Newport Wasps

Speedway in Newport arrived at Somerton Park (also the home of football) for the 1964 Provincial Speedway League season (division 2). The greyhound racing owners of Somerton Park had recently put the stadium up for sale and ended the greyhound racing in October 1963.{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001723/19630908/014/0014 |title=Newport seek aid |website=Sunday Sun (Newcastle) |date=8 September 1963 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription |access-date=18 February 2025 }} The tight speedway track meant that turf had to be brought on to make the corner flag area for football matches and removed once the match had finished.{{cite web|url=http://www.defunctspeedway.co.uk/Newport%20Speedway.htm|title=Newport Speedway (Somerton Park)|publisher=Defunct Speedway Tracks|access-date=29 August 2021}}

The speedway team would be known as the Wasps and the promoters signed the likes of Alby Golden, Peter Vandenberg and Dick Bradley, who helped them to a creditable fourth place finish, in addition to winning the division 2 version of the Knockout Cup, when winning the Provincial League Knockout Cup during their debut season.{{cite news |title=Brave Cradley just fail |work=Birmingham Weekly Mercury |date=25 October 1964 |access-date=16 November 2023 |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001816/19641025/032/0032 | via = British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription }}{{cite web|url=https://www.speedwayresearcher.org.uk/cradleyheath1964.pdf |title=1964 Cradley results |website=Speedway Researcher |access-date=16 November 2023}}

The following season in 1965, they joined the inaugural British League season (the top division) and continued to ride in the top division for the remainder of the 1960s, although with little success. Top Swedish riders Gote Nordin{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000636/19660429/494/0024 |title=Wasps for Coventry |website=Leamington Spa Courier |date=29 April 1966 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription |access-date=18 February 2025 }} and Torbjörn Harrysson led the team in 1966 and 1967/68 respectively.{{cite web |url=https://www.speedwayresearcher.org.uk/specialfeaturesrideraverages.pdf |title=Rider averages 1929 to 2009 |website=Speedway Researcher |access-date=18 February 2025 }}

Promoters Wally Mawdsley and Pete Lansdale took over the Wasps in 1969, following Mike Parker relinquishing his interest.{{cite news |title=Speedway Change |work=Western Daily Press |date=31 December 1969 |access-date=12 January 2024 |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0004973/19691231/011/0011 | via = British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription }}

File:Phil Herne.jpg

The Wasps finished bottom of the league during the 1970 British League season but improved to eighth the following season under their Hungarian star Sándor Lévai.{{cite book|last=Rogers|first=Martin|title=The Illustrated History of Speedway|year=1978|page=129|publisher=Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd|isbn=0-904584-45-3}} The 'Wasps' nickname was dropped after the poor 1972 season, with the team simply called Newport.

For the 1974 season, the Wasps signed Australian star Phil CrumpLawson,K (2018) “Riders, Teams and Stadiums”. {{ISBN|978-0-244-72538-9}}Bamford, R & Jarvis J.(2001). Homes of British Speedway. {{ISBN|0-7524-2210-3}} and with the support of Reidar Eide and Phil Herne, the team finished third during the 1975 British League season. The entire promotion and riders moved to Bristol in 1977 and became the Bristol Bulldogs,{{cite web |url=https://www.speedwaygb.co.uk/history/leaguetables1965-1990|title=British League Tables - British League Era (1965-1990)|website=Official British Speedway website|access-date=29 August 2021}} leaving Newport with no team but speedway would continue at Somerton Park with a team called the Newport Dragons being formed and they would compete in the division below the British League known as the National League.{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000656/19770415/494/0020 |title=Speedway|website=Sussex Express |date=15 April 1977 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription |access-date=18 February 2025 }}

The Dragons only lasted the one season because before the start of the 1978 campaign, the speedway team withdrew from the league following a dispute over rent. Speedway was not seen at Somerton Park again.{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001336/19780303/018/0018 |title=Saints' breather |website=Scunthorpe Evening Telegraph |date=3 March 1978 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription |access-date=18 February 2025 }}

File:Hayley Stadium, Newport - geograph.org.uk - 1705340.jpg

The modern incarnation of the team was founded in 1997, when the Wasps entered the Premier League and the junior side called the Western Warriors (a combined team from Newport and Exeter competed in the Conference League. The teams were based at the purpose built Hayley Stadium. The following season (1998) a junior side known as the Newport Mavericks joined the Conference League and then won the 1999 Speedway Conference League.{{cite web|url=http://www.national-speedway-museum.co.uk/newport%20-%20hayley%20stadium.html|title=Newport Hayley Stadium Speedway 1997 - 2011|publisher=Speedway Museum Online}}

The Wasps continued to compete in the Premier League until the early part of the 2008 season when they withdrew because their promoter Tim Stone died only to be saved by the Mallett family and rebranded for the 2009 season (including a junior side called the Newport Hornets) with Steve Mallett at the helm and his son Nick Mallett joining him as the youngest promoter in British speedway history.{{cite news | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/motorbikes/speedway/7404810.stm | title = Rebels offer deal to Wasps fans | publisher = BBC Sport | access-date = 2008-10-17 | date=16 May 2008}} The 2009 season saw the Hornets win the national league pairs with the pairing of veteran Tony Atkin and New Zealander Grant Tregoning. The following season Newport beat Somerset for the Severn Bridge trophy{{cn|date=August 2021}} and the Hornets finished third in the National league, losing out on the title by points difference.

The Wasps last season ended with a trophy, they won the 2011 Premier League Knock-Out Cup defeating Glasgow in the final.

After a disagreement with the BSPA and ring wood raceway deciding not to follow up plans to run stock cars and destroying the previous fence the club was put up for sale but after talks with the only interested party, Phil Morris, an agreement could not be reached and on 17 February 2012 promoter Steve Mallett confirmed the club would fold with immediate effect.[http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/sport/9536897.IT_S_OVER__Newport_speedway_closed_down/?ref=mmpg Newport Wasps closure] The club shortly after was vandalised and the victim of an arson attack which devastated the stadium leading to it being demolished and redeveloped by owners MCL and speedway was lost to the city once again.

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• {{flagicon|AUS}} Jack Biggs
• {{flagicon|ENG}} Dick Bradley
• {{flagicon|AUS}} Phil Crump
• {{flagicon|NOR}} Reidar Eide
• {{flagicon|ENG}} Alby Golden
• {{flagicon|ENG}} Jimmy Gooch
• {{flagicon|SWE}} Torbjörn Harrysson
• {{flagicon|AUS}} Phil Herne
• {{flagicon|HUN}} Sándor Lévai
• {{flagicon|SWE}} Gote Nordin
• {{flagicon|NED}}/{{flagicon|AUS}} Peter Vandenberg

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{{Reflist}}

{{Speedway Premier League}}

Category:Speedway Premier League teams

Category:Sport in Newport, Wales

Category:Defunct speedway teams in the United Kingdom