1986 - 1997

Together the Ham’s set about bringing the very best speedway to Bradford on summer Saturday nights. Always ready to back British talent the Dukes team boasted 1992 World Champion Gary Havelock, the Multi-British Champion Simon Wigg, England number one Kelvin Tatum and England’s most recent World number one Mark Loram. If there was ever an attempt to promote speedway this was it. However, the attendances for regular League racing tended to reflect the “minority interest” the sport had become. Still the Ham’s battled away, although Bobby’s illness in the later years saw Allan take fuller control. What was indisputable was that Bradford speedway week in and week out put on a show and over those 12 years Odsal saw some of the finest riders and racing in its history.

Quite simply Odsal was the most brilliant Stadium in the world for speedway. Sit or stand anywhere in the natural amphitheater and you will not miss one ounce of the action. I have witnessed Speedway the length and breadth of this land and Europe and there is NOWHERE like Odsal.

Bradford Council were always supportive of the speedway. Indeed, they were club sponsors under the banner of “Metro Dukes” in the early 90’s. However, Odsal Stadium was always a financial black hole for public funds. So when the idea of outside redevelopment of the site was mooted, not too suprisingly the Council were eager to listen.

“I give you the Odsal Superdome,” said developer [and former City director] John Garside - this idea hung over Bradford Speedway for much of the early 90’s. Indeed, as a contributor to the match day magazine, I well recall reminding everyone of its threat to the continuation of speedway on more than one occasion.

You can imagine how I felt when the Dukes were crowned Elite League Champions in 1997. Bradford were the top club side in the country and arguably the world! But, like all good things they last but a nano second.

As the Dukes celebrated with a civic gathering at City Hall their fate was already sealed. Speedway was to vacate Odsal to allow groundwork to begin at Odsal for the Superdome. In truth it was probably a convenient watershed for the speedway promoters as their efforts had been unstinting over the years. So speedway would be off the sporting agenda in Bradford at least until the year 2000. When the Dukes would ride into a 21st Century Odsal complete with sliding roof!

I think every Bradfordian knows what happened next - not a sod was turned and the roar of engines has long died.

So, what of speedway and does it have a future at Odsal? Well, none, now that a two-story hospitality building has been built on the area of the pits lane. Bradford speedways traditional home seems to have finally been lost.