British Track Tour - Places, Faces & What You Remember

[TonyMac 720]

I would be very interested to read what others remember from their visits to British tracks.

 

Not talking about riders, races or actual meetings, but the different characteristics of all the different stadiums . . . track shapes and sizes, the people you met there, characters on the terraces and in the bars (whether you can put a name to them or not), those little idiosyncrasies that stood out and still stick in your mind today. If someone mentions a certain track, type what instantly comes into your head.

 

I'll give some personal examples of the type of thing I'm looking for below (although my main interest is defunct venues, or ones that were running 1965-90). Please feel free to add your own anecdotes, a brief tale or two, and general memories. If we all had a little bit of local knowledge to our regular tracks, it will build into a nostalgic collection of memories and Be interesting to see who remembers what.

 

Thanks for taking part....

 

 

Arena-Essex/Lakeside
A track without a safety fence.
Nice guy Pete Thorogood.
Dave Lanning's 'Loonie Tunes'.
Hi-Ho Silver Lining blasting out of the speakers as Andrew took the check flag.
Paul Hiscock, Steve Brown, Bryn Williams.

Belle Vue (Hyde Road)
The fun-fair.
Dulcet tones of announcer Ken Wrench.
Centre green presenter Dick Barrie's commentating over the end of races in the 80s.
Six-man races at Ivan Mauger's 1985 farewell.

 

Barrow (Holker Street)
???

 

Barrow (Parkl Road)

???

 

Berwick (Shielfield Park)

 

Berwick (Berrington Lough)
Dick Barrie on the roving mike, winding up the opposing fans and team.
Being in the middle of nowhere.

 

 

Birmingham (Perry Barr)
?????

 

Birmingham (Bordesley Green)

The rough access road.

 

Boston
How bloody cold it was there in March.

 

Bradford
The very wide, long pits area with a great view looking down on the third/fourth bends.

 

Bristol (Eastville)
Sheer size of the crowd.

 

Canterbury
Harry selling Speedway Mail.
Announcer Malcolm Mitchell forgetting to read out the winning times.
3-lap races in the second-half due to the 9.00pm curfew.
Johnnie Hoskins, on the centre green, frantically waving his arms around to get everyone to hurry up because they were in danger of breaching the council's curfew.

 

Coatbridge
?????

 

Coventry
Joyce & Malcolm who ran the souvenir shop.
Packed out British Finals.
Peter Morrish.
The CO's slick military-style operation.
The CO's unique programme notes.
Linda Ochiltree in the office.
Trying hard to gain entry at the pass gate without a passport and DNA evidence.

 

Cradley Heath
Alf Ferkins selling Speedway Mail.
Margaret Hardiman (supporters' club secretary)
Pork scratchings.
The first bend bar.
The feat of finding Dudley Wood Stadium.

 

Crayford
Noise of the bikes reverberating due to the hemmed in enclosed stands.
Looking up at the bikes from the low-level terracing.
Nice guy Pete Thorogood.
Dave Welsh.

 

Crewe
????

 

Doncaster

????

 

Eastbourne
Hot Sunday afternoons.
Bob Dugard watering the track.

 

Edinburgh (Old Meadowbank)
????

 

Edinburgh (Powderhall)
Superfan Mike Hunter.

 

Ellesmere Port
????

 

Exeter
The narrow, banked track.
The solid steel fence.
Tony & Ted Lethbridge.
Another Graham Hambly leading the war cry: "1-3-5-7 let's hear the roar from glorious Devon!"

Glasgow (White City)
?????

 

Glasgow (Hampden Park)
????

 

Glasgow (Blantyre 1)
????

 

Glasgow (Blantyre 2)
Dodgy track.
Dodgy refereeing by Scottish refs.
Jimmy Beaton (snr) driving the tractor.

 

Glasgow (Shawfield)

Excellent main stand bar.

 

Hackney
Snowie Beattie doing the interval raffle draw.
All kinds of smells from the factories around The Wick.
Len Silver throwing a 50p coin into the crowd.
The Magnificent Seven theme tune.
Bert Busch, Rose (tea lady) and Carol Stock, Terry Heath, Paul Tadman, Tony Hurren, Bryn Williams.
Hawkeye's programme column.
Big Arthur Caton bellowing "Speedway Mail, all yer results 'n' pictures!" at the top of his voice. His missus, Iris, on the pass gate.
Snoopy's Disco (under the main stand)
Ipswich fans invading in force... and leaving with another 2 league points.

 

Halifax
Banking like no other.
The Shay bar behind the back straight stand.
Riders walking across the football pitch from dressing rooms to pits on the first bend.
Dougie Adams in the announcer's box.
Eric Boothroyd's Russian hat.
Kenny Carter's motorhome.

 

Harringay
?????

 

Hull

Ian Thomas ducking and diving.

 

Ipswich
Walk in the Black Forest theme tune played at the start and end of the night.
John Earrey on the roving mike - one of the first - and doing such a professional job.
John Berry's scathing programme comments.
Start marshal Ray Chinnery, James Easter, Nigel 'Noddy' Fordham and the bugler on the back straight (anyone know his name, or anything about him?)

 

King’s Lynn
Martin Rogers' ultra smooth pre-meeting introductions. "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls... a warm welcome to Sunshine Speedway, Saddlebow Road!"
Watching the racing from the officials' box, next to announcer Edwin Overland (in 1983).
Stopping in Brandon on the way home for fish & chips.

 

Leicester (Blackbird Road)
Soldier Boy shouting the odds when he was supporting Ray Wilson.

 

Long Eaton
???

Middlesbrough
The flyover that went over the first/seconds bends.
The burnout main stand.

 

Mildenhall

Nice fish and chips.

 

Milton Keynes (Groveway)
????????

Milton Keynes (Elfield Park)

Going round in circles, but a good view of the action.

 

Newcastle
Barry Wallace on the mike.
Ian Thomas ducking and diving.

 

Nelson
?????

 

New Cross
???

 

Newport (Somerton Park)
????

 

Norwich
????

 

Oxford
'Kojak' selling Speedway Mail and arguing with fans.
The Cheetahs motif on the large concrete building beyond the pit gate.
Bernard Crapper and John Payne mingling with fans in the bar after racing.

 

Paisley
??????

 

Peterborough
Trying to find an exit gate at The Showground that was still open in the pitch dark and dead of night (after a few jars n the bar).

 

Poole
????

 

Rayleigh
The cockle shells in the car park leading to the main turnstiles.
Announcer Terry Ripo.
Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines.

 

Reading (Tilehurst)
???

 

Reading (Smallmead)
Dave Lanning, Bob Radford.
The playing of Monday Monday by The Mamas and The Papas.

Rochdale

 

Romford
The concrete 'safety' fence.
The wooden bridge over the pits.
Getting the No.86 bus from Chadwell Heath High Road.

 

Rye House
The Rye House pub just over the little hump-back bridge over the River Lea. Lovely on a hot Sunday afternoon.
Big Arthur Caton bellowing "Speedway Mail, all yer results 'n' pictures!" at the top of his voice.

 

St. Austell
????

 

Scunthorpe (Quibell Park)

??????????

 

Scunthorpe (Ashby Ville)
?????

 

Sheffield
Mick & Joan Gregory running the track shop.
Dave Beresford.

Great close-up view into the pits behind the main stand as the riders warmed-up.

 

Stoke (Sun Street)

????

Stoke (Loomer Road)
Cars parked on the terracing.
The steep slope from the pits to the track.

 

Sunderland
?????

 

Swindon
Ham sandwiches from the main stand.
Glynn Shailes, Clive Fisher and Bob Radford.

 

West Ham
The swathe of empty wooden seats in the upper tier of the massive main stand (1971).
The green corrugated fence in the pits.
The little wall outside the greyhound track where young fans sat to get closer to the action.
Alf Weedon's rosette and badge seller (can't recall his name)

Wembley
Twin Towers.
Bert Harkins' white boots.

 

Weymouth
????????

White City (London)

How the bikes seemed so slow because the track was so far away from the terracing.
Riders having to walk the length of the centre green before disappearing underground to enter the tunnel that led to the dressing rooms.
Big crowds for most World Championship meetings.
Dusty track conditions under the Sunday afternoon sun.

 

Wimbledon
Eddie Toogood's stand outside the main entrance, selling Speedway Star, books and all sorts.
Alan selling Speedway Mail.
The indoor area of the pits where home riders were nearly choking back fumes.
And the outside area for the away team.
The main grandstand, plushest in the land.
Tears for Tommy Jansson.
10,000+ crowds for The Wills Internationale on Whit Bank Holiday Monday night, and that gleaming winner's prize of the JAP/Jawa spinning round on the centre green
Dave Lanning's razzmatazz.
Drinking with Richard Clark (Speedway Star) in The Leather Bottle pub before the meeting and going for a curry at The Somraz Tandoori (with Roger Johns and the Tatum bros) after the meeting.
Clapham Common and all the bloody traffic lights between east and south London during Thursday night rush-hour.

 

Wolverhampton
Dave 'The Rat' Rattenberry and his souvenir shop.
Alf Ferkins selling Speedway Mail.

 

Workington
??????

Edited May 25, 2017 by tmc

[The White Knight 9,039]

I can remember an elderly chap at Sunderland with long grey hair and a grey moustache, who I never spoke to. He was there every week without fail and I can see him in my minds eye today. He wore a long dark blue Trenchcoat and a Dark Blue Beret. He seemed to keep himself very much to himself - but he never missed a Meeting as far as I can remember.

 

I often wonder what happened to him. I guess I'll never know now.

[stevehone 3,428]

 

Milton Keynes (Groveway)

 

 

 

going down the slope from pits to track at breakneck speed

Edited May 25, 2017 by stevehone

[fatface 2,552]

Belle Vue - Taffy Owen's shop..he had my pocket money every week!

 

Sheffield - the bakery and it's delicious smell on the approach

 

Halifax - end of season fireworks, including an illuminated Elephant

[Sidney the robin 4,735]

Swindon having a cheap/more expensive side, - Halifax having a nice clubhouse and a lovely pint of Tetley - and Eastbourne - with Tony Millard and that terrible klaxon happy days.

Edited May 25, 2017 by Sidney the robin

[salty 2,200]

Cradley - Early 70's Top Hat Sam - can't remember his real name - a very vocal supporter who became a sponsor.

The open air "toilets" on the second bend.

"Scotsmans Bonk" on the 4th bend where dozens used to watch for free.

Wimbledon - Early 80's - the old guy who used to open the pit gate - never watched the 4th lap of a race - he used to wear a black beret. Ken Tozer announcing the wrong riders on parade. Getting a free pint off Doris in the bar.

[TonyMac 720]

Ken Tozer announcing the wrong riders on parade.

 

Known to locals as Ken Dozer.

[steve roberts 9,243]

I would be very interested to read what others remember from their visits to British tracks.

 

Not talking about riders, races or actual meetings, but the different characteristics of all the different stadiums . . . track shapes and sizes, the people you met there, characters on the terraces and in the bars (whether you can put a name to them or not), those little idiosyncrasies that stood out and still stick in your mind today. If someone mentions a certain track, type what instantly comes into your head.

 

I'll give some personal examples of the type of thing I'm looking for below (although my main interest is defunct venues, or ones that were running 1965-90). Please feel free to add your own anecdotes, a brief tale or two, and general memories. If we all had a little bit of local knowledge to our regular tracks, it will build into a nostalgic collection of memories and Be interesting to see who remembers what.

 

Thanks for taking part....

 

 

Arena-Essex/Lakeside

A track without a safety fence.

Nice guy Pete Thorogood.

Dave Lanning's 'Loonie Tunes'.

Hi-Ho Silver Lining blasting out of the speakers as Andrew took the check flag.

Paul Hiscock, Steve Brown, Bryn Williams.

 

Belle Vue (Hyde Road)

The fun-fair.

Dulcet tones of announcer Ken Wrench.

Centre green presenter Dick Barrie's commentating over the end of races in the 80s.

Six-man races at Ivan Mauger's 1985 farewell.

 

Barrow (Holker Street)

???

 

Barrow (Parkl Road)

???

 

Berwick (Shielfield Park)

 

Berwick (Berrington Lough)

Dick Barrie on the roving mike, winding up the opposing fans and team.

Being in the middle of nowhere.

 

 

Birmingham (Perry Barr)

?????

 

Birmingham (Bordesley Green)

The rough access road.

 

Boston

How bloody cold it was there in March.

 

Bradford

The very wide, long pits area with a great view looking down on the third/fourth bends.

 

Bristol (Eastville)

Sheer size of the crowd.

 

Canterbury

Harry selling Speedway Mail.

Announcer Malcolm Mitchell forgetting to read out the winning times.

3-lap races in the second-half due to the 9.00pm curfew.

Johnnie Hoskins, on the centre green, frantically waving his arms around to get everyone to hurry up because they were in danger of breaching the council's curfew.

 

Coatbridge

?????

 

Coventry

Joyce & Malcolm who ran the souvenir shop.

Packed out British Finals.

Peter Morrish.

The CO's slick military-style operation.

The CO's unique programme notes.

Linda Ochiltree in the office.

Trying hard to gain entry at the pass gate without a passport and DNA evidence.

 

Cradley Heath

Alf Ferkins selling Speedway Mail.

Margaret Hardiman (supporters' club secretary)

Pork scratchings.

The first bend bar.

The feat of finding Dudley Wood Stadium.

 

Crayford

Noise of the bikes reverberating due to the hemmed in enclosed stands.

Looking up at the bikes from the low-level terracing.

Nice guy Pete Thorogood.

Dave Welsh.

 

Crewe

????

 

Doncaster

????

 

Eastbourne

Hot Sunday afternoons.

Bob Dugard watering the track.

 

Edinburgh (Old Meadowbank)

????

 

Edinburgh (Powderhall)

Superfan Mike Hunter.

 

Ellesmere Port

????

 

Exeter

The narrow, banked track.

The solid steel fence.

Tony & Ted Lethbridge.

Another Graham Hambly leading the war cry: "1-3-5-7 let's hear the roar from glorious Devon!"

 

Glasgow (White City)

?????

 

Glasgow (Hampden Park)

????

 

Glasgow (Blantyre 1)

????

 

Glasgow (Blantyre 2)

Dodgy track.

Dodgy refereeing by Scottish refs.

Jimmy Beaton (snr) driving the tractor.

 

Glasgow (Shawfield)

Excellent main stand bar.

 

Hackney

Snowie Beattie doing the interval raffle draw.

All kinds of smells from the factories around The Wick.

Len Silver throwing a 50p coin into the crowd.

The Magnificent Seven theme tune.

Bert Busch, Rose (tea lady) and Carol Stock, Terry Heath, Paul Tadman, Tony Hurren, Bryn Williams.

Hawkeye's programme column.

Big Arthur Caton bellowing "Speedway Mail, all yer results 'n' pictures!" at the top of his voice. His missus, Iris, on the pass gate.

Snoopy's Disco (under the main stand)

Ipswich fans invading in force... and leaving with another 2 league points.

 

Halifax

Banking like no other.

The Shay bar behind the back straight stand.

Riders walking across the football pitch from dressing rooms to pits on the first bend.

Dougie Adams in the announcer's box.

Eric Boothroyd's Russian hat.

Kenny Carter's motorhome.

 

Harringay

?????

 

Hull

Ian Thomas ducking and diving.

 

Ipswich

Walk in the Black Forest theme tune played at the start and end of the night.

John Earrey on the roving mike - one of the first - and doing such a professional job.

John Berry's scathing programme comments.

Start marshal Ray Chinnery, James Easter, Nigel 'Noddy' Fordham and the bugler on the back straight (anyone know his name, or anything about him?)

 

King’s Lynn

Martin Rogers' ultra smooth pre-meeting introductions. "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls... a warm welcome to Sunshine Speedway, Saddlebow Road!"

Watching the racing from the officials' box, next to announcer Edwin Overland (in 1983).

Stopping in Brandon on the way home for fish & chips.

 

Leicester (Blackbird Road)

Soldier Boy shouting the odds when he was supporting Ray Wilson.

 

Long Eaton

???

 

Middlesbrough

The flyover that went over the first/seconds bends.

The burnout main stand.

 

Mildenhall

Nice fish and chips.

 

Milton Keynes (Groveway)

????????

Milton Keynes (Elfield Park)

Going round in circles, but a good view of the action.

 

Newcastle

Barry Wallace on the mike.

Ian Thomas ducking and diving.

 

Nelson

?????

 

New Cross

???

 

Newport (Somerton Park)

????

 

Norwich

????

 

Oxford

'Kojak' selling Speedway Mail and arguing with fans.

The Cheetahs motif on the large concrete building beyond the pit gate.

Bernard Crapper and John Payne mingling with fans in the bar after racing.

 

Paisley

??????

 

Peterborough

Trying to find an exit gate at The Showground that was still open in the pitch dark and dead of night (after a few jars n the bar).

 

Poole

????

 

Rayleigh

The cockle shells in the car park leading to the main turnstiles.

Announcer Terry Ripo.

Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines.

 

Reading (Tilehurst)

???

 

Reading (Smallmead)

Dave Lanning, Bob Radford.

The playing of Monday Monday by The Mamas and The Papas.

Rochdale

 

Romford

The concrete 'safety' fence.

The wooden bridge over the pits.

Getting the No.86 bus from Chadwell Heath High Road.

 

Rye House

The Rye House pub just over the little hump-back bridge over the River Lea. Lovely on a hot Sunday afternoon.

Big Arthur Caton bellowing "Speedway Mail, all yer results 'n' pictures!" at the top of his voice.

 

 

St. Austell

????

 

Scunthorpe (Quibell Park)

??????????

 

Scunthorpe (Ashby Ville)

?????

 

Sheffield

Mick & Joan Gregory running the track shop.

Dave Beresford.

Great close-up view into the pits behind the main stand as the riders warmed-up.

 

Stoke (Sun Street)

????

 

Stoke (Loomer Road)

Cars parked on the terracing.

The steep slope from the pits to the track.

 

Sunderland

?????

 

Swindon

Ham sandwiches from the main stand.

Glynn Shailes, Clive Fisher and Bob Radford.

 

West Ham

The swathe of empty wooden seats in the upper tier of the massive main stand (1971).

The green corrugated fence in the pits.

The little wall outside the greyhound track where young fans sat to get closer to the action.

Alf Weedon's rosette and badge seller (can't recall his name)

 

Wembley

Twin Towers.

Bert Harkins' white boots.

 

Weymouth

????????

White City (London)

How the bikes seemed so slow because the track was so far away from the terracing.

Riders having to walk the length of the centre green before disappearing underground to enter the tunnel that led to the dressing rooms.

Big crowds for most World Championship meetings.

Dusty track conditions under the Sunday afternoon sun.

 

Wimbledon

Eddie Toogood's stand outside the main entrance, selling Speedway Star, books and all sorts.

Alan selling Speedway Mail.

The indoor area of the pits where home riders were nearly choking back fumes.

And the outside area for the away team.

The main grandstand, plushest in the land.

Tears for Tommy Jansson.

10,000+ crowds for The Wills Internationale on Whit Bank Holiday Monday night, and that gleaming winner's prize of the JAP/Jawa spinning round on the centre green

Dave Lanning's razzmatazz.

Drinking with Richard Clark (Speedway Star) in The Leather Bottle pub before the meeting and going for a curry at The Somraz Tandoori (with Roger Johns and the Tatum bros) after the meeting.

Clapham Common and all the bloody traffic lights between east and south London during Thursday night rush-hour.

 

Wolverhampton

Dave 'The Rat' Rattenberry and his souvenir shop.

Alf Ferkins selling Speedway Mail.

 

Workington

??????

Excellent post and brought back so many happy memories!

[chunky 6,090]

 

going down the slope from pits to track at breakneck speed

Yeah, I came up to Groveway one night to watch you in that junior championship won by John Bostin from Nathan Simpson!

 

Steve

[steve roberts 9,243]

Weymouth - Alf's Fish and Chips where riders and fans would meet after the meeting on the way back into town!

 

Poole & Swindon - Fairy lights around the track.

 

Reading (Smallmead) - Dusty Bank Holiday Morning Meetings!

Edited May 26, 2017 by steve roberts

[Ruth Reddy 8]

Leicester - the Blackbird Road track not actually being in Blackbird Road but in Parker Drive, confusing for first time visitors

[arnieg 3,637]

Smallmead

 

- Joy and Edna sitting in the supporters Club kiosk on the third fourth bend. Racers' very own version of 'Waldorf and Statler'. Edna went on to work in the speedway office for many years (Tony - you have her picture here: http://www.retro-speedway.com/extras/autogallery/autogallery.php?show=1.British%20Club%20Teams%20and%20Riders%2FReading%2FGLANZ%2C_Peter%2C_BLISS%2C_Pat_%26_CHANDLER%2C_Edna_84-1.jpg&start=80 )

 

I believe Joy's ashes were scattered on the first/second bends at Smallmead

 

- the second meeting at Smallmead when there was a PA announcement asking the driver of the 'speedway special' to return to the car park because his bus was sinking (built on a rubbish tip subsidence was a significant risk at Smallmead)

 

- the Reading Evening Post 'speedway specials (basically a 4 page wrap around of the normal 'Post')

 

- the huge queues back to the M4 for the opening meeting

 

- the never completed back straight bar, which sat on the back straight (at the back of the stand) half completed for many years

 

- the 'Whitley Whiff' ( a bit about it here - note the photo with both Smallmead tracks in the background: http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/local-news/ten-years-whitley-whiff-vanished-7226754 )

[Sidney the robin 4,735]

I remember Reading doing great food in the Geoff Curtis bar, ---- and Oxford when they had a lovely new restaurant that was a different way of viewing speedway a great night out.

[Grachan 7,361]

Swindon's ham rolls in the main stand were nowhere near the Cheese and Onion rolls from the back straight! Heaps of raw onion in those crusty rolls I tells ya!

 

Exeter - being over to lean over the fence as riders were coming towards you and looking into Ivan Mauger's eyes as he went past!

 

Wimbledon - actual, proper toilets! And seeing the riders warming up in the car park as you drove in.

Bristol - cars stopping on the Motorway hard shoulder to watch the racing. Riders going home due to the rough state of the sandy track. I also remember a uni-cyclist doing a lap of the track during an interval there.

I only made one trip to Stoke, which was the day after Per Jonsson won the World Final in Bradford. I was amazed to find the cars parking on the bends. I remember chatting to a lady in the crowd and telling her I'd been to the World Final. She said she knew about it being on but had never heard of the lad that had won it.

Edited May 26, 2017 by grachan

[stevehone 3,428]

I only made one trip to Stoke, which was the day after Per Jonsson won the World Final in Bradford. I was amazed to find the cars parking on the bends. I remember chatting to a lady in the crowd and telling her I'd been to the World Final. She said she knew about it being on but had never heard of the lad that had won it.

 

and they still haven't caught up there yet