Wigan Album

Poolstock Stadium had been long gone well before 1960, it closed in the late '40's & Woodhouse Lane Stadiumstarted speedway in the early '50's

When you say closed Art,do you mean closed for speedway? I ran at the Poolstock stadium in the Wigan school sports in approximately 1955/6 it was a cinder track.

Speedway was still at Poolstock in the early 50's

Can't say the exact date, but speedway wasn't running at Poolstock when it started at Wooodhouse Lane about 1951/2

Go to defunctspeedway.co.uk and check out the information for Wigan Poolstock. It may help you clarify your dates.

Go to the programmes you posted, & see the dates captioned by me, the ones you nicked from my posting on WW message board

I remember seeing Laurel and Hardy drive around the speedway stadium at Poolstock about 1947ish, anyone remember it ?

Speedway is still really popular in certain areas of England and especially in Scandanavia. Shame the track is long gone, I would have loved to see some bike racing there being a biker myself.

i remember my dad taking me to see them at poolstock .i was born in 1950 so it must have been 55-56 ?

I wonder if any of the riders in the pic are still alive?

Yes Bob, I was there when Stan & Ollie came from Bolton where they were appearing in '47.
As for the time speedway was run at Poolstock & Woodhouse Lane. Here's a quote from the archives..I think it proves my version of events right:

Wigan has staged motorcycle speedway racing at two different venues. Poolstock Stadium was the home of Wigan Warriors in 1947. The team moved to Fleetwood in 1948, although they raced at Poolstock again in 1960. Woodhouse Lane Stadium was used briefly in the early 1950s when the team was known as the Panthers.

Art, so the photo could have been taken in 1960 maybe?
Very interesting info.

Could very well have been Mucker.
If you look at the programmes post, you'll see it wasn't a league match, but a challenge match. Wigan(Poolstock) V Bradford (chal) 1/8/60....The last match at Poolstock

I wonder if they drew a good crowd down there? I went watching speedway around the North and Midlands quite a bit in the early 80's as my Uncle used to race, that's what got me in to bikes.

Poolstock had a real good crowd, being just after the war, when folk wanted a bit of distraction fom wartime non-existant pleasures. Just like Wigan Rugby League in fact..Big Crowds.
I used to walk down the cut bank from SLG passing the EX WD dump which ended up as Riding & Andertons Timber Yard, to poolstock just to watch the lads tearing round the track on their JAP 500's.....loved it.
When the Woodhouse Lane dogtrack opened up for speedway, I got chatting to a rider, Andy McKay, he gave me a "pit mechanic badge" so that I could get in free plus be in the pits. Magic to a 14 y/o schoolkid.
Unfortunatley, the speedway finished there & they then tried Stock Car Racing......It slowly died a death..The restis history..:o(

It must be a photo from 1960, because if it was 1947 it would have included Dick Geary, Jack Gordon and Ron Hart. Anyone remember these lads?.....Ahhh I can smell the exhaust fumes now.

Great to see these pics of my add Keith, who just passed Dec 1 2015. I can still smell the fuel (it was all about the mixture) and see him making his metal slipper.

As a school boy I sold programmes at the first ever speedway meeting at Wigan and by luck my stack of programmes to sell included number one, which I kept for a long time. I remember Jack Gordon who was captain and Dick Geary who was the team's top rider and Ron Hart who was brother to the famous Oliver Hart of Odsal the most exciting of all leg trailers who raced as partner to Bill Kitchen ( Belle Vue ) Bill on the inside and Oliver covering the outside in international meets.