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YARMOUTH BLOATERS This site is not an official website for the track shown here and is neither approved or endorsed by the speedway team. |
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| Great Yarmouth opened its gates for
the first time on the 20th April 1948 in front of an enthusiastic crowd in excess of 3000.
The first meeting was directed by Len Franklin. Although the first year was a successful
one, there was a tragedy along the way. At a meeting held on 13th July the Australian Max
Pearce was injured and later sadly died in hospital. At this stage the team were competing
in the National League Division 3 and did so for one more year before moving into the
Second Division. By 1949 the team dropped its 'Great' but picked up 'The Bloaters' By 1957 speedway returned to the area and the team ran under the name of East Anglia competing in open licence fixtures. By 1959 they were competing in the Southern Area League, including fixtures against Rye House and Eastbourne. Their final year was in 1960 when they competed in the Provincial League, including a fixture against Rayleigh. However, the final meeting took place on 8th August 1960 |
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The team remained in Division 2 until 1953, where they suffered from small crowds, particularly in the early part of the season. In their last match in the Division they defeated Poole by 50-34. |  |
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The first evidence of greyhound racing in Yarmouth was at a site on Caistor Road which is now the North Denes Heliport. That first meeting took place on 25th March 1932. There is some evidence that speedway also took place, albeit on a grass circuit. The first greyhound track in the area opened in 1940 but this was outside of the jurisdiction of the NGRC. The most important race on the calendar remains the East Anglian Derby orignially run over 500 yards, but currently competed for over 462 metres. |  |
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FACT: Track length was 327 yards and was reduced to 325 yards in 1953 |
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This section gives a comprehensive picture of
the badges produced for the team throughout the ages, but only provides the briefest of
glimpses of its history. For those wishing to undertake further research we can recommend
a visit to www.defunctspeedway.co.uk/Yarmouth.htm and for those wishing to read more widely we recommend a visit to http://astore.amazon.co.uk/wwwgreyhoundd-21 especially
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FACT: They have only ever had the one nickname 'The Bloaters' |  |
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More detailed information is available from "Homes of British Speedway' by Robert Bamford & John Jarvis A further great source of information is provided on John Skinner's excellent website on Defunct Speedway tracks, with a link given below. For all Speedway enthusiasts, John Somerville’s website should always be your first port of call:-https://www.skidmarks1928.com/v/photos/john-somerville-collection |
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| 1948 | 1960 |