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Tracks around football pitches

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9 hours ago, HertsRacer said:

Always thought the racing at Brooklands was good. Thinking back Wembley was ok, as was White City.  Also went to Rochdale which was around a rugby pitch, though I can't remember what the racing was like, and Nelson which had a football pitch, the track being narrow and virtually square in shape. That was awful.  

Yes some people slag off White City but as a weekly regular during 'The Rebels' era and some of the big meetings held there it did produce some decent racing and Malcolm Simmons (Yes that man again) used to enjoy riding the many lines that it encouraged and likened it to Custom House.

Edited by steve roberts

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Sadly, the last season at White City produced the most boring season I had witnessed. The lack of action caused by the big scores the Rebels inflicted on the visitors. The second half of the season I tokk to scoring on a separate sheet of paper the scores of Red and Yellow against Blue and White. At least the score was closer even if it did nothing for the big gaps between the riders for most of each race. 

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48 minutes ago, Chris116 said:

Sadly, the last season at White City produced the most boring season I had witnessed. The lack of action caused by the big scores the Rebels inflicted on the visitors. The second half of the season I tokk to scoring on a separate sheet of paper the scores of Red and Yellow against Blue and White. At least the score was closer even if it did nothing for the big gaps between the riders for most of each race. 

The last season of 'The Rebels' (1978) created some rather embarrassing heavy defeats for the home team. However they always throughout their three years of operation remained good visitors to other tracks and achieved results at all over that same period excepting Exeter, Ipswich and Newport/Bristol (although they should have won on their visits to Eastville). The 77 team were an exceptionally talented group of riders and fully deserved their title success and teams visiting Wood Lane that season were often sent away packing although 'The Rebels' were not invincible and lost twice at home during that campaign and others came close in succeeding which proved that if riders were willing to give it a go that success was within their grasp. I would agree that races were often strung out at Wood Lane but that was often the case at many of the larger tracks operating at the time, before and no doubt since  but I saw many races involving the home team having to battle their way thru'...none more so spectacular than Kai Niemi riding around Terry Betts and inside Michael Lee within a lap.

Edited by steve roberts

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6 minutes ago, steve roberts said:

The last season of 'The Rebels' (1978) created some rather embarrassing heavy defeats for the home team. However they always throughout their three years of operation remained good visitors to other tracks and achieved results at all over that same period excepting Exeter, Ipswich and Newport/Bristol (although they should have won on their visits to Eastville). The 77 team were an exceptionally talented group of riders and fully deserved their title success. I would agree that races were often strung out at Wood Lane but that was often the case at many of the larger tracks operating at the time but I saw many races involving the home team having to battle their way thru'...none more so spectacular than Kai Niemi riding around Terry Betts and inside Michael Lee within a lap.

Just shows how memory can play tricks on you! I was sure they closed at the end of the season when they won the title! Must be that my parents and I were so fed up with the racing at Wood Lane we didn't go in 1978. What i do know is that my mother and I did not enjoy their title winning season and thought my fater was lucky that he was not with us due to his work.

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3 minutes ago, Chris116 said:

Just shows how memory can play tricks on you! I was sure they closed at the end of the season when they won the title! Must be that my parents and I were so fed up with the racing at Wood Lane we didn't go in 1978. What i do know is that my mother and I did not enjoy their title winning season and thought my fater was lucky that he was not with us due to his work.

I thought there was some decent racing at Wood Lane for a big track, not as good as West Ham, but far better than Wembley.

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5 minutes ago, cityrebel said:

I thought there was some decent racing at Wood Lane for a big track, not as good as West Ham, but far better than Wembley.

I always prefered Hackney, Wimbledon and New Cross to Wood Lane and Custom House. A simple matter of taste and I know lots of fans who prefer the big tracks but I have always liked the smaller ones.

Edited by Chris116

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6 minutes ago, Chris116 said:

I always prefered Hackney, Wimbledon and New Cross to Wood Lane and Custom House. A simple matter of taste and I know lots of fans who prefer the big tracks but I have always liked the smaller ones.

New Cross and West Ham were two tracks I wished I could have visited. Custom House closed during my first season and I did actually visit the site of where once New Cross was and recall seeing evidence of its presence. Like you I generally prefer the smaller tracks but one of my least favourites was Wolves with its too long straights and hairpin bends (similar to Kirky Lane). Oxford, of course, was one of the best...but I would say that!!

Edited by steve roberts

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24 minutes ago, Chris116 said:

Just shows how memory can play tricks on you! I was sure they closed at the end of the season when they won the title! Must be that my parents and I were so fed up with the racing at Wood Lane we didn't go in 1978. What i do know is that my mother and I did not enjoy their title winning season and thought my fater was lucky that he was not with us due to his work.

Ah, I wondered!  Yeah, they opened in 1976, won the league the following year, and then closed at the end of 78.  My first time there was the GP Final in 76, and I was a frequent visitor for the next 2 1/2 years.

Like cityrebel, I generally enjoyed the racing at Wood Lane, particularly under floodlights.  Even big wins don't necessarily mean poor racing, and I can't say I was ever really disappointed there.  I loved small tracks too , but it was nice to go to White City, West Ham, Belle Vue etc just for the variety. 

Steve

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49 minutes ago, steve roberts said:

........ Oxford, of course, was one of the best...but I would say that!!

I never saw Speedway at Oxford although I did see Spedeworth, PRI and BriSCA Stock Car, Hot Rod and Banger racing there. Not a good track for the cars due to the narrow entrance and exits from the bends. 

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NSS is around an American football pitch 

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1 hour ago, chunky said:

Ah, I wondered!  Yeah, they opened in 1976, won the league the following year, and then closed at the end of 78.  My first time there was the GP Final in 76, and I was a frequent visitor for the next 2 1/2 years.

Like cityrebel, I generally enjoyed the racing at Wood Lane, particularly under floodlights.  Even big wins don't necessarily mean poor racing, and I can't say I was ever really disappointed there.  I loved small tracks too , but it was nice to go to White City, West Ham, Belle Vue etc just for the variety. 

Steve

Super meeting and Gordon Kennett rode a blinder on his own track and, if I recall, finished second in the competition (Peter Collns being the victor) when all done and dusted...also remember Olsen getting into a flap when he grounded to a halt when his own dislodged helmet colour got caught up in his chain!

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1 hour ago, Chris116 said:

I never saw Speedway at Oxford although I did see Spedeworth, PRI and BriSCA Stock Car, Hot Rod and Banger racing there. Not a good track for the cars due to the narrow entrance and exits from the bends. 

The Banger Racing caused all sorts of issues at Cowley and even prompted the speedway promoters to pull the plug if the Banger people didn't tidy up their act. The infield resembled a junk yard on occasions.

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2 minutes ago, steve roberts said:

The Banger Racing caused all sorts of issues at Cowley and even prompted the speedway promoters to pull the plug if the Banger people didn't tidy up their act. The infield resembled a junk yard on occasions.

Personally I am a Stock Car and Hot Rod fan who nowadays regards Bangers as a chance to get a burger or go to the toilet! There is no excuse to not tidy up after yourself in any walk of life. 

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I came down to London in 1976 and saw quite a bit of the rebels in the following two seasons. I can't remember much about the racing, except for Kennett bombing along the straights as if he were riding long track. The impression I got was of poor crowds and a lack of atmosphere that meant even the best races felt flat. That was brought home when I started going to Wimbledon in 1978 and the bigger crowds and more enclosed stadium meant that the racing seemed much better.

As for tracks around football grounds how about the one round a cricket ground?

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