West Ham Memories

[Tsunami 10,219]

Thanks Steve wasnt far out, Mike Hiftle did he also start with the Belle vue colts?Shows to beat that Belle Vue side was some achievement .

 

Mike started out with Berwick after early rides at his home team, Newcastle. He was more known for his longer spells with Halifax and then Berwick again.

I was at school and in the same boys club as Mike, and he was a bouncy kid.

[The White Knight 9,039]

Mike started out with Berwick after early rides at his home team, Newcastle. He was more known for his longer spells with Halifax and then Berwick again.

I was at school and in the same boys club as Mike, and he was a bouncy kid.

 

Was that just if he fell off???

Edited May 26, 2012 by The White Knight

[Tsunami 10,219]

Was that just if he fell off???

 

He did that quite regular when he first started Ian.

[cityrebel 2,960]

Custom House was a very big track about 440 yards. Compare this to tonight's GP venue at Ullevi. ,the Hammers track was about 30 yards longer. They had a crowd of 57,000 for the restart of Speedway after WW2. for a challenge match against Wembley. in April 1946. There has also been reports that there were crowds there of 80,000.for some speedway matches.

Besides Speedway ,Greyhound racing was also staged here. There was also the Thames Association football club which played in the Third Division South in 1930. It was not a success with one match only attracting 469 people. Must have looked quite empty in a stadium that could hold 120,000. After three seasons the football team resigned from the league and was dissolved

jack young had a lot to do with the west ham track being reduced in size in 1954 to 415 yards, it remained this length until it's closure.

[BOBBATH 467]

Was there for 1965 British Final-first one where Prov League riders competed(first year of BL)-it was rained off-went back the following week. Great meeting-closest Charlie Monk ever came to a World Final qualification-he wuz robbed ref!!Were any other forumlanders at that meeting??

[cityrebel 2,960]

Was there for 1965 British Final-first one where Prov League riders competed(first year of BL)-it was rained off-went back the following week. Great meeting-closest Charlie Monk ever came to a World Final qualification-he wuz robbed ref!!Were any other forumlanders at that meeting??

i'm far too young to have gone to that!, i went to my first ever speedway meeting at wimbledon in september 1968. i never got to west ham until 1970.

[BOBBATH 467]

Cityrebel you are making me feel old!!

[Genesis 0]

Custom House was a very big track about 440 yards. Compare this to tonight's GP venue at Ullevi. ,the Hammers track was about 30 yards longer. They had a crowd of 57,000 for the restart of Speedway after WW2. for a challenge match against Wembley. in April 1946. There has also been reports that there were crowds there of 80,000.for some speedway matches.

Besides Speedway ,Greyhound racing was also staged here. There was also the Thames Association football club which played in the Third Division South in 1930. It was not a success with one match only attracting 469 people. Must have looked quite empty in a stadium that could hold 120,000. After three seasons the football team resigned from the league and was dissolved

I can remember visiting the wife's Great Aunts in their later years in the late 1990's (they had moved from West Ham to Forest Gate by then) and they told me that on many an ocassion they stood in 70000 crowds at Custom House. They absolutely loved going to speedway from the 1930's onwards and had story after story to tell. Stupid me never bothered to make a record of anything they told me!

[Guest]

Does anyone remember the 1956 season when Split Waterman was a popular West Ham rider?

And before that a colourful locally based junior - I think he  lived in Plaistow - Johnny 'Cisco Kid' Fry who also drove with some success in stock car races at Custom House.

Edited December 30, 2018 by Guest

[Guest]

On 5/26/2012 at 10:19 AM, mickthemuppet said:

Custom House was a very big track about 440 yards. Compare this to tonight's GP venue at Ullevi. ,the Hammers track was about 30 yards longer. They had a crowd of 57,000 for the restart of Speedway after WW2. for a challenge match against Wembley. in April 1946. There has also been reports that there were crowds there of 80,000.for some speedway matches.

Besides Speedway ,Greyhound racing was also staged here. There was also the Thames Association football club which played in the Third Division South in 1930. It was not a success with one match only attracting 469 people. Must have looked quite empty in a stadium that could hold 120,000. After three seasons the football team resigned from the league and was dissolved

Stock car racing was also featured for many seasons in the 1950s at West Ham. And on a track that size and shape they turned in some exciting and seectacular racing. One driver I remember was former speedway rider Ted Pankhurst.

[Guest]

There are some interesting Speedway Museum Online references to West Ham on this Link:

http://www.national-speedway-museum.co.uk/west ham - pictures and articles .html

[Guest]

Robert Rogers writes on the history of West Ham:

http://www.national-speedway-museum.co.uk/west ham by robert rogers.html

[Guest]

Speedwayplus article on West Ham:

http://www.speedwayplus.com/WestHamPics2.shtml

[Guest]

The Custom House Years website:

https://www.freewebs.com/customhousekid/

[Guest]

West Ham on Wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Ham_Hammers