SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

I've just been looking through the maps on the old maps sitehttp://www.old-maps.co.uk/maps.htmland noticed a place I'd never seen before called Fullerton Park on the 1938 map beside Elland road ground. I knew about the greyhound stadium but this is the first time I've heard of the speedway stadium. Seems to have been quite a substantial place. Surprisingly there are no photos on the Leodis site.

Leeds Hippo wrote: I've just been looking through the maps on the old maps sitehttp://www.old-maps.co.uk/maps.htmland noticed a place I'd never seen before called Fullerton Park on the 1938 map beside Elland road ground. I knew about the greyhound stadium but this is the first time I've heard of the speedway stadium. Seems to have been quite a substantial place. Surprisingly there are no photos on the Leodis site. Wasn't this part of the old training ground? I believe it was called Fullerton Park.

Johnny39 wrote: Leeds Hippo wrote: I've just been looking through the maps on the old maps sitehttp://www.old-maps.co.uk/maps.htmland noticed a place I'd never seen before called Fullerton Park on the 1938 map beside Elland road ground. I knew about the greyhound stadium but this is the first time I've heard of the speedway stadium. Seems to have been quite a substantial place. Surprisingly there are no photos on the Leodis site. Wasn't this part of the old training ground? I believe it was called Fullerton Park. Try typing Leeds Speedway on Leodis opening page for pix.

Johnny39 wrote: Johnny39 wrote: Leeds Hippo wrote: I've just been looking through the maps on the old maps sitehttp://www.old-maps.co.uk/maps.htmland noticed a place I'd never seen before called Fullerton Park on the 1938 map beside Elland road ground. I knew about the greyhound stadium but this is the first time I've heard of the speedway stadium. Seems to have been quite a substantial place. Surprisingly there are no photos on the Leodis site. Wasn't this part of the old training ground? I believe it was called Fullerton Park. Try typing Leeds Speedway on Leodis opening page for pix. Thanks Johnny39 - spotted it - at least the outside wall!http://www.leodis.org/display.aspx?reso ... SPLAY=FULL

I thought I'd google "Fullerton Park, Leeds" and got a Leodis link to a picture entitled "Aerial view, Eland Road with football and greyhound stadiums" from 1962. Whilst it doesn't show the speedway track there is a fair bit of info in the extensive comments.

Excellent link herehttp://www.defunctspeedway.co.uk/Leeds.htm

Leeds Hippo wrote: I've just been looking through the maps on the old maps sitehttp://www.old-maps.co.uk/maps.htmland noticed a place I'd never seen before called Fullerton Park on the 1938 map beside Elland road ground. I knew about the greyhound stadium but this is the first time I've heard of the speedway stadium. Seems to have been quite a substantial place. Surprisingly there are no photos on the Leodis site. Great thread Hippo.Post war there was a boom in watching "sports" of any kind and on the back of massive crowds at the soccer and rugby, speedway and greyhound racing rode the boom.I haven't researched this much, but I do believe fullerton Park also did greyhound racing (there was I think more than one governing body) and near Hunslet's Parkside was "Parkside sports stadium" also a greyhound venue.Try finding greyhounds and speedway anywhere in yorkshire today!!

The Parksider wrote: Leeds Hippo wrote: I've just been looking through the maps on the old maps sitehttp://www.old-maps.co.uk/maps.htmland noticed a place I'd never seen before called Fullerton Park on the 1938 map beside Elland road ground. I knew about the greyhound stadium but this is the first time I've heard of the speedway stadium. Seems to have been quite a substantial place. Surprisingly there are no photos on the Leodis site. Great thread Hippo.Post war there was a boom in watching "sports" of any kind and on the back of massive crowds at the soccer and rugby, speedway and greyhound racing rode the boom.I haven't researched this much, but I do believe fullerton Park also did greyhound racing (there was I think more than one governing body) and near Hunslet's Parkside was "Parkside sports stadium" also a greyhound venue.Try finding greyhounds and speedway anywhere in yorkshire today!! Thanks Parksider - what amazes me is how keen people were (pre TV and radio I suppose) on sports - any sports - the early maps are littered with cricket pitches for instance - seemed to be a much more of a "working mans" sport than it is today. Again it's curious how speedway seemed to be so short lived - maybe the war changed a lot.

Greyhounds at the village of Kinsley just between Fitzwilliam and Hemsworth (the track can be seen from the Leeds branch of the East Coast Main line). Also there is or was untilrecently one at Stainforth n/e of Doncaster. Although no longer technically Yorkshire Redcar is the only place I can think of with a speedway since Odsal had a stand built over the track there.

Leeds Hippo wrote: Thanks Parksider - what amazes me is how keen people were (pre TV and radio I suppose) on sports - any sports - the early maps are littered with cricket pitches for instance - seemed to be a much more of a "working mans" sport than it is today. Again it's curious how speedway seemed to be so short lived - maybe the war changed a lot. The idea was that people were just keen to get out there and enjoy entertainment and past times together after the austerity and restrictions of the war.The large amount of sports pitches and grounds came from legislation in victorian times that cut short saturday working and enabled the working man to play soccer, rugby and cricket (formerly a preserve of the toffs) in the afternoon which they took to readily, and which the church heavily encouraged - thus "Leeds St. Johns" were born as were Bramley RFC started by the local vicar. They didn't want the working class in the pub.Sadly today too many people are couch potatoes watching too much X factor guff.....