchester only one rider, but Len Woods was fast enough to beat Breaks and Moore with a flat tyre. Perhaps this was a sequel to something whispered into Woods ear by the Belle Vue skipper who at the moment was under a shadow. The last two heats tell to Grosskreuz and Chun Moore. Among the Manchester riders. Grosskreuz and Varey were invincible, winning each of the three heats in which they competed. Eric Leagton also had a trio to his credit and the other Manchester successes were he Franklyn (2) and Woods and Chun Moore one each. Heat twelve, won by Oliver Langton would certainly have been captured by Mitchell but for a most unlucky accident. Joe had the heat in his pocket when his own racing partner, Jack Dudding, rap into him from behind and brought him to earth.

Skipper Sent Off.

Heat fourteen, as above marked by an incident that will be of for a long time. Frank Varey, the Manchester skipper, being dismissed at the traps. This action on the part of steward, Mr. F. B. Roper, caused a sensation, but the supporters were unanimous in their opinion that Varey had “asked for it” and that the ruling was justified. The race was only started after four futile attempts, the difficulty being to get the riders away in something like a reasonably straight line. The defaulter in each case was Varey, who invariably held back to gain rapid acceleration at the starting line. The opinion among the crowd was that Varey had deliberately taken advantage of riders, any one of whom he could have beaten from a straight start. Mr. Roper made his decision promptly, and put it into effect with the precision that left no doubt as to his capabilities as an official and his capacities for handling a situation calling for strong action. The fact that the ban fell upon a rider of Varey’s reputation should have a salutary effect upon distinguished exponents who seek to defeat the rules and pull one over the starter. Mr. Roper afterwards explained that being sent off was not a disqualification and would not affect his future riding. That, however, is a matter for Varey and the  A.C.U