customhouseregular

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

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

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

should say not running.

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.

Don’t laugh I used to wear a white Stetson. I was sitting outside the Odeon in Hornchurch at 3.00 a.m. after an away meeting. The Stetson was on my lap. The police pulled up and spoke to me. They thought I had a stolen frozen chicken on my lap.

1964-1970...being single with no responsibilities and being able to see speedway at West Ham, Hackney and Wimbledon.

I remember that well at Rye House as a 12 year old in 1960.

Spot on Steve. Unless I am mis- remembering I saw every major speedway meeting at Wembley between 1965 and 1981. I went to Cardiff once,in 2014 and decided not to go again.

Spot on. I went to the first 5 meetings (Barry Briggs)...great trips up to Hyde Road with the other Hammers fans. Great memories.

Many thanks, I will look it up.

Something of a long-shot. Does anyone have an Austrian Speedway Gp programme they no longer want.

I have now reached the tender age of 73. At one time I was driving 40,000 miles a year, half of which at night. Now I average 3,000 a year and try to avoid nights at all cost. My night vision is poor, particularly peripheral vision. I used to be long drives but now I don’t miss them.

Got any O’s?, No O’s... number 0’s

A very nice article

I would imagine Briggo would be right up there.

I attended Cardiff in 2014 after a near 30 year absence from live speedway. Totally disappointed and have no desire to return to the terraces. I follow our sport on line and watch on BT Sport, but that is it.

Very sorry to hear about this. I watched him many times in the 60’s and he was always a crowd pleaser.

If Terenzano is big enough for a GP, the NSS is more than capable.

Plenty more class and sophistication in York than Romford. I love living in York and have no intention of going back to Essex now my parents have gone.

My first meeting was at Rye Hose in 1960 so I can’t remember most of the riders competing. I remember Clive Hitch, Geoff Mudge, Tommy Sweetman and Mike Broadbank. How many of the riders from 1960 are still with us I wonder. Not many probably.

If they make the grade, and I hope they do, great. But... we can all remember many bright young prospects who never made it. If the future for British speedway is bright I shall be as pleased as anyone, but I can’t believe too many fans are excited at the prospect of 10 home league meetings featuring 5 visiting teams, lacking all those of world class because they are all in Poland and Sweden.

I appreciate the past was totally different than the present, but as a fan of 60 years who enjoyed his speedway in the mid/ late 60’s, I feel bound to compare. Of the 18 clubs who made up the British League in 1965, only 3 will compete at the top level in 2021. Looking at the fare on offer back then... 17 visiting teams, World-class riders at every meeting, open meetings of a GP standard, world championship rounds and an 18 team cup competition, I can’t help feeling today’s fan is being woefully short- changed. To have only 5 visiting teams with no GP riders in a whole season is far from exciting. I accept I no longer attend meetings and there will be forum members who feel I am not entitled to comment, but I doubt any members who watched British League speedway between 1965 and 1971 would disagree with me.

We had them at their peak!

and a Hammer. Jonnie Hoskins was the master showman. He really understood the value of entertainment.