Book Review: Harringay Speedway 1928 to 1961

London League Publications continue their valuable support of speedway literature, helping bring new books to market for fans and historians alike. Their latest release, Racers, Tigers and Canaries - Harringay Speedway 1928 to 1961, is a welcome addition. Co-authored by Jim Henry and Keith Corns, the book shines a light on one of London's lesser-celebrated tracks - Harringay - and tells a story that until now has remained largely undocumented.

The final meeting at Harringay took place in 1961, with regular racing ending as far back as 1954. As such, few people alive today have any direct memory of watching events unfold there, making the decision to publish this book all the more commendable. There's no obvious mass-market draw here - only a genuine desire to preserve history.

Harringay was there at the very dawn of British speedway, staging races as early as May 1928. The authors acknowledge that many details from those formative years have been lost to time - unsurprising, perhaps, as nobody then could have imagined that anyone would be hunting for that information a century later.

Initially, meetings were individual contests, with team events only introduced in 1929. These early team matches featured six heats, later expanded to nine due to their growing popularity. Interestingly, top riders were initially excluded from team events, but by 1930 this rule had changed. The Harringay Canaries took full advantage by signing Vic Huxley, an Australian superstar widely considered the world's best rider at the time.

Despite Huxley's presence and solid crowds of around 8,000, the club suffered significant financial losses in 1930 and folded halfway through the following season. That was the last we heard of the Canaries. When Harringay returned in 1934, it was under a new name: the Tigers.

Speedway had evolved quickly in those few years, with one major innovation being the starting gate. Harringay Stadium itself was also ahead of the curve, boasting a laser-based timing system for precise heat times - who needs transponders? Jack and Norman Parker were recruited to lead the new team, becoming central figures at the track for years to come.

Noise complaints from local residents briefly threatened the sport, but these were mostly ignored and eventually died down. In 1935, some Harringay fixtures were held in Portsmouth as the promotion explored a potential expansion. The 1936 London Cup Final drew an incredible 30,000 spectators to watch Harringay face off against Hackney Wolves, with earlier-season tensions adding fuel to the fire.

Drama wasn't uncommon. In 1938, fans invaded the track and vandalised centre-green equipment after the meeting was abandoned at Heat 6 and no refunds were offered. Clearly, Harringay was never short on excitement.

During the 1939 season, Norman Parker introduced early dirt deflectors - yet another sign of the innovative spirit at the club. The season was cut short by the outbreak of World War II, and Harringay remained closed throughout the conflict, though some away matches were staged using available riders.

Speedway returned in 1946 with a post-war boom, but Harringay didn't reopen until 1947. Now rebranded as the Harringay Racers - their most famous incarnation - they brought in Aussie champion Vic Duggan and his brother Ray to lead the charge. Crowds of 30,000 were common, although the team initially struggled, finishing bottom of a seven-team league. They bounced back in 1948, finishing second - Harringay's best-ever league performance.

In 1949, a fire hit the grandstand, and the team also toured Scandinavian tracks. The following year, the charismatic Split Waterman arrived from Wembley, one of Britain's best-known riders. Tragedy struck when Ray Duggan and fellow rider Norman Clay were killed in a Sydney track crash. Vic Duggan, understandably affected, retired at the end of the 1950 season.

Harringay continued to innovate, introducing coloured helmet lights to help fans follow riders - an idea that might still have merit today for poorly lit tracks. These are many fascinating tidbits sprinkled throughout the book, which is full of long-lost tales now brought to life.

The supporters' club also gets a spotlight, including their various events and a drawn-out dispute with transport authorities over away-meeting buses. A young Olle Nygren also graced the team in 1951, marking the beginning of a British career that would span into the 1970s. His early schedule was so packed that he reportedly collapsed from exhaustion after racing in five countries in nine days - a story the book suggests may have had even deeper layers.

The big story of 1952 was the Golden Helmet controversy between Waterman and Jack Young. After an acrimonious and confusing rerun, Waterman walked out, was reprimanded, and threatened retirement.

By 1953, the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II sparked a boom in television sales and home entertainment, contributing to a sharp drop in live attendance. Add to that the entertainment tax burden, and the writing was on the wall for many speedway venues. Still, Harringay had a strong season, finishing runners-up and winning both the Coronation and London Cups.

1954 marked the final year of regular league racing at Harringay. Attendances had dwindled from 30,000 to just 8,000 since 1950, a national trend. A switch from Friday to Wednesday night racing in May accelerated the decline, and the season ended prematurely with a series of double-headers.

Yet Harringay wasn't quite done. "Cavalcade of Speed" events were staged in 1958 and 1959, with the final hurrah coming in 1961 with The Internationale and the Provincial Riders' Championship. The stadium was demolished in 1987, closing the final chapter.

Despite never being one of the sport's most famous tracks, Harringay Speedway had no shortage of memorable stories. Thanks to this book, those tales are finally collected and shared with a new generation. The collaborative effort is evident: Jim Henry laid the factual groundwork, Keith Corns fleshed out the narrative, and Peter Lush gave the manuscript a final polish. Matt Jackson has contributed his (always meticulously researched) rider profiles and statistics. All involved deserve immense credit for producing such a rich and impressive final product.

You can order your copy directly from the speedway section of the London League Publications website.

This article was first published on 27th April 2025

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