Rayleigh Rockets

[Laser558 0]

Does anyone know the track record, holder and date set for the Rayleigh Weir track, when it shut at the end of 1973 please?

 

And am I right in thinking there is now a supermarket on the site?

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Bob Young broke the track record in heat 9 of the match with Peterborough which Rayleigh won 45-33. He was up against John Davies (2nd) and Richard Greer (last) Allen Emmett was the other rider.

 

Prior to this the record of 68.6 was held jointly by Tommy Jansson (19/6/71) and Hugh Saunders (7/8/71).

 

The record stood until the track closed. The last meeting was the end of season challenge against Eastbourne held on the 20th October 1973. Rayleigh won 48-47 (this was 16 heat match).

 

The following season they moved to Rye House and the opening meeting was the Johnnie Hoskins Birthday Cup. Rye beat Canterbury 41-36 and the fastest times of this opening meeting were in heats 6 and 11 when a time of 63.6 was recorded. The joint record holders from the first meeting were Roger Johns and Steve Clarke.

 

I hope this helps. I have a few programmes from 1969 through to 1973 for Rayleigh, then Rye House as well as Hackney and latterly Arena Essex when it opened. I also have some programmes for Rayleigh for away meetings. If you need any more let me know and I will see if I can help.

[dantodan 314]

Calling any Rayleigh fan: - If you have photographs and/or programmes from Rayleigh please email if you want to help create a special webpage on the Defunct Tracks website

 

Email Dantodan

Edited January 4, 2008 by dantodan

[speedyguy 20]

Error by me Roy Uden rode at Rye House during the war years, then rode for Rayleigh in their first two seasons in the late 1940s. I meant to ask if any Rayleigh fans remembered him on two wheels. Now the subject has been raised - does anyone also remember in the Rye House wartime seasons?

 

I believe that Roy, prior to getting in at Rayleigh, may have been linked to Plymouth in the 1947-48 era.

 

http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/oldtimespeedway

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I also understand that at some time during World War Two that Roy Uden may have served in the RAF. Also that he introduced the legendary Jack Unstead to the club.

 

 

http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/oldtimespeedway

Edited January 4, 2008 by speedyguy

[RobMcCaffery 2,752]

I also understand that at some time during World War Two that Roy Uden may have served in the RAF. Also that he introduced the legendary Jack Unstead to the club.

http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/oldtimespeedway

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In the mid eighties I was sent to commentate on a series of pro-celebrity bowls matches for Screensport at the first British-style bowling green in Spain, at Estepona, just outside Malaga.

 

During a break in proceedings we were asked if we were the crew that covered speedway and were told that a former rider who'd retired out there would like to meet us.

 

As someone whose original speedway love was Rayleigh I was amazed and delighted to be introduced to Roy Uden.

 

It wasn't just the roundabout that was called the Weir. Like the neighbouring Fortune of War roundabout on the A127 it was named after a large roadhouse pub called the Weir Hotel, a useful stopping point for coach trippers visiting nearby Southend.

 

I remember being in tears as a 15 year old reading in the local paper that my newly-discovered passion of Rayleigh Speedway was to close. In the end our fixtures were published for 1974 before the heart-breaking news that the closure was finally scheduled for the very ironic date of March 15th. The team actually raced for one last time as Rayleigh at Boston. By the time of the second meeting, away to Canterbury the change to Rye House had been made.

 

At the time Rye House was a surprise since after early hopes for a new stadium at Rawreth, to the north of Rayleigh, and latterly at Basildon it seemed we were set to move into Crayford.

 

Yes we nearly had the Crayford Rockets.

 

The following year the Kestrels opened with most of the Rayleigh riders transferring along with many of our supporters who weren't impressed with the trip to Hertfordshire for daylight racing.

 

With the Kestrels regularly taking heavy wins in those early days against the Rockets I think even Bryn and Parsloes would understand why it was so satisfying to turn the tables a few years later.

 

Rayleigh was a primarily a greyhound stadium and also saw us give up occasional Saturday nights for Stock Cars, promoted by Chick Woodroffe who went on to found Arena Essex as a replacement. So, had things happened a little earlier at Purfleet we could today be watching a team called the Lakeside Rockets.

 

I lost the Weir before I'd really got to know it properly but even now, 34 years since the final meeting I still mourn my club. Rye House was never the same.

 

Rob McCaffery.

[Laser558 0]

In the mid eighties I was sent to commentate on a series of pro-celebrity bowls matches for Screensport at the first British-style bowling green in Spain, at Estepona, just outside Malaga.

 

During a break in proceedings we were asked if we were the crew that covered speedway and were told that a former rider who'd retired out there would like to meet us.

 

As someone whose original speedway love was Rayleigh I was amazed and delighted to be introduced to Roy Uden.

 

It wasn't just the roundabout that was called the Weir. Like the neighbouring Fortune of War roundabout on the A127 it was named after a large roadhouse pub called the Weir Hotel, a useful stopping point for coach trippers visiting nearby Southend.

 

I remember being in tears as a 15 year old reading in the local paper that my newly-discovered passion of Rayleigh Speedway was to close. In the end our fixtures were published for 1974 before the heart-breaking news that the closure was finally scheduled for the very ironic date of March 15th. The team actually raced for one last time as Rayleigh at Boston. By the time of the second meeting, away to Canterbury the change to Rye House had been made.

 

At the time Rye House was a surprise since after early hopes for a new stadium at Rawreth, to the north of Rayleigh, and latterly at Basildon it seemed we were set to move into Crayford.

 

Yes we nearly had the Crayford Rockets.

 

The following year the Kestrels opened with most of the Rayleigh riders transferring along with many of our supporters who weren't impressed with the trip to Hertfordshire for daylight racing.

 

With the Kestrels regularly taking heavy wins in those early days against the Rockets I think even Bryn and Parsloes would understand why it was so satisfying to turn the tables a few years later.

 

Rayleigh was a primarily a greyhound stadium and also saw us give up occasional Saturday nights for Stock Cars, promoted by Chick Woodroffe who went on to found Arena Essex as a replacement. So, had things happened a little earlier at Purfleet we could today be watching a team called the Lakeside Rockets.

 

I lost the Weir before I'd really got to know it properly but even now, 34 years since the final meeting I still mourn my club. Rye House was never the same.

 

Rob McCaffery.

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Rob, I seem to recall that they also looked at the possibility of opening at the greyhound stadium in Prittlewell. Rawreth however did appear to be the best bet at that time. I agree, although a speedway fan nothing has since matched a saturday night at the weir with a local derby against Romford in the Essex Gold Cup. Friday Night at Hackney and the odd trip to Crayford. Oh happy days. I also seem to recall that the riders all met up at the blinking owl cafe after the meetings.

Looking at the last programmes i have they showed both the speedway and stock car meetings. Bank holidays use to be great. Speedway on the bank holiday monday morning and stock cars at 3.00pm in the afternoon. As a kid i use to hide after the speedway so as not having to pay to get into the stock cars.

[RobMcCaffery 2,752]

Rob, I seem to recall that they also looked at the possibility of opening at the greyhound stadium in Prittlewell. Rawreth however did appear to be the best bet at that time. I agree, although a speedway fan nothing has since matched a saturday night at the weir with a local derby against Romford in the Essex Gold Cup. Friday Night at Hackney and the odd trip to Crayford. Oh happy days. I also seem to recall that the riders all met up at the blinking owl cafe after the meetings.

Looking at the last programmes i have they showed both the speedway and stock car meetings. Bank holidays use to be great. Speedway on the bank holiday monday morning and stock cars at 3.00pm in the afternoon. As a kid i use to hide after the speedway so as not having to pay to get into the stock cars.

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Yes there was a noise test at Southend Stadium in Prittlewell, but the council listened to the usual voices of doom of hell's angels running anok. I remember one pathetic claim was that "we'll end up with gardens full of discarded programmes".

 

Maybe they were confusing speedway fans with those of the local football club who'd used the stadium until the mid-fifties? Either way it was no-go, ironically for a stadium that was reputedly built pre-war for speedway without ever staging a public race.

 

As you can imagine its site is now marked by a "Greyhound Retail Park".

 

You mention the thrill of a battle with Romford at the Weir. In fact that was my first-ever speedway match, Rayleigh-Romford, albeit in the league, not the Essex Gold Cup. I only ever saw one of the latter, the meeting that closed the '71 Weir season and which produced a huge 56-22 win for the Rockets. Of course I was too young to know that this was a huge turn-around in the local pecking-order or that the Bombers were heading for oblivion with us tragically following suit so soon after. Still, at that first match Len Silver had a rant over the pa about Wally Mawdsley and Romford's use of Bob Coles so I guess I got a crash-course in speedway politics right from the first night.

 

London and surrounding areas have lost so very much speedway over those years, almost certainly far too much.

 

Rob McCaffery

Edited January 8, 2008 by rmc

[TonyMac 720]

Rayleigh will be the subject ol our regular 3-page Defunct Tracks feature in issue 24 of Backtrack - on sale Feb 9.

 

Meanwhile, pse enjoy these nostalgic pics of former Rockets...

 

Perhaps someone can help identify the 'unknown' riders on the second page?

 

http://www.retro-speedway.com/extras/autog...ders%2FRayleigh

Edited January 9, 2008 by tmc

[RobMcCaffery 2,752]

Rayleigh will be the subject ol our regular 3-page Defunct Tracks feature in issue 24 of Backtrack - on sale Feb 9.

 

Meanwhile, pse enjoy these nostalgic pics of former Rockets...

 

Perhaps someone can help identify the 'unknown' riders on the second page?

 

http://www.retro-speedway.com/extras/autog...ders%2FRayleigh

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Delighted to hear about Backtrack covering Rayleigh ex-ed. Put me down for a freebie

 

The rider in the black leathers looks like Nigel Rackett - see his portrait shot.

 

The second is tricky, bearing in mind several of the Rockets had blue & yellow team leathers long before many had moved away from plain black. It's most likely to be pre 72 because we had numbers on the front of the jackets that year - and the name Rayleigh was added in 793.

 

Rob McCaffery.

Edited January 9, 2008 by rmc

[TonyMac 720]

The rider in the black leathers looks like Nigel Rackett - see his portrait shot.

 

The second is tricky, bearing in mind several of the Rockets had blue & yellow team leathers long before many had moved away from plain black. It's most likely to be pre 72 because we had numbers on the front of the jackets that year - and the name Rayleigh was added in 73.

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Rob,

 

General consensus on the second pic (71-1) is that it's Bob Young, which I've gone with now on the basis that the style is very similar to the other one from the 1971 season (71-2).

 

I did originally have the man in the black leathers (70-1) down as Rackett but now I'm not convinced. Could he be Roger Wright? That action shot was definitely taken at Reading in the 1970 season, so can anyone shed any further light on his identity?

 

Freebie? Much as I'd like to do it for old time's sake and your toil for the Mail, three pages on your beloved Rockets has to be worth 16 quid of anybody's subscription money! There you go...

 

http://www.retro-speedway.com/page.php?11

[RobMcCaffery 2,752]

Rob,

 

General consensus on the second pic (71-1) is that it's Bob Young, which I've gone with now on the basis that the style is very similar to the other one from the 1971 season (71-2).

 

I did originally have the man in the black leathers (70-1) down as Rackett but now I'm not convinced. Could he be Roger Wright? That action shot was definitely taken at Reading in the 1970 season, so can anyone shed any further light on his identity?

 

Freebie? Much as I'd like to do it for old time's sake and your toil for the Mail, three pages on your beloved Rockets has to be worth 16 quid of anybody's subscription money! There you go...

 

http://www.retro-speedway.com/page.php?11

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I go with the Bob Young verdict but I'm sticking with Rackett the Rocket although I never did get to see Roger Wright in his Rockets' days. I do remember Roger turning up at Rye House in 1974 with, I think Teesside, taking a look at the track and complimenting it as a great training circuit before asking where the real race track was.

 

As for the freebie, well I'm glad to see nothing changes

 

I've spent half of the evening going through the Retro speedway photo-site and it's had a surprising and sobering effect - so many lost people and so many lost places. Those 1972/3 colour shots of the Rockets could have been taken yesterday. Just for a while I was back with a sport I loved and wondering why it just isn't the same now.

 

Living in the past, or remembering better, not perfect, but better days?

 

It did seem to be much more about fun whereas today seems to be about a gritty fight to survive, and any fun a rare or contrived bonus.

 

Rob.

Edited January 9, 2008 by rmc

[TonyMac 720]

OK, now you're all warming to the theme, how about helping me with some pointers for our feature...

 

Which individual visiting riders were regarded, by home fans, as the 'enemy' at The Weir? And I don't just mean the whole Romford team.

 

Which visiting rider would have hated Rayleigh the most (serious injury, etc)?

 

Who were the home riders who struggled most to make their mark at The Weir?

 

Who was the biggest Rockets hero in the Div 2 (1968-73) era? - Maloney? Saunders? Young? Peter Claridge?!

 

Greatest achievement by the Rockets there, in terms of team performance/result?

 

Cheers!

Edited January 10, 2008 by tmc

[KevH 257]

Which individual visiting riders were regarded, by home fans, as the 'enemy' at The Weir? And I don't just mean the whole Romford team.

Barney Kennett

Who was the biggest Rockets hero in the Div 2 (1968-73) era? - Maloney? Saunders? Young? Peter Claridge?!

Tiger Beech

[spinkox 37]

I'm sticking with Rackett the Rocket

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Does look incredibly like him - but not possible - He rode a Jap in Rotrax frame in 1970 and pic 70 - 1 is a Jawa frame. And he joined Rayleigh in 1970 after the away match at Reading . . .

[RobMcCaffery 2,752]

Does look incredibly like him - but not possible - He rode a Jap in Rotrax frame in 1970 and pic 70 - 1 is a Jawa frame. And he joined Rayleigh in 1970 after the away match at Reading . . .

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With a technical eye like that I certainly would not be foolish enough to challenge so I retreat on Rackett ;-)

 

Anyway, it was good to think of that old team again and with the Retro Speedway pictures brilliantly reviving old memories it's been a thought-provoking week.

 

In response to Tony's questions I would suggest that Ipswich and Eastbourne were probably as 'beloved' of Rockets fans as the Bombers with John Louis, Tony Davey, Malcolm Ballard and Gordon Kennett not exactly big portrait-sellers at The Weir ;-)

 

Of course with John Berry and Dave Lanning to spar with there was plenty of scope for the home programme writers like Paul Deal of the Southend Evening Echo to whip up some lovely if ultimately harmless rivalry.

 

One that brings back memories was suggesting writing to "Looking at my riders through rose-tinted spectacles" c/o Ipswich Speedway, Foxhall Heath, or "I hear the Witches won't visit us on a Sunday - I wonder what they look like in their choirboys outfits".

 

A few years later the Berry-Silver battle had obviously transferred to Ipswich-Hackney and the following gem in a profile of the visiting Hawks. "We start with Finn Thomsen who lives in Tiptree where they preserve raspberries".

 

I don't think you dare wind up supporters today given the rather ugly views shown by so many in the contemporary sections of this forum.

 

They were good days at Rayleigh and I'm glad I had that brief time with them.

 

Rob.

[cityrebel 2,960]

Hi Bob,

 

It was called the Weir Stadium and it stood near to the Arterial Road, the A127.

 

The reason it was called the Weir Stadium, is because there is an underground weir nearby. In fact, there used to be a roundabout, on the A127, known as the weir roundabout, which you had to go round, to get into the stadium. The roundabout is now an underpass.

 

Yes, I had noticed the plaque had gone, it went a few years back. The Friends of Speedway arranged it to be placed there. However, it wasn't only Sainsbury's that developed on the area, a number of other outlets did also. Really, the track should have relocated, within the area.

 

Happy days!

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well you learn something every day. i remember going to a couple of bank holiday morning meetings at rayleigh in the 70's. i asked my dad who is a keen angler where the weir was and he told me he had no idea.