Speedway at Brough Park was revived by Mike Parker who entered a team based at this Newcastle venue into the Provincial League for the 1961 season, the team still known as the Diamonds. Although the team finished last in the Provincial league in this their first year they remained racing in this league for four years slowly improving their yearend position until in 1964 they won the Provincial League.
This win placed them in an excellent position to be founder members of the new League founded for the 1965 season. This was the result of the combining of the two previous leagues known as the National (top) and the Provincial (second) and making one all inclusive, and large group of 18 teams competing in the same league now known as the British League.
Our thanks to John Jarvis for permission to extract information from his book ‘Homes of British Speedway’
Speedway returned to the venue in 1975 having been deprived of the sport since 1970 -
1976 saw a change in promotion when George Graham stepped down to be replaced by Brian Larner. Also during that year one of the Diamonds team, Chris Prime met with a fatal accident on his home track.
Despite the tragedy at the start of the 1976 season Newcastle went on to improve their runners up place of 1975 by winning it in 1976, continuing in the National League finishing sixth in 1977 and 1979, third in 1981, they were runners up in both 1978 and 1980 winning again in 1982 and 1983, all creditable placing in a league of nineteen or twenty teams.
In 1984 following their successful run in the National League Newcastle joined Top League still known as the British League and this same year collected an additional promoter, Robin Stannard however it seems that the Diamonds found it difficult in the top league finishing last and speedway closed at this venue following their last meeting of this season which took place on 1 October and was called the Spencer Oliver Farewell Trophy and was won by Hans Nielsen having beaten Phil Crump in a run-
Programme Covers for 1966 and 1970 courtesy
Newcastle Speedway History Site