RobMcCaffery

It is still first and foremost a Rugby stadium so there is no way in which a permanent speedway track would be constructed. It's also far too large and expensive to run any other kind of meeting there than a one-off grand prix each year. English football may be leaving but certainly not rugby. It will still be the national stadium for Welsh rugby and football.

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

I was a regular at Thornton Road in my student days from 1977 to 1980 and was close to the 1985 promotion. It was such a long track that passing was often at a premium but the sight of John Jackson blasting round it did a lot to compensate. What I remember most was how dominant the heat-leaders were - usually around double-figures with often only a token support from the rest of the side. Doug Adams was announcing then and his dry style enlivened many a meeting. Gate four was impossible to see from the rear of the grandstand so how on earth the referee, located on the back row, could see what was going on there I'll never know. It always seemed to be popular for rolling starts by the home men. The crowds were always poor though which was a terrible shame given its location, with only Belle Vue and Workington in the north west at the time. The lack of interest in anything other than football, rugby league or boxing by the Merseyside media didn't help though. In 1985 I got to know the management team rather well and a lovely memory was their trip to London that year. They were at Wimbledon followed by Hackney and I arranged their hotel accommodation in East London. Part of the deal was to show them the way across London. I didn't realise I'd be showing the whole team... Chief memory was making sure that Dave Morton's van was still with us as a very long train of cars and vans battled with traffic lights across south London. On to the hotel and I found myself showing Joe Owen to the nearest kebab house. Now in those days there weren't that many in the north west so Joe was looking forward to treating his team-mates to the delights of chili sauce. Of all the memories of meeting my heroes in those days that was perhaps the best - just buying kebabs with Joe. It was such a pleasure to get to know someone who had given me so much pleasure as a supporter. Despite the success on-track and Mervyn Porter's professionalism as promoter it was soon clear why the Gunners had folded before with the support just not materialising. Joe's crippling injury right at the end of the season left an appalling taste to the abortive come-back. One final memory, apart from being treated to a champage-a-gram at the 85 cup final was watching some fine young talent blasting their way down the back straight under the flames of Stanlow Oil Refinery. Another sad loss and much-missed.

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.

Problems getting that link to work. This is what my browser shows: http://www2.umist.ac.uk/sport/SPORTS HISTORY/BSSH/The Sports Historian/TSH 19-1/Williams May 99.htm Perhaps if you copy and paste rather than click on the (partial) link.

I found this rather erudite article via Google tonight. Some of you may be interested to see an academic piece about our sport. It takes an interesting angle. I never thought I would see A.P.Herbert quoted in a speedway article........ http://www2.umist.ac.uk/sport/SPORTS HISTORY/BSSH/The_Sports_Historian/TSH_19-1/Williams_May_99.htm Regards, Rob McCaffery

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.

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.

Oh the poor victimised little lad - singled out for such appalling treatment when on a day off from choir practice, just for being drunk or stupid enough to throw something at a rider. This is just the behaviour that we should be encouraging if we want to fill our stadia with say, twenty or thirty booze-swilling morons and clear out these spoilsport decent fans.

Very valid points, Bob. I once interviewed a rider, after an unpleasant incident, as soon as he took his helmet off. What came out made for sensational but irresponsible TV. No, other sports do not allow "heat-of-the-moment" access to the competitors and perhaps it is a sign of speedway's insecurity with Sky that they allow it such free rein. I'm sure Sky are delighted and it must add greatly to the short-term appeal of our sport. Ultimately though it could very easily drag us down to the status of wrestling - viewed as contrived and false, commercially successful in certain markets but with no respect as a sport. Without that respect speedway could be trapped in its own "sportertainment" niche.

Just noticed this thread via Google - okay a long time after the event but who said I was ever on time? In case anyone ever did wonder what the truth of this was, here it is from the horse's mouth. I was the original Screensport speedway presenter from the station's start in 1984 through to 1986, with Edwin Overland also providing several commentaries. The station nearly folded in 86 so I got well clear. Clive Fisher was hired to take over from me with Lee Richardson's mum and John Chaplin also getting involved after my departure. To answer the question about which track I was working at, earlier in the thread, following the Screensport days I worked at Rye House 1989-93 & 1999 plus Mildenhall & Boston in 2000 and finally Sittingbourne 2003-5. Currently i am staying well clear of it all and enjoying the odd meeting as a pure supporter again. Rob McCaffery.

Rayleigh 45 Romford 30 British League Division 2, June 1971. Having been nagged to death by a schoolfriend about these 'Rockets' I suppose I knew the likes of Hugh Saunders, Geoff Maloney, Dingle Brown, Nigel Rackett, Bob Young, Allen Emmett and Tiger Beech and some guy called "Allan Jackson r/r" long before I ever saw them actually ride, or not in the case of the last-mentioned. I quickly discovered that local rivalry existed in this strange sport which began with a certain L.Silver verbally attacking the Romford management over the p.a. over the late inclusion of a rider...Bob Coles I think. And just when I'd really got to love the Weir - it shut - for good..... Rob.

Sorry to hear that Sean but glad Denise is still enjoying the horses. It shows how out of touch I've been lately

I once walked into Deanland with a Moran either side of me. For the first and only time in my life all female eyes were turned in my direction. I mentioned to Shawn "Hey you're in here". His response "Hey man, I want better than that..." I also was marginally involved in Shawn's record deal - on the publicity side. I'm sure I still have some remarkably unsold records about. As for Kelly well everything said is true. A remarkable character but has paid rather a heavy price for the years of excess. I remember being out in Sweden for a world championship round where the jellyman was solemnly announced as Kelly Moron all night ;-) I t h i n k it was an error. Rob

Perhaps the reaction might have been better if Bruce had bleached his hair again. I guess being a guy I was more attracted to his riding ability................ Rob (who wishes he looked that good at 46)

On the subject of BBC coverage of the sport the rights issue with Sky does make showing highlights prohibitive for them in most sports other than Foorball or Rugby (cf. Match of The Day from this autumn or BBC North's Super League Show). On a local TV or radio level it seemns to be a case of either having a willing reporter/enthusiast or favourable sports editor. BBC West have had their sports presenter report live from Somerset's track on their 6.30 new programme a couple of times, while BBC South West I know pay attention to Exeter and Weymouth. At radio level we have had great treatment from Radios Oxford and Solent at least but in other parts of the country press releases seem to head straight for the spike. Taking my current involvement at Sittingbourne. So far BBC South East and Radio Kent have shown no interest in the Crusaders while ITV Meridian through Ken Burnett have given the Crusaders air-time. Ultimately it comes down to editorial choice. The best way to encourage coverage though is to lobby your local media, especially with the BBC now paying much more attention to its TV Regions and local radio. One sad point to close on though is that in many cases bad experiences of journalists at the hands of short-sighted promoters in the past often rebounds on our sport when those reporters progress to editorial jobs. Guest riders also damage our public image hugely. Rob.

Bear in mind Ivor was promoter at Long Eaton during the Rangers' BL2 era.

I most certainly recall Sean's auntie - goodness I suddenly feel very old. She was a good friend of Mrs rmc and a very active fan club it was too. Keith or course was a fine number 1 at Milton Keynes with Mrs White famous for her cries from the bar of "This one's for the gas bill Keith!" I hope Denny's doing well and that her lovely dad is still with us. Rob.

I recall a late 70s evening at Brandon looking at the scoreboard and seeing the advert for the next meeting "Next week's action Bees v Bummies". This was not the night to make such a spelling error since the visitors were Cradley............... The old Richard Greer song rang out that night :-) Rob.

One of my favourite memories of Michael was turning up for a Rye House press day and finding him sitting in the ref's seat operating the starting gate for the sessions. As always I found him quiret and friendly although obviously a lost soul. I cannot condone drug use and certainly not dealing but the guy paid a heavy price for his mistakes. Nor can I condone failing to meet his commitments to supporters but I could sympathise with Michael's frustrations with the sport and watched with profound sadness as his voice became one in the wilderness, as his protests and frustration took him down the wrong road. In the end he made an enemy of the speedway authorities. One day he let them have their opportunity to exact their revenge with catastrophic results for the rider and arguably the sport. You cannot help but feel that with the right guidance and support he could have let that talent flourish instead of being stifled. Sometimes it is safer for a rider not to have an opinion or rebel. Sadly some cannot do it effectively and constructively. Did Michael let the sport down or was it the sport that let him down? I suspect that both sides had serious faults in this case.

Just to emphasise how much the name caught on generally we have a prewar council estate in Gloucester called White City - well the houses are rather light in colour. There is even a White City Community Project. No trace of speedway sadly ;-)

I have a few memories of Bruce having toured the ice circuits in the 80s - and being blamed by him for a bad meeting because I was wearing green. He once had half the Rye House pits feeling rather queasy after he solved a dislocated shoulder by bracing himself against a pit roof support. Then there was a time when I interviewed him at Exeter about the track. He went through every detail of how to ride the place, virtually naming each fence rivet and which one to turn the bike at...complete with the main piece of advice over the County Ground fence "Keep well away from the thing" - obviously a censored version. One final point - Bruce was the headline story in the first-ever issue of Speedway Mail back in 1973 under the headline "Eyes on Bruce" - about him making his debut for the newly renamed Cradley United. An excellent character and a real contender on the ice tracks as well as shale.

My main memory of Denzil dates from the time when great efforts were being made to portray him as a Zimbabwean and thus eligible to ride in the old NL as a commonwealth rider - and him wearing a South African (non-eligible) jacket complete with springbok emblem...

Cradley with the girls parading up and down hoping the guys would notice them... Belle Vue knowing you had an eight hour overnight journey home... Boston for cockleshells and the best mushy peas.... Canterbury for the cathedral views..... Hackney for spoiling me for tracks that didn't have passing.... And Rayleigh - my first love, taken away far too soon just when I'd got to know it. P.S. - Assen ice track - for Tony's Tattoo Bar in Groningen...oops.....