Sean

those were the days when there was half as many vehicles on the road.. and roads were quiet on bank holidays.. and more tracks....closer together... just tryin to imagine doing a "three track day" now,

because if you charge to watch riders racing, it becomes a professional concern, and the riders will have to be paid... that then becomes illegal as they are still of school age and effectively means you are employing a minor to entertain a crowd. No Doubt you will see U15 matches after main league matches... pretty much like what happened this year at most "second team" clubs where the CL match was part of a double header. A good way forward for the sport... but lets hope the BSPA don't just leave it to get on with itself... back it... as part of the whole sport. back it with workshops, to teach the up and coming riders the maintenace of the bike, the safety of the sport, and the commercial side of the sport, how to get those sponsors interested, make it the school of speedway, and the rewards of a team place... back the clubs that want to do this.. don't just let them fend for themselves..give them the support of a professional body. sorry.. ranting on aint i !!

Tad, sure its not scunthorpe?? or could it be Rothersthorpe.. ?

ok lets see.. who would i like to see there.. and where are they?? Keith White.... probably one of the many currently residing in Shazzys garage.. best ask shazz if you can borrow him for a night..alternatively, he is probably trying to get someone to start another fan club for him !! Bo Petersen.. last i heard a year or so back, Bo had a business in Denmark building sleeper vans. not sure thou if they were speedway ones or camper style ones.. but as i remember, he always had a "top class, fully loaded, comfort filled van" when he was at Hackney. Zenon Plech, was managing The Polish national team a few years back, so should think he wil be easily contactable..and it should be easier to get him out of poland now, No need for a squad to smuggle him over!! Sean Willmott.. moved to Australia, around the Perth area, maybe Bryn can pop over and have a look round for him !! what??? its only about 45 cm on the map.. shouldn't take more than a day.. i can get up to Glasgow and back in a day.. and thats 40cm !! Andrew Silver.. suppose we can include Andy as he did more second halves as a 14/15 year old, and had more waterden road track time than even Mr Thomas!! Barry Thomas.. i know Chris and Tadpole are in contact with the legtrailing maestro, and i am sure "Mr Hackney" will be there. finally.. the two people that Hackney and friday nights wouldn't be complete without... Terry Heath... and Snowie Beattie..

careful!! had quite a few romances in those days !! i'll have to sit down one evening and write up the whole "FRIDAY" night as i remember them..

Sean by the wall in the mainstand overlooking the pits just off the fourth bend with Di (From Arena) and a girl called Sharon (From Hornchurch who I'd love to meet back up with!!) on the odd occassion Knocker was with us as well (Bless him!! if you know him you'll know thats said VERY tongue in cheek!!) What made Hackney Special? Hmmmmm Everything from - the Magnificent Seven Theme Tune right down to the Weekly Fiddle Like Sean says the memories are there etched in the brain nothing anyone can do can ever taken them away That's it start me off again <{POST_SNAPBACK}> there ya go "star in exile"..sounds like i found ya "friend!" oi..shaz... that weekly "fiddle" was won by my family most weeks.. !! grandad used to look after the pit gate stopping rowdie groupies (you mainly!) from getting in..and he used to hand out the Ham and Cheese rolls and cans of pop in the changing rooms after , and clear up after the riders used to shake off all the mud on the floor!(and i used to be able to remember exactly what my favourite riders used to have..Zenon.. two Ham rolls and a can of orange tango, Bo, two Cheese, and a coke! Ivan Mauger used to have Ham.. and 7-UP. Scott Autrey was a Cheese and Coke.!!! can't remember what uncle Ted used to have!) Nan (she used to spend every friday making the rolls for the riders) and auntie Denny used to sell you your programmes.. My mum used to sell the programmes round in the second bend entrance hut .. Playing football in the pits with Andrew Silver after the meeting (usually about midnight by that time!) Mixing with all the riders in the Clubhut in the pit area, Going out onto the fully lit track after everyone had gone home.. and running round the track.. . looking up at the massive home straight stand, and the smaller back straight stand.. getting hold of a rake.. and doing some raking.. !! picking up the used tear offs, and cleaning them up, fixing the elastic in the back, and putting them over ya eyes.. sob!... now u got me going ! wheres me youth gone?

three track shops.. one on the first bend with the programme "window" and Snowies "shop" one on the second bend.. wasn't it in th tea hut or room ? and one at the top of the fourth bend terracing.. and then there was "the Vic Harding Lounge" on the third bend as well.. as for the young lady on the fourth bend that "star in exile" mentions.. one question.. Shaz.. where did u stand.. it sounds like you had an admirer !!!! memories......ah!! Paul.. can we re create the bunch of kids running round the front of the stand from the start to the first bend.. with the "stamped on" coke cans on the left foot, sounding like steel shoes, and running round the makeshift "track" in groups of four... like complete maniacs.. going "vroom, vroom.. vroom".. please.....u already got me, Scorpio, and a few others on here that said we all did it.. i am sure i can drag along terry heaths kids for the night as well! Ian..what made Hackney special??? hmmm.... Good old East end friendliness .... sadly.. now missing from London all togther!

no chance with sunday. .. more likely to be sittingbourne on the 19th... (but that date is also looking iffy as its mrs sheeps birthday!!) lots of brownie points need collecting!

Paul, count me in.. and i'll rally the family for that weekend.. and put word round the "old Hawks fans" i know off, and still keep in touch with. Lets "make it a date, friday at eight" once more

oh how the other half live eh ?? insects ?? hmm.. maybe ask Brian Harvey to do the PA.. he'll sort out the flys!!!! (Bryn.. its an "english telly" thing..don't worry !)

i think you have hit the nail on the head there Bryn.. by saying .. "I think this is a prime example as to just how difficult it has been, and will continue to be, to come up with some form of formula to "combine" everyone's different agendas in the CL." It is now at a point where we have to split the league, in order to accomodate all the diffrent needs of the clubs. it cannot go on much longer as it is, and i don't see a way past the end of this season with the incoming clubs.

i was thinking more along the lines of an amateur league, where smaller clubs could get started and build up riders and fans bases, before deciding to go professional. kind of like the CL now.. but along the lines of grasstrack where clubs have differing classes. cadet, youth and senior. not all clubs need to be professional. think of the chances of getting maybe Lottery grants and financial backing with Youth policies and youth racing, if the "Club" wasn't professionally linked to a league. i am not talking about breaking away and taking say half the riders now from any league and starting a "league". i am thinking away from the professional scene and taking the amateur and youth away from the BSPA. i know they are making the right moves with the U15's , but its too little.. too late in my view.. Bryn.. i am thinking along the lines of "sidewinders" in Australia. i don't know too much about the place, but i believe it is the training school kind of thing for Australia. do they have any professional meetings? If not.. how do they survive without gate reciepts?

Not while Morrish is still there at the Helm Bryn... means he will have to do something wouldn't it! and when the CL Chairmans meeting isn't held until 6 weeks before the season starts.. what chance of any changes.. when Its so much easier for them just to say..... "just carry on as we are..we haven't got the time.. its only the CL for christs sake!" what chance have we got of getting anything changed! my thoughts.. time for a pull away league..

with you on that Fb... about time the stand alones were grouped into a third division, there must be enough now to make a good third division.. lets see.. Boston, Buxton, Carmathen, Mildenhall, Wimbledon, Weymouth, Scunthorpe, Plymouth, Sittingbourne, thats nine, and only one less than the elite.. run with a A&B fixture set up like the Elite and bingo.. 16 meetings plus individs and k o cup.. maybe a trophy like the PL at the start of the season, north and south to make up the season and away we go.. far too simple for the BSPA to work out thou i am afraid!!

Referee.. Master Bates.. say no more... this guy gets away with it week after week.. at all levels.. its getting to the point where i go to a meeting and when his name comes up.. i am afraid, i wish for a rain off!..

Halifax's Shay Ground was one i remember, Bristol also had a footie pitch inside, Glasgow has one now, but i think its only a youth/boys club size pitch, they are the ones i know of that i have been to in my time.

idols.. hmm.. there have been so many.. Vaclav Verner..a whole new meaning to "riding the boards!" Zenon Plech.. pure class.. Bo Petersen.. slow starter but complete racing attitude, and such a laugh in the pits Kelvin Mullarkey.. never give up and never give in Scott Autrey.. never left that white line, but was always first to it!

Hughie Saunders testimonial arranged a game between the 1979 (correct me if i am wrong) Rockets, and the Hoddesdon Town team. the front of the programme had a cartoon drawing of a player with a quizzical look on his face facing a fully dressed rider with face mask and helmet on. i believe that hoddesdon were winning the match at half time until the Rockets said if they get beat they want a re match down on the track the following week!!

excellent.... but i would have been happy to buy a book if they were in that !!

and how long will WE all have to wait until they appear in the next publication from your fair hand?

Denise is fine, but has moved her sporting love towards the showjumping fraternity, and travels all over europe watching the sport. Sadly, Dennys father, (My Grandfather), Alan, passed away back in 1993, around a year after his wife (my grandmother) Betty.

you forgot .. Crazy, Mad, Insane, and "runitsthatbloodywomanagain" poor crazysusan, having a bit of a identity crisis !!

yes Keith did have a fan club, run by my Auntie, Denise Sexton. I was a member from 1977 right thru the Hackney, Coventry, Milton Keynes and Long Eaton days upto 1987. I think, off the top of my head, at its height there was about 250-300 members from all over the country, and every time he changed clubs, the membership grew and the previous clubs supporters still contributed. there was an xmas disco some years, the ones i can remember clearly were at Milton Keynes Groveway stadium, and around Bletchley area near MK, one was a joint disco with the late Craig Fetherby's Fan Club, held in the railway club next to Bletchley train station, i was a member of both Fan Clubs ! two or three times i presented cheques to Keith from the fan club because my aunt was too shy to go onto the Centre green !! somewhere around i still have a sew on patch that was exclusive to the fan club members, i'll try and dig it out and see if i can put it on here, and i also have a membership card somewhere. My aunt used to work hard on the fan club, i can remember her being locked away in her room, with her photocopier whirring away, printing Keiths latest newsletter and having to help her carry loads of letters down to the postbox to post off to members. ok found them..... Hackney Vs Stal Gorzow Friday March 25th 1977 page 12 of the programme beneath the legendary "Snowys scene" supporters club news , there is a advertisement for... The Official Keith White Fan Club, contact Miss Barbara Seagers,xxx xxxxx xxx(i won't post the address) Dagenham, membership is 35p, and entitles the member to a fact sheet, welcome letter from Keith, Birthday and xmas cards signed by Keith, quarterly newsletters and an autographed photo. AND.... The Volkswagon Grand Prix, held at Hackney Friday May 12th 1978. Page 7, again in Snowys Scene, it says... Keith White Fan club, secretary Denise Sexton, xx xxxxx xxxxx xxx, Edmoton,London. so to conclude.. HE HAD TWO!

most memorable last heat decider.. hmm Tony mac.. i cannot believe you didn't mention Halifax v Hackney.. summer 1980( i think) at the Shay.. Zenon Plech giving the Hawks a 39-38 away win after being 16 points down at one point!!! i was only 9 at the time, and can remember Thommo, Chalky and i think Sean Willmott (my hero!) all scoring nil for the meeting, and Zenon needed a second in heat 13 to clinch victory... and celebrating with Zenon and sean in the pits with the travelling army of Hawks fans afterwards was magic!

We have met before then Shazzy, you should have introduced yourself!!! Sorry couldn't resist, but I have to confess I DO say LoRAM. yeah but being from Essex you can get away with it!!!!! Quick duck!