Edinburgh vs Sheffield 09/05/1939

Edinburgh 24	9 May 1939
Sheffield 29	Challenge
Edinburgh T B 1. Oliver Hart 1' 3 3  7 1  2. Jack Gordon 2 2' 0 4 1 3. Frank Woodroff 1 2 2 5 4. Bill Nisbet 0  0 n 0 5. Laurie Packer 3 2 3 8 6. Norri Isbister f f 0 Sheffield 1. Ernie Evans 3 3 3 9 M 2. Don Houghton 0 1 f 1 3. Stan Williams 2' 0 2 4 1 4. Doug McLachlan 3 1 1' 5 1 5. Broncho Dixon 2 3 1' 5 1 6. Aussie Powell 1' 1 2 4 1
Heat 1 Evans, Gordon, Hart, Houghton 1min 22 Heat 2 McLachlan, Williams, Woodroffe, Nisbet 1min 22 Heat 3 Packer, Dixon, Powell, Isbister (f) 1min 23 Heat 4 Hart, Gordon, McLachlan, Williams 1min 21 Heat 5 Dixon, Woodroffe, Powell, Nisbet 1min 24 Heat 6 Evans, Packer, Houghton, Isbister (f) 1min 22 Heat 7 Hart, Powell, Dixon, Gordon 1min 22 Heat 8 Evans, Woodroffe, Nisbet (f), Houghton (f) 1min 26 Heat 9 Packer, Williams, McLachlan, Isbister (ns) 1min 21 Captains Match Race (2 Laps) Oliver Hart bt Ernie Evans 41 sec Edinburgh vs Glasgow (Match Race 2 laps) Curly Thompson (Glasgow) Bt Jack Gordon (Edinburgh) 44 sec Gruff Garland (Glasgow) bt Frank Woodroffe (Edinburgh) 43.2 sec Scottish Silver Gauntlet Heat 1 Laurie Packer, Stan williams, Norrie Isbister Dick Dennie 1min 25 Heat 2 Broncho Dixon, Doug McLachlan, Frank Woodroffe, Bill Nisbet 1min 24.4 Heat 3 Oliver Hart, Curley Thompson, Leo Lungo, Don Houghton 1min 22.4 Heat 4 Aussie Packer, Gruff Garland, Jack Gordon, Ernie Evans 1min 25 Final: Laurie Packer, Oliver Hart, Aussie Packer, Broncho Dixon (ef) 1min 22 Match Race (2 Laps) Laurie Packer Bt Jack Hancock 43.6 sec
The opening of the 1939 speedway season opened at the Marine Gardens track saw a change of day, with the meets now taking place on Tuesday evenings instead of Saturday afternoons. The 9 May opening also saw a defeat for the Edinburgh team who, after drawing level at the fourth heat, finished five points down to Sheffield, the final total being Sheffield 29 points Edinburgh 24 points. What looked like being a serious crash occurred in heat eight when Bill Nisbet (Edinburgh) and Don Houghton (Sheffield) collided at the stand bend at the end of the first lap. Houghton required attention from the ambulance men but was able to walk to the pits by himself. Meanwhile his team mate Ernie Evans took the lead to win comfortably from Frank Woodruffe. Incidentally Evans was the only rider to finish with maximum points. In the match races Edinburgh again suffer defeat, this time from Glasgow when Curly Thomson and Gruff Garland defeated Jack Gordon and Frank Woodruffe. Compensation came, however, in the Captain’s match race when Oliver Hart (Edinburgh) raced Ernie Evans (Sheffield) neck and neck to win what was easily the best match race of the night. When entering the last bend it seemed that Hart was cornering too wide but with masterly handling he brought his machine into line to be flagged first. A desperate attempt by Hart, who brilliantly pulled up from third to second place in the final of the Scottish Silver Gauntlet race just failed to take him past Laurie Packer (Edinburgh). Packer, however, deserved his victory and received the trophy from the hands of Bluey Wilkinson, the world champion and manager of the Sheffield team.