Middlesbrough Bears
Encyclopedia
The Middlesbrough Bears were a British speedway
team which operated under various names from 1939 until their closure in 1996.
in 1947 before the promotion moved to Newcastle
in 1948. The Bears nickname was again used when the track re-opened in 1961. At the end of the 1964 season the Bears team moved to Halifax and the track staged challenge matches 1965 and 1966 before folding. The track was used in the 1950s for amateur / club events.
The track opened again from 1968 to 1972 but were nicknamed the Teessiders. During 1973 they were again renamed, this time as the Teesside Tigers and then Middlesbrough Tigers in 1979 which they used used until the end of the 1988 season. During this period they became National League Champions
in 1981 and twice won the National League Fours Championship
. In 1989, the club reverted once again to the Bears until their permanent closure in 1996 when Cleveland Park was sold for re-development.
In 2006 a new track opened at South Tees Motorsport Park South Bank, Middlesbrough
and entered the Premier League
under the name Redcar Bears
where they remain.
Tom Leadbitter - all round motorcyclist who competed in speedway, grasstrack, longtrack and scrambling events (motocross)
Martin Dixon
Motorcycle speedway
Motorcycle speedway, usually referred to as speedway, is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. Speedway motorcycles use only one gear and have no brakes and racing takes place on a flat oval track usually...
team which operated under various names from 1939 until their closure in 1996.
Brief history
The team was initially nicknamed the Bears in 1939. The track at Cleveland Park, which operated in the pioneer days of the late 1920s and for a short spell in 1939, staged a couple of open meetings in 1945, then saw competitive league speedway from 1946 until 1948. The Bears won the Northern League in 1946 and Division TwoSpeedway National League Division Two
The National League Division Two was the second tier of Speedway league competition in the United Kingdom. The competition was founded in 1938 following a competition named "The National Provincial League". Following World War II the second tier of racing was entitled "The Northern League" in 1946...
in 1947 before the promotion moved to Newcastle
Newcastle Diamonds
Newcastle Diamonds are a motorcycle speedway team who compete in the British Premier League. The club has a reputation of importing young foreign talent and have given starts to the British careers of six times World Champion Ivan Mauger, three times World Champion Ole Olsen, 1974 World Champion...
in 1948. The Bears nickname was again used when the track re-opened in 1961. At the end of the 1964 season the Bears team moved to Halifax and the track staged challenge matches 1965 and 1966 before folding. The track was used in the 1950s for amateur / club events.
The track opened again from 1968 to 1972 but were nicknamed the Teessiders. During 1973 they were again renamed, this time as the Teesside Tigers and then Middlesbrough Tigers in 1979 which they used used until the end of the 1988 season. During this period they became National League Champions
Speedway National League
The National League was the top division of Speedway in the United Kingdom from 1932 until 1965 when it became known as the British League. Prior to 1932 there were only small regional leagues competing within the sport in the UK. The National League was re-incarnated in 1975 as the second division...
in 1981 and twice won the National League Fours Championship
Speedway Premier League Four-Team Championship
The Premier League Four-Team Championship is a contest between teams competing in the Speedway Premier League in the UK. Eight teams are grouped into fours, with one rider from each team in each race...
. In 1989, the club reverted once again to the Bears until their permanent closure in 1996 when Cleveland Park was sold for re-development.
In 2006 a new track opened at South Tees Motorsport Park South Bank, Middlesbrough
South Bank, Middlesbrough
South Bank is a small town which forms part of the Middlesbrough urban area that lies 2.3 miles from Middlesbrough centre, in North East England. As the name suggests, it lies on the south bank of the River Tees. Although it is part of the Middlesbrough conurbation, it is a ward of Redcar and...
and entered the Premier League
Speedway Premier League
The Premier League is the second division of Speedway in the United Kingdom and goverened by the Speedway Control Board , in conjunction with the British Speedway Promoters' Association . The Premier League was founded in 1995 when it replaced the British League as the first division...
under the name Redcar Bears
Redcar Bears
The Redcar Bears are a British Speedway team. They currently compete in the Premier League. Captain of the team is 1992 World Champion Gary Havelock. In 2007 the Bears won their first major honour, beating the Birmingham Brummies to win the Young Shield...
where they remain.
Famous Riders
Dave YounghusbandTom Leadbitter - all round motorcyclist who competed in speedway, grasstrack, longtrack and scrambling events (motocross)
Martin Dixon