Southampton

[Old Saint 3]

I attended my first speedway meeting nearly 55 years ago at the old Banister Court track in Southampton. Apart from a few Wembley finals, I stopped attending speedway when Southampton closed in 1963. A couple of years ago, I took my son to a meeting at Arena and I started to get the bug back. He, I am pleased to say was instantly bitten

My son suggested that we go to the GP in Cardiff back in 2001 and the bug really took hold after that meeting.

Sadly, I now realise that many of the things that my parents and I had connected with Southampton have been lost over the years. My father used to tell me of the leg trailers and stories of Jack Parker, Lionel van Praag, and many others.

At my advanced stage in life, memories are precious and I would be grateful if anyone who remembers the days of the Saints, or attended Banister Court, would help me regain some of these.

I can remember such things as the crash that killed my favourite rider, Ernie Rawlins, donkey derbies, Bjorn Knutsson and Briggo blasting off 25 yard handicaps, Dick Bradley, Split Waterman, Chum Taylor, and many other riders.

[The Grim Reaper 0]

There's a book called The Stadium Southampton which tells the story of Banister Court. It was published in 1992, & written by C.R.Bailey 381 Burgess Road, Swaythling, Southampton,Hampshire, S02 3BD.

 

It's not a massive book so hopefully, even at your advanced stage in life you should be able to get through it before you peg it. Good luck.

Edited June 27, 2004 by The Grim Reaper

[Old Saint 3]

There's a book called The Stadium Southampton which tells the story of Banister Court. It was published in 1992, & written by C.R.Bailey 381 Burgess Road, Swaythling, Southampton,Hampshire, S02 3BD.

 

It's not a massive book so hopefully, even at your advanced stage in life you should be able to get through it before you peg it. Good luck.

Thank you

 

I have the book entitled "Images of Sport - Southampton Speedway" and shall try to get a copy of the one you mention.

[norbold 7,110]

You could try contacting one of the Forum members, # Name Removed #. His father was Bert # Name Removed #, a former Saints rider.

[Old Saint 3]

Thank you, norbold. I remember Bert # Name Removed # as the Saints manager.

[25yearfan 476]

I can remember Briggo riding for Souhampton Saints who were a very well supported team until the dreaded sell out to propperty developers.

 

Dave # Name Removed # revived the Saints in junior events and Conference challenges about 4 - 5 years ago.

 

Southampton remains like my old team Norwich such an untapped hotbed of speedway.

 

I'm sure a multi purpose stadium featuring Speedway, greyhounds, casino, function rooms etc would be a more than viable propersition for investors. - I'd imagine that local derbies between Southampton and Poole would create great local interest.

 

How many people from the Southampton area and indeed ex Saints fans still follow Speedway, either live or on TV or results. More importantly how many many would go and watch Speedway at a new Southampton track?

[lady of the manor 0]

Hello Old Saint, welcome to the forum.

My dad used to ride for The Saints and is in fact one of the riders you mentioned - Dick Bradley - he is fit and well and still living about 5 miles outside Swindon where he has lived for 46 years. He is still interested in speedway and occasionally visits the Abbey Stadium at Blunsdon, his love of the sport has passed down to myself, and my family and I are at the Abbey every week. My eldest daughter's partner also races so obviously dad has a great interest in his progression.

I wish you well in your quest to keep your memories alive and if I can help with any questions (thro dad of course) I will be happy to do so.

[Old Saint 3]

As I now live Essex, I would be unable to attend Southampton Speedway very often if it reopened but, rest assured, I would make every effort to get there as often as possible.

Southampton had a superb team and I remember the meetings with Norwich Many of the team lived locally, in fact I believe that one of the team lived in the same road as I did. Cannot be sure of that last comment because it was a very long time ago

It is sad that so many teams have been lost over the years for many different reasons. When I read some of the comments criticising present day teams, I sometimes wonder what the fans of those teams would do if they were in the same position of no longer having a team to support.

Although my local track is Arena, I still regard myself as a Saints fan.

[Old Saint 3]

Hello Old Saint, welcome to the forum.

My dad used to ride for The Saints and is in fact one of the riders you mentioned - Dick Bradley - he is fit and well and still living about 5 miles outside Swindon where he has lived for 46 years. He is still interested in speedway and occasionally visits the Abbey Stadium at Blunsdon, his love of the sport has passed down to myself, and my family and I are at the Abbey every week. My eldest daughter's partner also races so obviously dad has a great interest in his progression.

I wish you well in your quest to keep your memories alive and if I can help with any questions (thro dad of course) I will be happy to do so.

Thank you for the welcome, Lady of the Manor

Dick Bradley was my mother's favourite If I remember correctly she had his autograph and various photos

I am sure that I can come up with lots of questions, but I would be interested to hear what he remembers of Ernie Rawlins.

Please pass on my very best wishes to him and thank him for the tremendous amount of pleasure and excitement he gave to a young Sotonian and his parents

[lady of the manor 0]

Hello Old Saint, welcome to the forum.

My dad used to ride for The Saints and is in fact one of the riders you mentioned - Dick Bradley - he is fit and well and still living about 5 miles outside Swindon where he has lived for 46 years. He is still interested in speedway and occasionally visits the Abbey Stadium at Blunsdon, his love of the sport has passed down to myself, and my family and I are at the Abbey every week. My eldest daughter's partner also races so obviously dad has a great interest in his progression.

I wish you well in your quest to keep your memories alive and if I can help with any questions (thro dad of course) I will be happy to do so.

Thank you for the welcome, Lady of the Manor

Dick Bradley was my mother's favourite If I remember correctly she had his autograph and various photos

I am sure that I can come up with lots of questions, but I would be interested to hear what he remembers of Ernie Rawlins.

Please pass on my very best wishes to him and thank him for the tremendous amount of pleasure and excitement he gave to a young Sotonian and his parents

I will have a chat with him in the week and post any info about Ernie on here. I will pass on your thanks and best wishes, I am sure he will enjoy recalling the good old days.

[Railway End 0]

Hi Lady of the manor or should I say miss Bradley? and Hi to Old Saint.

What a surprise to hear from Dick's daughter on here.

My post is not so much about Southampton more about Newport. It was back in 1964 when Newport first opend and the 3 heat leaders Newport had came from Southampton. Peter Vandenburg,Dick Bradley and my favourite Alby Golden.

I remember Dick wining the Witson Cup back in 64 with a 15 point max and I was also there the night in 65 when he broke his arm that finished his carear.

Please tell Dick that he is also remebered by a lot of older Newport fans and wish him well.

Edited July 1, 2004 by Railway End

[David Croucher 0]

Hello Old Saint and Lady OTM particularly.

 

We were talking about Dick yesterday (Sunday) in fact at the Southern Lunch of the VSRA, whilst I was unaware of this thread.

 

It was just a general chat about all the Ex Saints Riders and how the numbers at these functions are slowly falling.

 

Brian Crutcher (70), was in attendance having suffered a mild heart attack recently, along with 72 year old Brian Hanham and Speedways favorite octagenarian Maurie Mattingley. Brian Hanham and Maurice both seem to be enjoying the very best of health, and Brian Crutcher, although quite clearly not fully recovered, looked (and insisted), that he was going to be fine.

 

Sad news is that Alby Golden is very ill, and it was unusual to attend at any sort of function to do with the Saints and not have Alby and Joan there. Alby was, like so many of the ex Saints, one of my heroes, when I was a ten year old in 1960/61.

 

I still have cuttings from the local Echo with headlines on the sports pages - FIRST BEND CRASH DOESN'T DETER ALBY - ALBY GOLDEN STORMS TO VICTORY.

 

Great days and great memories of some very, very special people. Idols, sportsmen and gentlemen.

 

I know there are a considerable number of people who would love to hear from Dick Bradley, if you can talk him into it LadyOTM.

 

Regards,

 

# Name Removed #.

[Railway End 0]

Hello David,

It's sad the news you posted about Alby. Is it possible for you to pass on my best wishes to Alby and his wife. I have met Alby a few times over the last 12 years the last being when Newport re-opened in 1997.

from a fan of his from 64 to 69.

Thanks Dave.

[Old Saint 3]

Thank you David for your post and the news.

 

The more I hear about the years after the closure of Southampton, the more amazed I am at how much the Saints influenced speedway. Dick Bradley, Alby Golden and Peter Vandenburg at Newport, Bjorn Knutsson at West Ham, Briggo at, I believe, Swindon.

 

One thing I always remember about the team was that they were all racers and very exciting to watch too.

 

It is lovely to know that so many people, even today, hold the team and its individual riders in such high esteem. I think I am possibly even more proud today to say that I supported the Saints than I was as a young fan (If that is possible.) Unless age and time have affected my mind, all the riders were gentlemen who always made time for the fans and, as a bonus, lived or came from the Southampton area. This latter point made them seem a real part of the community.

 

The news about Alby Golden and Brian Crutcher is sad but I hope that by starting this thread, they will have some idea of the affection they and all the other Saints still have amongst those lucky enough to see them ride.

 

On a personal note, I would like to thank all those who have been kind enough to take the time and trouble to post replies.

[David Croucher 0]

There are some good people on this Forum Old Saint, and there are occasions when we all get moved by news, sometimes good, sometimes not, that we otherwise could not share without this form of communication.

 

As you say, all the ex Saints were Gentlemen. The Guvnor was very good at pulling in both a talent on a bike, and a nice guy to boot, and my dear Dad Bert, made it his businees to see that Charles Knott, The Fans, The Track Staff, everybody involved, got the same respect from the riders as the riders got from them.

 

All in all, it was one of the best Speedways in the Country, and many things still fill me with pride, when I remember back to those Banister Court days.

 

One thing I will never forget about Barry Briggs, was the 2000 Golden Greats that we did at Poole.

 

There was a queue of people after Briggo's autograph, and he made sure that none of them went home disappointed.

 

He was the last one out of the pits, the last in the shower, and the last in the bar. He didn't miss one person, he gave of his time for evreyone that wanted to shake his hand and talk about the old days.

 

Thay are all the same really, Briggo, Maury, Alby, Crutch, Brian Hanham - I suppose they loved it just as much as we did really.

 

It would be so nice to hear from Dick Bradley, another great Gentleman of the Sport.

 

D C