British Track Tour - Places, Faces & What You Remember

[keef robin 551]

Coventry...sitting in the open-air seats.

 

Somerset...a goat and chickens by the turnstiles

 

New Cross...The orange and black rosette

 

Swindon...The easy free access areas and the number of people that didn't pay. The dreaded back straight bogs, still standing!

 

Worky...The rugby pitch, and freeloaders peering over the fence between bends 3-4.

Edited May 26, 2017 by beefy keefy

[norbold 7,118]

One of the things I remember most about New Cross is the family we used to sit near in the stand on the home straight. They were all great characters. I'm not sure what relationship they were to each other, but our favourite was a young man, probably in his early 20s, who we called Fuzz because he had fuzzy hair. He spoke very slowly and seemed to be generally very sloth like in everything he did. He was also quite slow on the uptake and often puzzled for some time over anything said to him before responding. We think that one of the others was his best friend, El, who was the complete opposite. He spoke at a million miles an hour and got very excitable. He was a complete ball of nervous energy, always fidgeting and unable to keep still. Before practically every race Barry Briggs appeared in he would announce, "Watch Briggs rear at the start" to everyone around him. We think the older woman who was with them was probably Fuzz's grandmother. Her mission in life seemed to be to provide the others with cups of tea. She was up and down so often going to get the tea that we dubbed her, "Mrs Cups of Tea". I'm not sure if she ever actually saw any racing. Finally there was a middle age man, who we took to be Fuzz's father and Mrs Cups of Tea's son. He was an authority on anything to do with speedway, whether historical or mechanical or anything else. Throughout the evening there would be a constant stream of people coming up to him asking him questions or for his advice. He never let them down. He was known to us as "The Authority".

Any other New Cross regulars here remember them?

[The White Knight 9,039]

I can remeber Ena at Sunderland who used to knit Bobble Hats and Race Bibs for the kids - free of charge I might add.. My son had one set - he got it in the first Season and it lasted him the whole four years of Sunderland 'Stars'/'Gladiators' existance.

 

Ena also knitted George Barclay's Bobble Hat.

 

You shouldn't have started this Thread Tony - my mind is going back to better and happier times.

 

I remember Frank Auffret conking out on the Start Line - I said I'll give you a push - by the time we arrived at the third bend I was regretting my offer.

[keef robin 551]

One of the things I remember most about New Cross is the family we used to sit near in the stand on the home straight. They were all great characters. I'm not sure what relationship they were to each other, but our favourite was a young man, probably in his early 20s, who we called Fuzz because he had fuzzy hair. He spoke very slowly and seemed to be generally very sloth like in everything he did. He was also quite slow on the uptake and often puzzled for some time over anything said to him before responding. We think that one of the others was his best friend, El, who was the complete opposite. He spoke at a million miles an hour and got very excitable. He was a complete ball of nervous energy, always fidgeting and unable to keep still. Before practically every race Barry Briggs appeared in he would announce, "Watch Briggs rear at the start" to everyone around him. We think the older woman who was with them was probably Fuzz's grandmother. Her mission in life seemed to be to provide the others with cups of tea. She was up and down so often going to get the tea that we dubbed her, "Mrs Cups of Tea". I'm not sure if she ever actually saw any racing. Finally there was a middle age man, who we took to be Fuzz's father and Mrs Cups of Tea's son. He was an authority on anything to do with speedway, whether historical or mechanical or anything else. Throughout the evening there would be a constant stream of people coming up to him asking him questions or for his advice. He never let them down. He was known to us as "The Authority".

Any other New Cross regulars here remember them?

Don't remember much as I was only 7 in 63, recall the last meeting against Poole, PL v Southampton , my first meeting against Ackney, and Squibbo the number 1.

[Terry 1,319]

tmc mentioning Len's lucky 50p reminded me of the time my sister, who would've been 8 or 9 caught it, but some guy snatched it from her. My dad steamed in and the next thing they were rolling about in the dirt fighting over the coin..thankfully my sister got her 50p back!

 

Some more Hackney memories were; Taking your life in your hands crossing the A12 when the stadium entrance was at the front, past the toy car factory.

 

The little blue 3-wheeled car that sold monkey-nuts. The dark and creepy toilet next to the back straight café.

Sseeaaannnn Will-mott la-la-la-la-la ringing out from the second bend gang!

[chunky 6,111]

Okay, here goes...

 

Belle Vue: What can I say? The fairground, the zoo, and what a track. I dropped my hot dog in the car park there, at the 1970 KOC Final. One of our group, Steve Hickmott, got injured on the go-karts one year. Another time, we ended up spending the night at Watford Gap because Hickmott and his cronies stole a road sign on the way up there. They stuck it under one of the seats, and we all forgot about it. Coming home, we heard this dreadful knocking noise, and thought that the coach was about to fall apart. So, we stopped at the services while they sent another coach up there for us!

 

Canterbury: A semi-regular stop for me. Home of the hottest cuppa on the planet, and home to two of the great speedway characters of all time: Dick Jarvis and Les Drury!

 

Cradley: Only went there the once, but as most of you know, the pork and stuffing sarnies - and the pork scratchings - were worth the drive from Surrey.

 

Coventry: Used to go up there for the British Final, and 1982 is the one that stands out for me. Not just a superb performance but Andy Grahame, but queuing up before we went in, Denny Pyeatt came over and was talking to us for a while. Just six weeks before his tragic accident, and what a lovely guy.

 

Crayford: Loved watching teams like Exeter all at sea on the tight circuit, but what a poxy drive around the South Circular.

 

Exeter: Not sure why, but I always enjoyed tracks in the middle of the city. There was one Falcons fan I will NEVER forget. Saw him a few times, both at home and at the County Ground, but it was this older weird fella, and after we had beaten them one night at Plough Lane, he marched over to and was yelling that we were too strong. Then - and this is what haunts me to this day - he said, "Nothing personal, but I hope all your riders crash and get killed..." Terrible that someone could say that.

 

Glasgow (Shawfield): The only British track I flew to. Went up there to see the Dons win in '88, and I have to say, perhaps the greatest and friendliest bunch of supporters I have ever met.

 

Hackney: Another fun drive - particular going there in rush hour - but on the way home, I learned to judge the traffic lights down Whitechapel Rd, and I could get all the way from the Green Man (Carpenters Rd) to London Bridge without stopping! Not the best stadium, but watching Thommo round the third and fourth bends was great fun. Remember dear old Snowy...

 

Mildenhall: Another semi-regular stop for me. Great food, but the single biggest highlight for me was watching an Avro Vulcan from the airbase doing its thing. Totally magical!

 

Peterborough: Thought the Grand Slam/ NL-4TT was fantastic! They had some Honda trikes up there, and a few of the riders were showing us mere mortals how to ride them. I was brave enough, and I am proud to say that I was actually lapping at full throttle - God's honest truth - and mixing it with Sean Courtney, Rob Grant, and Mark Fiora! Until Grant t-boned me, that is...

 

White City: Used to ride over there with Ken Archer and Esther; they would pick me up at Tooting Bec station. Thanks to Jim Tebby (a long-time family friend) being Clerk of the Course, he would let me watch the second-half from the centre-green!

 

Steve

[fatface 2,556]

Exeter - Big Bank Holiday crowds enjoying the sun for an 11am dust up with Poole

[iris123 21,000]

From my trips to 'ackney

 

What always struck me first was the strange smell of the place as we approached about a mile away!!! Think it might have been a nearby brewery?

 

 

Big Arthur the Speedway Mail man standing at the entrance was one of the first things you noticed

 

Len Silver throwing the 50p into the crowd and i managed to get it one week

 

The two souvenir huts as you came in.Always wanted the new season badges

 

The old beardy guy in the back straight stand who used a light and/or magnifying glass to see his programme.Always wondered how bad his eyes must be and now i am approaching his age i am almost as bad!!!!

 

The time i was cycling to the speedway after work near Covent Garden and just as i was coming down through Whitechapel almost falling off my bike with shock as the call to prayers from the nearby mosque started!!! Frightened the life out of me

[TonyMac 720]

You shouldn't have started this Thread Tony - my mind is going back to better and happier times.

 

I remember Frank Auffret conking out on the Start Line - I said I'll give you a push - by the time we arrived at the third bend I was regretting my offer.

That's the idea, TWK,

 

What were you doing on the centre green?

The little blue 3-wheeled car that sold monkey-nuts. The dark and creepy toilet next to the back straight café.

Sseeaaannnn Will-mott la-la-la-la-la ringing out from the second bend gang!

 

You mean the Vic Harding 'Lounge'?

[steve roberts 9,246]

From my trips to 'ackney

 

What always struck me first was the strange smell of the place as we approached about a mile away!!! Think it might have been a nearby brewery?

 

 

Big Arthur the Speedway Mail man standing at the entrance was one of the first things you noticed

 

Len Silver throwing the 50p into the crowd and i managed to get it one week

 

The two souvenir huts as you came in.Always wanted the new season badges

 

The old beardy guy in the back straight stand who used a light and/or magnifying glass to see his programme.Always wondered how bad his eyes must be and now i am approaching his age i am almost as bad!!!!

 

The time i was cycling to the speedway after work near Covent Garden and just as i was coming down through Whitechapel almost falling off my bike with shock as the call to prayers from the nearby mosque started!!! Frightened the life out of me

If memory serves wasn't there an OXO factory or something similar nearby?

[Paulco 7,080]

Rye House - the Rye pub , no where better on a Summer day to sit in a beer garden and have a meal before the speedway .

Scunthorpe - the wind , why does it get so windy there ?

Workington - marvelling at how our supporters coach driver manages to get the coach over that wee bridge to get into the car park . And sitting with the Mildenhall supporters in the stand , at the fours one year , and having the bar staff bring the beers up to us .

Somerset - everything about the place , I just love the Oak Tree Arena

Newcastle - bit lacking in atmosphere with supporters all just congregated in the one place .

Kings Lynn - Watching in amazement as piles and piles of shale gets dumped on the starting gate just before the start .

Ipswich - the home fans , great bunch of people .

Berwick - how cold it can be , but the town itself is lovely

Edinburgh - as i'm trying to be nice - it has a good bar .

Newport - miss that place , made some great friends there

Plymouth - cracking wee track

Glasgow - of all our various homes - I miss Shawfield .

Canterbury - got drunk in a pub called the Monument after watching us getting pumped

Mildenhall - cracking wee place with a nice bar

Redcar - great fans and I loved the 3rd and 4th bend banking

Leicester - seeing our biggest ever away win there 62-28 in 2011

Coventry - the bridge over the pits

Belle Vue - Kirky Lane - Thinking this was a plush place when I paid to get in - then I went outside .

Sheffield - Love the New Barrack Tavern across the road on PLRC day

Swindon - bit of a dump and the lavvys on the back straight . Nearly got left there as I spent too long in the bar after the meeting at the 2007 PLRC .

Poole - dodgy track , but good big bar .

Paisley - I could walk to there and back

Peterborough - another of my favs - beer's a bit expensive though .

Stoke - trip back in time , nice big bar , but the beer's not very good

Edited May 28, 2017 by Paulco

[Terry 1,319]

 

 

 

 

You mean the Vic Harding 'Lounge'?

No, the Vic Harding lounge was on the third bend. The café was on the second bend, just after the souvenir hut at the top of the big steps.

[scarletrider 66]

I vividly remember my first, and my last visits to see speedway at my local track, Boldon Stadium, Sunderland. The first was Sunderland v Newcastle in 1964. I remember the stadium was packed to the gunnals, we had to fight for a viewing space. One rider dominated the meeting - Ivan Mauger, Mr 100% record around the Boldon track in three meetings.

My last visit was a very sad day, we all knew the track was closing down. Brian Havelock won the last race at Sunderland - and then I stood, in a trance as the stadium emptied, and the silence took over. No more roaring engines - just silence. And it's that silence that really gets to me after all these years.

I've visited the Stadium many times since, I just gaze at the Stadium searching for memories, all I hear is the silence and the ghosts of the past. I stand where I stood all those years ago selling raffle tickets, shouting "Raffle tickets, two for a bob". Was it all a dream?

 

Great memories, we never had a great team - but they were our team, and we loved them all.

 

"The Mackem"

Edited May 28, 2017 by scarletrider

[steve roberts 9,246]

I vividly remember my first, and my last visits to see speedway at my local track, Boldon Stadium, Sunderland. The first was Sunderland v Newcastle in 1964. I remember the stadium was packed to the gunnals, we had to fight for a viewing space. One rider dominated the meeting - Ivan Mauger, Mr 100% record around the Boldon track in three meetings.

My last visit was a very sad day, we all knew the track was closing down. Brian Havelock won the last at Sunderland - and then I stood, in a trance as the stadium emptied, and the silence took over. No more roaring engines - just silence. And it's that silence that really gets to me after all these years.

I've visited the Stadium many times since, I just gaze at the Stadium searching for memories, all I hear is the silence and the ghosts of the past. I stand where I stood all those years ago selling raffle tickets, shouting "Raffle tickets, two for a bob". Was it all a dream?

 

Great memories, we never had a great team - but they were our team, and we loved them all.

 

"The Mackem"

I've passed the stadium on a couple of occasions relatively recently but was never fortunate to see any racing there.

[longlivefrankie 458]

Somerton park - deafening roar stood in stand if u brave enough on first bend later on after start line moved sides

 

Also this weekend got me thinking Exeter ...how things change the Chiefs & city both in playoff finals made me miss our old sparring partners the Falcons.

 

Hayley stadium , baking hot sunday afternoons