EXETER SPEEDWAY 1929-2005
Exeter Speedway opened on Saturday 9 March 1929. It was the brainchild of Leonard Glanfield who grew up in Exeter and having moved to London worked for Southern Speedways at White City when the sport arrived in England. Racing at the County Ground took place twice a week on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The Exeter City Speedway team caused a sensation at Stamford Bridge when in a challenge match they became the only team to defeat the Glaziers, who were unbeaten in the first English League.
The first Exeter meeting attracted a 10,000 plus crowd, and over the next three years most of the international star riders raced at the County Ground. However support dwindle and the promoters withdrew midway through 1931 to concentrate on their London tracks. In 1934 Exeter Motor Club ran a short series of amateur meetings but these failed to attract the fans.
Speedway returned to the County Ground in April 1947 when Exeter became founder members of the National League Division III. Led by local rider Bernard ‘Broncho’ Slade, and star man Cyril Roger, the newly named Falcons finished fourth in the eight team league. The following season Roger was joined by his brother Bert and the Falcons make full advantage of their big County Ground track stormed to their first League championship.
Exeter’s fortunes varied over the next few years but in 1953 with local hero Goog Hoskin and the arrival of two promising Australian riders Neil Street and Jack Geran, the Falcons were again challenging for league honours. The deciding match was against the Rayleigh Rockets but the meeting was rained off. The restaging took place two weeks later, but in the meantime the Rockets had suffered injuries and their team manager wanted to switch their pairings around. The referee refused and the Falcons won 60-24. Rayleigh protested and the Speedway Control Board declared the match null and void giving the rockets the title. Exeter protested and the SCB changed their minds. Exeter were champions but the protested continued throughout the winter and no final decision was ever made. However as the Falcons won fair and square on track they were the champions.
The arrival of television had a dramatic effect on speedway in general, and the government’s infamous ‘Entertainment Tax’ which forced promoters to pay half the admission money in tax brought the closure of many tracks including, at the end of 1955, Exeter.
Former favourite Cyril Roger unsuccessfully ran two seasons of Open seasons in 1957/58 but it was not until the autumn of 1960 that the Falcons again came into their own.
Wally Mawdsley and Pete Lansdale took over the reins and entered Exeter in the newly formed Provincial League, and given a new generation of fans, the Falcons went from strength to strength.
1962 started tragically when the Falcons new start signing Jack Unstead was killed in a track accident which riding as a guest for Ipswich. The season ended on a successful note when skipper Len silver won the Provincial Riders Championship and the Falcons beat Stoke in the final of the Knockout Cup.
Exeter continued to be competitive members of the Provincial League and enjoyed ever increasing support. In 1964 the Falcons management joined a breakaway group and raced outside the jurisdiction of the Speedway Control Board. Following an enquiry set up by the RAC the Provincial League amalgamated with the National League which meant for the first time Exeter would compete at the highest level of speedway.
1965 saw the Falcons reach the Knockout Cup final where they lost to the West Ham Hammers, but the major event of the year for Exeter fans was the visit of the USSR international side to the County Ground. The Russians were a huge attraction and although they lost to a West of England side captained by world champion Barry Briggs, their skipper Igor Plechanov had the honour of breaking Goog Hoskin’s long standing track record despite a very wet track.
For the next few years the Falcons were a middle order team; their high point being 1968 when they finished third in the British League and No.1 Martin Ashby was a member of Great Britain’s world team cup winning line-up. Ashby also qualified for the World Final. the first Falcon to do so.
Exeter’s fortunes received a major boost in April 1973 with surprise signing of four times world champion Ivan Mauger, and suddenly the Falcons became a very fashionable team. That year also saw the debut of a young American, the much loved Scott Autrey. To everyone’s delight the Falcons won the British League championship in 1974. Ivan’s presence attracted several top riders to Exeter and the Falcons narrowly missed out on another league title in 1977, finishing a close second to London White City. The fans’ disappointment was offset by Mauger winning his fifth individual world championship. Sadly the euphoria was short lived as Ivan was transferred to Hull Viking for the 1978 season. Scott Autrey took over the captaincy and the No.1 race jacket. The hugely popular Czech rider Vaclav Verner had joined the Falcons in 1977 and he was soon joined by his brother Jan, and in 1979 by two compatriots Ales Drymal and Zdenek Kudrna for the season in which Exeter earned the nickname Czechxeter Falcons.
1979 was Exeter’s last year in the British League. Autrey topped the national averages but although many considered him the best rider in the world at that time the American speedway authorities refuse to sanction his place in the world championship. The season ended with the shock news that promoter Wally Mawdsley had pulled the Falcons out of the league.
Happily speedway wasn’t lost to Exeter as team manager Peter Oakes took over and with his wife Pam ran the Falcons in the National League, effectively the sports’ second division. England international Nigel Boocock, who was at the end of his career, became captain and the team was packed with up and coming youngsters.
This era was marred by a fatal track accident which took the life of popular local rider Tony Sanford
Although attendance levels dropped the Oakes’ personal relationship with the fans created a local band of supporters. One of Oakes’ discoveries, Keith Millard, went on to become British under 21 champion a couple of years later, and by 1973 the Falcons had developed in to a strong team, which that year defeated arch local rivals Weymouth Wildcats in a hard fought Knockout Cup Final.
Oakes had always promised the fans that his target was to take Exeter back into the British League. The chance came that year when Leicester were forced to close due to their stadium being redeveloped for housing. Exeter bought the Lions’ licence and set about building a team. This proved extremely difficult and as a result the Falcons’ struggled all season despite Oakes making huge efforts to strengthen the side. He even managed to persuade the powers that be to allow Ivan Mauger to return but riding home meetings only. Sadly Leif Wahlman, a young Scandinavian on loan from Poole, lost his life while racing in the European U21 final at Kings Lynn, and the season drifted to an end under a cloud. The only bright spot came when Exeter’s junior side made it through to the Junior Knockout Cup final where they beat Milton Keynes home and away.
Exeter Speedway was then sold to local businessman Colin Hill, a long time supporter. Hill took the Falcons back into the National League which was more financially stable. Several members of Oakes team continued under Hill’s management. Robert Maxfield was skipper and the Falcons line-up included Steve Bishop and Michael Coles with the addition of new signing Nigel Sparshott and Colin Cook.
The Falcons enjoyed a reasonable season finishing in mid table. The following year Hill fulfilled a personal ambition by signing former Falcon Bruce Cribb to lead the side. Over the next few seasons on track success was in short supply but nevertheless support remained solid. Midway through 1988 the Falcons were strengthened by the arrival of two new signings, Steve Regeling and Richard Green, who both proved hugely popular with the fans.
In 1990 the Falcons made their first excursion abroad, travelling overland to race two meetings in Poland. They lost the first, a team match against Lesno, but the following afternoon in an individual event at Bydgoszcz Green and Regeling finish second and third behind an unkown Pole called Tomasz Gollob.
At the start of 1992 Hill was persuaded by the BSPA to take on a second track, Milton Keynes. He also strengthened the Falcons by signing Swedish world finalist Tony Olsen, and popular grass track racer Paul Fry. Peter Jeffery, from Bideford, had come up through Exeter’s junior ranks and was now appointed captain. The strong Falcons side started strongly, but alas the Milton Keynes project was short lived and the Knights were forced to close. Reading, from whom Olsen was on loan, feared that Exeter’s future was also in danger and demanded that the Swedish rider’s loan fee be paid in full. Olsen returned to Reading and Frank Smart, who had been riding for Milton Keynes, re-joined the Falcons. That evening Exeter raced at Long Eaton and won. It would be four years before they won on the road again.
1992 ended on a high with Richard Green finishing third in National League Riders Championship at Coventry.
During the winter the BSPA introduced a new pay scale which was very unpopular with the riders, and as a result several decided to quit. Hill brought in former World No.2 Gordon Kennett to lead the Falcons but for the next couple of years the team struggled.
1995 saw an amalgamation of the leagues and once again the Falcons found themselves in the top division. Although Hill moved swiftly to sign England international Mark Loram, who had qualified for a place in the new World Speedway Grand Prix Championship, his new star rider lacked backup and the Falcons finished bottom of the table for the second year running.
At the end of the year the Falcons were invited to race abroad, this time in Italy. Exeter took on the full Italian national side and beat them at the newly built Terenzano track, the future home of the Italian Grand Prix.
Hill was determined to add more power to his line-up for 1996. An early attempt to sign Tomasz Gollob fell through due to a clash of dates, but five times Long Track word champion Simon Wigg was happy to join the Falcons. A shaky early relationship with Hill was soon overcome and Wiggy quickly became a crowd favourite. Despite the powerful spearhead Exeter still struggled in the lower reaches of the league, but the Falcons’ long run of away defeats ended at Middlesbrough much to the delight of the travelling fans. The Falcons also enjoyed a good run in the Knockout Cup before losing to Peterborough in the final stages.
Unfortunately top level racing proved to be too expensive for Exeter, and once again Hill switched the team back to the second division which now became the Premier League. Michael Coles now became captain and Paul Fry was replaced by up and coming Leigh Lanham who soon proved his worth by becoming British Under21 Champion. The Falcons qualified for the Jack Young Trophy end of season championship and despite a very wet autumn battled their way through to the final in which they beat Long Eaton to give Hill his first trophy after 12 years as promoter.
Life in the Premier League suited the Falcons. Coles and Frank Smart spearheaded the team in 1998 supported by fellow long servers Peter Jeffery and Mark Simmonds along with Graeme Gordon, and the Falcons finished third, their highest position under Hill.
The team was taking on a distinctly Cornish appearance. Along with Simmonds Exeter also had cousins Roger and Gary Lobb. Hill now signed 16 year old Chris Harris and multi grass track champion Seemond Stephens. The year 2000 proved hugely successful. Exeter won the Premier League, enjoyed yet another good run in the KO Cup, and reach the finals of both the Premier Trophy and the Young Shield. They even ran up a record 75-15 score against Arena Essex.
Harris and Stephens returned to Cornwall in 2001 to join St Austell, who now raced in the Premier League under the quirky title Trelawny Tigers. The ever popular Lawrence Hare joined the Falcons and proved to be a spectacular match winner on several occasions. Tragically Lol was paralysed following a crash at Newport the following season. Stephens returned to the County ground to replace him.
Alas rumours were now spreading that Exeter Rugby Club were looking to future, and in the winter of 2001/2002 came the shock news that they had been given notice to quit from the County Ground. Hill made it clear that there were still three years to run on his lease so would require considerable compensation. The Rugby Club swiftly changed their minds and the Falcons gained a three year reprieve.
Sadly early in 2004 Colin Hill revealed that he was suffering from terminal cancer. Mark Lemon joined the team along with all the regular favourites. The Falcons fought their way to the Premier Trophy final. After a narrow defeat at Reading in the first leg nothing was going to stop Exeter who thrashed the Racers to win the Trophy for Colin in an emotional meeting 24 hours later.
Colin Hill’s last public appearance was in a city centre hotel to announce his plans to build a new speedway track at Westpoint Showground. He died on 30 October 2004 at the age of 59. Sadly his Westpoint development failed to materialise due to objects from local residents.
Exeter Speedway’s lease with County Ground also ended that year. However co-promoter David Short agreed a deal with the rugby club for one more season. The promotion was taken over by BSPA president Terry Russell and Poole promoter Matt Ford who believed that Westpoint was going ahead. Several changes were made to the team, and sadly Michael Coles and Mark Simmonds, the team’s all time highest point scorers were not included.
The final season ended with a special End of an Era meeting which attracted a crowd of more than 7,000 fans from all over the country. Ivan Mauger and Scott Autrey were flown in and joined by Vaclav Verner.
