Newport Wasps were a British

motorcycle speedway Motorcycle speedway, usually referred to simply as speedway, is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four clockwise, anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. The motorcycles are specialist machines that ...

team based at

Somerton Park Somerton Park was a football, greyhound racing and speedway stadium in Newport, South Wales. Football In April 1912, Newport County had been accepted to play in the Southern League for the 1912–13 season. Shortly afterwards, the site ...

and then the Hayley Stadium in

Newport Newport most commonly refers to: *Newport, Wales *Newport, Rhode Island, US Newport or New Port may also refer to: Places Asia *Newport City, Metro Manila, a Philippine district in Pasay * Newport (Vietnam), a United States Army and Army of t ...

South Wales South Wales ( ) is a Regions of Wales, loosely defined region of Wales bordered by England to the east and mid Wales to the north. Generally considered to include the Historic counties of Wales, historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire ( ...

, from 1964 to 2012. The Wasps logo incorporates the traditional black and amber colours of the City of Newport.

History

1960s

Speedway in Newport arrived at Somerton Park (also the home of football) for the

1964 Provincial Speedway League The 1964 Provincial Speedway League was the fifth and final season of the Provincial League in the United Kingdom. Twelve speedway teams took part. A second division of British speedway would not return until 1968. Season summary The 1964 se ...

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. 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. The speedway team would be known as the Wasps and the promoters signed the likes of Alby Golden, Peter Vandenberg and

Dick Bradley Derrick Edward Bradley (28 November 1924 – 30 October 2022) was an English motorcycle speedway rider. He earned 24 international caps for the England national speedway team. Speedway career When Bradley left school he became an apprentice m ...

, 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. 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 and Torbjörn Harrysson led the team in 1966 and 1967/68 respectively. Promoters

Wally Mawdsley Walter Mawdsley (30 November 1926 – 12 February 2009) was a motorcycle speedway rider, manager and promoter from England. He was the team manager of the England national speedway team from to 1983 to 1984. Biography Mawdsley, born in Salfo ...

and

Pete Lansdale Harry Douglas Lansdale (26 December 1912 – 24 June 1993) was a motorcycle speedway rider and promoter from England. Biography Lansdale, born in Marylebone, London on 26 December 1912, was riding speedway bikes during the 1930s but began his ...

took over the Wasps in 1969, following Mike Parker relinquishing his interest.

1970s

The Wasps finished bottom of the league during the

1970 British League season The 1970 British League season was the 36th season of the top tier of speedway in the United Kingdom and the sixth season known as the British League. Summary Wembley Lions under the promotion of Trevor Redmond and Bernard Cottrel entered ...

but improved to eighth the following season under their Hungarian star

Sándor Lévai Katalin Sándor Lévai (16 July 1935 – 5 October 2009) was a Hungarian international motorcycle speedway rider. He earned 1 cap for the Hungary national speedway team and 1 cap for the England national speedway team. Speedway career Lévai ...

. 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 Crump Philip John Crump (born 9 February 1952 in Mildura, Victoria) is an Australian former motorcycle speedway rider. who attained third place in the 1976 World Championship. He also won the 1976 Speedway World Team Cup with Australia in the same ...

and with the support of

Reidar Eide Reidar Eide (6 November 1940 – February 1999) was a Norwegian motorcycle speedway rider, who was champion of Norway on five occasions. Biography Born in Høyland, Eide took up speedway in 1957.Oakes, Peter & Mauger, Ivan (1976) ''Who's Who of W ...

and

Phil Herne Philip Edwin Herne (born 27 March 1955)Oakes, Peter (1982) ''1982 Speedway Yearbook'', Studio Publications, , p. 173 is an Australian former motorcycle speedway rider who won the World Team Cup in 1976. Biography Born in Ballina, New South Wa ...

, the team finished third during the

1975 British League season The 1975 Gulf Oil British League season was the 41st season of the top tier of motorcycle speedway in the United Kingdom and the 11th season known as the British League. Summary The league was sponsored for the first time by Gulf Oil. Readi ...

. The entire promotion and riders moved to Bristol in 1977 and became the

Bristol Bulldogs The Bristol Bulldogs were a British motorcycle speedway team based at the Knowle Stadium, Bristol, England from 1928 to 1961Bamford, R & Jarvis J.(2001). ''Homes of British Speedway''. and later Eastville Stadium from 1977 to 1978. History ...

, 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. 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.

1997–2011

The modern incarnation of the team was founded in 1997, when the Wasps entered the

Premier League The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...

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 The 1999 Speedway Conference League was the third tier/division of British speedway. Summary The title was won by Newport Mavericks, the junior club belonging to the Newport Wasps. Final league table Fixtures & results Conference ...

. 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. The 2009 season saw the Hornets win the national league pairs with the pairing of veteran Tony Atkin and New Zealander

Grant Tregoning Grant Tregoning (born 26 January 1988) is former international motorcycle speedway rider from New Zealand. Career Tregoning began riding speedway at Moore Park in Christchurch when he was 13 years old. He won the New Zealand under-21 champio ...

. The following season Newport beat Somerset for the Severn Bridge trophy 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.Newport Wasps closure
/ref> 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.

Season summary

Season summary (juniors)

Notable riders

Jack Biggs Jack Edward Biggs (21 March 1922 – 8 December 1972) was a speedway rider from Australia. Speedway career Biggs was a leading speedway rider in the 1950s. He reached the final of the Speedway World Championship on four occasions including f ...

* Alby Golden * Jimmy Gooch * Torbjörn Harrysson *

* Gote Nordin */ Peter Vandenberg

References

{{Speedway Premier League Speedway Premier League teams Sport in Newport, Wales Defunct speedway teams in the United Kingdom