Favorite London Track For Neutrals.

[salty 2,208]

Having been raised on the "luxurious" environs of Dudley Wood, moving down to London in 1981 and having Plough Lane as a local track was a bit of a culture shock. Never liked watching from behind the glass so generally stood on the first bend. Grew to love my Speedway there, but did enjoy going over to Hackney a couple of times a season.

[Grachan 7,364]

Hackney was the best track, but, oh those lamp standards!! I went there quite a few times over the years.

 

Wimbledon used to have a great atmosphere although the track itself was a bit small for my liking.

 

White City was a fabulous stadium but the track seemed a long way off and the sheer size of it meant there was little atmosphere for league matches.

 

Would have loved to have seen West Ham but it closed down before I started going.

[billybikespeedway 75]

Wimbledon for me , we had moved to Newport in 62 but still had relatives in london so in the summer hloidays I would get the train to paddington Underground to Wimbledon in 65 on thursday back home on friday for Somerton Park, Olle Nyrgren my Hero White boots green Scarf, great face mask well I was only 14 , but Wimbledon Stadium so Different to Somerton Park track rakers all dressed the same Stadium lights go out when racing started, track lights suspended over the track ,not Football floodlights like somerton park.

[steve roberts 9,247]

Have enjoyed reading the comment on this particular thread...memories of London speedway sadly no longer!

[BOBBATH 467]

' Ang on a minute billybikes -don't knock poor old Somerton-ah the memories!!!-the trains to London and elsewhere speeding by on the railway track which you could see above the fence, the lights at night from the suburban houses on the hill behind the Stadium., the Newport County Supporters Club hut behind the main stand where after paying a 5 shilling membership for the season you could go in and glug down Whitbread Trophy!! Now all gone-no more Somerton Park, no more Newport Speedway and even no more Whitbread Trophy beer!!!! Wot's the world coming to!!!! I subscribe to the theory that there are three sorts of people in this world. "One group makes things happen", "a second group things happen to" and a third group asks " wot the f***s 'appening"- I am in that third group.

[billybikespeedway 75]

Hi BOBATH nothing wrong with Somerton park ,but Wimbledon was just Plush , I used to stand Cromwell road end Exiting the Turn Tiered terracing, bars to lean on ,was you there when the Russians came in 65( Sardines or what )

[longlivefrankie 458]

Hi BOBATH nothing wrong with Somerton park ,but Wimbledon was just Plush , I used to stand Cromwell road end Exiting the Turn Tiered terracing, bars to lean on ,was you there when the Russians came in 65( Sardines or what )

Even by today's speedways standards Somerton park would be a decent stadium, plenty of covered stands on three sides no less

 

Some great memories - test matches, Phil crumps first season, the years 1965, 1975, Toby harrysson, gote Nordin, reidar eide, Sandor Levai and many more etc

Edited March 18, 2017 by Ken Morgan

[steve roberts 9,247]

Even by today's speedways standards Somerton park would be a decent stadium, plenty of covered stands on three sides no less

 

Some great memories - test matches, Phil crumps first season, the years 1965, 1975, Toby harrysson, gote Nordin, reidar eide, Sandor Levai and many more etc

Went to Newport on a couple of occasions...once when Oxford were hammered and again when Belle Vue visited in 1975 when Alan Wilkinson was the most productive exponent on that particular occasion. PC made it clear it was never his favourite track and in fact faked illness, if I recall, when he missed the Aces trip there in 1976 after he heard the news of Tommy Jansson's death the night before.

[Sidney the robin 4,735]

Went to Newport on a couple of occasions...once when Oxford were hammered and again when Belle Vue visited in 1975 when Alan Wilkinson was the most productive exponent on that particular occasion. PC made it clear it was never his favourite track and in fact faked illness, if I recall, when he missed the Aces trip there in 1976 after he heard the news of Tommy Jansson's death the night before.

If i remember rightly Eric Boocock badly broke his arm there Crump had the track weighed up though.

[longlivefrankie 458]

Went to Newport on a couple of occasions...once when Oxford were hammered and again when Belle Vue visited in 1975 when Alan Wilkinson was the most productive exponent on that particular occasion. PC made it clear it was never his favourite track and in fact faked illness, if I recall, when he missed the Aces trip there in 1976 after he heard the news of Tommy Jansson's death the night before.

i have vague recollections of Wilkie coming on the mic for kocup quarter final ( I think) visit of belle vue saying the Aces had no problem with Somerton park or something similar .

 

The number of riders who did of course would make a decent team up though

Edited March 19, 2017 by Ken Morgan

[steve roberts 9,247]

If i remember rightly Eric Boocock badly broke his arm there Crump had the track weighed up though.

I think that Eric caught his right arm along the top of the fence and caught a post?

[Sidney the robin 4,735]

I think that Eric caught his right arm along the top of the fence and caught a post?

Totally right,i can always remember Halifax getting a facility after that injury for Eric to ride at reserve.And in 74 he come to the Abbey and scored 14 points from the reserve berth amazingly after a few years trying he won the British Title in 74.

[steve roberts 9,247]

Totally right,i can always remember Halifax getting a facility after that injury for Eric to ride at reserve.And in 74 he come to the Abbey and scored 14 points from the reserve berth amazingly after a few years trying he won the British Title in 74.

He had been allocated to Oxford for the 1975 season but had decided to retire and moved into management at Belle Vue...we eventually got Dag Lovaas instead after the fiasco of the Ole Olsen affair who was also allocated to Cowley prior to the commencement of that season. In fact I think we used a facility for him at Coventry when also John Davis guested for himself...could only happen in speedway.

 

Actually it used to annoy me that Oxford used to ride at Coventry at the start of a season in an official fixture before some teams had been finalised...at least we did return in the KO Cup later in the year and manage to turn 'The Bees' over good and proper!

Edited March 19, 2017 by steve roberts

[Sidney the robin 4,735]

He had been allocated to Oxford for the 1975 season but had decided to retire and moved into management at Belle Vue...we eventually got Dag Lovaas instead after the fiasco of the Ole Olsen affair who was also allocated to Cowley prior to the commencement of that season. In fact I think we used a facility for him at Coventry when also John Davis guested for himself...could only happen in speedway.

 

Actually it used to annoy me that Oxford used to ride at Coventry at the start of a season in an official fixture before some teams had been finalised...at least we did return in the KO Cup later in the year and manage to turn 'The Bees' over good and proper!

Some of the rules in speedway have always been crazy and looking back how Halifax got that facility for Boocock is very strange.Also Briggo after all he had done for speedway was stopped entering the WC bizarre really.So as much as some of the rules now are baffling it has always happened. Edited March 19, 2017 by Sidney the robin

[steve roberts 9,247]

Some of rules in speedway have always been crazy and looking back how Halifax got that facility for Boocock is very strange.Also Briggo after all he had done for speedway was stopped entering the WC bizarre really.So as much as some of the rules now are baffling it has always happened.

If I remember PC was denied the chance to compete in the 1981 WC because he wasn't competing in Britain that year...despite all that he had achieved previously representing his country!