Best thing about the 60s &70s

[andout 651]

As most have said, probably going to Speedway five or even six times a week and it wasn't expensive. Our usual was New Cross (just the early '60's), West Ham Hackney, Wimbledon, Wherever West Ham was racing on the Week-end plus Romford, Crayford, Canterbury, Eastbourne, Rye House all within easy reach. Not to mention where Internationals were, that was big time back then. Best memory for me was the GB v USSR @ Wembley in 1964. World Finals @ Wembley....ahh yes quite the event. Watching my childhood hero in the early '60s, Peter Craven.

I could go on forever!!!!!

 

[customhouseregular 1,651]

38 minutes ago, andout said:

As most have said, probably going to Speedway five or even six times a week and it wasn't expensive. Our usual was New Cross (just the early '60's), West Ham Hackney, Wimbledon, Wherever West Ham was racing on the Week-end plus Romford, Crayford, Canterbury, Eastbourne, Rye House all within easy reach. Not to mention where Internationals were, that was big time back then. Best memory for me was the GB v USSR @ Wembley in 1964. World Finals @ Wembley....ahh yes quite the event. Watching my childhood hero in the early '60s, Peter Craven.

I could go on forever!!!!!

 

I appreciate not all of these teams were running at the same time, but if you lived here London between 1960 and 1979 you could, at various times, watch league speedway at Harringay, New Cross, Hackney, West Ham, Wimbledon, Wembley and White Cit. I never got to Harringay or New Cross but saw league speedway at the  others, plus all the major individual meetings and test matches from 1965. How sad we are were we are now.

[fatface 2,554]

22 hours ago, Grachan said:

Dave Steen was an electrician by trade. Every time there was an electrical problem at Reading (which seemed to happen quite often) he used to have to go up to the box and fix it.

Bright spark then?

[customhouseregular 1,651]

31 minutes ago, customhouseregular said:

I appreciate not all of these teams were running at the same time, but if you lived here London between 1960 and 1979 you could, at various times, watch league speedway at Harringay, New Cross, Hackney, West Ham, Wimbledon, Wembley and White Cit. I never got to Harringay or New Cross but saw league speedway at the  others, plus all the major individual meetings and test matches from 1965. How sad we are were we are now.

should say not running.

[customhouseregular 1,651]

Just now, customhouseregular said:

should say not running.

this predictive text confuses me. I’m sure you know what I am trying to say.

[Split 179]

On ‎6‎/‎14‎/‎2021 at 11:15 AM, norbold said:

In the early 70s we had Wimbledon, West Ham, Hackney, Wembley, Crayford and Romford with Rye House and Rayleigh in close proximity. Twice a week (West Ham & Hackney) was regular for me. Three times was not unusual. Four on several occasions as well. 

And now there is not one speedway track operating in the whole of London - very sad!

[andout 651]

8 hours ago, customhouseregular said:

this predictive text confuses me. I’m sure you know what I am trying to say.

HaHa....yes it does it to me too.....Understand fully! 

I think the thing was we had so many tracks to go to within easy reach......and most of all it was really cheap...In the late '60s also did most away trips with West Ham including Coatbridge.....plus of course I was one of the few fans who saw those two infamous meetings in Holland in 1970......Great days! (and not so great days)

[customhouseregular 1,651]

4 minutes ago, andout said:

HaHa....yes it does it to me too.....Understand fully! 

I think the thing was we had so many tracks to go to within easy reach......and most of all it was really cheap...In the late '60s also did most away trips with West Ham including Coatbridge.....plus of course I was one of the few fans who saw those two infamous meetings in Holland in 1970......Great days! (and not so great days)

Were you on the trips to Glasgow and Edinburgh in1967 with Lacey’s Coaches

[andout 651]

2 hours ago, customhouseregular said:

Were you on the trips to Glasgow and Edinburgh in1967 with Lacey’s Coaches

Pretty sure I was on the Glasgow one! Wouldn't remember if it were Lacey's Coaches though.

Edited June 17, 2021 by andout

[tigerowl 630]

This thread makes me feel so sad. I feel honoured to have watched the sport in the 1970s and 1980s but it's so depressing to feel that those glory days are well and truly over and it's never coming back.

At least I've got all my speedway magazines right back to the 1930s and can read about it at my leisure, but it was a massive part of my childhood and teenage years and  I sort of feel a sense of bereavement about speedway as it is today. 

[customhouseregular 1,651]

7 hours ago, andout said:

Pretty sure I was on the Glasgow one! Wouldn't remember if it were Lacey's Coaches though.

From memory I did organised Hammers trips in 67/68 to Glasgow, Edinburgh, Coventry, Long Eaton, Cradley, Swindon, Newport and Poole.

[iris123 20,986]

7 hours ago, tigerowl said:

This thread makes me feel so sad. I feel honoured to have watched the sport in the 1970s and 1980s but it's so depressing to feel that those glory days are well and truly over and it's never coming back.

At least I've got all my speedway magazines right back to the 1930s and can read about it at my leisure, but it was a massive part of my childhood and teenage years and  I sort of feel a sense of bereavement about speedway as it is today. 

It really does. Almost like two different sports in a way

Some of my most vivid memories are the queues, the packed terraces and trying to find a place to sit at some of the big meetings like the Internationale, Division 2 Riders Championship or one England v USA test. And of course the atmosphere when the lights dropped and the track was lit up, the colour of the fans with their rosettes, hats and scarves and flags. There was a buzz about the sport that made it feel important and you was part of something special

There is none of that today. For me at least. 

[tigerowl 630]

I suppose Cardiff is the closest we get to that in this country now, but even that's not the same. I remember being at a BLRC at Hyde Road in the early 1980s stood on the back straight and it was so packed I couldn't get my arms up to fill in my programme, they were just pinned to my sides. 

I feel like the fabric of the sport in the UK is under threat now with tracks like Poole and Wolverhampton struggling in the post pandemic world. I don't think it will disappear completely here but might end up like it is in Germany with a bit of a league and some open meetings. I am sure we will never see the packed houses like the BLRC and British Final night at Coventry again.  

[Sidney the robin 4,735]

12 hours ago, tigerowl said:

This thread makes me feel so sad. I feel honoured to have watched the sport in the 1970s and 1980s but it's so depressing to feel that those glory days are well and truly over and it's never coming back.

At least I've got all my speedway magazines right back to the 1930s and can read about it at my leisure, but it was a massive part of my childhood and teenage years and  I sort of feel a sense of bereavement about speedway as it is today. 

I am like you OWL  love the sport still do when it is right what a product it is a great night out terrific..My youth was speedway/ Speedway/ speedway now that has gone no Swindon for me now.Still follow the sport but don’t miss it as much as i should me thinks it is going a slow death hurts me to say it.

[cityrebel 2,960]

1 hour ago, Sidney the robin said:

I am like you OWL  love the sport still do when it is right what a product it is a great night out terrific..My youth was speedway/ Speedway/ speedway now that has gone no Swindon for me now.Still follow the sport but don’t miss it as much as i should me thinks it is going a slow death hurts me to say it.

We've all been weaned off it Sid. Last year i attended 4 meetings, my lowest total since 1968, which was my first season. This year I've done 9, which includes 2 amateur meetings at Lydd and 1 on the grass. I really feel we are entering the last professional era for the sport in this country.