This is probably one of the smallest tracks you are ever likely to see in this modern era of the sport. The track which is affectionately known as “the Polo” was built in the late 80's and even though a very limited amount of racing was held there, stories surrounding the track is in abundance. The kerb stones used around the inside and outside lines of the Llanmartin track are the kerbs from the original Newport track that was situated in Black Ash Park next to the pumping station. That circuit closed in 1982 when the two Newport clubs, The Dragons and the Stars, moved to their new track at Spytty. We dug up the kerbs and put them in storage in the hope we could use them again some day for this very purpose.

Within a few years the Dragons folded and the Stars went through a very lean period with the club being made up of young riders from Llanmartin who would cycle the 5 miles to Spytty twice a week just for training!! After consultations with the local Community Council for Bishton with Underwood, they agreed to find funding for the labour and materials to build the new track so that the Llanmartin youngsters could train locally and so reduce the risk of them being hurt cycling the long distance to Spytty. The track was completed in 1988 and was used for training purposes only.

Towards the end of Newport's 1989 league campaign, some riders were getting very despondent over the direction the club was going and how it was being run by the committee at that time. A break away was inevitable and this happened over the winter months and a new club was formed at Llanmartin. The club was called "Llanmartin Eagles" with the name Eagles coming from an old team that used to race in a nearby village, Langstone. That was a superb track that boasted floodlights and steep banking. The riders from that club used to cycle to Cardiff for a league match such were their dedication. This was during the 60's so it was even before the M4!!! So now a new club existed at Llanmartin and with it came a lot of interest from the local estate at Underwood.

Underwood was built to house the workers for the new steel plant at Llanwern and was a typical 60's housing estate. It was a close nit community so news of the new cycling club grew quickly, probably too quickly!! Even though Llanmartin had 8 experienced riders we were all still young and trying to concentrate on our own development but within 3 months we had 28 new riders of all different ages wanting to take part and very little equipment available. Being forced to enter the British South West League we had matches arranged for us and we took 3 teams to Bristol St George and Swindon while entertaining Weymouth and Poole in exciting home matches. Fortune was not on our side and going to Swindon was probably the final nail in the coffin for the team. The minibus we hired broke down right next to the slip road to Swindon off the M4 and we had a tough job getting everyone to the Oasis track but we managed it. The match was an absolute farce! For example, in one race Mike Rice was elbowed into the outside starting gate with such force it bent the pole!!! and the decision, the Swindon ref excluded Mike Rice for not giving the Swindon rider enough room on his inside. Our 12 point lead at half time soon reduced to a deficit. So with another loss under our belts, Mike suffering a broken foot, all the new and old riders disillusioned with the sport and a broken down van, somehow we had to get everyone home. Bobby Watt's brother borrowed, the pick up truck from work and came down to retrieve the minibus that was still full of bikes and kit. The kids were picked up by their parents who were understandably miffed at having to drive 100 miles to find their kids and so the club just faded away.

 

 

We never regretted trying to start that club with the other members and we were proud to have belonged to Llanmartin Eagles even though it was short lived. Gilbert Davis worked tirelessly and we did achieve something! The track was still there and not too bad condition considering almost 20 years of neglect! If the venture had started now then it would've succeeded due to the opportunity the Junior League offers young riders today in a wide range of age categories, sadly it was too late.

But now we move into the new era of cycle speedway in this compact track. In 2004 a couple of ex-riders took the bold decision to rejuvenate the track and make it raceable again. With nothing but a lawnmower a spade and a wheel barrow we started to dig. We were helped out by some good friends from Newport but the task was proving huge. The Bear, Tugger and Hacksaw had raised some much needed cash by doing a sponsored ride so they decided to spend some of this on hiring a JCB. The track and pits now fully uncovered looked great again. With some sponsorship from a company called M&M cars which were owned by ex rider Simon Brett we ploughed some more money into buying 10t of red 6mm to dust shale. We laid this out but sadly we had miscalculated exactly how much we needed. Unfortunately winter came a bit too quick and the club couldn’t get a delivery over the football pitch without it getting stuck so the remainder of the surface had to wait until next spring. Work carried on developing the track completing small jobs. Some problems with a local club during the winter slowed the development even more and so the project halted. After being encouraged by other visionary clubs in the sport to restart our work on the track and spring arriving started work again. We cleared away all the weeds, bought 15t of shale part of which was financed by genuine cycle speedway fans who also turned up to give us a hand laying it.

 

The club was now called 'East Newport' and once again caught the imagination of the sport. New and old riders came into the fold and the track reopened. Storage facilities and operational equipment needed to present of good meeting had all been acquired and from here we finish the first chapter of this story.

The newly refurbished track which is the proud home to the East Newport club opened on 8th October 2005 after almost two years of blisters, begging, borrowing and bouting.

With the East Newport club developing its membership through the winter months they registered their name with the Welsh Cycling Union and joined the South West League committing to a full programme of racing in 2006 and all with only 5 riders on the books. Such was the commitment shown by the members the rider numbers grew thanks to some valuable signings from other clubs and some ex riders returning to the track.
 
The name stands for "East Newport" because that’s where we are and it will make gaining sponsorship much easier having a name that is growing in stature. CSC stands for "Cycle Speedway" because that’s the sport we do and "Club" simply because that’s what we are. A club that is open to everyone with no exclusions, restrictions or prejudices.

What next then? Every promise we have made has been fulfilled and so to move our dream forward plans are now underway to develop the track further.

When we started this project we borrowed a quote from a film which said 'If you build it they will come'. You came and you made this a great success and this club is our present to you. The track is free to anyone who wants go to it and is open for use 24/7.

The acorn continues to grow.........