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KrisB

Rayleigh Rockets

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Love these topics on old clubs. Rayleigh isn't within a 30 mile boundary of another club I don't think. If there is enough nostalgic interest how come no land has ever been found. It doesn't look too built up over that way? City tracks are very hard to start, but look at Somerset!

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Yes you are right.... Why didn't I notice that! Still a shame, quite a good catchment out there.

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Just found this thread. The Weir was my first and really I guess my only speedway home. Discovered it at the age of thirteen and lost it the day after my sixteenth birthday.

 

No I don't think i ever got over the loss and Rye House was never truly home.

 

It was agonising to lose something you'd fallen in love with far too soon and at such a young age.

 

I remember reading about the closure plans in the Evening Echo in floods of tears.

 

It is far too easy for people to be blase about others losing their tracks, something that is far too prevalent in speedway. Football fans think they're suffering if their team gets relegated....

 

Rayleigh Rockets - my first and only real sporting love. May the memories live forever.

 

Regards,

Rob.

 

Hang on a minute Rob, 13 and 60 add up to 73?, they didnt start til 1948!! glad to hear you are still about old chap. ;)

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Hang on a minute Rob, 13 and 60 add up to 73?, they didnt start til 1948!! glad to hear you are still about old chap. ;)

 

Let us know where the 60 comes from Ken ;-)

 

Found the Weir in 1971 at the age of 13, and it closed Oct 20th 1973 the day after my 16th.

 

Actually I'm 85 but I lie about my age.

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I never went to Rayliegh but started following the Rockets on there 1st meeting at Rye.

Ray Rocket,I remember Red Ott very well,he was so exciting to watch,was gutted when he moved to Crewe,and he ended up at the tiny Crayford track which was never going to suit him!

RMC,how come we never see you at Rye anymore?

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RMC,how come we never see you at Rye anymore?

 

Because of the way the 1999 relaunch team were treated the following year.

 

I live over 100 miles away now and the only meeting I've been to at Rye House since the 1993 close was to show support for Steve Ribbons after he had been forced out.

 

We all wanted Rye House to reopen but the way it was done behind the scenes was totally unacceptable to me. Len has achieved some great things in speedway but some of the people around him I did not want in my life in the slightest way.

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There is plenty of action from Rayligh on the Days Gone By series, see T2TV link below.

One great memory I have is listening to Elton Johns "Rocket Man" playing one Bank Holiday morning, Eastbourne won 31-47 but it was a great day, then went off to Westham in the Afternoon and onto Wimbledon in the evening! Those were the days!

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One great memory I have is listening to Elton Johns "Rocket Man" playing one Bank Holiday morning, Eastbourne won 31-47 but it was a great day,

 

It was still a great day after a big away win? My goodness, the greed of these Eagles :wink:

 

I remember the great Terry Ripo (a, b, c you at speedway...) announcing he'd had a record delivered from London by some guy called Elton John - and we HAD to hear it. As you can guess it was Rocket Man. It struck such a chord that I used it as the farewell music at every Rockets meeting at Rye House once I in turn became the team's announcer.

 

Another little catch-phrase dwelled in the programme column contributed by the Southend/Basildon Evening Echo's Paul Deal ..."I'm only here for the Weir, well it IS Rayleigh Speedway"

 

(Younger readers - ask your dad or grandad about "I'm only here for the beer... :wink: )

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I e-mailed Terry to let him know he'd had a mention on the Forum.

 

This is his reply: "I think that I still have that Elton John 45 in my loft, It was given to me to play by Paul Deal who was the P.R. man for Rayleigh at the time, Elton had cut the disc as a demo I think at Paul had got a copy hot of the presses and brought it to the track for us to play, which needless to say I did frequently."

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I e-mailed Terry to let him know he'd had a mention on the Forum.

 

This is his reply: "I think that I still have that Elton John 45 in my loft, It was given to me to play by Paul Deal who was the P.R. man for Rayleigh at the time, Elton had cut the disc as a demo I think at Paul had got a copy hot of the presses and brought it to the track for us to play, which needless to say I did frequently."

 

Well it would be good for Terry and Paul to know that their influence was still being felt on the Rockets 20 years later. They both played a large part in getting me hooked on this sport through their announcing and writing.

Little did I know as a 13 year old in 1971 I might one day be following in their footsteps.

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Earlier in this thread there was reference to a CreweChelmsfordRayleigh team. I'd really like to know what the Chelmsford connection was, I've lived close by for best part of 20 years and watched my speedway at Hackney and Ipswich with occasional trips to Arena but sadly never to Rayleigh while it was in operation.

 

Witchnut

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Earlier in this thread there was reference to a CreweChelmsfordRayleigh team. I'd really like to know what the Chelmsford connection was, I've lived close by for best part of 20 years and watched my speedway at Hackney and Ipswich with occasional trips to Arena but sadly never to Rayleigh while it was in operation.

 

Witchnut

 

That was in the list of meetings on a historic DVD and had me confused - it must have been a typo because the closest I remember Chelmsford ever getting to speedway came about as follows:

 

About the time Rayleigh's number was coming up there were proposals to run speedway at the Essex Showground at Great Leighs near Chelmsford. Despite being in a remote location there were noise objections.

Edited by rmc

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That was in the list of meetings on a historic DVD and had me confused - it must have been a typo because the closest I remember Chelmsford ever getting to speedway came about as follows:

 

About the time Rayleigh's number was coming up there were proposals to run speedway at the Essex Showground at Great Leighs near Chelmsford. Despite being in a remote location there were noise objections.

 

Now Young Robert, I can correct you on this, because there was indeed a track, it was owned by a former Rayleigh rider and used as a training track, when it was found out they made them close it, Footage is on the Days Gone By DVD. (see link below). terry Stone gave me all the details on it.

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