Memories Of Station Road

[Vincent Vega 135]

Will always remember Galvini diving under Darrell Brandford and Mike Spink to win Hackney the meeting in a last heat decider in 1988. Did you give him instructions before that last heat Bryn Also remember a local fan by the start line with black hair and glasses who was always shouting at the ref or having a go at the home riders!!!

 

Upon numerous visits there enjoyed watching Hellsen, Fry and Gary O'Hare racing.

[Shadders 4,135]

Only went there once, in 1988...Rockets scored 60+ on a very wet Wednesday evening. Only remember Woods, Lyndon, Chalcraft and Brice for us and Gary O'hare and Keith White for Invaders.

Edited December 30, 2007 by Shadders

[Gemini 4,894]

Well most tracks seem to have an escaped village idiot (in the nicest possible sense.) The sort of fan you hope will not come and stand next to you and there was certainly one at Long Eaton. Young chap about 19/20 who used to get very wound up. Fortunately he didn't seem to stand in one place for very long so he soon moved on somewhere else, if you did have the misfortune to have him yelling in your ears.

My biggest memories of Long Eaton - perhaps it's just the bad things that stick in my mind unfortunately - was the lovely Summer evening when Ove Fundin and his wife were in attendance and the track had been over-watered so we never did see any speedway. I drove back to Leicester with the sun shining brightly & was somewhat disgruntled to say the least.

Another time was the 65-0 drubbing of ....I think Middlesbrough....when they refused to ride so the Long Eaton riders just went round for 5-0's in every race.

Anyone remember why Middlesbrough wouldn't ride as I forget?

Of course there were numerous other very enjoyable matches with some brilliant racing. I miss my trips to Long Eaton and it's such a shame they've closed down.

[Graham 0]

Drinking beer out of those wobbly plastic pint glasses.

 

David Walsh scoring 20 points for Glasgow there in 1994.

 

Weird crossword-style racecards in the programme.

 

Not a great stadium but a decent racers track. A sad loss for British speedway.

 

Graham.

Edited December 30, 2007 by Graham

[Letchy 1]

Drinking beer out of those wobbly plastic pint glasses.

 

David Walsh scoring 20 points for Glasgow there in 1994.

 

Weird crossword-style racecards in the programme.

 

Not a great stadium but a decent racers track.  A sad loss for British speedway.

 

Graham.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[Letchy 1]

Drinking beer out of those wobbly plastic pint glasses.

 

David Walsh scoring 20 points for Glasgow there in 1994.

 

Weird crossword-style racecards in the programme.

 

Not a great stadium but a decent racers track.  A sad loss for British speedway.

 

Graham.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Best shaped speedway track I ever raced on. Just loved it!

[arnieg 3,649]

Too many to list in full, but how about:

 

the night Scunny were beaten and Invaders won the league

 

Gerald Short, Martin Dixon and Paul Fry's many passes.

 

The Armstrong v Eldridge CLRC run-off

 

Thierry Hillaire - what a lunatic

 

Ronnie Correy's return from injury in 1995

 

Watching speedway from the centre green (I sponsored a heat in some meeting - possibly the CLRC)

 

Standing on the terraces every week just behind a Division One rider and being amazed that he always had a pint in his hand (maybe it was the same pint all the time!)

 

Standing in the car park after the Oxford Suite meeting at which Tony Mole announced it was all over, touching the stadium gates and realising 'never again will I pass this way'

[Trap 1 12]

Best shaped speedway track I ever raced on. Just loved it!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Totally agree letchy, only raced there 3 or 4 times myself but enjoyed it!

[fireblade 0]

Will always remember Galvini diving under Darrell Brandford and Mike Spink to win Hackney the meeting in a last heat decider in 1988. Did you give him instructions before that last heat Bryn   Also remember a local fan by the start line with black hair and glasses who was always shouting at the ref or having a go at the home riders!!!

 

Upon numerous visits there enjoyed watching Hellsen, Fry and Gary O'Hare racing.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I remember the lad with the glasses. He used to hang over the fence and count down the laps for the riders. Not very bright, but did come out with the odd big word or two. He always used to wear a brown coat. Micman will remember him too.

[BOBBATH 467]

I recall my first visit to Long Eaton in July 1965-a British League match v. Newport.The Wasps had not at that point won an away meeting-but this time stood a good chance as Long Eaton were without Ray Cresp.I hitch-hiked up from Cardiff and was rewarded with the Wasps winning 32-46.Ray Harris(RIP) was the Wasps reserve and was usually not so good away from Somerton Park but came thru with 7 pts. from 3 rides, including a great win over the Archers skipper Ken Adams(RIP). These two guys were veterans even then and I remember chatting to an old time fan who thought it was great to see these two former Stoke team-mates race in the same heat again. The scorers in that meeting were for Newport: Biggs 11,Erskine 9, Vandenberg 8,Golden 8,Harris 7,Penniket 2, Hughes 1. For LE: Adams 10, Kid Bodie(Howard Cole) 9,Storer 6, Hitch 3, Sharp 2, Ray Wilson 1,Malskaitis 1. I'd forgotten Clive Hitch rode for the Archers. I still have the programme. I lived in Nottingham 66-68 and would visit Station Road in 66 and 67 all the time(and then Leicester in 68). I remember the pub right at the back of the stadium and also the fish and chip shop which was just outside the 3rd/4th bend entrance. I used to catch a Barton's bus back to Nottingham. Hope these comments and rider listings bring memories back to others. Another piece of trivia-at that meeting I met another Newport fan who had hitch-hiked there-we were both lacking a ride back and decided to hitch down to Poole- to see a WC British semi-final the following night. I recall sleeping rough in an empty house after being kicked out of Poole railway station when they closed up for the night. This fan was named Ian Terrar who briefly rode as Wasps reserve a few years later-anyone know what happened to Ian??

[Railway End 0]

Another piece of trivia-at that meeting I met another Newport fan who had hitch-hiked there-we were both lacking a ride back and decided to hitch down to Poole- to see a WC British semi-final the following night. I recall sleeping rough in an empty house after being kicked out of Poole railway station when they closed up for the night. This fan was named Ian Terrar who briefly rode as Wasps reserve a few years later-anyone know what happened to Ian??

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi Bob,

Ian Terrar is still about working in London. He was a good friend of Cyril Frances. Happy New Year Bob.

[BOBBATH 467]

Thanx Railway End-are you an old Somerton Park attenddee -if you ever see Ian give him my regards and remind him of the trip. Happy New Year to you too!!

[Brian Hamilton 1]

I recall my first visit to Long Eaton in July 1965-a British League match v. Newport.The Wasps had not at that point won an away meeting-but this time stood a good chance as Long Eaton were without Ray Cresp.I hitch-hiked up from Cardiff and was rewarded with the Wasps winning 32-46.Ray Harris(RIP) was the Wasps reserve and was usually not so good away from Somerton Park but came thru with 7 pts. from 3 rides, including a great win over the Archers skipper Ken Adams(RIP). These two guys were veterans even then and I remember chatting to an old time fan who thought it was great to see these two former Stoke team-mates race  in the same heat again. The scorers in that meeting were for Newport: Biggs 11,Erskine 9, Vandenberg 8,Golden 8,Harris 7,Penniket 2, Hughes 1. For LE: Adams 10, Kid Bodie(Howard Cole) 9,Storer 6, Hitch 3, Sharp 2, Ray Wilson 1,Malskaitis 1. I'd forgotten Clive Hitch rode for the Archers. I still have the programme. I lived in Nottingham 66-68 and would visit Station Road in 66 and 67 all the time(and then Leicester in 68). I remember the pub right at the back of the stadium and also the fish and chip shop which was just outside the 3rd/4th bend entrance. I used to catch a Barton's bus back to Nottingham. Hope these comments and rider listings bring memories back to others. Another piece of trivia-at that meeting I met another Newport fan who had hitch-hiked there-we were both lacking a ride back and decided to hitch down to Poole- to see a WC British semi-final the following night. I recall sleeping rough in an empty house after being kicked out of Poole railway station when they closed up for the night. This fan was named Ian Terrar who briefly rode as Wasps reserve a few years later-anyone know what happened to Ian??

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Bobbath, I apologise for digressing from the Station Rd memories, but somthing you touched on regarding hitch-hiking to matches.

In the 1960's I met a guy from London (Mottingham) at a Thursday night meeting at Oxford and he told me that he had cycled from London to the meeting and cycled to most matches in the then National/British League. I did it once from Oxford to Swindon on a Saturday but nothing to match this Guy.

 

His name was Tony Morris and I wonder if anyone evr came across him in thos days.

[BOBBATH 467]

Brian I think it was easier in the sixties to hitch hike-I once went all the way up to Aberdeen from Cardiff in two days-I used to hitch from Nottingham to Sheffield and Halifax to see the Tigers and Dukes-also I recall seeing the British Final at Wimbledon in 1966 and then hitching back to Nottingham.Easier days perhaps but I wonder what I would have done if Ian Brady and Myra Hindley had picked me up or that weird guy from Gloucester who killed all those people with his wife-can't recall his name but they lived on Cromwell Rd Gloucester. Scary possibilities but I lived to tell the tale and am still a walking and a talking!!!!

[dantodan 314]

Hey Long Eaton fans, if you have photos, programmes badges etc and can remember any interesting stories from your cities speedway history get in touch and we can create a Long Eaton / Nottingham page on the defunct tracks website

 

email me jskinner@btinternet.com