norbold

Yes, John Langfield rode for West Ham in 1969 but didn't return for the 1970 season. Ken McKinlay, for so long the backbone of the team, also left after the 1969 season as did Stan the Man. As has been said, although Sverre returned for 1970, he was just a pale shadow of his former self and then got injured again. Kasper was signed up but went walk about, arriving later in the season. Brian Leonard and Barry Crowson also left.

1971 was the Hammers last year. Clarke and Kasper weren't in the team. Newcomers that year included Preben Rosenkilde, Mick Handley, Allan Belham, Alan Sage and Barry Duke. They finished bottom of the league and then it was all over.

Yes, I seem to remember the story was that Johnnie Hoskins advertised races against cheetahs to bring the crowds in, but, on the night, he announced that the cheetah hadn't turned up. A heckler in the crowd shouted, "Yes he has and we know who the cheater is!" Or something like that.

I suppose it is the track I have visited most. A bit of a toss up between that and Hackney. It was a good track, though generally I preferred smaller tracks like New Cross. However, there was probably no better site in speedway than seeing riders like Sverre Harrfeldt and Christer Lofqvist blasting round the outside at Custom House.I think the problem was that if races got processional there was a long way to go till the end of the race!

Split, of course, is one of speedway's greatest characters and well-known for his sense of humour and loud rasping laugh. Stan Stevens once told me the story about how, just before the start of the 1961 World Championship round at New Cross, he saw Split cutting grooves into his tyres in the paddock, so he asked him if this improved them for racing. Split replied, "No, it doesn't do a blind bit of good, but it makes me feel better" and let out his famous laugh. When they met in the meeting itself, Stan outgated Split, but going down the back straight on the first lap, Split passed him and, as he did so, he just turned to look over at Stan and grinned at him. I am glad I actually got to meet Split many years later at a VSRA (as it then was) dinner, even if his after dinner speech wasn't exactly what everyone had expected!

Our oldest World Championship Finalist survivor, the great Split Waterman is 94 today. My first hero. Happy birthday Split. Only six to go to the century!

I was told the reason for the reduction from 440 yards to 415 yards was because at the end of the 1953 season, Jack Young asked for a transfer as he felt that Custom House was too long and was more a test of speed than skill and that being probably the most skilful rider around at the time, he thought it would be to his advantage to ride for a smaller track. Desperate to keep him, the West Ham management agreed to shorten the track.

You should have started a web site about it. I bet if you had it would still be going today. (The web site that is, not the track!)

Thanks, BL.

Thanks for the info, gustix. So, if it was late 50s, they wouldn't have been around in speedway days then.

Do you know when that would have been, gustix?

Johnnie Hoskins contributed an enormous amount to speedway over the years. He was a master publicist and popularised the sport wherever he went. His longevity meant that many generations of speedway goers benefited from his involvement. He was my first promoter (New Cross) and he certainly added to my enthusiasm for the sport with his stunts, his articles in the programme and the speedway press and his sheer presence and force of personality at meetings. Having said that, what he did NOT do, however, was invent speedway at West Maitland in 1923!!! More off-track legends must include A J Hunting, Bill Cearns, Fred Mockford, Arthur Elvin and Ronnie Greene.

Yes, I think you are probably right. Norwich held its first meeting under an ACU licence on 25 June 1933, after which Leavis, Sharp and others used their real names.

Johnny Bull rode in Norwich's first-ever team, on 13 September 1931 against Staines. The last I heard there was some controversy over who Johnny Bull actually was. I'm not sure if it was ever resolved. He was reputed to have weighed over sixteen stones. Others who rode under pseudonyms were Fred Leavis (Arthur Reynolds), Allen Kilfoyle (Jack Williams), Bert Garrish (Herb Peters), Jack Newlands (Speedy Jack) and Jack Sharp (Jack Smythe). The reason this was done was because many clubs had signed riders on exclusive contracts. To get round this, some of the riders took these false names to allow them to earn money at non-league tracks like Norwich.

I'm not entirely sure, but I think you are right that the other venues were all grass track venues. Yes, the meetings at Yarmouth were held on a site to the south of the later venue.

A meeting was held at Lowestoft Road, Oulton Broad on 9 April 1932, organised by Lowestoft and District Speedway. Eleven meetings were held at Doles Meadow, Bradwell, run by Waveney Speed Track, who also ran one meeting at Crown Meadow, Lowestoft on 13 August 1932. Two meetings were held at the greyhound track in Caister Road, Yarmouth, two at Fakenham and another at Downham Market on 14 July 1932. Moving on to 1935, Norwich only ran one meeting, on Easter Sunday. Pakefield took over the dirt track licence and ran a number of meetings, including matches with a team called Lowestoft against 'London' and Hackney Wick. Several meetings were also held in 1936 and it became known as 'The Track by the Silver Sea.' I do have a photo of Pakefield, which I can't lay my hands on at the moment, but could probably find.

Definitely Chershire, TWK, just like Les Moore and Ray Moore. All Cheshire.

Thank you, Steve, the thought is much appreciated.

Jack Winstanley

Snowy Beattie was at Hackney. Ron Dyer was West Ham's man. Ernie Hancock at New Cross was a prominent member of speedway society.

I don't think you've quite understood this thread yet!

Ron Hoare was another fine speedway journalist/historian. It was his article, "Undefeated Tom", in the 1961 Speedway Star Digest that first got me interested in Tom Farndon.

Just saw this as the thread has been revived and thought, Blimey, it's just like Nigel Benn v. Steve Collins! Then I saw the date on the post!!!!

Think I'd have to go for Igor Plechanov Josef Hofmeister Boris Somoradov Jerky Szcackiel

It has to be Mike Bast surely....