Speedway In London In 1970

[norbold 7,116]

As some of you may know BBC London Radio is being relaunched on 6 October as Radio London. The station was originally launched in 1970, so during relaunch day they will be taking a look back at life in London in 1970.

 

One of the subjects they will be covering, believe it or not, is speedway. They will be interviewing me so I can tell them about London speedway then. Remember those days? Wimbledon, West Ham, Hackney, Wembley, Romford......

 

Anyway, if you have any particular memories of London speedway in 1970, it would be good to hear from you, either on this thread or by pm, so I can make it a bit more than just "facts", but add some personal memories as well.

 

I'm not sure what time the speedway bit will be going out, but will let you know as soon as I'm told.

[cityrebel 2,960]

London speedway in 1970 was my first full season of visiting tracks other than Wimbledon. As a wide eyed youngster I was taken to four new venues that year. They were in visit order, west ham, wembley, romford and hackney!. The highs were, the dons winning the cup, Christer lofqvist's debut for the hammers, the lions reopener at wembley and the Czechs dicing with romford's notorious concrete safety fence!. The big low was the awful lokeren tragedy.

[customhouseregular 1,651]

Likewise cityrebel, Christer and Lokeren are all I can really recall from 1970. I visited all the tracks in 1970 but nothing else really stands out.

[Reviresco 708]

Does Crayford being in the London Borough of Bexley fall under the scope of this too, with the Highwaymen operating in 1970?

 

Not that I visited Crayford that year as my introduction to speedway only started in 1970 as a young teenager being taken to Brooklands to watch the Bombers on Thursday nights. And I was hooked from then on. The smell, the raw energy, the noise, the crowds, the simplicity of 4 x 'warrior' riders over 4 x laps. Made a huge impression on a 13 year old. Crowds of 5,000+ for league meetings with more for the Young England v Young Czechs match (don't think The Boro got a crowd of 500 for their home football matches). Health & Safety did not dominate in those days. One lone resident's complaints shutting down the sport by the end of 1971. Only 3 x TV channels in those days. No computers. Lots of hair. T Rex. There and back on the bus. A different age. Excitedly telling my class mates at school the next day about my visits. A reported £700 bid for John Louis at the end of the season. It started a lifetime of travelling to speedway tracks around Britain and provided the opportunity to visit Poland, Sweden, Germany, Australia and New Zealand.

[norbold 7,116]

Crayford. Yes, of course. I'd forgotten them. Parsloes and Bryn will never forgive me!

[WembleyLion 413]

27 June 1970 was my first introduction to Speedway when I visited Wembley Stadium to see a Four Team Tournament won by the Hackney Hawks. I became instantly hooked on Speedway and have many fond memories of the Lions during the rest of that season. Reidar Eide was my favourite and I was lucky enough to see Ove Fundin ride before he quit mid-season.

 

I lived and went to school in Wembley and at least half of my class mates were regulars following the Lions. In the playground at school Speedway was talked about much more than football. We started up cycle Speedway teams and challenged other local schools to matches. When I now look back I find it difficult to imagine just how popular it was amongst my peer group.

 

It was a great shame that the Lions finished in 1971 although quite a few of my school mates carried on following the sport, however by 1980 there were only three of us left and now there is just me!

Edited September 26, 2015 by WembleyLion

[Jim Blanchard 19]

I believe my abiding memory speedway wise (and possibly the only one) from 1970 Norman was attending the WTC final at Wembley that year. I had not been to much speedway since 1963 if any, when New Cross closed down, and my hero Peter Craven was lost in a track crash.

As far as I can remember Sweden had talked Ove out of retirement to ride for them and that Ivan Mauger was now top dog in the speedway world and was also riding for Team GB.

I believe that the ‘unstoppable force meets immovable object’ occurred in heat nine. Ivan come from an outside gate and tried to clamp Ove down going into turn one and Ove appeared just to stick his elbows out and Ivan then seemed to bounce off him. Ove cleared off and won the heat - physically and physiologically perhaps. Sweden won the meeting and team GB finished second.

Barry Briggs won the Victor Ludorum individual second half event. Ove Fundin did not take part.. Turn out was about 35,000. Is that any help Norman?

[norbold 7,116]

Thanks, Jim. That's the Ove we all remember and love.

[Reviresco 708]

Seems strange now that back then New Zealand & Australian riders rode for GB in the Team Championship, but for their own countries and against GB in the Pairs. (Even Scotland rode against GB in the Pairs Final - Scotland not being part of GB of course.....)

 

I've just had a look at the results of the British Final for 1970 that was held at West Ham in June and it was dominated by riders from New Zealand, with the 1,2,3 being Mauger, Moore & Trigg and of the 8 x Qualifiers for the next round, 4 were from NZ, 2 from Australia and 2 from GB - Arnold Haley & Trevor Hedge.

 

Must have been a 'low' point for British born riders that year in Individual World Championship terms with both Haley & Hedge failing to get into the top 8 in the British-Nordic round at Coventry - although Hedge did ride subsequently in the European Final (by the looks of it Bengt Jansson didn't take his place in Leningrad and Ove didn't replace him) and qualified for the World Final in Wroclaw where he failed to register a point.

 

Hope it goes well on Tuesday.

[norbold 7,116]

Roy Trigg was English. It was only after he retired that he emigrated to New Zealand. I remember seeing some of his first rides as a teenager at New Cross in junior second half events. I predicted a great future for him even then.

 

Yes, I think 1970 was the worst year ever for Britain in the World Championship. Only one qualifier and no points.

[spinkox 37]

 

Yes, I think 1970 was the worst year ever for Britain in the World Championship. Only one qualifier and no points.

I recall 2 photos from that final - one with Trevor Hedge in the lead on the first bend - and the next with him and his bike flying through the air. I suspect he was good for more than 0 points if this hadnt happened. . .

[norbold 7,116]

Yes, it was a nightmare event for poor old Hedgie. He had engine failure in his first two rides. In his first he pulled up while in the lead at the end of the 2nd lap against Ole Olsen. Then he was knocked flying by Gennady Kurilenko, who was excluded. Hedgie was too injured to take part in the re-run. He turned out for his fourth ride but was too injured to carry on and pulled up after two laps. He didn't come out for his fifth. As you say, I'm sure he would have done much better but for e/fs and his fall.

[Reviresco 708]

Roy Trigg was English. It was only after he retired that he emigrated to New Zealand. I remember seeing some of his first rides as a teenager at New Cross in junior second half events. I predicted a great future for him even then.

 

Yes, I think 1970 was the worst year ever for Britain in the World Championship. Only one qualifier and no points.

 

Thanks for pointing that out norbold. I should have done my research better.

[norbold 7,116]

I'm being interviewed live some time between 7:30 and 8:00 p.m. tomorrow (6 October).

[The White Knight 9,039]

I'm being interviewed live some time between 7:30 and 8:00 p.m. tomorrow (6 October).

What on? Radio/TV Station I mean.