Summerlee staged its “best ever” speedway day as visitors arrived in their droves for the celebration of the sport’s past and present, returning to the Lanarkshire attraction for the first time since 2019.
Motorbikes dating from the 1960s right up to the present day were on show and current track stars rubbed shoulders with their predecessors from previous decades as they shared their enthusiasm for the sport.
The event also saw prized memorabilia being donated to the sport’s popular local memories group, and more than £700 being raised by generous visitors to fund the purchase of a defibrillator for the Coatbridge museum.
Nearly 20 current and vintage bikes were on show to visitors – twice the number as at the speedway group’s previous special events; and there was no shortage of experts to talk about them with visitors.
Glasgow Tigers rider Connor Bailey and Edinburgh Monarchs counterparts Kye Thomson and Jacob Hook delighted fans by attending the event, alongside a host of familiar faces from the sport’s Lanarkshire days when race meetings took place at Cliftonhill, Motherwell, Blantyre and Shawfield.
Event organiser John Houston told Lanarkshire Live: “They were all fantastic and spent time talking to everybody, looking through all the old programmes and pictures on display and showing the bikes to all the visitors.
“There were lots of former riders there too who always support our events; plus people who’d done jobs like machine examiner and stadium announcer at Cliftonhill and even someone who’d travelled from as far away as Manchester.
“About 150 people came along and enjoyed seeing the bikes and looking round – and there were loads of kids having a great time and having their photos taken sitting on the bikes, which was brilliant.
“Even though we had to move inside because of the horrendous weather, Summerlee were fantastic in giving us a new space on the day; it was a great event and I’m so happy with how it went.”
John, who was himself a track raker and then a pusher at speedway tracks across Lanarkshire for more than 20 years, was thrilled to see fellow speedway fans at the event including some whom he hadn’t seen in more than 40 years.
He also received numerous “fantastic” memorabilia donations for the monthly speedway memories group which he runs at the Coatbridge museum, including from former rider Jimmy Gilbert and the family of the late Tom McCrone.
It will be put to good use when the group stage a three-month exhibition about the sport at North Lanarkshire heritage centre next year; while the Summerlee event’s visitors are already clamouring for a re-run.
John said: “After we lost two years during the pandemic, I had wondered if we’d be able to have the speedway show back; but the museum staff are brilliant and the first thing everyone said was to ask if we’re having it again next year.
“It was a great day, really busy and it was fantastic to see so many people walking round and enjoying everything on display – it’s the best event we’ve ever had.
“We’ve handed the money raised for the defibrillator over to the museum team; we wanted to give something back and we’re really pleased with the amount raised.”
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