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HertsRacer

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Posts posted by HertsRacer

  1. Posted

    4 hours ago, cityrebel said:

    Len Silver tried to run speedway at Charlton dog track in the mid 1960's. Very few photographs exist of the stadium. I know it was just off the Woolwich road, close to the Valley football ground.

    Being a Charlton Athletic supporter, I remember the greyhound stadium very well. Was on the corner of Woolwich Road and Anchor and Hope Lane which is now a Makro's store. Never went inside, but from the outside it appeared a pretty large stadium. I do have a photo of it somewhere, will try and find it. I also remember getting excited that as well as a football team, I was going to have a speedway team to support as well. Sadly the owners changed their mind at the last minute, ans sold the stadium for redevelopment.

  3. Posted

    14 minutes ago, The White Knight said:

    I saw this and was very surprised, in a nice way.

    I watch Grantchester religiously (if you'll pardon the pun) every week.

    Great Programme enhanced, for me anyway, by the Speedway pictures on the wall. Let's hope for more of the same.

    On another site someone has actually confirmed the dates of the magazines on the wall, and they actually match the year the latest series is set.

    • Like 1

  4. Posted

    On 1/16/2019 at 6:51 PM, gustix said:

    George Mudgway was a New Zealander who was with Bradford in 1947. In New Zealand he was a leading performer in grass track and speedway. He had an impressive reputation in his homeland in a career that dated back to the mid-1930s. I think that he came from Auckland. I would be interested in more background regarding his New Zealand racing career. Mudgway only had the one season in Britain.

    This might be of use to you  http://bobandrewsspeedway.tripod.com/georgemudgwaycontents.htm 

  7. Posted

    25 minutes ago, Byker Biker said:

    Please don't knock this initiative folks it's not that long ago that Plymouth didn't have a Speedway Team and of course it's an even shorter period since it's continuation was threatened. Whatever it takes to secure the sport for Plymouth and it's lovely supporters has to be welcomed and embraced. Well done this is an opportunity to be taken and made the most of, which all the other clubs at death's door would welcome.

    I'm sure everybody wishes you the best of fortune for the future. We can't afford to lose anymore tracks. On a lighter note the name Gladiators will be Plymouth's sixth nickname in it's history after Tigers, Panthers, Drakes, Bulldogs and Devils. This must be a record.

  8. Posted · Edited by HertsRacer

    5 hours ago, Falcons50 said:

    At the end of the day Plymouth will continue to have a speedway team next season something which was much in doubt at the end of last I think. New sponsorship or actually any sponsorship is so difficult to get so my thoughts are WELL DONE to the Mark, Stuart and Mattie. Paul is working hard as well. I am pleased to sponsor a heat for the season as I have done the last two years. It's a relatively small amount but if it helps keep my Friday nights going, we as spectators just need to get behind the team and give them the support they need and deserve. :D

    Can't say I like the changes much, but there you go. Just hope they bring you better fortune than when my old team changed it's name to Gladiators.

  9. Posted

    1 hour ago, 2ndbendbeerhut said:

    Tesco finest....

    Not Tesco value...:blink:

     

    Edit -  Still need 2 riders by sounds of it... euro trip was not very fruitful

    Is Eddie Kennett still riding? Haven't seen his name linked to any Premier or Championship club for next season. Might be a useful signing.  

  10. Posted · Edited by HertsRacer

    On 12/13/2018 at 8:11 AM, compost said:

    Would that be 'Reading' as in California (-in-Wokingham I think) or at a different venue ?  I know California rode pre-war challenge matches under the name of Reading.

     

    Many thanks for the replies.  Interesting to see how few of the unsuccessful applicants eventually became licenced venues.  Did the control board get the process right or did the applicants realise what they were up against and give up ?

    Of the tracks mentioned I know that Crystal Palace was deemed to be too close to New Cross, probably the same argument applied to Charlton. The Local Council refused planning permission to stage speedway at Romford, and the stadium owners turned down approaches to run at Nottingham. I assume any application from Clapton was to be at Lee Bridge Stadium which during and after the war was used for allotments and never hosted speedway again. The owners of Staines Stadium introduced Midget Car Racing in 1947 which probably explained why speedway did not get off the ground.

      I suspect many of the applications to join the league were made before obtaining necessary planning permission or agreement with the stadium owners which in the end was not forthcoming.   

  11. Posted

    25 minutes ago, Steve Shovlar said:

    Congratulations to Dave Goddard. Clear speaker and his interaction wit the fans on live tv with twitter is excellent.

    as for King Lynn, you must be joking! Terrible track nowdays.

    Well done Dave, well deserved. A different type of commentating. Agree with you Steve re his interaction with the fans during meetings.

    • Like 1

  12. Posted · Edited by HertsRacer

    On 12/8/2018 at 12:40 PM, arnieg said:

    After the Second World War, austerity was the watchword of the day. It wasn't just food and clothing that was rationed, entertainment was too. With people desperate for something to contrast the dull daily grind speedway flourished. In 1946 over 600,000 people went through the turnstiles at Wimbledon. The 12 league teams reported an aggregate profit of £160,000 (equivalent to £4.5 million today). Seeing the opportunity to profit from the sport's new-found popularity, dozens of applications to open new tracks reached the speedway authorities. By the start of 1951 the number of league teams had risen from 12 to 37.

    Potential new applicants had to overcome two hurdles. The first was to get a licence from the Speedway Control Board, but permission was also required from the Home Office. The Government feared that leisure activities might undermine industrial production and frowned on weekday tracks in particular.

    The list of applicants for 1947 makes interesting reading. Among those granted permission were pre-war venues such as Harringay (the original Racers) and Southampton, and new tracks like Cradley Heath. Among the unsuccessful applicants were Charlton, Crewe, Peterborough, Yarmouth, Staines and Reading.

    The following year Reading again appeared on the list of 18 applicants for a licence to stage speedway. Among the hopefuls were Leicester, Worksop, Poole, Coventry, Romford and Leeds.

    Come 1949, and again Reading failed to get a licence, unlike Swindon and Oxford. Swindon, originally granted an open licence, replaced Hull in the league mid-season.

    'Tears & Glory' - page 10

    In 1948 there was also an application from Kings Lynn, and in 1947 (I think) from Crystal Palace..

  13. Posted

    2 hours ago, semion said:

    Neil what happens with proposed idea that Sweden will use Thursday's as well as Tuesday's ?  With the increase in the numbers in the League I understand there isn't enough Tuesdays, so some fixtures will spill over to a few Thursday's

    The new Swedish fixtures can be found in the International World of Speedway section. Most weeks just one Thursday meeting, occasionally two.  

  16. Posted · Edited by HertsRacer

    19 hours ago, teaboy279 said:

    What happened to the Yorkshire team, so gone quiet on that front.

    Don't think you'll be seeing them next season. According to their Facebook page, their main director has pulled out on health grounds, and the rest don't have the resources to continue the venture  currently.

     

    • Like 1

  17. Posted · Edited by HertsRacer

    On 10/14/2018 at 9:18 PM, steve roberts said:

    I know that he rode for Romford. Have a feeling that there was an interview with him in either 'Backtrack' or 'Classic' Magazine?

    Don't remember him ever riding for Romford. He was born in Purton on 1 August 1945, and spent his career which lasted from 1968 and 1971 riding for Swindon and Eastbourne. I do remember seeing him ride for Swindon at Poole when he was just starting out, looping at the gate on his first ride and ending up with the bike on top of him.  Looked rather painful.

    Never quite made it for the Robins but a solid scorer for the Eagles.

  19. Posted

    5 hours ago, cityrebel said:

    It will be very interesting to see how many fans back this new venture. The crowds were never brilliant at Custom House, when Romford moved in.

    To be fair the crowds in the last few seasons of the Hammers were pretty poor. As for Romford, they promoted the team as West Ham Bombers which put a lot of people off. Also we knew that we were never going to last the season there, so a lot of the supporters stopped going. 

  20. Posted · Edited by HertsRacer

    4 hours ago, brianbuck said:

    That's very decent of you. I will be affixing the plaque to the wall this Wednesday.It is just a small plate of about 9" x 2" so what we would really like is a photograph to go with it. If you can trace a relative who can supply one, that would be very useful. We know that he was born in West Ham in 1920, that he lived in Essex at the time of his death, that he is buried in Newham Cemetery and that the grave also contains the remains of his parents.

    The plaque is a small brass plate and is inscribed: "In memory of Hugh Watkinson of Essex, sadly killed training at Birmingham Speedway 16th November 1946" You can contact me at 07526 213031 if need be.

    Very many thanks.

    Brian. I may have a possible lead for you, in a CERA WATKINSON who is the daughter of Hugh's nephew LAURENCE.E WATKINSON, the son of Hugh's brother ERIC.  She is now Cera Bulpitt and lives in Ventor, Isle of Wight.  If you look at http://www.isleofwightscouts.org.uk/districts/east-wight-district/3rd-ventnor/  she is mentioned as a leader along with her husband Steve. There is a contact page on the site, so you could get in touch with  her through that. She may also have better current information, contact wise, of other relatives than I can provide.

  21. Posted

    On 8/11/2018 at 11:15 AM, brianbuck said:

    Hugh Stanley Watkinson was born in West Ham London in 1920. After being demobbed from the Army after the end of the war, he invested his army severance pay in a speedway machine and enrolled in the Training School being run by Harold "Tiger" Stevenson at Perry Barr Stadium, Birmingham in 1946. The opening day of the school was spent in the classroom discussing engine maintenance etc, and Watkinson was one of the first of the trainees (he could possibly have been the first) to take to the track on the second day. Stevenson's assistant was the then Birmingham captain Stan Dell, and Dell instructed all the trainees to ride slowly round the track for a few laps and to then gradually increase speed on receiving the signal from himself.Dell positioned himself on the track in the middle of the first bend in order to signal to the trainees, but Watkinson ignored the instruction to ride round slowly, and opened the throttle to its fullest extent, causing Dell to jump over the fence to avoid being struck by Watkinson's out of control machine. Watkinson then ran full tilt into the wooden safety fence and was taken to Birmingham General Hospital where he died from a fractured skull, in the early hours of November 16th 1946.

    Birmingham Speedway Supporters' Club have made numerous attempts to trace any of his family but without success, but a small plaque is shortly to be affixed to the wall on the landing at the stadium to commemorate the memory of the only rider to have lost his life at Perry Barr. The plaque reads: "In memory of Hugh Watkinson sadly killed training at Birmingham Speedway on 16th November 1946."

    Brian, when is the plaque being affixed? I'm an experienced Genealogist so if there's time I'm more than happy to see if I can find any living relatives, although I probably wont be able to come up with their current addresses. I know that Hugh had three younger brothers.

    • Like 1

  23. Posted

    1 hour ago, Shadders said:

    That’s encouraging. The problem with Rye House is it’s always been a weekend track since the Rockets relocated from Rayleigh in 1974. The South East has a massive traffic problem. It’s not viable for everyone to get there for a midweek 7.30pm start if they don’t work within a few miles of the track, unless they leave early which may not be possible for most. Add that to families with young children not wanting thier little darlings up until well after 10.30 and you can see we have a problem. Not sure Leicester have the same difficulties as I reckon they have a higher percentage of support that live or work within half an hour or so commute from Beaumont Leys. 

    Totally correct. Rye House's support is not local but from all over Hertfordshire etc. Also many work in London and commute by train, and the current rail fiasco is making it impossible for them to get home and get to Rye in time.

  25. Posted

    1 hour ago, Odds On said:

    speedway in Milton Keynes was never sustainable, why should it be any different nowadays?

    MK Dons, lovely stadium, virtually empty for home games.

    Basketball, all but died a death.

     

    Can't agree with you there. The last speedway at MK was over 25 years ago. The town has changed greatly since then.  As for the Basketball team, The Lions only moved to London after they lost use of their home venue due to proposed redevelopment and no other suitable venue could be found within the town.  

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