Hackney Speedway

Okay, I know the 2015 speedway season in months away yet. Serious thought has to go into the makeup of the leagues in 2015 now. When it was announced air fences were to become compulsory in 2014, the general thoughts of a lot of people that clubs would close. Apart from the shambles that appeared to take place at the Isle of Wight which regrettably did close [some say it was nothing to do with getting an air-fence] every club survived. As we get into August, surely the BSPA should be asking what the fans want in 2015? I guess all of what the paying public want the BSPA will be unable to deliver. You or I don’t need telling what a state UK speedway is in. There will be differing answers, but the one theme that always seems to appear is the lack of world class riders currently not riding in the British Elite League. We are very lucky we have a British World Speedway Champion who races here in the UK. But should Tai retain his crown or not, after taking a break from speedway just before the World Team Cup, will Tai return to the 2015 Elite League in the UK? Of course the other question, will there be a British Elite League in 2015? Looking at the Elite and Premier Leagues I don’t think there is much difference rider wise between the pair of them. When EL riders drop down, they never keep to their starting average. I recall several years ago Ben Howe who rose for Ipswich, moved to Newport in 2000 on an 11plus average yet finished the season just over 8 points per meeting. Edward Kennett this year is similar, comes into the PL just over a 10.5 average yet is now only averaging just under 9, Danny King comes in at Newcastle at just over 11, and I’m sure his average will drop accordingly. So should the Elite League fold, and clubs join the Premier League, but on the PL terms? Could we reduce the not so good foreigners who seem to in my view take up a birth a British rider should be taking? Virtually every business today wants to know how they’ve done. Whether that’s BA, Government, British Gas, Virgin Trains, Hoteliers, the list could go on and on, but they all want your feedback. So surely why aren’t our promoters on behalf of the BSPA asking us, the paying public what we want! So many people are walking away from speedway in the UK and they won’t come back. For clubs out on a limb geographically, there’s nothing wrong with asking your fans what they want. Where there are clubs fairly close together you could have a regional gathering of supporters and members of the BSPA to get the feeling of the supporters. Cradley I know are an exception to the rule, but they get packed houses for meeting the likes of Hamill and Hancock in a kind of fans forum. Certainly Tai Woffinden had a packed out forum last year after winning the World Championship. These are just a few of my thoughts. I’m sure you have other views. Let’s hope someone who promotes speedway in the UK reads the comments [which I hope will be listed below] and starts to listen to what the fans want. Although of course I’m realistic enough to realise we can’t have the earth…….

With all the hype of the BSPA conference, go back in time and read an exclusive Dave Lanning article on what he thought of Hackney Speedway and Len Silver. It shows how far British speedway has declined over the years. Lanning explains that, “In retrospect, it has to be factored in that these were particularly golden days for West Ham. The soccer Hammers across at Upton Park were in a peak of popularity winning European silverware and culminating when three of their players won the World Cup for England in 1966. There were shared Board members at both Upton Park and Custom House and a great deal of cross fertilisation between the two. But perhaps the craziest most unfair to Hackney fact was that at precisely this time West Ham was basking in a ridiculously unique, unexpected period of fashionability. Alf Garnett, of all people, glamorised ‘yer ‘ammers’ every week for a TV audience of 20 million. He even declared that the Queen had a picture of ‘the lads’ on her bedroom door.” I’m not aware we have shared Board members between a football club and the local speedway team. Perhaps we should. The KOC was the equivalent of today’s play offs. Glamour was part of speedway’s popularity. The closest ‘star’ who occasionally gives speedway the thumbs up these day is probably Mark Webber. To read the full article go to the link below http://hackneyspeedway.com/WHEN-DAVE-LANNING-GOT-ON-HACKNEY-S-WICK-

Well I really can’t believe the BSPA statement. To have two NL riders in each Elite League team, surely they can’t be serious! It will knock young NL rider’s confidence, we know the Lambert feller will beat all the reserves, but well, Hackney is totally dismayed! Two tier teams again, oh dear. In Hackney’s humble opinion, speedway is dying in the UK. Speedway in the UK needs new blood, fresh ideas, fresh promoters. It’s the old pals act, I've seen it all before and money speaks! They keep the hated tactical rule, they still call the top league Elite [that’s farcical] and if as I believe Sky gave each EL club £100,000 last year and these clubs still loose money hand over fist, then I’m afraid and it hurts me to say it, but we say bye-bye to the Grand Prix riders in the UK. You deserve much more money than you get, every rider does, but you’re strangling British speedway and that cannot be allowed to happen. Simply unless you’re a very rich promoter, clubs will cease as it looks like Peterborough have sadly done. How can the vast majority of clubs afford to pay a rider £5000 per meeting as one club its believed to have done last season! We could have had an expanded Premier League. That would bring on young British riders. But no we just keep things plodding along. No reason why we can’t have our European friends riding in the UK, but at sensible rates. If speedway in the UK does get a television contract, let’s see more Premier League Speedway, although probably no speedway in the UK on satellite wouldn't be such a bad thing.

Mr Smooth was Finn......

We just haven't got the riders, no matter who's in charge. With five Tai Woffindens please, even then I'd do a good job, like I did at Hackney!

It seems some feathers have been ruffled down Custom House way, well Prince Regents Lane actually! You may well recall the local rivalry that took place between Hackney boss Len Silver and West Ham’s supremo Dave Lanning? Well believe it or not 45 years later it’s still seems to be on going! Watch out for a exclusive article which can be read at www.hackneyspeedway.com entitled "when Dave Lanning got on Hackney’s wick!" of course written by the West Ham Speedway supremo himself!

The 1968 season has started with a win for the Hawks at home to Wolverhampton and a defeat at the County Ground Exeter. Details of the season thus far, Len Silver's programme notes plus much more go to http://hackneyspeedway.com/Welcome-to-1968 For a exclusive Hawkeye column especially done see the link below http://hackneyspeedway.com/Welcome-to-1968-Exclusive-Hawkeye-column-

If you want to relive Hackney Speedway 1968 season plus a few other speedway events from that year even if you are a little too young to remember the events of the 1968 season follow it on facebook/hackneyspeedway, twitter and hackneyspeedway.com. Relive this year, day by day and week by week as the speedway season starts in earnest, we’ll bring you all the news that revolves around the Magnificent Seven. We’ll be covering all of Hackney’s home and away meeting on twitter, facebook as if they were actually taking place. Throw in the programme notes of ‘Len Silver Talking’ on hackneyspeedway.com it’s going to be a busy year for me, my computer and my fingers!

Shame the Scunthorpe v Hackney match couldn’t have had it own thread. Certainly Scunthorpe have a decent side and expect a good match. Indeed the track will be slicker after the Edinburgh match, but lets hope for a great advert for National League Speedway and of course a Hackney win!