speedyguy 20 Posted November 13, 2009 did anyone go to west ham when it was a complete stadium. i never went there until 1970 and by this time the back straight and part of the first and all of the second bends had already been demolished. it must have been a great stadium when still intact. As I mentioned in a previous Post I first went to West Ham in April 1954. What a great place it was. Then over the years until the early 1960s, I was a regular at Custom House for both speedway and stock car racing. Happy days! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Parsloes 1928 nearly 495 Posted November 13, 2009 The two riders are Arthur Atkinson and Tiger Stevenson Thanx! Tiger was certainly very well-spoken - especially for a Speedway rider!!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Killer Cat from Mars 16 Posted November 13, 2009 Very poignant watching those clips. How could such a great venue have been lost to the sport? No doubt someone made a pretty penny from selling the stadium down the river! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Phlipphlopp 3,913 Posted November 15, 2009 Great footage, and have to say it looked a REAL racing track.How we could do with more tracks like that these days. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
speedyguy 20 Posted November 15, 2009 (edited) Very poignant watching those clips. How could such a great venue have been lost to the sport? No doubt someone made a pretty penny from selling the stadium down the river! I think you will find that the reason the stadium was sold was because it had become so old it was a more economical to demolish and sell the land than to refurbish a place where, over the post war years, people increasingly stayed away from the activities covered there. A West Ham page can be found on http://londonspeedways.proboards.com/index.cgi Edited November 15, 2009 by speedyguy Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Parsloes 1928 nearly 495 Posted November 15, 2009 Very poignant watching those clips. How could such a great venue have been lost to the sport? No doubt someone made a pretty penny from selling the stadium down the river! Yep - and guess who..? The same folk who did for London's other truly great stadium, the White City... The GRA... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
star ghost 7 Posted November 15, 2009 I bet they will be mentioned with Wimbledon next All of Londons great tracks went because people stopped going to speedway. Speedway has never fought back really either. It has just got left behind in the modern days. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sheffieldscot 0 Posted November 15, 2009 Here is one from Old Meadowbank http://ssa.nls.uk/film.cfm?fid=5853&se...earch_fuzzy=yes Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sheffieldscot 0 Posted November 15, 2009 (edited) Link for British Pathe - http://www.britishpathe.com/results.php Loads and loads of vintage stuff on here Just copy & paste the link Edited November 15, 2009 by sheffieldscot Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KenB1 23 Posted November 17, 2009 It particularly hurts me as I've spent virtually all my adult life living and working in East London and meet on a daily basis many people who went to Custom House but I sadly never did. Back in '72 I was just a 12 year-old living in Kent .! Derick it was 1972 Worth taking a look at ITV arcive website, put Dirt Track racing and Speedway in and you can watch 100's of old film from around the world. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
liverpool chad 2 Posted December 3, 2009 Excellent footage and good qulity too. Did anyone see one of Stan Stevens old West Ham rice jackets on e-bay about five years ago? i was the highest bider with nine seconds left but lost out to four more bids It went for around £500 pounds! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
emerald tyke 49 Posted December 3, 2009 Yes agree Pathe is a great website to watch old film of our beloved sport.....take a look at clip Eastbourne Eagles Trevor Geer and I think Barney Kennett? Also some more experts on here may be able to name more on the clip. lets see how many more can be named. Oh! and those masks!!! http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=74189 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cityrebel 2,960 Posted December 4, 2009 Excellent footage and good qulity too. Did anyone see one of Stan Stevens old West Ham rice jackets on e-bay about five years ago? i was the highest bider with nine seconds left but lost out to four more bids It went for around £500 pounds! yes i remember that i missed out as well. to ease the pain a bit i do have mike sampsons west ham bombers race jacket from 1972 and a replica childs jacket from around 1970. it is the same as the west ham london design but slightly smaller. as a kid i remember seeing it in the track shop and it will have to do until the real thing turns up. at least it's been at the track unlike all of these copys for sale. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Parsloes 1928 nearly 495 Posted December 4, 2009 Yes agree Pathe is a great website to watch old film of our beloved sport.....take a look at clip Eastbourne Eagles Trevor Geer and I think Barney Kennett? Also some more experts on here may be able to name more on the clip. lets see how many more can be named. Oh! and those masks!!! http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=74189 Great clip. It's White City, of course... And that's GORDON not Barney of the Kennett bros!! Other riders shown in the pits cleaning their bikes are Richard Greer and Richard Hellsen.. Must be Press & Practice Day as the stadium is empty (no sarky comments please that that could mean it was a league match... ). Not year one with those race jackets I'd say..?? And certainly NOT 1970... Has to be between '76 and '78.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cityrebel 2,960 Posted December 4, 2009 Great clip. It's White City, of course... And that's GORDON not Barney of the Kennett bros!! Other riders shown in the pits cleaning their bikes are Richard Greer and Richard Hellsen.. Must be Press & Practice Day as the stadium is empty (no sarky comments please that that could mean it was a league match... ). Not year one with those race jackets I'd say..?? And certainly NOT 1970... Has to be between '76 and '78.. hi derek it's 1976 press and practice day. i've got richard greer's silver city rebels race jacket in my collection from that season. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
